For readers who fell in love with T. Kingfisher's Nettle and Bone and were waiting for another book from the author that had the same feel, this is the book that you have been waiting for and then some.
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Toadling is the most lovable main character, and I cannot believe that such a well-developed and well delivered story was told in so few pages. This Sleeping Beauty retelling turned upon its head is so atmospheric and not a single word goes to waste.
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The audiobook is lovely, perfectly paced, and greatly compliments the incredible story.

4/5 stars.

Thornhedge is a phenomenal take on a fairy-tale retelling from an author well known for playing in a variety of genres. T. Kingfisher's prose is so smooth and it flows beautifully. Thornhedge is a story about Toadling, a human taken to the fae when she was young to be trained to carry out one task: to give a gift to a child upon their birth. After practicing for years the time had finally come, but all did not go according to plan. What happens when a gift is twisted into a curse? What happens when 200 years later a knight wanders into the bramble thicket Toadling has kept hidden from the world guarding her secret failure?

The audiobook was great, the narrator did an incredible job with the voices of Toadling, Haleem and particularly Fayette.

There was something so utterly refreshing and enjoyable about this story. I could not put it down and finished the audiobook within about 2 sittings. I love a good fairy-tale and while this one has familiar vibes, it also tells a story that is unique and gives a different perspective on why curses don't always need to be broken. I fell in love with Toadling, the toad-shaped protagonist who feels as though she must spend her life atoning for a "gift" gone wrong. After nearly two hundred years of doing her duty to keep her secret hidden from the world, a knight comes along and turns Toadling's life on it's head and makes her believe things could be different. This novella is beautiful and so very endearing. If you love a slightly dark, mysterious fairy-tale, this will probably be up your alley. Please give it a chance, I think it is well worth the read and listen. And look forward to diving into more of T. Kingfisher's works.

T. Kingfisher dark revamping of Sleeping Beauty was refreshing and suspenseful in the same breath. The storytelling was phenomenal and I enjoyed the realism of Toadling and the Knight, their conversations flowed seamlessly while I felt immersed in the fairy/human realm. One of my favorite chapters was the epilogue, not because it was over, but because it ended exactly how I wanted it too.

Sleeping Beauty with a twist. The world building was great, and it was such a endearing story. So different from the traditional story and I really enjoyed this one so much.
I really enjoyed how this was part fairy and human. The combination of both worked well together. The narrator, Jennifer Blom did a wonderful job portraying Toadling, and the knight. Jennifer's voice was very pleasant and kept me engaged till the very end. While this was a short novella, it was spellbinding till the very end.

T. Kingfisher is an author I've grown to love, whether it's romantic fantasy, horror, or in this case a twisted fairytale retelling.

This is a reimagined sleeping beauty, where the sleeping princess is an evil changeling and the fairy godmother is actually the heroine of the story. Yes, there is even a kind-hearted knight bent on rescue, but he's not what you've come to expect either.

Thornhedge is a novella-length story about Toadling and her unselfish and enduring strength in doing what is right. After she's taken as a baby by fairies and switched out with a changeling she's raised by a small group of water fae, and they are her family. But she's sent on a mission, back to the land of her father, and there is where she stays for the next two hundred (or more) years. Until a gentle knight arrives after hearing tales of a princess in a castle.

This was such a charming, endearing tale. A fresh take on Sleeping Beauty that kept me turning pages right up until the end.

3.5 stars

I am unsure about how I feel about this book, part of me was intrigued and part of me was bored. Do I even remember this story? I really enjoyed the innocence of Toadling and her willingness to try and do the right thing. I was very interested in reading about changelings and a fairytale retelling. However, I really just wanted more. The story felt like it was building and building for so long and then rushed.

I was quite disappointed by this book. I thought I would enjoy it. The book starts in quite an interesting fashion. There are quite apparent ties to Sleeping Beauty, and I was intrigued to see how Kingfisher told the story in a new way. What I found though was a not completely fleshed out story that tells aspects of the tale but never full gives a whole plot. It's rare to think a book needs to be a lot longer, but in this case there needed to be a lot more detail and plot for this story to work well.

This novella was such a treat.

Without saying too much, the premise is basically: what if Sleeping Beauty was evil? The main character in ‘Thornhedge’ is the ‘fairy godmother’ tasked with saving the kingdom from the princess.

T. Kingfisher is truly the queen of the modern fairytale in my eyes. Thornhedge had the potential to be cheesy, but there’s something so subtly dark about the way this story is told which offsets any threat of cheese. The world felt so rich and realistic. The writing style was methodical and careful in a way that felt super immersive to me. I listened to the audiobook, and it was read beautifully.

This would be the perfect choice for an October/November read — cozy fall vibes, and it’s the perfect length for when you’re scrambling to finish your Goodreads goals. Either way, I’d totally recommend picking this up if you can. It’s out August 15th.

(Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me read this in advance.)

I really loved this fresh take on the Sleeping Beauty folktale. The focus on the "evil fairy" and how Kingfisher flips the narrative kept me turning pages. Toadling's perspective on beauty and how she saw the family she claimed as her own really spoke to me and even though I wouldn't want a tribe of carnivorous water fairies as my own family Kingfisher made it perfectly plausible and fitting for Toadling and highlighted both the quixotic nature of Faerie along side its horrors and beauties.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thornhedge is such a wonderful novella, at once familiar in its fairy tale atmosphere and surprising in the ways T. Kingfisher flips conventions upside down. It’s about a princess locked in a tower, but the princess isn’t the focus here; rather, it’s a fairy-like creature named Toadling. As her name suggests, when she’s not in human form, she takes on the appearance of a toad. Toadling has been cursed with guarding the sleeping princess. Does that make Toadling the villain?

When a gentle-hearted knight named Halim arrives, intent on rescuing whoever is in need of rescue, Toadling hopes he’ll leave her alone. She can’t leave, and she can’t let him into the hidden tower. But slowly, she starts to trust him… and hope that maybe he can break her free of the past 200 years of isolation.

From here, Thornhedge follows dual timelines. While Toadling and Halim get acquainted and move closer to the tower’s secrets, we simultaneously learn about Toadling’s history and what led her to this curse. Who was she? How did she get involved with the princess and the forgotten kingdom? What is this curse? The answers are shocking, and only served to make me feel more for Toadling.

Audiobook
Jennifer Blom does an excellent job of narrating Thornhedge. She injects extra personality into Toadling, making her an even more empathetic and compelling character. The narration is gentle, befitting of a fairy tale, but with enough energy to keep the listener engaged from start to end. I’m glad I opted for the audiobook version of this.

Thornhedge is a unique and understated novella, with likable characters, and an imaginative spin on a classic story. It has affirmed my liking for T. Kingfisher’s writing, and I’m excited to dive into both her back catalogue and her upcoming books.

What if Snow White was a murderer, and the sleeping curse was cast by the hero of the story?

T. kingfisher does an excellent job of retelling the classic fairytale, Snow White. In the beginning, we learn that Toadling is tasked with upholding the curse that keeps the maiden asleep, so she cannot harm anyone. Centuries later an unconventional knight shows up one day, intent upon breaking the curse, and Toadling must figure out how to stop him.

Toadling, the main character, is very endearing and easy to root for from the very beginning of the story. She interacts with the knight, Halim, to find out what he knows, and tries to prevent him from going to the tower and awakening the maiden within. Flashbacks are used throughout the story to show how Toadling came to guard the tower and maintain the sleeping curse, as well as how she got magic despite being born human.

Thorn Hedge was a fun and charming little novella and the perfect palate cleanser between some of the larger novels I’ve been reading. I’d recommend this one to anyone who enjoys fairytale retellings or is a fan of T. Kingfisher. This is my third book by this author and she has a very unique writing style so if you’re already a fan of hers then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this. She did an exceptional job making this feel like its own story and setting it apart from other retellings.

4 / 5 stars

This is beautiful. T.Kingfisher is wonderful anyway.
This is a perfect fairy tale.I loved ur protagonist and her struggles with identity and the changeling. She is who she is. I loved the Knight too. This was delightfully creepy.

A fun, quick retelling of a classic fairy tale with some twists and turns I didn't see coming. T. Kingfisher has been on my list of authors to read for a while now (which is also why I'm reading another book of hers that I also got through NetGalley) and I'm glad this one ending up being my introduction to her writing. It's sweet and fun with a hint of horror and suspense and it's in one of my fave sub-genres--fairy tale retellings. I loved Toadling so much, I just wanted to wrap her up in a hug and let her rest and relax. And Hakim was lovely and a wonderful twist on the classic fairy tale knight in shining armor (him talking about his mother and apologizing after cursing was just so cute). My only complaint was that I wish there would've been more. I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to these characters when the book finished. But I suppose I can let my imagination run wild with what adventures they might get up to after the end of the book.
Also I listened to this as an audiobook and the production was fantastic. The narrator had a great voice especially for a fairy tale-esque story. It felt like she was spinning a web of magic throughout the book.
So thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to read more from Kingfisher!

This is, hands down, on the best fairy tale retellings I've ever come across. What if Sleeping Beauty was the monster? It's a fantastic premise. And Toadling is a precious angel who deserves only good things. I also really appreciated the subversion of pretty = good that is happening here. There are so many fairy tale tropes that this is subverting while also fully playing in the fairy tale space. I honestly want to jump in and read it again right away.

I read a few of the early reviews for THORNHEDGE, and was intrigued. So, thanks to #MacmillanAudio and #Netgalley I was able to receive an advance copy of the Thornhedge" audiobook.

Listening to Jennifer Blom narrate this phenomenal story was an experience not to be missed.

There have been many, many books published over the past few years that are retellings of fairy tales with more modern perspectives and diverse characters which is fantastic. However, none of those other authors have anywhere near the originality and imagination of those written by T. Kingfisher.

T. Kingfisher (a pseudonym for multi award-winning author Ursula Vernon) is my type of woman. Her imagination, creativity, and pure, unadulterated 'twistedness' make her books captivating and un-put-down-able.

THORN HEDGE may start out as a Princess-Locked-In-A-Tower story, but readers quickly realize that, for once, rescuing the princess is not what this story is about.

I refuse to ruin even a small part of this book for potential audiobook listeners, so suffice it to say that readers from the age of 8 to 98 will love this listening experience.

I rate THORNHEDGE as 6 out of 5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ and cannot recommend this strongly enough - you NEED to pre-order this audiobook and/or the print version asap.

Even though I now own a copy of the audiobook, I want ahead and pre-ordered a copy of the hardcover because of the superb artwork I saw only a small taste of. I am excited to receive my copy.

*** Thank you to #NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook. ***

Another charming fantasy from Kingfisher. Toadling is a human princess stolen from her cradle and replaced with a beautiful changeling. But being stolen wasn't all bad, as she was loved and nurtured by the water creatures of faerie, while her real parents were enraptured by the beauty of the quite evil replacement. Toadling was sent to gift the child with a spell to control her evil, but something went wrong, and the best she could do was put the changeling, now a half-grown child to sleep in her tower and watch over her. Go forward several hundred years when a middle aged knight shows up to awaken the sleeper. A lovely story, one of Kingfisher's best, and fine audio performance.

'Thornhedge' is the old Sleeping Beauty fairytale but rewritten for the current century - where the sleeping beauty isn't really harmless, the knight doesn't rescue her in the end, and the faerie that cast the spell on her isn't really malicious.

Kingfisher's diverse characters and their arcs are a strong foundation for this book and the story fits well with their evolution. The world-building is reminiscent of the age-old dark faerie tales and the writing is simple yet powerful. On the whole, this book is a great read for anyone who enjoys revamped fairytales.

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characters; One star for the writing; Half a star for the story; Half a star for the world-building - Four stars in total.]

4.5 stars

This was a captivating novella about magic, violence, and fairy tale traditions. I quite enjoyed it. This story was my first from the writer, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else they’ve created.

Imagine a Sleeping Beauty that is sometimes, a toad. Imagine a princess locked in a castle, but this princess is psychotic. Imagine a knight that is more charming and kind than the knights of old. If you can picture all that, you might have an inkling of what this novella is about.
Kingfisher masterfully weaves together a tale of self-discovery and power with a modern, sometimes twisted, take on the classic Sleeping Beauty story. The protagonist is brave yet vulnerable as she navigates her own inner world while dealing with the realities of society. She deals with deep truths about love and relationships in ways that are both humorous and heartbreaking at the same time.
The writing style is simple but elegant, and Kingfisher's playful dialogue keeps the story moving along at a steady pace. This novella is both light and dark, funny and sad - and it just might be the perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day. Fans of fairy tales, fantasy, or storytelling in general should read this.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.