Rating: Absolutely Loved It, 5 stars

A Sorceress Comes to Call is once again another absolute delight from T Kingfisher! I definitely need to make more of an effort to read through her backlist because I have loved all of her books that I have read.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a light horror retelling/reimagining of The Goose Girl. Although, I don't know that I would have completely recognized that without Falada. So it's definitely different from any retellings that I have ever read, but in a good way!

In this we follow Cordelia, a young girl whose mother is a sorceress. They leave town to find a rich benefactor after her mother was jilted by her current lover. Cordelia has had a fairly traumatic upbringing complete with child neglect, emotional abuse, and magical abuse. Her mother will make her obedient and will proceed to control every single movement while Cordelia is trapped in her own body. Cordelia just wants to be free of her mother, and I really loved seeing her grow in confidence and come into her own throughout the book.

Our other POV is Hester, the aged spinster sister of the man that Evangeline sets her sights on. Hester is an absolutely delightful old lady with a dry sense of humor that absolutely matches my own.

"I forget that most well-bred ladies have nerves. Hester hasn't any at all, you see."
"None whatsoever," said Hester dryly. "Otherwise people might get on them."

She has a sixth sense and has been extremely independent since escaping her own Doom that she felt in her engagement as a youth. She doesn't like the idea of losing that independence by accepting a marriage proposal. She also feels this impending sense of Doom when Evangeline comes to call. She does have a great deal of sympathy for Doom's young daughter though, and she takes Cordelia under her wing, all while conspiring how to rid their home of Doom while also ridding Cordelia of her.

Hester invites several good friends for a house party, and things progress from there, especially when murder becomes a part of the party. I honestly loved the house guests so much! They all share a similar dry wit to Hester but have different flavors of it. I especially loved how they all sort of took Cordelia in and gave her the love and companionship that her mother denied to her. Cordelia is wracked by anxiety and overthinking, but she is very courageous, and I loved seeing her growth as a character. She also started to develop some sarcasm and witty comebacks more often as the book progressed, especially in her head, and I loved seeing that progression as she grew more and more confident and started to escape from her mother.

I really enjoyed it when it was just sort of a regency fairy tale feel, but once things started to go downhill, I loved it even more. T Kingfisher's fairy tales with a bit of horror sprinkled in work so well for me! I appreciated how everyone responded to the events, and a surprise favorite was Tom Willard, the butler. He was an absolute gem. And Hester's flock of geese were also just the best. T Kingfisher's ability to get me emotionally invested in birds in her different books is unparalleled and honestly rather spooky.

This book made me laugh out loud and also cry (tears of joy and pride and relief, no sad tears here!). I was so invested in the characters and the found family aspect. I especially loved the resolution - it was perfect! Also, if you don't read acknowledgements, you definitely should read these because they were fantastic.

Overall, this was an absolutely fantastic standalone, and T Kingfisher is cemented as a favorite. Highly recommend! A Sorceress Comes to Call releases on August 6, 2024. Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own. All quotes are from an ARC copy and will be verified with the finished copy once the book releases.

Kingfisher is a guarantee, and even if my favorite books by her remain the ones set in the world of the White Rat, I had such an amazing time with this new one. I enjoyed it so much! And it is nice to see all the trademarks of this author in there too. We have older ladies with gumption (so much of it!), and sheer pragmaticism around (and I love it so much to see women, younger and older, so pragmatic! It is like a balm for the heart. Also, it usually makes for some funny moment, and I love it all so much!), and peculiar animals around. And her brand of humor that, with me, works wonders. The whole package!

And I could just leave things there: it is good, it has all the things people around the world love about her books, it is funny and sweet and so real, go and read it!
But I’ll try and tell you something more. First thing first, it is way darker than what I was expecting. And mind me, I am not complaining. This book is good, and I don’t think I have complaints about it. But it is quite dark. And it is not only for the story. It is a retelling of a Grimm’s Fairytale, and I think that the retelling is well done because it keeps not only the story but the atmosphere too. Hence, the dark parts. But that’s not all. The book starts with a scene that could have been perfect in one of her horror books, too, because we meet Cordelia for the first time, while her mother is making her obedient.
And it is terrible. And what is worst (or better, it’s complicated, because we are not talking about something nice or pleasant, we are talking about something awful, but the author does her work magistrally) is that we get in Cordelia a detailed and precise description of a person victim of abuse. It is chilling. So maybe pay attention to this, because it could be a strong trigger for some.
But I just want to remark that the author did an amazing job with her characterization of Cordelia. And mind me, a victim is not all of what Cordelia is. She is not a bidimensional character at all, she is so vivid, so alive, and real. And she is way more than what we first saw. I really enjoyed her, and I felt so much for her.

Cordelia is well worth meeting, but my favorite character is Hester. She is an old spinster who lives with her brother, the man who becomes the new victim of Cordelia’s mother. (And she is a scary person!!). Hester is so vivid, so full of life, and she is the kind of heroine I came to expect from this author. When we first met her my reaction was “Ahah! Here she is!”. And I loved her to pieces. She feels so real, and so alive!
I love that we get to see older women, and I love to see that they all have insecurity and flaws but are still amazing people. And what’s more, is that Kingfisher’s books are full of bad people, that’s true (Evangeline here is a good example) but they are also full of good people who try their best to do the right thing.
Because even if Cordelia, Hester, and Evangeline are at the center of the stage, we have a lot of other characters around them… and you need to meet the Butler! Trust me on that!
And okay, to be honest, they all are worth meeting. Richard, Cordelia’s maid, Hester’s friends, they are all amazing characters with some unique traits that will make you fall in love with them all. (And maybe they would also scare you a bit, but in the best possible way!). (And truth be told, I may want to be like Lady Strauss when I grow old!).

I think you got that for me, the best part of the book was all the amazing characters we meet in here, and the humor, which is just so on point for me. Also, we have some amazing geese in here, and a magical horse. I could not ask for more!!

Thank you to @netgalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not entirely sure why I picked this book up, as Kingfisher’s books in the past for me have been solidly 3 stars. I love the idea of the twisted horror gothic version of fairy tales so I gravitate to the summaries of these books. And I’m pleased to say that this time it worked out because this one was an absolute delight. I’m not sure if it’s because Kingfisher went so far away from the original “source material” of the story of the Goose Girl that I wasn’t even bothering to look for similar plot elements, or if it was because the world was toned down just a touch so the outrageousness of it didn’t distract me. This one was dark and gross and interesting and I enjoyed every minute of it. I can’t give it a five as there were rules of magic that didn’t really stay stable the entire book, one of my personal pet peeves, but it wasn’t so egregious that it took me out of the world.

Book Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl, filled with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. The story follows Cordelia, a young girl who lives in a strange house and under the strict control of her unusual mother. When her mother decides it's time to find Cordelia a husband, they move into the home of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his kind, intelligent sister, Hester. Cordelia quickly realizes her mother intends to bewitch the Squire into marriage, leaving Hester to face the challenge of saving her brother and helping Cordelia escape a grim fate.

I found this book incredibly engaging. The familiar fairy tale setup felt cozy, but the dark twist added a layer of tension that kept me hooked. T. Kingfisher skillfully blended classic elements with fresh, darker tones, making the story both nostalgic and thrilling. The characters were well-developed, and the plot moved at a satisfying pace.

While the book didn't quite reach five-star territory for me, as it lacked just a bit of depth that would make it truly unforgettable, I still appreciated the craftsmanship. It's a well-told tale that balances comfort and suspense, perfect for those who enjoy dark fairy tales.

Amazing mix of romance, horror and fantasy. This was my first T Kingfisher book (I know, I know..) and am SO excited to devour the rest of her work. Could not put it down!

T Kingfisher is one of those authors that I know I will love anything she writes. I’m obsessed with her storytelling, her books are always so atmospheric and well written that it’s so easy to get lost in the story and this book was no different. I was hooked from the very first page.

2.7 Stars (outliner)
One Liner: Kinda underwhelming

Cordelia, a fourteen-year-old, knows her mother is different. Why else would she insist Cordelia keep no secret from her and make her obedient for hours? Why else would Cordelia have no friends and live in a house with no doors closed?
Hester is a fifty-plus spinster living with her brother Samuel, a Squire. However, when deliberate planning brings Cordelia and her mother to Hester’s doorstep, the old woman knows she needs to do something.
But facing someone like Cordelia’s mother is not easy. Can Hester save her brother and Cordelia from a sorceress?
The story comes in the third-person POV of Cordelia and Hester.

My Thoughts:
The book is marketed as the reimagining of The Goose Girl, a dark fairytale by the Grimms brothers. However, due to my lack of familiarity with the original, I read this as a standalone.
This is my first book by the author. I can see that she writes well. Some scenes are compelling and atmospheric. However, the whole thing needs more work. The book works on the presumption that readers would fill the gaps based on what is provided. While we can do that to an extent, other elements need to be detailed.
I don’t mind vague settings as I write such stuff myself. But then I write short stories. A full-length novel can do with a little more information. The descriptions could have been a wee bit elaborate.
The dual POV of Cordelia and Hester (two totally different characters) is a good idea. However, adding 3-4 short bits from the mother’s (Evangeline) POV would have elevated the book. Right now, we get to know her plans because she reveals everything to her daughter. This weakens her characterization.
The magic elements are interesting but with no detail. The how, what, where, etc., are not answered. Are we supposed to gather this information from those bookish snippets included? No idea!
The pacing is slow; not because there’s detail but because things don’t seem to happen quickly. I don’t deny that some of it is necessary for the plot. That doesn’t mean all those repeated dinners couldn’t have been helpful in another way too.
The last quarter is where things happen. I’m in two minds about this. While I like that the haphazard attempts align with the plotline developed until then, I do wish the young girl could have done more.
There is more talk (monologues and dialogues) and less action, which isn’t a good thing in this genre. It makes the story feel flat and surface-level.
The ending is nice and works for HEA fans like me.

To summarize, A Sorceress Comes to Call has a great premise but only seems to skim the surface without delving deep into the dark elements. Can’t help but feel it could have been a lot better.
I did read Goose Girl after finishing the book. This one is almost nothing like the fairytale. Falada, the horse, and the geese are the only common elements.
Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group (Tor Books), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is the second book I’ve read by T. Kingfisher and I love how she creates stories that are whimsical, but dark. This book is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl and it had the same nostalgic, folklore-y atmosphere. We have a young sheltered girl named Cordelia who is manipulated by her mother’s magic. When her mother sets her sights on a prosperous marriage, Cordelia is introduced to a whole cast of older quirky characters that added humor and depth to the story. The story was immersive and well-paced and I can’t wait to pick up more by this author

Will be updating review on Tiktok and YouTube on August 1.

In a dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s “Goose Girl,” Cordelia lives under the oppressive rule of her sorceress mother, who isolates her and enforces silence and stillness for long periods. The only solace Cordelia finds is in her daily rides with Falada, her mother’s white horse. After a suspicious death in their town, Cordelia and her mother flee to a remote manor, aiming to ensnare the Squire into marriage. The Squire’s sister, Hester, notices Cordelia’s fear and peculiar behavior, realizing she must confront a wicked witch to save her brother and the young girl.

This was my first TJ Kingfisher novel, and I was pleasantly surprised that it was pretty much an instant five-star read for me. While the story has dark elements and a truly villainous antagonist, it’s also filled with heart, bravery, humor, dark magic, and even a bit of romance. The romance between Hester and Lord Evermore was lovely and entertaining.

While Cordelia is a decent FMC, albeit very naïve, it’s understandable given her upbringing. The side characters—Hester, Imogene, Penelope, and Willard—truly shine with their wit and charm. Except for the obvious villain and her eerie familiar, every character is likable and feels like someone you’d want as a friend. And did I mention there are defense geese?

I flew through reading this in under two days and found myself wanting more. If you’re listening, TJ Kingfisher, can we have a sequel featuring Cordelia and Hester? Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for the advance copy. The expected publication date is August 6, 2024.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a Regency era reimagining of The Goose Girl, originally written by Dorothea Viehmann and collected by the Brothers Grimm. Rather than centering on a naive princess taken advantage of by her mother’s waiting maid (as in the original story), A Sorceress Comes to Call explores distorted parental authority and warped expectations of children’s obedience and subservience, through use of the source fairytale’s themes.

This novel is highly character driven, and details the myriad of abuses that Cordelia, the protagonist, endures (and sees enacted on others) at the hands of her mother, Evangeline. The cast that eventually surrounds Cordelia and Evangeline are so charming despite their circumstances, and their characterization is really well written— though some characters did feel somewhat underutilized.

T. Kingfisher’s talent for writing macabre fantasy is obviously well-suited to reimagining fairytales like those collected by the Brothers Grimm, and A Sorceress Comes to Call reflects this. In narrative voice and tone, this novel resides somewhere between A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking and Nettle & Bone, two of T. Kingfisher’s other novels (and I will say that, in this regard, I still favor her novella Thornhedge).

Thank you to Netgalley & Tor publishing for giving me this advance review copy for free made, it made my quirky heart happy! This review was left voluntarily-

Cordelia is an extremely sheltered 14 year old girl, exactly as her mother wishes. She lives secluded from the rest of the world, only sharing her life with her evil sorceress mother, Evangeline, and their beautiful but devilish horse Falada. Cordelia of course, is unaware of the spectrum to which her mother would be classified as evil or a sorceress, classic fairytale vibes. When Evangeline's mother is no longer supported by a wealthy benefactor, she finds better avenues to provide for her and her daughter, tricking a wealthy Squire into welcoming them into his home. But this man does not live alone and his sister Hester sees right through Evangeline's 'Woe is me' facade. Will Evangeline win over the Squire? Will Hester be able to save her brother from the clutches of doom? Read to find out!
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T Kingfisher does a great job of balancing the heaviness with comedic breaks, and the intensity is never hidden, it is direct and in your face, which makes it a bit easier to swallow than to constantly be reading between the lines.

TLDR:
Filled with dark humor, evil stepmother-esque magic and a touch of murder, this book is well rounded and would recommend for lovers of twisted fairytales and dark humor!

(trigger warning) emotional and physical abuse, child abuse and forced activity without consent.

Does anyone do retellings quite like T. Kingfisher?!?

A Sorceress Comes to Call follows Cordelia, whose sorceress mother Evangeline is after a new husband and will do anything to find one. Cordelia gets pulled into a new household, a new life, and set of expectations. There is an overwhelming sense of dread and creepy atmosphere that totally captivated me.

The characters are all wonderful, you never know Evangeline's next move, Cordelia is a wonderful main character to follow with her bravery and innocence, and our other POV character Hester is such a force of nature!

Totally dark and beautiful, this is T. Kingfisher at her best!

This is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm story of the goose girl and it is a standalone. To be honest I didn’t know this before reading and I kept thinking it reminded me of reading a Brothers Grimm story, which I loved 🖤 We follow two main POVs throughout this story, one of Cordelia a 14 year old girl who lives a lonely life with her mother, who gives off strong mother gothel vibes. Our other pov is of Hester who is 51 and sister to a wealthy man called the Squire. Hester and Cordelia’s lives come crashing together when her mother sweeps in trying to lure the Squire into marriage. This story is so full of drama, magic and even murder. It is dark, and brutal with a bit of comedy. Cordelia’s mother is a great villain for this book as I really didn’t like her, not that many would. I found Hester to be rather funny to me and I loved the geese 🪿 There is diffidently a found family aspect to this book as well and I had a great time with this read. I would look up triggers/ warnings before reading 🖤

I love reimagined fairytales and this book was no exception. Kudos to T. Kingfisher on a wonderful read.

Thank you to Netgalley and T. Kingfisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was just a treat! One of the best paced full length novels from T Kingfisher, this is a delightful mash up of horror, fantasy, and Regency romance. It ticked all my boxes: a great cast of characters, an interesting inspiration point in fairytale, magic, suspense, romance - just all the things that are for me

I struggled with this at first because it got off to a slow start and I couldn't tell where it was going. But just keep reading! Once Cordelia's mom whisks them off to the squires house, this story gets <i>going</i> and you are firmly ensconced in classic Kingfisher territory. Yes to the quippy older women! Yes to the weirdness! Yes to the magic! Yes to the odd sense of coziness! Yes to the power! YES to the young heroine you can't help but root for.

Kingfisher says in the author note that she was inspired by her friend Sabrina Jefferies’ regency romances, and there is a romance here. It’s sweet and subtle and reminded me of the quiet yearning in Middlemarch.


If you’ve read other Goose Girl stories, and you’re worried about Falada the horse in this story, <spoiker>yes he DOES get his head cut off, but by then you’ve learned that he’s not actually a horse at all, he’s a demon bound into a horse shape by the sorceress, and he’s kinda evil, so you don’t feel bad for him. At least, I didn’t, I didn’t see him as a horse at all at that point.</spoiler>


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my early copy of an ARC.

I continue to be a huge T. Kingfisher fan--the concept of this book is fantastic, and she nailed it. The setting and tone are that of a regency romance, but the characters are completely Kingfisher's unique and delightful creations. And it's not really a romance--it's a horror story/fairy tale.

I think Cordelia, a child forced to be obedient by her sorceress mother (think puppeteering), was meant to be the protagonist. But for me, Hester, a 50-year-old unmarried woman trying to save her brother from the evil designs of the sorceress, was the true main character. I adored her. I felt like this was her story. I'll also accept that the two are partners on this journey.

Apparently the book is a retelling of Goose Girl, but I had no idea until I'd finished it. It makes me want to read that story again (or at least Shannon Hale's version of it, which is fantastic).

I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you love well drawn characters, a bit of magic and danger, excellent writing, and original ideas. (Like I said, everyone!)

Thank you to @torbooks and @macmillan.audio for the advance copies of the ebook and audiobook. I may have to buy the physical copy when it publishes to display on my bulging bookshelves.

Cordelia knows her mother is different. She uses magic to force Cordelia into silence and obedience. When her mother sets her sights on marrying a wealthy older man, Cordelia befriends his kind and wise sister.

Another favorite by T Kingfisher! She can really deliver a powerful and entertaining story. This one has magic but is not too deep in the realm of fantasy as it seems to take place in our real world, yet much older times. Add an evil mother and innocent daughter, and it has a true fairytale component to it.

“Those were stories of course. But they were old stories, all mixed up with fairy tales and giants and the Devil holding court at the crossroads.”

A Sorceress Comes to Call comes out 8/6.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the arc. I adored this! It was so so good. T Kingfisher makes it so easy to fall into their stories. This was more fantasy than horror which I very much appreciated (though there is some gore at the end that would gross out those who are squeamish). Cordelia and Hester are such great MCs. Cordelia has been through so much because of how awful and abusive her mother is and it was so nice to see both Cordelia and her mother get what they deserve. This had such a fantastic cast of characters and great lighter humor moment. The geese were a personal favourite of mine. This was so hard to put down and I really recommend it.

I’m relatively new to T. Kingfisher’s work, having only read Thornhedge before A Sorceress Comes to Call, but I am fully convinced she is a wonderful writer and I cannot wait to get to her other books!

If you’re familiar with the story of The Goose Girl from the Brothers Grimm, you might recognize a name here, or a plot device there, but A Sorceress Comes to Call is very much a story of Kingfisher’s own design and it is absolutely brilliant. It’s intense, dark, and heart-wrenching, and Cordelia, the lonely and naive 14-year-old girl at the center of the story, was so easy to fall in love with.

But Cordelia isn’t the only star of the show. While trying to win the affection of a rich man, Cordelia’s mother, Evangeline, sees one of my favorite characters, Penelope, as competition. Penelope isn’t a traditional beauty, but everyone is mesmerized by her anyway because of her inner-beauty and confidence. It’s a stark contrast to the toxic and narcissistic behavior of Cordelia’s beautiful mother, Evangeline, who despises Penelope. I loved that Evangeline felt threatened by Penelope and witnessing how her fear evolved and twisted.

Towards the end of the book, when everything comes to a head, there’s some action that I found a bit confusing. The description of what was going on wasn’t good enough for me personally. In the end, I understood as much as the characters did, but I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t get a grasp on what was happening as it happened. It’s fully possible this is because of my inability to picture things, but obviously I can’t be sure.

There are so many plot points I wish I could comment on but I can’t do so without spoiling things! There are some twisty bits and some crazy parts and also there’s this one part where… ahhhh! Just read this book!