Short and whimsical with just a hint of faerie cruelty. While this was not my favorite from T. Kingfisher I did still enjoy it. Poor Toadling was taken and switched with a changling moments after she was born. Raised by lesser water folk, then trained by the higher courts of faerie to stand protector over the changeling left in her place. Through events she ends up standing guard over the child for centuries protecting the world from her.

A deeply imaginative and engaging retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I was hooked from the start, and read it all in one sitting.

This was cute! I enjoyed this spin on Sleeping Beauty. I did find it a bit anticlimactic, but still liked the ending. It's a pretty lighthearted read.

ARC received by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

T, Kingfisher's takes on fairytales have become one of my favorite books. This one is another for the list of books that I have come to love. The characters were all understandable and I could see why they took the actions they did. I don't want to get into too much because this is a short story, and I don't want to spoil anything. The only thing I do wish this book had been longer. I would have loved to see more of these characters and their lives.

*The publisher provided me with an ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Fairy tale retellings are all the rage these days, and no one does them better than T. Kingfisher.

A retelling of Sleeping Beauty that drastically deviates from its source material, Thornhedge is a delightfully dark novella that poses the question - what is Sleeping Beauty was put to sleep for good reasons? What results is a book that has many of the features that you would expect from a Sleeping Beauty retelling - a sleeping princess locked away in a tower, a strapping young prince trying to save her, a dangerous protective wall of thorns, and a kind fairy over-looking our fairy maiden. Readers quickly figure out, however, that this is not the traditional version of the story they have seen many times over.

The main character of Thornhedge is the fairy-being herself, Toadling. Toadling was a character that I was instantly drawn to, as she demonstrated by empathetic thoughtfulness and determined strength in a manner that felt genuine and lived in. The novella is written in a non-linear format in which we consistently jump back and forth between the modern day (where princes and knights are trying to save the princess) and Toadling's past, where we learn about the tragic events that have lead to the current "Sleeping Beauty in the tower situation". We feel every single on of Toadling's sacrifices, and the ethical choices that she doesn't want to make but is forced to make. As the novella unfurls, Kingfisher applies many layers to Toadling, as she tries to define her own strength in the world without losing all of her sweet humanity.

The non-linear nature of the novella also means that Kingfisher gets to insert all kinds of fun mysteries and twists into the narrative. It is clear from the get that not everything is at it appears, but Kingfisher doesn't reveal her hand until the perfect moments. Once everything is revealed, the plot kicks into overdrive as it excels to the novella's climax.

The pacing of this novella is on point, which is not always something that I can say about the format. Many novellas either feel like drawn out short stories or dramatically cut down novels, but Kingfisher utilized the novella's length to its benefit. The plot moves along at a great pace, always moving toward the next "reveal", while also finding time for the quieter character moments that lets their humanity shine in these of-dark circumstances. The ending is immensely satisfying, and I cannot honestly say (as a huge compliment) that I don't need anymore of Toadling or this particular world. Their story is told - its finished. Which, in the ever of the "Marvel Cinematic Universe" and "Franchise Fever" is quite refreshing.

The other major character is "the prince", Halim. I absolutely adored that Halim was not the stereotypical prince/knight figure, but also wasn't simply a stereotypical satire of that character archetype either. Instead, he was a man who doesn't quite enjoy the princely things, but always tries to do the right thing (like saving maidens from towers). There were also just other clever changes that brought him to life amongst the deluge of princes/knight figures in fantasy, even just the detail that he was Muslim and that a lot of his actions and thoughts were filtered through that particular lens.

The exact tone of this novel is hard to pin down. There is definitely a dark and sinister aura overlying the entire thing, and individual elements seep into the horror genre. Kingfisher also tackles several darker themes and ethical quandaries, from emotional abuse to feelings of not-belong, to murder and what essentially amounts to gaslighting. But there are also some cozier elements, moments of job and brightness; in particular, the interactions between Toadling and Halim can often verge on the thoughtful and philosophical, not so unlike Becky Chamber's Monk and Robot books. For T. Kingfisher fans, I would say it is not quite as dark as What Moves the Dead, but darker than Nettle and Bone. Thornhedge embraces the dark elements of fairy tales and their origins, but does not sacrifice the light elements to make some kind of "grimdark" nihilistic point about the world.

Whether you are a long time fan of T. Kingfisher or brand new to her works, this is a perfect novella for fairy tale fans.

Concluding Thoughts: Simultaneously sinister and sweet, Thornhedge subverts the traditional Sleeping Beauty story without feelings its only point of existence is to subvert. Toadling is a wonderful protagonist who is thoughtful and kind while also demonstrating temerity and strength. Readers will be transported for a short afternoon of quickly turning the pages to see what happens next. Definitely a novella fairy tale fans should check out.

This fairytale retelling was so beautiful. I absolutely adored Toadling. She may not be that magically gifted but she makes up for it with her kind heart. Halim was a breath of fresh air. A knight who isn’t all that great at being one, isn’t handsome, and follows mysteries he’s read in books. The two were absolutely perfect main characters for this story.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for allowing me to read this in advance in exchange for an honest review.

This book cements it: I'm a T Kingfisher fan. It has fae that aren't pretty and are neither perfectly evil nor perfectly good. I'm really digging novellas and Thornhedge surpassed my expectations for the genre.

This is so adorable and lovely. Just a perfect fairy tale retelling- sweet, surprising, and magical. I loved the heroine, like all of Kingfisher's heroines, and her weird found family was pitch perfect.

Thornhedge
By T. Kingfisher

This Novella took Sleeping Beauty and turned it on its head. I really enjoyed the main character and her journey, from sweet and naive to starting to come in to her own. The descriptions were fantastic, I really got immersed into the little world. If anything, it ended too soon! I definitely need to keep reading Kingfisher.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely adored this. I've read several from this author, both in the fantasy and horror genres, and was expecting this to be quirky along the lines of Nettle and Bone, but it was deeply moving and sort of sad and and also sweet and very poignant and I loved it for that. A story of a Toadling human/other and the load she carries and a hesitant knight with a large heart, for want of a better way to phrase it right now. I'm going to sit with this one longer. But know that I adore it. I loved the characters, I loved the pacing, I loved that it was sweet and sad and Toadling was dealing with her internal self-image, which was so relatable. And I love novellas! This was such a great one. I feel like this was a version of the Sleepy Beauty retelling I've really not encountered before. I liked that the author mentioned a sensitivity reader in the acknowledgments for the character of Halim, which is something I'd wondered about, and this I appreciate. I'll be recommending this to others for sure. Full review to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy!

Many thanks to both Tor Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of Thornhedge.

Expected publication August 15, 2023

Welcome to Thornhedge, the dark reimagined fairytale where Toadling lives. She was once a human child before being taken by the fairies and replaced with a changeling fairy child. Then, a disaster left Toadling trying to make up for her error and doing the best she could, for centuries!

Enter a kind knight named Halim...

Thornbridge was an interesting novella, although I could have done without the animal cruelty.

Toadling is not your princess in the fairytale. She is taken at birth by fairies and replaced with a changling. This changling is such a viscous child that no one can bare her. Don’t worry the princess will not get the prince, but he does meet our sweet Toadling.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. The official pub date of this novel is on August 15, 2023.

Thornhedge is a quirky and cute book that readers will easily read in one sitting because a) it’s short and b) they’ll just want to see what happens next. This is a unique little fairytale where readers will be questioning who the villain is and who the hero is throughout the story. T. Kingfisher is masterful at creating characters readers love with huge hearts and a self-deprecating humor that is endearing and relatable. I gave Thornhedge 3.5 stars because it was heartwarming and creative. As I mentioned, this is a quick little cozy read, so there isn’t a ton of depth here, but it was very enjoyable!

T. Kingfisher has written another winning novella, this one taking the familiar tale of Sleeping Beauty and turning it in a truly delightful way to follow a very lonely fairy tasked with keeping the princess sleeping. Because the alternative would be a disaster...

Toadling's story is well worth reading, and the way in which the witty writing, incredible characters, and story catches you makes this an easy recommendation for fans of Kingfisher's previous work and for other lovers of shorter fantasy pieces.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor books for an advanced copy of Thornhedge in exchange for an honest review. This opinions are my own. I was truly excited to dig into this one. Reading T. Kingfisher, does something to you. I started with What Moves the Dead and immediately needed to experience all of her work. Thornhedge was a dark fairytale about a toadling, a knight, and an evil girl who was put to sleep to stop her from doing harm. this book read like a bedtime story which added to the experience and I hope that makes sense. Coming in an about 128 pages or so, the only complaint I have here is that I wish this would have been longer. It was over far too soon and I need more. Thornhedge could have easily been a full length novel and I would have devoured it just the same.

4.5 stars

I absolutely adored this story. It was short and quick but so full and complete as well. I loved the characters, and I loved the twisted tale or reimagining or sleeping beauty. I found it to be very unique and wholesome. It had such a satisfying ending as well. Perfect for any age.

What has two thumbs and loves a frog-fairy woman, this guy!

T. Kingfisher is on my auto-request list for authors and I cannot get enough of her writing! Kingfisher dazzles again with the whimsy, cleverness, and heart that is Thornhedge. A shy and unexcitable Toadling is switched at birth with a fairy changeling and taken to the swamps of Fairieland. Not one to cause a fuss, Toadling is safe and loved with her swampy found family, with just enough magic to enjoy living the green life. This quiet existence comes to an abrupt end when she is forcefully brought back to the human world and ordered to bestow a gift on the child who replaced her. When her orders fail and her plans amuck, she is the only thing standing between what sleeps in the tower and the safety of everything outside of it.

Thumbs up: Its a completely ribbiting novel, I fell in love so quickly with Toadling and devoured this sweet novella in one sitting. A totally reimagined take on "Sleeping Beauty" that one has never seen, Toadling is the quiet hero that we may not know we so desperately needed. A little cozy, a little macabre, and a whole lot of love.

Thumbs down: I have nothing! I loved this book and fought with my e-reader every step of the way trying to get the format to work. It was well worth it.

Was it a nail biter? Absolutely, you will want to get right down in the mud with Thornhedge for your next cozy novella read.

CW: suicide, animal torture (both are mentioned, neither described)
T. Kingfisher has gifted us an imaginative and dark retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. When a knight discovers the location of the mythical tower that houses an enchanted maiden, Toadling knows she must do everything to stop him from entering.
Stolen at birth and raised by fairies, Toadling has spent almost her entire life guarding the tower, and guarding one of her most closely held secrets.
I loved Kingfisher's spin on this classic fairy tale and the characters within. It's deliciously dark and oddly humorous. Toadling is a surprisingly sweet character and Halim, our knight, was delightfully charming and affable. Such an interesting and enjoyable novella.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

This book was short and very sweet. A wonderful story with characters you want to know more and more about. Would recommend to everyone and absolutely read again!

This was a charming little novella!

Thornhedge is a sort of inverted retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Toadling is the foundling daughter of river-hags, taken back to the human world for a duty she is ill-prepared to handle. A lackluster and curious knight named Halim arrives and stumbles his way through her years of isolation.

The writing is touching and witty. I wish we could have spent more time with Toadling, but this is a very fast read and perhaps staying too long in the story would have taken away from the fairy tale feeling. A lot of interesting lore was alluded too.

This is something I'd read again.