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.

I loved this reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. I'm bias though, because this has always been my favorite fairytale since I was little.

This is told through a fairy's pov which I thoroughly enjoyed. I quite liked the male MC as well, I found him to be a bit of a cinnamon roll.

Thank you Netgally for the audio arc!

**Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the ALC of this very cute title!!**

I'm not usually one for fairytale retellings but when I saw this little novella from Kingfisher I couldn't resist requesting it on audio. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this tale on my commute, but this would also be the perfect book for curling up with outside and not stopping until the very end.

Toadling is a woman/toad who lives in the Thornhedge - a thicket so dense that man hasn't crossed into it for hundreds of years. All that changes when a man arrives claiming to have read stories of her neck of the woods. This was a dark fairytale that still managed to hold light and be adorable. I want more Toadling stories!!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I love this author and was so excited to be approved for the ALC (Advanced Listener Copy) that I read it all the day I got it approved! Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher is about Toadling, who was a human stolen by fairies when she was born and was raised in another world. When she is older she is given a task that does not go as planned. Many years later a knight arrives after hearing of a curse that needs broken but Toadling will do anything she can to stop him.
First things first I really enjoy fairytale novellas. I love being plunged into a new world for a whimsical (or sometimes a little creepy) story. Thornhedge did not disappoint. The author gave you enough information to enjoy the story without dumping too much world building that would confuse. You come from the mind of Toadling who is not used to people being around and the knight surprising her launches an interesting series of events. I loved the knights character as a shy no nonsense nobleman. Their connection is sweet and their interactions gave those fuzzy feelings.
I would definitely recommend this book for any fantasy and fairytale lovers looking for a novella that will give a good story with incredible vibes. It was easy to get lost in this story as all of the others by T. Kingfisher. I read this book in a single sitting and it kept my attention all the way through. The characters are amazing and you can really feel all of their connection and background which is hard to do with a shorter book. I was rooting for them all the way!

"Thornhedge" by T. Kingfisher is a Retelling of Sleeping Beauty, in a Roundabout Way!

"Thornhedge" is full of the delightful fairytale imagery of fairies, a king and his queen, a princess, a kind knight, and all the wonderful elements one would expect to find in a make-believe kingdom.

There's also poor, dear Toadling, who was whisked away from her family by fairies the day she was born. She grew to feel safe and loved in her new toad-like form in the watery warmth of faerieland.

When Toadling reaches adulthood she's asked to return to the human world to bless a newborn child. Trouble is, she garbles the words and the blessing turns into a curse.

Centuries later, as Toadling hides in a wall of thick towering brambles and thorns, a knight arrives. She just wants him to leave. She must ensure the curse stays a curse forever and she has her reasons why...

How can anyone resist the talent and creativity of T.Kingfisher's beautiful writing style and storytelling? Or should I say Retellings? It's simply impossible. The characters here are as diverse as good and evil, the magic is ever present, and the atmosphere is both bright and a bit dark.

For "Thornhedge", I was fortunate to have both a physical ARC, which I read first, and an ALC, which I listened to second. The narrator, Jennifer Blom, offers excellent voicing skills. Although, audiobooks are my preference, any format you choose for this story will be a delight.

I thought my fairytale days were long gone but, alas, T. Kingfisher has scratched that itch in the form of a retelling once again. I highly recommend "Thornhedge"!

4⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and T. Kingfisher for an ALC and Tor Publishing Group for a physical ARC of this book through Shelf Awareness. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

DNF - I could not get myself to care about these characters. I don’t think this was the best place for me to start with T. Kingfisher's books. I will definitely be giving her another shot! This is not the narrator's fault. Jennifer Blom's performance was great and would love to listen to her narrate other audiobooks!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

THORNHEDGE is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways. This quasi-dark(ish) fairy tale was a quick listen and I quite enjoyed it!

Most of all, I love that almost everything I read by Kingfisher is totally different from the last. This one vaguely reminded me of WHAT MOVES THE DEAD so if that was your jam, you'll probably love this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for my audio #arc !

A big thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian for providing both an eARC and an advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

You've never seen Sleeping Beauty like this!

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher is a fantasy retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but told from the perspective of one of the fairy godmothers. Toadling has lived a simple life in the land of fey, until she is tasked with going back to the mainland to place a blessing of protection on a newborn. Years later a prince hears of castle covered in brambles, and curse in need of breaking. But Toadling will do anything to ensure that curse remains intact.

I loved this retelling, as it gives a breath of fresh air to the increasingly repetitive genre. But with this unique perspective, it turns the entire tale as old as time on it's head. I just wish it was a little longer, instead of it simply being a novella.

Thornhedge delivers on the whimsical and weird storytelling that readers have come to expect from T.Kingfisher. Sadly, I struggled to fund connection with the characters.

Stolen at birth by fairies and burdened by doing their bidding, Toadling has known little outside of her duties for centuries. When a knight approached the tower, one that she has sworn to protect,Toadling must risk everything to uphold her word and protect the secrets that live inside.

Thornhedge is a fun little read. It's a clever, flip a well known story on it's head, take on the familiar. It just didn't move me in the same way the authors previous works have. I found the characters charming but not memorable, the story engaging but not propulsive. I often feel like the authors stories are similar to a bedtime story with the addition of an edgy bite. Thornhedge simply didn't have enough of the latter for my liking.

I listened to this via audio and the narration was top notch! The quality of the narrators voice did add to the overall whimsy of the tale.

Endless thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a early look in exchange for my honest review.

I am really finding a groove with T. Kingfisher this year! I've read A House with Good Bones, Nettle & Bone, and now Thornhedge and I was enthralled for all of these novella length reads!
I never thought so much could happen in under 150 pages. Even Becky Chamber's "A Psalm for the Wild Built" falls at 160 pages but a mere 128 for Tornhedge??? I could have read many many more. This novel subverts the tale of Sleeping Beauty and our ideas about changelings/faerie powers/time/ and even fairy godmothers. This was a great read and I think it is one to go in with little knowledge of/expectations because that is the setting where you find the most joy in a T. Kingfisher book.
This is out 8/15/23 and I highly recommend! The audiobook was also very well done.

In this novella from T. Kingfisher, we are met with Toadling. When she was born, she was stolen by fairies and grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of fairieland. Now that she has reached adulthood, the fae ask her to return to the human world and offer protection to a newborn child. The task is not nearly as simple as it sounds.

And then somehow, centuries later, a knight approaches the ridge of thorns to break a curse that Toadling must defend. As Toadling explores the curse and traverses time and place, T. Kingfisher weaves a rich story that has lovely prose in a tight page count.

If you love twisted fairy tales, this one is for you. I think I may not have been smart enough for this one in the right ways, but I know it'll be a delight for many readers and listeners.

Call it 3.5 stars. Toadling, a human with a touch of elven, was kidnapped as a newborn and replaced with a full elven changeling. She has been charged with guarding the changeling who took over her rightful life, which she does for hundreds of years until a not-so-handsome knight comes looking for a fair maiden to rescue.

While I enjoyed this as something light and pleasant after a particularly brutal non-fiction read, this was definitely not my favorite of Kingfisher's. I am a fan of her writing and her heroines, but usually they are strong and determined (if often inept) and make their own way in the world. Toadling is someone who reacts, someone who life happens to. I'd put this book in the "beach read" catagory.

Thornhedge: Not All Curses Should Be Broken
T. Kingfisher
Thornhedge is a fairytale. This is not one of the fairytales you grew up with is Sleeping Beauty with a twist. In Thornhedge the princess, Sleeping Beauty is not the star or the main character. Toadling is the heroine of this tale. When Toadling day of birth she was stolen from her cradle by the fairies and a changeling was put in her place. Toadling was raised by some unusual but loving characters. They nurtured her in the waters of fairyland.
Toadling was asked to return to the castle where she was born and give a gift to the changeling, a gift of “never harm anyone.” She put the words in the wrong order and things went downhill fast. The changeling was cruel, mean with a ravenous appetite. She was vicious and she was just a child with no moral compass. Toadling stays at the castle in an effort of preventing the changeling from doing harm but to no avail. There was only one answer short of killing the changeling, sleep. For two hundred years the changeling princess slept and Toadling stood watch. The thornhedges grew until the castle was no longer visible. A Knight was drawn to the vine covered castle. He was captivated by the old legend. He and Toadling formed a close bond.
I love fairytales and this was one of the best. I believe author T. King she has written a sequel to Thornhedge. I wonder if she will continue this tale or move on to another princess that needs rescuing.

I am a sucker for retelling and this one surely delivered.
I loved the spin this story had and its take on the why to the sleeping beauty curse had to happen. I enjoyed the main character. I liked that we get the “villains” perspective. This was a short book and I devoured it in one sitting. Even though it wasn’t that long, I thought the characters were developed and the plot was good. I did not love the “big battle” at the end. I thought it was a little abrupt and anticlimactic but it did not ruin the book.
This is a 4 1/2 STARS!

Thornhedge was such a cozy, quirky, and modern fairytale! I have been a fan of T Kingfisher’s work for a while, but this just added a whole other layer to why I love their writing. It was wholesome, with amazing imagery and a cast of relatable characters. I can definitely picture myself rereading this short fairytale any time I need a cozy story. I love Toadling, she is such a quirky little character and enjoyable to read about. I cannot recommend this enough to fantasy lovers!! The audiobook version is delightful and engaging. I would recommend that to all audio listeners.

I listened to the audio arc of this and really enjoyed this narrator! Brought the story to life and perfectly encapsulated Kingfishers unique writing style. I loved this story and it didn’t feel like as short as what it actually is, it sucks you in. Another brilliant book from T Kingfisher!