No one writes a middleaged heroine like Kingfisher. Everytime I pick up one of her stand-alones I know I'm in for a good read. Great banter and a lead that you can really identify with, just wanting to enjoy her life and maybe make a medical discovery or two. 4/5 if only because it felt like it could have used just a little more time to develop a couple of side characters for their importance to be felt beyond their rank.

Loved Javier the bodyguard, and his interactions with Anja, poor man didn't know what he was getting when he got assigned to protect this particular healer by his King.

Lighthearted, cozy and a fun read, would highly recommend for those looking for something to read between all the world ending books that exist in the fantasy genre. The stakes aren't world ending, but if Anja doesn't pull it off, only Saint Adder knows what will happen to her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the wonderful ARC.

Oh how I wish I could be inside T. Kingfishers genius mind. I love retellings but this was a truly unique Snow White retelling. I loved that Snow wasn’t totally a main character but that Anja her healer was. Anja is so relatable especially if you’ve ever felt like you were a little odd or didn’t quite fit in because of some of your interests. It was also refreshing that Anja was in her thirties! I feel like so many stories the heroine is so young as a 30-something loved the character was the same age as me. The development and arcs of all the characters were absolutely phenomenal along with the complex but easy to understand world building. This was such an enjoyable read.

Cozy horror isn't a genre, except that Kingfisher might be inventing it? I'm not sure how else to characterize this delightful, genre-bending novel. It is fantasy, except that the magic doesn't start until halfway through, and it is horror, except that the obvious monsters might not really be monsters. There is also a healthy serving of mystery as Healer Anja tries to figure out what is poisoning Snow.

In some ways, this is the most Kingfisherian of her books. It has everything I have come to love and expect from her fantasies-- a humorous narrative voice, a romantic subplot, and characters who get dealt a bad hand but just get on with it already. That last one may be my favorite element of Kingfisher's usual style. There is no angst, no protracted interpersonal drama caused by avoidable miscommunication, no woe-is-me attitude. Healer Anja, with her passionate but analytical personality, is the perfect example of this. She gets dropped into a dreadful situation, takes a moment to sigh, and then rolls up her sleeves and dives right in, shoving charcoal and snake venom exactly where it is needed to produce results. The tight cast of characters helps readers to connect with each of them. Healer Anja stands among my all-time favorites of Kingfisher's protagonists.

In other ways, this felt like a slight break with the rest of Kingfisher's oeuvre. Maybe it was the visual greyness of the second half of the book, or maybe that the rest of it takes place in the desert, or... I don't know, something. In her previous books, I have always had the sense of a lush fantasy world. (Albeit tinged with horror. There is always at least a little horror.) In this one, there was something that felt just a touch bleak that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I enjoyed it, but it was different.

Thank you, Kingfisher, for saving me from a reading slump with this page-turning fantasy mystery!

And many thanks to Tor and NetGalley for this eARC!

I loved this. I’m still in awe of how beautifully written this was. T. Kingfisher, you’re SO talented with words. Seriously. So eloquently written. The story was great! Anja was probably the funniest character ever. She was amazing lol. The world building was easy to understand, but some of the mirror concepts were pretty dang hard for me to follow, if we are being honest. It didn’t take away from the story though. I really loved this book. Thank you for the ARC.

An intriguing, poison-filled romp through a desert world - Kingfisher tackles yet another classic fairytale, Snow White, with her usual wit and charm. I always like reading her books because I know I'll come away with a lot of information about really specific things, a new night terror, and a lot of laughter. A good time all around!

ARC review, thank you to T. Kingfisher and Netgalley!

The story follows a healer, Anja, who is very knowledgeable with poisons. The King approaches her and asked her to cure his daughter, Snow. Anja begins to study snow only to find out her illness is not related to poison and is cause by mirrors. The mirrors act as portals to another realm. Anja is forced to challenge herself with relying on magic rather than science.

The story was interesting, however i found it to drag a little and bee quite confusing (specifically between the “mirror world” vs. real world, mirror-gelds). However, i was very impressed with the world building as it is something o have never read before. As far as characters, Anja was interesting to an extent but here was no one in this book that i was exactly drawn to or loved. While it was not something i probably would have picked on my own, Im glad I was able to receive the ARC and this is definitely an author i would read more of!

T. Kingfisher's Snow White retelling is another great book in the T. Kingfisher line-up. Filled with Kingfisher's unique, relatable, and humorous voice, mystery, and romance. It twists a perfect balance between the original story with Kingfisher's own vision.

One of my most anticipated reads this year and it did not disappoint! It was a great read and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read it! The cover is amazing and makes sense for the book. The storyline was fantastic. I will be recommending to book friends!

4.5✨

Vivid, humorous & down right chilling.

Hemlock & Silver is a gothic retelling of Snow White with what felt to me bits of Alice in Wonderland combined. For the Kingfisher fans, the best comparisons that comes to mind would be Nettle & Bone or The Seventh Bride.

With the young princess bewilderingly ill, the King reaches out to a devoted poison’s expert. Anja knows better than to expect poison first and heads onward to solve the cause of the princess’s mysterious conditions. What she will find along the way is magic, horrors and a bit of romance.

The cover is absolutely stunning. Coincidentally, the imagery and world building reciprocates its beauty. You start off with Anja’s fascination and heartfelt love for poisons. She is insanely knowledgable and it’s a privilege to see where her fascination with plants/poisons began up until the present. Anja is curious beyond belief to the point of danger and extremely blunt. I grew to love her and all the side characters. Not one character disappoints in this novel.

One aspect that I highly appreciated was the romance. Its cute and has fluidity as opposed to be rushed. It also doesn’t become the main focal point while still delivering beautifully. The horror elements also came to play elegantly. I found myself diving deeper into the puzzle as Anja did so into Snow’s condition.

Hemlock & Silver is a very entertaining slow burn read that continued to bloom until the very end. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a vibrant fantasy retelling with an extremely sharp FMC on the heels of a profound mystery.

Thank you to Tor Publishing, Kingfisher & Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As always T. Kingfisher did not disappoint. I loved this book.

Anja is the daughter of a merchant that has always been fascinated with poisons and their antidotes. Her life is upended when the king requests her help identifying the cause of his daughter Snow’s mysterious illness.
With the help of her bodyguard and a one eyed cat Anja uncovers a whole new world of discoveries through the deceased queen’s mirrors in the search for a cure.

It took a little bit for me to get in to this book but once I did I was completely hooked. Such a fantastic retelling with a satisfying conclusion. I loved the romance subplot as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing this story and allowing me share my thoughts.

At this point, picking up a T. Kingfisher book feels less like opening a novel and more like stepping into a dark, eerie fairytale where the woods whisper, the creatures bite, and the magic is just as likely to save you as it is to ruin your day. And Hemlock & Silver? It’s all that and more—twisted, lush, unsettling, and full of that signature blend of warmth and horror that makes Kingfisher’s work impossible to put down.

This book is for the girlies who like their folklore with a touch of rot, their witches morally complex, and their protagonists just trying to survive while the world around them grows increasingly unhinged. The prose is sharp, the atmosphere is thick with creeping dread, and the kind of eerie beauty that lingers like a ghost long after you’ve turned the last page.

If you loved Nettle & Bone or Thornhedge, this will feel like coming home—only home might be a haunted cottage deep in the woods, where the walls creak at night and something old and terrible watches from the trees. But hey, that’s what makes it fun.

Will I ever come across a T Kingfisher book I don’t adore? Not today. This was simultaneously cozy and terrifying, endearing and dark - something I find only T Kingfisher can pull off over and over. My only wish was that this plot moved a bit faster because the magic and mystery was so interesting! I loved how Thornhedge was able to handle a retelling of Rapunzel in under 200 pages and part of me wishes Hemlock and Silver did something similar. I found myself a bit bored in the middle. That being said, I think fans of specifically Swordheart will eat this up and I am excited for Kingfisher’s next story :)

Wow, I absolutely loved this one! T. Kingfisher continues to impress with their incredible storytelling - Hemlock & Silver is no exception. I dove into this without any expectations and enjoyed every moment. I truly don’t see this as a mere retelling of Snow White. Honestly, if I had known that going in, I might not have been as eager to pick it up since fairy tale retellings aren’t usually my thing. But this story feels so unique, only sharing a few tiny similarities. For me - it gives off dark fantasy vibes reminiscent of Coraline and Alice in Wonderland, yet it’s completely its own creation.

I absolutely adore the representation of a plus-size main character who’s not only curvy but also intelligent, quirky, and incredibly lovable. The little smidgeon of romance thrown in there was just - chef’s kiss. This had me giggling and smiling the whole way. There are definitely some dark and creepy moments, complete with delightfully terrifying monsters. Kingfisher has an extraordinary talent for weaving genres together into an orchestral narrative that will resonate with a wide range of readers. Without a doubt, this is one of my new favorite fantasies, and I can’t wait for it to be released so I can share it with my bookish friends!

A heartfelt thank you to TOR Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are my own.


- I will add my review to Amazon and Kobo on publication day. I'll also film a Tiktok closer to publication day.

I really enjoyed this take on Snow White! Anja is a great character, and Kingfisher captures the obsessive academic well. It’s always nice to have a “mature” protagonist in a fantasy setting. Anja was thrust into an unimaginable situation, and her reactions feel authentic to that. Snow’s actions and dialogue also feel true to her age. Grayling is a great character and nice comedic relief to the tense moments.

The pacing at the beginning is a little slow, but it lends itself well to the world-building and establishing the cast of characters. The solution to the main mystery isn’t just handed to Anja or the reader. You get several scenes of Anja questioning different things, and she doesn’t always get an answer. The pacing picks up in the latter half, and that’s where the book really shines. There are several tense moments and some good twists. There’s body horror and a bit of existential dread, too. The romance subplot doesn’t take away from the main plot but is still interesting and helpful for seeing Anja’s character development. Definitely recommend reading if you’re a fan of Kingfisher’s other works and dark fantasy in general.

I received an ARC through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this book was a great read! My favorite part was the worldbuilding--it's clear that Kingfisher did a lot of research about plants and their properties, and did a fantastic job integrating that knowledge into the book while still keeping the reader engaged.

The extrapolation on the Snow White fairytale was also well done--there were clear references to the original story, but done in an original way. I enjoyed the "mirror world" and the weird, ominous atmosphere tied to it. Each character added something to the story, and Anja, in particular, was a great heroine as someone who struggled to overcome her own senses of insecurity.

The only criticism I have is more of a personal preference in that the book starts a bit slow. For the first 30-40% of the book, it was hard to stay engaged at times because there was so much set-up for the rest of the book. Once the plot kicked off, though, it was hard to put the book down! Getting through the initial set-up for the book was absolutely worth it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Hemlock & Silver is a retelling of the classic Snow White. But of course with the T.Kingfisher twist. I loved Anja as a character, and her obsession with poison that started as a child. Kingfisher is so good at creating odd and weird characters that you can't help but find endearing. I can't resist any book with a romance subplot and Javier was very swoon worthy in this.

I don't read/watch horror and there were some creepy moments in this book but it was never enough to turn me away from it completely. The mirror-geld was interesting body horror. I had some confusion understanding the mechanics of the mirrors, much like Anja and I think my brain works very much like hers. I am constantly asking questions and curious about the world.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor for letting me read this ARC early!

This is very loose Snow White retelling. We follow a woman who studies poisons and is tasked with figuring out if the Kings daughter Snow was poisoned and if so by what.
I appreciated that this had an older MC (in her thirties) that was relatable with her lack of people skills.Kingfisher infused the story with humour, magic and a bit of romance. The pacing of the beginning was a little slow but I think the humorous interactions kept me interested. Overall this was a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. 

While the concept of this book is absolutely fascinating, I don’t think it was executed as effectively as I was expecting. I was honestly pretty bored for a good portion of the time. The plot did pick up a bit about halfway through, but even then there wasn’t anything that truly gripped me.

The characters felt a bit one-dimensional and didn’t seem to be fleshed out enough. The only character I genuinely enjoyed was the cat. I was also very thrown off by the excessive use of parentheses and the word “uh.”

Overall this is a wildly original storyline that had so much potential. Unfortunately it just fell flat for me.

First off a big thank you to the publisher for letting me read Hemlock & Silver , and 2nd is they did amazing job with thus cover , it's absolutely beautiful and the colors draw your eyes to the book. Now on to my thoughts, usually I have a hard time with retelling but with thus one I didn't have that problem at all and the reason is because of how T.Kingfisher puts a dark and creepy twist on her retelling, while it does take some time to get into the story , I found that that's one of the reasons I was enjoying it so much because it helped the characters as well as let you see the world building come to life before your very eyes . Plus the story itself was different then any of the other Snow White retelling that is out there , ìts the perfect blend of magic,but at the same time dark and twisted, with a touch of romance, and fantasy that makes you want to set and read .

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher is a fun yet dark twist on the classic Snow White story. The book follows Anja, a healer and poison expert, who’s called upon by the king to figure out why his daughter, Snow, is slowly wasting away. Anja’s sharp, chaotic nature makes her an interesting and refreshing heroine, and her relationship with Javier, the grumpy bodyguard, adds a lot of charm and humor to the story.

While the first part of the book is a bit slow as it builds Anja’s character and the world, things really pick up once the mystery of Snow’s condition begins to unfold. What starts as a simple poisoning investigation turns into something far stranger, with mirrors acting as portals to a supernatural realm. The mix of science, magic, and mystery keeps things exciting and unpredictable.

The setting is beautifully described, with the desert palace and eerie mirrors adding to the gothic atmosphere. The book strikes a good balance between humor and darker, more mysterious elements, but Anja’s antics can feel out of place with the more serious tone. Still, the humor, clever dialogue, and fun characters—like the talking cat Grayling—make this a very enjoyable read.

The romance between Anja and Javier is pretty "slow-burning" and sweet but doesn’t overshadow the main plot. Overall, Hemlock & Silver is a clever, vibrant retelling that mixes humor, fantasy, and a bit of mystery. It’s a great choice for fans of unique fairy tale retellings and strong, witty heroines.