In 'A Sorceress Comes to Call,' I found myself utterly charmed by the ensemble of side characters, especially Hester and Imogene, whose personalities added so much depth and warmth to the story. Through the lens of magic, this retelling explores themes of manipulation, betrayal, and the courage to break free from toxic relationships, all within a dark and mysterious atmosphere that kept me enthralled.

While I was initially swept away by the story's allure, I noticed a dip in pacing in the middle. However, my interest was reignited towards the end as the narrative surged forward with jarring imagery and disturbing twists that left me on the edge of my seat.

Despite a slight loss of momentum, 'A Sorceress Comes to Call' remains a book I'd recommend to fellow dark fantasy enthusiasts. Its rich tapestry of magic and intrigue promises to captivate readers, inviting them to lose themselves in its world of mystery and wonder.

Any book by T.Kingfisher is always a delight. She writes so lyrically, that each book feels more like an extended poem. Add into this wonderful combination a retelling of the fairytale "Goose Girl?" - well, you will get nothing but pure magic. and magic is what this book is about, and magic is what this book is. I loved every page, it was such a perfect retelling and I don't know anyone who could have done it better. Highly recommended for all fiction lovers, but especially those who are looking for their Naomi Novik fix, this book will draw you in and won't let go!

I love T. Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon's works. I was thrilled when Tor reached out with a digital ARC of her new book. This is a retelling of The Goose Girl (I had to look it up; not one I'm familiar with) set in a vaguely Regency setting. I definitely enjoyed it, and wish I could share the quote about butlers knowing how to dispatch houseguests if requierd, but I'll respect the publisher's request not to quote ARCs.
Thank you so much to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC!

Another fantastic outing for T. Kingfisher! A thrilling magical tale about outwitting an evil sorceress. I couldn’t put it down and read the whole thing in one day. I highly recommend to all fantasy lovers.

Cordelia has grown up fearing her mother, Evangeline, a sorceress who will stop at nothing to secure a prominent place in society. Cordelia finds her moments of freedom on the back of her mother’s horse, Falada. Evangeline whisks Cordelia away from their home one night after a mysterious death happens in their town and they arrive at the manor house of The Squire. With her mother trying to win over the Squire, Cordelia has some time to herself and to possibly make friends. The Lady Hester, the Squire’s sister, notices Cordelia’s odd behavior and the way she shrinks away from her mother. Hester is determined to save her brother from Evangeline and rescue Cordelia in the process.

This is my first T.Kingfisher book and I definitely check out some of her other works. ‘A Sorceress Comes to Call’ was a decent read, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy read that has some depth to it. The characters are well written, I felt so bad for poor Cordelia while reading this. Out of all the characters, Hester was my favorite (if you watched Game of Thrones she was giving me Lady Olenna vibes). The story itself was a little slow for my liking, although it does pick up about half way through. While the story didn’t blow me away I still enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I’ve never read any books from this author before and I think this book was a good one to start with. The writing was marvellous. I could see and feel what the characters were experiencing.

This is the first book I have read from this author and now I will have to go looking for me. This book was well written, and the characters had depth. You could feel how awful Cordelia felt when around her mother. It was easy to see that people do not cross Evangeline, but Hester makes the exception to save her brother and Cordelia.

What a fantastic read!

This was my first T. Kingfisher book and I can tell you it won't be my last. I had no idea what to expect when I started reading, and was immediately drawn in. The characters were so well done, and the story was absolutely gripping.

Cordelia's journey from meek to...well I don't want to give anything away. But her journey was so rewarding to follow. As for her mother, Kingfisher certainly knows how to write a villain. I hate that woman more than some non-fictional villains I know. Hester was a pure delight, the perfect audience surrogate, thinking what we all are as the story unfolds, and tackling it all with humor and smarts. The relationship between her and Richard was one of my favorite parts of the story. I fell in love with entire cast of characters, and their coming together at a manor home to solve a murderous problem had a tinge of Agatha Christie that was a lot of fun.

If you enjoy fantasy with a dark edge, found family, and a main character you can root for, get this book immediately.

Kingfisher is an expert at this sort of insidious horror story. There is some violence and gore, but most of the actual horror comes from the horror that is human behavior. I'm not particularly familiar with the story that this one is based on, so I can't make any commentary on how good a retelling it is, but it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and all of the characters are absolutely wonderfully developed.

I recently discovered T. Kingfisher and with every book I read the author is becoming my new favorite. In A Sorceress Comes to Call which is a retelling of "The Goose Girl" Cordelia is the only child of Evangeline. Cordelia's whole life has been spent living under her mother's shadow. She has to be good and do everything her mother says or she is punished in the most horrific ways. When her mother sets her sights on a wealthy squire there is nothing Cordelia can do to stop her plans. However, the Squire's sister Hester can tell that Evangeline is not who she claims to be and that something is wrong with Cordelia. This darkly reimagined fairytale will keep you hooked with unexpected twists to the last page. Thank you #NetGalley.

Another banger!! Kingfisher's writing is captivating and evocative, bringing each scene to life with a vividness that pulls you deep into the characters’ world. The way they intertwine the imagery in their storytelling with the amazing word building is truly masterful.

Wow, what an ending!

Cordelia is a young girl with a mother (Evangeline) so domineering she forces Cordelia into "obedience" with magical powers. When Evangeline loses her most recent benefactor, she must make arrangements to find a new one. So Evangeline and her familiar, a horse named Falada, drag Cordelia along in search of a rich husband.

While this is a fantasy/horror book, and some gruesome horror is in store, where this book shines is in the characters and relationships. Cordelia has grown up knowing no one but her mother. Thankfully, she meets the most amazing people as they all work to defeat the evil Evangeline before she can destroy their family. I grew to love Hester, Richard, Willard, Penelope, Imogene, Alice and all the new people Cordelia meets and forms relationships with.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

5 stars all around, even for the acknowledgments section 😂. If you like your fairy tales in Brothers Grimm horror fashion with a side of regency romance, this is the book for you!! Fun quick read.

4.5 stars! Another win from T. kingfisher. This competes for my favorite book by the author. (my other favorite being nettle & bone) I’ve read Goose Girl retellings before and this is very different than what I expected. That being said, I still enjoyed it immensely. In typical T. kingfisher fashion, there is a gothic feeling to the story. It has its darker elements, especially toward the end. It is very much a grim fairytale. What I appreciated most about this book in particular was the exploration of a toxic/abuse mother. It is a topic that I think should be explored and talked about more often. The main character’s mother was a mix of Jeanette McCurdy’s mother and Mother Gothel from Tangled. I think it was so important to show the relationship from the daughter’s perspective (our main character) and her battling her feelings for her mother. Her character develops so much throughout the book in such a short amount of pages. She starts being naive, sheltered, and doing whatever to please her mother and becomes stronger the more the story progresses. Of course, the side characters and humor are wonderful as they are in all T. Kingfisher’s books. This story will definitely stick with me for a long time.

I’d not read any of Kingfisher’s work before, but I’ll certainly look at her earlier titles now. From the beginning when we’re first introduced to the practice of Obedience—despite not fully understanding it so early in the story—I was hooked. I appreciated that it wasn’t overly dark and disturbing while still dealing with some pretty sinister behavior. Loved the characters and it was just overall a really enjoyable read!

I appreciate Net Galley and the publisher for providing the arc of this book.

What a great ride! This was my first T. Kingfisher, and A Sorceress Comes to Call makes it clear why the author is so beloved.

Fairytale, regency, darkness and humor all in one delicious read with a cast of fantastic characters.

Classic Kingfisher, with a regency romance setting. Does not shame her ancestors. Doesn’t have quite the scope and weight of Nettle and Bone, but it’s fun, satisfying and cozy.

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T.Kingfisher tells the story of Cordelia and her mother, Evangeline. Her mother is a cruel sorceress who can make people obedient to her will. In her bid to marry rich, Evangeline maneuvers her way into the Chatham manor to seduce Squire Chatham. Cordelia finds a friend in his sister,Hester who immediately knows that Evangeline is evil. A murder alerts everyone else how sinister she can truly be.

I would recommend this book for fantasy readers and T. Kingfisher fans. This is described as a retelling of Goose Girl, you will find aspects of that tale in this story. The relationship between mother and daughter is heart wrenching but Cordelia makes a transformation to a stronger willed young woman with help from her new friends. There’s a touch of mystery, murder, magic, and horror for fans of T.Kingfisher.

Thank you Tor Publishing Group and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Holy moly, I loved this book.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a dark fairytale that follows 14-year-old Cordelia as her mother (Evangeline, who is also an evil sorceress) tries to weasel her way in and marry the wealthy Squire Samuel Chatham, who lives in his family manor with his sister, Hester. Cordelia and Evangeline's arrival at the home of the Squire and Hester spurs on a deadly house party, a wedding, and a whole lot of geese.

While this is a dark story, T. Kingfisher weaves in humor masterfully and brings every character to life. Cordelia is a great main character, and I loved seeing her growth throughout the story, but I think the side characters are what make this story shine. Hester, Imogene, and Penelope serve as excellent comedic relief; the Squire is perfectly oblivious and good-hearted; and Evangeline is an absolutely wicked viper, and she would be so even if she didn't have her sorcery.

A Sorceress Come to Call is very likely to make my top 10 books of 2024. I would highly, HIGHLY recommend this book.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Tor Publishing Group for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

T. Kingfisher again masters the darkness in this compelling retelling of Grimm’s Goose Girl. Not being familiar with the original I went into A Sorceress Comes to Call happily embraced by Kingfisher’s beautiful prose. What this book has—is claws! As soon as the situation with our heroine, Cordelia, is clear, the pages fly and I become more and more desperate to find out what’s going to happen. The layers fall away showing more and more about the dangers that lie ahead.

I loved Hester as a character and the uniqueness of her friends. The paranormal elements were artfully done  and really I loved everything about the book until about the last ten percent. There I have wishes that the resolution might have been different. When the darkness lingering in the shadows throughout the opening blossoms towards the end, with it comes the final battle which I had hoped for even a more extreme showdown - but then I also didn’t really want the book to end at all. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a book that lives sharply in memory with characters to care about, and be concerned for, and a heroine you want to hug.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing an Advance Reader’s Copy for an honest review.