As a T. Kingfisher fan, I was thrilled to receive an eARC of Thornhedge! Her dark and irreverent twists on fairytales, folklore, and more are some of the best writing out there today (if not never) and this retelling of Sleeping Beauty does NOT disappoint!
Instantly, I felt compassion and attachment to Toadling and her hardship as Fairy-godmother/ward of the sleeping princess. The shades of romance with the knight and his own failures to become the folkloric ideal were heartwarming even as I felt so much concern for where the story takes us.
In the end, I just wanted more. More of Toadling and this world. I can only hope we get a glimpse of it in future works.

T. Kingfisher is the writer of great story telling! All the books that I have read of this author have been amazing and unique in there own way. Thornhedge is no different in this aspect. Take a spin on the Sleeping Beauty/ Rapunzel classics then make the tower hidden with a changeling inside! This story features a toad like fairy and a modern day knight. What more could their adventure entail? Maybe a little romance? Hmm...

Just think for a minute, What happens to the story if the princess doesn't get the happy ending, yet maybe someone else does? Was the princess wrongly accused by the kind hearted toad or did the correct destiny actually happen? Would you ever condone a family member to the control of a toad like creature in order to save all of mankind?

If you are wondering about any of these questions I just asked you, Then look no further than opening the first pages of this book!

I absolutely loved Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher and this one gave me the same gothic fairytale vibes. In Thornhedge, Kingfisher turns the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty on its head. It’s a deliciously dark, action-packed story that will have you racing through the pages to find out the fate of our beloved Toadling and is sure to leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.

Well would you look at that, it’s a pub day review! Kingfisher has such a fun way of taking a tale that looks kind of horrifying from the outside and making it sweet. And she looks at Sleeping Beauty from another perspective here. I didn’t love it quite as much as Nettle and Bone, I think because it was so focused on one character, but I still heartily enjoyed the story and would recommend it!

This was my first encounter with T. Kingfisher, and I really enjoyed it. The play on the idea of changelings and how where they're brought up can affect them (or not) was great. I also liked the relationships between the characters. Even though it was short, I still feel like I was able to fully engage with each character.

A reimagined tale of Sleeping Beauty. T. Kingfisher doesn’t tell Sleeping Beauty’s story, but Toadling, the protector of Thornhedge, who is not quite fairy and not quite human.

I love this unique spin on a classic fairytale. For a novella, the characters, plot, and world-building surprisingly feel fully developed. T. Kingfisher packs so much in a few words. I love this about her writing! You can’t help but fall in love with both Knight and Toadling. Both strive for different missions. Toadling wants to protect Thornhedge; Knight intends to uncover the curse within Thornhedge. But together, they are simply adorable - proving you don’t have to be beautiful, strong, or perfect to be worthy or loved.

Jennifer Blom’s narration is highly entertaining! With the audiobook in just under 4 hours, you can easily finish this wonderful fantasy retelling while commuting or cleaning your house! Thornhedge feels similar to Nettle & Bone, so if you liked that one, read this ASAP!

A short fairytale! I really loved how refreshing the book felt! So much seemed to be packed in such a short story; it really shows just how talented the author is. I enjoyed the story but because of how short it was, I didn’t feel very emotionally invested.

What if the thorns were meant to keep Sleeping Beauty in her castle, rather than keeping others out? A lovely and sinister little retelling of Sleeping Beauty from my new favorite author, T. Kingfisher. Although this book was a little on the short side, I enjoyed Kingfisher's take on this classic fairy tale, in which the baby princess is swapped for a changeling and has to come back to protect her parents and their small kingdom. I will always read anything Kingfisher writes, and am working to convince absolutely everyone I know to read her books!

I really enjoyed this Sleeping Beauty reimagining. It was whimsical and lush. Captivating and enduring. And unexpected, but in a good way.

My first T. Kingfisher, but certainly not my last.
Not everyone will understand Kingfisher when she calls this story soft or sweet at its core (beneath the shadow of monstrous fairies, murderous changeling children, murdered nannies and centuries of loneliness), but I am absolutely will. This is a lovely, short and lighthearted take on a modern fairy tale, drawing inspiration from the story of Sleeping Beauty, and playing around with it in an interesting and unexpected way.
I loved it and cannot wait to see what else Kingfisher has in store.

This Sleeping Beauty retelling is an interesting remix. Toadling was born human, but was taken by fairies immediately after birth, a changeling left in her place. After being raised by the greenteeth, (a group of water fae), Toadling is taken back to the human realm to give a fairie gift to an infant. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned, and Toadling spends decades atoning for one mistake. Two hundred years later, along comes a kindly knight, searching for a story. And Toadling has a wild one to share.

This novella is both sweet and dark. A true fairytale. Toadling is definitely a sweetheart, kind and shy. She spends so long alone, swamped in guilt...Until Halim comes along. He's also such a sweetie. He is able to get Toadling to open up and share her story, and what an interesting one it is. I really enjoyed this retelling. It's unique and such a quick read. Would recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a great quick read. The author did an excellent job of making a concise book that was also fun and engaging.

𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙝𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 by T. Kingfisher is a sweet, cozy story about a fairy named Toadling that can turn herself into a slimy toad and prefers the company of her gloomy swamp greenteeth family that raised her after the fairies stole her from her human family at birth and left a changeling in her place. Toadling had been sent on a mission, and now it is more important than ever that the humans do not go beyond the hedge of thorns that she is guarding. Yet, the humans will not stop coming to her hedge because someone is telling them stories. T. Kingfisher describes this mousy little toad fairy as having the bruised skin of a mushroom, and her gruesome upbringing with the darkest imagery, yet this is really a sweet and cozy twisted story of Sleeping Beauty. Clocking in at a hefty 128 pages, a reader can finish this in less than a day. I loved the author’s ability to change the point of view of this traditional fairy tale and make it something more. Though there are some very dark moments, this is, yes, dammit, a sweet story as the author acknowledges in her author’s notes at the end. Don’t miss it – it is perfect for this time of year. 4.25/5 stars. Loved it.
Book published August 15, 2023

If you’re a fan of German fair tales then Thornhedge will be a delight. It’s spellbinding and dark, mixing together a potion of historical and mythical to create pure delight.

Even the darkest parts of this book will have you unable to stop reading, like you’re spellbound to continue, your eyes simply incapable of stopping. I must caution all readers, don’t start this before bed unless you plan on getting no sleep.

An absolutely gorgeous fairy tale reimagining that went all sorts of unexpected places. I loved the language, the characters, and the world. Everything fit so beautifully, and there was so much love and heartbreak in it. Also, the audiobook narrator was fabulous.

Thornhedge gives a new and rather extraordinary perspective on Sleeping Beauty.

It's not the princess's story but rather the back story of a sort of selfless fairy godmother. And there is a happily ever after but by no means the usual one.

The fairy (Toadling) is very tired of warding the wall of thorns and what it holds inside. She'd done it for centuries.

Then a very persistent knight shows up, and he wants to save Toadling, not the princess.

This story teaches us all not to judge any book by its cover

As a lover of retellings, especially of the Fairytale variety, this novella came highly recommended.

This reimagining of Sleeping Beauty delivered. Told from the point of view of Toadling, a homely faerie who guards the slumbering princess, ensuring that she stays asleep and hidden so that she can do no harm to anyone. After many many years of doing just this, she is visited by a naive but sincere knight who has heard the legends told about the princess and attempts to ‘save’ her. Motivated by the desire for adventure, he’s not deterred despite Toadling’s warnings.

Most of this story is the dialogue between Toadling and the knight, which is very endearing, and also Toadling’s memories of what happened in her own strange to lead to this task she’s been given.

I enjoyed the way Kingfisher explored ideas of beauty and love through her characters.

This was so delightful!! It was the epitome of magical and cozy and whimsy all packed into a little novella.

I love cozy fantasy and fairytale-esque stories so this was the perfect fit! This was my first fantasy from T. Kingfisher and I am so excited to pick up more of their fantasy works.

Toadling was such an amazing character and I loved how kind and resilient she was even in the face of scrutiny and malice. I will protect her at all costs! and Halim!!!! I love one cinnamon roll knight in shinning armor. He was so sweet and gentle and ugh! I loved their dynamic so much.

Thornhedge really turns all the fairytale tropes on its head and made it such a fun and interesting retelling of sleeping beauty, but make it if the "evil faerie" was the main character. Loved this so much!

Thank you Tor and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

T. Kingfisher writes a dark retelling of Sleeping Beauty in her latest novella, Thorn Hedge. Flipping the fairytale on its head, this version is told from the perspective of Toadling, a sweet, toad-shaped guardian of a hidden tower—and the horror that sleeps within it. To be frank, Toadling is the star of the show. The other characters were drab and lacking in depth—especially the knight. The retelling lens is engaging, especially bringing in a changeling, although we’ve seen the fairy godmother point-of-view retelling many times before. I certainly wouldn’t categorize it as horror—this falls squarely in the fantasy genre. In typical Kingfisher form, we do get witty dialogue and dark humor—one of my favorite characteristics of her writing. I breezed through this short read and found it enjoyable enough in the end but can’t say it’s one of my favorites from Kingfisher’s collection.

2.5 rounded to a 3.

I was excited to get approved for this on NetGalley since everyone seems to love T. Kingfisher's books. This book is a Sleeping Beauty retelling, where the good and evil roles are reversed. The godmother (Toadling) is good, while Sleeping Beauty (Fayette) is evil. Unfortunately, I don't think this is the one for me.

I liked our main character Toadling, but the rest didn't work for me for some reason. I did like Toadling's relationship with Halim, the knight set on getting into the castle, but he seemed kinda flat to me in some parts of the story.

What I would really like to see, is a novella of Toadling with her family in the Bog of fairyland. Those were probably my favorite parts of the story.

While this one wasn't for me, I'm still looking forward to reading the authors other works!

THank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.