Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this prepub ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Everything about this book, from the characters to the dark fairy tale vibes to the horror elements to the suspenseful pacing, was so enticing. The villains in particular gave me the honest-to-goodness creeps. There were a few instances where I would read this before bed and get so unsettled that I would have to put it down and turn on some self-soothing mindless television to calm me down enough to sleep.

The thing that made this unique for me was that one of the villains was a horse. Apparently this is a common theme for T. Kingfisher due to a traumatic incident involving a horse when she was a youngster, but as God has wired my brain to be obsessively passionate about horses no matter how many ways they try to kill me, I can’t identify with her in this way. This is only my second Kingfisher book, and my first encounter with this thing she has about horses, but I have to say that if you can write a horse in a way that makes me afraid to sleep and wish it would just die already… well, that’s quite a feat. I’ve never been afraid of a horse, ever. Props to you, madam, for scary me out of my cowgirl boots.

The team of protagonists were just as lovable as the villains were scary. I loved Hester’s ability to discern the situation between Evangeline and Cordelia, and how protective she became of Cordelia, and how she encouraged everyone else to do the same. I loved Penelope’s aunt-like friendship that eventually became a catalyst for motivating Cordelia to fight back against her mother. And I admire Cordelia for her tremendous courage, overcoming her timidity and fearfulness in spite of the terrifying circumstances surrounding her.

I am so glad Kingfisher has written so many fantasy stories. I will be jumping with both feet into as many as I can get my hands on - even though she feels the way she does about my beloved horses - and if I enjoy all of them as much as the first two I’ve read, I think I’m going to have a new favorite author on my list. So spooky and thrilling!

Such a great, moody yet fun read! I really enjoyed this re-imagined fairy tale. I can't wait to tell others about it.

Spooky, quirky, and honestly super fun; T. Kingfisher absolutely kills it in this horror retelling of Grimms Fairy Tale "The Goose Girl".
Surprisingly enough, this was my first T Kingfisher book, and let me tell you, I am so eager to read more!
I loved the writing style, the plot was interesting and kept my attention, and the characters were well developed! I loved that it was under 400 pages too. I think the story was told well enough in the amount of pages given, and didn't need to be any longer. I find a lot of writers write long books just for the sake of having a long book these days. It's nice to find a great book that is satisfying in under 400 pages!

Although I absolutely enjoyed the book, I give it 4 stars. This is simply because it's not a book that I would rave about. But, I would still highly recommend it and get excited when I hear that someone is reading it.

Best suited for those that love reading quirky, grotesque, spooky books! Readers that are already fans of T Kingfisher will not be disappointed!

T. Kingfisher hits it out of the ballpark again with this gothic reimagining of the classic fairytale The Goose Girl. True to style, A Sorceress Comes to Call centers on a young woman’s journey to do what’s right against all odds and the family she finds along the way. Cleverly quirky characters that are never overdone, livestock behaving in unexpected ways, along with witty and comedic dialog, keep the reader engaged from the first page to the last.
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fantastic ARC.

This is classic T. Kingfisher quirky writing and well crafted characters who I adore. I didn't connect quite as much with this book as I have others, but I still enjoyed it. Note that it has slightly more horror components than other fantasies she's written.

T. Kingfisher is becoming one of my favorite authors.
This is the perfect mix of fairy tale, fantasy and horror.
A retelling of the Goose Girl, A Sorceress Comes to Call follows the lives of Cordelia and Hester as their worlds collide and they become friends while trying to figure out what to do about Cordelia's mother who is not quiet what she seems.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark and twisted story about a girl named Cordelia with a Sorceress, Evangeline, as her mother. Cordelia has been living under her mother's terror and has grown to be a timid and jumpy girl. The mother and daughter went to live with a wealthy old Squire and his sister Hester. Evangeline was planning to marry the Squire herself and marry Cordelia off to a wealthy man. Everyone and everything that stands in Evangeline's way was in danger. Cordelia, Hester, and the group of house guests needed to find a way to face the sorceress.

This book did an awesome job building up the atmosphere of repression and fear. It's a total page-turner that makes you want to find out what happened to the characters and how they can overcome the unknowns and challenges. It's a retelling of the fairy tale Goose Girl, but the story is only loosely related to the original. It has a life of its own.

If you like a spooky story that has dark secrets, ghosts and demons, and of course sorcery, but also with heart-warming found family and love, then this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC!

I was very excited to read this anticipated new novel: T. Kingfisher’s fairy tale and fantasy stories are some of my favourites (though I haven’t yet read any of her horror novels). This, a dark fairy tale retelling loosely based on The Goose Girl, might be a combo of both of those styles. I had to look up the inspirational tale, and the only twisted connections I could surmise were the horse and geese (the guard-geese are a fun inclusion).

Set in Regency-esque times, Cordelia, 14, is made to be obedient by her mother, who is a sorceress. When her mother decides to marry for money, they both move in with the unwitting gentleman and his sister, Hester. But Hester is quite perceptive, and we follow along as she and Cordelia (along with their dinner party guests) try to free themselves from the sorceress’ evil scheming before more bodies pile up. While this lacks an expansive setting or deep world building, its strength is its characters. Once again Kingfisher has written a strong older female character, which is refreshing (although she at times reads older than her age), and the relationship between the older characters and younger Cordelia is heart warming. The various colourful side characters add additional pops of humour and heart.

Though the baddie is very bad and there are multiple bloody murders, I thought this read more like a young adult novel, and the writing style, depth, and pacing reflects that, or perhaps is reminiscent of a slow moving regency era week long dinner party classic, or perhaps the ARC I read needed a bit more polish. I’m not the biggest fan of young adult novels, nor regency classics, so this won’t be up there with my favourite Kingfisher stories, but I did enjoy it for what it was and was glad to spend a couple evenings reading it.

In the end this is an accessible, suspenseful tale that fans of dark fairy tale retellings (and particularly the author’s previous works) will enjoy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this. T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors. I haven’t read one book yet that I didn’t like. You get so immersed in the story without being bogged down. I loved all of the characters, and truly this was a delightful read.

This is the first I have read a book by this author (Kingfisher). The opening scene was arresting and the overall story unfolded at a great pace to keep my interest. I don't have a tremendous amount of free time to read, but I found myself thinking about the story, wondering where it would move next and looking forward to the next opportunity to continue reading. Well written, descriptive with a satisfying ending. Will recommend.

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: fantasy, sorcerers/sorceresses, Victorian era, fairytales, T. Kingfisher

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 5/11 and will be posted to my review blog on 5/30 and to Instagram on 6/7.

As usual, Kingfisher does not disappoint. Her books tend to fall into two categories: fairytale-esque or fantasy horror, and this one is one of the fairytale-esque ones. Like Nettle & Bone though, it does have some creepy elements.

The world this book is set in is a world of small magics. Sorcerers and sorceresses are known to put magic on things for petty reasons, such as to change hair color, cheat at cards, or get more money for a horse than it's worth. Big magic, like controlling people, is thought to be an old wives' tale. But Cordelia knows better. She may have led a sheltered life and not know what everyone else thinks of magic, but she knows what her mother can do, and her mother definitely utilizes the world's perception of magic to her advantage.

This book is very much a story of escaping abuse, and the support system that's necessary for doing so. Cordelia has lived her entire life under her mother's thumb, and while her mother doesn't lay a hand on her, she certainly prevents her from having any privacy and she does lay her magic on her. Hester recognizes something is off about Evangeline, Cordelia's mother, immediately, as does Cordelia's lady's maid (Alice) at the Squire's house. Hester wants to get rid of Evangeline before she can do something to her brother, but at the same time she wants to protect Cordelia. The scheme ends up involving multiple different people as they try to save Cordelia and the Squire. I really liked how everyone who was let in on what was going on immediately jumped on the bandwagon of getting rid of Evangeline, and even if they didn't believe Cordelia about the magic at first, they definitely believed her when she said something was wrong.

Hester is very no-nonsense and pretty much takes things in stride. She clocks Evangeline as Bad News before the woman even arrives at the door, and her perception ends up being frighteningly correct. Once Evangeline and Cordelia move in, and Hester gets to see how Cordelia behaves, she immediately sets about inviting some of her closest confidantes to the house in order to figure out what's going on and then get rid of Evangeline. I liked Hester and enjoyed seeing her interact with her friends. I also liked seeing the camaraderie she had with the staff of the house. She does harp a bit on being old, but if I'm not mistaken she's only in her 50s, which is middle-aged, not old (and this is coming from someone in her 20s, you're not old until you're in your 70s!).

Cordelia is a young teen who's been almost entirely isolated from the outside world and subject to her mother's cruelties and whims for her entire life. When exposed to the world, she's not only not quite sure how to act, but also terrified of getting something wrong and bringing her mother's wrath down on her and the household. I liked seeing Cordelia get the chance to blossom and discover that she's charming and has her own strengths. I also liked that she made friends with Hester and Hester's friends, and that they took her under their wing not just for protection but because they liked her. Cordelia definitely grows into herself throughout the book and becomes quite bold. By the end, while she's still scared of her mother, she understands that she's her own person and that she does have the strength to fight against her, particularly when there are other people on her side.

The side characters were all lovely (not Evangeline) and I really enjoyed reading their interactions. Imogene is a longtime friend of Hester's and is not only very no-nonsense, but she's sharp as a tack and has a nice streak of ruthlessness in her. She has no qualms about suggesting they push Evangeline down the stairs to solve their problem. Penelope Greene was a wonderful character of a person and I enjoyed her not-too-over-the-top over-the-topness. She's bold and doesn't care what anyone else thinks. Richard (Lord Evermore) balances out the group with a gentle pragmatism. He and Hester used to be lovers, and Hester kind-of-but-not-totally regrets not marrying him when he offered. Regardless, he stands as a good solid presence in the group and is immediately ready to believe Hester and do what needs to be done. You can also tell he's a man written by a woman because enduringly understanding of Hester and continues to love and support her, as well as the fact that (view spoiler). I also treasure Alice, Cordelia's lady's maid, who immediately clocks that something is wrong between Cordelia and Evangeline and immediately acts as Cordelia's protector before going to Hester with her concerns. The girls strike up a friendship and I liked that they got along so well. Tom is the butler of the house and a longtime friend of Hester and the Squire. He also immediately notices something off and is willing to go all-in on a plan to get rid of Evangeline. Tom also has some funny jokes that subtly reference the "butler did it" trope, which I enjoyed.

While the geese take a while to come into the story, I do appreciate the geese. There are a bunch of goose families where I live and I love seeing the babies each year, but a lot of people seem to dislike geese on principle, so I like that the geese are the good guys in this story. They add a humorous element to the story as well, once it's clear what their purpose is.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this story and thought the characters were very strong. I liked seeing their relationships with one another and how they all interacted.

Immediately I was drawn to T. Kingfisher’s clever charm and wit as she beautifully wrote this story.
I asked myself in the beginning do I need to read another fairy tale retelling? The answer is yes and this one was a winner for me.

I was rooting for Cordelia all the way through as she navigates harsh conditions, new relationships, and continuous abuse from her mother Evangeline, a sorceress.
And then there is Falada, Evangeline’s horse and familiar. Oh, Falada.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for allowing me to read this book and give my honest review.

T. Kingfisher has done it again! My very first book was Nettle and Bone and I loved it. This book had me falling had over heels in love again. The writing is superb, witty and clever. The characters are so thoughtfully layered. The conversations are effortless. The whole plot was full of imagination. Do not delay and read this book now!!! My review will NEVER do this justice. This book is a super 5 star read. I could not stop reading it and found so many things relatable even in a regency fantasy setting.

Kingfisher's writing is always enjoyable. I especially like when she gives the reader the viewpoints through the main protagnoists. In this title those are from a teenage girl and a middle aged woman, who end up befriending one another against a villianous character(s). Per usual, the characters are nicely fleshed out, the pacing was good, and the setting is clear - this book just wasn't my favorite of hers as nothing stood out to make it extraordinary.

Truly fantastic. It was equal parts cozy and terrifying, with some truly interesting bits of magic and some very charming characters. The story was excellently paced and felt neither too long nor too short. I especially enjoyed the focus on a more psychological form of horror and the exploration of familial abuse.

I suppose, if I was really trying to dig around for a complaint, I might say that I wish Cordelia's arc had been concluded in a little more definitive of a way, but her ending the story without any clear plans for the future seems fairly realistic for her situation.

Altogether, this felt like a combination of Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and A House With Good Bones, and it's definitely going in my list of the top-five Kingfisher books.

T. Kingfisher continues to be one of my favorite authors. Her re-tellings and original stories are some of my most absolute favorites. I didn't know anything about this story before I wanted to read it and had already had it pre-ordered just because it was something new by T. Kingfisher. That said, imagine my surprise when I started reading and it got weird and dark quickly. We obviously know there is a sorceress, but I didn't expect the roller coaster ride which followed straight through to the end. After I finished, I went back and read that it was a dark reimagine of a Brother's Grimm tale and it all clicked. Another great story to add to my collection.

Wow. This one! Cordelia knows there’s something strange about her mother. The book takes us through her perspective as she gains an understanding of the world she lives in and her mother’s desires for them to marry rich men. I loved this book which is part magic, mystery, and horror all wrapped into one. The characters were so full and enjoyable with their own unique flaws and reasons to love them. I couldn’t stop thinking about this book.

Okay, this book totally caught me by surprise. It was a dark, fairytale-esque book AND IT WAS SO GOOD. I loved all the characters, the plot was awesome and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I’m definitely a mood reader and this fit the bill of being totally different from anything else I’ve read lately. Nothing was overused or overdone, I didn’t want to put it down.

So good!!! This is a book I wish I could experience for the first time again! T. Kingfisher's work is exceptional and this book is another wonderful example of how well she creates a thriller. I was sucked in quickly and devoured this book!

"A Sorceress Comes to Call" by T. Kingfisher is a delightful journey into a world where magic intersects with the ordinary. Kingfisher's writing is as enchanting as the spells woven by the sorceress herself, drawing readers into a richly detailed setting filled with whimsy and darkness alike.

The characters in this tale are the true gems, each one meticulously crafted with their own quirks and motivations. From the titular sorceress to the curious townsfolk, every character feels like a fully realized individual with their own story to tell. This depth of characterization adds layers to the narrative, making it a joy to delve into the lives of these fantastical beings.

One of the strengths of "A Sorceress Comes to Call" lies in its exploration of themes. Through the interactions between characters and the events that unfold, Kingfisher touches on topics such as power, responsibility, and the consequences of one's actions. These themes are seamlessly woven into the fabric of the story, adding depth and complexity to an already engaging narrative.

While the pacing of the story may feel slow at times, particularly in the buildup to the climax, it ultimately serves to enhance the overall experience. It allows readers to fully immerse themselves in the world Kingfisher has created, savoring every moment along the way.

In conclusion, "A Sorceress Comes to Call" is a captivating read that offers a perfect blend of magic and realism. With its engaging characters, thought-provoking themes, and enchanting writing style, it's a book that's sure to leave a lasting impression. Whether you're a fan of fantasy or simply enjoy a well-told tale, this book is not to be missed.