Another winner from T. Kingfisher. I have enjoyed all the ones I have read. They are well written and pulls you in right away.
I’m not big on horror, but Kingfishers books are the exception! I love the fantasy/horror combo. I highly recommend this book!
The audio was well done and easy to follow along.

Dear A Sorceress Comes to Call,
I have only read T. King fisher's works of horror, so experiencing their writing when I am not totally grossed out was interesting. I enjoyed the story and the fairy tale aspects to it. I don't know much about the fable your story was based on, but I do know that I enjoyed you. You had some great magic and l loved the way your story was unfurled.

T. Kingfisher’s books consistently encompass nearly everything I look for in a story: off-beat romance, imaginative (and a bit horrifying) fantasy settings, and wry dark humor.

There were a few minor pacing issues and I would have loved an epilogue, BUT overall this was basically everything I wanted it to be and more.

This is a must for anyone who wants to start spooky season off with found family!

Plot - 4
Writing and Editing - 5
Character Development - 5
Narration - 5
Personal Bias - 5
Final Score - 4.8

Thank you to TOR for my physical ARC and Macmillan Audio for my ALC. My opinions are my own!

Cordelia has been beaten into submission by her narcissistic mother, Evangeline. Cordelia must be obedient, to be seen and never heard. Hardly speaking to anyone since Cordelia was forced to drop out of school making the overbearing Evangeline her only form of contact. The only time Cordelia feels free is when her mother leaves to visit their “benefactor” overnight or when she is able to escape to the barn to visit Falada, her beloved horse.
Evangeline is known as a Sorceress as well as her less than desirable socially acceptable lifestyle. And when Evangeline is forced to find a new wealthy benefactor to marry it is time Cordelia must decide if this is the life she wants to live for the rest of her life. Or will she stop her mother’s deadly plans by changing where her loyalties lie.
Overall rating 3/5
When I read the description of this book I was immediately hooked. However, I was a little confused by this book. I can’t tell if there was truly a magical aspect to the characters or if it was just metaphors for their attributes. Was it really happening in reality or was this all in Cordelia’s undeveloped mind that she just couldn’t comprehend what was truly happening.

*Thank you to T. Kingfisher, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

A SORCERESS COMES TO CALL 👍🏻
T. Kingfisher’s latest book tells the story of Cordelia, a young teenage girl who is controlled, manipulated, and abused by her sorceress mother, Evangeline, in a dark retelling of the Goose Girl.

This story is full of twists and turns, with vibrant characters and a rich atmosphere. The emotions in this book were palpable- you can feel Cordelia’s dread of her mother’s power and her fear for those she cares about.

One of the things I like best about T. Kingfisher’s book is how every one feels like a fairytale and this one is no different. I enjoyed seeing how the elements of the classic Goose Girl story were used in ASCTC.

I listened to the audiobook version and the narrators were fantastic and really enhanced the ethereal vibe of the book. I also appreciated that each of the two perspectives had a different narrator- I had no trouble telling whose perspective we were in.

This is a very accessible fantasy story that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of readers.

Whatever that was, I need more of it. The writing, the narration—everything at once made me, me, with the attention span of a squirrel, sit for hours on end just to finish another chapter. I loved how the two POVs intertwined and we got to know the MC not only from the inside but also from the outside. I felt triggered and bad, but at the same time, like Hester, I wanted something good to happen to Cordelia. How it came together at the end wasn't the most satisfying, but it still made me love this book all the more for its original approach. And the audiobook? Great production!

I absolutely loved this book! It's the perfect mix of fantasy, mystery, and a little bit of horror. While I really enjoyed the main character Cordelia and her journey of strength and courage to stand up to her mother, I think the real magic came with the side characters of Hester, Strauss, Penelope, and Richard. Their fun friendly banter was a delight and the little romance between Hester and Richard was really cute!
Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone!

No need to brush up on your Grimm to enjoy this darkly gorgeous take on a fairy tale. Kingfisher’s writing is clear, concise and often casually humorous. I loved how it felt impossible to place the story in time—it felt at times modern and even prescient, at times quaint and archaic. The narrators complement each other and the story expertly.

📖 𝐀 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐓. 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫
🎧 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚 𝐅𝐨𝐬𝐬 & 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐬

“𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this story. I knew it was based off of the Brother’s Grimm, Goose Girl story, but I had never heard of that. I was worried this story would be too gruesome for me, but I was so wrong.

I was absolutely entranced by this story/audiobook, start to finish. I literally couldn’t bring myself to hit pause and I ended up finishing it in one day!

This book is told in two perspectives, Cordelia, the daughter of the sorceress, and Hester, the sister of the man the sorceress is trying to marry. Hester’s point of view was my favorite. She’s 50 years old and wise beyond her years. She knew before the sorceress even showed up that something bad was coming and she never gave up trying to figure out what was going on.

Cordelia has spent her 14 years of life being forced to be “obedient” by her mother. This causes her to completely lose control of her body. When she meets Hester and her friends, Cordelia slowly starts to evolve and fight against her mother’s control.

If I learned anything from this book it’s was to never, NEVER, mess with one of Hester’s geese. 🤣 There were quite a few moments where characters had me cracking up. The best was when a character said: “𝘈𝘴 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘳.” , it was said so seriously, I couldn’t help but laugh.

This isn’t a romance story, but Hester has been in love with her old friend Richard for years and I absolutely loved them together!

There were plenty of plot twists I didn’t see coming, and that ending! I freaking loved the ending!

If you are a fan of dark fairytales and stories full of twists and turns, go add 𝐀 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐲 𝐓. 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 to your tbr! I HIGHLY recommend consuming this story via the audiobook. The storytelling was masterful and painted such a vivid portrait of what was happening.

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
🪿 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨
😱 𝘏𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳
🐎 𝘌𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴
✨ 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺
🔮 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤
✌🏼𝘋𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘖𝘝

This was my first, but definitely not last T. Kingfisher book. I’m unfamiliar with the original fairytale, but this was an exceptionally written retelling with both fantasy and thriller vibes. It follows a young teen with a controlling mother, and an unlikely house party that unites against the evil that is plaguing them. Fun and different and a little bit dark, this would be a great October read! As a audiobook, it was narrated very well and made the listen that much more engaging. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I was taken by surprise by this story. I really liked Cordelia and how she found her strength at the end. All the characters were enjoyable. Evangeline was something else. She was just evil enough to hate. The plot was good as well.

This fantasy novel has the hallmarks of a prime T. Kingfisher: Like <I>Clockwork Boys</I> there's a fully-fleshed out magical system, but a vivid Regency-esque world. Like Hugo-award-winning <I>Nettle & Bone </I>, the protagonist (in this case both protagonists, as there are dual narrations) bears misery with sometimes cranky grace. Like <I>A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking,</I> the story is dark for the age of the 14-year-old protagonist. Like the <I>Paladin</I> series, there's a romantic interest for the not-so-youthful other protagonist. All of which are like catnip for readers like me.

I listened to the audio version, with dual narration Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens, which I recommend: both voices are distinct and expressive, and I <I> may </I> have listened obsessively, straight through weeding the garden, meals, tooth-brushings, into the sleepy reaches of the night.

14-year-old Cornelia fears her mother—and for good reason: the woman is a sadist, a sociopath, and, importantly for this loose retelling of the Grimm Brothers' "The Goose Girl," a sorceress. Cornelia's only solace in a life full of capricious cruelty and privation is the chance to ride her horse, Falala. But when her mother needs to find a new "patron," Cornelia is horrified at the depths of wickedness in both parent and horse.

50-something Hester is living a comfortable life, despite her arthritic knees, keeping house for her wealthy and unworldly brother, the Squire. When a beautiful woman and her frightened daughter show up unexpectedly, Hester can see that she's going to have to protect the Squire. But she'll need to protect the child, Cornelia as well.

The result is a story that unfolds with unexpected urgency and startling tenderness. Cordelia's mother is a truly awful parent, the kind of narcissist who live to negate the will of others and who can, thanks to her magic. The dread Cordelia feels, and the inevitability of her mother's oppression makes the book sing with tension. Hester's side of the story, with the persepective and wisdom of years, as well as a romantic second chance, provides depth and emotional resonance. In all, a wonderful reading experience.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the audioARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

Yet another amazing book from T. Kingfisher.

14-year-old Cordelia’s mother is a Sorcerer, and Cordelia has been subjected to and forced to observe her mother’s cruel behavior in pursuit of her selfish ambitions her entire life. Then, her mother packs them off to a squire’s house when she is able to become acquainted with people who care about her and take her well being to heart. While Cordelia and her newfound friends are no match for her mother’s power, they still band together to try to put a stop to her wicked ways.

Great world building. I love Kingfisher’s characters and their age range. Excellent narration.

Book Review: A Sorceress Comes To Call by T. Kingfisher

2 August 2024


A Sorceress Comes to Call is the first novel I’ve listened to by the author T. Kingfisher. This was a very good premise for a story. The characters were well fleshed out, the conflicts within the story worked very well and the resolution was satisfying. The narration was well done. If the author is going to write a sequel, I would be interested in hearing it. I would definitely recommend this novel for anyone that enjoys fantasy.

There were a few problems with the audio portion of the book, most of which was pacing. Although there were times the story it self seemed to drag (my opinion, of course), the long pauses between chapters was very irritating. This is an audiobook issue, not an issue of the novel. I listen to a lot of audiobooks with my husband and he felt the same way. There are some books that should be physically read and some that can be audiobooks. I believe this novel should be read. However, as stated before, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it for anyone, especially those that like to read / listen to fantasy.

3.75 ⭐️ I don’t really know why but this book just fell flat for me. A Brothers Grimm “Goose Girl” retelling. The story was well written, the material wasn’t boring, and the narrators did a good job giving the book that eerie feeling. There just wasn’t a single moment that made me hold my breath, there weren’t any OMG moments for me. Thanks to Netgalley for letting me listen to an early download of the audiobook
Publication Date 8/5/24

I appreciated there were 2 narrators to switch between the 2 POVs. They were both excellent. There wasn't anything groundbreaking about the premise but it was executed well.

Kingfisher is back with another dark retelling...this time its Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl. I enjoyed the different POVs along with how fast moving this story was written. It was definitely full of twists and turns and despite being a retelling the characters were original and the plot was unforgettable.

This story was fantastic, I was a little wary about such a young character but the other characters balance it out nicely. I really related to the older narrator, and the damages done by having a horrible mother. This was a very dark book, but T. Kingfisher never disappoints, her world building is incredible and her descriptions are both nail bitingly scary and eerily realistic. Another perfect story, thank you to the author and the publisher!

T Kingfisher is on my automatic buy now list and has been since I first discovered the magic of her fantasy novels. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a loose retelling of The Goose Girl, which I have never read, so cannot compare the two. Kingfisher again did a fantastic job of drawing me into a new fairytale with interesting characters, acts of courage and a plan to thwart the evil Sorceress.

Cordelia and her mother, Evangeline, have lived in a little town their entire life. She has been sheltered and sequestered in their cottage for most of it and has no friends. Her mother even forcefully controls her for periods of time to make sure Cordelia can’t do anything to embarrass her or do anything that might bother Evangeline as most children are wont to do. It is horrific and one of my worst fears is to be controlled like that. Cordelia’s only escape is when she rides the white horse they keep, but that too is a lie. After Evangeline throws a temper tantrum in their small village and kills someone, they have to find a new home and a new benefactor for her mother. So they steal away to a new place for Evangeline to weave her web.

Hester escaped marrying the wrong man years ago, but it has made her unmarriable and now a spinster in her brother’s house. The same thing that told her not to accept that marriage has woken her up in the middle of the night to let her know something bad is coming and beware. When Squire, her brother, brings home a widow to stay at their estate until other arrangements can be made, Hestor knows exactly what that trouble is, she just isn’t sure what to think of Cordelia or how to save her smitten brother. But if Hestor can call in some reinforcements for a house party, maybe, just maybe, she might be able to throw a few wrenches into Evangeline’s plans.

This was such an interesting story. Told from both Cordelia and Evangeline’s PoV, we are pulled through this strange story where two women will bond together in order to save a kind man from a horrible fate. There are a few twists, magic, mayhem and apparently warrior geese that may help to save the day. I liked Hestor so much. She and Richard were once lovers but she couldn’t marry him so she set him free. But being with him again and working to save her brother has sparked some of those old feelings. This gave the story just enough of a romance push and I loved the idea of a second chance for them.

The ending was so satisfactory for me and fitting for the characters. I really liked that all the women didn’t really need a man to save them but at the end of the day the partnership shared was one of mutual benefit and didn’t overshadow the strength of the women. Overall a new favorite from T. Kingfisher that I will relisten to again soon.

Narration:
Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens are the voices of Cordelia and Hester. Each Pov was distinct and I really appreciate that when reading alternating PoVs that the narrators sound different, as they should. Cordelia is 14 and Hester was closer to 50, so the use of two narrators added to that distinctive PoV for each. I can’t say I’ve ever listened to either of the narrators before but their voices are crisp and their diction and pronunciation really good. I enjoyed both narrators about the same and each had their own flair to add. I was able to listen to the story at my usual 1.5x speed.

Every time I am convinced that I know what I like in a book, someone spectacular like T. Kingfisher comes in and says, "Hold my glass."

I was hesitant about a story whose primary character was a 14 year old girl, but in T. Kingfisher, we trust, and that trust paid off. In contrast, our other main POV was from a 50+ year old spinster with a cane. It was fabulous.

In true Kingfisher fashion, this book is eerie, unsettling, and full of unexpected bouts of humor in the midst of dire circumstances.

Does anyone else in the audience have a controlling, narcissistic mother? My condolences, but at least she isn't a sorceress who can compel you to obedience at will and tends to be a touch homicidal. At least, I do hope not.

I received an advance listener copy, and the audio was wonderful. With a dual narration for each POV, I felt that the narrators were cast perfectly for their respective parts and held a pacing that kept me engaged with the story.