A dark reimagining of Snow White that feels familiar, while telling a stunning new version of the beloved fairytale. T. Kingfisher is quickly becoming an auto buy author.

What’s to love…
- dark fairytale
- strong, sturdy, & tall, over 30 FMC that’s smart, mature, and just a bit quirky
- dare I say this is a STEM book? yeah I’m saying it. Definitely STEM - Anja is obsessed with studying poisons
- romantic subplot that is slow burn and epically adorable
- ANIMAL companion (the feistiest cat)
- no spice
- laugh out loud funny
- weird af (and I mean that in the best way possible)

What’s not to love…
- My only complaint is that it starts a bit slow, but once you’re at the 40% mark the pacing is perfect and you won’t want to put it down.

A Gothic retailing of Snow White set in a mirror world? Absolutely! (4.5 stars rounded down)

Disclaimer: I did read this as an e-book via NetGalley. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the free e-book copy. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review. No take a bath.

This book started off on a slow upward climb, but just totally exploded for me around the 40% mark. I really enjoyed our main character Anja. She had so much going for her yet knew her limitations very well. Her "flaws" were almost strengths, even though she didn't see them that way.

This was an absolutely ingenious retailing of Snow White. It was different enough to be its own beast while encompassing so much of the points that tied it to Snow White. I really enjoyed the way. Kingfisher took a classic and twisted it around to make it its own.

Dare I say I like this more than the original snow White, because I did.

This encompass so many, really cool things. A plot to take over the world, alternate dimensions, a slow burn & extremely sweet romance that blossomed at the end. There was really a lot to love about this novel. I really loved that the romantic storyline was very sub plot and not a main focus. It allowed the Gothic nature of this tale to really shine through and be the focal point as you read. As a long-term kingfisher fan, I have to say that this is on par with one of their better books and I absolutely enjoyed every moment of this. I wish I had known more about Grayling. That is my only caveat with this tale.

Goes without saying that I am, and forever will be a kingfisher fan

There's just something about T. Kingfisher's writing that hits for me every time. I loved this re-imagining of Snow White in Hemlock & Silver. It truly is a re-imagining and not a retelling. Kingfisher took Snow, apples, mirrors, and a mean mommy figure and turned it into something new, with the signature tongue in cheek, dry humor writing and curvy middle aged MCs that I've come to know and love from this author.

I'm a Nettle & Bone girl, so this wasn't a 5 star fave for me as it was more along the Swordheart lines. But that still makes it a solid 4, a great rating. Had a great time throughout with no lull in the action once we get past the intro chapters, yet it still read almost cozy to me despite all the poisoning. Plus any book with a talking cat with a true cat personality is going to rate high!

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC of this book available for my review.

Such a lovely book, this is a retelling (of sorts) of the classic Snow White and Rose Red fairy tale. It includes apples, mirrors and the queen/mother figure, but adds in some of Kingfisher's horror and horrific monsters that give this tale quite the twist. The heroine of this book is not the expected Snow White, but rather a woman who is a scientist of sorts, called in by the king to investigate what is happening to his daughter Snow. Delightful in so many ways, you won't want to miss this one.

First, Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC🤍

Hemlock & Silver is a dark, imaginative retelling of Snow White, and I had such a fun time reading it.

What really stood out to me about this book was how unique it felt. The world building was beautifully done. We have animal saints, creative funerary customs, and instead of the traditional fairytale setting, this story takes place in a desert landscape, which I absolutely loved. I also adored the mix of science and magic.

I’ll admit, the first few chapters didn’t immediately pull me in, and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the book at first. But by the end, I was completely hooked. The narrator was definitely my favorite part of the book. Having an older protagonist was such a refreshing change, and I loved her awkward, unfiltered personality. Girl would say exactly what was on her mind.

The side characters were just as fantastic, with Javier being another absolute favorite of mine. And while the story leans dark (as all the best fairytales do), there are these perfectly placed moments of humor that break up the tension in the best way.

Hemlock & Silver is a beautifully eerie and clever take on Snow White. It’s mysterious, darkly magical, and full of surprises. It’s an excellent read for anyone who loves fairytale retellings with a twist. 🍎🏜️🪞🐈‍⬛

T. Kingfisher is a top five favorite author for me, so I am always excited to read her new books. Hemlock and Silver is a retelling of Snow White with that classic Kingfisher twist. The humor is dry, the plot is on point and I'm always a fan of fmc's that are older than 25. The story immediately sucked me in and I ended up finishing the book in a day. Snow White isn't one of my favorite fairy tales, but this retelling was so much better in my opinion. I appreciated the twists and turns and the sprinkling of romance in between.

This is a very cute book. This is the first book. I’ve actually read from T Kingfisher. I can’t wait to read more from her.

I will read whatever T. Kingfisher publishes. And I will continue to do so even though I was not blown away by Hemlock & Silver.

Hemlock & Silver is an imaginative riff on the Snow White fairy tale and reflects many of Kingfisher’s writing strengths. I enjoy many of Kingfisher’s main characters, as she writes rational, mature, and clever women characters, and Anja embodies all of this in the novel. I also greatly enjoyed the cat, Grayling, and their vain humour.

However, this is not my favourite Kingfisher novel. Kingfisher always writes the best first-chapter hooks, and this book is no different, but after the first chapter, I found the first 30% quite slow. I was also confused by Snow’s character as it was hard to reconcile the character’s early smirks and her revealed motivations in the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Hemlock and Silver is a delightful find! The ambiance is cozy and welcoming, perfect for a relaxed evening out. The menu offers a great variety of dishes, and the quality of the food is impressive. I particularly enjoyed the grilled salmon, which was cooked to perfection. The staff are friendly and attentive, making the dining experience even more enjoyable. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because the wait time was a bit longer than expected. However, the overall experience was fantastic, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a great meal in a charming setting.

✨Book Review: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher✨

4/5 ⭐ 0/5 🌶️

💚 What I Loved:
• I adore retellings, and this one was no exception!
• Hooked from the start—I had no idea where the story was going until the last page.
• The love story was well-balanced and never overwhelmed the plot.

💔 What Didn’t Work for Me:
• I don’t enjoy when the MC breaks the fourth wall (especially in parentheses).
• Not really negative, but one of the creatures gave me nightmares—thanks to my wild imagination lol.

Will I reread it? 100%. And I’m definitely picking up more books from this author. Thank you Netgalley for this free ARC.

Quite a bit of fun, though not my favourite of the author’s works, nor I think her best. Still, a likeably flawed protagonist, a wee bit of romance, some real weird magic shit, and a whole lot of chaos. Plus cat!

This is also the most beautiful cover/edition of Kingfisher’s/Vernon’s works yet and I already have a physical copy on preorder. It’s just too luscious.

I mean … fairy tale retelling … middle aged main character … auto buy author. Of course, I loved this!

This is a Snow White retelling but really an imaginative one. It strays from the main story in ways that makes this novel interesting and fresh. It’s not as action forward as some of the authors previous novels, but that is a really good thing here as it is very in tune with the main characters personality. She is one of my favorite types of characters, a middle age woman with a sharp mind, clever sense of humor and wit, and intellectual curiosity that gets her into no end of trouble. She is completely un-ordinary. I really enjoyed her a lot. I fully recommend this book just on the strength of her characterization. That is even with the great story, and a very nice, subtle slow burn romance.

There are some books you just know will be an absolute delight—T. Kingfisher’s Hemlock & Silver is one of them. I first discovered her writing last fall and immediately fell in love with both her storytelling and style. So when I was approved for an eARC of this book, I was geeking out.

Short description: Healer Anja regularly drinks poison—not to die, but to save lives. When the king’s daughter, Snow, falls mysteriously ill, Anja is summoned to help. With only a gruff guard, a vain cat, and her sharp mind, she searches for a cure—until a magic mirror reveals a hidden world that may hold the answer… or doom them all.

This book had everything I love in fantasy—relatable characters, a strong plot, action, mystery, suspense, and secondary characters that enhance the story rather than slow it down. The pacing was excellent, and where T. Kingfisher really shines. She keeps a good flow and the reader engaged, while providing background information on the characters, their past, and while dishing out science and medical information data. I know a book is good when I can’t put it down, even on my Kindle (which isn’t my favorite way to read).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5—I don’t hand out fives lightly, but this one earned it. Loved it so much, I’ll be grabbing the DELUXE EDITION!

4.5 stars, rounding up to five. T Kingfisher does such a good job of writing interesting women. I liked Anja a lot. I could relate to her awkwardness with people and her tendency to hyper focus and get excited about things. I liked reading her inner thoughts. I also thought Grayling was an interesting character. This was set in the same world as The Saint of Steel series and some of her other books, which I am familiar with and enjoyed. The romance aspect of this was very minor, no spice. My only complaint for the book is that it took a little longer to get to the meat of the plot than I expected, but once it got started the pacing was good.

I was gifted an e-arc of this book in exchange for a review. Thank you to Net Galley and Tor.

my first (technically second??) t. kingfisher book and as always it was sooo unique, coolest magic system/premise, and i quite enjoyed the snow white retelling (which could be overdone at this point).

the inclusion of the huntsman was such a fun addition. i liked our mc’s struggles and triumphs- even if they occasionally irritated me, i say that’s good writing!- and i had to continuously “read the next chapter” until i finished it!! 💫

i may have found a new favorite author!

While the premise was nice, the writing was... not what I expected. I wanted more from the characters because I felt that what was on the front cover and the front flap was not what we were given.

T. Kingfisher has done it again. This was so enjoyable with her usual dry sense of humor. I can't wait to put this on my personal shelf because it is beautiful!

I have never read a T. Kingfisher book that I've disliked and this book doesn't change that. I really like Anja and being in her head. She has a really unique point of view, with her experience in poison, which colors how she sees the world. She also has T. Kingfisher's (trademark?) humor, which I always love. I also really loved Javier. I thought Anja and Javier were very cute together. I also loved many of the side characters, but I think talking about them in any sort of detail would be spoilers.

Really the only problem I had with this book is the pacing and that was just that the beginning is kind of slow. We do find out a lot of interesting things and get to know Anja better, but it did feel like it could have been a little tighter.

Even with that, I really enjoyed Hemlock & Silver and I'm going to continue my goal of reading through T. Kingfisher's backlog.

An interesting Snow White retelling that will keep you intrigued throughout. Includes elements of drama, thriller, mystery, and romance.