Beautiful. Almost cozy, were it not for all the blood. Bridgerton with magic. And more evil. Much more evil.

T Kingfisher makes books that I am afraid to read and yet simultaneously cannot put down. She introduces characters, makes you fall in love with them immediately, and instantly they are put in mortal peril. I know this is pretty much the basis of all fiction (characters + stakes = a story) but there is something about the way she can twist the knife ever so gently into a character's back that makes you feel the fear, pain, and betrayal acutely right along with them. Cordelia is in a pickle. Her mother uses magic to make people around her, including Cordelia, experience horrible things. What can a 14-year-old with seemingly no special talents do when she is at the mercy of her all-powerful mother? Hester is also in a pickle. Her brother is at risk of being swept away by a newly arrived woman with a terrified rabbit of a daughter and a mysterious brute of a horse who arrive on their doorstep. Cordelia, Hester, and a group of loyal friends must band together to save themselves from an entity bent on her own destructive ends. Kingfisher's readers will be pleased by the usual sprinkling of hilarious dialogue that cuts the tension just enough that continuing to read is a possibility.

I love T. Kingfisher, and this one was as delightful as I have come to expect her works to be. The characters are well written, though I found myself wishing for a little more background information on some of them. The plot was fantastic, and I was very invested in the story and outcome. The writing was lovely and added a dreamlike quality to the reading experience. This was a lovely fantasy of manners book, and if that is your jam, I cannot recommend it enough.

Another entry in the column marked "reasons I love T. Kingfisher's writing". A dark fairytale containing a Sorceress (of course), an abused daughter, an evilish faimilar, a clueless Squire, a badass older sister (with bad knees) and a long running love story. I enjoyed this so much! It was so easy to fall into the story with the characters all fully rounded and described. I wanted to be part of Hester's emboidery circle! There were several laugh out loud moments, the writing was as usual top tier, just MAGICAL!!

Graphic, intense, symbolic

Women dominate T. Kingfisher’s re-telling of Grimm’s Goose Girl. The villain, Evangeline, is an evil sorceress, and mother, who can make people obedient. The two heroines, her daughter Cordelia and potential sister-in-law Hester, eventually team up to overthrow her power. The contrast between Cordelia and Hester’s points of view complemented each other wonderfully. One young (14), the other “old” (only 50, but portrayed as and views herself as old); one forced into conformity and obedience, the other naturally stubborn and contrary; I was drawn into each of their orbits, and rewarded with their eventual friendship.

Characters
Cordelia is written as a timid, sheltered, and abused child. Her fear, confusion, and bitterness is evident from the beginning. It was heartbreaking to witness her gradually learn that what her mother did to her was in fact abuse, and not at all normal. All innocence is stripped away when she learns the truth of her only friends, Falada and Ellen. Her initial reliance on The Ladies Book of Etiquette demonstrated her naivety and lack of any semblance of self-confidence. Her obsession with closed verse open doors was a powerful representation of her fear and trauma. It was a relief for her to enter the protection of Hester and the rest of Chatham House. She is frustrating for a time when she cannot trust those around her with the truth. When she finally opens up to Hester, though, her change in character is strong and rewarding.
Hester is written as a spunky, quirky, no-nonsense woman with a predisposition for sensing Doom. This ability is never fully explained, but her relationship and affinity with geese seem the most likely explanation, since we learn the power geese have later on in the story. Her refusal of love is frustrating and confusing, but her determination to remain her own person is admirable. She takes Cordelia in despite knowing the true nature of Doom, and gives Cordelia space and room to be herself. Her plan for her own love, Richard, to propose to Cordelia was cunning and ruthless, and fitting with her character arc.
Evangeline is written as the epitome of evil. All she cares for is acquiring a “benefactor” to take care of her, and eventually a rich husband for Cordelia. She desires to live in comfort with all under her control. Those who stand in her way are forced into obedience, then made to perform the most heinous crimes. It’s never a clean kill with her -it’s roundabout torture and torment. It instills true fear in those around her and the reader. Even her familiar, Falada, appears to despise her at the end of the story.
Falada is described as Evangeline’s familiar, and we learn that several layers of enchantments and spells make the horse obedient at all times. Falada pretends to be Cordelia’s friend until she attempts to run away from home, and this betrayal cuts her to the core. As in Grimm’s story, Falada is beheaded; but, in this version Falada’s body continues on without its head. In a very grizzly and horrifying bit of storytelling, the beheaded familiar digs itself out of its grave and tricks Cordelia into riding back to her mother. I hated Falada, but the way that it kept the horrifying nature of the fairytale alive was ingenious.
Hester’s friends are a lively and enjoyable bunch. They provided great color to the storytelling and enriched the plot, especially at the end.

Writing Style
The story is told alternating POVs between Cordelia and Hester. I thoroughly enjoyed their contrast and complement to each other. Each has their own obsessions and ailments that help tell the story. Cordelia’s, as already mentioned, are the etiquette book and the obsession with closed/opened doors. Hester’s are her geese and her bad knee. For both characters, we learn more about them through these devices. As is expected since she is younger, Cordelia’s are easier to let go and move on from in the story. Hester’s are more difficult and complex -the knee ends up becoming a serious issue, but does not drive away Richard, which was her fear. The geese help to save the day -in particular, an initially deemed unimpressive goose. I enjoyed these methods of storytelling, as they helped it stay true to a fairytale.

Relationships
Cordelia’s were all very heartbreaking, but she found her strength in spite of it all. She gets a new start at the end of it all with very trustworthy guardians.
Richard and Hester’s ending was a little anticlimactic for me. Hester still does not wish to make a leap of faith with him, despite all they went through. It is partly from fear that he will tire of her, and partly from a desire to remain her own person. I do not like the ending of their relationship, but I do appreciate it. There is a nuance to it, which helps to not take away from the horror of the story. It’s not a HEA despite their survival.

Setting/Atmosphere
The settings were all works of art and as much a part of the storytelling and plot as the characters. We have three main locations, which all reflect Cordelia’s growth and arc. Her initial small town shelters her from the truth of her situation and prevents her from having real relationships. Their move to the well-organized Chatham House allows her space to form relationships with people on her own, experience a semblance of independence from her mother, and start to trust those around her. Her final stop at Richard’s Evermore House provides the wildness and strength to take risks in order to fully break free.

Plot/Intrigue
The changes to the initial version of Grimm’s Goose Girl all worked very well. Having the villain be the mother instead of a maidservant was much more intriguing and put more on the line for the main character (Cordelia).
The involvement of geese was cleverly written, as they were an object of Hester’s attention as opposed to Cordelia’s or Evangeline’s. The geese are comical, surprising, and in the end heroic. My favorite scene involved the geese -when they would encircle Falada and adjust their circle around it with every small movement made.

There was not much clarity on her mother’s sorcery at the end. They are able to strip her of power, but we do not learn much more about its source or what drove her. Falada’s true nature was also somewhat a surprise. These felt like unresolved issues/loose threads. But, Cordelia does a good job accepting this, which helps the reader accept it.

Penelope Green’s storyline of becoming a ghost that communicated with Cordelia was a little out there, and I’m not entirely sure of the benefit of including it. Initially, it hinted at Cordelia having sorceress powers of her own, but nothing came of that thread. Penelope also tried to coach Cordelia into resisting her mother’s obedience spell. The payoff of this is rather small for this to be the main point of the ghost plot. Cordelia is able to avoid killing Richard, but only when her mother loosens control. Plus, she still injures Richard badly. Penelope also ends up being “the wine” in their triangle of spellwork, which only seemed beneficial after their first attempt with Richard didn’t work. I didn’t dislike this storyline, but am not wholly convinced of its necessity. Ultimately, it would have been more powerful to me if she had been able to successfully coach Cordelia to resist her mother or reveal her own sorceress powers.

Favorite Scene
“Falada still walked the grounds in the evening, just as he had at Chatham House. The difference now was that he never did so alone.
The groundskeepers did not whisper about how uncanny he was, because it was hard to look uncanny when you were surrounded by a ring of agitated geese.
They found a window that evening, and watched him glide by, accompanied by his waddling bodyguards. Sometimes he would break into a run to get away from them and the geese would scatter, but they would all immediately take to the air and come down beside him and form a ring again.
Cordelia had to admit that they were not particularly graceful birds, and standing beside Falada's unearthly beauty made them seem even more ungainly. Yet they were fearless and apparently tireless, never allowing Falada to roam the grounds without being watched.”


Summarized Reaction
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and their arcs, the setting and atmosphere, and the pacing of the plot. It held true to the horrific nature of Grimm’s tales with a fresh twist on it. The ending was not happy, but not devastating. It was as much a story of survival and finding oneself as anything else. I highly recommend it to any who enjoy fairytales.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. I am in love with T. Kingfisher’s work! Her books are an actual wonder. They are extremely well-written, fascinating, and spooky. I love her characters, especially the strong, female lead. Evangeline, a sorceress, and her daughter, Cordelia, a lovely girl who is her mother’s victim, move in with Squire Samuel and his sister, Hester. Evangeline intends to marry the Squire and use his money to marry Cordelia off to a wealthy man. Her familiar, Falada, reports back to her with all of Cordelia’s secrets. The story is rich and wonderful - truly an enjoyable read.

Received an eArc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I always go into T Kingfisher books blind mainly because they are crazy anyways, so I’m just along for the ride. This book was no different. Usually I would give a mini synopsis in my review, but I am not going to this time because anything I feel like I could say about this story is a spoiler. .The first chapter hooked me so hard as I slowly realized what was happening.

This book has horrific moments, but is not a horror novel. It feels more suspenseful as thing keep happening and you are not sure how people are going to make it through.

Overall a 4.5 star. A very enjoyable read. Would be great for a high school library.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for my arc in exchanged for my unbiased opinion.

"A Sorceress Comes to Call" by T. Kingfisher is their dark reimagining of the Brother's Grimm story, "The Goose Girl." Now, I did enjoy their last retelling, "Thornhedge," but this one was not a favorite. I was really excited for this because for the most part, Kingfisher's more straight forward fantasies have been fairly consistent for me in terms of storytelling, character, and enjoyment level. That said, this really missed the mark for me on all accounts.

This retelling follows the young Cordelia and her mother, Evangeline. Practically every single part of Cordelia's life is controlled and dictated by her mother, from the lack of doors in their home to Cordelia's lack of friends. Her only solace is their white horse, Falada. When Evangeline tells Cordelia that they're leaving for a new town and new prospects, she has to contend with the truth of who and what her mother is. So, this story is told through two perspectives: Cordelia and the sister of Evangeline's new mark, Hester. Through their perspective, we get two women struggling against Evangeline. I REALLY wanted to like this and honestly, it started really strongly for me. There was a lot that I think this had going for it. But that said, I think that Kingfisher does better with a smaller page count. The narrative in this dragged terribly and I found myself getting bored and wondering why there were SO MANY scenes of card playing, dinner, and taking tea when each scene would literally be the same thing: Cordelia being told to do something by her mother, Hester trying to get Cordelia out of her shell, and later, Hester with her friends trying to figure out how to stop her brother from marrying Evangeline. It's really boring. And as someone whose whole research focus and expertise in literature is classic late 18th to 19th century British literature written by women, you think I'd be less bored. The difference here is that Kingfisher, as good a writer as they are, just doesn't have the expertise to handle the slowness of scenes like this.

I think Kingfisher does a wonderful job with their novellas, but any longer and they struggle with narrative momentum and engagement. I mean, my eyes were GLAZING. And this book isn't even THAT long at 336 pages so I think it really highlights some of Kingfisher's weaknesses. And this unfortunately translates over to the characters who at first, are charming, but as the narrative lags and slows, their development comes to a halt. And the ending...it really does take A LOT to get there and it doesn't feel earned. It feels very much like a writer who wanted to get done with this and just slapped together an ending that tied things up too neatly.

I don't know, I was so disappointed with this one.

This is the first book of T. Kingfisher’s that I’ve read (actually, more like this is the first of her books I’ve even heard of), but it definitely won’t be the last!

What originally appealed to me about this book was that it was marketed as a retelling of The Goose Girl, but after reading it I would definitely say it’s a VERY loose interpretation. Geese play a slight role in the book, as does the horse, Falada, but everything else is pretty original.

The story follows 14 year old Cordelia as she tries to navigate the complicated and dangerous relationship she has with her mother, a ruthless social climber who moonlights as a sorceress. This book has magic, murder, and a little scheming and I’d highly recommend it!

The ending did feel a little rushed to me, but I think it was overall worth the read. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

𝑀𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓇𝒾𝒶𝓁 𝒟𝒶𝓎 𝒲𝑒𝑒𝓀𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓃

What if the next Bridgerton series was a gothic horror story with some Grimm fantasy inspo?
You’d get 𝘼 𝙎𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙏𝙤 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡

T. Kingfisher continues to be a favorite author of mine as she remixes classic tales, bends genres, and creates characters for readers to worry about. There is a creepy horse again. I did Google to find out why😩😂

Read this if:
📖 you like reading twisted tales
🧟‍♀️ you enjoy creepy horror (a pinch of gore)
🍿enjoy Regency romance intrigue with conspiring characters

Will be released on August 6, 2024, so preorder now. 336 pages.

Thank you T. Kingfisher, @torbooks & @netgalley for the opportunity to read this fun Regency-like horror pageturner. I will read all of this author’s stories. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

#horrornovel #romancehorrorbooks #regencyromance #genrebending #fantasybooks #TKingfisher #asorceresscomestocall #newbooks #arcreads #bookreviews #bookreviewersofinstagram #bookstagram #currentlyreading #amreading

I'm never quite sure where to put T. Kingfisher's books as far as rating goes because there's always something that I dislike about certain aspects, but then she absolutely smashes the rest of the story afterwards that I kind of forgive her. This is the same case in A Sorceress Comes to Call, where the pacing had me frustrated at how slow it was. Then halfway through Kingfisher hits her stride and then the entire book gets good.

And I think this all comes down to the way she's written her characters. That's constantly Kingfisher's major strength. She can make REALLY GOOD CHARACTERS, and I love the ensemble she put together in this really dark Regency retelling of "The Goose Girl." It kind of reminded me of how much I loved Nettle and Bone because the characters were so entertaining to read as they went on their adventures. In this particular case, though, there wasn't much adventure and it played out more like a high society mystery with magic involved. I actually love the romance subplot between Hester and Richard, and I was so glad that this romance fell between the older characters of this book (and omg, the way all of Hester's concerns were so valid and the way Richard is so devoted regardless like I can't with them). I had been worried slightly that poor Cordelia would also have a romantic subplot in her story, but this wasn't the case. Poor girl already was going through so much, having to think about who she ends up with in a romantic sense was not in the cards.

I think it was also Kingfisher's mastery in character creation that had me absolutely hating the villain--rightfully so, might I add. But this also posed my problem. Because of how well she tried to develop the characters, especially Cordelia's harrowing experiences with her mother, the overall pacing of the story was slow going until the 50% mark. At some point it got way too frustrating that I almost put the book down and DNF it. It would have been a mistake, because the payoff was really good by the end, but it was still really slow, especially once Cordelia and her mother make it to Chatham House. Unlike N&B where the pacing picked up more quickly, this one didn't take off until halfway through the book, which was a shame.

So I suppose I did very much like this as far as characters were! I have a definite soft spot in my heart for Hester, Imogene, and Penelope, too (my sassy fierce middle-aged ladies). I honestly could have done with more of them scheming and plotting over Evangeline's shenanigans personally.

As a kid the retelling of Goose Girl by Shannon Hale was one of my favorite books so when I saw that T. Kingfisher was doing an adaptation I couldn't wait to read it. It didn't disappoint. All the characters had a depth and interestingness that kept me wanting to know what happened next. Though the storyline itself appears at first glance very simple, the writing style and characters added a beautiful level of complexity and horror. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes retellings, a little fantasy-horror, and strong female lead characters.

I love T. Kingfisher. She’s an auto buy author for me for sure. For fans of Nettle & Bone + The Sworn Soldier series, this is going to be a winner. As a fantasy and I would argue, horror-light author, Kingfisher has a delightful way of retelling fairytales with freshness and originality. This book is no different.

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for providing this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I’ve loved every single T. Kingfisher novel I’ve read so far. Fairytales are a major interest of mine, and Kingfisher has written a wonderful re-imagining of The Goose Girl, a story I’ve always loved.

Cordelia’s lived her life in fear of her emotionally abusive mother, Evangeline, who also happens to be a cunning and powerful sorceress. When Evangeline is spurned by her “benefactor,” she decides to trick a wealthy squire into marrying her, and she and Cordelia move into the home he shares with his sister, Hester. Cordelia finds an ally in Hester, and the two quickly find that Evangeline is far more dangerous than they realized. She’s willing to do anything to get what she wants. In order to stop her mother once and for all, Cordelia, with the help of Hester and some of the older woman’s closest friends must think up a plan without being discovered by the sorceress or her ever-watchful familiar.

I think Hester and Cordelia were great characters, and I empathized with both right away. Evangeline is definitely the kind of villain you see in fairytales, but because of that she was a bit one-dimensional. There were hints about what made her the way she was, but I would have liked to learn more.

Kingfisher did an excellent job of portraying emotional abuse by a parent. “I’ve seen it hundreds of times before,” made me shudder, as someone who heard that a lot growing up. Kingfisher is also so good at making such a creepy yet humorous atmosphere in her stories.

When it comes to the magic system, the rules were just a little bit hazy, but that may have been on purpose to keep the lore mysterious to the characters. Despite that, Evangeline’s power was scary as hell.

Underneath it all, the themes of oppression on women and emotional abuse were threaded through the story perfectly. All in all, I think A Sorceress Comes to Call is another great read by T. Kingfisher. It was certainly a page-turner for me.

CW: emotional abuse, some gore

4/5

Trapped by an abusive mother with a power of compulsion over her, Cordelia lives her life in fragments. There are no secrets between mother and daughter, and how can there be when there are no doors in their home and no relationships to call her own. Now her mother has uprooted them to a wealthy manor house, where an unsuspecting family find themselves her next victim. T. Kingfisher ingeniously reimagines the Brothers Grimm’s, Goose Girl in a tale overflowing with witchery and trickery. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a Regency fantasy that stands on the gap between a light, comforting fairy story, and a dark fantasy merged with horror. Kingfisher has written compelling and distinct characters who fight to cast off evil and are all the stronger for it. Cordelia steps out of the compulsion she has been placed in by her mother, and Hester casts off her constraints to find happiness. Both journeys were immensely satisfying and included moments of humor, wit, and of course, horror. T. Kingfisher is a tried and true author in many genres, and A Sorceress Comes to Call is yet another retelling to relish.

This will appear on my blog closer to publication

Wow! Kingfisher has once again produced a smart, savvy, fairy tale that has delicately horrific elements that demonstrate peril but don't inspire nightmares. This regency era reimagining of the Grimm's fairy tale The Goose Girl is exquisitely crafted. Cordelia, a believable 14 year old heroine is trying to surviver the machinations of her mother, an evil sorceress who plots to snare a wealthy husband or two. This enthralling combination of murder, mayhem, and found family is irresistible.

I don't know how T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon) comes up with this madness but I'm so freaking happy she does!

From a bonedog and demon chicken in Nettle and Bone to a helpful hedgehog in The Seventh Bride, and now a Sorcerer's familiar that survives...some serious unpleasantries... that reveal just how strong wicked bonds can be.

I devoured this book. The author has a sense of humor which is infused in her characters so efficiently that you can't help but laugh while simultaneously being creeped out and/or worried for their lives. It's like she invented her own genre fantasy-comedy-thriller or...thrilcomasy 😂😂 and I'm here for it!

T. Kingfisher never disappoints and this was another example of that. I was delighted to read this regency-esque fantasy story that bordered between fairy tale and historical fantasy. The characters were delightful as always, and I was pleased at all the twists it took from the original Goose Girl fairy tale.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for giving me an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“A Sorceress Comes to Call” had everything you could want in a fairy tale. While often times horrifying (the best ones always are) it never lost its heart or humor. What I loved best about it was its eclectic display of strong female characters. Each one was beautifully flawed and well rounded. A joy to read.

T. Kingfisher never fails to delight me. This was exactly what I was hoping for it to be. After falling in love with Nettle & Bone, I was eagerly awaiting another full length fairy tale retelling and this was perfect. Dark and whimsical is what this author does best. T. Kingfisher has quickly become one of my top writers and I am so grateful that I was able to read this early. Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review