If dark and unhinged, but excellently written is your vibe, and you love fairytale retellings, then A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher might be for you. It’s especially perfect for fall creepy vibes. I have yet to read a Kingfisher book that I didn’t like. They’re atmospheric, and creepy with elements of horror, but for some reason, I can’t put them down (and this is coming from someone who doesn’t like the horror genre). Kingfisher is a master at creating characters I care a lot about in a very short amount of time—all of their novels are fairly short. While there are some pretty horrific things that happen in this short novel, Kingfisher writes in such a whimsical way with dark humor and satire that you do feel like you’re reading one of the Grimm’s old school fairytales. I loved that we got a dual POV in this one, and it’s especially interesting to see a super young girl and older woman juxtaposed between the POVs. The villain truly is loathsome, and let me just say, the ending is satisfying. I absolutely loved the Regency vibes as well. But this story is not for the faint of heart, definitely check trigger warnings.

P.S. If you’ve read their other novels like, Nettle & Bone, you’ll notice a subtle little reference to Bonedog. I LOVE when authors sneak in a reference to another of their stories (much like Pixar hiding references from each of their movies in whatever the latest one is).

Things to Know:
-Goose Girl Retelling
-Dual POV/Dual Narration
-Unhinged and Brutal
-Regency era
-TW: Child abuse, violence, and death

We meet our first FMC, Cordelia, as a 14-year-old girl who’s been abused her entire life by her tyrannical sorceress mother, Evangeline. Literally from the first page you’re horrified at what this poor, young girl has had to endure. Completely isolated from the world, she often has a very simplistic view of things, and is stuck in a cycle of wanting to please her abuser, so the abuse will stop, hating herself for it, and starting all over again. Her only friend is Falada, their white horse, who she finds out is her mother’s Familiar.

Evangeline, her mother, is literally the evil “mom” from Tangled, but times a 100 on the horrifying scale. She’s controlled and manipulated her daughter with her magic, has zero remorse or maternal instinct, and after losing her latest ‘benefactor', she sets her sights on a wealthy Squire bachelor who lives with his sister.

Hester, the sister and our second FMC and POV, was probably my favorite character. Snarky, smart, and determined to pull Evangeline’s talons out of her brother, she’s also dealing with unrequited love and an aging body that doesn’t want to cooperate. She naturally spots Evangeline’s machinations from a mile away, but her kind brother is smitten, so she enlists the help of several of her friends, including the dashing Lord Evermore, who is still every bit in love with her as he was a decade prior. I love an unrequited love story, and this one is perfection.

It’s always interesting to read a story where, from the very beginning, you know exactly who the villain is, but I do wish we could have had a bit more backstory to understand why she is the way she is. She alludes to Cordelia’s father a few times, but we don’t totally know what happened there, and perhaps I would have felt a bit for her situation or understood her motivations if we had a bit more of that backstory. At times I was completely in shock at what I was reading and what this woman was capable of doing so callously, but I couldn’t look away.

This book wasn’t scary in a horror movie way, but it was super dark, and creepy with a touch of the macabre. It’s not for the squeamish. And yes, there are geese that make an appearance, which I found to be more comic relief. These moments were welcome, because it’s definitely not the most fast-paced novel (I could see where people might even categorize it as slow).

Hester and Cordelia are both desperate to rid themselves of Evangeline, and seeing them come together to help each other was also a beautiful thing. Plus, I loved Hester’s other old friends doing all they could to help. I wanted to shake Cordelia at times, but I also understand she’s literally traumatized from the abuse. I definitely found myself mortified, horrified, gasping, and then chuckling throughout this entire story. If you’re already a fan of T. Kingfisher, you’ll probably enjoy it, and if you haven’t had the pleasure yet of immersing yourself in one of her stories, you should!

A note on the narration: I again, really enjoyed the dual POV, and appreciated the distinct voices for the two characters. Many thanks to Tor for the eARC and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Fave Quotes (note: final quotes may be altered):

“No, I don’t want to go back to bed. Getting out of it was too much work.”

“I can bring you a tray in bed, you know.”

“Yes, and I’ll spend the night with crumbs if you do.”

—

“Hester had settled into the library with three shawls and a tea tra, feeling rather like a burrowing rodent in her den. One of the big chunky ones that settle in for the winter.”

A perfect read for spooky month! I’ve loved every one of Kingfisher’s books that I have read, and I’m looking forward to more!

T. Kingfisher’s latest novel, A Sorceress Comes to Call, is the perfect blend of humor, horror, coming of age and dark magic. It features on my 30 books of year 30. The story is about a 14 years old girl, Cordelia. Her mother, Evangeline, is a sorceress and one of the ways she punishes Cordelia for misbehaving or not meeting her expectations is by controlling her body. The book opens to a church scene where Cordelia is being made ‘obedient’ by her mother and the narrative describes her discomfort of not being able to swat away the fly on her skin. I found this to be a great hook to the story – it not only gave a glimpse of her mother’s powers but also the horrifying feeling of helplessness as Cordelia has to watch from within.

Cordelia’s father is not in the picture and her mother has always had a benefactor or another. Cordelia’s one friend is their horse, Falada. After the recent obedience, Cordelia decides to run away only to find out that the horse is her mother’s ally and not exactly who she thought he was. Falada is a familiar and Cordelia feels betrayed by the one friend she had confided her deepest thoughts in. Her hatred of her mother grows but she doesn’t know how to escape.

Evangeline’s goal in life has been to marry off Cordelia to a rich man so that they are both taken care of. When her latest benefactor does not work out, she decides to convince a Squire to marry her and through his connections, introduce Cordelia into polite society. I absolutely loved the regency setting of this book and the Squire’s sister, Hester, made this book an absolute blast. Her point of view added dimension to the story and complemented Cordelia’s. Past her middle age years, Hester is an unmarried woman and lives with her brother. The moment she sees Evangeline, her mind screams ‘Doom’. She does not know that Evangeline is a sorceress but her sixth sense tells her something is off about this woman and she must save her brother from her clutches.

Evangeline orchestrates a situation in which she and Cordelia come to live with the Squire. Hester is weary of Doom’s daughter but soon finds that Cordelia is scared of her mother and the two of them become good friends. Hester throws a party, bringing in her closest friends to help her get rid of Evangeline and influence her brother from not proposing. The household staff also support her endeavor as Evangeline does not treat them well. Every single character had an important role to play and the unpredictability of the plot made this book an easy one to stay immersed in.

Cordelia finds privacy for the first time in her life in the Squire’s house. Her maid, Alice, is able to say no to Evangeline and Cordelia is flabbergasted that being in such a household forces her mother to be on best behavior. She starts to open up to Hester and her friends and halfway through the book when her mother hurts someone with magic, Cordelia cannot take it anymore. She has to help her new friends.

A Sorceress Comes to Call shows Cordelia’s growth from a scared mouse to a strong girl who will fight for what is right. She has felt like a bystander in her life for a long time but with Hester’s encouragement and Alice’s help she is able to open up and become her own person. The book is based on the story of the Goose Girl and you might have seen a connection with the horse, Falada. The geese in this novel can sense evil and I enjoyed how they interacted with the strange horse.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book for an honest review. So happy to have found it at my library too!

Leave it to T. Kingfisher to write a horrific book, but make me love the characters so much. I could’ve read another 3 or 4 novels about these characters and how they go on after the end of the book.

Another horror/fantasy title by Kingfisher does not disappoint. The upward mobility via black widow style marriage during this victorian era combined with the idea that people can have magic plus ghosts and monsters makes for a story that will never leave you bored. I think that the only thing that disappointed me a bit was the ending, but even that was ok. Something I always look for in the books I read are characters I can care about, and Kingfisher always does such a great job writing characters that you will care about (or hate!) almost immediately after meeting them. I don't know how they write such compelling characters but I hope they never stop!
The perfect book for people who love thrillers, magic, and overcoming adversity.

Untraditional yet redolent cast of characters demonstrate tactfulness and simplicity. Slow-paced with hesitant elements of romance mixed with prominent enchantments. Realistic emotional abuse meets hints of creepy horror. Shallow but show-stopping antagonist maneuvers an ensemble of witty and lively protagonists. Wry humour amongst eerie vibes. Compelling and atmospheric writing that has faults in exposition. Juvenile monologues remain stagnant throughout with the occasional mature voice from side characters. Involves an uncomfortable and weakening insecurity. Recommended for those searching for a bittersweet and mildly mortifying story. Overall, an average read. "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 atmospheric nature of T. Kingfisher's writing always makes for a fabulously unsettling read; this is no exception. This reimagining of the fairytale "The Goose Girl" is a sinuously-curving tale of family dynamics, an exploration of blood- versus found-family, an examination of power versus strength of character, and an excellent read for spooky season! Another solid entry into the world of books from Ms. Kingfisher!

As someone who's read most of T. Kingfisher's works and loved the majority of them, it's a little hard to believe that it took me this long to get around to her newest one. A Sorceress Comes to Call is sold as a dark fantasy retelling of The Goose Girl and it certainly delivers. It has the fairytale vibes but also a strong dose of gothic horror and even some Regency romance! Given that this story features my own personal horror ick and less humor than usual, I wasn't sure if this would be another Nettle & Bone where I just couldn't connect as much to it. Fortunately, I can easily say that this is my new favorite from the author and it's her strongest in terms of characterization and pacing.

The story is told via dual first-person POV: Cordelia, the powerless daughter of an avaricious sorceress and Hester, the spinster sister of the man the sorceress has set her sights on. Right off the bat, the very first chapter of Cordelia's POV shows you that Cordelia has no control over her life or really anything in it and it's tough to experience how her mother rules everything she does. As someone who rarely likes naive or powerless characters, I found myself reveling in the small ways Cordelia found to be defiant and the friends she gathered around her as the story progressed. Instead of feeling passive, Cordelia was deeply sympathetic.

Hester was a classic T. Kingfisher heroine, a stubborn, self-deprecatory and immensely relatable middle-aged woman who has carved out a place for herself where she doesn't have to be dependent on the men around her. She's wealthy but also very practical and surprisingly knowledgeable in animal husbandry. I suspect that I wasn't bothered by Cordelia's naivete as much as I might otherwise have been because it's often alleviated by Hester and even marveled at by her.

And it's not just the two main POVs that I loved. The cast of characters around Hester and Cordelia are complex and deeply likeable, the hint of romance was delightful and closed door, which I don't personally mind. There are a lot of previously established relationships so if that's something you like to see develop, less of that here.

I suspect that some folks might take issue with the pacing, which is full of quiet dread and small moments, both of the humorous and the horrifying kind. The build towards the confrontation with the sorceress takes its time but given the gothic horror and the Regency era vibes, it felt suited to the story. If you can be patient with the style, Kingfisher very much makes it worth your time.

While I've loved a lot of Kingfisher's characters, Hester and Cordelia stole my whole heart over the course of A Sorceress Comes to Call and unable to tear myself away even when the dread and anxiety was at its highest. It has just enough humor to make it manageable but definitely go in knowing its one of the darkest I've read from the author. And it single-handedly made me feel like maybe all geese aren't jerks. Highly recommend this one!

I went into this one blind, just based off of everyone telling me “you’ll love it, read it” and they were right.
The mother/daughter relationship reminded me a bit of Tangled, especially the sorceress bit, and how Cordelia just had no authority over her own self and was quite literally under her mother’s spell or lockdown. I felt really bad for Cordelia, but loved the found family she got with Hester and co. Like who would believe that the mom is a sorceress and can make people “obedient” and command them like a puppet? After some horrific events, Cordelia seeks help and miraculously they do believe her, and from there her life gets increasingly better.
The one thing that creeped me out was the horse! That image of the horse in the third act will stick in my head for a while. This was really good! It’s a dark story for sure, but does read like a fairytale.
This was my first T. Kingfisher book and I will be reading more of their work.

Thank you Tor for the copy of this book and the chance to read and review, as well as thank you Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

This year I’ve fallen in love with T. Kingfisher’s fantasy writing so I was beyond thrilled to get my hands on a review copy of her latest fairytale retelling THE SORCERESS COMES TO CALL. Thank you to the publishers!

THE SORCERESS COMES TO CALL is a lushly dark retelling of the Goose Girl. It follows the story of Cordelia, a traumatized teen living under the thumb of her sorceress mother. After a suspicious death in their village, Cordelia’s mother moves them in with her next prey: a wealthy squire who lives with his unmarried sister, Hester. Hester is instantly suspicious of the new arrivals but feels a kinship with Cordelia. But she and her brother are in more trouble than she could ever guess. Can Cordelia find the courage to fight back against her mother and save them all?

At first I thought this book might be too dark for me. The themes of emotional and magical abuse don’t shy away from revealing the real darkness here. However, I absolutely fell in love with the characters, especially our second lead, Hester. I need to see more middle-aged heroines in fiction! Hester is clever, determined, and uniquely herself. She also has severe arthritis (which is never magically cured) which made me identify with her even more!

The book started off slow for me, but the climax had me on the edge of my seat! Be forewarned, there are elements of body horror in terms of bodily possession and animal death. If you have a fear of horses, this book will NOT help, believe me!

Ultimately, I was completely entranced by this book and I’m ready to pick up anything T. Kingfisher publishes next! 5 delicious stars!

Trigger/Content warnings: death, bodily possession, parental abuse, emotional abuse, sexism, animal death, gore.

Holy creepy freaking horse, Batman. This was very good in just a slightly eerie sort of way. Poor Cordelia, especially with her mother just casually bestowing horrors upon anyone unlucky enough to cross paths with her. The conclusion was satisfying, but I also felt like I wanted just a bit more closure from the book. But seriously, gah, that horse.

Kingfisher does it again. A Sorceress Comes to Call is a retelling of a lesser-known story with an imaginative spin. What a fun ride this story was. From the beginning, you learn about the strange relationship between mother and daughter. It reads as very cold and creepy the more you read. As the middle of the story unravels, the colorful cast of characters pulls you in. How will the mother accomplish her greedy goals? How will the daughter escape her controlling mother and finally stand up for herself? Will Hester let her guard down and let love in? What's up with this freaky horse? With a satisfied ending, all these questions are answered!

T. Kingfisher has a way with words. Beautifully written. The atmosphere is perfect for this time of year. I was so invested in the characters and the story. This is my first book by this author and won’t be my last, I’ve already checked out two more from my library because this author can WRITE.

What an great story and I loved the characters. It’s both touching and meaningful without ever feeling overdone, and there are moments that are genuinely hilarious. I really enjoyed this book.

please consider this my formal request for more middle-aged heroines in fantasy.

more inspired by the goose girl than a true retelling, t. kingfisher’s a sorceress comes to call is a dark fairytale in its own right. a teenage girl and her unlikely ally—the spinster sister of the man her mother is attempting to ensnare—must work together to stop the girl’s mother, a sorceress with the ability to make people “obedient.”

while thornhedge remains my favorite of kingfisher’s works, i enjoyed a sorceress comes to call for many of the same reasons. the writing is captivating and i liked the web of relationships within the household and their guests, as well as the upstairs/downstairs relationships (particularly cordelia and alice). despite the fantasy elements, the exploration of an abusive mother/daughter relationship was very believable—particularly cordelia’s awareness that her upbringing isn’t normal, and her fear that she won’t be believed over her mother. the highlight of this story, however, is hester. i didn’t realize how large a role she would play when i requested this book, but she was by far my favorite character and i love that she has such a central role.

I always like T. Kingfisher’s books, so of course I liked this one, too. The Regency story is a dark reimagining of The Goose Girl, which I wasn’t familiar with. A young woman has a horrible sorceress for a mother. Mom wants to marry a rich man and scares her daughter into falling in line. In fact, she doesn’t just scare her- she can possess her. The mom has no scruples and will do whatever it takes to get her way.

The sister of the target is a fantastic character. You’ll be rooting for this group she gathers to somehow find a way to stop the sorceress and get the young girl free of her. It’s fantasy with a little horror, too. It’s out now! Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for the eARC.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

‘A Sorceress Comes to Call’ by T kingfisher is a dark and inventive reimagining of the classic fairytale ‘The Goose girl’. It is not important to be well versed with the original story to appreciate this book as it stands alone as a story in its own right. We follow Cordelia who lives with her extremely controlling mother who also happens to be an evil sorceress. When they are forced to leave in a hurry they take refuge with a kindly squire and his sister, but all is not as it seems and in order to get her happy ending Cordelia must find the bravery to stand up for herself and fight for those she cares about. Kingfisher creates complex and well rounded characters and focuses much attention on familial relationships both good and bad. We see character development and growth in a way that feels realistic and there is plenty of emotional connection. There are many emotive and uncomfortable topics touched on within the story so it may be worthwhile checking any content warnings. This story is told in dual narrative and is relatively slow-paced but compelling and atmospheric. If you are a fan of dark and gothic fantasy with elements of light paranormal horror this could be a great fit.

I've read several T. Kingfisher books now, and I love her writing. This one follows a young girl, Cordelia, whose mother is a sorceress. She doesn't grow up knowing this though and believes her childhood is completely normal. I felt entirely connected to the characters - one of Kingfisher's major strengths in my opinion. I felt Cordelia's confusion and heartbreak and all the thing.

I was not familiar with the Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl tale, so I did look it up afterwards. I saw someone call this more of a reimagining than a retelling, and I agree with that. It's loosely based and gives nods to the original story but is entirely its own story.

From @emo_reads IG

Thank you @torbooks @redwombatstudio @netgalley for the early release e-Arc of A Sorceress Comes to Call.

T. Kingfisher is my current most-read author of the year. I’ve read FIVE of her books in 2024, loved all of them but was enchanted by this one. Her fairy tales, both this and Nettle & Bone, are two of my favorite reads to date this year.

A Sorceress Comes to call is a dark retelling of Grimm’s fairytale, The Goose Girl. I’m not well-versed in Grimm’s fairytales (though I did do some googling after reading this), but you don’t need to be in order to appreciate this story. As always, the women Kingfisher writes into her book are complicated and interesting (Hester was 🤌), but the mother/daughter relationship was the most thought-provoking element of the story for me. If you like dark fantasy with a sprinkle of horror, this will hit for you 🫰 🔥

Pub date: August 2024
327 pages

🖤 Do you have a favorite fairy tale?

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Cordelia’s mother is an evil sorceress who bespells her into submission and will do whatever it takes to marry rich. When her mother sets her sights on a wealthy squire, they move in with him and his quick-witted sister, Hester, who knows something sinister is afoot. I love Kingfisher’s writing and sly humor so I was really excited for this one and it did not disappoint. This dark retelling of The Goose Girl was the perfect blend of fantasy and horror that tackles issues of parental abuse and manipulation. It’s eerie, suspenseful, lighthearted, and full of complex characters you’ll love rooting for.