This was my most anticipated for the month and I was not disappointed. I loved this so much. Fairy tale books are some of my favorites. I love that this one was dark. I did not want to put this down. I read it in one sitting. Toadling was such a great character. I just felt for her. I would love to read more from this world. I definitely recommend this one. The narrator was fabulous. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a great story! I knew absolutely nothing about this book going in, and enjoyed every step of the journey. The reimagining of the sleeping beauty legend was fantastic. Such a great take in the story. I was absolutely terrified of the little girl. She seemed to have that dead eyed cruelty vibe, and it just creeped me out. Toadling is the coolest heroine I’ve seen in a long time. To give me the hope of being complete human and developing some form of magical abilities?! Yes please!! Changelings have always been a fascinating legend to me, and I loved that we got such an interesting take on what happened to the human baby, and her potential for greatness. Great story!!

***4.0 Stars***

Overall,
I love T. Kingfisher. They have a way of storytelling that just reaches my soul. This is a fantastic twisted tale inspired by Sleeping Beauty. It is short and quick and can easily be finished in a single sitting. The story follows Toadling who is not really a heroine, just a changing who finds herself in a situation that she does not feel capable of. It is a great story and I heartily recommend it.

Cover,
I am usually a big fan of T.Kingfishers covers, but this one really is not for me.

Recommendation,
Yes, if you like a fairy tale retelling with a twist this is for you.

***I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my free and honest review***

This book was GLORIOUS.

T Kingfisher writes a dark, beautiful fairytale like no one else. A delightful cast of glorious monsters who are not beautiful but are wonderful, and a not so handsome but very brave knight will make a spot right in the middle of your heart. This book took something familiar & did something entirely original with it, and I couldn’t be happier to have read this.

No notes, all the stars.

Thank you so much @netgalley @torbooks & @macmillan.audio for the e & audio copies ❤️

This story! Such a pleasure. It’s a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, except it’s really the story of Toadling, found family, beauty as it should be seen and celebrated in this world, and the desire to do good. I loved it so much! T. Kingfisher is becoming a fave of mine! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this.

This was such a whimsical fairytale! I loved the narrator as well. She had specific voices for each character and they did not distract from the story at all. I wish that it were longer, but I loved every second of it!

T. Kingfisher is a master at writing novellas. The amount that they are able to squeeze into less than 200 pages always amazes me. This novella is such a great quick fantasy read!

Fairy tales are still so important, and T. Kingfisher is so amazing at fairy tales.
Thornhedge is a Sleeping Beauty retelling, but it's not about saving the beautiful princess from the dark fairy. Sometimes the princess needs to stay asleep.
Super quick read so it's a great palate cleanser.
The narrator does a wonderful job.
Anyone needing a book to help meet your reading goal, this is a fun one.

I thought this was a charming story with a lovable character. It's like a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I really enjoyed Jennifer Blom's voice for this audiobook. This was a quick listen but so enjoyable. This was my third book of T. Kingfisher's and I just keep getting drawn in for more!! I definitely recommend this audiobook!


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

This was a fun and quick book where the princess locked in the tower is actually the villain and the witch who "cursed" her is the hero (and a toad).

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun little novella. I enjoyed our main character and seeing the world through her eyes. I also really appreciated the respectful relationship between her and the knight. That said, I did think the story wrapped up a tiny bit too easy. I would’ve loved for the conflict to be a bit more significant, but all in all if you want a fun, short fantasy/folklore type read, this is a good choice.

A reimagining of the Sleeping Beauty fable as you haven't seen it before! This novella follows Toadling, a human spirited away to the fairy world at birth. Fate has made her a prisoner to a tower, forever warding away curious humans and upholding the curse that is cast on the princess within. That is, until a curious knight comes calling...

The narration for this was lovely and definitely helped impart the folk-tale atmosphere. Thornhedge is as sensible, unassuming and heartfelt as you'd expect from a T. Kingfisher fairytale. I loved it!

{4.5 stars}

Toadling is a changeling who was stolen from her parents and thrust into the fairy world. She has been guarding the secret behind the Thornhedge for centuries when a soldier comes along looking to break the rumored curse. But Toadling will do anything she can to protect the curse, even as she is entranced by the charming knight.

T Kingfisher has the most creative mind and the most prolific pen. I am constantly amazed by the fantasy and uniqueness in these short but powerful fairytales. Like Grimms fairytales there is hope, love and light lurking within the depths of these cautionary tales. Toadling is a fabulous character, this is right up there with What Moves the Dead as my favorite Kingfisher story.

Thanks to Macmillian Audio for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

The author once again delivered a unique and fun story. I have read many sleeping beauty retellings, and this one may be my favorite. Wasting no words, this quick novella provides a distinctive take from the perspective of the faerie. I thouroughly enjoyed all the characters and the changes to the original story.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher is a darkly whimsical retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Although this is a quick, quirky novella I did find that the story wrapped up very quickly in the last chapter and epilogue. I felt the same way about the two other Kingfisher stories I've read recently, so maybe this is her M.O. But I personally prefer a more complete and rounded out ending. Regardless, the story is very charming and entertaining.

What a wonderful retelling of Sleeping Beauty - from the wicked fairy's perspective.
Toadling was born a princess, but was stolen from the crib, and replaced with a changeling - an evil being that is planted to bring havoc among the humans. Toadling is sent back to protect her old family, but her magic goes wrong and she herself is cursed to stand guard over the changeling.
In comes the unlikely knight - Toadling is not really interested in the knight's help, but how is a knight to fulfill his purpose if not by lifting curses? Friendship ensues and together they save the day...

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the chance to listen to and review this ARC.

This year I have been blessed to discover T. Kingfisher's books and this is charming, cozy, and strange. I adored every second of this fantasy novella and would honestly read a sequel. This is a Sleeping Beauty retelling that is nothing short of unique. I thoroughly enjoyed the magic system and atmosphere, as well as the endearing Toadling. This was sweet, engaging, and I couldn't put it down. Kingfisher just writes such lovely characters and I would honestly read anything they write at this point. Excellent, quick listen on audiobook! Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the audio ARC!

This is a very interesting retelling of The Sleeping Beauty. It definitely begs the question, what if the curse was necessary?
Toadling has been assigned to be a young princess’s godmother. She is tasked with making sure the child does no harm. But something goes “wrong” with the “blessing” and Toadling is stuck trying to fix her mistake for 200 years.
T. Kingfisher knows how to spin a story and you’ll definitely come away thinking of this story very differently from now on.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.”

I want more Toadling! Why isn't this longer?? I absolutely loved it! This is my favorite sleeping beauty retelling I've ever read. The audio book narrator was spot on, and perfect, they were able to make me feel like I was right there with all the different characters!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the audio book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for a digital audiobook of Thornhedge in exchange for an honest review.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher was a fascinating retelling based on the sleeping beauty fairytale told by fairy that cursed the princess. First off I really liked Jennifer Blom’s narration as it worked really well for the story. As for the book itself, I loved it! Not only was it a really fun retelling, but it made me really feel the emotional atmosphere of the story as well. Toadling was a wonderful main character and I felt for her so much throughout the story. I also, enjoyed how the story balanced both the sad and happy parts of the story. It was very well done and gave you just what you needed of both emotions. I really loved the experience of reading this book so very much. So much so, that after finishing it, I immediately recommended that my sister reads it as soon as it comes out. All in all, this is just one of the most interesting retellings I’ve read in a while and I can’t wait to read more from T. Kingfisher in the future.