Book Reviews / Fantasy / General Books / Retelling

Mini Book Review: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

Thornhedge
Publisher: Tor
Pub Date: 15 August 2023
Genre: Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.

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 Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?

But nothing with fairies is ever simple.

Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He’s heard there’s a curse here that needs breaking, but it’s a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death, murder, suicide (mentioned), blood, animal cruelty & death (mentioned)

Despite the underlying darkness of this story, Thornhedge was surprisingly sweet and wholesome. I’m so glad Kingfisher has fantasies that allow me to experience her immersive worlds, intriguing characters and wonderful writing. I otherwise would’ve missed out on a great author since I don’t read horror!

Coming in at about 125 pages, this is a rather short read but Kingfisher has the magical pen game that makes this feel longer than it is thanks to the fully fleshed-out world and characters. This Sleeping Beauty retelling with a dark twist immediately reeled me in as we gradually learned about the sordid origins of the thorn hedge’s existence, the darkness it keeps hidden, and the truth behind the teller of our tale, Toadling. The author subverts your typical fairytale archetypes by giving readers an atypical fairy, hero and villain. Toadling isn’t a beautiful, glittery and all-powerful fairy, Halim is not your typical handsome, brutish, white knight-in-shining-armour hero, and Fayette is an unexpected evil. I adored Toadling and I couldn’t have asked for a better narrator! While she’s an overthinker, lives in fear of discovery, and thinks little of her magic and abilities, she has such strength and she’s so good-hearted it wasn’t hard to root for her and hope she gets a happy ending. I was captivated by her story and it was interesting to see how she came to be the guardian of this tower surrounded by thorns. I also really liked Halim, the connection that he develops with Toadling and how they’re simply two individuals who find acceptance as they are with each other, especially as they see themselves as different to others in their world (i.e. not your typical fairy, not your typical night). Their friendship is very wholesome and comforting and I loved it.

Overall, I get the hype around this book. I loved this as much as everyone else seemed to and I would recommend it if you’re looking for a dark fairytale-esque story that will reel you in from the first page. I can’t wait to read more by Kingfisher!

Have you read Thornhedge or is it on your TBR?

Blog signature that reads: Let's Chat! xoxo, Dini

10 thoughts on “Mini Book Review: Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher”

  2. I liked this one, as well, and I wish my copy had this cover! I was surprised it was a novella, but it was great at that length. And it kind of make me wonder why I never saw another take on this story where the curse was for a good cause. Seems like an obvious angle for a retelling now that it’s been done!

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