This is my favorite book of the year so far. I loved everything from the characters’ strong personalities, to the occasional witty comment made, to the way every situation in this book was thought out so well.

I love a good fairy tale retelling and this is truly one of the best. Just enough hints of the story it's based on, with a enough twists to make it feel like you're reading something new and exciting (and you're not just reading a another version of the fairy tale beat for beat). If you like books by Robin McKinley, Gail Carson Levine, or Shannon Hale, and you want something a little on the eerie side, this book is perfect. I've never seen a take on the Goose Girl like T. Kingfisher does with this book. I shouldn't be surprised, what with her masterpiece homage to the Fall of the House of Usher (and if you haven't read 'What Moves the Dead,' you should probably pick up that book too), but this is such a beautiful reimaging of that classic fairy tale, with twists and turns I frankly wasn't expecting at all.

I loved every minute of it.

Plus, we've got the classic T. Kingfisher humor thrown in there, a cast of well-thought-out female characters out to save the day (with a couple of competent male characters thrown in there to spice things up), a lovingly crafted found-family, and the reminder that even where evil lurks there is kindness and compassion and people willing to help one another. It's always the people that get to me in Kingfisher's books. Not the monsters, and not the heroism, but the willingness for regular people-- people who might be scared, and people who might not have any power or money--to stand up for themselves and others just because it is the right thing to do. This book is full of hope.

Seriously, it's by T. Kingfisher, you have to read it. It's a cozy mystery set in what feels like Victorian times with an overbearing evil sorceress as the mother who only wants the best for her daughter. I mean can you blame her? An absolutely delightful cozy mystery with an evil horse/familiar, a brave housemaid and butler, and a daughter who wants no part of this horrifying turn of events. If you enjoyed T. Kingfishers previous books you will definitely enjoy this one. Read it!

I loved the characters in this. Cordelia could’ve been really unlikable and simpering. But Kingfisher does an excellent job of depicting the horror of her situation and of giving her a few key moments of bravery to make you really root for her. Hester could be a modern-day Jane Austen character with her wit, snark, and rebellion against the rules of society. Secondary characters like Lord Evermore, Hester’s ex-lover, and Hester’s friends Isabel and Penelope round out the cast and make the whole story more colorful. Kingfisher balances moments of levity in the character's conversations with real moments of dark horror. The creativity to create an original fairty-tale-like story out of nothing is so impressive. I definitely want to read more of T. Kingfisher’s stories after this.

Immensely satisfying and well-contained. As always, Kingfisher’s middle-aged characters ground the story (and so too the geese). The horse is a jerk with hooves, and the mother-villain is deeply horrifying.

3/5 Stars

Thank you to Tor Books and macmillan audio for providing me with an arc/ALC.

I have heard nothing but amazing things about T Kingfisher’s books so when I saw this one up as read now I grabbed it. I didn’t know what to expect but I wasn’t fully expecting abuse on page which does tend to cause me to put books down as I become disengaged. I definitely plan on giving Kingfisher another try as I think I will love their writing but this one isn’t for me.

This is the book that solidified T. Kingfisher’s place as one of my all-time favorite authors. A Sorceress Comes to Call truly shows off her fantastic character work and ability to deconstruct and rebuild a fairy tale like no one else.
Cordelia has spent her entire life under the thumb of her sorceress mother, being shoved to the side, or worse, made obedient whenever she steps out of line. But when she is brought to the home of her mother’s latest wealthy suitor, her world begins to expand like never before. Meanwhile, the suitor’s sister, Hester, must fight to keep her beloved brother from falling under the sorceress’s influence while navigating her own complicated personal matters.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Cordelia’s dynamic with her mother is gut wrenching to watch, and the level of control she has lends an effective tension to the entire story. Hester is a tough woman who has reached middle age while holding most people at arm’s length, but she has so much heart and fortitude to share. I hope you love them as much as I did.

Advanced copy provided by NetGalley, all opinions my own.

I’ve read some of T. Kingfisher’s other works (Saint of Steel series), but this is my first of her non-romance books, and I really enjoyed it. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm's "The Goose Girl". It’s a little fantasy, a touch spooky, has regency vibes, full of emotion and character depth, and still manages to be kind of cozy.

Cordelia, a young teenage girl, is being literally compelled to be ‘obedient’ by her controlling and manipulative sorceress mother Evangeline so Cordelia can eventually be married off to a rich man. When Evangeline herself attempts to marry a Squire she meets Hester, the Squire’s sister and a clever older woman with chronic pain and knack for training geese, Evangeline’s secrets start to get unraveled. We meet some other great side characters, one of my favorites being the witty and down to earth charming Penelope.

Thank you to T. Kingfisher, Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books, and to NetGalley for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Narrated by Eliza Foss & Jennifer Pickens

Genre: fantasy horror

Cordelia's mother, Evangeline, is a very powerful Sorceress with the ability to control people. Unfortunately, this sometimes means controlling Cordelia, but it's all for her own good. When Evangeline's benefactor no longer suits her needs, she decides to take matters into her own hands and approach a squire of some means and worm her way into his heart. But the squire's sister, Hester, is an insightful woman who recognizes that Cordelia needs more than just someone to watch out for her....

Part fantasy, part murder mystery, this has a delightful gothic tone in the signature style I come to expect from T Kingfisher. It's just the right amount of horror to give you chills but not enough to keep you up at night. It’s a house party, a murder mystery, a coming of age story, and a love story all at once.

The split perspective - where Cordelia knows what her mother is and is too afraid to say anything and where Hester has strong suspicions but doesn’t entirely know what to do about it - frames the pacing of the novel well. From Cordelia’s nervousness and need to hide behind every door imaginable from her mother to the keen observations from Hester, we get these different views that feel like peeking around corners in a clever way.

This is the longest work I’ve read from Kingfisher, and I think her experience in writing novellas with her judicious word choices and plot arcs translates well into novel length.

I think this is my favourite T. Kingfisher. Loosely based on “The Goose Girl” somehow everything is flipped and just works perfectly. The regency setting is vivid and transportive. What I most adored was the unraveling and sinister undertone this story created. Although it also does have cozy elements that balance out the impending peril. Character wise, they are all brilliant and utterly believable. Even the horse has major personality. The story uses wit and wisdom all wrapped into one. I cannot recommend this book more - I read it in a day! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

It’s no secret that I love everything T. Kingfisher writes, and this may have topped them all. (Still debating if this is my favorite of all or my favorite of her non-horror books, What Moves the Dead is so hard to topple).

This is a dark retelling of the Goose Girl story, but it is a very loose retelling that stands well on its own even if you don’t know the original story. Cordelia’s mother is a sorceress, who uses that power to control her. When she sets her sights on marrying the Squire, it’s up to Cordelia and the Squire’s sister Hester to stop her.

Most of all I loved our cast of supporting characters who all came together to help Cordelia, who has been so sheltered and abused until now. They way they all took her under their wing, believed her, and chose to do whatever it takes to free her was so heart-warming and wonderful to see. There’s also Kingfisher’s signature humor and fun, even though it’s a darker story. I was so invested to see what was going to happen, and I thought the story concluded mostly satisfyingly.

Absolutely would recommend this one when it comes out on August 6.

Thanks to #TorBooks for the digital arc

What a gorgeous, stunning book. Its hard to find a book that really manages to walk the line between paranormal fiction and fantasy without getting too murky, but T. Kingfisher has knocked this one out of the park. I am a big fan of "the goose girl" and have read several re-tellings, but this one might be my new favorite. T. Kingfisher imbues every sentence with emotions: I chafed with Cordelia when her mother was making her "obedient," cried with her when she learned the truth about her horse, and cheered when she made any movements to get away from her mother's control. All the side characters in this story and the historical regency setting were just perfect to tell this weird, wonderful story about a girl who endures a horrible life until she manages to find the strength to build a new family and escape her mother's clutches. I didn't want to leave this world - I see a reread in my future!

Enjoyed the story once it got going, but it felt like it took far too long to get there. I did appreciate the ages of the main characters - early teen and middle aged, which I feel like is not common in fantasy books. I did want a bit more at the end, but it was still a fun way to pass time.

In "A Sorceress Comes to Call," fourteen-year-old Cordelia leads a miserable, lonely life under the control of her mother, Evangeline, a powerful sorceress capable of making anyone obedient. Cordelia lacks bodily autonomy and privacy, only learning of her mother's true abilities and intentions when Evangeline loses their male benefactor in the village. Determined to find a suitable husband, Evangeline reveals her plan to launch Cordelia into society to secure a wealthy spouse. Their lives take a turn when they move into the household of the Squire of Chatham Manor, where Cordelia finds solace in the company of the Squire's middle-aged sister, Hester. As Cordelia uncovers the extent of her mother's ambitions, she realizes she must summon the courage and means to stop her, regardless of the cost.

The story adeptly explores how women's lives are controlled by society through their bodies. Evangeline's obsessive control over Cordelia's body and thoughts, coupled with Hester's physical disability and desire for independence in a society that recognizes only the legal constraints of marriage or the celibacy of spinsterhood, highlight the lifelong struggles women face in a culture that values only their surface while suppressing their true selves.

With humor, suspense, and richly developed characters, this reimagined fairy tale captivates readers until the very last page.

T Kingfisher is one of my favourite authors and someone I can always rely on to serve with every single book she writes. A Sorceress Comes to Call is absolutely no different. I adored everything about this book - the world, the characters, the tone, and the story were absolutely perfect. She has a knack for not only writing amazing female characters, but especially older ones (I would like to be Hester when I grow up, thank you). I loved the relationship that builds between Cordelia and the woman she meets after joining The Squire's household, and the different ways Kingfisher writes about female power. It's haunting and tense, but also light-hearted and fun - this is something that only Kingfisher can pull off.

Plus, there's some very good geese.

If you like Kingfisher's other works, you're in for a real treat. If you haven't read her yet, A Sorceress Comes to Call is a perfect place to start. One of my best books of 2024 so far!

5/5 ⭐️
This was so good. Yet another great T Kingfisher story. Now I am biased cause I prefer her more fairytale like stories, but this is up there as one of my favorites by her.
It is kind of like a darker version of the mother/daughter relationship we saw in Tangle but mix it with the obedience element and a few other things from movie version of Ella Enchanted. Now that is just one of the two narrators. The other is a 50year old spinster determined to protect her brother. But it is all beautifully brought together. In a classic T Kingfisher, it is whimsical and funny and dark but relatable. The romance is so sweet. I loved the older characters. But I also loved young Cordelia and instantly was protective her and thrilled when good things happened to her.
I’m rambling, but if you walk away from this review with only thing I want it to be telling you to read this book. It was so good. I could not put it down.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

I sometimes have trouble with books that have darker themes, but I could not put this one down. It gave me some vivid dreams- WILD.

Ooh my first T. Kingfisher and definitely won't be my last! Thoroughly enjoyed this, fairytale vibes but the dark kind, excellent characters their banter was brilliant. The magic was dark and twisted and used to devastating effect. The animal companions scary and ferocious but awesome. Beautifully written, atmospheric and immersive, I felt every crick of old knees! There was a lot to love here and I had a great time.
Thanks to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for an arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

If I see a T. Kingfisher book on sale or on NetGalley I secure it immediately, but for some reason I’m always hesitant to get started (I’ve had a copy of Thornhedge on my Kindle since it released).
One thing I love about Kingfisher’s books is that once I start reading I can’t get enough. They’re funny and gut-wrenching, sometimes following one another so closely as to form a strange emotional harmony.
The best fantasy is still grounded in emotional reality, and that certainly the case with A Sorceress Comes to Call. Cordelia is scared, has been scared her whole life, and now that other people are art risk she’s angry.
I’m not great at spotting triggers unless I’m reading with a certain person’s enjoyment in mind, but I can tell you there’s violence towards something that looks like an animal, a breathtaking array of child abuse (mostly emotional, but how do you classify taking away your child’s bodily autonomy and moving them around like a puppet with your magic?).
This might sound off-putting, but keep in mind that this is a story of triumph in adversity, of finding allies and building your own family when the one you were born with isn’t safe. There’s a cranky spinster, a romance between a couple of 50+ characters, lowkey queer rep, realistic disability representation, and an absolute glut of banter.
If you can, you should absolutely read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I really enjoyed this book. It's only the second one I've read by this author, but I thought it was vastly superior to the previous one I read. I loved the "regency" feel of the setting. I liked the main character, but I loved the supporting cast more especially Lady Hester. The writing pulled me into this world, and I couldn't stop reading. Although I'm not familiar with the original story of the Goose Girl, this is a well done reimagining of it.