I love Kingfisher's writing. I eagerly read everything she puts out into the world. I know nothing about the original Goose Girl story which this book has reimagined. I cannot give any insight onto how they compare. I can say that I fully enjoyed this story. I thought it was delightfully dark but wouldn't call it horror (as I've seen it tagged). Of course the zombie, mutilated horse familiar was my favorite part (okay, maybe there's some horror touches scattered throughout the story). The dread, deep despair, and bravery that is captured int these pages is beautiful. I would absolutely recommend this read (honestly, this one I'd say either audiobook or eyeball read is fair game) to anyone who enjoys dark fairytales.

The narration for this audiobook utilizes dual narrators for the dual POVs. I enjoyed the listen; I don't think I found enough of a difference between the narrator's voices to fully appreciate the dual narration.

Thank you NetGalley. T. Kingfisher, and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for this arc of the audiobook of A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this audiobook. Cordelia’s mother is a sorceress, who has used her powers to control and manipulate everyone around her, including her own daughter.

When Cordelia’s mother sets her sights on a wealthy bachelor known as The Squire, Cordelia cannot simply sit by while her mother plots to ruin this kind man and his household. Thankfully, the Squire’s sister, Hester, is immediately suspicious of the strange woman and her quiet daughter arriving on their doorstep.

I’m glad the book alternates between Cordelia’s and Hester’s POVs because having the strong confident Hester to offset Cordelia’s naïveté works well.

A Sorceress Comes to Call has a very similar feel to Nettle & Bone, my favorite T. Kingfisher novel. I think returning fans will enjoy this while also appealing to new fans of dark fantasy.

(Also, Falada, is one of most terrifying creatures ever written.)

Definitely a 4.5 and sure I am rounding it up.

At this point, I don’t think I even need to review a T. Kingfisher book because she is yet to disappoint me. While I went into this having heard it’s a Goose Girl retelling and knowing nothing about the original tale, I have to say it doesn’t really matter. Coz this wonderful author is only here to wow us with her words.

What a horrific tale of narcissism and abuse, but with equal amounts of hope and resilience to tide us through. Evangeline with her absolute horrible control over her daughter and her scheming for an even richer life; sweet little Cordelia who has been sheltered and abused all her life but still knows right from wrong; Hester who may have been relegated to the life of a rich spinster but can still sense “Doom” coming from a mile away; Penelope with her charming repartee who deserved better; Richard and his unwavering love and loyalty - and more wonderful and absolutely unforgettable characters make up the heart of this thrilling, scary, dreadful but deeply satisfying tale of good triumphing over evil.

The writing is just instantly immersive right from the get go, and I just had to continue reading/listening every free moment I got. The feeling of impending doom just keeps us on our toes, guessing what’s gonna happen next. The vibe is perfectly reflected in the narration of the audiobook by Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens, making this a thoroughly enjoyable book in any format. Can’t wait to soon jump into another T. Kingfisher book coz I can’t get enough of them.

This was a really unique story! I love an awkward character, and Cordelia was just that! The narration for the audio book was great. Both narrator’s gave an eerie vibe that matched the plot perfectly! Definitely recommend!

First I want to say that I was not ready for this book to end. I was hoping there'd be another one coming, that this was the first in a series, but I was disappointed that it was a standalone. That being said, I loved this book and I was so into the characters, both good and bad.

Cordelia is a 14 year-old girl, one who is definitely not beyond her years of age. She's made to be "obedient" by her mother, Evangeline, who happens to be a sorceress. So when Cordelia crosses her mother in the smallest of ways, Evangeline will cause her to be obedient doing any number of things. The sorceress will stop at nothing she'll cause her daughter to do. I felt so bad for Cordelia, who was so fearful and afraid of her mother. It was so evident that she was fearful to try to cross her...until one day she just had to try.

One of my favorite characters was a horse named Falada; however, Falada became one of my more disliked characters eventually but I won't say why. Cordelia's relationship with him was so beautiful in the beginning and she just seemed so free riding him. Until one day she wasn't.

Evangeline had one purpose in mind for Cordelia: marry a wealthy man. Along with that came being very proper. Cordelia had no idea how to be around a man, she was too innocent of her knowledge. Her mother made her lie and say she was 17, even though she didn't want to lie. Obviously, Evangeline's motives were not altruistic.

The most suspenseful part of the plot to me was how on earth "they" were going to get the Sorceress to stop her evil-doing, or if they were. It seemed like around every corner (page) there was a new twist, another betrayal, even a ghost...or was it really a ghost or another manipulation by Evangeline.

There were two different narrators for the two POV's and both did an excellent job capturing the spirit of the characters. The voice inflections were done well, which made it easier to recognize the voice of each character. I would most definitely listen to both authors again. They are Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens. I loved them both.

I highly recommend this book by T. Kingfisher. One of my new favorite authors.

This is the kind of Kingfisher that just really doesn’t work for me. I love the funny, wry Kingfisher but this feels so serious. I could not stick with it. I know others will like it though.

One of my favorite authors. I always enjoy read a Kingfisher book, this one is no exception. The story and characters will draw you in and keep you going throughout the adventure!

The newest T. Kingfisher novel follows Cordelia, a 14 year old girl, as she attempts to save herself and those around her from the designs of her cruel and abusive mother. I didn’t enjoy this as much as the other works by the author, mostly due to the extent and scope of the abuse Cordelia is subjected to. The book does have humor and a delightful found family to balance out the gore and suspense, but I found the balance a little too dark for my preference. The narration was very good and added to the suspenseful ambiance and the writing kept me on the edge of my seat, needing to know how it would end.

Would recommend to others who aren’t as sensitive to gore, and abusive parent/child dynamics.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this audiobook for review purposes.

The Fantasy novel “A Sorceress Comes to Call” by T.Kingfisher is a loose retelling of the tale “The Goose Girl” by the Brothers Grimm. It’s written in dual perspective and follows a young girl named Cordelia and an older woman called Hester. While Cordelia is manipulated by her controlling mother, Hester tries to investigate what is wrong with her brother's new female acquaintance. However both get swept up in a tale of magic and the struggle for independence.

I really loved that this novel centers around women. Old, young, cruel, goodhearted, witty and ruthless. The men are actually on the sidelines without being unimportant. Showing a range of female characters in one book in the Fantasy genre still feels a bit lacking in my opinion so this was a refreshing surprise. Not that I would have expected anything else from T.Kingfisher who repeatedly writes complex and strong female leads and amazing side characters.

The writing is engaging and the story starts off slow but kept me hooked throughout the entire book. The subtle romance in this book especially captivated me. I was rooting for them the entire time. I can also applaud the choice to implement the romance in the older womens storyline and not the teenage girl's narrative.

The eponymous magic does play a key role in the story but the ins and outs of the magic system aren’t explored in depth.

I had the pleasure to listen to this as an audiobook. The narration by Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens was great and I really enjoyed listening to both of them.

I overall loved this book and can wholeheartedly recommend it!

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I'm starting to think that T Kingfisher can do no wrong in my eyes? Her writing and her stories just work for me , which can sometimes make it hard to right a review that isn't just "this was so good" but lets give it a try.

This is a story of escaping an abusive narcissistic mother told in Kingfisher’s signature creepy yet cozy writing voice. Kingfishers MC’s are always so lovable and easy to root for, Cordelia and Hester are no exception. I especially loved Hester’s relationships with her brother and her friends and it was great to see Cordelia open up to them and become her own person.

Both of the audiobook narrators did a fantastic job.

Overall, the characters were soo goood, the writing was sooo goood, and the plot was sooo goooood! Highly recommend.

My first T. Kingfisher and it won't be my last!! This is a really creepy book that skirts the edge of horror. Cordelia is the 14-year old daughter of Evangeline, an amoral sorceress. Cordelia's been raised to be a perfectly obedient daughter: no locked doors, no talking back, no free thought... and if she does slip up, she's made forcibly "Obedient" as her mother controls her body from the outside.

One day Evengeline decides that she's going to find a husband for herself. She's chosen the man: a rich squire from the next town over. But his sister, Hester, knows that her brother's new love interest isn't what she seems.

I loved the juxtaposition of Cordelia and Hester: Cordelia is a young teenager who's been raised to be absolutely submissive. Hester, on the other hand, is a woman in older middle age who has always made her own decisions. Kingfisher gives us these two very different women with great interiority and distinction. We see Cordelia learning to fight back, and Hester learning that she can rely on others. And throughout, we get a sense of dread, as Evangeline carries through with her plans without worrying about the resistance Cordelia and Hester put up.

The audiobook of this one is great: with dual narrators, one for Cordelia and one for Hester, you really get a sense of their different personalities. Both performers were great, and the narration added to the fairy tale feel for me.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the audiobook.

4.5 rounded up. T. Kingfisher always hits, but this might be my favorite I’ve read from her yet. I listened on audiobook and the narration is close to the best I’ve heard all year.

I was hooked from the opening scene - 14 year old Ophelia is trapped in her own body while her mother controls it. A fly crawls across her skin and she is unable to flick it away, forced to feel the itch of it.

The contents of the entire story are horrific and eerie in a way that should have made the story feel like a horror, but it instead feels like an unlikely hero overcoming great odds with the help of others. The entire time reading, I’m imagining the scenes in my head playing out like they’re in a campy 80s movie. If this book was made into a movie and somehow captured the magic of The Princess Bride, I’d never shut up about it.

This was delightful from start to finish. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A Sorceress Comes to Call
T. Kingfisher

A dark retelling of Grimm’s Goose Girl, A Sorceress Comes to Call has become my favorite of T. Kingfisher’s novels retelling fairy tales (and Poe). Cornelia and her sorceress mother, Evangeline move to a new town, in need of a new benefactor. Evangeline’s diabolical designs are set on the kind Squire, which from the start trigger a premonition of doom in Hester, the Squire’s sister. Thus starts the main conflict between Evangeline and Falada vs Cordelia, Hester, the Squire and the rest of the characters.

Magic, murder, ghosts, and evil sorceress – you’ve got my interest! And this did not disappoint.
The plot and character development were excellent, and along with the smart dialogue and smoothly flowing prose make for a brisk progression of the story with a gradual crescendo of creeping. The masterful storytelling is so captivating.


My appreciation to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing me with an advanced copy audiobook for review, in exchange for an original, unbiased, independent review.

Thank you to @NetGalley for letting me listen to the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This book did have some paranormal elements and suspenseful points, but the ending fell so flat. They basically just said they didnt know how anything happened, but yay we did it! Like what? I loved the side characters, but the main characters were not my favorite. The narrators were fantastic and made the book seem more spooky.

This book is a beautifully retelling of Grimm's The Goose Girl. While I am not familiar with this fairy tale I was still able to enjoy this book and I was completely engaged with the characters. This is a great book for anyone who enjoys the reimaging of classic fairy tales.

I really enjoyed the unlikely friendship between Hester and Cordelia as they team up to figure out what is going on with Cordelia's mother and the doom that she brings wherever she goes. While I wasn't completely sure where/when this book took place it was still a very interesting story of wanting power over others.

I listened to the audiobook and the dual narration performed by Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens truly brought this story to life and kept me wanting more.

"A Sorceress Comes to Call" by T. Kingfisher is a captivating blend of fairy tale retelling, historical fantasy, and possibly horror, depending on one’s threshold for the genre. It intertwines the stories of a fearful 14-year-old girl, Cordelia, and a determined 50-year-old woman, Hester, both grappling with the machinations of a cruel sorceress.

The story is told through two perspectives. Cordelia lives under the oppressive control of her mother, Evangeline, a sorceress who, after losing her benefactor, seeks advantageous marriages for herself and Cordelia. Hester, the sister of Evangeline's target, senses doom and tries to thwart the engagement by inviting friends to their familial home.

The main characters, Cordelia and Hester, are complemented by a brilliant cast of secondary characters. The book delves into themes of parental abuse and found family. Kingfisher’s immersive writing and the exceptional dual narration in the audiobook enhance the story.

Fast-paced and gripping, the book is difficult to put down. Cordelia’s suffocating experiences under her mother's control are portrayed in a still readable manner, and the lovable characters add warmth. The ending is particularly satisfying.

I thoroughly enjoyed "A Sorceress Comes to Call" and will revisit it in the future. I highly recommend this book to fans of fairy tales and fantasy with strong female leads. It’s a 5-star read.

It definitely read like a Grimm's fairytale but I think I was expecting more from it. The story was pretty straightforward and I didn't find it that dark or creepy. My favorite were the characters. The two main POVs were enjoyable and I was rooting for them both. Loved both audio narrations, especially Cordelias. Wish we got more of the magic and Falada the demon horse.

Thank you Macmillan audio for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was so lucky to be given the chance to both listen and read the new Kingfisher book! This was a charming edition to previous fairy tales such as Nettle and Bone or What Feasts at night. I do miss her more gruesome and spooky novels, but these are just sweet and magical.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the first T. Kingfisher book I have read, and I really enjoyed it. I read the book and listened to the audio when I wasn't able to read. I found listening to the audio more enjoyable than the book.

Cordelia is a 14 year girl who is terrified of her own mother. She has a good reason for that fear. Her mother can force her to be obedient, and do things against her will. Hester is an older woman, in her 50s, who wakes up one night with a terrible sense of doom. After a suspicious death, Cordelia and her mother flea under the cover the darkness. Luckily for them, a wealthy man and his sister (Hester) take them in. That sense of Doom has come right into Hester's home. Hester must rely on her friends and wit to save her brother and Cordelia from the evil sorcerer.

This book will not keep you on the edge of your seat with action, but there are loveable characters, humor, and some darkness thrown in the book. Because it is a tad bit slower than what I normally read, the audiobook added to my enjoyment of the story. The narrators did a wonderful job.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this audiobook in return for a review. I really enjoyed this book. It was written well, flowed well, it held my interest and called to me when I wasn’t reading it. I was invested in the characters, although they did seem a little too perfect for the time period, but nonetheless they were endearing. It was pretty brutal in places, especially when they try to do away with the familiar, so this definitely isn’t a children’s book, I would say probably 16+, although if it was slightly altered and some scenes calmed down and the talk of sex removed, it would have made a great children’s book, and I think the subject and main character perhaps lent itself to focusing more on a juvenile audience. I did find it disappointing that the villain in this story wasn’t able to be saved and rehabilitated: I always wish for rehab rather than destruction. Especially since we really didn’t get much back story on her. What made her that way? How old was she really? Who were her parents and what kind of childhood did she have? I feel like there could be a whole prequel devoted to those answers that would perhaps provide me with more acceptance of the villain’s fate. The narration of the audiobook was provided by two people, and both did well. The younger one was a little overmuch on the “I’m a helpless scared girl” quality of her voice, it was constant, but not super excessive so still tolerable. I would definitely read other works from this author.