Book Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

A Sorceress Comes to Call
Publisher: Titan Books UK
Pub Date: 6 August 2024
Genre: Fantasy Horror

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes a dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic.
Perfect for fans of Naomi Novic, Alix E. Harrow and Nettle & Bone.


Cordelia knows her mother is unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms―there are no secrets in this house!―Cordelia isn’t allowed to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.

But more than a few quirks set her mother apart. Other parents can’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless―obedient―for hours or days on end. Other mothers aren’t… sorcerers.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS

Ableism, physical & emotional child abuse, parental mariticide recounted, murder, infidelity, loss of autonomy (possession) including forced self-harm, murder & suicide, animal attack (horse), animal death & harm (horse, geese)

TL;DR: I don’t know why I was so pleasantly surprised by this, but I was and I’m so glad that I read it! Kingfisher has definitely won her way into my auto-buy author list by this point. I love her writing and the way she balances the dark and hopeful moments, and still manages to work in witty banter between the horrifying without diminishing or cheapening the seriousness of such events. Cordelia and Hester were fantastic characters who I had no trouble rooting for—I loved the found family in this so much! I will say that if you’re interested in an unlikely band of protagonists (who are older!), good overcoming evil, fantastic found family, and delightful banter amidst darker moments, I would highly recommend checking it out!

Read More »