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This is a fairytale for grownups who’ve seen the dark side of the woods and packed a dagger anyway. Hemlock & Silver blends eerie magic, sly humor, and hard-earned wisdom into a story that’s as sharp as it is tender.

T. Kingfisher has a gift for writing women who are tired, competent, and done with nonsense. The main character is no exception. She’s not here to be cute—she’s here to survive, protect what’s hers, and deal with whatever monster crawled out of the trees. The prose is deceptively simple, which lets the emotional weight and creeping dread sneak up on you.

The horror elements are subtle but effective. Nothing is gratuitous, but the unease builds in layers. And just when things start to feel too heavy, the dry humor snaps everything back into balance. The world feels ancient and lived-in, filled with dangerous magic that doesn’t care whether you understand it.

If I had one note, it’s that I wanted more time to sit with the ending. It resolves beautifully, but the final stretch felt like it rushed to close doors I wanted to linger at a bit longer.

Highly recommended for fans of dark folklore, fierce older heroines, and stories that don’t flinch at the cost of love or survival.

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As a girl who grew up on ED Baker and Jessica Day George, I could not resist the pull of a twisted fairytale by the author of Nettle and Bone. I absolutely adored this. As far as I have seen, all of T Kingfisher's fantasy main characters are a little autism spectrum coded which works perfectly for me. The perspective of a poison expert was so interesting, and I found the mirror world fascinating. Just an enjoyable ride.

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I loved this book!

☠️ The main character in this book, Healer Anja, is one of my favorites!

🌱 Her backstory led her to what she is today. Her cousin died of ingesting hemlock in front of her when they were youth and, ever since, she made it her mission in life to find the antidote, becoming an expert on poisons and antidotes of all sorts along the way. She’s tough, independent, scientific and generally just my kinda main character.

🪞 The premise (see synopsis) is fun, but the story really takes you on an adventure you would not predict or see coming! I honestly don’t want to say too much so it’s as much of a fun ride and surprise as it was for me!

🎬 There’s a good amount of action and the book moves so quickly. It has a very dark fairytale feel to it. Which I dig.

♥️ This story also includes the sweetest romance! I would not call this a Romantasy book / don’t expect that kind of spice, but I found the budding love in the book to be adorable!

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T. Kingfisher does it again. I love her books so much, and this one did not disappoint. This story is exactly as creepy and delightful as you would expect if you have read Kingfisher before. The setting is dark and creepy and there are some truly horrific denizens of the world that Kingfisher has created here. The characters are just delightfully quirky, as they usually are in Kingfisher's work, and I was rooting for them from the first page. This is a splendid dark fairytale, and wile it does have elements of some familiar fairytales, it is it's own story and magnificent in its own right. Kingfisher does a splendid job of blending the truly horrific with a touch of the coziness you might expect if you've read her work before. If you are a fan of dark fairytales, I highly recommend this read.

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Another spectacular fantasy from T. Kingfisher! We have our late 30's protagonist, a well-respected and accomplished healer of the poisoned, who is hired by the King to diagnose and identify what has been causing his daughter to wither away. Anja can't risk angering the King, so in a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't connundrum, she accompanies the King, along with his guard, to treat Snow.

This is a dark retelling of Snow White, but with Kingfisher's delightfully creepy spin.

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I loved this story and devoured it in two days. I enjoyed following Healer Anja and her guard as they worked to solve the mystery of what was going on with Princess Snow. The cat was a great way to vreak the seriousness with a little humor. After loving Kingsisher's A Soeceress Comes to Call, and now Hemlock & Silver, I think I will autobuy any other retellings she writes!

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When the King calls on Anja, eccentric scholar and healer with a particular affinity for poisons, to attempt to save his daughter, Snow, from a mysterious illness he believes to be potentially poison-related - how can she refuse? A problem-solver to her core, Anja finds herself at Witherleaf to - hopefully - save the day. But it isn't long until her scientific mind is turned upside-down after she accidentally discovers an entirely new world...inside a magical mirror. Does this curious (and sometimes horrifying) new world harbour the secrets to Snow's illness? It's up to Anja and her peculiar new allies to figure it out.

***

I've loved everything I've ever read from T. Kingfisher, and this dark, slightly creepy but utterly charming Snow White retelling is no exception. I'm so glad I didn't reread the synopsis before diving in, as I thoroughly enjoyed having absolutely no clue where this story was headed and in what ways it would and wouldn't remind me of the original tale.

I love the unique, eccentric characters Kingfisher brings to the table every single time. AND that many of her MCs tend to be in their 30s or older. I'll never get over it, it makes me actually so happy. Anyways, I loved Anja from the start - she's an intelligent weirdo who managed to make a career out of her hyper-fixation and I love that for her. She has a hard time dealing tactfully with people, while also very clearly caring about their wellbeing. I loved the other characters that were introduced along the way (Javier is literally such a sweetheart, I love him) and I was a little sad to say goodbye to them at the end of the book.

It must also be said that there is a deep understanding of cat attitude and behaviour found in this story. Cat owners and lovers like myself will likely get a kick out of this portrayal.

The story is wacky and wild and honestly as weird as I've come to anticipate from Kingfisher at this point. I was highlighting and annotating my guesses throughout and I loved seeing the way everything unfolded. The pace might feel a tad slow for some folks in the middle, but I didn't mind as this just meant more time hanging out with the characters I was falling in love with.

Speaking of falling in love, I didn't know if there would be a romantic element in this one but there is indeed a subplot which had me giggling and kicking my feet.

More dark fairytale retellings forever pleeeeaaaaaase.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Hemlock & Silver comes out August 19, 2025 for those interested!

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4.5

Hemlock & Silver is a fun, chaotic, and spooky read. While Hemlock & Silver is a reimagining of Snow White, the sole focus is not the retelling. It follows Healer Anja, who specializes in poisons and their cures. Anja is summoned by the king to examine his daughter, as he believes she is being poisoned. The book started a bit slow, as the main plot starts around the 40% mark. I enjoyed the slow start because it sets up the world and the main character. Once we get past the beginning, the pacing picks up and becomes completely unputdownable.

Anja is curious and always seeking out knowledge, and lacks tact when speaking to people. I liked that Anja was in her 30s and that while she was quirky, she was still shown as a smart person and respected by others. The other characters were equally well-developed and loved each of their interactions with Anja. I also appreciate when a book includes animal companions.

The world she stumbles into is dark, eerie, and at times grotesque, but fascinating. Reading it was unnerving. This is the fifth book by T. Kingfisher I have read, and have found each to be a perfect blend of horror and whimsy, if that makes sense.

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A strong premise, and a set of clever characters including a sassy talking cat gives this retelling of Snow White a unique edge. Told from the point of view of a poison expert, this fairytale weaves magic and reflections masterfully into a story that fans of Kingfisher will love. And can we talk about that cover? Stunning!

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My students may like this; I couldn’t finish it. It was too slow; too much detail. I appreciate attention to detail, but I wanted to get to Snow White by 100 pages.

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I mostly enjoyed this book. The parenthesis at first were a bit much. Overall, the book was good. I didn’t see one part coming at first. Once I realized this was a Snow White adaptation it all started to make sense. There are a couple of twists that went very well with the story. I would give 4.5 stars, but rounded down due to half a star not being an option.

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Thank you NetGalley and Tor.

Actually a 4.5. At this point, I’m pretty convinced T. Kingfisher could write anything and I’d love it. I especially love when she does reimaginings. She’s really good at including all the important elements of the original while serving up a completely original and interesting story. I really love the worldbuilding and am a huge fan of these characters; I feel like she was building toward this being a recurring set of characters and I hope I’m right! I especially really enjoyed the magical elements and creatures. The mirror gelds are my giant, terrifying friends and Greyling is my little, terrifying? friend.

My only real criticism is firstly that the pacing could have been faster for the first quarter of the story, but really it was nothing egregious. My other minor gripe is that while I’m so happy at the idea of more stories within this world, I would prefer knowing it’s a series upfront. We are introduced to characters and concepts such as the General Anja meets at the beginning of the novel and divorced from the context that T. Kingfisher is someone who loves to turn standalones into character-centric series’ it’s a little confusing.

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T. Kingfisher has done it again! This book is a fantastical reimagining of Snow White. I adore Kingfisher’s ability to look at a story or trope and say, “That’s great, but what if…?”

This book follows Anja, a middle-aged woman who specializes in poisons and antidotes. Summoned by the king to save his daughter Snow, Anja soon finds herself unraveling a deeper mystery behind the princess’s illness as she uncovers a whole world alongside a fickle one-eyed cat? and her bodyguard.

This book beautifully blends the familiar tale with fresh twists and turns, leaving readers horrified, delighted, and laughing in equal measure. It’s a masterful retelling with a heartwarming and irresistibly charming romantic subplot.

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A fun, modern merge and twist to the classic tales of Snow White and Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass, T. Kingfisher leads us into a world of courtly intrigue, danger, murder and supernatural fantasy. It’s a patient build, as we get to know the 30-something year old protagonist, a clever, wicked-plant loving and reluctant heroine before we tumble into the heart of the action. These characters are fun, relatable, likable- and make you want to follow them right through the mirror. Sitting more on the side of fantasy, with horror elements, with the twists and creativity characteristic of Kingfisher, this was a quick and thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group/Tor Books for the ARC. This is my true and honest review.

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4.5 stars

Lately, I've been poking around with some authors whose works I have mixed relationships with, but T. Kingfisher simply isn't one of those. I either love or really, REALLY like everything I read from this author, so it's no surprise I've been totally captivated by this poison forward affair.

Healer Anja is giving _Phantom Thread_ vibes in the very best way, and I was immediately captivated by her charge and her general approach. When the King directs her to heal his daughter, Snow (ya, her...kind of), she heads out on a strange adventure that includes a lot of mystery, magic, and vomit. Oh, and there *may* be a talking animal involved.

Readers spend the entire book in Anja's head, and it is a fascinating place to dwell. Her interest in and awareness of poison, creepy crawlies, and dastardly deeds makes her perspective much more intriguing than what her name may suggest on its face. While everything about her was the top highlight for me in this read, that doesn't diminish the greatness of the setting, the reimagining of aspects of the Snow White cycle, or all of the magical elements present here. All of these components build into a truly compelling read.

Fans of Kingfisher, folk tale reimaginings, and great characters will find a lot to admire here. I know I did.

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This was such a fun story and reaffirms that T. Kingfisher is the master of fairytale retellings.

My main like in this book: Anja. We have a 35-year old protagonist who isn't astonishingly beautiful, has never had a serious relationship, and is relatively content with being a "spinster". However, she is still shown as having romantic interest and having someone pursue her not only for her looks but also her personality. It is such a refreshing change of pace from all the 16-25 year old fantasy heroines we see normally, and she is just such a fun character to be inside her mind.

The world was also very cool, and kind of confusing but to a degree that it felt plausible (like, I too wouldn't exactly know how to explain a mirror world even if I were able to step inside of it). Snow is an annoying kid but in the best way and her actions are completely understandable, all the side characters are pretty well fleshed out, and I was excited for the story to keep going. Soon I'm going to be Kingfisher's number one fan if she keeps this up.

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On paper this book should have been an absolute dream. I love Kingfisher’s works- the characters, the cozy and the eerie books. Alas, this is one I could not bring myself to finish. I tried so hard for weeks to get through this book, and I dreaded picking it back up again, I had to stop at the end of nearly every chapter because it was so dull. Anja the main character’s entire personality is her obsession with poison. It becomes so boring stuck in her head that even after finally introducing elements that I think are brilliant and fun- I just do not care enough to struggle through the rest of this book.

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So this was marketed as a loose reimagining of Snow White, but it makes me think more of Alice in Wonderland than any other previous fairytale story.

Anja is a healer, but really more interested in research than anything. Specifically research to find cures for poisons. Her bedside manner leaves something to be desired as her people skills are not great.

She's suddenly summoned away to help the king's ailing daughter, Snow, following a terrible family incident involving the deaths of the queen and their youngest daughter, Rose.

Anja's approach is very clinical and she struggles to find something to work with until she's given hints by a cat, or a cat like creature, from the other side of the mirror. She explores the world on the other side of the mirror with the help of her reticent bodyguard, determined to figure out the problem and come up with a solution.

It turns out to be much more than a case of simple poisoning.

Anja is charming in her info dumping. I appreciate the way characters are developed and the humor threaded throughout. I feel the same way about roosters.

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There’s something about a T.Kingfisher book that just makes everything feel right.

Another amazing retelling, this time being Snow White as told through the eyes of a poison healer named Anja. This MC is such a riot; she’s witty, set in her ways, and so clever! I loved having an older main character who is already accomplished and smart.

Now, this does draw parallels from Snow White but it is a story all its own. It deals with mirror realms and a sick princess who is dealing with the loss of her sister and mother.

I thought all of our characters were so well thought out and well-rounded. Each one was crafted with such care that they felt so real. Not all characters are as they seem and T. Kingfisher does a great job of taking tropes and turning them on their head.

Hemlock & Silver is an absolute treat! Get this on your TBR right now!

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Anja is fascinated by poisons. Ever since she witnessed a cousin die after eating hemlock, she has dedicated every minute to figuring out how poisons work and how they might be countered. I love a nerdy protagonist! Being a bookish sort myself, it’s delightful to see a hero who uses their intelligence and cleverness to solve problems rather than magic or violence. In T. Kingfisher’s gripping new novel, Hemlock & Silver, she faces her greatest challenge yet: to figure out what is making the king’s heir so sick that the entire court is worried that she might die.

It doesn’t take much inducement by the king to lure Anja out of her laboratory to come see his daughter. Princess Snow’s symptoms are very puzzling. Her vomiting and failure to thrive don’t match any known illness. Something is poisoning the girl, though no one has managed to work out what’s being used, let alone figured out how the poison is being delivered. Anja loves a puzzle, though she responds to the challenge with a lot of muttering, pacing around the castle questioning people, and disrupting all kinds of routines to get to the bottom of the mystery.

I’m afraid to say too much more about what happens to Anja and Snow because a lot of the charm of this book (at least for me) is watching Anja try to figure out what the hell is going on with the princess. There are definitely elements of Snow White’s story in Hemlock & Silver—mirrors, apples, queens—but Kingsilver inverts or riffs on those elements to create a highly original tale, with a dollop of horror for bonus weirdness, to keep us from getting ahead of her protagonist.

Hemlock & Silver might be my favorite novel by Kingfisher yet. I’ve been a fan of Kingfisher’s reinvention of fairy tales and folklore into amazing works of fantasy ever since I read Nettle & Bone. This one has all of the brilliant plotting and originality, but what puts this one over the top for me is Anja. I strongly identify with a protagonist who believes that all she has going for her is her brain and struggles with her relationships with others. I have a lot of the same insecurities Anja does, though I know I can only hope that I could be as determined as she is when someone needs her help. This book already has a cozy little spot in my heart.

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