📚Review: A Sourceress Comes To Call ✨

Thank you @torbooks for sending me a #gifted copy of this gem! 😍

By: T. Kingfisher
Publishing: August 6, 2024

Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. The house they live in has no doors, Cordelia isn’t allowed to have friends (except her mother’s white horse, Falada), and her mother often forces her to be silent and motionless for days on end with evil magic. When her evil sorceress of a mother moves them into the manor of a wealth, older Squire and his kind, yet keen sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother’s next victims. But, Cordelia quickly feels at home here and, as her mother’s plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family.

Wowza — what a unique, eerie, heart founding book that I couldn’t put down!

Kingfisher really pulled me into this book right away by the flawless storytelling and character development. I was instantly invested in Cordelia’s story and was gripped by the evil of her mother, Evangeline.

Evangeline really thought she was going to have the easiest time taking everything from the Squire, but Hester was too smart to not see evil on the horizon in Evangeline. Hester’s own scheming to thwart Evangeline was whip smart, sarcastic, and heart warming. Truly, the cast of characters here was something special!

This is a retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s “Goose Girl” and really captured that uncanny “something feels off in the pit of your stomach” vibe. I really cannot express enough how much this book had a hold on me — it was that good!

Pick this up if you’re looking for an eerie, mysterious, paranormal thriller!

Verdict: Really Loved 🥰

As a child, I loved fairy tales and fables, whether it was reading them or hearing them recounted to me. In adulthood, I've read less fantasy in general, mainly because I'm not a fan of romantasy or high fantasy. However, I'm so glad I gave this a chance.

I was not familiar with the original Goose Girl story, but that was not a prerequisite for enjoying this. This is the story of Cordelia, a bright young girl who has always been curious about her mother's overbearing tendencies and ability to render her obedient.

One day, tragedy strikes, inciting Cordelia's suspicions into her mother. Once her mother begins seducing a rich, powerful Squire into marriage, Cordelia knows she must take matters into her own hands and expose her mother for who she really is.

This story had the most amazing atmosphere - it was haunting, spooky and a little Gothic. Every character was so well fleshed out and I felt like I was immersed in this world. I've been intrigued by T Kingfisher's writing before and I will definitely check out more of her books now

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

T. Kingfisher cannot write a bad book! I loved this dark fantasy! The narrator was amazing as well! Would highly recommend if you are working through their backlsit!

3.5

A coming of age story of a girl coming out from underneath her controlling mother.

I love the found family trope in this

I enjoyed the voice and the prose. The multiple POV was kept me engaged for the majority of story. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. Maybe I felt like it was a little too perfect? I felt like the pacing was inconsistent as well.

I did enjoy it overall. The narration was great.

Another masterpiece by T. Kingfisher. An absolutely captivating read, I loved it so much. It was beautifully written and it kept me interested the entire time. Truly amazing! Must read for everyone familiar with this writers work

"A Sorceress Comes to Call" by T. Kingfisher is a fantasy novel. It is based on the fairy tale "The Goose Girl" by the Brothers Grimm. This is one I was not familiar with. This retelling is very well done and doesn't come across as juvenile at all.

If you like fantasy with sorcerors and magic or retelling of fairy tales, check out this one. I recommend it! It's a solid 4 stars!

Cordelia is a 14 year old girl with a very domineering mother. Her mother, Evangeline, is more than a challenging parent. She is also a Sorceror. Why they changed it to Sorceress for the title, I'm not sure. Evangeline is a bit obsessed with money. She wants to marry a wealthy man and marry her daughter off to a wealthy man, too.

This audiobook is narrated by Jennifer Pickens and Eliza Foss. I liked having both voices telling this story, and they did a nice job with it.

Characters - 4/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 4/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 32/8= 4
For 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio, and T. Kingfisher for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

A reimagining of the fairy tale The Goose Girl with all the horror and gore that the original fairytales had.
T. Kingfisher is so good at creating that gothic, horror fairytale atmosphere. I’ve heard some found the beginning slow and the weakest part but honestly, it was my favorite part. The way she creates the tension, the stakes, all with such disturbance atmospheric setting.
I actually found the middle more the part that sagged for me as I slightly lost my attention, although it is when the plot starts picking up steam.
The ending is such a true homage to the Grimm Brothers’ anthologies. This book was all of my favorite things.
Also. It touches on quite a bit of emotional, parental abuse. We don’t delve into the future consequence but it does take a somewhat realistic view of such trauma and handles it with care. Among all the gore and horror of magic and fairytales, it is still the abuse that is the most disturbing of things in its unreadable nature.

The narrators of the audiobook were excellent too! It is dual POV so it has two narrators. It struck me at the end that though they each had to voice the same side characters during dialogue, I never compared how they might’ve sounded different, so immersing they made the experience.

4.5/5

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC

I love T. Kingfisher's books and the Goose Girl is one of my favorite stories to retell. T Kingfisher managed to surprise me still, and I loved it! The narrator also did a great job

I have not read T. Kingfishwr before, but had heard good things about her writing. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I DNF’d at 25%.

This is my fifth read by T Kingfisher and I have a new favorite. I loved this story. I switched between the audio and eBook while reading this one eagerly anticipating the next part. The audio is narrated by Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens. They did a fantastic job with the voices for Cordelia and Hester. This is a retelling of Grimm’s Goose Girl, which I haven’t read. I really need to get a copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and start working on reading them.

This story is interspersed with the humor that I have come to expect from Kingfisher and if you haven’t read this author’s work before, I suggest you start here. Cordelia’s mother gives whole new meaning to strict parenting. She’s not allowed to lock her door, have friends and her mother has the ability to force her to do things, mostly sit still and silent for endless periods of time. When something suspicious happens to their “benefactor”, Evangeline rushes them out of town and sets a trap to catch a wealthy older man.

Hester is the unwed sister of Samuel, the Squire that Evangeline has set her sights upon. Hester had a sense of foreboding prior to Evangeline and Cordelia’s arrival at Chatham House. She has a history of being sensitive to evil. She also has a group of loyal, eccentric friends that will come at her request. She can see there is something wrong with Cordelia and sets out to help the girl and save her brother despite her infirmities. But will this ragtag group be enough to thwart a determined Evangeline? I loved Hester and her references to Cordelia’s mother as “Doom”. She really shined amongst her friends.

Recommended to fantasy and fairy tale lovers especially for the humor.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio and Tor Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

Narrators voice was dreamy and sunk me straight into the world. Absolutely loved the narration, the story, everything. I know it was a retelling but wasn’t super familiar with the origin story which made it all the better. Exceptional retelling by an exception author

A Sorceress Comes to Call, by T. Kingfisher, tells the story of Cordelia, the teen daughter of an evil sorceress. Cordelia’s mother is ruthless and abusive, and when she targets a wealthy Squire to deceive into marriage, Cordelia must work with the Squire’s sister, Hester, to stop the plot. This retelling of The Goose Girl perfectly blends horror and hope.

This is a dual POV story told from both Cordelia’s and Hester’s perspective. Each woman gets her own narrator in the audiobook, which really helped avoid confusion while listening. Both narrators encapsulated their POV characters really well. I was especially impressed with Cordelia’s narrator’s ability to display her fear and naiveté while also letting her happy moments shine.

The story itself was another wonderful example of Kingfisher’s ability to write a terrifying fantasy story full of found family and cozy moments. I loved the relationship between Cordelia and Hester, especially when Hester is teaching Cordelia the art of embroidery. I mainly listened to the book while working on cross stitch projects, so I felt really close to the characters in those little moments. Cordelia’s mother is terrifying, but not in an in-your-face kind of way. The psychological terror of being “made obedient” was a gut punch., especially towards the end of the story.

While I do think I prefer Kingfisher’s romances (my favorite being Swordheart), this book is perfect for fans of Kingfisher’s other horror fantasies. I’d also recommend this to fans of Ava Reid’s fairytale retellings. A Sorceress Comes to Call released on August 6th, 2024, so add it to your fall TBR today!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance listeners copy!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. It Kept my interest all the way to the end. I wasn’t sure what to expect when it’s described as being dark. It is dark, but not too dark. The other “light” characters make up for the down right evil Mother and her familiar. This book has just the right touch of mystery with twits and turns. It really exceeded my expectations. I’m adding Kingfisher to my must read Authors.

I loved this listening adventure! The characters, narration and gothic atmosphere had me hooked. This was my first read by T. Kingfisher and I was absolutely delighted. I didn’t want the story to end!

I’m beginning to understand that everything Kingfisher writes is gold, and it’s very clearly because she writes characters that live on after the book is done. Penelope Green is my true north, Cordelia was such a beloved little hero, and her wicked mother Evangeline was a force and an amazing villain. I loved the love story between Hester and Richard, and who else could write a riveting love story for characters over 50 that wasn’t trite or overly saccharine or dull? Kingfisher is a hero for unique, wholly designed characters that are real people to me. I loved this story and I hope there is a second installment. My only recommendation is a cover change—this book deserves more than the classic fantasy cover, it’s misleading and a little boring.

I enjoyed the witchy elements of this book and might have liked it more if I did a tote eyeball read. I also wasn’t familiar with the fairy tale it was retelling. I think if I was, I would have enjoyed this one more

I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener’s copy of this beautiful book. The narrators truly brought the story to life, but for an even more immersive experience, I waited for pub day to grab a physical copy and paired it with my audiobook.

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher is a delightful retelling of the Goose Girl fairy tale, following the journey of a young woman who discovers her true identity and her connection to a world of magic. Set in a charming, folklore-inspired world, this tale combines wit, warmth, and a touch of darkness as the protagonist faces trials and makes unlikely allies along the way.

I had no prior knowledge of the Goose Girl’s original tale, so I went in blind and thoroughly enjoyed the ride. There's no heavy worldbuilding or action-packed scenes here, but Kingfisher’s wonderful prose makes up for it. The characters, both good and bad, draw you in, and the story satisfied my craving for a good read.

I couldn’t put this book down, and I was genuinely sad when it ended. This is a solid 5 stars for me—a perfect cozy read that ensures the reader enjoys every moment.

Absolutely delightful and charming retelling of the goose girl. It started slow, but after the world building and getting to know the characters it became a lovely & witty story. The narrators fit the characters very well bringing more life to it. Cordelia was sweet but I really loved Hester. Perfect stand-alone that wraps up in a nice hea.

T. Kingfisher has done it again, she's written another book that some how manages to be Dark, Creepy and Cozy. A personal favorite author of mine this was one of my most anticipated books of 2024 and I'm very thankful to say it did not disappoint!

In this book we follow two POV characters, Cordelia a Fourteen year old girl who has been struggling under the thumb of her controlling, in the most literal sense of the word, mother and Hester a middle aged spinster and sister to a wealthy Squire. The two find each other joined in the singular goal of taking down Cordelia's evil mother Evangeline, the titular sorceress, sets her malevolent sights on Hester's brother putting everyone Hester loves and cares for in danger.

I adored this book, and I appreciated the retelling aspects of it. While not the most direct retelling it takes the same themes and messages of the book incorporating elements from the original story along with taking and twisting elements to update the story for a modern audiences without being a direct retelling. I loved the characters, Cordelia manages to be young and naïve without getting annoying, Hester is wonderfully self-possessed and manages to seem cautious without being callous to Cordelia. Hester's slight romance with Richard was also a high point for me, the fact that while she loves Richard she refuses to compromise on marriage because she appreciates the freedoms being a spinster allows her that she will lose if she was to marry Richard. Evangeline manages to be a unnerving and creepy presence in the book even when she isn't present, her control and manipulation of several characters throughout the story is terrifying throughout the course of the story and functions well as a threat.

Both Narrators are excellent, The choice to use separate narrators for Cordelia and Hester was an excellent one. Cordelia's narrator gives a performance that is able to imbue a youthful sense along with true dread and Hester's Narrator is able to catch the no nonsense feeling of Hester.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a Fair and honest review.

Thank you netgalley and macmillian for this audio arc.
In A Sorceress Comes To Call, we meet Cordelia, a timid young girl who is the daughter of the ruthless sorceress, Evangeline. When Evangeline sets her sights on a wealthy squire in a nearby town, she moves Cordelia and their horse, Falada, to the squire's estate, determined to seduce him into marriage. Upon arrival, they encounter various townsfolk, most notably Hester, the squire's sister. Sensing something is wrong, Hester begins to investigate, knowing that Evangeline will stop at nothing—and remove anyone who stands in her way—to get what she wants.

I enjoyed this novel, the only thing I wished we had more of was a variety of the magic. The magic that was used seemed to be repeated, but it made sense why it was repeated.