Okay so I realized that I enjoyed T. Kingfisher's writing a while ago and this story has continued my love for this author.

The characters were perfectly placed, they fed off of each other and moved the story along at a good clip. The conversations with Hester, Willard, Penelope, and Imogene were extremely entertaining and gave well placed comic relief in a very emotional and dark telling. This book touched on a few real life situations that made it, in areas, a tear-jerking heartbreaker, The fact that Cordelia is basically being abused both physically and mentally by her mother, being made to do and say things against her will by compulsion or obedience as stated in the story. Then being forced to lie about her age for the purposes of marrying a wealthy suitor in an attempt to secure her mother's financial security. Every time these scenes came up I was an emotional wreck, angry and sad at the same time.. Cordelia could have been my niece, whew! I was exhausted.

Hester calling Cordelia's mother danger throughout the book made me giggle for some reason. I could picture the two siblings eyeballing each other and the sassy sister giving the "You can't be serious" face to her brother lol. It was also heartwarming when she began reflecting on love and aging.

I don't want to give away too much of the book.

This was a 10 out of 10 for me.

I LOVED IT!

Out on August 6, 2024! Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my ARC.

T.Kingfisher is back at it again with another gothic tale that will make you feel anger, nauseau, dread, but also hope and love! This was darker than I anticipated, but I loved it! This is loosely inspired from a Brothers Grimm fairytale that covers shapeshifting and magic, trickery, murder, and a poor girl that is taken advantage of. A lot of the details have been changed though, so if you read the original story, you won't spoil anything here.

To start things off: Evangeline was horrendous! From cover to cover I hated that woman. Poor Cordelia had to put up with her for her entire life (14 years old), while I only did for 11 hours and I don't know how I managed it without throwing something. This was the main reason why I did not rate this book 5 stars. There is nothing wrong with the writing or characterization of Evangeline, she is an amazing villain. I just don't like spending most of a book feeling rage towards a character. However, it needed to be done! We need a seemingly unstoppable villain that would not see reason, and Evangeline fit the bill. There was a lovely juxtaposition between the crass and selfish depiction of Evangeline and the crass (in a good way), witty, humble, and caring depiction of Hester. I would love to live with Hester and spend all day playing cards, doing crafts, taking merry little jaunts via horseback, and talking crap with her, Imogen Strauss, and Penelope Green.

The storyline is eerie, creepy, and gorey at times. It also has a signature quirk to it that I'm beginning ot notice with T.Kingfisher's writing. The gore was very horror-esque, but I wish there was more tension building up. I didn't find myself on the edge of my seat while reading this book. But I was very curious on how the plot would play out and how the gang would band together to stop Evangeline from her dubious plan.

Summary: Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.

But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers.

When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother's next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother's plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family.

Review: I ADORED this book. I was enthralled the entire time I was reading. The entire time. I loved the story and the magic and the different characters. This would be a perfect, magical October read. Perfection. The audiobook was amazing as well.

As my first fantasy read from author T. Kingfisher, this was such a fun book! I loved the premise and how the cast of characters came together to accomplish their goal. The dialogue was enjoyable and I really felt immersed in the story, which is usual for T. Kingfisher's stories.

I have a 3-strikes-and-you're-out policy with authors and unfortunately this is number 3 for T. Kingfisher (for me) I cannot possibly place my finger on what it is about these books that never scratches the itch in my brain. I wish I had better news.

This was an easy story to get into. The writing was eloquent and fluid. The mother-daughter relationship was remarkably well thought out and present in the daughters every thought, behavior and mannerisms. You really are able to connect and understand her POV. Great dark gothic story. As I have never read the story this is a rework of I cannot say whether it is an accurate representation of it or not. Will continue to love and enjoy all of T. Kingfisher. The narrator on this novel did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl, filled with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. The story follows Cordelia, a young girl who lives in a strange house and under the strict control of her unusual mother. When her mother decides it's time to find Cordelia a husband, they move into the home of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his kind, intelligent sister, Hester. Cordelia quickly realizes her mother intends to bewitch the Squire into marriage, leaving Hester to face the challenge of saving her brother and helping Cordelia escape a grim fate.

I found this book incredibly engaging. The familiar fairy tale setup felt cozy, but the dark twist added a layer of tension that kept me hooked. T. Kingfisher skillfully blended classic elements with fresh, darker tones, making the story both nostalgic and thrilling. The characters were well-developed, and the plot moved at a satisfying pace.

As for the audiobook, while I don't usually focus on rating them separately from the story, I can say this one was well-produced. The narrators were perfect for their roles, bringing distinct voices and personalities to the characters, which added positively to the story's atmosphere. It was easy to follow and enhanced the overall experience.

While the book didn't quite reach five-star territory for me, as it lacked just a bit of depth that would make it truly unforgettable, I still appreciated the craftsmanship. It's a well-told tale that balances comfort and suspense, perfect for those who enjoy dark fairy tales.



Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC & ALC of this book. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Stars
I haven't read anything from this author before and after this book I will definitely start as I really enjoyed this book! This was told from the perspectives of Cordelia and Hester who were both awesome characters to follow - Cordelia was such a relatable character and had me rooting for her from the start and I loved to see her growth throughout this. I liked the way the author subtly incorporated elements of the original Goose Girl fairy tale in this while creating a story that stands strongly on it's own as well. The audiobook narrators did a really great job at pulling me into this story (I finished it in 1 day lol) and telling it in an eerie and captivating way.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

This is not my usual pick for a book but I actually really enjoyed this one. It's inspired by the Grimm Brother's, Goose Girl and you can definitely tell pretty quickly. This book is not for the faint of heart and you shouldn't be expecting a happy fairytale for sure. Cordelia knows her mother is strange but doesn't totally understand at first. She and her mother flee their small town after a murder and her mother starts to lure a wealthy squire into marriage. What her mother didn't anticipate was that wealthy squire's sister and Cordelia forming a bond. The side characters provided some much needed comic relief in spots. Overall, this was an interesting book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the arc of this book.

This book was both Magical and Creepy. I loved the ending with the messed up horse lol. I don't want to give away a lot of details. I was able to listen to this at work and could keep up, I am sure some of my coworkers heard me gasp a couple times. I will continue to read anything this Author puts out :)

Does anyone do retellings quite like T. Kingfisher?!?

A Sorceress Comes to Call follows Cordelia, whose sorceress mother Evangeline is after a new husband and will do anything to find one. Cordelia gets pulled into a new household, a new life, and set of expectations. There is an overwhelming sense of dread and creepy atmosphere that totally captivated me.

The characters are all wonderful, you never know Evangeline's next move, Cordelia is a wonderful main character to follow with her bravery and innocence, and our other POV character Hester is such a force of nature!

Totally dark and beautiful, this is T. Kingfisher at her best!

t kingfisher never misses!!!
a perfect book to read in one sitting. easy to follow, though well written and a perfectly layered plot. interesting and magical story, cast of characters, and a touch of horror. loved the choice of setting - regency/edwardian society without being too heavy handed, did well on focusing the implications of the villany of cordillias mother and the horse...
don't know/don' remeber the goose girl so i cannot speak on this story in terms of a retelling

loved that the audiobook chose two narrators, it made the characters come more alive!

the reference to nettle & bone🖤🖤🖤

Dear Author,

I knew nothing of the Brother’s Grim tale of Goose Girl before partaking in this particular horror fantasy , but that didn’t matter. You’re telling engaged and ignited my imagination.

You intrigued and pulled on my heartstrings in the beginning , well throughout the book, following Cordelia through the horror of dealing with such a abusive mother, I wanted to help, but I was stuck on this side of the page! I was rooting for her mother’s end!

It lulled in the middle and I was worried it wasn’t going anywhere. Which is precisely when the shock and horror driven scenes recaptured my interest. In the end you had me on the edge of my seat, I wanted to know what would happen. I must know!

This was a great book. I liked the narrators, although occasionally I sped up the reading speed to get through the slow telling of it. Overall a great book and good audiobook.


Yours truly,
J. D. McCoughtry

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to this e-arc audiobook.

A dark twisted retelling of the classic Goose Girl fairytale.

This book is tense - the mother is so incredibly manipulative of her daughter and everyone else around her and it’s honestly crazy the lengths she goes to in order to get what she wants.

You’ll fall in love with some of the other characters - like the daughter who’s trying to get out from her mother’s spell (quite literally) and those around her who take the risk in helping her.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was such a good one to listen to!! I truly felt like a fly on the wall witnessing the story.

Overall, definitely recommend for a fast paced dark twisty read! Thank you so much to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Well, T. Kingfisher has done it again! While I've not read all of her books, every one I have read has been thoroughly enjoyable and she's never let me down. I love Kingfisher's style of humor, whether in an otherwise creepy novel or in a more charming tale like A Sorceress Comes to Call. Never fear, there is still plenty of darkness and gore in this one!

Cordelia is the daughter of a powerful and utterly ruthless sorceress, Evangeline, who is also a pretty terrible mother. She wants to marry well so she can marry Cordelia to a wealthy man and she'll stop at nothing, not even murder, to get her way. Cordelia has spent her life in fear of "being made obedient" to her mother's whims, but as she starts to become close to Hester, the spinster sister of the squire Evangeline plans to marry, and Hester's friends, Cordelia begins to realize she has the power to stand up for herself.

Every character is utterly delightful, from the anxious Cordelia and vindictive Evangeline to the charming Penelope and unflappable Willard. I loved them all and they made me laugh plenty as they tried to outfox Evangeline's sorcery. Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens were great narrators. This is one of my favorite books so far this year.

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this book.

Interesting read!

This one borders on Magicks and other worlds…but still has a firm foot in reality!

Cordelia is a young teenage girl, whose mother is a sorcerer, but she’s not aware of this. She just knows that her mother, Evangeline, is able to do things to her to make her obedient. And trust me, one thing you’d never want to be in this book is obedient!

When her love crush kind of abandons her, well, she picks up, with Cordelia and flees in the middle of the night.

She then sets her sights on a wealthy Squire man…and woos him with tales until he asks her to stay with him for a while. Of course his sister, Hester, is there to supervise, or it would not be right in the eyes of the community…
And, funny thing, Cordelia feels at home with Hester. Feels like she might be the only one in the world that she can trust…

As the story unfolds, we get to see the lives of these ‘kind of royals’ through the eyes of a child. We see the relationships and bonds that form. And we also see a bit of Magicks, or magical realism…

It’s sweet at times, and utterly GORY at others…but hold on to your hat, and the edge of your seat, for this ride! This is one you will not want to miss!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which releases in about 10 days, on 8/6/24.

#ASorceressComesToCall by #TKingfisher and narrated nicely by #ElizaFoss and #JenniferPickens.

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I have loved everything that I’ve read by T. Kingfisher, and A Sorceress Comes to Call is no exception.

Bewitching and dark — I could not stop listening to this grim retelling of the classic Goose Girl fairytale. 🪿 T. Kingfisher is a master storyteller, bridging elements of fantasy with horror.

The atmosphere felt eerie and haunting and serves as a perfect setting for this story. This retelling is undeniably dark, yet it still maintains a fairytale structure.

The narrators were excellent! I highly recommend listening to the audiobook.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the gifted ALC! Opinions are my own.

4.5. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I typically do not read this genre, but the author does well capturing your attention. The author writes beautifully.

I loved the main characters and loved the narrators. The book did read as though it was fantasy/YA. I was surprised it was not YA, especially with Cordelia being 14.

I would have like more of a follow up to where they all ended up in the end, perhaps years later.

If you like fantasy/sci-fi, you should check it out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this book.

This was my first book by this author so I really did not know what to expect. I really enjoyed the audiobook. It was interesting to have one of the FMCs being an older woman, I feel like that is pretty rare. It could have moved a little faster but overall I really enjoyed it and would definitely check out other books from this author.

This was my first T.Kingfisher book, but not my last. This somehow had such a perfect balance of dark/horror and somehow cozy vibes? I don't know how else to describe it but it was great. O times that it pulled me out of the story each time. And to be hones