As usual, Kingfisher does not disappoint. Her books tend to fall into two categories: fairytale-esque or fantasy horror, and this one is one of the fairytale-esque ones. Like Nettle & Bone though, it does have some creepy elements.
I devoured this book fairly quickly and was pretty entertained by it. It's definitely a book you just read for fun, not one where I'd say there's too much of a plot, but if you go into it expecting that then I think it's enjoyable.
I picked this up kind of on a whim and am glad I did. This is the kind of story that's fun to be fun. It's mostly slice-of-life, if said life was as a fairytale villain's secretary.
The Swan Maiden is one of those fairytales that's 'lesser known' but everyone probably knows some version of.
There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story. Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of return to the human … Continue reading Thornhedge release!
Welcome to a Sleeping Beauty retelling where the sleeping princess is not only not the main character, she's not even a good character. I liked this take on the fairytale and how complicated everything was. While it's somewhat similar in concept to The Sleeper and the Spindle, it takes it in a different direction and it was interesting to see how the situation evolved over time.
Getting the What Moves the Dead ARC earlier this year was really fantastic luck because it introduced me to T. Kingfisher and eventually led to me reading this and Nettle & Bone. Kingfisher is an author I don't really see talked about a lot, but I absolutely love her writing style and the stories she tells.
I have to say, the summary of this book is somewhat misleading. Yes, Marra does have to do three impossible tasks, but those tasks barely take up any of the book at all (hence: 'the impossible is only the beginning' and why the summary is only somewhat misleading).
5/5 stars Recommended for people who like: fantasy, antihero/ines, morally gray characters, enemies to lovers, hate to love, curses, fairytales, magic, East Asian-coded representation, LGBTQ characters, The Cruel Prince, court intrigue Big thanks to NetGalley, Random House, and Gina Chen for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!! The setting was … Continue reading Violet Made of Thorns review
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