A Sorceress Comes to Call

I loved this! I have been recommended T. Kingfisher's books often enough that I was curious and wanted to see what all the fuss was about, I get the hype now! This was a reimagining of Brothers Grimm fairy tale 'The Goose Girl' though honestly kind of a different story entirely, but featuring a lot of the tropes/ideas from the original. No romance. This follows a 14 year old protagonist Cordelia and a secondary POV of an older woman named Hester. Cordelia's mother is a powerful sorceress who keeps her daughter essentially in thrall. Tiring of her lover, the witch Evangeline wants to sink her claws into a new, more permanent relationship- a marriage to a wealthy squire. The only thing standing in the way of her plan is her daughter Cordelia and the squire's meddling spinster sister Hester. Definitely will be recommending this to customers.

T. Kingfisher is killing it. Her latest tale gets another five stars from me. This reimagining of “The Goose Girl” turns everything about the original tale on its head. From the very beginning, we know that Cordelia’s mother is someone not to cross. I felt Cordelia’s pain and anxiety every time she was forced to be in her mother’s presence. Kingfisher’s skill at creating unforgettable characters is on full display here.

I flew through this book and was genuinely sad when it ended. I want more, as is always the case with Kingfisher’s books. I’m glad she’s such a prolific author! I’d love to return to this world in a future book! 😉

Many thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and the lovely T herself for the advance copy. All opinions are mine alone.

T. Kingfisher can do no wrong in my eyes, and A Sorceress Comes to Call is no exception. A unique retelling/adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairytale 'Goose Girl', this version finds our 14 year old protagonist, Cordelia, physically subjected to the whims of her sorceress mother. Literally, she's physically forced to obey her mother through magic. The descriptive and straightforward writing that Kingfisher is known for really drives home the horror of her situation. Being able to think and process but unable to even twitch a finger? While assuming your peers all live the same way? It gives an underlying creep factor to every moment, even the ones that aren't particularly action packed or gory. There's funny moments, relatable ones, a small love story, and of course, an epic villain. I found this one to lean much more dark than other Kingfisher works, just because of Cordelia's point of view and the horror of the mother/daughter dynamic there. But it is well balanced with the other 'good' characters and light hearted moments. Overall, completely recommend!

Controlled by her mother, Cordelia’s life is miserable, especially when her mother controls her body and thoughts as punishment. Losing her current benefactor Evangeline decides to get married to Samuel, a wealthy lord and weasels her way into his life and heart. But his sister Hester knows there’s something wrong and she’s determined to stop Evangeline and help Cordelia. A fast paced, fun read I didn’t put down.