This was a brilliant example of a fantasy novel that's set in a world that isn't overly fantastical, at least, it's not overrun with magic, but there's an undercurrent of something otherwordly going on right from the beginning.

Anja is a healer who isn't like other healers - she has had a lifelong passion for poisons and antidotes and regularly tests them on herself. She is in the process of doing this when the king turns up and asks her to come and save his daughter who appears to be victim of a mysterious poisoning that no one, not even other healers who say it's just grief after the death of her mother (we quickly learn that her father killed her mother - not a spoiler!), can figure out. Anja travels across the desert to meet Snow and soon discovers there's more to her case than simple poisoning - especially as every single she does is watched. It's a mystery, until a magic mirror reveals more than Anja was expecting.

It's sold as a reimagining of Snow White, however the storyline is quite far removed from the one we all know and love, so it comes across as an original to me. It does have fairytale vibes though, and also, a talking cat.

This was my first T. Kingfisher and absolutely won't be my last. The story started quite slowly, but it was well written so kept you engaged until the pace picked up. The story of the mirrors is so cleverly woven (although gets a little complicated at times!) and honestly, a little bit scary - I wasn't surprised to find out the author writes horror too, although this doesn't fall into that genre.

I really enjoyed that the story is from the perspective of a 35 year old woman who isn't your classic fantasy heroine - she's described as tall and taking up space. Basically, a person that more of us can identify with, aside from experimenting on herself with poisons and antidotes!

There is a small romance storyline, but it's very minor so I'd hesitate to class this as a romantasy. I'd go so far as to say it wasn't necessary for the storyline (it could have been a friendship between unlikely people), but I personally enjoyed it anyway.

I was between 4 and 5 stars for this as it didn't absolutely blow me away, but it was such an enjoyable read with a great premise, that I rounded up for my overall rating. I'd definitely recommend it and will be looking for more of T. Kingfisher's books.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for a review copy of this book.

I loved this book (no surprise here), but I went back and forth with the rating because I have some… I don’t even know how to call them, I usually say “mixed feelings,” but the feelings here are pretty clear: I loved this one! The point is that this one is, so far, my favorite between the retellings that I have read written by her (but, honestly, one of my favorite retellings, full stop), and I had such a great time with this one. I was happy reading it, and when I finished it that feeling of happiness stayed with me; this book made me happy! But on the pure objective side of things, I think this one is less well developed, from a sort of technical point of view.

In this book, we find all the elements that we can expect from this author’s books: older MCs, an even older spinster, quirky animal companion(s), the pragmatism and common sense that every MC in her books has, some horror elements to spice things up a bit, and so on.
And I loved them. To pieces.
But the ending of the book was… not so neat. I enjoyed it and it worked pretty well, and I am happy with it, because on a personal level, I was happy and satisfied (there is only one thing that made me complain on the personal side here, and I will be back to it in a minute) but I think that, objectively, the ending was a tad oversimplified.
Again, I am not complaining; it worked for me, but still, it’s something that’s there. And another thing, but this is a small one, is that her other retellings (and the books set in the World of the White Rat) are all so quotable! There are so many relatable and funny sentences and lines of dialogue! I often want to quote whole pages when I am reading her books, because they’re just sooo good. But here… not so much. Again, it’s not a thing that bothered me, but it’s a thing I noticed after finishing it.
And now the more personal complaint: here we have an older woman, Lady Sorrell, and I loved her from the instant we met her, she is amazing. But I wanted more!! We don’t see her around much (but when we do… wow!) and I was really hoping for more!

I know, I spent quite a lot of time talking about what doesn’t work, sorry about that! But now it’s time to see what works! And the short answer is: everything, ignore the complaints and go read this book!
We have a fascinating retelling of Snow White, in a completely new (and entrancing) setting, and the story is quite brilliant. And we have a lot of elements to the story: we have magic, we have mystery, we have horror elements (and even if horror is not my cup of tea, here I enjoyed it quite a lot. She just does it, don’t know how!) and we have some romance, too (in small part).
And, as I said before, we have all the elements that we have come to expect. And I love that in every book we have the same elements, but the author managed to make something new out of them every time, and discovering these new versions is always such a pleasure!!
For once, we don’t have strange horses; they are mentioned a couple of times, but they are not the stars. We have roosters and a venomous snake!! As a pet! Loved it! And a talking cat! (loved him, too! How could you not??).
And Anja is an amazing MC. She is a no-nonsense kind of woman, strong-willed, smart, and so relatable! The beginning of the book reminded me, quite strongly, of the MC in The Apothecary Diaries. They are similar in some ways (mainly because both are women, one older and one younger, passionate about what they do, with a strong fascination and an even stronger competence in poisons), but they are like two faces of the same coin: Anja is the serious and dedicated scientist while Mao Mao is more mad scientist vibes all around.
But, small digression aside, Anja is amazing and I love to see characters that are passionate about their work (and about knowledge in general!!) and that are competent (and if you add it the no-nonsense vibes, I fall in love. Just like that!).
The plot is good, the pace may be a tad uneven, but who cares? I was so intrigued by the story and so busy exploring some fascinating places that I was totally engrossed in the reading, from the start to the end. And we get some twists with the plot that were unexpected, too.
And last, but not least, we have one of the best love declarations ever! I can’t say more because I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but at one point, she asks the romance interest when they started feeling something for her, and the answer? *cheff kiss*

So yeah, to me this is the best of the retellings I’ve read so far (Thornhedge and A Sorceress Comes To Call are the others) and I loved it from the start to the end. And this book made me happy! So so happy!! (Sure, it may have ruined the books I have read since, but honestly, I don’t care!!).

🍵𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This book felt like sipping arsenic through a straw and liking it. I went in expecting whimsical fairytale chaos—and got trauma, terrifying mirror worlds, poison-induced naps, and a protagonist who runs on sarcasm, spite, and sheer herbal resilience. The writing? Unhinged perfection. The world? Mildly cursed. Me? Obsessed.

Now I’m counting down the days ‘til August like it’s a magical doomsday clock. I need this book in my hands so I can reread it *properly* and force everyone I know to suffer (read: fall in love) with me. I already know I’m going to need a sequel the second I finish it. Tor Books better be ready.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿
🖤 Dark Fairytale Reimagining
🔬 STEM-Minded Protagonist
⚔️ Unsettling Mirror World
🐈 Sassy Animal Sidekick
🧪 Poison & Cure Drama
🌵 Desert Magic Vibe

What a wonderful new look at Snow White! It did take a while to get going for me personally but I’m glad I stuck with it as it was such a fun, cosy fantasy full of wonderful characters!

I don't really know where to start with this review, because while I love T Kingfisher, this one just didn't end up being a win for me. There were absolutely parts I loved, but all in all I found it a little flat, which I'm kind of devastated at if I'm being honest.

Let's start with the good. Kingfisher always manages to weave some sort of horror element into her fantasy's, in fact I'd say she's never really written a straight fantasy or horror, her stories just tend to lean towards one genre over the other, and Hemlock and Silver was no different. I won't go too deep into the fantasy or horror aspects, the fantasy aspects because if I'm being honest, I left the book a little confused on most parts, and the horror because, well... let's just say some things will make a much bigger impact when going in blind. My favourite parts of this story though were when Anja got into one of her talks, or inner monologues about Poison. You can see the research Kingfisher put into this and it really did pay off, in a creepy but entertaining way.

Our MC Anja is your typical Kingfisher heroine. On the more mature side, I think she's around 35. She's blunt, headstrong and not at all what anyone expects of a woman of her standing, and all of this just made me love her a little more. She's not the best with social cues, more at home in her workshop working on poisons and antidotes, but when the King turns up on your doorstep imploring for help, it's pretty darn hard to resist, even if the idea of court is your worst nightmare. She really is a likable character, which is good because for the first 40% or so we spend the majority of our time with Anja, in her company and in her head, in fact we spend the majority of the book that way, with only a few of the side characters allowed any sort of development.

I enjoyed how she wove the original tale into Hemlock and Silver, making it something wholly different, yet still recognizable to those who are familiar with the original tale. Mirrors, apples and evil Queen's all make an appearance, but never quite in the way you expect, and I loved this feeling of disjointedness, of never quite knowing which way the story will go next. Her twists are expertly woven into the story and appear at the perfect time to add to the shock factor and ensure we stay invested, which is good because it's safe to say I was a little underwhelmed with how the story started.

My main issue is with the pacing, and the lack of character development outside of Anja. The first 40% or so seemed like it was spent on Anja's development, and her travelling from her house to the Palace. It was slow going, and I was a little stumped as to where the story was going, when it was actually going to kick in. This also meant that apart from Snow, the King's daughter and Javier, one her Anja's guards and her love interest, everyone else felt like almost write off characters. I guess I'm just used to more of a cast from a Kingfisher book, and I was a little disappointed at how tightly she wove this one.

The romance was fun, if not a little fast. The love interest went from someone who seemed to pay Anja little attention, to someone who worried for her safety in a swooning, romantic kind of way. I still enjoyed it, Kingfisher has a knack of creating these romances you can't help but get invested in, even when they're not the main focus, but I think these two needed a little more time together before their declarations of love.

I'm still not fully sure where I sit with this one. There were parts I loved, but they just felt few and far between and, had it not been a Kingfisher book, I think I would have DNF'd it because of how tiresome I found the first part.

4.5 stars rounded up

I'm once again trying to write a review for a T. Kingfisher book, knowing that she could write the phone book and I'd have a good time. And I did! The romantic element is the only reason it's not getting the full five stars - it just wasn't one of Kingfisher's more compelling romance arcs. But she remixed a lot of familiar parts of the snow white tale into a book that I couldn't put down. It's gone on the list for a reread, which Nettle and Bone didn't manage.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Honestly this is extremely solid T Kingfisher: for any other writer the retread of themes like ‘homely lady with special interest gets mixed up in otherworldly drama’ would get boring, but Kingfisher is a master of the art. It’s an old song by now but sometimes you want to hear the hits.

The cat character was the best.

Hemlock and Silver by T. Kingfisher is a brilliantly eerie and imaginative reworking of the Snow White tale, turning the familiar story into something darker, stranger, and far more unsettling. With a setting that completely upends the traditional fairytale landscape, it blends emotional depth with Kingfisher’s signature creeping horror. The mirrored figures are especially chilling—evoking the dread of Doctor Who’s Weeping Angels and keeping me on edge every time they appeared. It’s a haunting, clever, and refreshingly original take on a classic, perfect for fans of dark fantasy and unsettling fairy tales.

I absolutely adore this author and I was so excited for the fantasy route! And it did not disappoint! I really enjoyed it and I didn’t want it to end! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

Thanks Netgalley and Pan MacMillan for the opportunity to read this book early. My opinions are my own.

I’ve said before that T Kingfisher is an always buy author for me, and this book doesn’t change that opinion one bit for me.

I think I originally saw this sold as a Snow White retelling, and I guess - kind of? But Snow White was never my absolute favourite film so I didn’t mind it being more of a theme than a retelling. And the apples, mirrors, and girl called Snow were still there and used really well!

I love T Kingfisher’s characterisation always, and this book was no different, the main character was autism-coded for me but at the very least the same kind of nerd I am. Her excitement for new discoveries and wanting to experiment and ask all the questions was adorable and really endearing.

And the main guy, the soldier that’s with her most of the time, was so sweet and quiet and kind. And I didn’t see the romance coming from the first page he appeared because I think it felt really genuine and slow build, not everyone gets hit with a love/lust stick on first meeting and seeing this on the page really made me feel seen too.

The twists and turns in the story were very well handled too, it didn’t feel too complicated but I also felt like the story was interesting enough and complex enough to keep my interest and keep me guessing till the characters had figured it all out too. Very clever, and reminiscent of a murder mystery in the structure in a way.

Another amazing T Kingfisher book with hilarious one liners and deep characters. I can’t recommend this enough.

What an enjoyable book.

Definitely not my favourite Kingfisher, and I found it a little slow to start, but the plot was clever and the story was a smart twist on the traditional Snow White tale.

The characters were enjoyable, especially Anja, but she did miss a little of the sparkle that I'm used to with other characters of Kingfisher's.

Overall, a good read, definitely one for fairy tale reimaginings and Kingfisher faithfuls.

I really enjoyed Hemlock and Silver. It’s such a sweet, whimsical story with a fairytale feel that pulls you in gently. The Snow White references were subtle but so well done, just the right touch of magic without being over the top.

One of the things I loved most was the main character. She’s not the usual ‘romantasy’ lead. She’s a larger woman, smart, thoughtful, and so much more relatable than the typical sword-swinging, brooding heroine. It was really refreshing to see someone like her take center stage in a fantasy, and I found myself rooting for her the whole way.

There were a few moments where I got a bit confused, mostly when the author went off on a tangent or shifted away from the main thread, but they always brought it back around.

The slow-burn romance was lovely, and the whole book left me with that warm, cozy feeling you get from a good fairytale retelling. When the book is released, I already know I’m going to make a beautiful, whimsical display in the shop with apples and mirrors as it really lends itself to that kind of magic.

If you love stories that feel like curling up with a warm drink and stepping into another world, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

Despite the middle sagging a little bit, I quite enjoyed this! It was my first T. Kingfisher book, and I found her writing style to be very unique and enjoyable.
The main character was 35 and not portrayed as conventionally attractive, which I applaud. Stream of consciousness narration doesn't tend to be my thing (I guess sitting in someone's head with their insecurities makes me feel awkward -- especially when their overthinking hits a bit too close to home) but I liked how dorky, lovable, and determined Anja could be. Javier and Grayling were fantastic characters too, got happy every time they were present.
Plot-wise, I was not super invested, but the vibes were cool and you gotta respect the vibes.

So yeah, if you like the idea of an original Snow White retelling with an unconventional main character and some touches of horror -- this book might be a good pick!

I feel like T. Kingfisher is one of those authors where once you understand her writing style and sense of humor after you read one book, every subsequent book is even better. I read A Sorceress Comes to Call and enjoyed it, but now having read Hemlock & Silver I feel like I get the vibe so much more, and I really enjoyed this book.

This is a dark snow white retelling with a fantastically relatable female main character. Anja is loud, lacks a filter, singularly passionate about her work and 35. She is so painfully aware of herself and who she is, and it made her inner monologue such a joy to read. Snow is a child in this depiction, but she is no damsel in distress. She is precocious, grievin,g and incredibly resilient. The MMC/love interest is such a huge supporter of Anja and genuinely falls for her curiosity and passion. You don't even really learn all that much about him, because his focus is on building her up, keeping her alive and enjoying her company.

This story is slow paced and somewhat cozy with flashes of horror and well-placed humor. Overall, a great read, and I will definitely be recommending it.

I'm not big on fairytale retellings but I LOVED THIS!

Healer Anya reminded me of MaoMao from Apothecary Diaries in the way she would test poisons and antidotes on herself. The way T Kingfisher writes her female characters always amazes me, they are all so relatable and full of life.

This was an amazing take on Snow White with some of the original motifs of apples, enchanted mirrors and the evil queen but with T Kingfisher's spin on it which made it a milion times more enjoyable than the original material. I'm always a sucker for an animal companion, especially if they have a sassy persona to them, which Greyling definitely did. His and Anya's interactions were amusing to read, with his cat like way of seeing the world shinning through.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an EArc of this amazing book!

I will continue to read and love anything by Kingfisher! She truly has a way to combine cozy fantasy elements with more gothic, creepy ones in a way that is seamless and highly enjoyable. I loved her take on the Snow White retelling: the mirror world was intriguing but always kept me on edge, much like Anja, curious to explore but wary of what we will find, and I particularly enjoyed the twist she spun on the elements of the apple and the evil step-mother!

The only reason why I’m not rating it higher is that it took me until around the 35% mark of the book to really feel engrossed in the story, as the beginning was quite slow and it felt like the plot was going nowhere. However after that I simply could not put it down and I think it may have become a new favorite by her (though no surprises there, as I love fairytale retellings!).

Thank you to netgalley, Pan MacMillan, and the author for the review copy

I had seem lots of recommendations for this author and thought this book sounded interesting with its take on a classic fairy story.

I read a lot of fantasy, but generally of the epic fighting/ magic type. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this much slower paced, cosy style fantasy. I’m not going to lie, I felt seen with the main character. More mature than the typical fantasy heroines, I loved her awkwardness in society, her practicality and her enthusiasm for new discoveries. Knowing it was a Snow White retelling I had the advantage over Anja in working out what was happening. The mirrors did give it a very different slant though. I don’t know whether it was me, but I did struggle with getting to grips with all the explanations of the mirrors and how they worked although it didn’t stop my enjoyment of the book. Bonus points for the sweet romance element.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the pace of the story, but I was not that drawn into the story. I enjoyed it, but I found myself getting distracted easily. I did enjoy the ending and how everyone's brought together.
I definitely plan on reading more books by T Kingfisher!

That last 40% felt like I was watching a movie, and I needed to fall into the book to know more immediately!! The story was incredible, and the way it unfolded was insane.

This was a cozy and neat fantasy, and such a fun reimagining and retelling of Snow White. It’s got talking cats, (sort of) portals, magic that isn’t magic, and that’s all I will say about that!!

Romance is not a major part of the plot, and I somehow did not mind that because the little romance we got was so incredibly sweet and tender. Their slow burn was so slow, I was burning on the flame for both of them (loved it!!). I enjoyed every bit of their conversation and them coming together at the end was beautifully written. Anja is also written immaculately, she is a strong FMC who knows what she wants and leaves no stone unturned to get there.

Being an Agatha Christie fan, I love reading about poisons and their use in plots. Adding a fantasy aspect to poisons mixed with a little mystery is just what I needed. The only aspect of contention with me is that the pacing was a tad slow at the beginning – albeit it catches up since the last few chapters were a fun rollercoaster ride!

I haven’t read T. Kingfisher’s books before and that needs to be rectified immediately! On my way to add to the mountain that is my TBR.

I adored Hemlock and Silver. T. Kingfisher never misses when it comes to blending folklore, horror, and humor. A grumpy, poison-loving heroine, a super weird twist on Snow White, and a world that’s creepy, clever, and totally offbeat.

Hemlock & Silver is funny, a little sad, and just the right amount of spooky. The mirror world is unsettling in the best way, the magic feels wild and dangerous, and the characters (including a very judgmental cat) are pure Kingfisher gold.

If you like fairy tales with bite, smart women who are done with everyone’s nonsense, and stories that are just a little bit unhinged in the best possible way, you’ll love this.

Thanks to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan, and T. Kingfisher for the free eARC.