Looks like I’m in the minority here, but I just didn’t love this one. The pacing felt so slow for the first half, and even when things started to pick up, it still wasn’t really grabbing me.

I had the ALC version and while the narrator did a good job overall, she read so slowly. I had to bump it up to 1.5x just to make it manageable- sometimes even 1.75x.

Between the slow plot and the slow narration, this just wasn’t an enjoyable experience for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is an ARC review. I want to thank T. Kingfisher and Macmillan Audio for allowing me the chance to read this book ahead of release day!

Anja is a “healer” who truly just loved solving the unknown illnesses/poisons out in the world. She has a sharp tongue but can be very diplomatic when necessary; such as when talking to the King….sometimes. Unexpectedly he knew of her gifts and how can one say no to help his dying daughter?

Snow the king’s daughter, poses as sick and no one buy Anja seems to think outside of the box to get her healed. While there Anja I can tell you exactly I gasped as mirrored world came into play during the plot! Overall Anja’s desire to get down to the bottom of what doesn’t make sense to her brought a whole host of very questionable and unexplainable things! Thankfully along the way she finds love with Javier who also didn’t think actually liked her. Only saw her as a charge. But their slow burn is sweet and unexpected.

Overall the storyline and plot was very good and a few surprises along the way. I still have questions…so many questions. But I love a book that makes me think outside of the box…just like the main character.

Jennifer Pickens does such a great job narrating, especially with Anja and Grayling. If I could give my anxious thoughts a voice, I'd choose Jennifer to narrate them 🤣 "ERRRrrrrr"

This Snow White retelling felt more like an original story, which was actually refreshing. After reading so many fairytale retellings, they start to bleed together.

The first half of the book is a bit slow building up to the discovery of the mirrors. After we get into the supernatural aspect, the story does pick up quite a bit.

I've now added T. Kingfisher's other retelling to my TBR!

This was both creepy and cozy and I loved it! Kingfisher did such a great job reimagining Snow White in a mirror world setting and the narrator was able to bring so much life to this world and the characters!

Once again T. Kingfisher gives us a unique story with a grown FMC that is smart, funny, a little weird but very relatable. Definitely pick this book up if you are interested in:

- Over 30 FMC and MMC
- A talking cat 🐈
- Eerie yet cozy vibes
- A funny and refreshing dark fairy tale retelling

4.5 ⭐️
🖤Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

This is not a typical Snow White retelling - Kingfisher takes elements of the original fairy tale and gives us a unique story with all the Kingfisher flare that you'll be familiar with if you've read their works before or you'll come to love if this is your first.

In true Kingfisher fashion, our MC is a grown woman, established and capable. Anja is a healer, but she specialises in poisons and self administers them in order to find antidotes. We get to see how this fascination began with a child's morbid curiousity and lack of understanding of how the world works (and not accepting "I don't know" as an answer). Because of her knowledge, the is personally petitioned by the King to come and treat his daughter Snow who is mysteriously ill and no one so far has been able to find the cause - or the cure.

Anja finds a lot more than she signed up for - a strange world inside mirrors, a talking cat (the best cat!) and an unlikely companion in her stoic guard. Together, they must unravel the mystery before it's too late.

The book has a slight touch of Kingfisher horror and it perfectly blends with the mystery and fantastical elements. Though the book is set in a small compound, it's still fleshed out enough that it feels like a living and breathing world. Even characters briefly mentioned are well thought out and placed in the story to give it character. The pay off in the end is lovely and I enjoy the fact that Kingfisher's books are HEA implied but it's not ending in immediate marriage / pregnancy ect -- it's the start of a romance and that's great because it fits the pacing of the book.

I definitely recommend the audiobook - the narrator, Jennifer Pickens, did a fantastic job!

I love T. Kingfisher's dark takes on fairy tales. Her wit and characters are unbridled and here we follow Anja, a woman whose life's work is to create antidotes for poisons. So of course, when the king's daughter is mysteriously ill and no one seems to figure out how to help her, the king himself shows up at Anja's door to ask (more like demand, but he's a king, ya know) for her skills to save his daughter.

Anja isn't too sure about this but she is a capable, level headed woman who knows her stuff, so along with a couple of guards, she goes to help, and immediately gets the sense that something is off. Snow, the princess, has been bled and purged by just about every court doctor, and Anja can see that none of these conventional "cures" are doing her any good, and what is happening to Snow might just be a reflection of something darker.

Much like most of T. Kingfisher's heroines, I loved Anja. Strong, skilled, superb - Anja makes the story for sure. The magical worldbuilding was so well done, and the character arcs are charming to discover.

Another winner from one of my favorite fantasy writers.

Thank you Macmillian Audio for this ALC to review!

I must be in my retelling area, but this is by far my favorite snow white retelling. Hemlock and Silver is one of the most transformative retellings I have ever read, and T. Kingfisher always gives us everything we needed and nothing we expect. What would you do if you couldn’t figure out who or where the poison was coming from? This was a book where I truly did not see the ending coming. An original world, an angry queen and a mirror world that is so complex and puzzling, the only think I wish was that it didn’t end. This was one of the best and most original takes on Snow White, with a strong FMC who represents the science girlies so well and shows us that its ok to be into the weird thing, that doesn’t make you less.

Not only was the story phenomenal, Jennifer Pickens hit it out of the park with the narration, She was able to capture the essence of the story, and convey the quite frankly weirdness and horror of the mirror world. You can listen to it normally ot sped up, it doesn’t matter, Jennifer is great at any speed. I absolutely loved this as an audio, and while I never re-read, I will definitely be listening to this again.

I could automatically tell this was a retelling of Snow White, but it was soooo unique. It only took some of the things from Snow White, including naming a character Snow, and told this really unique story.

It was a little creepy at times, but not too scary. I appreciated that the FMC was not named Snow. I loved that the she also had such a relatable thought process. She was smart and strong, but not in the typical ways that you see in most fantasy books.

This story was so well done, and it was a very quick read. It didn’t feel like it took too long to get to the point, but it had enough imagery for me to picture it in my mind.

No spice. There is a fade to black kind of part. You know what happened, but there is no description.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC audiobook.

This is a dark version of Snow White in Kingfisher’s style. It follows Anja, a healer, as she tries to cure the king’s daughter Snow from a mysterious illness. She meets a cat and a helpful guard along the way as she is thrown into a mirror world in order to figure out what is going on.

This was an incredibly imaginative reimagining of the classic Snow White story. All of the elements are there, but in a unique and creative way. I loved the world that Kingfisher creates. I would also highly recommend the audiobook- it was VERY well done. I was pulled into Anja’s world and was trying to piece the mystery together with her. There were points that I felt dragged a little bit because Anja was overthinking, but the pacing of the story was overall very well done.

If you like dark gothic/medieval vibes you will like this story. I would also recommend it to anyone who enjoys Rachel Gillig novels. Happy reading!

While I am a fan of T. Kingfisher's recent spate of creative fairy tale re-tellings, such a Thornhenge, Nettle & Bone, and A Sorceress Comes to Call, I have to say that "Hemlock & Silver" is my favorite one!

I highly recommend the audiobook version, as the actress Jennifer Pickens is absolutely stellar. She has such a delightful way of bringing all of the characters to life. In this story, in particular, I felt engrossed in the story from start to finish. While the first 25% of the story is a gradual rising action as the mystery surrounding Snow White increases, I enjoyed how we get to see the world through Healer Anja's eyes in the process: a nerdy woman in her mid-thirties that is excited to indulge in the scientific method and new discoveries wherever she finds them. Once we reach a quarter through the book, there is a surprising revelation that sweeps Anja and us forward at an impressive clip and I loved it.

I won't say any spoilers, but if you know how T. Kingfisher loves to write rather terrifying beings, you won't be disappointed here. Also, the romance was cute (no, it is safe to say that Anja doesn't fall for the king -- though it is hilarious how she is quick to lampshade that assumption). Definitely one of my favorite reads of this year.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC

T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors and I was so excited to get the audio for this book, it did not disappoint. This retelling of Snow White is probably my favorite of Kingfisher’s reimagined fairytales. The writing is witty, snarky, and pulls you in to this amazing, yet creepy, world that was built. Jennifer Pickens does an incredible job as the narrator and brings out the humor, emotions and depths of each character, including the talking cat. Kingfisher will always be an autobuy for me, and I’m glad I still have so many of their backlist to read to hold me over.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the arc!

This was my first T. Kingfisher book and now I need to binge read the rest! I could not put this down. I was hooked from the first chapter.


This was a retelling of Snow White.... better version, in my opinion. There was world building but in a way that it didn't consume the story.


The main character was blunt and had very little filter. She was smart, funny and I just loved her. Can I be her when I grow up?!

The narration was great and made this audiobook a dream to listen to!

Kingfisher never lets me down! This book had me in a chokehold from start to finish. Somehow this book has a cozy fantasy feeling with having plenty of action, subtle creepiness *shudders*, twisty turns, humorous moments, and a bit of romance. I loved it. Might be my favorite book from T. Kingfisher yet.

The audiobook is a must listen. The narrator is phenomenal!

I genuinely always enjoy T Kingfisher, as their world building tends to be top notch and mixed with just enough plot twists and character intrigue to keep things moving. I liked this one but got a bit bogged down by the level of detail related to the poisons, etc. Interesting but it sometimes got in the way of character development..

A sharp, witty adventure! Anja was a refreshing heroine, as her curiosity for learning would often get the better of her. I couldn't see where this was going until the narrative sharply turned into the plot was hurling into the conclusion. This is a re-telling of Snow White. However, nothing could prepare me for the reveal. I have to be honest, I'm still left jumping a little at mirrors.

If Hemlock and Silver were poison itself, I would be a goner by how much I ate this up. From being a dark, creative retelling to its intricate plot twists, Kingfisher had me hooked on this retelling of a princess most of us have heard about. But it focuses on a new character not told in the dreamy retellings. We follow Anja, a healer specializing in poisons and their antidotes, as she is called into the King’s service to treat his ailing twelve year-old daughter, Snow.

Anja is an outspoken scholar fascinated by the more grotesque and grim sides of life. The narrator in the audiobook really gave her this dry tone for parts when she was not talking about her work, aspects of life others would look forward to. Anja, instead, is the type to get excited about creepy new caves to explore and get lost in not so savory details. Her passion and intelligence for her work comes through, with tonal shifts from the dry tone to variety that reveals excitement and giddy even. While she may have poor social cues at times in the palace, she learns more than just what is happening to Snow before the story is up as she interviews and befriends those in the castle.

This was my first Kingfisher novel and I think I am hooked. The writing was immaculate, where I really got into the mind of Anja at times when she would go off on what I can only describe as a brain blast or her AH-HA moments. She would get lost in her thoughts, which made sense to the setting and tone where questioning more and embracing scientific methods. With the audiobook though, the lost in thought moments one too many times made me forget what happened in the current plot outside her brain. That knocked a few marks off my rating since I had to go back and rewind a bit at times to remind myself.

Anja’s passion for poisons and science led her to a solitary life in a lab, but with much professional success, yet she is challenged by the king’s request. Anja faces her own faults, insecurities, and morals as castle residents and attendees befriend and commune with her. She gets more out of this quest than I thought she would.

The supporting cast was well-balanced, bringing wit and wickedness. Kingfisher had me guessing still at the end. Most of my guesses turned out to be wrong in the end. The narrator gave each character a different voice, making it easy to follow and engaging.

3.5 stars rounded up. Like much of Kingfisher's fantasy works, my favorite part of this book was the characters. Healer Anja is a down-to-earth rationalist trapped in an irrational fairytale and I adored spending time with her. I found that the "investigation" middle of this book dragged, and I did want more of some characters, but ultimately it's still a sweet enjoyable book to spend time with (yes, it's sweet and enjoyable and contains body horror).

A deliciously liminal take on Snow White! I was drawn in by the story and the characters but this is one that I would much rather have read rather than listen to - the narrator threw herself into the job with such dedication all I could hear was the voice and had to do my best to filter that out to get at the story.

Looking forward to re-reading this in a year or so in book form!

Every single time, I think: She puts out several books a year. SURELY, they can’t ALL BE AMAZING.

Then I’m wrong.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Poison and magic and apples and tiny princesses and middle-aged healers and love and snakes and roosters and mirrors and mirrors and mirrors.

Did I mention the talking cat?

Seriously, Kingfisher could put out 8735479 books per year, and I’d be first in line for every one.

5/5 stars. Thank you to T. Kingfisher, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ALC!

You need to stop doing this to me, T. Kingfisher. Stop making me unable to do anything but read/listen to your stuff. I regret one thing: not reading any of your stuff sooner. I have found that everything I have read is amazing down to the research gone into the STEM subjects. As a teacher of microbiology, I loved the Sworn Soldier stories. As a teacher of toxicology, this one is my new love.

This is such a fresh take on the Snow White story (and really, it's more an homage to some of it than a direct take). We follow Healer Anja, who is well-versed in the study of poisons and antidotes, as she is requested by the king to assist in figuring out just what is wrong with his daughter, Snow. We follow her journey into the desert kingdom where she meets Snow and has the hardest time figuring out just what could be the culprit - and she checks <i>everything</i>. Everything, that is, except what Snow tries desperately to keep hidden... Include the aforementioned mirror world.

The audiobook was fantastic. I appreciate the emotion Jennifer Pickens puts into the character and the dialogue, truly bringing Anja to life.

Highly, highly recommend as a fairytale/fantasy story that will capture your attention and pin it down. I pre-ordered the hardcover already and I will be keeping that pre-order!