Hemlock & Silver is what happens when you take a classic fairy tale, set it on fire, throw it in the desert, and it comes out infinitely better. With a sense of humor, a spine of steep, and zero patience for nonsense, Ajna isn’t your typical female main character. She’s sassy, irreverent, and way to sharp-tongued and clever for courtly nonsense. But after establishing herself as an expert in poisons, the spinster is sought out by the King to save his daughter, Snow White, who seems to be wasting away in the desert palace. As Ajna works to find a cure, she must rely on Javier, her bodyguard, to survive. Between magic gone wrong, a desert landscape as beautiful as it is dangerous, and a lot of sharp banter, this reimagine Snow White tale is as hilarious as it is captivating.
This book perfectly blends fantasy, fairy tale retelling, and humor, with a dash of slow burn romance and a setting that feels so richly alive it’s practically a character itself. If you love T. Kingfisher’s signature wit, you’re in for a treat. I absolutely adored Ajna. She’s the kind of protagonist you wish you could be – smart-mouthed, sharp-witted, and just the right amount of chaotic. Javier fits the grumpy bodyguard trope to a T. He’s brooding, protective, and the perfect balance to Ajna’s wild energy. I was so invested in how their relationship unfolded. There’s also a mix of quirky supporting characters, such as Greyling the talking cat and Lady Sorrel, the wise, elderly former King’s mistress, who each bring something unique to the story.
In considering the pace, I enjoyed the balance. There was enough action to keep you hooked, with enough humor to keep you grinning. There wasn’t a moment where I felt bored or wanted to skim. Ajna’s inner dialogue was my favorite part. T. Kingfisher explores themes of survival, trust, found family, and carving your own path while telling a tale that shows that fairy tales don’t have to be predictable. The ending was super satisfying, though I wouldn’t say no to more of these characters. An epilogue would’ve satisfied my curiosity about Ajna and Javier’s future. Also, T. Kingfisher’s writing is witty, engaging, and just so FUN. The banter? Sharp. The humor? Laugh-out-loud worthy (which is rare for me). The descriptions of the desert setting? Gorgeous and immersive. You can feel her love for New Mexico woven into every page.
It’s been a long time since I had this much fun reading a book. I laughed, I swooned, and I was completely swept away by the world and characters. This book is proof that fairy tale retellings don’t have to be dark and broody – they can be clever, vibrant, and hilarious too. Would I recommend it? Absolutely. If you love retellings with humor, sharp-witted heroines, and bodyguard romances with A+ banter, this is a must-read. It’s the kind of book that reminds you why reading is fun. It’s fast-paced, and full of unexpected twists. If you love T. Kingfisher’s style, this one is a no-brainer.

T. Kingfisher truly never disappoints, she has quickly become my favorite author. I really loved everything about the main character in this story, and found myself believing she was a real person and wishing I could ask her more about poisons! Kingfisher masterfully remakes fairytales so there's just enough of a hint of the original so you know the inspiration, but then completely makes it her own. I'm a huge fan of how she is able to write the characters in such a way that is so true to their age, and especially how many stories have FMC's that are in their 30's or older! This was an easy five star read for me!

This retelling of Snow White is not just a retelling, it’s a MASTERPIECE!

Anja is literally the coolest protagonist ever—she drinks poison to save lives, and I am HERE. FOR. IT! The way Kingfisher weaves magic, mystery, and suspense is pure magic. I was hooked from page one, and that vain cat? Iconic! The pacing is flawless, and the plot twists? Insert that mindblown gif! This is a MUST read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I am a fan of T. Kingfisher’s work and this was another enjoyable one. The majority of the story does move a bit slow, making you feel like you’re living out each day with the characters, but it does pick up in the latter third. I enjoyed the MC Healer Anja and the banter with the cat Grayling. It’s nice to read stories with the main character being a bit older, too. This isn’t a direct retelling of the Snow White story, more inspired by it, but I enjoyed the world building with the added mirror world that was quite mysterious and creepy. There is a bit of romance, but not heavy on it. Another solid read from T. Kingfisher!

Full disclosure - this is the first book I have read by T. Kingfisher, and I now know that I have been missing out! I am looking forward to exploring her work further and was grateful to receive this ARC to review. This is also my first - so many firsts! - ARC Book Review.

First, let’s look at this cover - it’s gorgeous! You’ve got these beautiful poisonous flowers, belladonna, foxglove and hemlock of course, in the corners, this snake-like creature made of plants, apples, fantastic execution.
This is a fairy tale reimagining of the Snow White tale, you’ve got a princess named Snow, weird fruit that are a little out of place, evil queen activity and some wacky magic mirror business.

Personally, I love the magic mirror business because - mirrors are weird, here in reality not even in a magical book world but the magic mirror business was particularly well done and borderline spooky if you’re into that. There were moments that it was slightly confusing, but it nearly felt intentional, because, it's magic mirror business.

Things I really liked about this story was the world building. While it was clearly a fantasy tale, the plants and descriptions of the desert plants were all very - real. The tale takes place in the desert and as she is describing the plants I was like, this sounds really specific, very similar to the high desert of New Mexico.. Well, it turns out, the author is currently living in New Mexico.
So, if you love plants, you will love the plant storyline, especially if you have a particular knowledge and fondness for poisonous plants, like I do, which isn’t strange at all.

This story is more fantasy than romantasy but there was a sprinkling of that in there as well, which wasn’t forced and worked quite well. I am not a Romantasy expert by any means but if you are looking for that, it’s present and if you’re not, this is a good enough story and the romance isn't overwhelmingly. So, worth reading even if you’re not here for the heart eyes.

End Result - Hemlock and Silver got 4.3 Stars from me.
It comes out in August, it’s delightful, well written and a lot of fun. And this cover is going to look so good on your shelf. Seriously. Just frame it.
Extra special thanks to Netgallery and Tor Publishing for this eARC and the opportunity to share this review with you.

Hemlock & Silver is a unique and dark Snow White retelling.
The characters were great.
Anja is an expert in poisons mostly because she likes solving problems. She's in her 30's, unmarried, and lacks tact 🤣
When the king asks her to try to figure out if his daughter is being poisoned, she's thrown into a world she's not used to.

The magic was interesting, but I don't want to give anything away.

While I would have enjoyed this even without a talking cat, it certainly didn't hurt. Grayling was a fun side character to have around.

Highly recommend for fans of twisted tales!

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for an early copy for review!

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Hemlock & Silver tells the story of Anja, a healer (problem solver) of poisons. She's 35, unmarried, with a wonderfully sarcastic un-tactful attitude. Anja is tasked with saving the kings daughter who may or may not have been poisoned. This was my favorite "Snow White" reimagined novel I've ever read. It was giving Snow White and Red Rose from a side character and I couldn't put it down.

It did start off a little slow but I think the world building and setting the tone for why Anja is the way she is was so important.

There are of course so many side characters and each of them were so different.
Some of my favorites:
- The love interest, ugh 😍, *loved* him.
- Snow was written exactly like a 12 year old.
- I'm not a cat person but I def would want a cat like Grayling.

You will not be prepared for the mirror-geld. Everything about this book was unexpected in the best way ever. I think this might be my new favorite T. Kingfisher book.

“It seems like the beasts in fairy tales might get lonely, being so different.”

Thank you to T. Kingfisher, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

T Kingfisher can truly do no wrong! Her latest book, Hemlock and Silver, is a dark and twisted fairy tale full of ups, downs, and most importantly, a talking cat. Her usual wit and humor is present to bring some lightness to the darker themes. I appreciated the ending and the exploration of the complex "mirror world," though at times I found myself frustrated alongside the main character by its inexplicable nature. Similar to A House with Good Bones and Sam, I felt I got to learn a lot about Anja's specific interests and could really tell that a lot of research and time went in to building Anja's knowledge. Thank you for the opportunity to read Hemlock and Silver!

Overall:
I really enjoyed the story, and the author’s writing style kept me fully engaged. The main character carried the narrative with strength and presence. It’s a unique adaptation of a familiar tale, filled with unexpected twists and turns.

What I Loved:

The FMC: I especially appreciated that the female main character is in her 30s. Her age made her experience, research, and skills feel authentic and believable. She’s both realistic and relatable—her inner dialogue gives a great balance of courage and vulnerability.

The Setting: The story is set in a desert landscape, rich with local flora, curated courtyards, and adobe architecture. The atmosphere was vivid and immersive.

Grayling: The cat was a charming, witty addition to the story—definitely a standout.

The Magic System: Unique and intriguing, it added a fresh dimension to the narrative.

What Didn’t Work as Well for Me:

Worldbuilding: While the first half offered detailed and engaging worldbuilding, it ultimately felt larger than what the story required. Some elements seemed underutilized and not essential to this specific plot.

Pacing: The first half of the book moved a bit slowly—while still engaging, it felt somewhat repetitive. The pace did pick up in the second half, but not quite as much as I’d hoped.

Secondary Characters: The supporting characters felt a bit flat and one-dimensional compared to the depth given to the main character.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It was my first book of T. Kingfisher, and now I understand why people love this author's books. The writing is charming and quirky, and the humor is lovely.

But I give Hemlock & Silver 3 stars.
I have such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed the worldbuilding, the mirror world and its creatures. I loved Anja's obsession with poisons and her sense of humor (well, for the most part). The writing style was great, so much charm! Also, I'm always happy to see mature characters acting mature.
But on the other hand, I felt bored. The first 40% of the book was too slow, and even though the story picked up afterward, it was not enough to wow me. It felt like the plot was running in circles in some parts. The characters felt one-dimensional (except the cat, of course! He was the best part of the book), the "uh" joke was overused, and the romance was extremely underdeveloped and flat.

That said, I will definitely read more of this author's books.

I have so many emotions and feelings about this book but just know I'm screaming and crying this ENTIRE review.

This book gave me so much nostalgia for 2015, first stumbling across T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon)'s books and spending every waking moment reading and rereading them every second I could. It was so cozy, yet dark. meaningful yet lighthearted, and humorous yet with deadly serious stakes.

Anja is better with poisons than people, yet a visit from the king brings her into his circle, in search of a cure for his daughter, Snow, and her mysterious illness. whether its poison or not is up for debate, as no healer has found a cause yet, but the king will try absolutely everything to try and save his beloved daughter.

There, at remote estate Witherleaf, we meet our colourful cast of characters, including one particularly grumpy and aloof cat, and watch as Anja and King's Guard Javier try to get to the bottom of the young princess' illness.

To say anymore will be to spoil some of the delightfully crafted surprises throughout so I'll leave it there, but If I could give it more than 5 stars? I'd do it in a heartbeat

Thank you Netgalley for the arc for my honest opinion.

First off this book was absolutely amazing and I was so excited to get to read about snow white. But I will say this is very very loosely Snow White. With that said this was absolutely fun.

Like with most Kingfisher this is witty and humourous. It also has the most insane conversation that make you laugh out loud.

The cat carries a lot of the humor.

Now the mystery in this book is absolutely gripping until the very end when you find out who done it.

Do yourself a favor and pick this book up for a light horror mystery with witty banter and a hilarious cat doing cat things.

Kingfisher does it again. H&S is such an interesting blend of their fantasy genre mixed with their horror stories. Some of the creatures you encounter reminds me of the Twisted Ones which was a nice throw back. Overall the story is not what I expected, and the way it developed was a pleasant surprise. A twisty tale very reminisce to Alice in wonderland.
Anjas side comments were always fun, I just wish they weren't always in parentheses just for stylistic reasons. Sometimes they felt jarring. However, the content was always a blast and a fun way to know a character better.
I also loved how Anjas feelings towards Javier develop, and even more so how at some point she only thinks about confessing if they die to save off embarrassment, which is so relatable.
Also talking cats? Always a good choice.

T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors and "Hemlock & Silver" is now one of my favorite books. This is a brilliant retailing of Snow White and Rose Red."

The things I love about this story are numerous so here are just a few:
- the heroine is unashamedly plus sized but it's not an aspect of her character, it's just who she is
- the answers that need to be discovered don't just suddenly occur to our protagonists, they are explored and found organically with a background as to why they'd have the ability to figure the answers out
- the child character has agency in her own story also, she's clever while still making age appropriate mistakes
- the love interest is perfect for the protagonists station in life
- the religion throughout the story is subtly woven throughout and lends itself to the story without being the driving force
- the ending did not play out exactly as expected

I cannot recommend this book more and I can't wait to own a physical copy to add to my growing collect of T. Kingfisher books!

Hemlock and Silver blends mystery, science, and magic, and I am 100% here for it. Anja is a healer who willingly drinks poison in pursuit of cures. With her sharp wit, dry humor, and brilliant mind, she is relatable and deeply engaging, making her quest to solve the mystery easy to root for.
The story builds an atmosphere of curiosity and discovery, mirroring (Ha! I slipped in a pun) Anja’s inquisitive nature as she navigates the complexities of medicine and the dreadful secrets hidden within a magic mirror to save Princess Snow.

The story is filled with tension and conspiracy, made all the more enjoyable by a quirky cat that talks and a guard. The deeper Anja digs, the more the mystery unfolds. The book effortlessly balances humor and high stakes, offering a fresh take on the classic fairytale retelling. It would not be a T. Kingfisher if it did not have the eerie atmospheric feel, so you will not be disappointed. The author is a master at writing female characters of substance, developing clever, layered, and formidable women in literature. I was utterly engrossed in the mystery, the characters, and the intricately crafted other world, making it impossible to put the book down.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publish Group, for the opportunity to review the ebook.

“‘Look then unto the Poison’s mirror, and so unlock the Curative to match it, each to each.’ I swept my hands across the stacks of books…’But how do I find the mirror image?’”
Healer Anja

Overall: 4.75/5, rounded up
Perfect for fans of: Dimension 20’s Neverafter, Botany Manor, and that one moment in Rupaul All Stars 2 where all the eliminated queens show up in the mirror
Follow up with: The Mirror Visitor quartet by Christelle Dabos, The Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh

T. Kingfisher is really just showing off at this point — another stellar take on a worn-out story that feels fresh and exciting all the way through. Hemlock & Silver is a “retelling” (generously defined; we’ll get into that) of Snow White that takes all the classical elements and transforms them into an entirely new story infused with Kingfisher’s iconic humor, romance, and a healthy dash of horror. Snow White is the classic pre-teen princess, but instead of focusing on her, Kingfisher introduces the reader to Anja: an expert in poisons and antidotes, driven by a personal tragedy in her earlier years. The king’s daughter Snow is terribly ill, and no one can figure out why. At a loss, the king turns to Anja, desperate to solve this mystery and keep his last daughter safe and alive. Once Anja arrives at the castle that serves as Snow’s sickbed, however, she discovers a magical realm hidden behind the many massive mirrors at the estate — and the way mere reflections are more powerful than anyone has ever imagined.

Anja is instantly loveable (for fans of Kingfisher’s other works, she reminds me a lot of Clara from Paladin’s Strength) which was the highlight of a mostly-slow first quarter. Her humor is pointed and familiar without being anachronistic, and while she is a successful heroine, Kingfisher makes it clear throughout that she’s not perfect. It was satisfying to read her struggles throughout the book; her wins felt earned and I was rooting for her success at every turn.

Every character in this book shines in their own way, although Anja (appropriately!) steals the show. Javier and Aaron are lots of fun as the grumpy and sunshine (respectively) bodyguards, Lady Sorrel’s wit and charm are refreshing, and Greyling is a unique take on the ‘talking animal’ sidekick — although I would argue Anja is his sidekick, and I’m sure he would too. Even Snow is entertaining as the spoiled and snippy 12 year old princess; I wanted to strangle her almost as much as I wanted her to get better.

Like Kingfisher’s other retellings, Hemlock & Silver isn’t really a retelling at all. The inspiration is obvious; the princess is named Snow, she’s eating a lot of apples, there’s a question of poison, and there’s plenty of mystery surrounding an absent queen and the mirrors she’d brought with her. That’s about where the similarities end, and Kingfisher deftly makes the story her own. There’s twists I expected and twists that I didn’t, and overall the framework of the story I expected was reflected back at me in a completely different way than I had imagined.

Kingfisher also generated an entirely new world and religion for this book, and while it definitely isn’t 100% fleshed out, it absolutely passes the five-second test and was way richer than I would’ve expected for a stand alone where none of the characters were really religious figures. Kingfisher’s theology is always exciting to me and this was no exception — the focus on animal saints added yet another layer of believability to the book, ensuring I bought in every time something new was introduced. Every element of the desert world felt connected; if there was anything odd that people did, it was handily explained by either a quirk of faith or setting. This was great fun for me and I really enjoyed that she took the effort.

The romance was definitely cute in this one; I never really read books specifically for romance, so it wasn’t a draw for me on its own, but it felt satisfying to see it come to life nonetheless. If you are an avid romance reader, there’s definitely plenty here to please you, but it doesn’t overpower the story or the plot. In fact, without the plot, the romance probably wouldn’t happen; there’s no magical chemistry or irrefutable force of nature drawing them together.

My only issue with the book was the pacing in the first quarter; I feel like a couple of plot elements were raised and then dismissed pretty quickly. While it didn’t affect the overall experience of the read for me, a lot of the details discovered during the group’s journey to the castle ended up being extraneous and probably could’ve been cut.

Rounded up from 3.5 stars.

Hemlock & Silver is an interesting take on the Snow White fairy tale that finds new ways to play on the trope of the poisoned apple and magic mirror. We follow Healer Anja - which is a bit of a misnomer, as really she's interested only in solving problems and is terrible at people skills - as she tries to figure out the mystery of why the king's daughter is sick. But she slowly moves from looking for scientific reasons like poisoning to realizing magic might actually be at play. She also develops a delightful partnership with one of her guards, Javier, that explores just how much a grunt can convey.

However, it takes awhile for these elements to become clear and really for the story to get going. One of the biggest issues I had with this book is that it dragged in the first half. Anja doesn't even start traveling to go see the king's sick daughter until about a quarter of the way in. I think the author wanted to build the world and Anja as a character, which I do respect, but she also gave Anja a LOT of little side thoughts. They're supposed to help build her character as a bit quirky, but I don't think we needed anywhere near that many to do so. They just end up distracting from the story.

Anja's quirkiness was the other issue I had with this story. I love a good quirky character, and she certainly was one. However, it sometimes conflicted with the tone of the rest of the book, which could be quite dark and creepy. But then you would have zany, quirky Anja pulling some hijinks by making an embarrassing misstep. It was... a bit odd. I didn't hate it, but sometimes it did feel a bit like whiplash.

I've come to count on T. Kingfisher as a pretty reliable fantasy author. I wouldn't call this a misstep, but it also wasn't quite up to the level of some of her other books.

A dark reimagining of Snow White that feels familiar, while telling a stunning new version of the beloved fairytale. T. Kingfisher is quickly becoming an auto buy author.

What’s to love…
- dark fairytale
- strong, sturdy, & tall, over 30 FMC that’s smart, mature, and just a bit quirky
- dare I say this is a STEM book? yeah I’m saying it. Definitely STEM - Anja is obsessed with studying poisons
- romantic subplot that is slow burn and epically adorable
- ANIMAL companion (the feistiest cat)
- no spice
- laugh out loud funny
- weird af (and I mean that in the best way possible)

What’s not to love…
- My only complaint is that it starts a bit slow, but once you’re at the 40% mark the pacing is perfect and you won’t want to put it down.

A Gothic retailing of Snow White set in a mirror world? Absolutely! (4.5 stars rounded down)

Disclaimer: I did read this as an e-book via NetGalley. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the free e-book copy. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review. No take a bath.

This book started off on a slow upward climb, but just totally exploded for me around the 40% mark. I really enjoyed our main character Anja. She had so much going for her yet knew her limitations very well. Her "flaws" were almost strengths, even though she didn't see them that way.

This was an absolutely ingenious retailing of Snow White. It was different enough to be its own beast while encompassing so much of the points that tied it to Snow White. I really enjoyed the way. Kingfisher took a classic and twisted it around to make it its own.

Dare I say I like this more than the original snow White, because I did.

This encompass so many, really cool things. A plot to take over the world, alternate dimensions, a slow burn & extremely sweet romance that blossomed at the end. There was really a lot to love about this novel. I really loved that the romantic storyline was very sub plot and not a main focus. It allowed the Gothic nature of this tale to really shine through and be the focal point as you read. As a long-term kingfisher fan, I have to say that this is on par with one of their better books and I absolutely enjoyed every moment of this. I wish I had known more about Grayling. That is my only caveat with this tale.

Goes without saying that I am, and forever will be a kingfisher fan

There's just something about T. Kingfisher's writing that hits for me every time. I loved this re-imagining of Snow White in Hemlock & Silver. It truly is a re-imagining and not a retelling. Kingfisher took Snow, apples, mirrors, and a mean mommy figure and turned it into something new, with the signature tongue in cheek, dry humor writing and curvy middle aged MCs that I've come to know and love from this author.

I'm a Nettle & Bone girl, so this wasn't a 5 star fave for me as it was more along the Swordheart lines. But that still makes it a solid 4, a great rating. Had a great time throughout with no lull in the action once we get past the intro chapters, yet it still read almost cozy to me despite all the poisoning. Plus any book with a talking cat with a true cat personality is going to rate high!