It's always hard to review a book that I liked, but didn't love. The mc here is great, and the relationship between her, her mother, and Falada is ... unique, interesting, extremely well-done. Slowly discovering that your mother is a sorceress and that's why you're so afraid of her is quite the premise. YET. Most of this book is supporting characters chitchatting and I never had a good handle on the setting because the haunting tableaus of T Kingfisher's other books weren't present here. So idk. Kind of recommend.

Kingfisher writes engaging fantasies that draw the reader in and keep them turning page after page. This retelling of the Goose Girl fairy tale felt truly original and well thought out with memorable characters, great pacing, and a story that keep me interested from page one to the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and this book is in my top ten for the year so far.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC for me to read. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up

A Sorceress Comes to Call blends historical fantasy with horror elements in a dark retelling of The Goose Girl that deals with parental abuse and narcissism. I love when Kingfisher leans toward horror and I thought this was excellently written.

It's a dual perspective story, which I thought was great. The contrast between the two main characters of such different ages and experiences works really well and I was invested in both of their stories. Cordelia is a sheltered young woman with a mother who never allows her a closed door and can physically control her body through magic. But she seeks a wealthy husband who can in turn open doors for Cordelia to marry well. What she goes through is harrowing at times, but I found the story to be incredibly compelling. The original tale is already quite dark and this leans into that. If you enjoy Kingfisher's horror, I would absolutely recommend it! The audio narration is great and works perfectly for the historical narrative. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

4.5⭐️ this was really enjoyable (I tandem read this with the audio, the narrators were really good) I am not familiar with the Goose Girl story but this was entertaining and mysterious , with great characters and some nice surprises. I also appreciated the Easter egg of Nettle and Bone.

This is a tough one. I’d give a good 5⭐ for the last 25% because it was *perfectly* dark and weird and hilarious and creepy and captivating, but I can’t ignore the dragging I felt midway through the book.

❤️ Complex, likeable characters
❤️ Great blend of humour, romance, mystery, and folk horror
❤️ Eerie atmosphere
❤️ Immersive writing style
❌ Dull main character
❌ Repetitions of “Yes, mother” and “Errr”
❌ Weird ghost subplot
❌ Pace too slow for most of the book

Trigger warnings: violence, child abuse, emotional and physical abuse, blood and gore, murder, death, animal cruelty and death, body horror, injury and injury detail, gaslighting, toxic relationship, confinement, panic attacks, suicide, etc.

Plot:
Cordelia has never known privacy, friendship, or freedom. After a suspicious murderous rampage shakes their small town, she is whisked away by her mother, Evangeline, in the middle of the night. They seek refuge in a remote country manor, where Evangeline tries to lure a rich, middle-aged bachelor into marriage to secure her future. Cordelia knows her mother is a sorceress, and that great evil will soon befall the household, but she finds an unexpected ally in Hester, the man’s kind and smart spinster sister.

This book has it all: dark magic, witty and dry humour, murder mystery, folk horror, friendship, sweet romance, animal sidekicks, a badass group of middle-aged aristocrats, resourceful and courageous maids and butlers, ghosts (although that subplot seemed a bit out of place), familiars, and subtle feminism (the men are there for comic relief or as love interests, sidekicks, or helpful backups, but it’s really the ladies who do all the work!) There’s a sharp turn about 75% in, when the plot moves to a new area and the pace speeds up dramatically, and I wish it had happened sooner in the book. Although I often have similar issues with Kingfisher’s pacing, she’s still one of my auto-buy authors because of her spotless worldbuilding, storytelling, and writing.

Characters:
As a main character, I thought Cordelia was… okay. I understand that her submissive and dull personality is due to inexperience and years of mental and physical abuse, but it still got on my nerves that all she could ever say was “Yes, mother” and “Err.” Thankfully, the other characters more than made up for it: Hester, Richard, Imogene, Alice, WILLARD. (Part of me is sad I’ll never be friends with that group.) And, of course, the geese and Falada the horse were *chef’s kiss*.

Writing:
Nobody writes eerie settings like Kingfisher. She’s the only author I know who will blend witty humour, light romance, and a growing sense of unease before taking a hard turn to horror. Her seemingly effortless prose is always sharp, evocative, deliberate, lyrical, and playful. It pulls you in and pulls you along unexpected twists and turns.

Audiobook:
The two narrators were amazing, with voices and execution that were a perfect fit for the atmosphere. However, I wished Cordelia’s voice actor had been more age appropriate. She sounded way too mature for a 14-year-old character.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
No Spice/Not Romance
4⭐️ Narrator

Overall I think this book was well written and an interesting story, but maybe just wasn’t the book for me. I mostly like to read romance and this very much is not. So while I won’t be rereading it or reading more from the author, I want to review it objectively. If you are interested in a darkish YA fantasy with no romance I think you would love this book.

The story was very straightforward while still being interesting. We knew who the “bad guy” was and what she was trying to do from the beginning. The horse being in on it was sad and unexpected and I really thought the story was gonna go in a different direction in the beginning, so that was a good twist.

The characters were well fleshed out and interesting, and I was captivated enough to want to know what was going to happen to all of them. Mostly I read this in one sitting because I really wanted to see the mom get taken down at the end.

I think having the back and forth narratives of a 14 year old girl and a 50 year old woman was really interesting, and the narrator did a great job of making it obvious which character was speaking.

Overall, the story was interesting and dark (as far as YA type books go) I highly suggest reading this book/author

3.75 stars

Audiobook is very well read by two narrators. In this case, I really like that each narrator reads the portion of the story written from their character's point of view (rather than having one narrator read both). This truly distinguishes each part, and gives added context.

In the past couple of years, T. Kingfisher has risen from completely unknown, to one of my new favourite authors. I personally think that she is absolutely brilliant at both retelling older tales, as well as creating whole new worlds of her own.

Before we get started, I have never read the original Grimm's fairytale "The Goose Girl". And while I gather that there are many variations on the original, the differences and complexity of the full-length novel that the author gifts us with in this retelling, are pure gold.

Though, this isn't my favourite book that I have ever read of hers, it does carry much of her trademark style that I so enjoy. First, she has a way of writing that brings characters into the fold with such subtlety, that (while you have been paying attention to the plot) you have unknowingly fallen in love with the quirkiest, weirdest or most incredibly-fallible folks. Plus, while it seems like story is simply chugging along, these semi-loveable weirdos have faced all kinds of challenge and nuanced growth.

There are very few authors that I know of, that can write the absolute CREEPIEST stuff. T. Kingfisher needs not resort to actual horror or violence to tempt nightmares. In fact - based on my previous readings - I was expecting this retelling to be much more bone-chilling than it turned out to be. This is partially why I haven't given this full stars.

This book also seemed to take quite some time really getting started. The background and history are certainly essential to the overall tale. And yet, I am wondering if it couldn't have been sped up a bit, or dealt-in via flashbacks or memories while the story continued a-pace.

Regardless of these minor "imperfections"(in my view), *A Sorceress Comes to Call* is a devilishly dark, magical tale that just-so-happens to include some really wholesome folk! Told from the point of view of both the Sorceress's daughter, and her sassy new potential Aunt-to-be, each new selfish manipulation is ultimately discovered .... but not before some truly horrific things occur. If only they can work out the Sorceress's real intentions and hopefully put a stop to it all before anyone else gets hurt!!

If you like a bit of creepy fairytale with both downright nasty and fully wholesome beings, know what geese can really be like, and want to cheer for the imperfect raggamuffin gang trying to save their bit of the (somewhat magical) world - then this one's for you! Though check the trigger warnings if mentions of certain violent acts upset you.

Huge gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for an AudioARC, in exchange for my honest review.

Another banger from Kingfisher! This is a gothic supernatural bildungsroman that feels like it's set in the late 1800's. Kingfisher has given us a world that feels real, full and rich. Her characters are perfectly flawed and engaging. There are also easter eggs from Kingfisher's other works that enrich the novel if you know them but still build a beautiful portrait if you're not familiar. I would recommend this novel for Kingfisher fans, obviously, fans who have aged up from Rick Riordan, School for Good and Evil or fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and other authors in her genre.

Thank you NetGalley for a chance to listen to the audiobook! I really enjoyed the narrators and couldn’t turn it off! It was very good and kept me wondering what would happen next! Glad it wasn’t so predictable so it kept my interest!

Ok, let’s sum up what we have here:

An alt-history regency comedy of manners survival horror retelling of The Goose Girl with magic.

Oh and one of the main characters is an older, independent woman with a complex inner and social life, grappling with the choices she’s been forced to make in order to preserve that independence.

I absolutely cannot tell you how much I loved this book.

Having said that, be warned, the other main character, a child, faces some truly heinous abuse from her mother, many instances of which are depicted quite viscerally (not gratuitously, just…intensely).

Kingfisher weaves all these elements together into a WILD ride that somehow makes perfect sense and has the most cathartic, deliciously satisfying conclusion.

The two narrators do a fantastic job, and compliment each other perfectly.

I’m unfamiliar with the fairy tale this book is based on, but that didn’t dampen my enjoyment of it.

Cordelia has spent all of her 14 years under the thumb of her controlling mother who makes her ‘obedient’ by taking control of her body entirely.

As you may have guessed, her mother is a the sorceress in question.

When her mother decides it’s time to find a rich husband after her previous benefactor grows tired of her they travel to a city and impose upon the manor of an aging squire and his sister, Hester.

In Hester, Cordelia finds a friend and safe place. Eventually they conspire together to free Cordelia, and the squire, from the sorceress’s clutches.

I love T. Kingfisher and this fell in line with that sentiment. I appreciate how complex the female characters get to be.

The narrator was good, but the pronunciation of Evangeline threw me.

Unsurprisingly, I loved this story. For this one, I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the play of two narrators to handle the two major points of view within the book.

This story follows Cordelia who knows that her mother is odd, but over the course of the book comes to realize just how different and problematic she truly is. In addition to being a social climber at the expense of those around her, her mother is a sorceress who is unafraid to use her powers to get what she wants no matter the cost.

The other character we follow, Hester, was one of my favorite heroines in Kingfisher's novels thus far. She was witty, sarcastic, and resourceful, but was in no way perfect and she knows it. She knew what her weaknesses were and played to them as well as her strengths. She and her friend circle made it possible to eventually free Cordelia from the abuse she was receiving at her mother's hands.

This novel did explore themes of abuse, codependency, bodily autonomy, and physical disability among other topics, so be aware of them if they're things you're sensitive to. From my perspective the themes were handled tactfully and in no way glorified any of these issues, instead finding way to work with or confront them.

I fully to have a physical copy of this book on hand and have pre-ordered the book. A sorceress comes to call will be a wonderful addition to my home library and I will likely reread it in the future.

A big thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the book in advance in exchange for reviewing the novel honestly. I loved the chance to enjoy another story from T. Kingfisher and will continue trying to get my hands on any and all of her stories.

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

This audiobook ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review of this book before its expected publication on August 6, 2024

A Dark Fantasy Horror retelling of the fairytale classic Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl

Dangerous Secrets, Mysterious Murders, and Forbidden Magic

Fourteen-year-old Cordelia lives in fear every day. Her mother is strange, and cruel, and always demands her obedience. Their home is unusual. It doesn’t have any doors between rooms; if they did, she is never allowed to be behind a closed door for any privacy. Ever.

As far as she knew, other mothers didn't force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers and do not demand 100% obedience without question. Cordelia isn't allowed to have friends. The only thing she has for enjoyment is daily rides on her mother's beautiful white horse Falada with strange green eyes. The only thing she could talk to about her wants and fears... Fear of her mother. But her mother's horse is also strange, and when Cordelia thinks to run away with him, her mother suddenly appears to stop her. There is no escaping from her mother.

Cordelia’s mother insisted they leave in the middle of the night without understanding why. There is talk of murder in the town, but she doesn't understand why she was forced to leave the only place that she knew. After her mother suddenly acquires a small carriage that they didn't have before, they arrive at a remote country manor of a wealthy older man. The Squire, and his unwed spinster sister, Hester live in his large lavish manor.

After a brief meeting in town, her mother convinced the Squire to have them stay at his manor while she waits for clothes to be made for her and Cordeila as it is close to his home. Cordelia’s mother has a plan which includes lying about Cordelia's age and stating she is 17. She clearly did not look the age, but no one challenged her mother's claim. She plans to trick the Squire into marriage and become the lady of the house to ensure Cordelia is courted and married off to a rich man as they have nothing but the clothes on their backs. Being poor they do not have the money or the connections to do so now. Cordelia is expected to be on her best behavior so all will go well in her mother's plan. The problem is, that she is very young, scared, and did not grow up as someone raised in a manor home with servants to take care of all your needs.

The kind Squire's sister Hester however is intelligent and savvy. She notices how Cordelia shrinks away from her mother, how the young girl doesn't act like a normal girl of 17 and does not know the simplest of things in a manor house. Even the house staff can see how the young girl fears her mother whenever she is near and doesn't understand what a fully staffed manor runs. Hester knows this woman is up to no good and has every intention to stop her brother from marrying this witch as she can see through her intentions. She also wants to rescue this sweet terrified young girl from her clutches since her behavior is not one has for their parent. What Hester doesn't know is just how dangerous Cordelia's mother really is, or what she is and doom is now in their home.

Although I never read the Brothers Grimm Goose Girl story to make a comparison, this was an interesting story about an awful mother using her daughter to get what she wanted. Lying and manipulating people to steal their wealth, and a woman determined to help a young girl escape and save her brother and the love of her life from an evil selfish woman. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it.

I always know I'm in for a wonderful time with T. Kingfisher, but this may be my favorite story of hers yet. We follow Cordelia, a 14 year old, whose mother, Evangeline, is a sorceress scheming to get a husband to elevate both Cordelia and herself. Evangeline sets her sights on the Squire and settles herself and Cordelia into his house under the guise of having Cordelia enter into society. Hester, the Squire's sister, is immediately skeptical of Evangeline and the game is on. Part coming of age story for Cordelia, part adventure for Hester, fully delightful all the way through.

I don't want to give too much away, but T. Kingfisher strikes a fantastic balance between 1900's historical fiction, horror, and a twinge of fantasy throughout. I highly recommend this. I really appreciated Hester's perspective throughout as it is so infrequent that we get the perspective of an "older" (50's) woman as a heroine.

I also had the pleasure of listening to this as an audiobook, and the duet narration for the readers for Hester and Cordelia was lovely. They both did a wonderful job of bringing both Hester and Cordelia to life and also how they would each interpret the other characters through their view points.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the copy of this novel.

First off, let me say that Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens were phenomenal in the audiobook. Their talented voice acting had me checking to see if it wasn't in fact more of a full cast at work--they were that good.

I enjoyed this thoroughly! In general, If T. Kingfisher is doing something even remotely fairy-tale adjacent, I'm here for it. I quibble just a little at the publisher's characterization of A Sorceress Comes to Call as a reimagining of The Little Goose Girl, though. Wicked was a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz because it took the same basic facts and storyline and told them from a perspective that gave us a wildly different understanding of the same events. ASCtC doesn't reimagine the Grimm story so much as it borrows a (very) few elements from it: a betrothal, a talking horse named Falata, and the existence of geese in the story are really the only connecting threads, nothing thematic or even plot-wise. Which is great! The original had unfortunate messages about what awaits those who presume to climb above their station and make their betters fetch their own water (the horror). I just might have handled branding differently, to calibrate reader expectations

In some ways, the deviation from the Grimm's Goose Girl is used to good effect (in a way that is a bit spoiler-y: an expected ally is decidedly not an ally). My main moment of frustration with this otherwise delightful read came when a character who did not need to do something incredibly stupid and pointless did that thing... and though I don't love having characters make forehead-slapping asinine choices just to thicken plot, reminding myself that the character in question is just 14, in far over her head, and a lifelong victim of narcissistic abuse all helped a little bit.

Kingfisher's Paladin books, which I like but don't love-love, are romantasy, and this book certainly had a side romance taking place (not for the 14 y.o.!) that was sometimes a bit sweet and sometimes was just something I waded through on my way to the rest of the plot. But then, romance isn't my thing: YMMV. It wasn't quite off in the wings but wasn't center-stage either, if that helps. All in all, a wonderful story of the kind I expect from Kingfisher and a pair of phenomenal voice actors to really bring the audio book to life. Recommended!

I received a digital audiobook ARC from Macmillan Audio/Tor and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This was so, so good!!! I went in blind and I really enjoyed it. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a fairytale story for adult, the story is magical but also eerie and sometimes surprisingly funny too… I really enjoyed my time reading this book because the plot is really unique (even if it's a lose retelling of a fairytale) and the characters are very loveable. There is even a bit romance (even if not where you'd expect it) and humor. The characters are (with exception of Cordelia) all mature and it was very refreshing. The writing style is also absolutely enjoyable and easy to read and it made me want to keep turning on the pages. The plot get a bit slow in the middle though but the characters' arc totally saved it.
I had a really great time with this one, I was entertained throughout it. Even when it gets slower, it’s still so much fun. I’m not going to lie, if this was written by anyone else - I probably would not have read this but T. Kingfisher has never disappointed me so far.
Last but not least, I listened to an audio version and the performances of the audiobook were marvelous. All in all a very satisfactory reading experience! HUGE Recommend.

This was a clever and yet bittersweet story! When young Cordelia's mother--a sorceress--launches a plot to see herself and Cordelia married, Doom comes to the house of Hester and her Squire brother. Hester, Cordelia, and friends must thwart the sorceress--before too many people die. I loved the characters, especially Hester, and my heart ached for Cordelia. If you love T Kingfisher you need to read this one!

obviously anyone who knows anything is aware the goose girl is a top tier fairytale. this is why such talents as shannon hale wrote banger retellings for it and t kingfisher lives up to the standard! this is less a retelling and more running with the goose girl vibes but it worked well. the real horror is the intimacy of familial abuse, u kno?

bonus points for an excellent audio production. the narrator did a great job of distinguishing between hester and cordelia's voices and the sound effects added to the dark fantasy atmosphere. between this and nettle and bone i feel like t kingfisher is returning to her fairytale form and i'm very here for it. east of sun, west of the moon next queen?

This book is one of my favorites this year. Had this been written by a different author, I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much. The eloquence of the author's writing was so beautiful. The characters drew me in and held my attention, which is not easy as a very busy mom. Even though I finished the book, I keep trying to reopen it hoping for more.

This book was fantastic! Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for access to the audiobook! I absolutely love T. Kingfisher’s retellings, the writing style is just so addictive. The narrators further emphasize this and fully immersed me in the story.