Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this lovely little novella.

This had the quality of Maleficent for me and I loved that. It was interesting hearing a fairy tale turned on it’s head.

I’ve been really interested in the idea of changelings recently which was perfect for this story. Thornhedge follows the changeling Toadling who returns to the human world and gets stuck. This novella felt a little creepy and eerie but also cozy and heartfelt. For a short novel, T. Kingfisher definitely packs a punch into this one!

Toadling was taken from her family as an infant by fairies and raised as one of their own. She is given the opportunity to return to the human world and bestow a gift to an unborn child. Things front go as planned and Toadling spends centuries guarding a bramble covered castle. One day a kind knight approaches the castle hoping to break the rumored curse that is on the hidden castle and its occupant.

This was an unexpected twist for one of my favorite fairy tales, Sleeping Beauty. This a quick read with interesting characters and an interesting backstory. It had a couple of slow parts but I enjoyed it overall. The narration for the audiobook was done well.

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review

#NetGalley #Thornhedge #TKingfisher.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher is a reimaging of Sleeping Beauty told from a different perspective. Magical and charming, Kingfisher weaves a story unlike the original to grant entry into this tale from a new vantage point. I enjoyed the lush descriptions and whimsy characterizations. The audiobook had a good narrator and the audio quality was crisp and clear.

I received a review copy of this book from the author/publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Thornhedge is T. Kingfisher’s latest fantasy novella which was beautifully narrated by Jennifer Blom. This was a delightfully dark reimagining of sleeping beauty where the curse was in place to keep the princess in instead of keeping others out.
I devoured this audiobook in a single afternoon not only because it is a nice compact story but also, I needed to see where we were going to end up in the end. Kingfisher did a great job of crafting a complete story that tired up all its loose ends. Toadling is a fantastic main character who I was super invested in rather quickly. Overall a fantastic novella that is a perfect story to curl up with this fall.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a unique and dark twist on fairy tales! Toadling is guarding a secret curse and dealing with an intrusive knight in a world full of fae and kelpies and hare goddesses. This short story was enchanting from start to finish. I love dark fantasy and now I am in the mood to read more and pretend it’s fall!

I was granted access to a free ARC of the audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and this is my honest review. The narrator did a nice job, and her voice was calming and easy to listen to. The audiobook is about four hours long so it’s easy to finish while commuting or doing chores. T. Kingfisher continues to be a favorite.

LOVED this short novella! I have a soft spot for fairy tell retellings, and this Sleeping Beauty (with Rapunzel influences) inspired story was just what I needed this morning.
Relatable characters and satisfying that none of them are perfect.
This was my first T Kingfisher reading & most certainly will not be my last!

I always love a good fairy tale retelling. Having one from T. Kingfisher is a bonus. This is the second I've read from her and it did not disappoint. Kingfisher is great at twisting stories we know and love to give a different perspective. I liked how this one played out. I don't want to say too much as this story is quite short, but I will say, it is well written and equally heartwarming and horrific. I don't think this is so much horror as it is a dark fairy tale.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC.

The blessing of a fairy godmother is binding. Even when it binds said godmother to a horrific service. Toadling was supposed to bless the royal baby to cause no harm. But her words got muddled. And now she is trapped in the human world, with a creature far more monster than herself.

Told in first-person narrative, this book actually begins well over 100 years into Toadling’s duty, when a knight comes to the castle to break its curse. Through his conversations with Toadling, we’re given a glimpse into a remarkable alternate history, where a cure to the Black Death (or some similar disease) was found by Muslim scientists. With half of the European population dead, travelers from the East settled in the gone-farrow land. The result is a much more integrated Europe (at least from what the knight tells), though of course there are still wars and knights and kingdoms.

I’d actually be fascinated to see more of this world that Kingfisher has created. For one thing, nice setup. But for another, her prose is very soothing. Something I needed a LOT while listening to this audiobook! While this is a fairy tale with an emphasis on the old kind of horror, it’s not so much gratuitous. This feels like an expansion on a story that the grown-ups might tell after the kiddos have gone to sleep. “Oh, that Aurora story is lovely, but the way I heard it was….”

Jennifer Blom added to that sense of ease and ancient storytelling. Even during the most intense scenes, she doesn’t go shrill or panicky. It’s a slow, creeping dread she opts for, and it works.

If anything more happens in this world, I’ll be picking it up right away!

Advanced listener copy provided by the publisher.

It's a quiet fairy tale story, and by quiet I mean the focus is narrow and we don't get any epic worldbuilding. The MC is lovely and easy to root for. The narrator was almost too "dreamy" while reading. It made me wish I was laying in bed while listening. At just under 4 hours, it's easy to finish in a day.

I’ve heard fantastic things about this author and the premises of all their books sound amazing. For this title in particular, I do not think audiobook was the right format for me to try to consume it in. The narrator was in no way bad, just sometimes audio is not the best method. I couldn’t keep engaged with the plot at all.

Thornhedge is T. Kingfisher’s wonderful and yet woefully too short spin on the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. Toadling was switched at birth, taken from the human world and raised by fairies, partly becoming one. As an adult, she is sent back to the human world, to ‘bless’ a newborn child. The child in question is a Changling. Unfortunately, Toadling messes up the blessing and so stays, watching and waiting to see what happens. As the child grows everyone suspects something is off with her, and it soon becomes clear that something must be done before the child, now 8 or so, grows older and unleashes misery upon the world. Using her magic, Toadling puts the child to sleep and then spends centuries watching over the ‘sleeping beauty’, always fearing the day would come when someone would breach the tower and the Changling would escape. This is a short, beautifully written tale, easily able to be read or listened to in a single sitting…which is my only complaint. I didn’t want the story to end. As with all great stories I was left with the burning question: ‘what happens next’? Jennifer Blom does an excellent job with the narration. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review an advanced audio copy of Thornhedge.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3MPQZRYU7PZOX/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Thank you NetGalley for the Audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Naturally, since this author who has become my favorite new author over the past year, I was sooooooo stoked when I recieved the notification that I was approved for this audiobook and T. Kingfisher did not disappoint!I loved this sleeping beauty retelling and Kingfisher's ability to completely reimaging classic fairytale/ stories into wonderful novellas. She is quickly becoming an Auto-Buy author for me and I can't wait for my physical copy to come in so I can reread & annotate.

I received an advanced readers copy through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been wanting to read this author for some time. The one is on a very long wait list at our local library it’ll still be a while before it’s available! This was a really good introduction, and I really enjoyed it. I listened to the audio version and it was spot on.
It had the feel of an old fashioned fairy tale, Sleeping beauty. But told from the Toad shifter’s perspective (as she is tasked with the keeping of everyone from harm). It was dark, and gritty and sad with the perfect ending

Just in typical Kingfisher fashion, this one was phenomenal. I loved that it was a novella as well which I didn’t realize. Just an overall quick read that I devoured in one sitting. So good!

Thank you to Macmillan for the audio ARC! This is a 4.5 rounded up :)

T. Kingfisher never disappoints. This was short and so easy to listen to and get lost in. I had an absolute blast. The narrator was great.

I find it fascinating how Kingfisher is able to build an immersive and interesting world in so few pages - while also giving readers diverse and complex characters and an enthralling plot. This is what novellas should be!

Toadling was such a neat main character and I really enjoyed reading about her. Her development over the course of the plot was interesting.

This twist on a well-known fairytale was interesting and somewhat familiar but still fresh and new. This was both dark and heartwarming to me somehow.

My only frustration is the past/present changeovers - the transitions were hard to catch (at least in audiobook format) and it took me a second to get my bearings after each switch.

Overall, this was short and definitely worth the read! I would love to see a sequel or similar retellings by this author.

Oh my gosh, I loved this! A Sleeping Beauty retelling, but adding in Fae and a whole host of magical creatures. T. Kingfisher has a way of being a misty magical feeling to every book I have read of hers, and I am here for it. This brought me out of a reading slump and into a magical world where I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. A quick read (or listen!) that transports you away for a while.

A knight comes to a tower sealed up, bricked off, and covered by a hedge of impenetrable thorns. It is guarded by a not quite human who is keeping anyone from going up there. But he persists, and finds that the stories he has read might have it all wrong.

Thornhedge is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that takes a unique twist on the well-known tale. Retellings are sometimes a hit or miss for me because the story is so familiar. If there is not something new to offer, I often get bored. However, I took a chance on this one because I have been really enjoying T. Kingfisher lately. I am so glad I did! The story of Toadling was interesting and definitely a new perspective. I like stories that take my expectations and flip them on their head. Toadling is not the sleeping beauty, and the prince doesn't need to save the princess. In this case, not all curses are something to be broken. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good retelling or a good story.

A classic fairytale takes a fresh perspective in this Sleeping Beauty-inspired novella. It's a short read, but it's incredibly well-formed. I can't wait to pick up a physical copy!

4.5/5

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

After reading Nettle and Bone and A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, T Kingfisher has become an auto buy author for me this year. Needless to say, I was excited to have early access to the audiobook for Thornhedge and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I never quite know what is in store with a Kingfisher story, and in that Thornhedge held true. It's a darker take on a fairytale where the main character is tasked with guarding a princess, asleep in a tower, who may truly be evil. The story is high in atmosphere and character development and it was easy to listen to the audiobook in one sitting, but it is also quite complex. I found myself wanting to listen to it more than once and it is the kind of story you begin to see new things about it and open up new questions the more you think on it. It left me wanting more, but understanding the story would be less rich if more was provided.

This may not be for everyone, but I would highly recommend if you are looking for a story with spooky vibes and empathetic characters. This one has all the feels.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan audio for early access to this audiobook in exchange for a fair review

Stolen away as a baby and raised by loving monsters, Toadling is the unlikeliest of heroines…but also, quite possibly, the most endearing. She will capture your heart with her timid sweetness as she awkwardly bumbles her way through the quirkiest, most heartwarming Sleeping Beauty reimagining you could hope for.

T. Kingfisher has such a talent for weaving the most unexpectedly feel-good stories that, even while tipping into darkness, draw you in and leave you in a bubble of warm fuzzies. If you loved Nettle and Bone, definitely pick up this novella.

The audiobook version is wonderfully done and such a quick, sweet listen. The narrator captured Toadling and the feel of the story perfectly, and makes this story even more enjoyable.