A brilliant and clever reimagining of the classic fairy tale Snow White that effortlessly blends science and magic.

Anja, a woman of science, must confront a hidden magical realm to save a princess. The story truly picks up once Anja enters the mirror world. Anja initially suspects poison, but with the help of a taciturn guard and a talking cat, she discovers that Snow's illness is magical in nature and connected to a secret world within a mirror.

The narration is fantastic, bringing Anja's witty and intelligent personality to life. This book is a must-listen (or must-read) for anyone who loves a good mystery, a slow-burn romance, and a unique fantasy with a strong FMC.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Hemlock & Silver is a fantastic and utterly unique reimagining of Snow White, told through the sharp, witty, and wonderfully grounded perspective of Anja, a healer and poison specialist in her mid-30s. When the king hires her to investigate the mysterious illness plaguing Princess Snow, Anja is drawn into a tangled web of royal intrigue, strange deaths, and what appears to be outright magic, though she stubbornly insists there must be a scientific explanation.

Anja’s investigation takes her into a world of talking cats, an eerie mirror realm, and apples with deadly, chilling effects. Yet she approaches every impossibility with skepticism, humor, and determination. She is, without question, the heart of this novel: blunt, socially awkward, fiercely independent, and deeply passionate about her work. It’s rare to find a fantasy protagonist in her mid-30s, and even rarer to find one who is fully established in her career and content with her unmarried life from the very start. There’s no “proving herself” arc here. Anja already knows her worth, even if she sometimes doubts her social skills.

The reimagined fairy tale details are woven in with clever subtlety, mirrors, apples, the pale princess, and the villainous mother (yes, mother, not stepmother as the Disney movie chsnged her to) all find fresh interpretations that are both faithful to the spirit of the original and inventive in execution. Snow’s mother, in particular, is handled with chilling complexity.

Told in Anja’s engaging first-person voice, the story feels like being told a tale over tea by a friend who just happens to specialize in poisons. It’s immersive, witty, and heartfelt, with characters who feel fully alive.
This is the second novel I’ve read by T. Kingfisher (Nettle & Bone being the first), and it’s a huge step forward, more polished, more layered, and just charmingly strange. Highly recommended for fans of fairy-tale retellings, clever mysteries, and heroines who carve their own paths.

Audio ARC provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

A new take on the Snow White story with added science from an intelligent female lead who is in her thirties was refreshing. In a sea of retellings, there needs to be something to make each tale stand on its own. Anja is the perfect character for this. She is brash and unapologetic. She does not shy away from her faults, is not afraid of emotion, and isn't trying to be someone's love interest. T. Kingfisher's books are a mixed bag for me usually, but this one hit all the marks and left me ready to pick up another.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book. This is my honest, spoiler-free review of Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher.

I was immediately drawn in by the gorgeous cover and the promise of a Snow White retelling—I was sold from the start.

One of my favorite surprises was that the FMC is 35 years old. She’s brutally honest—both in her thoughts and how she expresses herself—and I found that incredibly refreshing. The book blends mystery, dark fairytale vibes, and light horror with a subtle romance subplot, plus hints of small-town intrigue, poisoning mystery, and slow-burn attraction.

Narration – ★★★★★
I was lucky enough to receive the audiobook and absolutely loved the narrator. Jennifer Pickens was a fantastic choice for this role—she perfectly captured the FMC’s personality and delivered distinct, memorable voices for all the characters. Honestly, it exceeded my expectations for a single-narrator production.

Story –★★★★ & 1/2
The plot hooked me from page one. The mystery elements and poisoning theme were superb, keeping me guessing right until the end. Some characters were wonderfully sketchy, and a few moments dipped into mild horror territory—but nothing too intense. (I’m not a horror reader, and this didn’t push me away at all.)
As a romance reader, I did wish the romantic subplot had been explored more deeply. Still, I really enjoyed the MMC, and even if the romance was light, it added a nice extra layer.

Overall – I recommend this book!
I had a great time with this story—mystery, tension, fairytale shadows, and a dash of romance. I devoured it in just a couple of sittings and would happily read more in this style.

anja is one of the best healers around—a hard-earned title, given all the poison she’s consumed herself to find cures for people everyone else has given up on. when she’s visited by the king himself, she leaves her quiet life to live in the palace while she works on a cure for his ailing daughter, snow. anja is at a loss for what could be plaguing her—until she discovers a mirror that just might hold answers on the other side.

i think this book solidified my spot as a t. kingfisher fan! this appealed to me since it was described as “a dark reimagining of snow white,” and while that’s a great way to describe the plot very basically, it was much more than that. yes, we had poison apples, an evil voice coming from an enchanted mirror, and a character literally named snow. but we also had a main character in her 30s who valued science and helping others, a hot bodyguard, and last-minute reveals that still have my mind reeling. plus, incredible narration by jennifer pickens to top it all off! i’d highly recommend this book, especially in audio format, to adult fantasy readers.

T Kingfisher is one of my absolute favorite authors. I will read everything they write. But this one was a miss for me. I just couldn’t get sucked into the story like I normally do with their books. It felt boring and the plot just didn’t grab me. I’m so bummed!

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher (book cover is an image) is a fabulous reimagining of Snow White's story. In this telling, Anja, is summoned by the King to save his daughter Snow as she is slowly fading away. As usual, Kingfisher did not disappoint. She provides unique reimaginings of the fairytales we grew up with, providing complex and easy to understand worldbuilding and magical systems.

My first experience with a narration by Jennifer Pickens was with the nonfiction book Whack Job by Rachel McCarthy James, and like in Whack Job, she did not disappoint. All of the characters had a unique voice making it easy to listen to this book in one sitting.

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the opportunity to listen to ALC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5 Stars
Pub date: Aug 19 2025

#MacmillanAudio
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I'm not typically a fan of Fairytale Retellings, but this one was great! I loved how the core components were still there for Snow White, but set in an interesting and fantastical world! I also loved Anja's matter-of-fact and problem solving personality. It was refreshing on how she moved through the political landscape and uncovered the truth!

I would recommend this book to any fantasy fan who loves a well-written story!

I feel like I’m reviewing new T. Kingfisher books about once a month at this rate. I’m absolutely not complaining!

Kingfisher is back with her unique retelling of fairy tales, and this time she is tacking Snow White.

Our central character is Anja, an expert on poison, who is summoned by the King to save his daughter, Snow. Snow is sick, but Anja can’t work out what is causing it. Until she stumbles upon the answer, which is far worse than any poison she can imagine.

I would encourage readers to dive in without knowing anything about this novel. That’s what I did, because I’ll just read anything Kingfisher writes at this point, And I’m glad, because something happens about halfway through this book that changes absolutely everything. I spent half the book thinking it was one thing, and then it just completely changed in an absolutely amazing way.

And I also spent the first part thinking, “well, where’s the animal? There’s always a quirky animal sidekick in Kingfisher’s books!” Dear reader, I wasn’t disappointed on that front either.

Jennifer Pickens did a great job of narration; a wonderful performance.

When in doubt, give me a fairytale retelling. Maybe this is my secret recipe for getting out of a reading slump. Maybe it is the sense of nostalgia, witty writing, and a curious FMC in her mid 30’s, who is celebrated for her attention and focus on solving a problem. Maybe fairytales just set everything right. The newest retelling by Kingfisher is exactly what I needed, what I always need. My only regret was not reading it sooner, and I will never forgive myself for that.

Audio:
Jennifer Pickens (who also narrated The Sorceress Comes to Call) does an amazing job with bringing TK’s story to curious, intriguing, tangible life. Pickens is the life blood of this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Honestly, I love and appreciate T. Kingfisher so much for these lovely retellings of fairy tales. I don't find the source material interesting enough to actually sit down and read (they just seem dry), but these really bring the stories to life in a modern way. It makes the stories compelling and easy to read, not to mention how well these are written.

This didn't pull me along and make me want to devour it the way some books do, but I never disliked any part of it & enjoyed coming back to it every time. For this reason, I'm giving it 4 stars. Just an all around solid read.

I did listen to the audiobook of this. The narrator gave a lot of life and personality to our FMC. I completely empathized with her and her tone/reactions as this character made her all the more relatable. Her male voices weren't weird or awkward like some audiobooks can be.

Overall, this was and interesting retelling/take on the story of Snow White with it's own voice and personality. I loved the main characters & appreciated the cat character most of all. No big twists or spoilers but it hit exactly where and how you wanted it to.

This may be my new favorite take on Snow White, especially given that it doesn’t even focus on that titular character. Instead we get a story about Anja, a healer and poisons expert, who is conscripted by the king to save his daughter who keeps falling ill for unknown reasons - possibly poison. There is a fascinating mirror world that may or may not be powered by magic. There is an aloof and grumpy cat that acts in a very relatable way to all cats. There are creepy monsters and creatures in the mirror world. And there is a bodyguard that is falling for his charge. All of this combined makes for one phenomenal cozy retelling that is not at all what you would expect from a Snow White story.

Jennifer Pickens brings Anja and her story to life so well. I felt so immersed into the storytelling as I listened to this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @torbooks for the eARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

First off, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the audiobook!

This was a quick and great listen! It’s a “Snow White” retelling with a twist and I must say it worked out very well!

The main character Anja is witty and skilled with poisons taking an interest very early on. A desperate king approaches her to save his daughter who is very sick.

It was well thought out and very detailed. I really enjoyed the story. The ending also came to a proper and well thought out ending. I really enjoyed this!

This took a little getting used to. I’ve read a couple of T. Kingfisher books before and was expecting a third-person POV, but this one is written in first person. Even so, it’s still very much a T. Kingfisher story: dark, rich, and atmospheric, with an endearingly awkward FMC, a stoic, grumpy MMC, a touch of romance, and then there’s Grayling! Jennifer Pickens does a wonderful job bringing it all to life. I’ll definitely be giving this another listen!

I have really enjoyed Kingfisher's books in the past. I have always thought that her characters were really interesting and unique, and her stories were always super enjoyable. This Snow White retelling is no exception.

I honestly wasn't sure how I would feel about a Snow White retelling, but I feel like this book is very different from the original story, and I ended up really enjoying it. I thought Anja was a great character. I loved how she was very different from our typical heroine, both in her physical description and her personality.

The story was a little slow to start and became a bit complex, but I thought the author did a good job of bringing everything together. Once we got into the swing of things, the plot moved along well, and I was really intrigued to see how it would all pan out. I love a quirky sidekick, and Grayling the cat delivered.

Jennifer Pickens is a great narrator, and I think she did an excellent job with this one. Her voice is a little on the deeper/raspier side, which I think worked really well with how Anja is described.

Overall, I found this to be a really enjoyable read and would highly recommend the audiobook!

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy!

My thanks for the audio ARC goes to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Retold Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Horror, Retelling, Dark Fantasy, Romantasy
Subgenre: Romance
Spice Level: Closed door
Language: Some profanity including f-bombs
Gore Level: Low (There is a description of something that happened off the page.)

HEMLOCK & SILVER surprised me with its twists on the classic Snow White.

I'm always a little leery of a retelling that it will ruin things. Whew! This one is great! The main tropes it includes are an apple, poison, (a poisoner), a mirror, and Snow. I guess we could stretch and say the widowed king is there too.

The world building is fun because we're in the desert. And a castle in that desert with the old, old mistress of the former king living there. I loved how the world fit together with the unexpected parts and relationships of this woman with the former king's children. The gods are also animals, and that put an entirely different twist on everything. Can you imagine traveling with an adder so you could milk it? There are a few humorous moments in this story.

I loved Anja! I really didn't want her to be guilty of harming Snow...
And the ending surprised me.

I also loved:
- The cat
- The guards
- The apple
- Mirrors
- The potato
- The rooster
- The snark of the teen is so authentic!

I would call this light horror or dark fantasy. It's not a blood bath type of book but more psychological. Perhaps oddly, it made me think about how we define what it is to be human. I'm very anxious for others to read this so I can hear their opinions.

I recommend it!

Happy reading!

My first T. Kingfisher book and wont be my last. I had heard that she writes FMCs outside of the stereotypical fantasy/romantasy type, so I was looking forward to it. I wasn't disappointed! Both the characters and the story were tremendously creative, which seems rare these days. I saw hints of Alice in Wonderland and Snow White, but in a unique way. There's a smidgen of romance and everything is fade-to-black.

One of my favourite parts was the FMC, who was smart, out of shape and "bigger." While it did feel odd when she was describing herself like "a woman of my size" or other ways to indicate she wasn't tiny and thin, I realize there isn't really an other way to let the reader know what kind of body-type she has.

I'd rate this 3* for personal enjoyment, and 4* for overall writing/creativity etc.

This reimagining of Snow White is a compelling read, especially for those who appreciate Disney classics. Having enjoyed T. Kingfisher's previous works, I was excited to explore this book and found it to be equally captivating. The author's writing is polished, and the audiobook's narrator excelled in conveying the story with clarity and warmth. I am eager to discover more of T. Kingfisher's writing.

A retelling of a classic fairytale with a heroine in her 30s- it’s a miracle!! Loved that the main character was actually relatable.

I appreciated the unique world building and how the mirrors/apples were reincorporated in such a unique way.

The narrator was great! Definitely kept me intrigued and easily able to become immersed in her story telling.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, the narrator, and Macmillan Audio for a copy!

I loved this it was so good...
Dark fantasy-dark reimagining of Snow white. The narrator did a great job at capturing you with the story and making you feel as though you are apart of it with bringing each character to life. I love the fact the FMC is older and the magic system is unique. Audiobook was awesome.
T. Kingfisher is an amazing.