4.5 stars rounded up

When I heard this was a dark reimaging of Snow White, I was ready for poisoned apples and an evil witch. What I got was a snarky cat, body swapping, infanticide, gossiping maids, mutilated reflections, and more. It was amazing.

Hemlock & Silver was nothing like I expected, and that's the magic of T. Kingfisher. Her retellings are so imaginative and make the story feel fresh, exciting, and somehow even darker than the originals.

The main character, Anja, is obsessed with poisons and seeking cures to deadly plants, animals, and minerals. When the king arrives at her doorstep requesting her help with his ailing daughter Snow, she reluctantly agrees and sets off to the far off palace. However, she soon discovers not is all as it seems...

I knew I was in for a treat with this book when she was snorting poison in the very first pages, and while the MC is detached in many ways, I was charmed by her wry wit and awkward interactions. The narration reflects her personality, offering a style not unlike Emily Wilde with its observant and studious tone. The pacing also captures this part of Anja, as she explores and researches all possibilities before tumbling into the truth.

If you want a darkly atmospheric book with a bit of romance, humour, and tragedy, pick this up now!

With the book being marketed as a dark remaining of Snow White, I was surprised to read a more cosy fantasy, but nonetheless it suited the plot and Anja's character. It felt like the first 20% of the novel was pure worldbuilding and giving several examples of why Anja was so interested in antidotes, to the point where it felt repetitive and I wanted to get going with the story.
However it did soon pick up and I enjoyed the new take on elements of the original Snow White fairytale, along with a very slow burn romance in the background.

In Hemlock & Silver, we follow Healer Anja, a woman in her thirties who studies poisons and creates antidotes. At the start of the book, she’s approached by the King whose daughter, Snow, is getting increasingly unwell and who he’s afraid may have been poisoned. Anja is appointed two bodyguards, Xavier and Aaron, and journeys to visit the Princess. Upon arrival, she realises that things are not as they seem and must unravel the mystery before Snow deteriorates further.

I thought this was a really clever and interesting re-telling. It definitely reads as a classic T Kingfisher novel, with a heroine who is more of an everywoman than you typically see in fantasy novels, and her sardonic brand of humour. And the overall vibe definitely felt quite reminiscent of Swordheart. I loved Anja and her prickly (although not actually that prickly) personality, Snow had a mysterious air that kept me guessing until the end, and Grayling, the cat, was a great addition. There’s also a little romance subplot, which I enjoyed, and overall it was just a good, fun time.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

Hemlock & Silver is pitched as a dark Snow White retelling, but it’s more of a whimsical reimagining with light fairytale vibes than a creepy or gothic tale.
Think: low-stakes magic, an older, capable protagonist, and a talking one-eyed cat who may or may not be judging your every move. It reminded me a lot of Water Moon or the Emily Wilde Trilogy.

Anja, a 35-year-old healer and poison expert, is sent by the king to investigate his daughter Snow’s mysterious illness.
Anja searches for answers until a magical mirror reveals a hidden world that may hold the key to Snow’s sickness.
But the deeper Anja steps into the mirror-realm, the stranger and more dangerous things become.

The story takes its time getting started. There’s a lot of worldbuilding, medical theory, and setup that can feel slow, but once Anja stumbles into the mirror world (with help from a narcissistic cat), the story picks up. The mirror magic is clever and enchanting, and I loved how it played with the idea of reflection and perception.

Anja herself is a refreshingly pragmatic, witty, and easy to root for protagonist. The kind of heroine who just wants everyone to stop getting poisoned, please.

This isn’t a high stakes fantasy or sweeping romance (though there is a soft, VERY slow-burn romance subplot).
It's not dark, not scary, but instead, Hemlock & Silver is a fun cosy magical tale with characters who feel like people you’d want to sit next to at a small-town inn.
I recommend this one if you're in the mood for a cosy, magical adventure!

Is there a cosy horror genre? Because this book definitely fits that oxymoron description. Described as a dark Snow White retelling, the book shares very few plot points with the classic fairytale. The princess is called Snow, and there are magic mirrors. Hemlock & Silver starts in Anja's workshop, where the king requests her to save his daughter, Snow, who may or may not be dying of an unknown poison. So Anja tracks out to hopefully save the princess. At first, the story progresses quite slowly, as she can detect none of the common poisons. But by chance, and with a little help from something that is mostly a cat, Anja stumbles upon a magical mirror world complete with an evil mirror queen, mysterious mirror beings, and an evil plot.
As always T. Kingfishers worldbuilding was impeccable and her characters soon felt like close friends. My only subtraction is the very small romantic subplot, that I could have done without.

A dark retelling of the Snow White story that manages to have plenty of humour in it and likeable characters. The story was slow to start but once it got going it was a quick and enjoyable read. The elaborate world building was excellent and the plot was tightly controlled. I really enjoy T Kingfisher's witty writing style and inventiveness.

Hemlock & Silver is a dark fairy tale retelling that’s more “inspired by” Snow White than a beat-for-beat reimagining - and I appreciated that. Rather than centering the familiar princess figure, the story focuses on Anja, a poison-expert healer who’s practical, witty, and refreshingly adult. Her voice and worldview were one of my favorite parts of the book. She’s not flashy or dramatic, but quietly brave, deeply curious, and often hilariously blunt in her inner monologue.

The beginning of the book does move slowly, and I’ll admit it took me a while to really settle into the story. There’s a lot of setup, including worldbuilding and medical details that sometimes felt like they paused the momentum. But once Anja reaches the mirror-world - and yes, the mirror magic is one of the coolest parts—it really starts to click.

As always with Kingfisher, there’s a cast of odd but lovable side characters (including a memorably judgmental one-eyed cat and a rooster I didn’t know I needed), and a slow-burn romance that’s quiet but sweet. The mystery of what’s really happening to Snow is unraveled in a satisfying way, even if Snow herself isn’t all that likable - which I think is intentional.

It’s not my favorite of hers (the pacing holds it back a bit), but it still has that signature blend of charm, creepiness, and cleverness that makes T. Kingfisher’s work so enjoyable. If you like dark fairy tales with a grown-up twist, a strong dose of humor, and heroines who are more brain than bravado, this one’s worth a read.

Hemlock & Silver is a retelling of Snow White but not as you know it! This novel featured the evil queen, mirrors and apples galore, but the eponymous heroine of the traditional story had a smaller role in this enjoyable reworking of the classic fairy tale. Snow was portrayed as young, misguided and rather unlikeable, so it was a relief that the novel was told from the point of view of Healer Anja who was far more down-to-earth and someone I could root for. Anja’s specialist knowledge and skills made her extremely valuable to the King who suspected that his daughter, Snow, was being poisoned. Hardly able to refuse a request from the King, Anja undertook the three-day ride to the remote location where Snow had been placed for her own protection and began her work.

I loved reading about a thirty-five-year-old woman going on an adventure. Unconventional as Anja’s day-to-day life in the city was, leaving behind everything she knew and embarking on a journey into the unknown took a great deal of courage, not least because of the personal risk involved if she were to incur the King’s displeasure. Her origin story which explained her interest in poisons and their antidotes was well thought out and I found her intellectual curiosity endearing.

This novel felt predominantly plot-driven and some explanatory passages, though necessary to ensure that readers understood the world and its magic, slowed the pace of the story. I thought that the plot was very imaginative and it was fun to revisit the Snow White fairy tale as an adult. Reading Hemlock & Silver also prompted me to pick up the version of the fairy tale written by the Brothers Grimm for comparative purposes. Suffice it to say, T. Kingfisher has taken a very different approach and direction in her retelling and this has worked well.

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

Although I love T. KINGFISHER, this book was not on par with her other works. Specifically, i found that the story took quite a while to actually get started, and we spent too much time on unnecessary world building. Maybe it was just a way to fluff up the story.
I had a hard time finishing, simply bc I compare it to her other works which I devoured in one to two days, and this took me more than a week. The MC was also kind of meh, and I know Kingfisher can do way better.
All in all, this was still whimsical and cozy warm, just as is to be expected from this author.

T. Kingfisher is a master of retellings and fairy tale narratives, one of the few authors I read for the dark fairy tale vibes. This Snow White reimagining is more of a unique story than a retelling. Unfortunately, it took me a lot of time to get into it. The beginning is very slow and uneventful, it was so hideously boring that I seriously considered to DNF at 25%. I found the main character Anja not that interesting or special, although she is unconventional, not the stereotypical beautify, the “not like the other girls” type. She was a good amount of funny, but I needed her to be funnier: “I just want to save people and then have those people go away and, ideally, not take arsenic again. Is that really so much to ask?”
The best Kingfisher books in my opinion are the shorter ones; this had no right being more than 300 pages. There is a slow burn romance in here, but I didn’t like it very much, although I would also fall for a guy braiding my hair. I loved the one-eyed cat Grayling /I had a gray one-eyed cat and I miss him very much/. “I try not to judge anyone, man or beast, by appearances but let’s just say that I had significant doubts that a cat with that expression loved anything except murder.”
Also the use of the mirrors is very good, I loved the way this was incorporated in the story, the mirror-world and the way it works was very captivating. A bit like Alice Through the looking-glass. “Mirrors are like blood or bones or oak trees. All the magic is in what is done with them”. The mirror-world also reminded me of The Hollow places where the exploration of the other place was the most interesting part of that book as well. It could have been an easy 5 stars if those first 40% were cut off. The mystery of who is poisoning the princess and how good and it was concluded very well at the end. 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor for providing me with the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for this ARC!

“Hemlock & Silver” is another one of T. Kingfisher’s wonderfully humorous and tense fairytale retellings, this time putting a poisonous spin on Snow White.

In this version we follow Healer Anja, who has had an obsession with finding antidotes to poisons since her childhood, and is now an accomplished physician (well, in a way). Her life is interrupted when the king requests her help, as his daughter Snow has been sick for months, and no one has been able to figure out what is wrong with her. Anja does everything in her power to find out, but only when she accidentally stumbles into a mirror-otherworld does she realise what is happening to Snow… but knowing what is happening doesn’t solve all problems, so will she be able to solve the problem before something worse happens to Snow?

I must admit I didn’t always like Kingfisher’s retellings in the past, and I usually prefer her horror novels, but I had a surprisingly good time with this one. Despite the dark themes this book felt very lighthearted, yet it still managed to create tension when it was needed.

The characters are all a little stereotypical, but as this is a fairytale retelling I don't find that to be unfitting, and there certainly many characters that were very lovable and memorable.

The plot was well-paced and Kingfisher’s writing is very readable, so this is a joy to breeze through.

I did however have two slight issues. For one, the mystery was very easy to figure out, which would have been fine if Anja hadn’t been struggling so much, which was a little frustrating and had me asking “Are you dumb?” on several occasions. The other is that all of Kingfisher’s FMCs read the exact same, which isn’t much of an issue for me because I enjoy her books nonetheless, but I feel that I should warn potential readers, because if you didn’t like one of her FMCs, you’re unlikely to find many others you will like.

I had a good time with this book, and would generally recommend it to anyone who liked Kingfisher’s other work or enjoys fairytale retellings generally.

Another inventive fairy tale retelling from Kingfisher that hits all the sweet spots, although doesn't reach the same highs as A Sorceress Comes to Call. I really loved the main character Anya, an obsessive and blunt poison healer tasked with trying to cure Princess Snow. Her narration was very funny, especially when she decides it would be too awkward to confess her love so she'll wait until they're about to die. The mirror world was very interesting although the exploration made the middle part drag a bit. The talking cat was fantastic and his snark was a highlight. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by author, but it will not be my last. I don’t tend to opt for reimagining of fairytales as I don’t really like the popular versions of them, but something about this one just really appealed to me. I am SO glad I took the chance with this one - the storyline and storytelling was brilliant.

The female main character was so well executed, and a talking cat is always a bonus! An excellent story which had the feeling of Snow White without being a basic retelling. It was clever, and so well executed.

T Kingfisher did what T Kingfisher does best: cosy mystery romantasy…
… and she did it bloody well.

Our FMC is a poisons expert after growing up with a morbid curiosity of wanting to know the cure to each poison and is recruited by the king to help find out what is making his family unwell.

The first 50% of this book made perfect sense and then boom mad crazy plot and I loved it.

I also love books with talking cats so this was a win as I’m in my talking cat book era apparently.

10/10 recommend if you like a gothic fairytale vibe too!

Classic Kingfisher style!! A brilliant blend of fairy tale retelling, mystery, horror and humor.

What to expect:

- A Snow White retelling
- A creepy, atmospheric setting
- A touch of romance
- A sassy and mysterious cat sidekick
- A genuinely funny and lovable fmc
- Intriguing mysteries

I loved it!! T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors: no doubt about it!

5 ⭐️

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!!

A healer must attend the king’s daughter to uncover her mysterious illness. A unique retelling of Snow White, starring a poison-obsessed woman and her grumpy bodyguard. Full of clever magic, witty conversations and a slow-burn romance. Another great novel from T Kingfisher.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this title.

Another stunning book from T Kingfisher, she is unable to write a book I will not enjoy!!

Our main character is Healer Anja (specialist in creating antidotes for poisons) who is recruited by the King to try and work out why his daughter, Snow, is becoming more and more ill. It's difficult to go much further without giving away the story, but know that the characters are built in classic T Kingfisher style to be loveable, realistic and flawed in the best ways. There is a whole side cast of other characters that drop in and out of the story which only add to the narrative..

My only issue with this book was the pacing through the first half as it felt very slow. This completely changed for the second half which is where most of the story takes off, and character connections start to build hence the 4 star rating.

Highly recommend this book to all. Expect: loveable characters, monsters, a talking cat, alternative realms and lots of adventure.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I’m obsessed with T. Kingfisher’s writing, and Hemlock & Silver really hits the spot! It has one hell of an opening scene, followed by a creeping mystery that left me engaged and on the edge of my seat the entire way through. (And can I say, it’s so refreshing to read about a main character that’s Child-free by choice!)

If you love Kingfisher, you’ll devour Silver & Hemlock!

Everytime I read a T Kingfisher book I never know what I'm going to get, but I know it's going to be entertaining, have an excellent supporting cast and probably make me laugh out loud in the tearoom at work and look borderline insane. This was no exception!

Anja is a self taught expert on poison/venom and generally dangerous substances. One day the King turns up at her workshop unannounced and asks her to come and help his daughter who he believes is being poisoned.

Even the first chapter of the book is hilarious as Anja (who I think it's fair to say is quite a prickly main character) tries to get her head around actual royalty rocking up in her place of work without an invite while she does her best not to say anything treasonous while he expands on the situation with Snow, his eldest daughter.

Of course she ends up accompanying the king across the desert and trying to get to the bottom of what is happening to Snow, with the help of Javier and Aaron who are appointed as bodyguards, a talking "cat" called Grayling and a rooster (the section with the rooster towards the end of the book is one of my favourite parts!).

Yet again an easy five star rating for one of my favourite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC!

Hemlock & Silver is a silly-goofy, cosy, high fantasy novel, and I mean all of that in the best possible way. The story is told through the internal dialogue of our main character Anja, a poisons expert who is summoned to try and heal the king’s sick daughter. Anja is witty, intelligent, and frankly more interested in problem-solving than people-fixing, but her curiosity and humour make her the perfect heroine.

This book is inspired by Snow White, but rather than following the whole story, it instead weaves some of the key elements of Snow White together to create an entirely new, and slightly creepy, world – one that includes mirrors, poisoned apples, and a girl named Snow. Also, there is a sarky talking cat. If that doesn’t convince you to read this book, I don’t know what will.

Hemlock & Silver was my first T. Kingfisher, but it certainly won’t be my last! If you are also waiting to start your T. Kingfisher journey, take this as your sign to do it!