We all know the story of Sleeping Beauty… but what if the story we know is wrong?

Toadling has watched ages go by outside her tower. She’s watched the world change as the thorns and briars grow. She doesn’t know how long it’s been, because as a toad she sometimes sleeps for years. Until one day, a man comes to the hill of briars looking for the tower, and Toadling worries her worst fear will come true.

I absolutely adored this spin on Sleeping Beauty. It’s such a quick, cute little novella - I don’t want to give away any of the plot because I want everyone to get to experience it for themselves!

With T Kingfisher’s cute, funny style from the likes of The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, Thornhedge is a joy which is sure to delight.

This book is short but so interesting! The main issue I have with a lot of shorter books is that there are too many loose ends and they could always have written more. However, that is not the case with Thornhedge! It is really good. Minor romance, and the story felt like its own fairytale! I really enjoyed this audiobook! I recommend it if you like the classic fairytales but want a new spin! This one is very similar to Sleeping Beauty but different in so many ways!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC Audiobook!

Toadling was born a human but the fairies had their fun and stole her away from that world while putting a channeling in her place.

She was tasked with preventing that changing from causing harm but bumbled the incantation and was stuck guarding the tower where she’d enchanted the evil child to sleep for centuries.

Then a knight comes along after hearing the tale.

I loved how strange, nuanced and scary The Hollow Places was. I've been meaning to read more by this author for a while. What's stopping me? Why, my ever increasing tbr, but we don't talk about that...

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this. While I certainly enjoyed it, some parts were definitely better than others. I enjoyed Toadling's character. The concept of changelings has always been one that interested me. When she meets her own, I felt enthralled by that part of the story. The knight, on the other hand? Boring. Less of that, please.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

I love every fantasy book t kingfisher writes. This is a wonderfully quirky, adorable retelling of sleeping beauty from the villains pov.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was really cute if you want a straightforward, short, fantasy retelling with a unique perspective. I truly fell in love with Toadling and I would love to incorporate this story into classroom conversations about Point of View & how perspective can change a story.

I really loved this (adult) fairy tale, so much so that I couldn't stop listening 'til the end. I'd only meant to start it for about an hour or so as a bedtime story, just to feel like a kid again being read a fairy tale before bed, but I got so into it that I couldn't turn it off and stayed up an extra 2.5 hours just finishing the audiobook.
I liked the characters. Toadling, the knight, and even Toadling's charge were interesting. The way they were described in many ways fit a children's tale but what set this apart was Toadling's task and the story's ultimate conclusion.
This is a story I'd highly recommend to anyone who loved princess stories in childhood but is ready to deal with the fact that their "happily ever after" wasn't always happy for everyone, the princess isn't always the heroine, and not all fairies have wings. I'm sure that the print (or e-book) novella would make a great read but I really enjoyed the experience of having a fairy tale read to me and highly recommend the audiobook.

I received advanced access to this audiobook thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I still have yet to find a novella that really moves me and that I really enjoy.

The writing was absolutely beautiful, and I expect nothing less from T. Kingfisher. The story was also good, it just felt lacking (due to it being so short).

I think this is a good way to dip your toes in the water of stand-alone fantasies if you want something super short and easy to get into, but if you're someone who loves a lot of world-building and well-developed characters then you might want to skip this one.

3 stars because 5 stars for the writing, but knock two off just because it felt way too short for me to enjoy.

Thornhedge is absolute perfection, a masterpiece of deliberate prose, a study in pacing and the slow reveal. To be honest, perfection is what I've come to expect from Kingfisher, but it nevertheless catches me off guard when she manages to astound me anew.

And astound me she did. To re-spin the sleeping beauty tale so completely in a way that makes every single word seem not just adequate but vital—it is, in a word, triumphant. And the only thing that makes this novella better is Jennifer Blom's narration, which is flawlessly paced and nuanced.

I cannot recommend Thornhedge highly enough. Five stars! Ten stars! All the stars!

Thornhedge retells the story of Sleeping Beauty. Our narrator is Toadling who has sent centuries guarding a forgotten tower surrounding by brambles, making sure the occupants do no harm.

But then one day, a Knight with a penchant for reading visits. He had read of a forgotten castle that holds a curse needing to be broken in a monastery library and has come to see it's truth. This novella details the history of that castle, Toadling's upbringing and of her and the knight's efforts to break the curse.

At only novella length and on the framework of a classic story, Kingfisher subverts the traditional story by shifting the narrator and exploring darker natures. Toadling is a human changeling, born of man but raised and fed by magical creatures, giving her magical abilities and the power to change from human to toad. The magic spells had to be taught and learned, though one does grow into their powers. She was sent to the kingdom of her birth with the instructions to bless the new born princess with the gift of her not doing harm. She then stayed in the castle making sure this spell stayed true.

Jennifer Blom narrates well, giving Toadling a lot of personality. She has voices for each of the different characters, and speaks at a consistent volume, but with a tone to match the events.

It is a nice inversion of a traditional story that moves at a quick pace. There is a sleeping princess, but lifting her curse might not be the best idea.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC (ALC) in exchange for an honest review. This is my complete and honest review.

Once Upon a time in a far, far away....

Wait! No, this is not the type of book you are thinking of. Yes, there may just be a princess who is stuck up in a tower awaiting to be rescued, but we are not going to focus on the princess, we are going to focus on Toadling.

Poor, poor Toadling who was stolen away from her family after she was born by some fairies. Aside from being stolen and all that she grew up safe and was loved. Then, once she hit adulthood, the freaking fae just had to come and ask for a favor. They asked her to go to the human world to give the bless of protection on a newborn baby. Easy, right? Haha, wrong! Here is the tea about fairies: nothing is easy or simple. Let's just say like a century or something goes by and that a knight finds a tower wall covered in brambles and thorns. You know how it all goes, the knight in shining armor comes to break the curse and all live happily ever after. Yeah, well, the curse that needs to break is not the princesses, but Toadling's.

I have never heard of T. Kingfisher until 2022 when I stumbled across her books on NetGalley. I read What Moves the Dead, Nettle & Bone, and A House with Good Bones. While I was not a fan of What Moves the Dead, I tried Nettle & Bone and really enjoyed it, which led me to later reading A House with Good Bones, which I really enjoyed as well. Not too long ago I was browsing NetGalley and stumbled upon Thornhedge and noticed it was by T. Kingfisher. I instantly requested it and got super excited when Macmillan Audio approved my request. The day that I got approved, I instantly listened to this book.

Out of the books I have read by T. Kingfisher, I have to say that this my favorite by her.

When it comes to T. Kingfisher, she writes really short books or actually thinking about it: she writes novellas. For all of that know novellas are typically under 200 some pages and you typically see them between books in a series (at least I do). Usually, they tend to just give a bit of information as a fun thing going on when all hell is breaking loose in the main books, to introduce a new character that may appear later in a series, or to further the plot line just a bit. So, you would surmise that for a 128-page book not much is going to happen. Well, wrong. T. Kingfisher knows how to pack a punch with making these stories feel complete and very well crafted with the plot she lays out for us readers.

Thornhedge just like her other books offer a weird, unique, but amazingly interesting world and characters. The writing is fast paced and is descriptive, but gets to the point of what is going on, what is happening, the conflict, resolution, etc. She does an amazing job of hooking you in and not letting you go because you constantly want to know what is going on and questioning stuff as well. She just keeps you mesmerized by everything going on in those short number of pages.

I am a huge sucker for any type of retelling and this one is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty but turned upside down. With a lot of retellings, they sometimes feel similar to do not bring a ton of unique attributes to the table, but Thornhedge is the exception. From being centered around Toadling to the twists toward the end, this story becomes really unique and sets itself apart from other retellings.

The only reason I gave Thornhedge a 4.5/5 Star rating and not a 5/5 Star rating is because I felt the ending was not wrapped up nicely since I felt like I needed more. But, in the end I really, really loved this one.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher in exchange for an honest review. This book was a new angle on sleeping beauty. What if the princess wasn't good and keeping her asleep was keeping the world safe? I liked the twist and Toadling.

This was a pretty good audiobook. I enjoyed the narrator . The story line was sweet. A fairy set a “blessing/curse” upon a changling. It didn’t go as planned therefore the fairy felt obligated to stay and watch over for said changling. The fairy was caring and found love along they way. Not much happened in the story but it was a cute story with a twist and a happy ending.

I love T Kingfisher's writing and this one didn't disappoint. Such a fun magical story with full characters! It felt familiar in a warm comforting way. Our "fairy" Toadling botches the blessing she's meant to do on a human child and is left in the human realm to right her wrong. This is sleeping beauty turned on its head. Loved it, Do we get a #2?

This was great. A perfect quick read for when you want a classic fairy tale turned on its head. And obviously it's full of unique and interesting and occasionally gross twists because it's T. Kingfisher. I can't imagine reading one of her books and not immediately wanting to read more. The audio narrator was a good fit and I really enjoyed listening to it. I adored both main characters and how their relationship unfolded. This was just a total win for me and I think it's a surefire winner for when you want something short and captivating that will whisk you away to another world for awhile.

I absolutely loved this short story novella by one of my favorite authors. It was simply sweet and a nice break from the usual arsenal of book themes. A new spin on an old tale, this is one you won’t want to miss. The audiobook is perfect and the narrator captures the emotion of the protagonist well without getting overly sentimental. There were plenty of waves to T. Kingfishers typical style and voice, but this particular book is different than her others. Whether you’re a new fan or not, do yourself a favor and read this book!
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of the audiobook; I am thrilled beyond words!

What a charming little retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a unique perspective. I loved both the characters of Toadling and the knight. The audio narration was extremely well-done, and I highly recommend this audio fairy tale novella.

A novella subverting the Sleeping Beauty story and centering the fairy who put her to sleep. Not every curse should be broken...

I thought this was a charming story with a lovable character, but it's also about how physical beauty can hide darkness. And a plain exterior doesn't mean someone is evil. And it's about when all the love in the world can't make someone good when they don't want to be helped. Also kind of cool that the knight in the story is Muslim and kind of a cinnamon roll. Certainly worth a read! The audio narration is excellent as well and it's quite quick. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Thornhedge-T.Kingfisher (Audiobook Version) Coming August 15th 2023

I declare T.Kingfisher the "Master of Retellings". This Fantasy Novella is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but as always, her retellings are always full of new perspectives, new characters, new magic... and this might be my favorite retelling Kingfisher has written to date. A sleeping beauty, a sweet knight, a soft hearted shifter named Toadling and a much different tale, than the one you grew up with.

Toadling is switched at birth with a fairy changeling and taken to the swamps of Fairieland. She is raised by weird, swamp creatures, but they are her found family and she is beloved. All is interrupted when she has to go back to the human world and present a gift to and the child who replaced her. Things don't go as planned and we begin to see that all is not what it seems. Toadling quickly realizes that she will have to protect her new friend, the charming Knight, and the realm from the mystery of the tower and the beauty who is sleeping inside.

I'm always amazed by how much character development and plot unfolds in such a short book. This Novella is barely over 100 pages, but packs so much punch. I've come to expect twisty bends and turns in Kingfisher's work and this is no different. What an amazing twist on a tale as old as time.

I actually want to grab the physical copy when it comes out because I need to hold the book in my hands and re-enter this story.

Thornhedge is a very different kind of retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The writing is really nice but hard to follow on audiobook. Maybe I was just having trouble focusing, but there were many times I had to rewind because I had no idea what was going on. But I LOVED the narrator. Fantastic at the different voices! Plus it's a nice short read. It had some religious aspects to it which added to my confusion, because I wasn't sure what any of it had to do with the story except for the simple fact of representation of those religions. I could've done without it personally, while It didn't add anything to the story for me. I think some kind time references would have been nice as well, especially for the audiobook, it was hard to keep track of what was happening when.
But overall I was really intrigued by the Story of toadling and halim, it did transport me to fairytale world, except for the real world mentions like religion. But as the one reviewer said, this really does turn traditional fairytales on its head. It's an upside down fairytale of changelings, spells gone wrong, truly evil and truly wholesome characters. If you like classic Grimm fairytales and retellings this might be for you! Toadling and halim are seriously really cute and I really enjoyed reading about their characters!