This week’s review is on A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher, a retelling of The Goose Girl by the brothers Grimm. It’s an intriguing blend of gothic horror and fairy tale, set in a genteel Regency world.

Whew! This novel hit me on a personal level, especially Kingfisher’s portrayal of the toxic, narcissistic relationship between Cordelia and her domineering mother, Evangeline. Kingfisher captures Cordelia’s desperation and yearning for love and connection with an eerie clarity that left me both unsettled and captivated.

As someone who’s had a complicated relationship with my mother, the story resonated deeply with me. The emotional manipulation and amount of control Evangeline demands over her daughter…*shiver*.

I loved how Kingfisher contrasts this twisted mother-daughter dynamic with the nurturing strength of Hester, the Squire’s childless sister. Hester is one of my favorite kinds of characters. With no magic or power of her own, this middle-aged woman sees through Evangeline’s facade and embarks on a quest to battle her and save Cordelia.

Kingfisher relegates the men in this tale to sidekick roles, love interests, or outright victims. They’re there, but the true power in this tale lies with the women—a refreshing change, especially in a genre that often leans heavily on male heroes.

I listened to the audiobook of A Sorceress Comes to Call, thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. The narrators, Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens, tell the story through Cordelia and Hester’s points of view. Their performances made the horror of Cordelia’s desperate situation even more dire.

​A Sorceress Comes to Call is a slow-burn regency fantasy with a horror twist. It might not be for everyone. The pacing of this novel is deliberate, letting the tension simmer before things finally boil over. But if you appreciate a story that takes its time, immersing you in a richly atmospheric world, this one’s a gem.

A retelling of Goose girl....This was even a Bit scary at times....

Cordelias mother is a sorceress and not a very nice one - after making her latest benefactor go crazy she has decided better to marry well.

Cordelia always fearfull of falling under a term she calls obedience in which her mother controls her body is frightfull.

The only solace is Falada who is not what he appears.... becoming a part of a new family cordelia gains some confidence and backbone

Cordelia is a lonely, strange girl. Her mother has very strict rules and high expectations. The minute Cordelia deviates from her mothers rules she is punished, sometimes for days. The only freedom she has is her daily rides on her mother’s horse, Falada. She is truly herself when she is with the horse, whispering to him her secrets, hopes and dreams. One night her mother returns and tells Cordelia that they must leave immediately. They find themselves riding out of town leaving everything behind. Cordelia fears that her mother did something terrible. Evangeline, her mother is a powerful sorceress that uses her magic and beauty to manipulate and harm others. . They find themselves in a small town where Evangeline quickly sets her sights on a wealthy older man that lives with his sister, Hester. She sees through her facade but also sees Cordelia as a young lady that is in a situation that is not by her choice, she is shy and withdrawn Hester must find a way to expose the Sorceress before it is too late and she loses her brother for good.

I was not familiar of the Grimm tale that it was inspired by but I really loved the characters and the pure evil that was Evangeline. I enjoyed the growth and strength of Cordelia as the story progressed. The only thing that was a little bit of a miss for me was the ending. It just seemed too abrupt. I expected more after everything that the characters had gone through. Overall though it was a great story loaded with action and complex characters that were captivating.

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn’t my first T. Kingfisher book and it definitely won’t be my last.

Wow, what a story! I have read some other works from this Author but this one definitely exceeded my expectations!

I did not know what to expect from this story, as someone who grew up even knowing The Brothers Grimm existed, it definitely piqued my interest. That and of course one review that I saw that used the phrase “Defense Geese” which actually turned out to be a perfect description lol

This was a spooky one! Very eery at times, but overall a fantastic book, and it has not only made me look into the Grimm Bros tales but also actively seek out other works from this Author. 4.5 ⭐️’s

Thank you to the Author T. Kingfisher for writing this, and to the Narrators Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens for your incredible work, you guys really brought the characters to life!

Big thank you as well to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my no cost Audiobook copy of “A Sorceress Comes to Call”.

I received an advance review copy at no personal cost and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was one of my favorite fantasy reads so far this year, and absolutely cemented for me why T. Kingfisher's flavor of fantasy is so well loved.
A Sorceress Comes to Call follows young Cordelia as she lives under her mother's tyrannical and sometimes magical control, until she meets Hester, the spinster sister of a wealthy man her mother intends to marry. Hester notices that something is not quite right with Cordelia's behavior towards her mother, and with the help of her fascinating cohort of clever friends, helps to coax Cordelia out of her fear-induced loyalty to her mother, uncover the plan to ensnare Hester's brother, and explore Cordelia's own burgeoning magical gifts.
The opening scene of this book set the tone in the most exquisitely unsettling way, as we see how Cordelia is "made obedient" by her mother's magic, becoming a prisoner in her own physical body, and it is a perfect analogy for the invisible nature of parental emotional abuse. I loved Cordelia's character growth as she learns to find trust and safety in other adults, learns to accepts her situation as unusual and unacceptable rather than inevitable, and finds the strength to fight against not only her mother's magical powers, but to fight against the ingrained notion that her mother is entitled to Cordelia's loyalty. This story is such a beautiful explanation of the psychology and unique challenges of emotional abuse, especially towards children. While the subject matter is quite dark, T. Kingfisher is a master at finding moments of hope and levity, somehow assuring the reader that the good will prevail and all will be well without giving away the ending.
I absolutely loved Hester and her friend group. They are clever, determined, and truly kind. And it was great to see a developing romance with an older couple- I think they're only in their 50's or so, not so old really, but definitely an age bracket that could use more representation in the romance sphere.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free advanced listener’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was the most ghibli-esque horror I’ve ever read. Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens embodied their characters so well in this dual POV book that, though they never shared a scene, I could hear their characters in each other’s chapters. I thought T. Kingfisher’s choices for depicting abuse in a fantasy setting were very interesting and they chilled me to the bone from the first chapter I read, though I will through out a trigger warning for it because the way Cordelia is treated may not sit well with people who have abusive/toxic parent/child relationships as a trigger.

I thought the friendship between Cordelia and Hester was so sweet and the way Cordelia grew a family around herself despite her mother’s influence was all the hope I needed to continue the book despite the overwhelming feeling of helplessness I had for our main characters. I thought the whole book was so fantastical and eerie, a perfect flavor read for me. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something creepy and fantasy, reminiscent of an old Grimm’s Fairy Tale.

**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑨 𝑺𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒚 𝑻. 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒇𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓

Release Date: August 6, 2024

4⭐️0🌶

This is a cozy little spooky read. Imagine if you took a Victorian times drama and place a gold-digging Sorceress and her unsuspecting daughter in a rich household.

Cordelia is the 14 year old daughter to a penniless sorceress who has used to her powers all of Cordelia's life to control her. Literally, she takes over her mind and performs actions for her. Cordelia can do nothing to stop her and has often wondered how she might get away. Until she realizes her beloved horse is also under the mind control of her mother as her familiar. One day, her mother declares that her current "benefactor" has decided to do away with her, and they must move to find another rich man for her to bespell into marrying her.

This book has drawn me in, and I couldn't put it down until I had finished it!

Thank you to @redwombatstudio @macmillan.audio & @torbooks for the #gifted #ARC & #audiobook of #ASorceressComesToCall

I always love it when a new #TKingfisher #book gets announced. It automatically gets added to the top of my #TBR. This one is a dark #retelling of Goose Girl by the #BrothersGrimm.

First & foremost, T. Kingfisher is so damn talented! I would love to live a day inside her brain. Everything she writes is so unique, original & mesmerizing.

This dark #fantasy centers around Cordelia who is daughter to Evangeline, a powerful & very wicked #sorceress. Evangline forces Cordelia to live in isolation with only Evangeline’s #horse Falada to keep her company. Cordelia is allowed zero privacy with all the doors in the home having been removed. Forced to sit silent & motionless for hours or days, Cordelia is utterly terrified of her mother.

Fleeing town after a suspicious death, Evangeline has set her sights on the Squire, a wealthy older man with a heart of gold. His sister, Hester is also in residence & picks up quickly that Evangeline is up to no good if for no other reason than the way Cordelia is so terrified of her. Hester is determined to free both her brother & Cordelia from Evangeline’s wickedness.

I know that Cordelia is intended to be the MC, but it really felt like all the characters were equally as important to the story, so I consider them all MCs - - even Falada (I won’t get into that can of worms – you’ll just have to experience that one yourself!). This was a very character driven story & I loved them all.

This was a quick read with steady pacing that flowed easily. I really enjoyed the feel of the story - - fairytale laced with horror. In typical T. Kingfisher fashion, she gives the readers vivid imagery & descriptors, a fabulous cast of characters, witty dialogue & the perfect blend of cozy & repugnant.

This is my new favorite! It just released Tuesday & is available NOW, so run & grab it!

#2024 #August #NewRelease #MustRead #Bookstagram #Read #Reading #Audio #Review #Fiction #Adult #Thriller #Mystery #Suspense #Magic #SciFi #Witches #MacAudio2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and T. Kingfisher for providing me with a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for a review.

This, by far, is my favorite T. Kingfisher book. I started with Nettle and Bone and moved through several of her other works. This one just blew me away. I loved the set up, the theme exploration, the prose, and the narrative voices.

I will say that it took me a minute to get used to the duel POV, however, both perspectives contributed something special to the overall story.

I adore The Goose Girl fairy tale in all its iterations, so I was immediately interested in reading A Sorceress Comes to Call. I haven't had the best luck with T. Kingfisher, though. I always love their premises, but the execution often leaves something to be desired for me. Well, I'm happy to report that wasn't the case with this book.

This book is dark in all the best ways. From the beginning, I was intrigued by the mother/daughter relationship, as themes of parental abuse, gaslighting, and general toxicity among family members hits fairly closed to home. I was also very curious to see how T. Kingfisher's iconic humor would land in a dark fairy tale retelling, and in this case I think it works really well. It was less of the "ha-ha" humor and more of a cynical, sardonic humor that I really enjoyed.

Lastly, the audiobook narrator did a fantastic job of cultivating an eerie atmosphere to the story that I think only heightened my enjoyment of the book. Definitely a 5 star read for me!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and to Netgalley for granting me an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a phenomenal fairy tale retelling! I'm not overly familiar with the Goose Girl, although I think it might have been in a large book of fairy tales I read often as a child. It seems vaguely familiar.

The retelling was a dark and compelling read. This was my first book by T. Kingfisher and I loved the writing style.The story is filled with wit and a good amount of tension. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I enjoyed watching Cordelia grow as the story progresses, and Hester was a fantastic character from start to finish. I adored her romantic storyline! It's always nice seeing romance between more mature couples.

The audiobook was narrated by Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens. I think both did a wonderful job of bringing their respective characters to life as well as each of the side characters.

Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, for this ALC. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an ARC copy of this audiobook.

Reading A Sorceress Comes to Call made me wish I knew the root fairy tale about the Goose Girl better.

I did some searching while I was reading and could spot a few of the elements (Falada the horse, marriage as an end goal, and the geese themselves), but not enough to really grasp what T. Kingfisher is doing with the story, which is a shame.

That's of course a completely subjective experience and I'd love to read a review from someone who's more familiar with the source material.

Many of T. Kingfisher's recurring themes echo in this tale:
- Women in domestic roles with minimal 'social' power are heroic and the focus of the story
- Surprising bonds between said women that empowers both people
- Fraught love between people who should just get on with loving each other (in the best way)
- Subversion of expectations (e.g., Penelope's story)
- Shy, uncertain people standing up to their oppressors
- The power of community

Hester, the spinster sister to a squire with a bad knee and a fierce determination to be independent, was my favourite character, and her bonds with her circle of friends was my favourite part of the book.

I enjoyed the story and I'm curious to see what else T. Kingfisher does with this style of adaptation. Sorceress is her second book in this style after Thornhedge and I'm curious if there will be a third. The fairy tale lover in me does like threes, after all.

🖤A Sorceress Comes to Call🖤
Loved Nettle & Bone (5/5⭐️), so I was excited for this one! Cordelia knows her mother is strange. Their house has no doors, she’s not allowed to have friends, and her mother is able to force her into mute stillness for hours or days on end if she disobeys. After a mysterious death in town, her mother moves them into the house of a wealthy Squire, with her sights set on marriage. Cordelia must team up with the Squire’s sister to stop her evil sorceress mother. This dark reimagining of a Brothers Grimm fairytale is full of magic, murder, and powerful women.
✨Pub Date: 8/6/24✨
4.5/5⭐️
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Thank you to @macmillan.audio for this ALC! The narration was haunting and atmospheric.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

My main issue with this book is that it really didn't keep my attention very well until over halfway through. By then, I was convinced to finish, but it finally really grasped me and made me absolutely need to know the ending. I had initially been really intrigued by the beginning chapters, but then everything slowed down for me and it took a while for me to get through it.

My favorite part of this was decidedly the romance, though! It was so sweet and made me want to find more second chance, older age love stories. I can't handle how sweet it is and how the pinning and angst just made everything all the better! I also really loved the coming of age aspect and the journey that Cordelia goes on to discover herself aside from her mother.

If you're looking for a good fairy tale retelling, this just might be your book!

3.5 stars - I always enjoy T Kingfisher’s writing style and descriptions, but this was a little bit slow for me. It’s very character driven with not much plot. Each character was clear and vivid though, and you really felt like you knew them! I also really liked the audiobook narrators and would definitely recommend listening to this one! This one made me so angry for Cordelia and what her mother was doing to everyone around her, which made the ending even more satisfying. This was a good book, just not my favorite from the author.

Thank you very much for the arc. I thoroughly enjoyed this. T. Kingfisher is a master storyteller and this was such an interesting and unique take on the Goose Girl, much darker and more devious. It was a bit of a darker Ella Enchanted as well I suppose. I love her prose and the audiobook was fantastically done. Just overall a beautiful tale!

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a retelling of The Goose Girl by the Grimm brothers. This follows Cordelia, a 14 year old girl, who is heavily controlled and abused by her sorceress mother, Evangeline. When a suspicious death occurs in their town, Evangeline decides it’s time to leave and find another benefactor. She sets her sights on a new man, the Squire. When Cordelia fears for the safety of this man and his older sister, Hester, she decides she must stop her mother’s plans.

This was slow in the middle for a while, and didn’t really pick up, in terms of action, until maybe the 70% mark. For the first half, the story felt more focused on society life and Cordelia’s struggles with learning how to act like a lady. However, I quickly became enamored by the cast of characters, and the bond between Cordelia and Hester that developed. I loved being in Hester’s POV; I liked seeing her relationships with Lady Strauss, Lord Evermore, and her brother. I also listened to the audiobook version and thoroughly enjoyed both narrators.

While I enjoyed the premise of the story and the fantastic characters, I felt like there could have been more to it. More magic, more darkness, more horror.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audioARC!

What do you do when your mother is a total (B)witch? I cant tell you, but by the end of this book you'll know!

Publisher's summary
Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.
But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers.
When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother's next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, 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.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book!

A Sorceress Comes to Call
By: T. Kingfisher
Narrated by: Eliza Foss, Jennifer Pickens
Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 08-06-24
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

4.5 rounded up!

This was such an enjoyable read. It's (apparently) a retelling of the Goose Girl, which I didn't know other than through Margaret Owen's Little Thieves, and these two books are not very similar. The book has two POVs, one of a 14 year old girl whose mother is a sorceress who can force her to be obedient, and one of a middle aged woman. The vibes felt a little bit like pride and prejudice (people come to visit for long periods of time) but with significantly more action. There is mystery, there is horror, and there is coziness. It's just a delightful treat. I will say, the ending was a little fast, and there wasn't a lot of explanation of why things happened the way they did, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I really enjoyed it, and I sped through it in about 24 hours.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for a review!

Cordelia is 14 and her mother, Evangeline, is on the hunt for an adequately wealthy husband so that Cordelia can one day marry an even wealthier husband. Evangeline is also a sorceress who uses her power to manipulate those around her to bend to her will. Hester is the middle aged sister for a squire who has the misfortune of being an ideal target of Evangeline. Cordelia and Hester find themselves in a dangerous situation they must both find their way out of.

I loved this just as much as Kingfishers' other fairytale retellings. I thought Hester was a perfect Kingfisher protagonist, and Cordelia was a wonderful counterpart with Hester's pragmatism about the world and Cordelia's knowledge of sorcery by naivety about everything else. I thought this one leaned ever more on the side of horror especially the kind magic Evangeline did to Cordelia.

I thought both narrators did a great job brining Cordelia and Hester to life.