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Absolutely one of the best books I've read this year. I can't express how much I love T. Kingfisher's writing and how exciting it is for me to dive into another one of her books. At this point I have almost completed her backlist, but this one might be her best yet. Along with Thornhedge and Nettle & Bone (which are also amazing), A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark fairytale retelling that blends together magic and horror. This one is a loose retelling of The Goose Girl, but I personally thought it had a lot in common with Ella Enchanted (a childhood favorite), if Ella had a more depraved mother. Despite Cordelia being controlled by her mother, she's a strong character. She's very young, only about 14, but I appreciated her resiliency so much. Hester was delightful, too. Kingfisher tends to write very sarcastic, jaded older protagonists with hearts of gold, and I love all of them.
This story continually got creepier and creepier, with one quite unexpected scene being the most jarring and spooky. The characters (at least the non-evil ones) were a delight to read about, and I loved the found family aspects .

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Kingfisher’s latest is well written and up to her usual high standards, but in all probability, I will never read it again. It brought back unpleasant echoes of reading The Yellow Wallpaper, only somewhat more entertaining.

Billed as a “dark retelling of Grimm’s The Goose Girl,” for those familiar with the tale, I’ll not that it really isn’t in most of the important ways. It does have a horse, a flock of geese, a young woman, and a mother, but the relationships between all those things are scrambled. For me, the choices that Kingfisher made missed the lessons of the fairy tale; should I be in marketing on this one, I’d suggest describing as ‘inspired by.’

It begins with Cordelia living with her mom in an isolated village hamlet. Told in limited third person, we’re squarely in Cordelia’s head, knowing what she knows and experiencing what she notices. Cordelia might be 14, but it becomes quickly apparent that she is so much younger, the likely outcome of a manipulative and literally controlling mother.

“She was made obedient less often as she grew older. She thought perhaps that it was more difficult for her mother to do than it had been when she was small–or perhaps it was only that she had learned to avoid the things that made her m other angry. But this time, Cordelia hadn’t avoided it.”

While Cordelia has figured out her sorceress mother isn’t normal, she only has an inkling on how abnormal she is. Her one escape is riding her mother’s beautiful horse Falada. One day, she gathers enough courage to ride to the limits of her range and has her heart broken when she discovers the truth about someone she thought of as a best friend. But even more change is coming; her mother is on the make for a new male benefactor and they are soon riding off to visit a rich man. Unfortunately, he comes with an unmarried sister, Hester, and a number of spirited servants.

At this point in the book, I was well worn out by Cordelia’s experience. Kingfisher is spot-on at capturing the viewpoint of someone who is abused but only dimly suspects just how abused, and it is an emotionally tough line to walk. Introducing the viewpoint of Hester, an older, physically limited spinster was a brilliant touch, allowing for more directional and courageous machinations, along with a touch of humor.

“One of the advantages of age was that you could think a great deal while simply sitting still, and no one would poke you and demand that you go do something useful.”

The story did feel like it got a bit lost with the introductions of two of Hester’s besties who come to visit her, although it later becomes clear why. Still, the stakes escalate as Cordelia’s mother incrementally weaves her web around the squire.

“I made you,’ her mother said, looking straight ahead. ‘I made him and I made you, and you belong to me. Don’t forget it.'”

It is a well-told story, and if I have quibbles with pacing in retrospect, it could just be because it was so hard to witness Cordelia’s life. Transformation does eventually come, in fits and stops, much like real life. It’s not an easy path.

“It was the calm of a burned-out house or a ravaged field, the calm that comes where there is no longer anything to lose.”

There is a little humor, mostly wry. The geese are a bright spot, but they don’t really show until the last quarter of the book. Ultimately, when I’m going to re-read Kingfisher, I’ll undoubtedly head for Nettle and Bone, or her alt and the delightful Castle Hangnail.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Tor/Forge. Clearly, opinions are my own. Quotes subject to change but give a feel for the writing.

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This was a fantastic read. It was well paced and didn't drag at all. I appreciate that T. Kingfisher portrays protagonists that aren't always talented or young or know what they're doing. All of the characters were fully fleshed out, and the story moved at a great pace.

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"And if all else fails, at least I'll have someone to drink myself unconscious with when it all goes to hell."

I have no idea how I have missed Kingfisher's other works. A Sorceress Comes to Call was fantastic and I've put A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking on hold at my local library. A Sorceress Comes to Call holds all of my favourite elements of fantasy, while adding new complexity and layers I haven't seen before. I was sucked into A Sorceress Comes to Call on page 5 and only put it down because I absolutely had to do things in real life. This book was everything I needed, everything I wanted, and more.

The dual POVs was a stroke of absolute genius. I feel like I've read this story from Cordelia's perspective before. I know what the beats are, what the arc might be, and the limited choices a girl with an abusive mother has. Cordelia's mother can literally take possession of your body and make you do anything, up to and including murder. Cordelia has been subject to this all of her life and without Hester's POV to contrast Cordelia, this would be a very different book. Kingfisher tackles the subject of domestic abuse with care, complexity, and hope. But she doesn't make this a story about domestic abuse, she makes it a story about friends banding together to rid the world of evil.

Hester is a fifty-year old woman, a spinster who refuses to marry because of the loss of her freedom. She has an absolutely wicked sense of humour, arthritic knees, and agency. Hester is such a beautiful contrast and companion to Cordelia. To see the adults working on a problem, to be concerned for the welfare of a child, and to actually execute action plans was amazing. Hester's wealth of experience and fear of Cordelia's mother grounded A Sorceress Comes to Call. By utilizing dual POVs, Kingfisher presented a common enemy which unites two very different women, and the reader.

A Sorceress Comes to Call deals with some terribly frightening possibilities. Kingfisher is intent on showing how one person with unchecked power can ruin everything for everyone. But, that's not to say that this is a terribly depressing book. Kingfisher's comedic relief, sarcasm, wit, and jokes made by every single character had me laughing out loud. I read completely random quotes to my husband because they were too funny to keep to myself. The beautiful humour in the face of terrible possibilities was the best thing about A Sorceress Comes to Call. Kingfisher carries such a unique voice in her writing, I want to describe A Sorceress Comes to Call as The House in the Cerulean Sea crossed with Charmed Life.

If you want to read a beautifully hopeful story in the face of everything, and laugh while doing it, Kingfisher is the author for you.

"Madam." He frowned at her. "I am a butler. Do you truly believe that I do not know how to dispatch a houseguest if required?"

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Going into this, I knew absolutely nothing about this book or the story it is a retelling of. I was blown away by the writing, plot line, and the magnificent characters throughout this story. Beautifully written and the attention to detail is incredible!

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T. Kingfisher lures readers in with this eerie and mysterious dark fairytale with beautiful poetic prose, intricate characters and relationships, and a bit of the dangerous unknown.

Cordelia has grown up with a strict set of rules from her mother. She’s isolated and alone with no one to turn to. But when her mother reveals herself as a sorceress with the ability to manipulate those around her and sets her sights on a manor estate with more money than Cordelia can imagine, what lengths will her mother go to get what she desires and at what costs to Cordelia and the manor’s inhabitants?

This story is loosely based on the “Goose Girl” and has a touch of gothic, magical vibes. The pace was a little slow for me until the end, and I loved seeing Cordelia step out of her shell and form relationships. Hester and her friendly (and romantic) dynamics were my favorite! I enjoyed seeing her character flourish.

This was my first read by T. Kingfisher, and I was blown away by the alluring and suspenseful nature of her storytelling. It drew me in and made me want to read more of her books because I absolutely loved it.

3.5/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this title.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I really loved the first few chapters. I felt like they really set up the creepy atmosphere. I thought it was so eerie how Cordelia would talk about "obedience" and how her mother would punish her when she got in trouble. I have really enjoyed pretty much everything that I have read from this author, and this book isn't any different. I love the writing style and the character development. There were times in the middle where I felt like I had a hard time staying engaged, but overall, this was a fun book.

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I struggled with the first half of the book, where the background and story was being set up. I love the historical vibe of the setting, and definitely felt the dark factor early on. I do wish there was more background on how the mother mind-controlled Cordelia because that is so fun. The book read slower than I was expecting so it makes the readers really focus on each character. The women were great. I loved when the characters banded together to plot to take down the mother. There was some fun banter between them as well.

I have not read the fairy tale this is based on, so perhaps that would have provided me with a little more context to understand the plot.

I do really enjoy this style of writing and the gaslamp type fantasy. It felt like we were back in time, but in a timeless place. Women focus on being wed off to wealthy or powerful men, manners must be minded, and everyone has a place in society. I almost got Sleepy Hollow feelings from the story at certain parts, especially with the horse for some reason. I do think I would have liked a little bit more magic since the main character was a sorceress.

The ending really kicked into gear and once the action started I flew through the rest of the book.

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The way Kingfisher characterizes old folklore and tales is nothing short of an enchantment. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a delightful take on an often forgotten tale.

Kingfisher balances each POV expertly and I found that there wasn't a viewpoint that felt lacking in necessity.

Hester has secured a spot as one of my favorite characters from Kingfisher's work- (though Paladin Stephen still wears the crown). Her perspective and relationships are so utterly endearing and relatable.

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Absolutely magical. Kingfisher has a way of creating stories, specifically fairy tales, that remind readers of different classical tales while also remaining wholly unique. A rare talent and an incredible work. So well done!

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'A Sorceress Comes to Call' by T. Kingfisher is a masterful blend of fantasy and horror, a reimagining of the Brothers Grimm story The Goose Girl. Kingfisher's storytelling prowess is evident in this engaging narrative that held me captive. The characters, their depth, and the unique two-person POV are a testament to Kingfisher's skill. Her poignant depiction of an abusive parent and its profound impact on Cordelia, our protagonist, is both moving and thought-provoking, evoking a strong sense of empathy. I wholeheartedly recommend T. Kingfisher's work, and this book is a shining example of her talent!

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I feel as though each time i read a T. Kingfisher book, I am blown away by the quality of the writing and narrative of the story.

Previously, I had read a few novellas and loved them, so this was my first full novel which was a fairy tale based retelling. T. Kingfisher is brilliant in their writing and she is so thoughtful with the way she builds her characters and the underlying drama.

This story was presented as a dark retelling of the Brother's Grimm Goose Girl, where a girl takes the place of another in the hopes of swapping lives with her. In this story, We learn Hester, a spinster who's single brother is courting a mysterious woman, is suspicious of his love interest and the woman's daughter becomes an unlikely ally in unravelling the plot.

I love gothic fairy tales which do not have the candy coated overlay on them to make them overly sweet and "happily ever after". This book does not hold it's punches when exploring the dark sides of the sorceress's magic and we see people fall victim to the bewitchment. I love how the author is able to weave in the eerie sense of paranormal and supernatural even when it comes to this type of story. She truly does justice to the Brother's Grimm and their horrific fairy tales where people would end up blind or disfigured in some way because if magic was involved, it was rarely going to work out well for anyone.

I loved this book and I have become quite a fan of this author. I will continue to be on the look out for more works of theirs. I highly recommend picking up this book and anything else you can find. They are always surprising in the best ways! Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy!

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Thank you to T. Kingfisher (author), Eliza Foss (narrator), Jennifer Pickens (narrator), Macmillan, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for this free advanced reader copy of "A Sorceress Comes to Call" for an honest review.

T. Kingfisher remains one of the greatest authorial finds of my last two years. I have loved her foray into every genre, and this next, newest one into fantasy by way of the middle-of-the-road normal life is no different. I found myself deeply in love with both of our main characters and, at all times, horrified by the actions of our "sorceress." I loved our older love story of taking someone as they are, at their own time, and simply loving them slowly. I'm still and forever horrified by headless horses (thanks, Icabod).

I cannot wait to see what Kingfisher puts out next! I am here and ready already!

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Another really enjoyable fantasy book from T Kingfisher. I really like the way she weaves horror elements in with fantasy to create a story that is creepy without being too gory or jump-scary. I loved Cordelia and Hester and was rooting for them the entire time. The dynamic between Cordelia and her mother reminded me a lot of the Rapunzel/Mother Gothel dynamic, just for a more adult audience. Highly recommend!

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T. Kingfisher has a reputation for her unique voice of whimsical, 'cozy' horror and fantasy. This is some of her best writing, in my opinion. Some readers gripe about her snarky, twee narrators, but here, the characters, while endearing and colorful, are more universally appealing. So, if you tried Kingfisher and decided she was trying too hard but liked her anyway, this is your book.

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Though this is marketed as a retelling of the Brothers Grimm "Goose Girl", it's more like a reimagining. There isn't much of the original story in this book besides the very barest of bones. However, it works out well as this is a great story in its own right.

Cordelia is the the daughter of a sorceress who subjects her to all sorts of abuse. She doesn't think she will ever escape this, especially after learning that a friend is not a friend at all. She feels betrayed and hopeless, until her mother sets her sights on marrying a rich squire. She drags them to the Squire's house, where Cordelia meets the Squire's sister, Hester, and slowly begins to believe that maybe she can finally escape her mother's tyranny. The characters in this are all very well done. You can feel the terror from Cordelia, the cunning from her mother, and the dark humor from Hester, who refers to Cordelia's mother as "Doom". Even the side characters were well-written and added greatly to the story. My favorite of all the side characters has to be the goose army though, It sounds silly, but they fit perfectly into their role (if you've ever dealt with a Canadian goose, you'll understand). The plot moves along at a decent, if slow, pace, but definitely picks up towards the end. You can feel the tension and the terror, and the uncomfortable feeling of not knowing what horrible thing could possibly happen next. I do wish we'd been given a little more information on sorcerers though. They just sort of seem to exist without any explanation as to how they came about or the differences between them. This isn't a huge deal, but would have been nice to add a little background info.

This would be an excellent book to read in the upcoming spooky season, though I recommend it for anytime really.

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I was given an ARC from NetGalley. I've been a bit obsessed with T. Kingfisher and I've read almost all of her books. I blew through this book very quickly. It was equal parts weird and exciting. You definitely empathize with the main character and want to cheer her on when she tries to leave. There are moments of terror when you think her mom will destroy her.
I give this book 4 stars because I enjoyed the plot, and the character development. I also really enjoyed the sister and how she immediately saw through the mother's charade.
I highly recommend this book.

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Another solid entry from T Kingfisher!
I really enjoyed this dark fairytale. It read like a darker, more serious Ella Enchanted, which I read (and watched) recently. I liked both POV characters, though I connected to Cordelia much more than Hester. I felt they were both interesting in different ways and well developed, but I definitely preferred reading Cordelia's perspective more. I could see Cordelia being a more difficult character to write due to her lack of agency and trauma but the author did a great job with her character arc. The side characters were also engaging and felt realistic, despite the short length of the book. I especially liked Penelope. The plotting was well paced and had good tension throughout. I thought that the horror elements were also very well done. They were creepy, weird, tense but not like disgusting or cringy, which is the kind of horror I enjoy the most.
I did both the audio and ebook copies of this book, so I'll also note that I thought both narrators did a great job, definitely recommend the audio version of this book.
Thanks to Netgalley for this eARC!

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Cordelia lives a life unable to make any of her own choices, due to her mother's literal power over her, from her thoughts to her physical body. Her only escape is riding the family horse Farada, and daydreaming of what freedom might feel like.

This little book may very well be my favorite one from T Kingfisher yet.

A darkly inspired Goose Girl fairy tale retelling with some moments of horror that are so strong I still think about them when I close my eyes at night.

And the thing that I think makes Kingfisher's version of horror resonate with me and others so deeply is her ability to take you to the very edge of the idea of something so horrific that you're nearly crawling out of your skin, and then she pulls you back with a familiar character in a slightly cozy setting just for the briefest respite to allow the horror to sink in, the ideas she's talking about, but to not have to dwell in the darkness for too long.

I loved it.
Thank you so much Tor Books for the ARC.

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This retelling of "The Goose Girl" takes the story in a very different direction and removes the action from a palace (and its stockyard) to a country squire's estate, but the story is no less engaging for its lack of crowns. The changes Kingfisher makes to the original tale make this even more of a story about women finding (and losing) their voices, and also more of a horror story, though in the vein of The Stepford Wives or Get Out rather than The Omen or September House.

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