T. Kingfisher is one of my auto-buy authors. I love the worlds and characters she creates. Her newest book, A Sorceress Comes to Call, is a Goose Girl retelling.

Kingfisher’s story, set in an ambiguous English-esque 1800s world, is rather dark. Our female main character, Cordelia, is 14 years old and lives with her cruel sorceress mother, Evangeline, who can control Cordelia. Cordelia’s only solace is Falada, Evangeline’s beautiful white horse. Evangeline’s benefactor tosses her aside, leaving Evangeline no choice but to move and find a new man. She sets her sights on a wealthy Squire and plots to marry him so that she can marry Cordelia off to a rich man.

Several unlikely heroes arise to save the Squire and Cordelia. My favorite is Hester, the Squire’s 51-year-old sister who has bad knees, desires independence, and breeds geese. Something I admire about Kingfisher’s stories is that she always uses regular people to save the day. There are no special snowflakes here. Cordelia finds a friend and ally in Hester—their relationship is a joy to witness after all the abuse Cordelia endures from her mother. As Evangeline’s motives and power become clearer, Cordelia must learn to fight to protect her new friends.

As always, Kingfisher’s writing is atmospheric and draws you in. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the ARC.

Trigger warnings: child abuse, suicide, animal death, murder, insanity

This is exactly what I've come to love and expect from T. Kingfisher. It has a lot of heart with a dash of horrific. This story feels a little regency, which was fun and gave a lot of room to play with propriety and poise, while also covering murder, abuse and whole host of dark topics. it was a unique blend and a charming story.

This was a great retelling of a Brother's Grimm tale - the Goose Girl. I have enjoyed T. Kingfisher's alternate retelling of the House of Usher in What Moves the Dead and What Feeds at Night so I was excited to be approved to read and review A Sorceress Comes to Call. Perfect for fans of dark fantasy.

I've read a few Kingfisher books and absolutely loved them all, except one (Thornhedge; absolutely hated it), which was the most recent one I read. I, however, remained optimistic for A Sorceress Comes to Call and I thank NetGalley and Tor for the ARC ahead of publication. Let me tell you, it was perfect. No notes.

I loved all of the characters so much, from the main protagonists to the supporting cast of house staff in what seems like a Regency-era setting. They are well-formed personalities and most of them are hilarious in a way that really makes this story cinematic. It felt like I was watching Knives Out...stylish, smart, and witty. I especially loved Hester, who, despite a bad knee, is a total badass in so many ways. I honestly would read a sequel to this book that included just Hester and Richard, without much plot. Actually, a book about the butler and Richard writing a book together would be awesome, too. Anyways...

Somehow, Kingfisher has seamlessly blended a period piece, sorcery, horror (takes awhile to get there, but whoa boy, it's a doozy), the paranormal, coming-of-age, and romance into a book that never felt too long or too short. I cannot recommend this book enough!

I have been so excited for this book for so long! I grew up with Shannon Hale’s Goose Girl and love the original Brothers Grimm’s tales and adore T. Kingfisher so I am very excited to review this book (and just get the chance to read it!). But on to the particulars.


This is a lovely book, if a little gory. The threads are definitely family, complicated relationships, confidence in one’s self, love, and knowledge as a key factor. I thought that the different versions of a family present throughout the novel were striking and realistic. I enjoyed the subtle love thread. And I went from laughing out loud to crying through Kingfisher’s compelling writing. The characters were fantastic. The plot was fun, if not terribly surprising. I didn’t feel as if any of the “twists” were out of left field and enjoyed the differences from other variations of this story I’ve read.


It is told from the perspectives of Cordelia, the daughter, and Hester, the sister of the Squire pursued. I believe, though I haven’t done the math, that we get more from Hester’s perspective. I enjoyed both perspectives, though Hester was an amazing lead.


Hester is fifty years old, tired, and not inclined to heroics. But she loves her brother and just generally is a good person. Though she is not just a beacon of radiating light, she curses, hesitates, and doubts. I really always admire Kingfisher’s leads. They are so brilliantly human. What are you supposed to do when a sorceress runs amok in your house? What’s the plan? Where’s the guidebook for that? At least in this telling, there is no guidebook. Hester calls together the best course of action that comes to her. But she recognizes her limitations, most of the time. She knows she has to adapt when new information is revealed, she knows she doesn’t have the answers. She does however have bad knees that do affect her. As someone with bad knees (I know, I’m too young for it, tell my knees that), I understood and related to her struggles with her body’s limitations. I adored Hester and her journey in this book. Cordelia is so young in this book. And she is so alone. She tugged at my heartstrings in her story. I could feel her pain so well and believed in her struggles.


I love this book and really enjoyed Kingfisher’s rendition of the Goose Girl. I honestly wish it was longer and things like the geese were expanded upon. I only want to read more of this. It is bloody, it is dark, it is sad, and it is uplifting.

I think I simply must read everything that this woman writes. I really enjoyed this - from the way it was set up to introduce the characters, and through to the story. I absolutely loved the way all the characters played off each other!

I will say, if there was one thing that was fixed, I almost wished… the man behind the mask, so to speak, was a little more elavorated on? I did love how that unmasking went - all of it, truly - but i felt that once we knew what was fully going on, we didn’t get a chance to fully explore what that meant for the characters at large. But beyond that, I felt like everything played into it really well, and just. Just!!!

Also the relationship between Cordelia and Hester… truly a chefs kiss of a relationship. From how they were introduced to how they worked together … ugh! So good.

If you’re looking for retelling with a bit of a darker twist (although I’m pretty sure this story is fairly dark already!), T Kingfishers stories are going to have to be your next go-to, and this one is no exception.

4.5 rounded up to 5.

Thanks so much to Tor Books and NetGalley for a chance to read and review!

This is my favorite book of the year so far. I loved everything from the characters’ strong personalities, to the occasional witty comment made, to the way every situation in this book was thought out so well.

I love a good fairy tale retelling and this is truly one of the best. Just enough hints of the story it's based on, with a enough twists to make it feel like you're reading something new and exciting (and you're not just reading a another version of the fairy tale beat for beat). If you like books by Robin McKinley, Gail Carson Levine, or Shannon Hale, and you want something a little on the eerie side, this book is perfect. I've never seen a take on the Goose Girl like T. Kingfisher does with this book. I shouldn't be surprised, what with her masterpiece homage to the Fall of the House of Usher (and if you haven't read 'What Moves the Dead,' you should probably pick up that book too), but this is such a beautiful reimaging of that classic fairy tale, with twists and turns I frankly wasn't expecting at all.

I loved every minute of it.

Plus, we've got the classic T. Kingfisher humor thrown in there, a cast of well-thought-out female characters out to save the day (with a couple of competent male characters thrown in there to spice things up), a lovingly crafted found-family, and the reminder that even where evil lurks there is kindness and compassion and people willing to help one another. It's always the people that get to me in Kingfisher's books. Not the monsters, and not the heroism, but the willingness for regular people-- people who might be scared, and people who might not have any power or money--to stand up for themselves and others just because it is the right thing to do. This book is full of hope.

Seriously, it's by T. Kingfisher, you have to read it. It's a cozy mystery set in what feels like Victorian times with an overbearing evil sorceress as the mother who only wants the best for her daughter. I mean can you blame her? An absolutely delightful cozy mystery with an evil horse/familiar, a brave housemaid and butler, and a daughter who wants no part of this horrifying turn of events. If you enjoyed T. Kingfishers previous books you will definitely enjoy this one. Read it!

I loved the characters in this. Cordelia could’ve been really unlikable and simpering. But Kingfisher does an excellent job of depicting the horror of her situation and of giving her a few key moments of bravery to make you really root for her. Hester could be a modern-day Jane Austen character with her wit, snark, and rebellion against the rules of society. Secondary characters like Lord Evermore, Hester’s ex-lover, and Hester’s friends Isabel and Penelope round out the cast and make the whole story more colorful. Kingfisher balances moments of levity in the character's conversations with real moments of dark horror. The creativity to create an original fairty-tale-like story out of nothing is so impressive. I definitely want to read more of T. Kingfisher’s stories after this.

Immensely satisfying and well-contained. As always, Kingfisher’s middle-aged characters ground the story (and so too the geese). The horse is a jerk with hooves, and the mother-villain is deeply horrifying.

3/5 Stars

Thank you to Tor Books and macmillan audio for providing me with an arc/ALC.

I have heard nothing but amazing things about T Kingfisher’s books so when I saw this one up as read now I grabbed it. I didn’t know what to expect but I wasn’t fully expecting abuse on page which does tend to cause me to put books down as I become disengaged. I definitely plan on giving Kingfisher another try as I think I will love their writing but this one isn’t for me.

This is the book that solidified T. Kingfisher’s place as one of my all-time favorite authors. A Sorceress Comes to Call truly shows off her fantastic character work and ability to deconstruct and rebuild a fairy tale like no one else.
Cordelia has spent her entire life under the thumb of her sorceress mother, being shoved to the side, or worse, made obedient whenever she steps out of line. But when she is brought to the home of her mother’s latest wealthy suitor, her world begins to expand like never before. Meanwhile, the suitor’s sister, Hester, must fight to keep her beloved brother from falling under the sorceress’s influence while navigating her own complicated personal matters.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Cordelia’s dynamic with her mother is gut wrenching to watch, and the level of control she has lends an effective tension to the entire story. Hester is a tough woman who has reached middle age while holding most people at arm’s length, but she has so much heart and fortitude to share. I hope you love them as much as I did.

Advanced copy provided by NetGalley, all opinions my own.

I’ve read some of T. Kingfisher’s other works (Saint of Steel series), but this is my first of her non-romance books, and I really enjoyed it. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm's "The Goose Girl". It’s a little fantasy, a touch spooky, has regency vibes, full of emotion and character depth, and still manages to be kind of cozy.

Cordelia, a young teenage girl, is being literally compelled to be ‘obedient’ by her controlling and manipulative sorceress mother Evangeline so Cordelia can eventually be married off to a rich man. When Evangeline herself attempts to marry a Squire she meets Hester, the Squire’s sister and a clever older woman with chronic pain and knack for training geese, Evangeline’s secrets start to get unraveled. We meet some other great side characters, one of my favorites being the witty and down to earth charming Penelope.

Thank you to T. Kingfisher, Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books, and to NetGalley for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Narrated by Eliza Foss & Jennifer Pickens

Genre: fantasy horror

Cordelia's mother, Evangeline, is a very powerful Sorceress with the ability to control people. Unfortunately, this sometimes means controlling Cordelia, but it's all for her own good. When Evangeline's benefactor no longer suits her needs, she decides to take matters into her own hands and approach a squire of some means and worm her way into his heart. But the squire's sister, Hester, is an insightful woman who recognizes that Cordelia needs more than just someone to watch out for her....

Part fantasy, part murder mystery, this has a delightful gothic tone in the signature style I come to expect from T Kingfisher. It's just the right amount of horror to give you chills but not enough to keep you up at night. It’s a house party, a murder mystery, a coming of age story, and a love story all at once.

The split perspective - where Cordelia knows what her mother is and is too afraid to say anything and where Hester has strong suspicions but doesn’t entirely know what to do about it - frames the pacing of the novel well. From Cordelia’s nervousness and need to hide behind every door imaginable from her mother to the keen observations from Hester, we get these different views that feel like peeking around corners in a clever way.

This is the longest work I’ve read from Kingfisher, and I think her experience in writing novellas with her judicious word choices and plot arcs translates well into novel length.

I think this is my favourite T. Kingfisher. Loosely based on “The Goose Girl” somehow everything is flipped and just works perfectly. The regency setting is vivid and transportive. What I most adored was the unraveling and sinister undertone this story created. Although it also does have cozy elements that balance out the impending peril. Character wise, they are all brilliant and utterly believable. Even the horse has major personality. The story uses wit and wisdom all wrapped into one. I cannot recommend this book more - I read it in a day! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

It’s no secret that I love everything T. Kingfisher writes, and this may have topped them all. (Still debating if this is my favorite of all or my favorite of her non-horror books, What Moves the Dead is so hard to topple).

This is a dark retelling of the Goose Girl story, but it is a very loose retelling that stands well on its own even if you don’t know the original story. Cordelia’s mother is a sorceress, who uses that power to control her. When she sets her sights on marrying the Squire, it’s up to Cordelia and the Squire’s sister Hester to stop her.

Most of all I loved our cast of supporting characters who all came together to help Cordelia, who has been so sheltered and abused until now. They way they all took her under their wing, believed her, and chose to do whatever it takes to free her was so heart-warming and wonderful to see. There’s also Kingfisher’s signature humor and fun, even though it’s a darker story. I was so invested to see what was going to happen, and I thought the story concluded mostly satisfyingly.

Absolutely would recommend this one when it comes out on August 6.

Thanks to #TorBooks for the digital arc

What a gorgeous, stunning book. Its hard to find a book that really manages to walk the line between paranormal fiction and fantasy without getting too murky, but T. Kingfisher has knocked this one out of the park. I am a big fan of "the goose girl" and have read several re-tellings, but this one might be my new favorite. T. Kingfisher imbues every sentence with emotions: I chafed with Cordelia when her mother was making her "obedient," cried with her when she learned the truth about her horse, and cheered when she made any movements to get away from her mother's control. All the side characters in this story and the historical regency setting were just perfect to tell this weird, wonderful story about a girl who endures a horrible life until she manages to find the strength to build a new family and escape her mother's clutches. I didn't want to leave this world - I see a reread in my future!

Enjoyed the story once it got going, but it felt like it took far too long to get there. I did appreciate the ages of the main characters - early teen and middle aged, which I feel like is not common in fantasy books. I did want a bit more at the end, but it was still a fun way to pass time.

In "A Sorceress Comes to Call," fourteen-year-old Cordelia leads a miserable, lonely life under the control of her mother, Evangeline, a powerful sorceress capable of making anyone obedient. Cordelia lacks bodily autonomy and privacy, only learning of her mother's true abilities and intentions when Evangeline loses their male benefactor in the village. Determined to find a suitable husband, Evangeline reveals her plan to launch Cordelia into society to secure a wealthy spouse. Their lives take a turn when they move into the household of the Squire of Chatham Manor, where Cordelia finds solace in the company of the Squire's middle-aged sister, Hester. As Cordelia uncovers the extent of her mother's ambitions, she realizes she must summon the courage and means to stop her, regardless of the cost.

The story adeptly explores how women's lives are controlled by society through their bodies. Evangeline's obsessive control over Cordelia's body and thoughts, coupled with Hester's physical disability and desire for independence in a society that recognizes only the legal constraints of marriage or the celibacy of spinsterhood, highlight the lifelong struggles women face in a culture that values only their surface while suppressing their true selves.

With humor, suspense, and richly developed characters, this reimagined fairy tale captivates readers until the very last page.