I enjoyed this story, I don't know what I thought I was expecting but I never would have anticipated what I got. While it goes to some dark places, I never felt like this was a dark book. It goes back to when villains were truly villains. And at the end you are left with such a cozy feeling of found family. Plus the geese.

This was SUCH an enjoyable book, I was absolutely hooked. I love me a little fantasy, a little magic, a little fairytale.

I hadn’t read Goose Girl, but I did read the synopsis, and this feels less like a retelling and more like it was only loosely drawing from the Grimms fairy tale. There were a few parts that were definitely inspired, but the overall plot deviated significantly enough that I’m surprised it’s marketed as a retelling.

My main reason for not giving it 5 stars (bc I almost did) was bc I would’ve liked some more imagery in this book. There are some moody, dark scenes, and I feel like Kingfisher could’ve done more to paint the picture for us. There was some descriptive passages but I would’ve loved for her to lean into it even more to really set the scene (like the way it’s done in Rebecca). I had a vague idea of what the settings looked like by drawing from other books/movies, etc but I would’ve liked a more vivid picture so that it really comes to life.

It is a fairytale after all, so I enjoyed the happy ending, but I did have some questions left unanswered. I’m still not very sure why Hester didn’t marry Richard, I’m not sure what they achieved by faking a marriage (what kind of ulterior motive were they looking for? Was it ever revealed she had an ulterior motive? Wasn’t money and luxury her only motive?) I was being led to believe that maybe Evangeline had other motives but that wasn’t pursued any further.

Overall, a well written, enjoyable dark fairytale.

This book was absolutely a delight start to finish. It was charming, magical, sweet, mysterious, and funny. Top favorite fantasy book I’ve read this year!

Told from two POVs, starting with young Cordelia as we learn about her sorceress mother, Evangeline. Then Hester, sister to Samuel, the Squire, whom Evangeline set her sights on.

I adored Cordelia, she has a wonderful character arc spanning from her innocence and gullibility, to more confident in the presence of Lady Hester and her friends.

Hester is a spinster in her fifties, she sees right through Evangeline’s trickery and is helpless to get Samuel away from her clutches.

When Cordelia realizes her mother’s plans will hurt her new friends, she seeks their help to stop Evangeline at all cost.

I loved all the storytelling and the fast paced plot, it was a very concise tale with fantastic setting - regency with a little bit of magic, so charming and funny. All the various characters added entertainment to the book and made it insanely enjoyable. Hester’s friends, Penelope and Imogen were just the kind of company you’d want to keep! The small romance subplot for Hester and Richard was SO cute. I loved their shared history and the moments they had together. Richard Evermore is totally swoony! And can’t forget Willard, the butler, with the jokes.

I devoured the audiobook in a short amount of time! Both narrators were phenomenal. Eliza Foss voicing Hester and Jennifer Pickens, Cordelia. Their voices and chapters blended seamlessly. This was my second book narrated by Pickens, she brought a childlike innocent quality to Cordelia. Eliza Foss had a wonderful delivery for Hester and all her friends, very high class with the time period. I’m looking forward to listening to more books with these narrators and picking up the next T. Kingfisher book off my shelf!

I was sent a copy of this book without having requested it… and it’s the best thing that’s happened to me in so long!

T. Kingfisher has very quickly become one of my all time most recommended authors at my bookstore, as well as one of my favorite authors to read in my downtime. Their stories are comforting yet terrifying, cozy yet thrilling, and just completely unputdownable. A Sorceress Comes to Call is no exception! In fact this may be my favorite one yet.

This book is a reimagining of The Goose Girl, and I say reimagining instead of retelling because it is wildly different than its supposed source material, with T. Kingfisher putting their very own special spin on the classic tale. It’s darkly funny, richly told, and downright horrific at times.

Special thank you to Tor Publishing for knowing my personal reading tastes so very well, you guys are the best at what you do; diehard fan for life. And to T. Kingfisher themselves for writing banger after absolute banger and allowing me to read them.

I stand by my preference for Kingfisher’s horror over her fantasy. Imagine my delight when this book dipped a toe into horror in the last 25%! The little bit of gore and grotesquerie was perfect and just what I was hoping for in a story that lacked Kingfisher’s usual wit and humor. Obviously a story about abuse isn’t meant to be funny, though.

Cordelia’s timidity made the book feel too long and too slow, and a lot of the more dramatic happenings (like a family’s brutal murder) were kind of offhand or out of focus or told as sort of an aside so the impact wasn’t entirely felt. Though the dynamic between Cordelia and her mother (aka abuser) was palpable and ever present from the very first page.

4.5, rounded up to a 5. The geese and the Acknowledgements at the end really give it that extra .5 star!!

I love Kingfisher's ability to write in older characters that FEEL their age while still being so active in the story. Cordelia and Hester being the main POVs were fantastic choices, and their voices felt distinct. I never know what I'm getting into when I pick up a book by this author but I KNOW I'm in for a good time, and this one did not disappoint!

Book: A Sorceress Comes To Call
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Pub Date: August 6, 2024

I have been curious about T. Kingfisher’s books for quite some time now. I have been on the Libby List to get “House With Good Bones” forever so I was thrilled when NetGalley granted me this one. This was definitely a step outside my box kind of book and I loved it.  This is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytale “Goose Girl” which I am not familiar with. Cordelia, 14 years old, is physically forced to obey her mother who is a evil sorceress. I never thought I would be reading a fantasy/horror book about a sorceress. Ever. But here we are. The characters in this story are very well developed as are their relationships. I loved Cordelia and Hester and the magical geese. It is spooky with just the right amount of horror and humor. If it isn’t your kind of book then give it a chance you are going to love it. If it is your kind of book then you are going to love it even more. I am looking forward to reading more books by T. Kingfisher.

Thank you Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is August 6, 2024.

T. Kingfisher never disappoints and she doesn't here either. An emotionally abused daughter finds a way to escape her evil sorceress mother in this quick, delightful read.

This intriguing novel takes readers on a journey with Cordelia, a young girl raised in an unconventional household by a possible sorceress. The lack of privacy and the strange silences Cordelia endures hint at a dark secret, and the revelation of her mother's true nature ups the stakes considerably.

The author masterfully creates a world where the line between eccentricity and evil blurs. Cordelia's only solace lies in her connection with Falada, the horse, and the kindness she finds with the Squire and Hester. The warmth of this newfound family creates a stark contrast to Cordelia's chilling reality.

The looming threat of her mother's plans keeps the plot moving, and the central conflict – Cordelia's loyalty to her only family versus the safety of the people she cares about – is a compelling one. Readers will find themselves invested in Cordelia's difficult choice and eager to see how she navigates this complex situation.

Another dark fantasy from Kingfisher! A Sorceress Comes to Call is the perfect fantasy read for anyone who loved Nettle & Bone!

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a retelling of The Goose Girl with T. Kingfisher’s signature writing style that’s whimsical and fantastical and weird and just a little bit creepy. This book is mostly fantasy, but it does have a few horror elements thrown in there as well, and the setting also has a historical feel to it.

I haven’t read The Goose Girl, nor do I know what the tale is about, so I don’t know how well this retelling follows the original story, but I did enjoy this book nonetheless. It stands on its own without the reader needing any prior knowledge of the classical story.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a multi-POV tale largely centering Cordelia, whose mother, Evangeline, is an evil sorceress trying to con her way into a better life with a wealthy older man called the Squire. Cordelia reluctantly comes along for the ride and finds companionship and solace in the Squire’s sister, Hester, who is very suspicious of Evangeline. Hester and Cordelia team up with a few others at the estate to try to stop Evangeline from ensnaring the Squire and release Cordelia from her controlling clutches.

I loved the characters in this novel. Cordelia was really delightful and I enjoyed seeing her grow into her self and become more confident throughout the story. Hester and Lord Evermore were my favorite “not-a-couple” couple and I loved their dynamic. There are even protector geese and a very eerily-aware horse named Falada. All of the characters were so well written and memorable.

Overall, this was a delightful story. I love T. Kingfisher’s writing style, and if you do too then you will also like this book. I recommend it to anyone looking for a classical standalone fantasy tale that’s a little dark and a little cozy and a little funny all at the same time.

Lots of twists and turns. Couldn't put it down. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I expected something great, and I wasn't disappointed! Kingfisher is such a master of tone that I somehow came away from this book filled with tragedy and thought, "well that was fun!" She knows how to keep characters on their toes and readers on the edge of their seat. While the stakes were high there was always room for humor, which only endeared me to the characters even more. Something I loved in this book was her ability to balance the young character with the older ones. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses, and I always was happy to read more about them. A great book that I am already recommending to all my friends.

Another great novel by T. Kingfisher. I didn't love this as much as I did Nettle and Bone, but it remained in her twisted fairytale style. While it's not drawing from a particular fairytale, you can see the bones in her writing. A Sorceress Comes to Call was ultimately a solid novel with some great characters and a overwhelmingly creepy vibe overall.

Another thing I love about Kingfisher's writing that is particularly strong here is her inclusion of older characters with younger ones. It's rare to see older women represented in fiction like this, and Hester was a fantastic addition to that list.

T. Kingfisher is back, this time with a twisty retelling of The Goose Girl. I love Kingfisher's writing style, and her ability to create relatable characters going through absolutely wild, magical, terrible situations. Kingfisher is also adept at creating horrific creatures that will stick to your nightmares. The older women characters were my favorite part of the novel- they are strong and wry, and save the day many times. I love a strong woman, particularly an elderly one, in a horror novel. The novel did drag a bit for me, but the payoff was well worth reading through.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a lovely fairy-tale in T. Kingfisher's trademark blend of the cozy and the horrific. Cordelia's mother is the titular sorceress, a woman bent on living in luxury on someone else's money. Cordelia is imprisoned by her mother in many ways and longs for escape. When they cross paths with a genial squire and his sister and her friends, Cordelia finds allies for the first time in her life. But getting rid of a sorceress isn't easy or painless, so there's a lot of work to be done. The world-building is fabulous and rich, I loved the characters, all of whom felt real and had depth, and the plot and pacing are excellent. Horror fans may find the book too whimsical at first, but be patient--the horror deepens as the novel progresses.

Beautiful. Almost cozy, were it not for all the blood. Bridgerton with magic. And more evil. Much more evil.

T Kingfisher makes books that I am afraid to read and yet simultaneously cannot put down. She introduces characters, makes you fall in love with them immediately, and instantly they are put in mortal peril. I know this is pretty much the basis of all fiction (characters + stakes = a story) but there is something about the way she can twist the knife ever so gently into a character's back that makes you feel the fear, pain, and betrayal acutely right along with them. Cordelia is in a pickle. Her mother uses magic to make people around her, including Cordelia, experience horrible things. What can a 14-year-old with seemingly no special talents do when she is at the mercy of her all-powerful mother? Hester is also in a pickle. Her brother is at risk of being swept away by a newly arrived woman with a terrified rabbit of a daughter and a mysterious brute of a horse who arrive on their doorstep. Cordelia, Hester, and a group of loyal friends must band together to save themselves from an entity bent on her own destructive ends. Kingfisher's readers will be pleased by the usual sprinkling of hilarious dialogue that cuts the tension just enough that continuing to read is a possibility.

I love T. Kingfisher, and this one was as delightful as I have come to expect her works to be. The characters are well written, though I found myself wishing for a little more background information on some of them. The plot was fantastic, and I was very invested in the story and outcome. The writing was lovely and added a dreamlike quality to the reading experience. This was a lovely fantasy of manners book, and if that is your jam, I cannot recommend it enough.

Another entry in the column marked "reasons I love T. Kingfisher's writing". A dark fairytale containing a Sorceress (of course), an abused daughter, an evilish faimilar, a clueless Squire, a badass older sister (with bad knees) and a long running love story. I enjoyed this so much! It was so easy to fall into the story with the characters all fully rounded and described. I wanted to be part of Hester's emboidery circle! There were several laugh out loud moments, the writing was as usual top tier, just MAGICAL!!