Ok, so I am a HUGE T. Kingfisher fan. Like, the biggest, so I was absolutely THRILLED when I was given a chance to read her newest book as an advanced copy. Kingfisher is the absolute GOAT when it comes to subversive fairytale retellings, and A Sorceress Comes to Call is no exception. The story follows a girl who has been cursed to be obedient to her mother. The girl has some neuro-spicy traits that makes her day-to-day difficult already, forget the fact that her mother is an evil sorceress who's commitment to her hustle makes it especially unpredictable and difficult for our protagonist. Eventually she makes a handful of friends who not only have her back, but meet her where she's at emotionally and help her save the day. Every single thing Kingfisher puts together is startlingly brilliant. While you can identify what existing fairytale she's working with, you can never imagine what direction things will go. 11/10 no notes.

Loved this retelling of The Goose Girl--it really is its own story, with just a few elements from the original fairytale that give it a bit of shape. Frankly, I much prefer this version! It's an interesting look at mother/daughter relationships, women at different ages, and at found family. Kingfisher always does found family so well, and this story is no exception. Really enjoyed it, and I so love how the ending came together.

First, I know literally nothing about the Mother goose tale, so this rating has nothing to do with how true to the tale the book is. Second, this was sosososoo good. It was dark without being gratuitous. Might be one of my reads of the year.

Book: A Sorceress Comes to Call
Author: T. Kingfisher
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Tor Books, for sending me an ARC. This is my second book by this author. I love her writing style and how she creates/recreates these worlds that transport you into the world of the characters and make you feel like you are a part of it.

In this one, we follow Cordelia, who lives a very sheltered life with her mother. However, she knows enough to know that the way she and her mother live is not normal. There are no doors in their house and she isn’t allowed to have friends. When she doesn’t do what her mother wants her to do, her mother finds a way to make her do it. She is a walking shell without emotion and life. She only comes to life when she is riding Falada, her beloved horse. One night, Cordelia’s mother insists that they must leave. They go to a wealthy Squire’s house, where he and his sister, Hester, live. It’s remote and that’s not even the best part. The Squire is not married. It is a marriage that Cordelia’s mother is after. Being a sorceress means that she will probably get what she is after. However, Hester knows that there is something wrong. She has been studying Cordelia and sees the little things she does to ensure she is not close to her mother. She starts plotting and will do anything to keep this woman from marrying her brother.

This is a retelling of Goose Girl. I love retellings because I love seeing how authors spin the original story to make it their own. T. Kingfisher does an amazing job at this. She takes what she has been given and makes it her own. Now, this book is dark and gothic, which is something that pulled me in right away. I love that she can take stories we are all familiar with and make them so gripping and unputdownable. These are fairytales; we know what is going to happen. Yet, the way that everything was presented made me keep going. This story has layers and the deeper I got into the story, the more I came to see just how many layers there were. Everything is crafted and moulded together so well that you can quickly see this story's brilliance.

The characters are also very complex. This book is not very long, and we have a huge cast of characters. Yet, each one is given their voice and their personality as the side characters. There are not too many times that with books this short, we see side characters developed and written so well. Cordelia has always lived in fear. It shows in her personality. She is afraid of doing something wrong because she has been her whole life and when she messes up, her mother forces her to do what she has ordered. She is afraid that everyone is going to be like that. It makes her jumpy. Yet, she starts to fight back and take control of her own life. Most of this is because of Hester, who knows something is wrong and takes her under her wing. Hester is another character with layers. She comes across as this lonely, old woman, but is very intelligent and does not like it whenever people mess with others.

Not only did I love getting to see Hester and Cordelia’s layers, but I also loved our villain-Evangeline. I will tell you right now that the villain can make or break a book for me. I want my villains to be evil, of course, but I also want them to be compelling and give us a reason to hate them. We get that in Evangeline. She puts on this sweet and innocent outer layer, but she is the devil. She uses this other side, plus her magic, to win people over and make them like her. Then, she strikes. She isn’t as complex as the other characters, but she is a great villain. She is truly the type that you want to see die.

Overall, I did enjoy this one. It made me want to check out some more books by T. Kingfisher.

This book comes out on August 6, 2024.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Yk2M9yFPy9o

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

4.75/5 stars

I absolutely LOVED this, as I expected to because T. Kingfisher is a beast. This was the perfect blend of dark and creepy but also beautiful and funny - the unique mix that I've only really experienced with Kingfisher. The characters were rich and unique and the story had my attention from the beginning. I was invested and curious and couldn't ever 100% figure it out, but I wasn't confused either.

I loved every bit of this and I think anyone that enjoys a good mystery with some humor and dark fairytale elements will LOVE this too.

This was an awesome twist to the Goose Girl fairy tale! Some of the same features, geese, a white horse named Falada, and a girl trapped by, in this one her mother and not a handmaid but similar circumstances. So, yes, those elements but then thrown in a blender and add more magic, creepy familiars, murder, and a group of people trying to stop the sorceress Evangeline and it is a fresh and wonderful story that I enjoyed very much. I would definitely say that it is a bit darker of a fairy tale than the original (though that one also had dark bits) as Evangeline kills or destroys anyone that gets in her way to power and riches. Luckily Cordelia finds help when her mother sets her eyes on Samuel (a Squire) who has a sister with a bit of an uncanny sense for Doom. Hester is a very likable character and her friends are up for the challenge, even when it ends up with a woman going over the balcony to her death and a headless horse running around and spells for obedience.

I have read several T. Kingfisher books now and I have really enjoyed them, especially the ones that are fresh takes on fairy tales. This one actually might be my favorite though I also really enjoyed Nettle and Bone. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book to read and review.

A fun and sometimes scary fairy tale that Kingfisher does so well. The author has such a knack for reinvigorating what feel like old stories with new stakes and emotions.

This was such an interesting retelling of The Goose Girl fairytale. I expected the entirety of this book to be told from Cordelia's perspective, but it alternates between Cordelia, a 14 year old girl, and Hester, the unwed sister of a squire who is courting Cordelia's mother. Although tagged as horror, I found the horror elements to be pretty mild, although it is certainly dark. I loved Hester's character and found her to be very sensible and relatable with a dry humor that lightened the tension. Although Cordelia's relationship with her mother felt a bit over-simplified, I found the overall arc to be completely satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this free audiobook copy of a sorcerer comes to call by T. Kingfisher.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I felt like the narration was well done and the characters had their own agency even with only two narrators. It was very clear, concise and easy to follow even at a higher speed. I read this book at 2x speed. There wasn't any sound effects or music accompanying the narration and I usually like when that is present so I took a little bit off for the lack cinematic presentation.

The story in general was very well done. I enjoyed it, and I felt like there was no slogs or dull parts. The ending did not feel rushed to me and had a satisfying conclusion to the plot line and all the character arcs.

I always appreciate Kingfisher and their ability to weave a dark tail with fairytale elements that just feel nostalgic while still feeling refreshing and new.

I really enjoyed the interaction between the characters and the feeling of tense suspense throughout the novel that kept me engaged and interested. I highly recommend this is an audiobook because it was very well done and interesting and very true to T Kingfisher's previous works as well.

This was my first read from Kingfisher and I absolutely devoured it! I loved everything about it! I was invested in all of the characters, villains and all! The story was well paced and so engaging. I loved the magic and sorcery element and I didn’t think I would! It was just so well done. It was witty and funny and I couldn’t put it down!

Cordelia’s mother is an evil sorcerer who can compel people to behave as she pleases, including murdering others. They move to a new town so Cordelia’s mother, Evangeline can seduce a wealthy man to become her husband. Cordelia discovers the real reason they left was because her mother had made her ex lover murder ibid whole family. However, once they arrive, Cordelia forges a relationship with the family and befriends Hester and they try to come up with a plan to stop Evangeline’s evil plots.

I just absolutely loved this story. This will definitely not be my last book by Kingfisher!

Thank you to Net Galley and Tor Publishing Group for my advanced reader copy in exchange for this honest review.

This book was phenomenal from page one! This is my first T. Kingfisher book but I am quickly adding her others to my TBR.

This is a retelling of Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm. I haven't actually read the original so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this dark story. The characters were vibrant and so dynamic. The story was well paced and kept me intrigued all the way through.

Thank you so much for letting me read this! It was a sinister delight!

What if you not only had a controlling parent, but a parent who could literally control you with magic? This is teenage Cordelia's reality with a sorcerer mother who is never satisfied and whose new scheme is to marry a wealthy squire and then to marry off Cordelia as well.

Hester, our other POV character, is the sister of the Squire and is wary of Evangeline (Cordelia's mother) from the beginning. But what chance does Hester or Cordelia have against such powerful magic?

T. Kingfisher's prose is engaging as ever and I was impressed by her ability to make me invested in all of the characters, even the minor ones like the butler or Cordelia's childhood friend. There's even a little hint of second chance romance, which was very sweet. Some of the events at the end kept this from being a five star read, but still highly enjoyable.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way influences my review.

Fairy tales are one of my favorite things, and I have loved all of T Kingfisher’s that I’ve read. There is even a brief blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference to Nettle & Bone that delighted me in A Sorceress Comes to Call. I’m not super familiar with Goose Girl, and my only other experience with the fairy tale I know of is Margaret Owen’s Little Thieves, which is a totally different experience than this one. I really enjoyed A Sorceress Comes to Call and the narrators did a fantastic job. Each was a perfect fit for Hester and Cordelia, and I loved the blend of community and mystery with magic. This was a lot of fun even as it had its rough moments with the abuse Cordelia experiences at the hands of her mother. I remember a while back Kingfisher talking about the incidental autism rep in this book, and I absolutely see it and related greatly with a lot of the feelings and experiences Cordelia described. Definitely a book I’d recommend, especially if you’re fond of reimagined fairy tales and the darker sides of magic.

Yet another delightful story from Kingfisher. A retelling of "The Good Girl" (I've read so many re-tellings, I should really get around to reading to original!), this tale focuses on the plight of young Cordelia, daughter of a sorceress. Determined to marry Cordelia to a welathy man, her mother must first pave the way with her own marriage, to a well off man who can provide Cordelia with the dresses and introductions one requires in society.
With this in mind, Cordelia's mother brings them to the lovely country manor of the Squire and his sister, Hester, so that she may marry on comfort and put young Cordelia out on the marriage mart. While not a sorceress herself, Hester nevertheless senses that a great doom is approaching even before they arrive.
A lovely setting, a delightful cast of characters, an evil villain... it was all just so much fun!

This was sooooo good! I couldn’t put it down. The writing was great, the characters likable and well-developed. Thanks so much for this!

I had to look up The Goose Girl before reading this because I was only vaguely familiar with the story. And I will say that was not really necessary. This book is extremely loosely based on the original. The horse being named Falada and there being some geese feels like the biggest connections. I thought the story was alright. This was a bit disappointing for me after how much I loved Thornhedge.

This story wasn’t anything like what I thought it would be. I wasn’t prepared for the horror or mystery part. I thought it would be more like the Goose Girl like it mentioned, but it was way off. It was younger than I expected as well. Not really my style.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fantastic author! Great pacing and great development for the characters. I was heavily invested in the plot and descriptive settings.

T. Kingfisher is the leader in writing complex characters, female trauma, and gothic horror books. This book was so creepy to read, and you can feel the main characters despair. I will say this book is not for the faint of heart, as there is a lot of childhood trauma and abuse that just makes you feel so sad. Also, if you have a bad relationship with your mother, this book may be difficult to read. But, I do think Kingfisher does a great job explaining the complexity of what life is like with a narc mother and the emotions the child feels.

Also, witches. Love witches.

First of all, I want to say that it feels like marketing this book as a retelling is probably a mistake. I haven’t read Goose Girl myself, but based on some other reviews I read and also my own vibes, I would call this more of a ‘loosely inspired by’ situation instead. That being said, I loved it! A Sorceress Comes to Call stays very much true to Kingfisher’s usual tone, being both hilariously lighthearted and simultaneously horrifically dark. If I had to describe this book in terms of genre, I would probably call it cozy fantasy horror.