I absolutely LOVED this retelling! I'm especially a fan of the feywild vibes the whole thing gave off. Highly recommend to fans of fantasy, particularly if you like fairy tales or retellings.

This was such a sweet yet dark story that is just good for the soul. This is a very unique retelling/reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and make it refreshing and modern. For being a fantasy this was quite the page turner and definitely worth reading in one sitting.

There are two things I specifically love in a fairytale retelling - a misunderstood villain and the upending of a story I grew up on. Thornhedge delivers on both accounts. I haven't enjoyed a Sleeping Beauty retelling this much since Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman.

Due to its length, I don't want to give too much away. So, my review will be a little vague.

T. Kingfisher does an incredible amount of worldbuilding in just 116 pages. It is beyond impressive. Equally impressive are the characters. Toadling's story made me feel things that some tomes never manage to. Toadling may be my favorite T. Kingfisher character.

Charming yet dark, Thornhedge proves that beauty is only skin deep.
I listened to the audio while reading along.  Jennifer Blom does a fantastic job with the narration.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor, and Macmillan Audio for advanced copies in exchange for an honest review.

Thornhedge is a highly original take on the story of Sleeping Beauty, where the “evil” fairy responsible for the curse is actually the hero of the story. Toadling, our perspective character, is that fairy. She’s guarded the tower beyond the thorns for years, decades, centuries. And she made my heart ache. Toadling is such a sweet, lovable, quietly heroic character who has no inkling of her own attributes. She is also a tragic character; thus the heart ache. When a knight refuses to be turned back from his quest for the tower by anything Toadling does, she panics. But she also ends up making a friend, quelling her loneliness for the first time in years beyond her measure.

The fairy portrayal was a unique and interesting one. Toadling is (kind of) one of the low Fae, more akin to an animal spirit or a brownie than to one of the more beautiful, mysterious Fae so popular in modern fantasy. There is more to her than first appears, but what exactly that “more” is comes into play later in the book. I loved Toadling’s description of her Fae family, and why she found these creatures that would be described as ugly by the world’s standards to be so beautiful in her eyes.

I was enthralled by the opening of the story. The way in which the progression of time was presented in the first chapter was absolutely fascinating. We are seeing the slow move of time through Toadling’s eyes. We can piece together what exactly is happening in history, but she has no context for it.

I was also, yet again, impressed with range of Kingfisher’s writing, especially when it comes to tone. I’ve read a few of her books now, and each has been radically different in tone and voice. This particular story feels very much like a classic fairytale in setting, but the maudlin tone lends it this achingly lovely air, akin to some gothic novels. It made my heart hurt to read it, but in the best way. I also thought that Jennifer Blom did a fantastic job on the narration. Her voice and intonations were perfect for the story.

I was thoroughly impressed with Thornhedge. Novellas tend to be very hit-or-miss for me, but this one worked in every way. From setting to writing to characters to the actual story being told, I just loved everything about it. I also think this would make a wonderful Studio Ghibli movie, as I could just picture this story drawn in Miyazaki’s style. This was a beautiful little tale that I will be thinking about for a while, and it’s probably my favorite take on Sleeping Beauty I’ve ever read.

This is smart!
Some may find it funny that my favourite part of the book wasn’t the actual story; but instead Kingfisher’s explanation of why she felt the Sleeping Beauty story should go more in the direction she took it; than in the conventional beautiful princess kissed by a prince one. I love the twists here, and I don’t know that I’ll ever think of Maleficent and Aurora the same way again. (For the record Maleficent had been one of my fave Disney characters since I was a child. I just wanted magic and the power to turn into a dragon! Lol).
Our fairy here is a cute little toad. She’s so sweet and endearing. I don’t want to give anything critical away; but just know that the introductory chapter really sets the tone for the innocence of our fairy, there’s not a spec of evil anywhere in her it seems. And yet for me she was a bit too flimsy and the primary reason for my taking a star away.

We then have our reluctant knight. This angle was very smart. Kingfisher approach’s the story in a more realistic way. Let’s face it, likely, It wouldn’t be the top Prince of the land that comes looking for a princess from a long told myth or story. Instead it’s a nobody with no prospects figuring it’s worth a shot. <insert shrug by knight here>

All the steps in this novella inject realism (ironic for a fairy tale). This is Sleeping Beauty set in a less Disney-esque world and one more grey (like ours). Thus this story is absolutely a way the story could go. Huge props to Kingfisher for being so clever and for knowing exactly why each character does what they do (as explained in the authors note). If more authors considered their characters motivations to do things (instead of forcing the plot forward) there would be an exponential number of amazingly smart books out there. In the meantime I’ll continue consuming everything I can get my hands on from Kingfisher.

A note on audio:
I did listen to a few chapters in audiobook format. This narrator wasn’t really for me. She wasn’t bad, but just didn’t hold much excitement for me. I found the story more engaging in print format for me to read. That said I’m still getting used to audiobooks so take that with a grain of salt.
Please note: I received an audiobook eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

I really wanted to be very interested in this book. It seemed like it checked off all the boxes for me. For some reason I just wasn’t very interested. It took me forever even though it’s short. The narrator kind of lulled me to sleep.

This is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with some cool twists. The main character "fairy" is a froggy-like changeling. The knight is a Muslim knight. It is quite short and told in a removed fairytale style.

thank you for giving me an early copy of this book. the things I enjoyed are the usual things I love about kingfisher's books: the descriptions she uses, her characters, and her world building. these are all done so beautifully and the narrator does such a good job. However something got lost when it was put together and the pacing was a little too slow for me.

This wasn't my favorite Kingfisher book. Mostly because I just wanted more to the story. I felt like just as things were getting exciting, it ended. It was interesting though. The narration was good though, it brought the short story to life.

I'm a sucker for a retelling with a dark, twisted, and tragic ending. I loved this book so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sitting here a couple hours later still not sure how to explain this book. Toadie is protecting everyone from something that is horrible. A knight who is not a 1st born, hears the story and is curious. Their relationship is so cute. The bond that they shared and how he listened to her and they protected each other.
It was really pretty and made me think of Cinderella but with fae. The narrator was great at pulling me into the story and wanting more.
I received a copy and all opinions are my own.

This is a fantastic and imaginative retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The story is not about the sleeping princess in the tower amidst the thorn hedges but rather about the fairy that protects the tower from intruders. T. Kingfisher does an excellent job with the twist, and her storytelling is superb. Having read various retellings of Sleeping Beauty, this one is the best.

Jennifer Blom is a fantastic narrator who sets the tone for a fairy tale.

I just absolutely love the variety of books that T. Kingfisher writes. We have horror and then we have more fantasy like this one and Nettle and Bone. I loved this reimagining of the orgin of sleeping beauty. Kingfisher has this whimsical writing style with really great imagery, which is so important with fantasy and it was impressive given the length of the book. Perfectly bite sized, I think it was overall a great retelling and a great story in general. She's an auto-buy author at this point, looking forward to seeing what she does next.

Narrator was fine. Story was fine, but I don't get what all the hype around this book was as I thought it was just okay.

A wonderful reimaging of Sleeping Beauty begins when a baby is replaced by a changeling and grows up in Faerie with her Fae family instead of her human family. It was a great, quick read, but I did find the first half a little upsetting as it really dove into the idea of what would happen to the baby who was stolen to be replace by the changeling.

I thought the narrator dig a great job brining Toadling's voice to life.

T. Kingfisher will always be an auto-buy author for me. While Thornhedge did fall a little short I still enjoyed the humorous and whimsical storytelling. There were pieces of the plot that gripped me but the characters were hard to connect with. When you don't feel for your characters it can make it difficult to care for the story.

Many thanks to my friends at @torbooks and @macmillan.audio

Haunting. Humorous. Heartfelt.

Move over Walt Disney, THIS is how you do a fairytale.

Not all heroines are delicate and beautiful. Not all knights have a savior complex.

Entertaining from beginning to end, Kingfisher delivers the perfect reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. It’s a unique twist brimming with her signature wit and vivid imagery. But this book is far more than simple enjoyment. It shines brightest in its exploration of self-worth.

Neither of our protagonists fit the classic fairytale mold. Toad is an unlikely fairy godmother. Knight is an unlikely hero. Yet that is where their beauty lies and what makes them so endearing.

The originality found in both the protagonists and the roles they undertake hones a focus on inner value, delivering spot on messaging worthy of applause.

At just over 100 pages, it’s a short read. Yet it’s packed with depth. Each detail- from characterization to world building to plot- is fully developed with satisfying breadth.

The dark undertones are met with whimsy and hope, reminiscent of Nettle and Bone, my first and favorite of Kingfisher’s books.

Truly, her books never disappoint, and this latest continues to set her apart in the art of storytelling.

🎧 At just under 4 hours at 1x speed, this audiobook is perfect for a quick read. But more than that, Jennifer Bloom’s narration allowed for the kind of escape that I felt as a young child listening to a good read aloud. A winner all around.

Well-written, charming and atmospheric, Thornhedge made for an engaging story and excellent audiobook. T. Kingfisher’s retelling of Sleeping Beauty from the POV of the fairy who cursed her felt extremely fresh. If like myself, you are a sucker for fairytale retellings, don’t miss out this novella.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for review copy of the audiobook.

T. Kingfisher is becoming an autoread author for me. This fairytale retelling hits just right. It's all about don't judge a book by its cover. It's a quick but well developed story.

Rating: 4/5

T. Kingfisher never disappoints. This short retelling of sleeping beauty is like a fairy tale, but with extra magic. Kingfisher is quickly becoming one of my favored and go-to authors.