Member Reviews
4-4.5 stars
This is said to be a reimagining of The Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm. I'm not familiar with it, so no comment there. What I do have to say is that this was thoroughly enjoyable and kind of fairy-tale-like. It was a bit dark, creepy, and suspenseful, with a bit of humor thrown in. I found one twist to be quite shocking and I am still mad at the character in question (not at the author). Overall, it was quite a satisfying and enjoyable read. I will be looking for more by this author.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.
T. Kingfisher doesn’t miss. I’ve now read three of her books and all have been intriguing, dark, magical, and truly unique. I don’t think there’s another fantasy author quite like her right now.
Sorceress is a retelling of Grimm’s “Goose Girl.” And while I’m not familiar with the original tale (🙈), I still wholly enjoyed this one.
As dark as her stories are, her characters are delightful, sarcastic, even snarky. They’ll make you laugh (and fall in love with them) amid grim happenings. Just so, so fun to read. 👏🏻
For a fan of the author and a fan of original Brothers Grimm fairy tales, this seemed like the most natural of choices.
But to be fair, I'm a fan from the humorous, southern-fried horror books and funny fantasies about goblins. I'm not a fan of Regency romances, however twisted and dark they may be. And this novel is just that, the description used by the author in the afterword. Mind you, this is well on par with the author's other work, just not the ones I prefer.
So, the reading experience had been a mixed bag. Yes, the writing was still great and occasionally funny, yes, the characters were great and occasionally funny, but the overall vibes were kind of wrong. (As in not enough to sustain this reader's interest for well over 300 pages.)
It could be right for a great many other readers, since retellings are all the rage these days, as is, lamentably, romantasy. This is definitely a very marketable and trendy novel. Thanks Netgalley.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
Everything T.Kingfisher writes manages to pack a full story with characters you feel like are your friends or that are your own enemies, where as some other books are unable to achieve that in double the pages.
A Sorceress Comes to Call is a fantastic 5⭐️ read. The writing, character development, and story don’t lack for anything. Everyone should be reading this author.
No one noticed that Cordelia moved in unison with her mother. No one ever did.
When a Sorceress Comes to Call was a historical magical realism story about a coming of age girl gaining the strength to fight back against her mother. Cordelia is fourteen years old and having stopped attending school years ago, only gains a sense of normalcy when a local girl Ellen can randomly meet up with her on one of her rides. Cordelia begins to realize that having a mother that is so controlling, not only of her thoughts but through what Cordelia calls “obedience”, where her mother actually controls her body, is not normal. It's when Cordelia gets a painful realization of betrayal that the only other friend she thought she had, her mother's horse Falada, tells her mother everything as her familiar and her mother does something that shines the light on what a true monster she is, that Cordelia begins to fight back, with some help.
Fear took her suddenly by the throat, a formless dread with no name, no shape, only a sense that something was wrong, something terrible was coming this way.
I thought this was a little less eerie than What Moves the Dead but you'll still find gruesome animal body horror, magic, supernatural elements, and thriller aspects. This was mainly told through Cordelia's eyes and the creepy tension and fear she feels from her mother was woven in strongly throughout the book. Once of the most powerful scenes for me was when Cordelia learned of Falada's betrayal. At this point, he's been her rock and the only one that seems to give Cordelia strength and when she lost that I hurt so bad for her and felt the numbness this gave her. (I must have some residual horse girl leftover from childhood because I refused to stop thinking that Falada wasn't on the side I wanted them to be for an embarrassing long time) We get a different pov when Cordelia's mom decides it's time to get a new benefactor, after she deals with her old one in a gruesome manner, and sets her sights on a squire a few towns over to marry. The squire's spinster sister Hester comes into the picture and with a little bit of magic herself, she senses right away that this new woman is “Doom”.
My mother is a sorcerer.
Around the midway point, Cordelia confides into Hester her fears of what her mother is and that she needs to be stopped; after what Hester has felt and seen, she doesn't need much convincing. The second half brings in more characters with friends of Hester that she writes to, under the guise of a house party, but really she's calling for reinforcements. Along with friends, she invites Richard, her old lover and the man that once asked her to marry him. Through them we get a little tiny romance thread that I enjoyed with their second chance romance and Hester finally mature enough to decide love is more important than letting the glare of societal expectations rule the day. Hester's more mature pov paired with Cordelia's youth, delivered a well rounded hitting all those emotions story.
And part of her— a tiny part that she had never quite lost— wanted to be there and wanted it all to be true so that her mother would love her and maybe things would change.
The ending delivered a, kind of quick, magical explanation (hitting the right “notes”??), along with the story's continued message of “water, wine, salt, and holy ground” dramatic end. There were winners, losers, and probably a lifetime of trauma from what was witnessed. The story was an enjoyable ride with it's really likable characters, a great seasonal read to pick up.
This was an incredible read. A young girl has been raised by a sorceress who is determined that (the both of them) shall marry rich, and she sets her sights on a country squire who can introduce her daughter into society. Only, of course, then the murder happens.
It's a fairy tale, but it's a fairy tale if the people in it were real. It is terrifying. The horror isn't that the mother has magic, the horror is that the mother is an abusive, self-obsessed person who sees others as tools (including her daughter, who is repeatedly forced into roles of either tool, extension of mother, or rival), and then also that she has magic that can force he will onto others directly, not just through charm and manipulation.
But it's also a fairy tale with a triumphant ending. Really a fantastic read.
Once again, T. Kingfisher delivers an original novel that is all its own. Do other novels have fantasy? Yes. Evil mothers? Sure. Shy young girls who stumble over themselves to be seen as normal? Absolutely. After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife, right? It is also known that, on occasion, a woman, a smart woman, a cunning woman, who may be in want of a husband is most certainly in want of one with such a fortune.
Historical fiction with a sprinkle of magic, an evil sorceress for a mother, a magical horse with green eyes, fortune hunting and the marriage mart, and not being able to control your own body because of certain mother with certain magic. That is A Sorceress Comes to Call in a nutshell. But it is really oh so much more. T. Kingfisher interjects these wonderful characters whose banter and wit within the pages is so robust you can almost hear it as it is happening. One can sense the cutting looks, the tightening in one's chest that comes with the anxiety of having made a misstep, the smell of propriety and fresh brewed tea with lumps of sugar! Oh what fun! I am now, and continue to be a fan of T. Kingfisher. Highly recommend any of her books.
My favorite T. Kingfisher yet. So glad the author is publishing longer full-length novels. While I have loved their previous novella’s, the expanded length of A sorceress comes to call allowed the author to further develop the characters
This sinister romp of a fairy tale was utterly delightful—funny, horrifying, and big-hearted, just like Nettle & Bone. If you liked that book, I recommend this one!
I enjoyed this book! It had a slower build-up to a pretty wild ending. I didn't read it particularly fast at first, but found myself really enjoying the last third or so.
Things I liked:
- Minor horror elements that didn't squick me out. As someone who's not a fan of horror in particular, but appreciates fantasy with some darker bits as long as I can stomach it, finding an author who's able to strike that balance is always exciting.
- Romance and true friendship between the older characters. The MC in this book is a YA character, but she's not part of the romantic thread, nor is she at all interested in romance because she's focused on surviving with a monster for a mother. The story's one true romance is between a couple that reads as being somewhere in their 50's-60's, and I thought it was very sweet. And the friendships that ring as the most lasting and true are also between three middle-aged ladies. I liked their feistiness and independence, and found them very fun to read.
- Fairytale vibes without being an actual retelling. While I've heard this book has been marketed in some places as a retelling of Goose Girl, I would ignore that. Yes, it has some geese and a girl, but A Sorceress Comes to Call feels more like its own tale than a rehashing of an older one.
Things I didn't like:
- As I mentioned earlier, this book took me a while to get into the story and to care about the main character. I'll admit it's entirely possible that was a me thing and not a pacing or story issue, but either way I did have to push myself to keep going at a couple points in the first half.
In addition to fans of Kingfisher's other works, I would recommend this book for readers who enjoy fairytale beats with the feel of a fresh story, and who like seeing characters of diverse ages living a full life of their choosing.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, this is an unbiased review.
This was my first Kingfisher book. I thought the plot was a great idea and retelling of goose girl. I do think at times it was slow but it was atmospheric and creepy at times. I would recommend this as a fall time read for sure.
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for this arc!!!
5/5 stars!!
I absolutely loved this book! Perfect creepy fall vibes. Honestly though, if you have parents or parental figures who are manipulative, controlling, and have narcissistic/abusive tendencies, tread lightly as Cordelia's mother Evangeline is truly evil, very reminiscent of mother Gothel in Tangled. She was a fantastic villain and I absolutely hated her and was so anxious for Cordelia and Hester the whole time. I love the dual POVs between Cordelia and Hester, and how their relationship grew from wariness to genuine love, giving them the family they never had. This was beautiful, gruesome, haunting, and oh so good. I love how it ended. Perfect fall read!!
Review: A Sorceress comes to call by T. Kingfisher
Quotes: "The knowledge that she was alone and no one could see her that she could do anything, say anything, think anything and no one would be the wiser- made her feel fierce and wicked and brave."
"The problem with being rich is that you simply have no idea how expensive it is to be poor."
"I had a terrible feeling when I saw her. You know how people talk about love at first sight? This was like... fear at first sight."
"Something's weighing on you," he said, looking down at her. "What can I do?" ...
"You're here," she said. "That helps more than I can say,"
"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."
Review: A Dark reimagining of The Brother's Grimm "The Goose Girl"
Cordelia has been under her mother's control her entire life. Her mother, Evangeline, has an ability to make her "obedient" and can do so for days at a time. She has no control over her body when this happens. She lives in constant fear and anxiety about it. When their benefactor is no longer supporting them, under gruesome circumstances. They move in with a new rich man. Who happens to have his sister living there as well. Enter Hester. She quickly realizes something isn't right about this mother and daughter and must save her brother and, somehow, Cordelia along the way.
This reads like a regency classic novel with a little blend of fantasy and horror. Dark in moments. I feel like it approaches parental abuse in a fantasy setting quite well. You immediately hope for Cordelia to get away from her mother. Hester was very likable and an unlikely hero in some ways. The cast of characters introduced are tremendous as expected from a T. Kingfisher story. Some found family too. A perfect read for someone wanting a not top scary sort of read for spooky season.
I give this 4.25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks for reading 📚
I received an advanced copy for my unbiased review from Netgalley & @torbooks and thank them for the opportunity.
Sweet, scared Cordelia has been raised in fear that she will do or say something wrong and be punished by her mother, Evangeline. With no privacy and little autonomy, Cordelia has never been able to escape her mother or confide in another person, until she meets Hester, the sister of Evangeline's next wealthy target. Hester is a clever, independent woman living with her brother. She immediately recognizes something is wrong, although she never imagined the extent of how wrong things are.
Hester gathers a small group of people entirely unsure of what they are dealing with, but determined to stop the evil sorceress and free both the Squire and Cordelia from her grasp. It's dark and tense and full of magic. With a bit of humor and a hint of romance, this wonderful cast is worth rooting for and worrying about as they risk their lives attempting to stop something they know nothing about. Overall, a gripping and enjoyable retelling.
I absolutely love T. Kingfisher's retellings. This one was no exception. It was creepy and somewhat disturbing. I loved Cordelia and her bravery to stand against her evil mother. The writing is amazing and the setting is dark and gothic.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the Author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I was so stoked to recieve this arc! I'm a huge T. Kingfisher fan and I would eagerly read her grocery list. It was a little slow paced to start, but I trust Kingfisher to see it through. I highgly recomend this fairy tell retelling to any and everyone!
T, Kingfisher is such.a prolific author and I was thrilled to read and love this story as much as I did.
I will be recommending this to people who love fairy tales that go a bit sideways!
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher is a loose retelling of Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm. The original story Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm is 5 pages long and involves a princess, a little sorcery, and a horse named Falada who talks. T. Kingfisher has told an original story borrowing Falada the horse that talks, cutting all the princess stuff, and adding a lot more sorcery. The Brothers Grimm story was not that good and had not heard of it before this book. T. Kingfisher has added so much to the story making it scary, compassionate, and adding a lot of heart. The story is pretty simple a mother raising a daughter by herself is tired of being poor and wants to marry into a better class. She finds an older man to do just that. The sister can see that the mother isn't marrying her brother for love, and tries to stop it. What makes the story interesting is the mother is a murderous sorceress who will stop at nothing to move to a higher class of society. The story is well-paced and very focused. The length of the novel was perfect. The were lots of surprises within the story and there was a "holy shit" moment that was so intense and went the opposite of where I thought a scene was going that was so exciting and scary. The climax could have been a little better but it was followed by such a shocking scene that it could not be topped. The novel is full of such wonderful characters that are very memorable and very unique. This book surprised me in a good way and is in my top five novels published this year so far. This is the second T. Kingfisher novel I liked The Twisted Ones but prefer A Sorceress Comes to Call. I read A Sorceress Comes to Call thanks to Netgalley and Tor Books for giving me a free copy. A Sorceress Comes to Call was published on August 6, 2024.
Plot Summary: Cordelia is a shy sheltered kid who lets her mother, Evangeline, push her around and occasionally embody her like a puppet. Evangeline is a sorceress at a time when sorceress's lives are more a rumor than true and can only do paltry tricks like making a face look like it has no blemishes and enchanting animals to look prettier, no one is prepared for the dark magic that Evangeline can do. Cordelia wants to run away and tries with her horse Falada, but soon finds out her mother controls him and he can talk and tell everything she says about her mother. Evangeline leaves for days and comes back telling her daughter to go with her and that she is staying with an older man she intends to marry for money that Cordelia will play the good little daughter or her mother will make her. When they get to the house they meet Samuel the head of the household and Hester his sister who sees through Evangeline's plan to marry her brother for money, not love. Hester is a little sympathetic to Cordelia but notices that she is sometimes like someone else entirely. Hester doesn't know she's dealing with a sorceress and invites an old flame of her brother's to stay at the house. Things don't go the way Hester plans as murder, beheading, and possession enter their home when a sorceress comes to call.
What I Liked: The characters make a great ensemble. When Cordelia and Evangeline get to the house every character that we meet gets a little moment. I like that we see how the gossip spreads through the house from the maids and butlers to the lords of the manor. There's a scene that I don't want to spoil for anyone that involves Falada, the horse, that is so shocking, scary, and just crazy. The scene kind of steals the novel because when the climax comes there is no way they could top that scene. I loved the friendships and how people worked together for a common enemy. I liked how the novel doesn't go into cliches with Cordelia learning sorcery and in a short time can beat her mother who's been practicing it for 30 years. I was happy not to see the novel go in this direction. I loved all the card-playing scenes they were funny and a great way to provide exposition. I liked the balance of horror, fantasy, and heart that the novel had. Hester was my favorite character and I love her character arc. I liked the way the sorcery was used.
What I Disliked: I wanted the scene of Evangeline and Samuel meeting for the first time, we see so little of Evangeline's charm I wanted to see it in action. The climax was a little bit of a letdown because of the "holy shit" scene that steals the novel. I was thinking how is T. Kingfisher going to top that and she did not. The climax was just okay, but I wanted better.
Recommendation: A Sorceress Comes to Call blew me away with how good the story was. The pace was great throughout, the novel had some shocking moments, it had scary moments, and the novel had so much heart. I fully recommend you check out this great story. I liked A Sorceress Comes to Call a lot more than The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher but it was a book that was very atmospheric and great with scary imagery.
Rating: I rated A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher 4.7 out of 5 stars.
A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an egalley in exchange for an honest review!
The first 10% or so was a little bit on the slow (and depressing) side, but I trust Kingfisher to always deliver a good book, and was not disappointed; after Cordelia and Hester start being friends it gets very hard to put down. All of the friendships in this one are good, really.
I love Kingfisher's commitment to giving middleaged women fantasy adventures (and romance!), as well as this line that I will be thinking about forever and ever*:
"She didn’t have a headache but it felt as if she ought to." Girl me too
*shh it's ok I made sure this made it into the final version (because I bought it because I liked the book very very much)
I'm a Kingfisher fan, so I was very much looking forward to this, and it didn't disappoint! Even though her books are often straddling or just over the line of too romantic for my taste, she has this way of writing that's so compelling! I lose myself in the story every time, and I read this one almost entirely in one sitting.
The setup here is so chilling, and the perspective is crucial—from the first moments, we understand that Cordelia is being abused, and we quickly know that some kind of magic is involved, but seeing the story through her eyes means that we know as little as she does about the world she's trapped in. The world of her household, alone with her mother and their horse, and the world outside that she's never been allowed to see or learn about. How common is this magic? How easily, or not, could Cordelia get away? Every new progression of the plot reveals more and keeps drawing you forward, trying to get your bearings as much as Cordelia is.
And Hester, the other perspective we get! What a joy she is, I can't help but fall in love with a fat middle-aged woman with a bad knee, being one myself. She's a breath of fresh air through the whole thing, the voice of stubborn wisdom. I'm delighted by her no-nonsense-ness and her love of geese. Honestly the whole ensemble cast of this book is great, each lovable in their own ways with the notable exception of Cordelia's mother, who is satisfyingly and realistically awful.
My eyes were glued to the page from start to finish, which is always a treat.