I believe T. Kingfisher channeled their inner Grimm Brothers for this one. THORNHEDGE is dark but it still has T. Kingfisher’s signature quirkiness. She writes the stories we want; the unorthodox heroines, tripping over their own feet and messing things up. Characters you love, so flawed that they are perfect.
In Thornhedge there is a fairy named Toadling doing a very important job. She guards the castle that is hidden behind the thorn hedge. There is something in the castle that must not be disturbed. Toadling is good at her job, especially since no one bothers to look at the bramble covered thorny hedge and everyone who knows about the castle and what it contains is dead. She has been at her post for a couple hundred years. She talks to birds. All is well.
That is until the knight, Halim, shows up. And won’t go away. Because he has heard…stories.
I love my ARC with the unofficial cover that I won on Goodreads giveaways from @torbooks . The girl is so peaceful and sweet, proving that all things can melt your heart when they are sleeping.
I actually got the audio from @macmillan.audio from @netgalley and the narrator Jennifer Blom did an incredible job. She really brought the story and the characters to life.

Mixed feelings about this one...I'm a HUGE T. Kingfisher fan so I might have gone in with too high of expectations, especially knowing that I'm not a big fan of novellas. Of course, the writing is gorgeous and the setting was perfect for a gothic fairytale, it just left me wanting more. It's also a pretty bleak story with none of T. Kingfisher's usual humor to offset it.

I did love our main character though. Toadling is a human who was switched at birth and now lives as a fairy who can shift in and out of toad form. She was tasked with keeping mortals safe from the changeling that took her place and is now sleeping in a tower. When a knight comes hoping to rescue a fair maiden, she must convince him not to break the curse.

Premise is very interesting but I was hoping for a different ending and, knowing the history behind changelings, more nuance in how that topic was handled.

Jennifer Blom does a lovely job with the narration and brings Kingfisher's lovely prose to life.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher is a Sleeping Beauty retelling and it is best to let that be all you know going in and letting the world unfurl before you.

T. Kingfisher did a wonderful job painting the world of Thornhedge for readers, introducing different faeries and mythical creatures, interweaving real world history and religion with mysticism and fantasy. I could not say enough about how beautifully crafted this world was in a novella form.

One of the things I loved about this novella was the depiction of beauty. Toadling is described as beautiful, but is innocent, kindhearted, loving, dependable and forgiving, but she has a hidden strength underneath all of her softness as well. She is described as physically ugly, but we the reader are captivated by her heart and good will towards others and the creatures that raised her from an infant. She describes her loved ones in such a way that you see that she sees the inner beauty in everyone, and it makes you the reader also see the inner beauty of her as well as her knight friend.

The narrator also does a fine job. Nothing seemed too taxing, she didn't vary the voices, but it wasn't necessary in this book. There were not any problems with background audio, coughing, loud breathing, etc, something I have been coming across more often in audiobooks. This was polished and just what it needed to be.

The writing is lyrical and poetic, the descriptions playful but not overdone. The balance between the real and the mystical is well woven here, and I honestly didn't want the book to end. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this audiobook. Can we get another retelling? A sequel?

Thornhedge

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Net Galley for letting me ARC listen to this audiobook. It was a good palate cleanser after reading various boring books. This was the wielding building that I loved from Wizard’s Guide To Defensive Baking. It’s very much cozy fiction that you read after reading morbid books.


Rating reading first chapter: 4
Actual rating after reading entire book: 4.5
I knocked off .5 because I wanted the final boss to be a bit stronger.

Reminds Me Of:
Sleeping beauty
Princess and the frog
Rapunzel

Post apocalyptic Fairytale.

Plague has killed many people over a span of two hundred years. Meanwhile, a fairy named, toadling, has been locked away in a tower. She doesn’t want people to find her at all. Then, a prince shows up looking for a lost tower with a powerful maiden inside of it. He wishes to break the curse but Toadling is tasked with protecting the sleeping girl inside of the tower. Toadling is scared for the curse to break because the consequences will be worse than living in solitude.

Overall Comments:
I was proved only for the audio books so character names may be misspelled. I tried my best to get the names as accurate as possible to what I heard in the audiobook.

I love that the narrator made it obvious that Toadling was awkward by having awkward narrations. - compliments. I loved the narrator.

Author uses her page length wisely. She is very good at short fiction.

I wish there was a little more action but I did enjoy the story. It was a cute love story. It was a “what if” story as well. This fell along the lines of “what if” Maleficent was the good fairy godmother and sleeping beauty was the demonic princess that could bring death and destruction.

The ending was nice and I’m glad Toadling lived her happily ever after.


Toadling - shifts in to a toad/ fairy. Foundling. Kidnapped at birth switched with another baby. Raised with swamp people called Green Teeth. Human born. Godmother to the child that she was swapped out for. Powers: mind control. Blood dark. Tears blue and black. Fairy Godmother.

Halim - prince that comes looking for a tower, Muslim

Duck white - taught her how to use her magic. Green teeth. Patience.

Reed Bones - swim sideways. Green Teeth.

Hare Goddess - silver hair. Tall. Takes toadling to fairy court. Can turn in to a hare.

Master Garami - teaches toadling about fairy court. Nice to her unlike the other teachers.

Faette - Princess - the girl that was switched in place of a Toadling. Green eyes. Put a spell on her to stop her from doing harm. Sharp teeth. Very dangerous. Harmful towards animals and people. Cursed by a different fairy before birth. Changeling. Can control dead bodies.

Queen: sick. Toadlings mother
King: Toadlings father.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
4.5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

•••Spoiler free review below•••

Thornhedge is a clever fairytale retelling that takes everything you think you know about the classic Sleeping Beauty story and twists it around. Our kindhearted heroine - Toadling - and our courageous knight - Halim - are a pair perfectly matched. Their story will have you hooked from the start and Toadling's constant will to do what is right will endear you to her instantly. This is one of the most intriguing retellings I have ever read. Told between past and present, it will have you wondering how the tale will end until the very last page. While everything wraps up nicely, I wish it was longer! I want more Toadling!! I highly recommend this sweet and magical novella as your next fairytale fix.

Read this book if you like:
- fairytale retellings
- surprise twists
- faerie references
- found family
- happily ever afters

Thornhedge will be released August 15th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

A girl under a sleeping spell in tower surrounded by a hedge of thorns. An enchantress guarding the tower. A knight determined to break the spell and free the girl. Thornhedge holds all the necessary elements of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, but brings a twist. The girl, the enchantress, and the knight are not what the stories have reported.

I thought this was a very cute fractured fairytale by T. Kingfisher. I believe this brief novel transcends age, as there was nothing any more mature about it that the original Grimm's tale which was meant for children. Equally as dark, but not profane or explicit. All in all, an enchanting little story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for an advanced audio of this book!

I received an audio ARC from Netgalley for an honest review

T. kingfisher is becoming one of my favorite authors. I’ve read “What Moves The Dead” by them and loved that, and now there’s this. I’m impressed by what they are able to do with their stories in such a short amount of time and Thornhedge is no different. They truly took the story of Sleeping Beauty and made it their own.

3.5 ⭐️ The new fantasy release „Thornhedge“ by T. Kingfisher follows the story of Toadling in this single POV, dual timeline fairytale. Toadling has been successfully guarding the overgrown tower for hundreds of years- until a mysterious knight shows up at her doorstep.

I’m a big fan of T.Kingfisher’s fantasy books so I was really excited for „Thornhedge“. I loved the dual timeline structure because it revealed the story that led up to the present day in an intriguing way.

I also found the dynamic between the characters and the worldbuilding very enjoyable.

On the other hand the tone was for my taste too strongly inspired by classical fairytales and somehow lacked Kingfisher’s signature quirky charm.

I listed to it on audiobook and the narration by Jennifer Blom was great!

Even though this book didn’t hit as strongly for me I’m still looking forward to more fairytales by T.Kingfisher since her Beauty and the Beast retelling „Bryony and Roses“ was excellent.

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was wonderful and way too short!

A dark Sleeping Beauty retelling with a twist and diverse characters. LOVED IT.

Great narration for the audio! I felt very part of the story. There’s vivid storytelling throughout. I loved how unique the characters were. I enjoyed it overall. I did find it a bit sad for the most part (probably just me). But it was very well done and the vibes were there! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you netgalley for providing a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I was able to listen to this on audiobook, and I really loved it! This is a novella (about 150 pages); the audiobook was only 4 hours. I loved the calm voice of the audio book narrator. It felt like someone was telling me a fairytale, which is perfect because that's exactly what "Thornhedge" is! The narrator did a great job creating differences in the characters voices, and I really liked her voice for the main character; it was really soothing to listen to.

I have loved a few of T Kingfisher's works, and was excited to get the chance to listen to this new book. While the cover looked a little spooky, this was anything but! It's basically a sleeping beauty retelling. I really enjoyed the story but don't want to say anything more than that. I also loved the length! I think it was the perfect length for what it was and the story felt complete by the end.

4.5/5 stars

This was such a fun (backwards) retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I really loved how the roles of who was good and evil were inverted. Amazing world development in such a short (120 pages or 4 hour) book. Would love more fairy tale retellings like this! Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love a fairytale and this one is fantastic. I listened to the audiobook with my “wagtail” nearby. The narration by Jennifer Blom is perfection in this darkly magical story. The characters are richly drawn and the lush landscape was beautifully written. I’ve loved all things T. Kingfisher I’ve read.

I love T Kingfisher’s horror so much that each time I read one of her fantasy titles, I feel a little disappointed because there’s not nearly as much humor, heart, or really good imagery. It feels like two totally separate authors.

Things that work really well in this story: Toadling’s character and how she doesn’t fit the fairytale archetype; our apologetic knight who is just genuinely a cinnamon roll; the overall theme of not believing stories even if they have a grain of truth.

Other than that, it just… didn’t feel special.

AN ABSOLUTE DELIGHT OF AN AUDIO!! I loved the narration of this book. The voice actor does a wonderful job in enhancing the narration of the story. As we learned more about Toadling it was clear that the narrator was an excellent choice.

"Thornhedge" by T Kingfisher is a delightful and enchanting book that will transport readers to a world of magic, whimsy, and endearing characters. At the heart of the story is Toadling, a captivating protagonist with a sweet demeanor and a unique perspective on time and history. Kingfisher skillfully crafts Toadling's character, infusing her with innocence, curiosity, and a deep connection to the world around her. Through Toadling's eyes, readers are immersed in a world where time becomes fluid, and the layers of history drift in and out. Her unique perspective adds depth and wonder to the narrative, inviting readers to see the world with fresh eyes.

Kingfisher weaves a tapestry of magic, folklore, and fantastical creatures that will capture readers' imaginations from beginning to end. The intricate world-building and vivid descriptions bring Thornhedge and its inhabitants to life, creating a rich and immersive reading experience. Kingfisher's prose is lyrical and evocative, painting a vivid picture of a world where wonder and danger coexist.

Thornhedge is dark and twisty, but still remains whimsical and full of faerie intrigue. The back lore of Toadling was complex and full of both horror, and joy. T Kingfisher does an exceptional job at making you invested in each character falling in love with them in so few pages.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e ARC of this book.

Whoops! I finished this audiobook in a day, completely by accident. Once I enteredToadling’s world, I couldn’t leave. And after such a short time with her, I am now bereft. T. Kingfisher nails it again with her latest novella, Thornhedge.

Toadling guards a tower, the contents of which are not immediately apparent. She stands vigilant for years, watching people pass by. But one day, a knight, Halim, breaks Toadling’s isolation, and he is on a quest to rescue whomever may be in the tower. As Toadling and Halim’s relationship develops, Toadling shares the devastating story of how she came to guard the tower, and the true nature of what lurks within.

T. Kingfisher is just so brilliant at adult fairy tales. I was bowled over by Nettle and Bone last year, and Thornhedge impressed me even more. Toadling’s story is heartbreaking and compelling; I loved rooting for this unconventional hero.

Audiobook narrator Jennifer Blom gave a perfect performance. Her soft voice perfectly complemented the whimsical story. In fact, her soothing, hypnotic tone made the sometimes violent twists and turns even more surprising. Combined with Kingfisher’s expert prose, it was an ideal pairing.

Like I said earlier, I finished this audiobook in a single sitting. Thornhedge is perfect escapism. The fantasy elements combine perfectly with the occasional bit of horror, and the central relationship is just beautiful.

Thank you to Macmillan audio for sending me an audio ARC of this novel in exchange for a honest review.

T. Kingfisher is a recent fantasy discovery of mine, and what a powerhouse she is -- her stories focus on older protagonists who know their limitations, feel anxiety about it, but still take action to make things better, often while falling in kinship with a kindred spirit along the way. She also layers in considerable diversity in her character construction as a matter-of-fact element in her world-building, which I appreciate.

Thornhedge is an exceptional novella-length retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I don't want to say more about the story's construction -- you should discover its edges for yourself. I will say I blew through it in less than 12 hours.

If you're in a book club, this story would pair well with Nettle & Bone. The protagonists share some emotional similarities, although their circumstances are quite different.

This is my second Kingfisher book and I love love love the writing. This is kind of a retelling of Rapunzel with Fae and it’s such a great take on this fairytale. I wish it was a little longer but for a short story it was compelling and hard to stop listening too. The narrator did a fantastic job. Kept me interested and I could tell the difference between characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read.

I would have preferred a longer story that showed more descriptions of the world. I found Toad to be unlikable.

This was a delightful little short story. My second T. Kingfisher story and she is quickly becoming a favorite author.

This story was weird (in the best way!), and creative in the best ways. The details surrounding the various fae creatures was wonderful to read and I appreciated Kingfisher ability to honor the true lore of the fae and make them a little scary.