Hemlock and silver by T. Kingfisher
I am a big fan of kingfisher’s books. I love how her retellings are always unique and dark.
Healer Anja life changes when the king comes to her in hopes she will be able to save his daughter. Healer anja has dedicated her life to finding cures for poisons. If she sees a problem her instinct is to go full speed ahead on finding a solution. She is very smart and capable.
There is a love story element but it is not central to the story. I did not figure out who was the poisoner before the reveal.
Thank you Macmillian audio for providing me with the audiobook.
I thought the narrator did a great job at bringing healer anja to life. Her portrayal made her more relatable and likable. However, I agree with another review that there was not a lot of distinction between the voices of the other characters.
Overall, I believe this will be a treat for all of t. Kingfisher fans.

I absolutely LOVED this take on Snow White featuring a middle-aged spinster scientist and her gruff bodyguard. (Sorry, no huntsman, although Javier is a pretty good protector both with and without weapons.)⁠
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Anja is the kingdom's foremost expert on poisons, mostly because she had a hyperfixation as a youngster that her father indulged and she never grew out of. When the king's daughter, Snow, begins ailing, the king asks Anja to investigate and cure her. What happens next includes a lot of creepy mirrors, a haughty cat, a few suspicious apples, and a whole lot of applying the scientific method.⁠
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The book is written entirely in first person from Anja's perspective, so it's a good thing that she's a wonderful main character. Her focus on her special interest (poison!) and her practical-to-a-fault to, well, everything make her a great viewpoint for the reader to experience the world.⁠
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And yes, for all the romance-loving readers out there and as in all of the fairy-tale inspired Kingfishers I've read, there's a satisfying touch of a romantic subplot. ⁠
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Jennifer Pickens's narration is perfect: Anja's confidence in what she knows (and understanding of what she DOESN'T know) comes across perfectly. Even Grayling the cat (because yes, there's a talking cat) gets his day in the sun.⁠
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This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the audiobook.

I really, really enjoyed this book! And the narrator was amazing at capturing the main character. It gave me Nettle and Bone vibes, but I might have liked THIS book even more!

Thank you NetGalley for the alc. while I have read a few of her books and I know that they are very details with world building. This book for me was the equivalent of listening to a golf game. I DNF at 30%. I’m still eating 4 stars cause just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t make it a terrible book. I’ll try again at a later date

I received an ALC from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Hemlock & Silver has been one of my most anticipated reads of the year. T. Kingfisher remains one of my favorite authors and continues to find ways to put such a personalized touch on the stories she creates. I am a huge fan of twisted fairy tales and retellings, so this retelling of Snow White with a T. Kingfisher twist is literally the best of both worlds. Anja, a healer, has been selected by the King to identify why his daughter, Snow, is ill. As Anja works to identify and eliminate potential causes of Snow's illness, she stumbles on something much larger and heinous.

The story is well written but is elevated to the next level through the audio narration. Jennifer Pickens does an amazing job of bringing the characters to life and conveying not only the banter but the development and deepening of relationships between the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ALC. I really enjoyed this dark story retelling of Snow White. The narrator did an amazing job. It was dark, mysterious, and kept you on your toes. I wasn't sure what to expect as this was my first T. Kingfisher novel but I am hooked. I actually enjoyed this version more than the original. The story building was perfect and steady, I didn't feel like anything was missed, and the talking cat was my favorite.

This is a Snow White retelling, and T. Kingfisher really did that. This is soooooo entertaining, immersive, creative, and just FUN. The perfect dark fantasy/fairytale to get lost in. There's also a sprinkle of heartwarming romance and a talking cat that sounds and acts exactly as you'd expect a cat to sound and act like.

Our FMC is strong, clever, and very much her own person. She's also so damn funny! I was laughing out loud often, and that doesn't come easily to me with books. The plot is gripping, and it was executed perfectly, in my opinion. I can't think of a single thing about this book that didn't work for me.

Also, the audiobook does the story justice. The narrator did an amazing job, the voice matched perfectly, and she had great comedic timing. Overall, if you already love T. Kingfisher and how she usually takes retellings to another sphere, there's no way you won't enjoy this one.

I love T. Kingfisher's writing and will eagerly read as much as I can get my hands on but this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. I don't think I was very clear on how the magic system worked as I listened on audio through NetGalley (thank you!) and trying to sort out what the author was trying to describe in terms of the mirror magic was a bit muddling for me. Other than that, it was a solid 3.5* which is very respectable. I'm already partial to faerie tale retellings and having a 35 year old protagonist who studies poisons/venoms for a living (she does both, so no need to get pedantic here) was extremely refreshing. The narrator was solid. SOLID. She gave such a stellar performance (hire her for more gigs, if you're a producer/publisher reading this). The voice acting was superb and was easily half the enjoyment for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of Hemlock and Silver by T. Kingfisher in exchange for an honest review. I am really into books with portals or doorways to a different world, and so this book was right up my alley. I loved the combination of Alice meets Snow White feeling. There was action, adventure, romance, poisoning, and hostile takeovers. This is a really fun book to spend the weekend reading.

I've been in a fantasy slump for months but this book had me hooked from the very first page.
Anja is a sarcastic little plant witch who poisons herself on purpose for research, yay for girl math! There's a broody silent guard who probably needs a hug, a dying princess named Snow who's got more flair than a soap opera, and a narcissistic cat that acts like it's the real main character. Obviously I was obsessed.
The writing is sharp, the world feels fresh, and the vibes are dark fairytale meets cozy cottagecore with just enough weird magic to keep me turning pages. I didn't expect this book to fix my burnout, but here we are.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC I would die for this cat and his dramatic little attitude. I didn't know I needed to be healed by a grumpy little healer and her toxicologist fantasy until now.

A darkly imaginative tale inspired by Snow White, Hemlock & Silver was an addictive read for me. Healer Anja is a quirky poison expert who’s hired to heal the Princess, Snow. With the help of her bodyguard and a talking cat, Anja must unravel the mystery behind whatever is poisoning Snow.

This book was such a fresh and interesting take on the original story. The plot really picks up after the first quarter and I couldn’t put it down. T. Kingfisher really excels at worldbuilding which was shown through how in-depth Anja spoke about poisons and how fleshed out the magic system was; Anja’s perspective helped with exploring these aspects.

I really enjoyed Anja’s character, she was full of personality which shown through her perspective and dialogue. The slow-burn romantic side plot had me rooting for the characters and didn’t overshadow the greater story.

Jennifer Pickens did a great job with the narration; she really embodied Anja’s character and added to the experience.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC!

Healer Anja is a poison expert summoned by the King to save his daughter - Snow White - from a slow death. Can Anja use her scientific knowledge to cure the princess before it's too late? Add in magic mirrors, poisoned apples, a stoic bodyguard, talking cat and pet rooster and you've got a twisted fairy tale adventure worthy of any Kingfisher fan!

In true Kingfisher style, this offers an interesting blend of unique worldbuilding and familiar fairy tale tropes - in this case a clever reworking of elements from Snow White and Rose Red. While the pacing occasionally lags in the first half, the last half really comes together to offer an entertaining adventure and suitable fairy tale ending as per the style of the author's previous books. The combination of older female lead plus loyal protector and their subsequent romance is similar to Swordheart, with creepy elements similar to Nettle & Bone adding to the atmosphere. The heroine is smart and feisty, and her humorous voice kept me invested throughout, though I think the main character reads slightly older than intended (a small complaint I had about A Sorceress Comes To Call also). The audiobook narrator enhances the experience with just the right touch of emotiveness and was a good fit for the tone of the story.

Overall, I thought this was smart and creative while staying true to the author's style of fairy tale retellings. It is a must read for fans of Kingfisher's previous work!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been on a T Kingfisher binge lately so I was really excited about the opportunity to listen to this ALC! This was definitely one of the darker books, more of the Nettle and Bone Style and less of the humor found in Swordheart. It is a dark retelling of Snow White but it is so much more than that! This story is the tale of the poison practitioner recruited by the king to discover the cause of his daughter’s illness. The story is so imaginative and unique, the characters are well scripted and the story is full of plot twists and surprises. I don’t often want books to be made into movies(most are horrible) but I would love to see this story illustrated. The narrator is appropriate for the story and does an excellent job bringing it to life.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to an ALC of the Hemlock & Silver audiobook!

Once again, T. Kingfisher excels at writing complex, flawed (but still very lovable) women & very charming men who don’t fit neatly into the common romance MMC archetypes. The worlds she builds are vast and detailed, but still very much grounded in reality, and she knows how to put you right in the middle of them. I honestly never have a bad thing to say about her books.

The narration by Jennifer Pickens is also fantastic. She does an incredible job at picking up on all the subtle layers of each character, and I definitely hope to hear more books narrated by her!

Thank you so much NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

T.Kingfisher is just incredible! Their stories draw you in and make you want to keep reading.

We enter a magical word and follow our main character who is obsessed with poisons and using poison to save people. One day the king comes and asks her to help his daughter. She’s constantly sick and the healers can’t figure it out.

I absolutely loved our main character and all of her quirks. Her little outbursts of random facts had me laughing out loud.

I also love that T. Kingfisher throws in romance has the back burner. You know it’s there and it’s cute but it’s not taking away from the fantasy plot.


This narrator was incredible! I loved all of her voices for the character.

Women in STEM ~AND~ fairytales!

⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
3.5 stars rounded up

I listened to the ALC via NetGalley.

Firstly & most importantly- Let’s discuss the main character. She is a hyper-fixated baddie who isn’t good at “people-ing,” as she would say. She is middle-aged, not skinny and not concerned with her appearance. I want more main characters like her in literature and specifically fantasy!!!!!!! A I I ate up the idea of a does-not-believe-in-magic character being thrust into a fairytale.

The ~only ~ drawback to being stuck in the brain of a neurospicy over-thinker was that there was a lot of internal dialogue I didn’t care about as a reader. Sometimes, it made me feel a little bit dumb because it could be difficult to follow the train of thoughts, especially once things started to get more magical. (Note that I was listening to the audiobook which can sometimes make it trickier to catch details.)

The narrator did a great job. I stayed engaged in the story and the narration style felt true to the character.

I feel like I wanted a little more exploration of the other characters and more time spent addressing the original mystery at the end. I wanted a little less focus on the problem and the myriad of possible solutions. Basically, I’m a lazy reader and I didn’t want to think at the level of the FMC.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and learned new information about poison! (I giggled when the FMC made a comment about not being pedantic about poison vs venom because that’s the one poison trivia I knew.)

I love T. Kingfisher, I have yet to read one of her stories that I haven't liked, and my streak continues! I think this may be in my top 3! I really loved the setting of this story, the desert is such an unexpected landscape for a fantasy book to me. I really enjoyed the meandering plot, and I almost wish the second half of the book had been as fun and weird and unexpected as the first half in the big city. I will definitely be recommending this to buyers at my store, and I look forward to seeing the finished copies.

Okay now THIS is what I want in a fantasy palate cleanser! Midsummer magic meets mystery, all cast in just the right shade of dark and leaning unsettling more than cozy.

Hemlock & Silver had me locked in so quickly, with such a unique twist on Snow White that I nearly forgot it was a retelling until Snow was name-dropped.

Kingfisher’s writing just itches my brain in the absolute best way. Anja’s inner monologue here was equal parts academic and witty; it was Sherlock Holmes with whimsy. She had heart and drive and levity and intelligence—my dream combo in a FMC. Her thought process just had me racing through this one, and was brought to life so gorgeously by Jennifer Pickens on the audio. She’s incredible, and I’m eager to pick up more of her work.

I also adored the side characters here—particularly a certain feline. I’m not a cat person but in my inexpert opinion the cat psychology here felt spot on. Javier was the perfect grump to Anja’s dark sunshine (I don’t recall an MMC who has ever grunted this much)—oh, and he’s her bodyguard too, for the girlies feral for that setup.

The romantic aspect here was quite light compared to other romantasy I’ve read, but honestly? I didn’t need more; the story hit even without it.

Also? I didn’t think I wanted horror in my reads, but now I’m reconsidering. This is horror light at most, I’m sure, but the bit of darkness in this mystery and this world hit just right.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC on NetGalley! Love that I have a new author to fill up my standalone TBR.

How does this author keep coming up with such fascinating plots and such relatable and likable characters? And now I'm uneasy around mirrors.

This story has romance, adventure, an alternate world, a creepy kid, a mysterious poisoning, a castle and king, a princess, a talking cat, and a wonderful parallel to Snow White and Through the Looking Glass. At this point I just read whatever she writes without even looking at descriptions.

Honestly, if I see that T. Kingfisher has a book coming out, I would do my best to get a copy as quick as possible in anyway I can. Both reading her novels or listening to them, like I was lucky enough to get the chance to do with Hemlock & Silver is a mind grabbing experience with all the details making it feel real, and the nice touch that she puts on well loved fairy tales to make an entirely new story, while still having a few of the comforting touches of the original. And I would consider this book to be another winner that I will happily read or listen to again and again.

It is based off of Snow White but from the viewpoint of the healer Anja, summoned by the king to save his only remaining daughter, the princess Snow. The are no dwarves though you get a lovely adder, a rooster, and a mysterious grey cat (though to be fair, cats are always mysterious), all with parts to play in this horror touch tale. And I must say I love Anja, who speaks her own mind, is very capable in her chosen profession and uses that scientific mind to work on finding how and who Snow is being poisoned by. The setting is quite interesting and different too, no forests, just a very big desert. The very different part and also where the horror comes in has to do with magic mirrors. And when those come to play, it all really ramps up and I was on the edge of my seat, rooting for Anja and the very handsome bodyguard, Javier, to get to the bottom of it, before they and Snow are silenced permanently!

The Narrator, Jennifer Pickens does a wonderful job in bringing Anja (prickly but selfless and always trying to use her knowledge of poisons to heal anyone in need) and the world she lives in to life! If I ever get poisoned, I would want her by my side. :) Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to devour this audiobook! It is so good and I think everyone will enjoy it too!