🐴 Book review 🐴

A Sorceress Comes to Call | T. Kingfisher

The rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.75)

The summary
In this loosey-goosey Goose Girl retelling, we follow Cordelia, a teen girl being physically and emotionally abused by her mother, and Hester, a middle-aged spinster with good common sense about everything but her own worth. Alongside an eclectic cast of lovable characters, they must conspire to take down Evangeline, Cordelia’s mother and the insufferably narcissistic sorceress in question. But first they’ll have to deal with a horse that’s not a horse, and of course a bit of light murder…

The vibes
Regency manners novel gone wrong, middle-aged heroine, emotional and physical abuse/manipulation, multi-POV, dark fairytale, Agatha Christie vibes, witty one-liners, emotionally resonant characters, found family, learning to come out of your shell, a research librarian’s wet dream (just read it, you’ll know what I mean when you get there).

The review
Gosh darn it, I just love everything T. Kingfisher writes. Her characters are so wonderfully human — they’re funny, compassionate, flawed, earnest, shy, insecure and mostly determined to do the right thing. You can’t help but root for them, and the heroines of A Sorceress Comes to Call were no exception. (I felt a particular affinity for Hester: we stan an older protagonist who still has a lady boner for the wealthy, handsome, endlessly loyal man she never married...)

Kingfisher’s true triumph here, though, is crafting one of my most hated villains in recent memory. Evangeline, Cordelia’s mother and the evil, conniving, narcissistic sorceress who tries to ensnare Hester’s wealthy, titled brother, is truly the stuff of nightmares. I… don’t even have words. You’ll just have to read it to find out.

Other favorite things: the telepathic ghost, the maid, the butler, Richard, and just Kingfisher’s writing in general (so readable! So cozy! So insightful!).

Many thanks to @torbooks and @netgalley for the eARC!

Creepy and unsettling while also maintaining the coziness I have come to expect from Kingfisher. I also thought the two main POV characters were a joy to read.

Another hit from T Kingfisher! This book is one of her most difficult to classify, landing both solidly within the fantasy and horror categories, not feeling quite at home in either. The story of Cordelia and Hester is beautiful, talking about found family, boundaries, love, and the importance of staying true to yourself. Some of the characters are people I will be thinking about for a long time to come. Thank you Tor and Netgalley for the advance copy.

I loved this. It's like a dark, slightly gothic fairy tale with the kind of snarky banter I absolutely adore and one young hero joined by several older heroes, and my goodness can we get more books with older main characters because I loved Hester and her friends.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is the story of Cordelia, a fourteen year old girl in a small town. Her mother Evangeline is a sorceress who is usually awful to her, and makes her Obedient through magic. This means she takes control of Cordelia's body and makes her do whatever she'd like. Cordelia isn't allowed any friends, and isn't allowed to close any door in the house. The only friend Cordelia has is Falada, her mother's horse.

When there is a mysterious death in their small town, Cordelia's mother demands they leave in the middle of the night. The end up at the home of the Squire, a kind old man, and his sister Hester. Hester knows that Doom is upon them when Evangeline immediately starts to seduce the Squire, and Cordelia knows for sure that it won't end well for him, or for Hester. What follows are some shenanigans of the magical and unmagical kind.

I really liked Hester as a character. She's not old (though perhaps for this world she is) but she is past marrying age. I love to see a woman who is older get to be the hero (or one of them at least), and Hester is much like I am, so it was easy to see myself in her shoes, so to speak. She's a bit of an introvert, does needlework and reads books all day.

I really enjoyed my time with A Sorceress Comes to Call, though I remember not really liking the fairy tale The Goose Girl when I was younger. Perhaps I just needed to read the right retelling!

This was a dark and twisty story full of surprises and magic. As with all of her books, Kingfisher wove an intricate tale around the sorceress and her desire for control over power and riches.

Cordelia has been controlled by her mother, made to be obedient, for most of her life. She hates it, and hates watching her mother control others in the same way. When it goes beyond control and includes murder and manipulation, Cordelia tries her best to find a way out from under her mother's thumb.

Murder, betrayal, magic, and deceit fill this wonderful tale, and I loved every minute of it.

This might be my favorite from T. Kingfisher! I’m almost convinced there is no better story teller than her. She gives you everything in this (very loose) retelling of The Goose Girl from the Brothers Grimm Tales.

A historical fantasy with cozy horror aspects and the classic battle between good vs evil. WHO ELSE COULD WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THAT?! There was nothing I didn’t love. The writing, the characters, the plot, I couldn’t put it down. Her writing feels effortless to me, it’s so witty and I caught myself several times giggling over a character’s response.

I couldn’t recommend this well written and fast paced book more. This will definitely be in my top reads of the year

I expect to love anything by T. Kingfisher and this book lives up to that. This was a great read, with fabulous characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of "A Sorceress Comes to Call" by T. Kingfisher. This was hands down one of my favorite books of all time. I absolutely devoured it from start to finish and have absolutely no criticism whatsoever. The characters were fully-developed; the plot moved at a perfect pace; the setting was something I wanted to jump right into and experience. I loved this book!!!

This just might be my favorite book of the year. Kingfisher's writing is so elegant and yet personal. She hurts you with her writing because you see yourself in the characters so deeply that you feel what they feel. I was unexpectedly reliving childhood trauma moments into this book! It is painful, clever and delightful, and I couldn't put it down!

T. Kingfisher is back with another quirky and creepy tale and I am here for it!
Cordelia is a meek young girl desperate to break free of her controlling mother and lead a normal life. Easier said than done when her mother is a sorceress and can use her dark magic to control her daughter's speech and actions. However, when her mother sets her sights on marrying a wealthy squire, his sister, Hester, may prove to be the help Cordelia needs to build up her resistance and the strength of will to break free.
Full of devious magic, fairy tale tropes and a splash of horror, this was a delight to read.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a reimagining of the fairytale "The Goose Girl." It is mostly a deconstruction, and we don't see any geese until the final third of the book. (Yes, I think geese should have been more central to the plot, for reasons.) T. Kingfisher does some interesting things with the fairytale and takes into interesting and unexpected directions. (Mostly because it does not closely follow the storyline of the original fairytale.)

Protagonist One is a young girl named Cordelia whose mother it turns out, is a sorceress. Evangeline makes her way in the world via gold digging, with the stated goal of ensuring that Cordelia "marries a rich man." Evangeline is extremely abusive in that way of mothers who don't allow their children any autonomy or privacy only ramped up to a thousand because she's a sorceress and can literally mind control Cordelia into doing what she wants.

Protagonist Two is a middle aged noblewoman named Hester who has to deal with a gold digger pursuing her brother, who is a Squire. This is of course Evangeline, who has to move up her plans to ensure that Cordelia marries well after her previous "benefactor" is found out by his wife. When Evangeline and Cordelia turn up at the Squire's home as guests, Hester does her best to Keep Evangeline from ensnaring her brother, a goal that becomes increasingly desperate when it becomes clear Evangeline is not just a gold digger, but an extremely dangerous woman who is quite capable of murder.

T. Kingfisher writes abusive characters and the trauma experienced by the victims of abuse extremely well. Evangeline is not a one-note villain, but an extremely complicated person who thinks she's doing the best for her daughter. However, her actions are cruel and monstrous, her personal reality twisted and borderline delusional. You end up being amazed that Cordelia is as sane as she is, given what she's lived through so far. (One of the most heinous acts, aside from all the murder and mind control: Evangeline moving up her plan to get Cordelia married involves having Cordelia be seventeen. Cordelia is not seventeen. She is fourteen.)

This fairytale is extremely dark from the very beginning, with a lot of horror themes woven into the fantasy. As is often the case with T. Kingfisher's work, there are also moments of humor mixed in to break up the bleakness. This was a fast and engaging read, but again, geese should have been more central to the plot. (I say this because I feel it would balance out Falada being evil. Yes. The horse from the fairytale is evil in this, and is Evangeline's familiar.)

This review was based off of a galley copy received via NetGalley.

T. Kingfisher does it again. Another incredible story with a variety of interesting characters, exciting twists and enchanting writing. What do you do when your mother is a sorcerer, can make you and anyone else “obedient”, causes death and destruction, and destroys anyone who stands in her way. Our sorceress is beguiling beautiful and sinister and her young daughter is helpless to her control and manipulations but enough is enough. She must be stopped! But how…. With the help of an elderly spinster who has some strange abilities of her own, can they form a bond strong enough to break the sorceress spell?

I flew through this newest fantasy (with a tinge of horror) by Kingfisher. I am always intrigued by historical stories of house parties gone horribly wrong, and this definitely fits the bill.

We follow the story of a sorceress through intriguing perspectives — the sorceress’s 14-year-old daughter Cordelia, and Hester, the 50-something sister of the wealthy man the sorceress sets her eyes on. Cordelia is fearful and young, while Hester’s age and pains in her knees keep her from taking herself seriously. I appreciated that both characters grew over the course of the book and found happiness.

Cordelia has spent her life being forced into a cruel obedience by her sorceress mother, and when they leave home for her mother to seduce a wealthy man, Cordelia fears for their lives. Hester had a deep sense of foreboding before the sorceress and Cordelia show up at their home, dubbing her “Doom,” and she calls on friends for an ill-fated house party to try and keep Doom from marrying her brother.

There’s a lot of humor threaded throughout the book, but it is also a dark story of control and abuse, with some gruesome scenes as well, so be forewarned.

My new favorite Kingfisher tale. The line between her fantasy and her horror has always been squidgey, but for this story she got rid of it entirely with resounding success.

A Sorceress Comes to Call begins with intrigue immediately. You're introduced to 14 year old Cordelia as she sits through a church service, unable to move. She's not even able to shoo away a fly tickling her fingers as her mother, Evangeline, compels her to be completely still and obedient. Evangeline is a sorceress and this is a favorite pastime of hers, using it on Cordelia often and on others for her own selfish gains. They soon need to leave their village for greener pastures, aka new rich men for Evangeline to bewitch and manipulate, after she burned the bridge with her most recent benefactor after she deemed him no longer useful. She weasels her way into the good graces of a squire and he lets them stay in his home where he lives with his middle aged sister, Hester. Cordelia is treated with kindness by everyone in the house, the first time she's ever experienced kindness consistently, and when she learns what her mother did to her last conquest before they left their village, she avows to rebel against her mother and keep her from hurting anyone else.

The characters are the high point in this book. You feel for Cordelia after you see how her mother treats her. The story is mostly from her point of view but once you meet Hester, you get hers as well. I love Hester so much!! She's snarky and doesn't fall for any of Evangeline's games.

I've been wanting to read a book by T. Kingfisher for awhile and when I saw this ARC available on NetGalley and the plot sounded so good, I knew it was time and I'm so glad I did! I got so wrapped up in the story with Kingfisher's addicting prose and I thought about the book constantly when I wasn't reading it! Kingfisher's books are always popular at the library and we'll definitely order this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

T. Kingfisher is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I find that her books have a mixture of fantasy, horror, and mystery, yet somehow manage to feel cozy. This was true of A Sorceress Comes to Call, where I felt for the two main characters/povs and everything that was happening to them. I also enjoyed the writing style; the prose was simple yet very descriptive.

Thank you @torbooks for the physical and net galley audio arc @macmillan.audio !! I did a happy dance when I got to have my hands on this one 😭😭

The vibes: Grimm fairytales, evil mother, horror, regency, dual POV, a lil found family. Oh, and some badass geese.

This story is a retelling/remix of The Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl, which I didn’t know much about. We follow two POVs: Cordelia- a 14 year old girl whose mother is controlling, manipulative, EVIL, and reminds me of mother Gothel and Gypsy Rose’s mom. Cordelia is sheltered, lonely, and so tired of suffering under her mother’s abuse and control. Then we have Hester- a strong, witty woman in her 50s, who wants to protect her brother from this new *doom* that approaches in the form of Cordelia’s mother. Hester immediately senses something is off about the mother-daughter duo, and she is determined to find ways to protect her loved ones, and even young Cordelia. The geese only have a small part in this book, but they’re easily my favorite characters 😂

T. Kingfisher somehow balances dark subjects, horror, and pain, alongside humor, heartwarming characters, and triumph. There’s definitely less humor and quirky-ness compared to Nettle & Bone, but if you like fairytale retellings (not the happy, sexy kind), you’ll enjoy it! Her writing is so no-fuss and witty, and I can’t get enough. Kingfisher has become one of my favorite authors this year, and I can’t wait to read the rest of her books.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is an incredibly engaging reimagining of the Brothers Grimm's "The Goose Girl". The story follows two perspectives: the terrified, sheltered Cordelia who is constantly under the thumb of her controlling and abusive mother, Evangeline and tenaciously sensible Hester who quickly senses something wicked this way comes when Evangeline wiggles her way into her brother's heart. I love how T. Kingfisher leans into the dark with this fairytale, but also provides levity with her trademark wit and humor. The female characters, both main and secondary, have a strong presence and have distinct voices and personalities. Like most of T. Kingfisher's works that I have read she has created scene stealing secondary characters such as the cardsharp Imogen Strauss, the highly qualified butler Willard, merry widow Penelope Green, and the mysteriously magical horse Falada. I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy fairy tale retellings and reimaginings.

ARC provided by NetGalley & the publishers, the views are my own.

I've never read "Goose Girl" before, but I am working my way through Kingfisher's catalog. This was one of her best so far, in my opinion. I was on the edge of my seat & read it in a few short hours.

"Hester was no hero, but there was nothing in her that would allow her to turn away from a person who had been dropped on her doorstep. Even if that person had brought Doom along with her."

Kingfisher is an autobuy author for me due to her quirky & easy to love MCs, & the sarcastic quips in her prose, so I was excited to be approved for this ARC. We have two POV characters to know & love with all their quirks here, & I very much adored them both. Fourteen year old Cordeli is the unfortunate daughter of a sorceress, & 51 year old Hester has an unfortunate knee, & is the sister of the man who has unfortunately fallen in love with the sorceress/Cordelia's mother. Through their eyes, we see true evil, true kindess, & love.

I really enjoyed the side characters, they were well-developed. Our villian was not only magically evil, but real-world evil, & I feel that I'll be thinking about her deeds for a few days to come.

The plot was fast-paced, & I honestly didn't want to put the book down (even though I had to a few times) - I had to know what happened next, & after that, & after that. I finished just before 2 am.

Representation: 51 year old MC with a dynamic disability who occasionally uses a cane.