I’m a big fan of the author, but most of the novels that I’ve read before are very different. The tone of this one is similar, dark and full of tension, but the story is like a fairy tale with a sorcerer and a child beholden to her. The writing is impeccable, but it’s the psychology of the characters that really touched me. Cordelia and her fear of her mother and Hester, the sister of the man said sorcerer has entrap to marry her (for his money and position), are both deep, flawed, conflicted and very compelling. The rest of the characters are equally well developed, including the supporting cast. Evangeline is terrible and truly evil. Even her horse, who is not really an equine, has a strong personality. These are all strong women, which is something else I love about the author. It is impossible not to root for them. The dialogues are believable and organic, even when discussing issues that are completely unreal. The last chapters are incredibly suspenseful and, even if I was hoping for one outcome, I was never sure how it would end. An excellent novel.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Tor Books.

I’m quite picky about the fantasy books I read, especially when they’re set earlier than the 21st century. I was very pleasantly surprised when this one caught me right from the beginning and kept me the whole way through. Here are my thoughts:

• The characters were amazing. I loved Hester, Lady Strauss, Tom the butler, and even Evangeline in her own, creepy kinda way. This is my first T. Kingfisher book and they write characters very well!

• I did feel like it could’ve been a little shorter. It felt like there was a loooot of filler conversations that could’ve been summed up a little more succinctly.

• I don’t agree that this is a horror novel. It’s creepy at most. I saw another review where someone mentioned they kept checking if this was YA and I absolutely agree. It felt like a book written for teenagers.

• The story itself was very intriguing but the ending fell quite flat for me. I was expecting there to be a great duel between Cordelia and her mother but instead, it felt like a bunch of bumbling idiots faking their way through it and winning with dumb luck. There was no explanation as to where the mother got her powers, what motivated her to be so horrible, wtf the horse thing actually was, and Cordelia never found her power which was SUCH a letdown and a wasted opportunity.

Overall, I loved it up until the ending. I so wish they had’ve reallocated some of the pages they spent on needless babble in the middle to a proper ending. If I was judging solely based on the first half of the book, it would’ve gotten 5 stars but this is just a 3 star for me.

To call Cordelia’s mother overbearing and often times cruel would be an understatement…of course she is an evil sorceress. Despite her efforts to escape her mother’s manipulations she finds herself part of a plan to marry a wealthy squire and dispose of him afterwards. Cordelia is surprised when their new family takes her in shows her a kindness her mother never did. Now she will have to be brave if she wants to save this new family from a grisly fate.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a reimagining of the Brothers Grimm's “The Goose Girl”. This is a fairytale that I am not familiar with so I don’t have any comparisons to offer. I typically love this authors stories so I was a bit disappointed that this one wasn’t amongst my favorites. I did enjoy several characters, especially the squires sister who is a feisty lady with a special fondness for breeding geese. This is a dark fairytale so it contains some content involving murder, mutilation, and abuse. Despite not loving this one it was still a very enjoyable read that I would recommend for fans of darker fairytales.

This book was really good!! A very easy and quick read, with lots of intrigue and very developed characters. This is my first Kingfisher, and needless to say, I'm going to be reading the others!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Tor Publishing group for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my honest review.

4.5 stars
This was my first book by T Kingfisher. I’ll be honest and say that some of the covers have kind of scared me off. While the Brothers Grimm’s stories aren’t exactly not scary, I thought it would be a safe entree into the author’s work. And I was right! This retelling was cozy, even through the horror of Evangeline’s actions over the course of the book. The narration was good- one narrator was better than the other for me. I definitely recommend this to everyone and will start reading through the back catalogue!
*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook copy.

This novel grabbed me by the throat (and the heart) from the word “obedience.” Cordelia’s less than ideal status quo is upended when her mother decides it’s time to leave their small town and start a new life. And if Cordelia doesn’t interfere, her mother’s plans will ruin more lives than hers. This is dark fantasy that feels like it was written explicitly for survivors of the parental rights movement––it’s full of heart even as it takes an unflinching look at what it takes to break free and become your own person.

I loved this one. The author really knows how to tell a story and keep you hooked until the end. I did find some of the character descriptions to be… well, brutally inaccurate for that age group. But other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "A Sorceress Comes to Call" by T. Kingfisher in exchange for an honest review.

Cordelia is trapped. Her mother Evangeline, a powerful, cruel sorceress, craves money and luxury more than anything. and she's willing to do anything to get it, including manipulation and murder. Cordelia is just one more tool at her mother's disposal So when Evangeline's latest lover rejects her, Cordelia, Evangeline, Evangeline's familiar Falada go off in search of a new benefactor. They find the Samuel, the Squire, who lives in a big, stately home with his old maid (though not prospectless) sister Hester.

Samuel immediately falls for Evangeline's charms but Hester does not. She and the household staff quickly realize that all is not what it seems and that they are all in a great deal of danger, including Cordelia. Hester immediately calls in the help of old friends, including her long-time beau, to defend against Evangeline's machinations.

What follows is a classic Kingfisher story: scary magic, droll humor, a middle-aged and kickass heroine, and a terrifying horse. It's entertaining and horrifying and absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend for Kingfisher fans, as well as readers who enjoy mixing pseudo-Regency eras with magic and mayhem.

A clever fantasy novel featuring an excellently eclectic cast and an older heroine. My only quibble was the portrayal of a fifty-one year old woman as tragically aged and infirm.

Actual rating: 4,5/5 stars

I have yet to read something by T. Kingfisher that I haven't at the very least enjoyed, and "A Sorceress Comes to Call" is no exception. I loved this one, and found myself picking it up whenever I could. Claiming to be a "Goose Girl" retelling (which I cannot speak to the accuracy of), this story follows fourteen-year-old Cordelia and her mother in her attempt to ensare a rich husband. What follows is an unsurpringsly dark tale sprinklened with bits of humanity and humor. I really enjoyed Cordelia's character, and I truly felt for her. I also loved the secondary characters, as well as the themes of good vs. evil and found family. This one capitivated me from page one, and I will be in T. Kingfisher's walls waiting for whatever her super amazing brain comes up with next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh. I was so excited to see a Kingfisher book on NetGalley available and even more stoked to get approved for it. I love T. Kingfisher.

It’s not often I imagine cartoon characters as characters in books, but I just could not get Mother Gothel from Tangled out of my head as Cordelia’s mom, Evangeline. Interestingly, I did not imagine Maximus as the horse, Falada, mainly because of Falada’s personality.

Cordelia lives with her mom who doesn’t allow Cordelia to close the door to her room. She doesn’t allow her to have friends, but sometimes Cordelia rides with a girl in town, but keeps her distance personally and emotionally. She confides in Falada regularly, though, to let out steam. But one day, when Cordelia decides to try to get away, Falada stops at the edge of town and refuses to go any further. Then her mother comes running to them. Falada, Cordelia’s best friend so far in life, is her mother’s familiar, and has revealed all of Cordelia’s alleged secrets to her.

When a change in her mother’s other relationships leads them to another town where Evangeline is trying to get a wealthy man to fall in love with her and marry her, Cordelia finds an ally in the man’s sister, Hester. Despite Cordelia keeping her mother’s deepest secrets, Hester begins to suspect things, although she has no idea how to prove them. But after the death of a guest, Cordelia finds herself caught between loyalty to her mother and a moral obligation to keep anyone else from dying.

This was such a phenomenal book. I have never read The Goose Girl, but I do believe I shall.

T. Kingfisher has done it again!

I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could! I have been obsessed with T. Kingfisher's writing since I read my first book, and previously Nettle & Bone and The Twisted Ones had been at the top of my list, but I think A Sorceress Comes to Call has just blown past them to the top!

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Summary:
Cordelia knows things about her mother that no one else seems to know. Like the coldness that hides behind her mother's charm and smile and the way her mother is able to control Cordelia and others in a way that seems magical. But it isn't until her mother sets her sights on marriage and moves herself and Cordelia into the household of a wealthy and kind old Squire and his clever older sister that Cordelia begins to see what her mother is truly capable of.

Hester knows from the moment she sees Cordelia's mother that the woman is a harbinger of Doom. There's something not quite right about Evangeline, and there's a look in her daughter's frightened eyes that tells her that something dark is lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike. Hester only hopes that she can figure out Lady Doom's secrets before it's all too late.
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What a fantastically dark and lovely fairytale this was! I grew up on Gail Carson Levine and Robin McKinley, and I adore stories that draw from fairytales and folklore like Senan McGuire's Wayward Children series, so this book was incredibly satisfying for me for the concept and vibes alone, but T. Kingfisher's execution of the novel took it to another level.

What I loved:
- A phenomenal cast of characters! T. Kingfisher has a way of writing characters and populating her worlds that resonates with me, and this book was no exception. I will admit that Cordelia was occasionally a bit frustrating with how weak and timid she was, but it was all completely in line with the character's experiences and history, and she was balanced nicely by having Hester as an additional POV.
- I really enjoyed the world this story was set in! It had the feel of a classic fairytale world with the gilding of a Regency novel, and it was delightful. Even if it was not directly plot relevant, I enjoyed the attention paid to period-appropriate manners, social expectations, and gossip as it made the world and story feel more rounded and complete. (And I found the house party gossip sessions quite entertaining! And they did so much to add depth to all the characters!)
- What a despicable, well done antagonist. I don't want to give too much away, but the way Evangeline treated others was so on point with a narcissist and abuser and it made me hate her soooooo much.
- The general darkness and horror vibes were nicely balanced! There was a sense of darkness throughout sprinkled with notes of horror up until closer to the end when the horror tones got stronger, and it made for a wonderful build and flow of the story.

Overall, this book was phenomenal and I cannot recommend it highly enough to fans of fairytales, dark fantasy, and books with excellent vibes!

I've heard such amazing things about Nettle and Bone from people with similar taste in books as me, so I was excited to dive in. Thank you NetGalley & Tor for this eARC! This was my first book by T. Kingfisher, and unfortunately, it was a miss for me. This review does contain spoilers, so proceed with caution. 

At first, I was very intrigued - what is being obedient? What's with the whole no doors thing? Hester can sense "Doom", is she a sorcerer too? Will we have an epic battle of sorcery?? 

But, about a quarter of the way in, I went back to double check if this was YA or adult, as it felt very YA. I do enjoy YA, but I was surprised to see this is Adult. Cordelia is 14, she's supposed to be acting as if she's 17, but she felt much younger than 14 with her thoughts, words ("err..." was her comfort word it seemed), and actions. I don't think her age alone made it feel YA, but nothing really happened that seemed like it should be elevated up into adult. There were a couple of "gruesome" moments, but even those were kept short and mild. 

I wanted more growth out of Cordelia but I rather enjoyed Hester. She was so kind to try taking Cordelia under her wing, and wanting to help her once she noticed something was definitely wrong with Cordelia's relationship with her mother made me appreciate her even more. I also enjoyed Alice who felt like a big sister showing her the ropes occasionally. Richard was a true gentleman, I liked him immediately.  

Disliking her mother was successfully executed, however, I found it odd how she'd randomly spit out bits of information I felt Cordilia would know by the age of 14 (oh yea, I'm a sorcerer). It also bothered me that she did absolutely nothing to prepare her for pretending to be 17 - or fitting in whatsoever. I suppose that could have been part of the plan to dislike her more, but her plan was very hastily thrown together, it seemed she should have given Cordelia a heads up on the backstory, and guidance on how to act if she wanted the plan to be successful. 

(Big spoiler heads up again) I liked Ms. Green, but found her speaking to Cordelia after being unalived just didn't work for me, even though there was sorcery within the story. 

Overall, the story seemed to drag. I think a fair amount could have been cut to better hold my attention. Every now and then something would happen and I'd think "okay, we're going to get rolling now!" but then it didn't. I guess the plot was ultimately focused on stopping her mother without killing her, with a long buildup and lot of filler? The most exciting part was the "horse" digging himself out of the grave.

Kingfisher does not miss. The people (both main and supporting cast) are so vivid, striking even in their complexity - how that is accomplished in such a gloriously short composition I will never understand. I love how the characters reveal the story, we are never told outright or monologued to, but skillfully edified via dreams, actions, interactions, dialogue. The whole story wasn't even told. There are still so many questions surrounding Cordelia, her future, how she came to be, what she's capable of and yet it ended perfectly, gruesomely, triumphantly.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc, this is my honest review.

Sweet yet terrifying, Kingfisher weaves a signature tale of fairy-tale dimensions, of an evil mother, a brave young woman, and a cast of loving folks who work together to bring down the sorceress.

T. Kingfisher never fails to write a fun and compelling book, and A Sorceress Comes to Call is no exception! This atmospheric retelling of Goose Girl was full of a cast of interesting characters, a terrifyingly awful villain and Kingfisher's signature sense of humor that is much appreciated after moments of terror. I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading literally anything else this author writes!

OMG I loved this book SO MUCH. Kingfisher just writes solid gold. She’s one of my go-to authors and I was so pleased to get a copy of this and to love it as much as I did. Based on a fairy tale I’m not familiar with, it felt very fresh and interesting to me, and the characters were just as much fun as the story (I’d love a sequel). The premise is simple: there’s a teenage girl whose mom is a bad sorceress, and they need money, and the bad sorceress mom decides to con a rich guy into marrying her (and eventually plans to marry off her daughter to another rich guy). There’s a horse, and a delightful cast of rich, funny, quirky houseguests, and some helpful and steadfast servants, and a lot of weird, creepy magic. I’m doing it a disservice because I’m not getting across how good it is, just read it.

4.25 mesmerizing ⭐️s.

T Kingfisher’s dark, imaginative fantasy draws creative inspiration from “The Goose Girl” fairy tale. But don’t expect the plot to center on, well, a goose girl.. This novel is so loosely based on the original that the Brothers Grimm themselves could read it and not recognize it as their own classic tale.. Expect only the wispiest tendrils of connection between the two stories, and you’ll be delighted rather than disappointed.

What I loved:

*Smart, natural dialogue

*Clever and lively older characters (people above a certain age can be more than curmudgeons and lonely old maids)

*Sprinkles of humor

What I wanted:

* A clearer explanation of the conjured horse. I wanted more than “not really sure what that magical creature was.” But maybe it’s illogical of me to expect magic to make sense.

*The mother-daughter dynamic between the ruthless sorceress and her naive daughter is so prominent in this book, that I wish the author gave a sliver of insight into the mother’s own upbringing. (Hint hint, T Kingfisher… how about a prequel?)

4/5

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Tor Books, and T. Kingfisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was another solid read from T. Kingfisher. This retelling of the Grimm fairytale, Goose Girl, follows young Cordelia as she tries to survive the nightmarish, social climbing, life ending plots of her sorceress mother. The highlights of this novel were Kingfisher's horror and the magic system (the rules, utilization, and societal integration).

There were portions of the novel that dragged plot wise, primarily during the calmer scenes at the Squire's mansion. Much of these scenes could be trimmed down/out and it would have little to no impact on the larger story at hand. I'm also slightly bummed that a certain relationship did not get solidified at the end of the book, but life is life and it's not always wrapped up in a pretty bow.

I will continue to read anything Kingfisher puts out and am so grateful that I got a copy of this ARC to review. I do believe my favorite of Kingfisher's is still What Moves the Dead, but I can't help that I'm in love with fungal horror!

Mild spoilers below:

Favorite quote:

"Fight back a little, child. Even a rabbit in a trap can bite."

I enjoyed the semi-early references to how powerful Evangeline was, like when the cups started ratting on the trays when she was angry. The visible exhaustion that took Evangeline over while controlling Cordelia was a nice touch on the limits of her power. The mystery of the extent of Evangeline's full power, though, was built up very well of the course of the book. The lack of distinct limitations on her magic until the end of the book kept feeding the paranoia in the back of my head that she could always do more damage than I expected.

The water, wine and salt approach to the boundaries of magical impact was unique and fun to read about. I also loved the acknowledgement of how something is sacred because you think it is. Many modern witches/pagans will probably appreciate that.

The twist on Falada from the original story was a nice surprise. If I were Cordelia, that betrayal would have demolished me. I would have liked the ruse to go on a bit longer to make it sting a little more for the readers. Kingfisher going full horror with Falada was amazing. How terrifying he got after his head was chopped off was so much fun to read. I was evil laughing out loud about how scary I imagined him being crawling around like a spider with no head, it was definitely my favorite part of the book. That scene is tied for one of my favorite horror moments of Kingfisher's. (The other two are in What Moves the Dead [of course] when you realize Madeline has the fungal fuzzies all over her skin & the bunny that keeps moving even though it's missing some important body parts.)

Kingfisher continues to be an automatic read for me, and I cannot wait to read her next work!

It is fair to say that anything T Kingfisher writes, I will read. This book was no different and written in true dark fairytale, Kingfisher style. I finished this 320 paged masterpiece in a day and don’t regret in one bit. Kingfisher’s usage or dark imagery and ability to spin a fairytale for adults is what has made her an autobuy author for me. I will read anything she writes.

I won’t lie, some of the imagery in this book is graphic, but if you’ve read T Kingfisher before you know what you’re signing up for and you’ll love it just as much as I did. A sorceress who can take over people’s minds including her own daughter’s? A plan to seduce a squire and set them up for life no matter who or what she has to hurt to get there and her daughter who uncovers dark secrets about her mother.

This book was everything I needed and more. It was dark, secretive, enchanting, and unputdownable in the best way. The only book I haven’t read by Kingfisher is Nettle and Bone and after finishing this newest one I am going to pick it up IMMEDIATELY!!

If you want a dark, enchanting story about a sorceress with terrifying powers and her determined daughter who will do anything to make things right, be sure to pick this one up in August!