Damn T. Kingfisher. I guess I'm knocking out all Hugo-nominated dark fairy tales in one go. This one was objectively excellent and also so, so traumatizing. Meshing stifling darkness with both dry humor and true heart is quite an accomplishment. I have to recommend it on the strength of the storytelling but cowardly readers like me please be warned.

Serious content warnings for child abuse and extremely fucked up horses.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review (and apologies for being so many months late)

3 stars, but I did dnf. The premise of this book is so interesting, but it didn't catch my attention enough and I did DNF around 20%. I'm sure its great for someone else though

This was my first T Kingfisher book and I can’t wait to read more. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl retelling. This isn’t gory or scary dark. I would say it’s more uncomfortable and creepy dark. I really loved the vibes.

There’s a lot of very entertaining things in this story. A terrible and evil mother. A cast of characters who start seeing her for who she really is. There’s a very interesting horse and some geese. 😂🤷‍♀️ honestly you just have to read this to really get it but it’s great! This very much was like reading an unhinged fairytale story.
Trigger warnings for parental abuse.

Wickedly magical and full of heart. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher is a gothic fairy tale with teeth—dark, witty, and utterly spellbinding. With a fierce young heroine, a delightfully sharp older ally, and a villain you’ll love to hate, it’s a perfect blend of folklore, horror, and hope.

What a fabulous, parallel and nostalgic retelling of goose girl. Happy to recommend to our customers! And loved reading it.

Some authors come into your life, rewire your brain, and grab your heart: T. Kingfisher is that author for me. I was originally introduced to her with her folk horror The Twisted Ones, was extremely impressed by it, and then decided it was time to read her backlist, full of all kinds of interesting stories, often a combo of genres such as fantasy, horror, romance, and fairy tales. The kinds of stories that I cannot believe I get to read because they are so perfect for the kind of reader and person I am. So when I was given the opportunity to read A Sorceress Comes to Call, I immediately jumped at it because I knew I was the particular audience for this story. And I ATE IT UP. It was phenomenal and one of my top reads of the year.

A Sorceress Comes to Call reworks the fairytale Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm, leaning into the creepy factor and exploring themes such as obedience, family, love, and abuse. But I have to say I came out of this story feeling so comforted, even if it's technically a horror. Kingfisher just has that power over me in her works.

The writing is immersive; I felt like I could see everything that was being described. It was just so atmospheric, so well thought-out and thrilling, that I needed to read and read until it concluded. I felt such connections with the main characters Cordelia and Hester, and I particularly LOVE that Kingfisher had a romantic subplot for older folks. It just melted my heart.

All in all, a fantastic read that I would recommend to pretty much anyone who loves a good story and retelling. Kingfisher is such an immense talent. 5 stars.

This was such a fantastic dark fairy tale. My knowledge of the Goose Girl story comes exclusively from Little Thieves, so I can't speak on how it works as a retelling, but every element of A Sorceress Comes to Call was so detailed and really sucked me in. I adored the cast of characters, abhorred the villains, delighted in the geese. I felt so many emotions reading this, and the ending was SO satisfying.

T Kingfisher never fails to deliver a chilling and atmospheric experience. I was not familiar with the original tale of the Goose Girl but after reading A Sorceress Comes to Call I looked it up and enjoyed it also.
Featuring strong female characters navigating Victorian era societal expectations, Kingfisher explores themes of parental expectation and abuses, coming of age, good vs evil, and the power of women as guardians of one another. One of my favorite elements of A Sorceress Comes to call was the inclusion of an elderly woman as one of the main characters and heroine of the story.
10/10 this was one of my favorite reads of 2024!

I stayed up late into the night to finish this book because I just had to know if Hester and Cordelia will be able to save themselves and their friends from Cordelia's mother (no spoilers because if you want to know you have to read the book). This book is perfect for fans of Coraline and for those who have ever wondered what Coraline's story would be like if the other mother was her real mother.

This is a creepy, fantasy horror book that will have you at the edge of your seat as you root for Cordelia to finally free herself from her mother's shackles and to save her new found family.

I am blown away by this devastating retelling of the Brother's Grimm's Goose Girl. It has so many highlights: gossip, 50+ romance, found family, dual-POV, comeuppance, magic, horses, 18th century(?) setting, and of course, geese.

As soon as I began reading this book, I felt as if it came straight from a dark fairytale (of course, this is the point, but you know what I mean!!). It has so many classic fairytale plot points- specifically the "relationship" between the evil sorceress Evangeline and her the abuse of her daughter, Cordelia.

I felt like I was able to understand so well what Cordelia and Hester were thinking during their respective POVs. The differences between the two were vast while still feeling very cohesive for the story. At first, I was wondering how the two would tie together, but it works itself out as the story goes. Trust!!

The magic was horrific, and this is definitely not for the faint of heart.

This is one of my favorite books - T. Kingfisher honestly never disappoints!!! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.

We have another solid story by my favorite author. I will read anything they write. This story was wonderful. I could not put it down. I love a book with a good fairytale vibe paired with some darker themes and this was it. Please read this. So so so good.

4.5 stars

A captivating fairy tale-like story, where the heroines are a 14 year old girl and a 51 year old woman, each trying to figure out how to fight back against the evil sorceress who is trying to shape their lives for her own benefit. These are some dark times, but through perseverance, bravery, and working together with this group of found family, hope shines through.

Cordelia has had a rough childhood - though her mother would claim it wasn’t that bad, she just needed to be more obedient. Of course, Evangeline often MAKES Cordelia be obedient, taking control of her body like a marionette, forcing her to move and speak and act as she wants. Cordelia lives in fear of disappointing or angering her mother, and that terror is evident to everyone who meets her, like Hester, her friends, and pretty much all of the servants at the Squire’s house.

As for Hester, she saw Evangeline for who she really was the second she stepped through their front door, even though she didn’t know at forest exactly what that was. Hester knew evil at first sight, and spent the rest of the story trying to protect her brother, friends, and other loved ones from it, to the best of her abilities.

I loved getting to see both Cordelia and Hester’s perspectives throughout this story, because they see the world so differently. Cordelia is traumatized and innocent and blames herself for everything that goes wrong, but has a kind heart and a brave spirit. Hester has lived a life of relative privilege, in her youth escaping what would have been a life of married abuse, having a real love affair with Richard, and being able to run her bachelor brother’s household. Part of me had to roll my eyes at Hester’s reasons for refusing Richard’s proposals time and time again, because they could have been happy, but there’s nothing like near certain death to make you realize that maybe you’re thinking too much and should seize all the joys you can in life.

The magical elements in this story were also fascinating - I loved the idea of salt, water, and wine being the elements that broke an enchantment, and that each person has an affinity for a certain element. It’s also interesting to think of sorcerers as territorial, and purposefully taking out each other when they sense power, in order to fly under the radar and let the general population continue to think of all sorcerers as minor tricksters. Whatever demon was inside Evangeline’s familiar was very powerful, and she must have had a lot of skill and power herself to call, trap, and contain him.

One of the very few fantasy horror novels that actually feels grounded in reality--that feeling that it could all actually happen to us real people in the real world, and not just between the pages of a book.

Incredibly well-executed and an absolute delight to read. Who would have thought horror and humor could work so well together?! I'll be checking out this author's other works!

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

This highlights all the things I enjoy about reading a work by T. Kingfisher. We have a young, naive but well intentioned main character and a wiser and sassier older main character switching point of view spot lights the entire book. It is one part fairy tale retelling and another part spooky horror/ghost story and of course has a dash of that T. Kingfisher banter and whimsy that makes you think its a cozy time until she does something to shock you. If you have never tried one of her works I think this would be a great one to start with and if you already love her works I don't think this will disappoint you.

I will not properly be reviewing this book because my interest has changed since I requested it. I have heard good things about it, but it’s not something that I am currently interested in.

A Sorceress Comes to Call was a bit of a surprise book for me, it wasn’t really what I expected it to be at all, but not in a bad way!

I think I expected something a bit darker based on the blurb, but this really reads like a fairytale. There’s something nostalgic about the way it’s written that reminds me more of books I read growing up than of more modern books.

The story follows Cordelia, whose mother is a powerful sorceress who is able to control people or “make obedient”, a quiet young girl and her mother who manipulates everyone around her.

The almost locked room mystery style of this book was really interesting, although they travel to a couple of different locations, the cast of characters remains really small and the setting is very intimate. It worked really well for the story, it added to the intensity and feeling of being trapped that Cordelia must have felt.

This is my second Kingfisher book and I definitely want to pick up more!

Thank you to Tor for the opportunity to review this ARC.

T. Kingfisher’s 'A Sorceress Comes to Call' is a spellbinding gothic fantasy brimming with sharp wit, eerie magic, and unforgettable characters. With her signature blend of humor and haunting atmosphere, Kingfisher crafts a tale of resilience and dark enchantments, where a determined heroine must unravel a dangerous mystery lurking within the shadows of her world. Perfect for fans of eerie yet heartfelt fantasy, this novel is both chilling and deeply charming. A must-read for those who love their fairy tales with bite!

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a compelling and atmospheric experience, but you'll need patience for slow-burn to really make the most of it.

This is my first read (listen) by this author and I am putting all her books on my TBR for sure. Regency story with such a wonderful otherworldly atmosphere that had me completely captivated from beginning to end. Told from different points of view including 14 year old Cordelia who is as naive as they come, Hester who will do what needs to be done to protect her family and friends, and Evangeline who is set on burning the world down if it won't bow to her. Throw in some amazing side characters that may or may not include some of the animal realm and you have a story that has you enthralled and cheering for the bad guy to get their comeuppance.