What is Sleeping Beauty didn't need to be rescued... This is a clever retelling of the sleeping beauty story.
As this was a novella, and a bit of a quick read there isn't too much to say about the plot without giving it away. Toadling was a delight, her "knight" Halim was sweet and less there to save her, and more to help her save herself.
Captivating and fresh in a way that retelling often are not, I can not recommend this story enough to fans of Kingfisher or fairytales.

I have a deep and abiding affection for reimagined fairytales, but, even within the strange magic of that particular subgenre, this is a breath of fresh air. Or...pond water...or something.

Somewhere deep inside me there’s a feral child who loves stories about other feral children who, despite everything, are raised with the love of the wild creatures around them. I’m not sure where this inner child came from, but this book made them very, very happy.

In some ways this was a simpler story than I’m used to from Kingfisher, but that really only served to show off the beautiful, terrible ideas and the gorgeously spare prose. Top notch fractured fairy tale retelling. I’ll be coming back to this one again, and I hope to the reader’s gods that there’s an audiobook version.

When I start a new Kingfisher, I usually think there’s no way she can create characters that I love as much as the last Kingfisher book I read, but then she does it, again and again. And in a novella! This was a lovely, warm-hearted retelling of Sleeping Beauty that recasts the Beauty as the villain and the fairy as the awkward, out-of-place protagonist. There’s so much to like about this, but it should satisfy readers who enjoy fairy tale retellings, strong women characters, knights who mean well, and Kingfisher’s writing. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the advanced copy of this book!

Kingfisher became an instant read for me after Nettle & Bone and in Thornhedge we get another reimagined fairytale. This is a novella so it's a quick read, but it's very satisfying at the same time. We meet Toadling, who can take a human form or a toad form, as she is spending years hidden in a tower. She watches the years pass by as she's hidden behind the dense brambles that protect the tower and keep from the outside world. Occasionally people come to the tower after hearing tales of a princess trapped in the tower, but none ever make it through the thorny barrier. Eventually people forget about the tower, until one day a knight comes and doesn't leave. We then learn the true tale of the princess in the tower and why Toadling is there. Not all princesses should be saved.

Toadling has already failed at her task. She has given up everything to keep her charge hidden from the changing world. When a humble knight stumbles across her forgotten bramble patch, his curiosity places her secret in peril. Can she hold fast against him, or will her fears that she is not enough come true?

5 stars for the magic with which T. Kingfisher spins the traditional rhythms of this newly woven fairy tale. Through THORNHEDGE, you'll reconsider what "ugliness" really means and rethink your expectations about how the story is meant to end. Anyone with anxiety issues will feel this tale deeply. I will now count it among my favorite comfort re-reads.

I was given the opportunity to review an e-ARC of THORNHEDGE through NetGalley.

I will read anything T. Kingfisher writes, and this book didn't let me down! It was just as funny and well-written as all the other books Kingfisher has recently put out, and I absolutely loved it.

So anything Ursula writes is going to get an automatic read from me. This is a captivating novella that looks at Sleeping Beauty through fresh eyes. Highly rec'd for fans of fairy tale retellings and the darker aspects of fantasy.
Thank you very much to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC!

Sleeping Beauty retelling but make the princess the villain and the witch the hero. Oh, and the witch named Toadling looks like a toad in human form and can transform into a toad? SIGN ME UP

On the day she was born, Toadling was stolen by the fairies and grew up in the water of the faerieland safe and loved. When she grew to adulthood, the fae asked her if she would return to the human realm and offer a gift to a newborn child, and things go horribly wrong. Centuries later, a knight comes to the hidden tower covered in brambles and thorns in search of a curse that needs to be broken. What he finds is Toadling having stayed guarding the tower and willing to uphold the "curse" no matter the cost.

Seeing the classic fairytale turned on its head was exciting since it opened up a new path for the story to take and was able to explore other aspects of the characters without it being the same story told over and over. I love everything this author writes, and this did not disappoint. Thornhedge is 128 pages of pure page-turning enjoyment. It was short just like fairytales themselves are, but that didn't take anything away from the story. In fact, I think the length was perfect. The writing was beautiful, and I loved Toadling and the prince getting to know each other and Toadling slowly coming to the realization that she's been at the tower far longer than she herself knew.

I think one of the most intriguing parts of the story was seeing the juxtaposition between the Princess and Toadling. Toadling was raised in a safe, loving world knowing that she would always be accepted whereas the Princess was raised with those around her fearing her for her horrifying outbursts. I also really enjoyed the love story between the Muslim knight and Toadling. They both admitted that neither are conventionally attractive, but are "interesting" and it just made my heart so happy to see that in a book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC. 5/5!!

This twisted take on Sleeping Beauty is gracefully written with subtly lyrical descriptions of a vivid world of faerie both beautiful and horrifying and a human world that makes the reader feel the damp and fear the thorns. It is an exceptional fantasy.

Familiar and warm but with a touch of terror, Thornhedge catches the mood of a fairytale brilliantly. Kingfisher knows she doesn’t have to introduce the shape of the Sleeping Beauty story, so the new twists are established first then it slowly unravels how they fit within the shifts of this version of the tale. Both Toadling and Halim were interesting, delightful people I wanted to spend more time with in the end.

I never would have thought that a book that included murder and violence and toads could be adorable? But it is. This is a great novella for those looking for a quick fantasy world to dive into. I rooted hard for the characters. I wish the action scene had taken a bit longer, but honestly, loved this world. More Kingfisher please!

T. Kingfisher never has a bad book it seems and this book continues her streak of amazing works. I loved Thornhedge. I gobbled it up in two sittings and it's one of my favorite books this year. The story was heartbreaking, hilarious, and thrilling all in turn and it's a book I foresee going back to again and again for rereads in the years to come. I'm already planning for this book to be my recurring Christmas present this upcoming Christmas.

Sleeping Beauty is one of my all-time favorite fairy tales, and T Kingfisher is very quickly and solidly cementing herself as a favorite author of fairy tale reimaginings. So when I saw this title and author, I immediately knew I had to get my hands on it - and this did not disappoint. This is such a great twist on the original fairy tales with Toadling trying to keep Fayette from doing harm, and ending up keeping her asleep for over 200 years. I loved the world building and the different Fae creatures who make appearances. In some ways the conclusion felt a little abrupt, but I do love how things resolve for Toadling. This also has really great lines on perception of beauty, and what makes someone or something beautiful based on the ideals one grows up around. In the author’s note/acknowledgments, Kingfisher talks about this book being sweet and I can honestly see it. Yes, there’s violence and Fae creatures who harm mortals and Toadling is a child stolen away to faerieland, but also it’s got themes of family and connection and the power kindness can hold. All in all, definitely a book I enjoyed and one I’m sure other fans of Kingfisher will adore, and one I will be recommending!

I love T. Kingfisher! Whether she's writing for adults, teens, or children, her work has a characteristic weird darkness about it that just captures my imagination every time. Thornhedge is her riffing on the Sleeping Beauty fairytale with joyous abandon. Nothing is as it seems, yet the heart of the story resolves in a very classic love story fashion. Wunderbar!

A retelling of Sleeping Beauty told from the perspective of Toadling, a changeling fairy. Toadling was the human baby meant to be Fayette and she is sent back with a gift to keep the fairy exchange girl from doing harm to others. Toadling muffs the spell and has to do her best to keep Fayette from killing everyone. Truly an enchanting story!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

Oh my gosh this is just SUCH a fantastic little story. Absolutely on my list for new favorite novellas. I adored the depth and range of emotion, the twist of a known story trope, and the awesome fae creatures. Highly recommend it!

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC
Actual rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

Ever since reading What Moves the Dead, I’ve become a huge fan of T. Kingfisher’s books, snapping them up left and right. I love how the author manages to effortlessly pivot from sweet and quirky fairytale retellings to dark and twisted horror stories. In Thornhedge, Kingfisher manages to merge both of these genres with aplomb, creating a simultaneously sweet, but dark and violent retelling of the classic tale Sleeping Beauty.

"There was simply no way to hide a hedge with thorns like sword blades and stems as thick as a man's thigh. A wall like that invited curiosity and with curiosity came axes, and it was all the fairy could do to keep some of those curious folk from gaining entrance to the tower."*

Thornhedge poses the question, “what if the beautiful maiden sleeping in the tower was put to sleep and hidden away for a more sinister reason?” And in Thornhedge, this reason is simple—it’s for the world’s own protection from this Sleeping Beauty, who’s beautiful appearance hides a truly dangerous secret. I was truly enthralled by this story and was floored that the protagonist of this story was not the helpless sleeping damsel in need of a white knight, but the “evil” fairy who laid a “gift” on her in the first place.

Toadling, the faerie godmother in question,  has a truly unique upbringing—she was stolen from her human parents at birth, and raised in the swamps of the faerielands, something which renders her more fae than human. Knowing the circumstances of her life, a goddess appears, and calls for Toadling to leave her home and to become a faerie godmother in order to bestow a crucial gift upon a newborn princess.  But when the day comes to bless the child, everything does not go according to plan and Toadling is forced to deal with the increasingly violent consequences.

'"His eyes were grave. 'Some things can't be fixed.'

'We couldn't change her,' said Toadling, feeling as if the words were broken glass in her ruined throat."

Thornhedge does a fantastic job of setting up the mystery of why Toadling remains alone, with only a wall of  thorns as company, as centuries pass. This novella sucks readers in by giving more details of Toadling’s past piecemeal, leaving readers with the magic of suspense until the full story is divulged. Kingfisher truly is a master of dread and readers quickly learn that  the Sleeping Beauty is anything but the Disney version of the character.

"'This would be easier if you could turn into a toad,' said Toadling, after Halim had been hacking away with a hatchet for several hours. He raised an eyebrow at her. 'I can safely say that in all my life, no one has ever said that to me before,' he said."

I immediately liked Toadling, as Kingfisher enchantingly crafts her as an endearingly otherworldly, but kind and sensitive, fairy. Through Toadling, we see the difference between the worlds of the fairy and the humans. Though each world is cruel, it’s in very different ways. Thornhedge charmingly shows off Kingfisher’s talent for truly unique and quirky world-building along with her zany sense of humor, which though quieter in this novella, still manages to show itself through Toadling’s new friendship with an ineffectual, but sensitive knight who originally aims to break the curse surrounding the mysterious sleeping maiden.

I highly recommend this to pre-existing fans of T. Kingfisher’s works, especially those who loved Nettle & Bone, as it really combines the author's talents for both the dark and the sweet in a delightfully entertaining and satisfying way. Thornhedge is also the perfect read for fans of fairytale retellings and those who like strong female protagonists.

I was given an Arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an incredible take on Sleeping Beauty! This was such a short read but absolutely wonderful!

Anytime I see a T. Kingfisher Book it’s automatically being purchased for my physical shelf! This book was so cute with Toadling and Halim with just the right touch of creepy with Fayette…I don’t know if there would ever be a second one but now I want more!

5/5 stars and will definitely be recommending this!

Thank you to NetGalley, T. Kingfisher and Tor Publishing Group for an arc of Thornhedge in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

T. Kingfisher is an auto-read for me. I am super excited that I get this opportunity to review her new novel set to publish 8/15/2023!

Ok, so I loved this little novella!! Just based on the description, I was thinking along the lines of Shrek.

Toadling is a toad-shaped heroine, not our usual beautiful princess. She was stolen by faeries from her family when she was born, but she was raised safe & loved. They just asked on favor of her – to return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection on a newborn child. Well, that doesn’t go off without a hitch! Centuries later, a knight discovers thornhedge and decides he needs to break the curse, but Toadling isn’t about to let that happen.

This was a refreshing take on the old Sleeping Beauty type fairytale. The characters were so likeable. Like, you just can’t help but like them. Kingfisher has such an amazing style of writing that can only be described as “friendly.” It makes it hard not to like her work. While this story has its dark moment, the heart of it is extremely sweet and heartwarming.

Pacing was great & the ending was extremely satisfying. Don’t miss out on this adorable novella about Toadling!!! I highly recommend!

4.5/5 Stars