4.5 stars! Perfect for fairytale-retelling readers; fans of the author will want to place their library holds early-- it's good!

There were a few questions that remained unanswered for me, that felt just a little like they were swept under the rug. If this ends up being a series and these are addressed, I would definitely revise my star rating up to 5.

While I am loving a more mature heroine, I am getting just a bit tired of hearing repeatedly that these poor women are decrepit and creaky at the advanced age of 35. Enough is enough!

eARC from NetGalley.

Another great novel from T. Kingfisher. A woman who has made the study of poisons and their antidotes the purpose of her life is commissioned by the king to find out who is poisoning his daughter, Snow. If you guessed it was an evil witch with poison apples, you're right, but it's much more complicated than that. Fast-paced, wonderful read.

4 Stars
I am never disappointed by a T. Kingfisher reimagining or retelling, and this book was no exception, it was such a delight!

In this retelling of Snow White, Kingfisher takes a darker, more unique approach. Rather than focusing on Snow herself, we follow Anja, a woman who has dedicated her life to mastering the art of antidotes. When her father brags about her saving a horse from a poisonous snake bite the King seeks her out to help with his daughter, Snow, whom he fears may be poisoned. This is one of the first things I adored about the book: even Anja's father is so endearing and lovable. He’s genuinely proud of his daughter and can't wait to tell anyone who’ll listen about how brilliant and clever she is. This was incredibly sweet.

As with Nettle and Bone and The Paladin series, the wit and humor in this book is absolutely top-notch. It’s subtle and dry, and that's exactly what makes it so perfect. There’s a quiet charm in the way Kingfisher’s humor weaves through the story, never trying too hard but always landing just right. With all the characters, Kingfisher adds such beautiful, thoughtful details that you just want to live with them forever. The Mirror Geld, for example: a supposed terrifying creature who can't speak and only communicates through hilarious charades. By the end, I had these emotions I never expected I would have and just wanted it to be happy.

I also love that Kingfisher's characters always feel real and relatable. Just like in her other books, the main character here is a middle-aged woman trying to find her place in the world. She may not fit the conventional mold of beauty, but her kindness and inner strength make her truly beautiful in the eyes of those around her. People love her for exactly who she is.

Now, the book wasn’t perfect. It had its slower moments, and the middle dragged a bit, becoming somewhat repetitive. But honestly, those little bumps didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. There’s something truly magical about Kingfisher’s take on fairy tales, and I just can’t get enough of them.

If you’re looking for a fresh twist on the Snow White story, where Snow is more of a side character, and you enjoy witty, clever storytelling, this book is definitely for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

If you've never read any of Kingfisher's books, I would recommend A Sorceress Comes to Call more than this book, as it's fully standalone while hitting some of the same themes as this book. If you are a fan of her books, particularly her books set in the Saint of Steel world, you'll probably like this one too. Can still be read independently, the world-building is relatively light in this book compared to some of the others.
Interesting premise, and look forward to seeing the ramifications of the magic introduced in this book, in subsequent novels.


How I would include it in a display: Snow white retellings, fairytale retellings, poison experts (pair this book with Apothecary diaries),

This was a solid fantasy (almost romantasy) mystery story. The first few chapters were slow with lots of world-building and character development but once the main storyline started, it was a mad rush to the end. Healer Anja is commanded by the king to solve the attempted poisoning of his daughter. Pulled from her obscure life studying poisons, she is forced into a magical mystery with much of the action taking place in the world you see in the mirror. I don't know if this will be a series but if so, I'll be first in line to read the next installment

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡

I am completely in love with this book. T. Kingfisher’s characters are always perfectly hilarious, lovable, and relatable and I was giggling and laughing through so much of the story. The horror aspects of it were so good and I was sad when I got to the last page. Another 5 star read from one of my favorite authors.. thank you!

T. Kingfisher comes through again with a fantastic twist on Snow White that will make you laugh and gasp. The main character in this book, Anja, is such a delightful character, maybe my favorite Kingfisher heroine of all! This is just such a wonderfully twisty and fun book, anyone that likes fantasy or fairy tales shouldn’t miss this one!

A dark and twisty Snow White retelling that you haven't read before.
T. Kingfisher does it again! I was absolutely absorbed into this world from start to finish.

Our story follows Anja who is not our typical 16 year old petite and fragile FMC. She's a 35 year old tall, hulking woman and a talented poison master. She found her love for studying antidotes through a childhood tragedy and worked with a teacher her father had employed to expand her knowledge. Many years later she is contacted by the King to help discover what is ailing his daughter Snow. Anja suspects that snow is struggling with grief after her mother murdered her younger sister and then perished along side her. With the help of two guards one of whom becomes our love interest she discovers that what is ailing Snow might now be poison after all. We explore a magical world with creepy creatures and fall in love with the characters along the way.

I didn't think I could love a companion animal more than I loved Bonedog but Grayling might take the cake. Any time he entered the scene I found myself laughing because the way Kingfisher created the dialogue is exactly how I perceive cats. Witty, self centered assholes. :)

If you're looking for a book where you will completely fall in love with the characters, the world and the magic of it all this book is for you!

OMG. I LOVED THIS SO MUCH! Hemlock and Silver is a unique retelling of Snow White. It was totally not what I expected, and I mean that excellently! This book will be one of my most recommended books this year. It has adventure, newfound friends, magic, and mystery. Thank you to T. Kingfisher, Tor Publishing, and Net Galley for the e-ARC.
After witnessing her cousin die from eating poison hemlock, Anja has committed herself to finding antidotes to poisons. One day, the King arrives in Anja’s lab, confessing to killing the Queen after catching the Queen in the act of cutting out one of the princesses’ hearts. His other daughter, Princess Snow, is in an undisclosed location, sick from what he suspects is poison. The king brings Anja to Snow to help cure her. As Anja observes princess Snow’s day-to-day actions, Anja starts to suspect there’s more than poison making Snow sick. Anja is determined to get to the bottom of who is doing this to Princess Snow.
I enjoyed Anja the most. She is an intelligent 30-something independent single woman. Being a plus-sized woman, I appreciate the representation of a plus-sized main character who isn’t ashamed of who she is or her size. I felt seen. Most women in fantasy books are described as tiny and light weight. Anja was taller and broad, but she owned it and knew her body could be substantial. There was a moment when Anja’s guard was trying to move full wine barrels. Anja asks him to move so she can use her strong legs to move the wine barrels. That made me laugh because sometimes I will try (and sometimes succeed) to do heavier leg presses than my sons and husband. I also thought Anja’s dialogue was funny.
Add it to your TBR now! It is such a fun read!

Snow White retellings are rare. Middle-aged protagonists rarer still! Both in the deft hands of T. Kingfisher make for a phenomenal fairytale retelling that is leagues above most that I have read ( and I am an avid fan of them as a genre!)

Thank you to TOR Publishing group and Netgally for providing me with an ARC for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Hemlock & Silver is a fresh take on the tale of Snow White and Rose Red, where the titular characters have taken a supporting role behind the main character, a particularly focused but seemingly unexceptional poison specialist.

As a character, Anja embodies Kingfisher’s typical heroines, which is to say that she is direct and intelligent while remaining endearing and utterly approachable. Kingfisher’s style of writing–dry sarcastic humor which dulls the edge of the horrors the characters face–has always appealed to me, and this book was no exception. At no point in the book did I find myself bored, even when there wasn’t major action taking place. It took me only two days to finish this book, and, as always, I found myself smiling at the end and wishing to flip right back to the first page and start again.

For fans of T. Kingfisher’s other books like Swordheart and Nettle & Bone, you absolutely will not want to miss this book. Hemlock & Silver is T. Kingfisher at her best, and an excellent introduction to those unfamiliar with her work. Whether you’re a fantasy, cozy, or horror fan, there will be something to appeal to you in this book, and it’s a perfect start to those spooky and cozy fall reads.

I don't have anything witty for you. It's exactly and absolutely what it is supposed to be, which, I suppose, for the right sort of reader (or the wrong sort), might be disappointingly perfect.

This was one of the oddest stories I've ever read, and I loved it.

This is a Snow White reimagining, and while it has some minor similarities, it is far from the classic fairy tale. If you're looking for a story that's a little dark, twisted, magical, creepy, and filled with snarky humor, look no further.

Anja is a healer who often poisons herself in an attempt to find cures. The King's daughter, Snow, is ill, so he comes requesting Anja's assistance in searching for both the poison and the cure. This leads Anja and her newly appointed bodyguard on a wild journey into a dark realm with high stakes.

I thoroughly enjoyed every character, from the bodyguards to 12-year-old Snow, to the sarcastic, furry friend (who may or may not be a cat). Grayling was one of my favorite parts of the story. I was actually laughing out loud at one point. He was so entertaining.
And to have a smart, plus-sized, 30-something, unmarried protagonist was refreshing to say the least. Anja's awkward and untactful. Her internal dialogue had me cackling.

I really took my time with this one, savoring all of the dry humor and witty wordplay. The pacing really picks up halfway through the book but overall, I think it had a good balance.

This was my introduction to T. Kingfisher, and I was blown away by her storytelling. It put me in a desert world unlike any other, crafted so well it left little to the imagination.

I had an absolute blast reading this, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and Tor Publishing for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I'm excited to check out more work by this author. Thank you!

The mirror gelds... YIKES.

✨ARC REVIEW✨

3.5⭐️

This story was really fun! A dark retelling of Snow White with some really interesting twists and turns! I like the way that T Kingfisher was able to bring a fresh take on a beloved classic! I was a little confused by the “magic system?” Of the story but I got there eventually 😂 Reading through the view of our FMC was interesting. The romance plot line in this book was fun too (maybe a little rushed, but overall fun to read). I feel like this will be a fun fall read! It’s giving spooky autumnal vibes that I love!

Thank you to Net Galley and Tor for letting me read an ARC of this story!

T Kingfisher has become an instant read/buy for me after reading Swordheart and Thornhedge earlier this year. Therefore, I was very excited to read Hemlock & Silver, and it definitely didn’t disappoint!

This story is a slightly sinister and very original retelling of Snow White. Our main character, Anja is a healer whose passion is with poisons and antidotes.
She is tasked by the king to help his daughter, Snow, in the story. Throw in a talking cat, a broody bodyguard, and some creepy mirrors and you have an interesting story! The book lost a ⭐️ due to being slow at some points, but was overall very enjoyable.

I will definitely be picking up a copy when this book comes out in August and continue to remain a T Kingfisher fan.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the e-arc!

A new T Kingfisher is always a treat, and never one to savor. Absolutely obsessed, yet another banger (!!) from Kingfisher.

I'm really liking how all of her various genres have been enjoying a bit of a blend in the fairytale retellings. There's a tasty background romance with just enough intrigue to run a b-plot, a bunch of horrific creatures and magical concepts that usually populate her horror- and well, everything she does - and who isn't a sucker for an interesting twist on a fairy tale.

This is a retelling of "Snow White," sans the cute animals and soprano warbling and honestly most of the things that would make it recognizable (which is good, snow white is my least favorite) but I feel like I got some of the same interesting flavor as the Robin McKinley retelling of The 12 Dancing Princesses (a compliment, that one has stuck with me for years). Readers will note the fascination with mirrors, and apples, and other fun bits of symbolism and terrible implications in family relationships.

If T Kingfisher had a fan club I would fight tooth and nail to be the president. Going into this book I expected it to be very much like Nettle & Bone, so I was a bit thrown off by the beginning. It took me a bit to get into the story, but honestly, I think that was my expectations getting in my way.

Hemlock & Silver follows Healer Anja, a 35-year-old professional poison nerd. In this Snow White reimagining Snow is very much awake, but her father the King charges Anja with figuring out who is poisoning her.

As always, Kingfisher brings us a main character who isn’t a frail teenager or an angry skinny lady. Anja is just a normal human carrying around a poisonous snake and trying to find cures for poisons. She is delightfully real, hilarious, and prickly.

Now, Kingfisher normally has a tendency to write in genre. Horror books are contemporary, fantasies are weird and dark, and romances are delightful. In this book, she breaks from that mold, makes us fall in love with a loyal guard, gets weird, and then makes you afraid to ever look at a mirror again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC. I loved this book and I will continue to remain a loyal T Kingfisher fan, but I have to go remove all of the mirrors from my house now.

I love me a good T. Kingfisher retelling. This book was no different. A Snow White retelling through Kingfisher's expert lens was every bit as good as expected. We follow Anja, who has a love and curiosity for poisons, maybe to the point of being dangerous? I don't want to say much more but Kingfisher has solidified her talent for framing stories we know and love in a dark, layered, and complex way. Thank you to Tor Books/Tor Publishing Group & NetGalley for the ARC. You can pick up this gorgeous edition August 19, 2025!

This Snow White-inspired retelling combined Kingfisher's talent for fantasy and horror, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the "retelling" category is a bit oversaturated, so I appreciated that this was truly an original tale that used iconic Snow White symbols in a new way. The protagonist and love interest were so fun to read about, and again, I appreciate that Kingfisher defies the fantasy genre standard of young, sexy heroine in favor of more gritty and realistic characters. This was a fast read for me—I can't say the prose was anything super special, but the story itself was a page-turner. The world-building was unique and the magic system brought up some really interesting questions. It's timely that a central theme of the book is power, and what can happen when it gets into the wrong hands.

This was complete enough to be a standalone, but I would love to return to this world someday.