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skillyillian's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
First things first a very heavy trigger warning for domestic violence. It's not pictured on the page explicitly as it happens, but it's described by the victim as well as the FMC and other characters throughout the book.
That being said:
Honestly this is SO good. The language used is so descriptive and really fits the tone of the story. I loved having an FMC that wasn't barely legal, and her determination to do impossible things was incredible. The dust-wife was awesome but I think Agnes stole the show and I would have loved to have seen and learned more from her. Honestly, I think the story would've benefitted from more character backstory and development? But it's not like they were cardboard cutouts by any means, either.
The timeline, or at least the way it's presented in the story, was a little hard to follow for a minute? But once the past caught up to the story it made sense, so 🤷🏻♀️
I think my favorite part was the humor, honestly. It balanced things out and added levity in a way that I think prevented the whole story from being too heavy. It was witty and wry and the kind of jokes that fit perfectly for a group comprised of a dog made of bones, a cursed chick, a demon hen (no relation), and two traumatized young-ish people traveling with two powerful old women who are each other's opposites in every way.
Overall, this is a great story with some really interesting characters I think we could've learned about a bit more. I loved it so much though, and jumped right into another Kingfisher book (What Moves the Dead) which I'm also enjoying so far. I'm excited to keep reading more from this author :)
That being said:
Honestly this is SO good. The language used is so descriptive and really fits the tone of the story. I loved having an FMC that wasn't barely legal, and her determination to do impossible things was incredible. The dust-wife was awesome but I think Agnes stole the show and I would have loved to have seen and learned more from her. Honestly, I think the story would've benefitted from more character backstory and development? But it's not like they were cardboard cutouts by any means, either.
The timeline, or at least the way it's presented in the story, was a little hard to follow for a minute? But once the past caught up to the story it made sense, so 🤷🏻♀️
I think my favorite part was the humor, honestly. It balanced things out and added levity in a way that I think prevented the whole story from being too heavy. It was witty and wry and the kind of jokes that fit perfectly for a group comprised of a dog made of bones, a cursed chick, a demon hen (no relation), and two traumatized young-ish people traveling with two powerful old women who are each other's opposites in every way.
Overall, this is a great story with some really interesting characters I think we could've learned about a bit more. I loved it so much though, and jumped right into another Kingfisher book (What Moves the Dead) which I'm also enjoying so far. I'm excited to keep reading more from this author :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Cannibalism
apoppyinthewind's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
"You came in your cloak of nettles with the dog made of bone at your side"
I can see how that imagery stuck with Kingfisher and inspired Nettle & Bone and I'm glad I got the chance to read this story. It's a fairytale of a sister trying to save her older sister from an evil prince but to do so she complete three seemingly impossible tasks: Build a dog of bones, sew a clock of nettles, and give the dust wife moonlight in a jar.
If you enjoy reading fairytales, I would highly recommend checking out Nettle & Bone. It's got a similar feel of fairytales but a bit more fleshed out and with unique world-building. I especially loved the concept of dust-wives, who are essentially graveyard witches who know much of the magical world and can talk to the dead.
I can see how that imagery stuck with Kingfisher and inspired Nettle & Bone and I'm glad I got the chance to read this story. It's a fairytale of a sister trying to save her older sister from an evil prince but to do so she complete three seemingly impossible tasks: Build a dog of bones, sew a clock of nettles, and give the dust wife moonlight in a jar.
If you enjoy reading fairytales, I would highly recommend checking out Nettle & Bone. It's got a similar feel of fairytales but a bit more fleshed out and with unique world-building. I especially loved the concept of dust-wives, who are essentially graveyard witches who know much of the magical world and can talk to the dead.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Grief, Death, Body horror, and Blood
Minor: Torture, Sexual assault, and Animal death
fraise's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Grief, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Animal death
Minor: Slavery, Torture, Rape, Abortion, Cannibalism, Infertility, and Miscarriage
The slavery in this book ismaeverose's review
Dnfed @ 27%
I just couldn’t get into it. There was nothing I actively disliked, but there was nothing keeping my attention either. It was very slow and I had no motivation to pick it up. This could be because I’ve been in a reading slump for months now, and not the book’s fault.
I just couldn’t get into it. There was nothing I actively disliked, but there was nothing keeping my attention either. It was very slow and I had no motivation to pick it up. This could be because I’ve been in a reading slump for months now, and not the book’s fault.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Body horror, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Domestic abuse
Not a spoiler - there’s a point where the main character is acting as a midwife and there are mentions of traumatic and fatal births. Fatal for both the mother and child. I found it a bit disturbing, but it’s not described in especially graphic detail.theirgracegrace's review
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
As a longtime fan of T. Kingfisher's work, Nettle & Bone was a natural choice to read and a very good decision. Kingfisher weaves together fairy tale tropes and folklore to make a world full of fairy godmothers, goblins, and the restless dead. The tale is told with Kingfisher's trademark snark and humour from the perspective of Marra, a young princess whose older sister has become the abused wife of a wicked king. Her task is to kill the king and free her sister, and along the way finds a witch, a dog made of bones, her own fairy godmother, a demonic chicken and a foreign man whose freedom is bought from the Fair Folk with a tooth. The twists and turns of this book are as hard to predict as the mausoleum of the Northern Kingdom, and well worth the ride.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Cannibalism, Classism, Misogyny, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder, Confinement, Death, Sexual violence, Body horror, Slavery, Child death, Animal death, Grief, Infertility, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Gore, War, Cursing, and Excrement
There is one particular scene where the main character's teeth are made to dance in her mouth and one of them is removed. It is very reminiscent of the "imagining my teeth falling out" dream but can be quite disturbing. There is also a character in the city which has a "curse-child", which is described like a marionette or puppet that chokes and harms her.persephonefoxx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
“Rage was only useful if you were allowed to do anything with it”
Teenage me was obsessed with dark fairytales. I’m talking retellings, the darker original texts, creepy stories in a fairytale-esque telling. All that to say, teenage me would have eaten this up. Because at its core, it is a fairytale. A fantastical story of impossible tasks, magic women, peculiar animals, princesses, and fairy Godmothers.
It is a story that prioritises characters in that distant narrative styling of fairytales and similar stories. And at its core it is a story about rage and love. Men who have so much rage it devoids them of love and women who love so deeply that it fuels their rage. It is about family and the burden of duty. It tells a story of the painful process of clawing yourself out of helpless, and that the journey shouldn’t be taken alone.
I really enjoyed this book. There were parts that made me laugh (a particular demon hen) and there were parts I felt in my soul. And while the world building scraped the surface, what are to expect in a book as short. It is a book about the people not the place and thus its focus is understandable.
I am merely annoyed with myself that it has taken this long to finally read T. Kingfisher. Something I will be looking to rectify in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Misogyny, Body horror, and Child death
cryptidenthusiast's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was so hooked on this book, I couldn’t put it down! Kingfisher did a fantastic job taking the stereotypes of a fairytale and twisting it on its head. Marra is the kind of main character you can’t help but love and pity all at once, and the ragtag group of friends are great. There’s a good balance between humor, macabre magic and imagery, and a heavy story about a woman’s role in a society that doesn’t care about them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Body horror
kimberlynann's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Animal death, Pregnancy, Body horror, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Murder, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and War
zrals's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This is a quick and charming fantasy story that plays with old fairy tale tropes. The characters are memorable and, with the exception of Marra, fun to spend some time with. It's very quickly paced and likely won't take long to finish. The prose is good - it never gets in the way but strikes a good balance between description and movement.
Thematically, it feels like it never really gets going. It's never a full subversion or re-investment in the fairy tale patterns it uses. It's setting is sometimes quite detailed, sometimes quite hand-waved, and it's never clear when or why those things are what they are. Fortunately, it's quick enough that you don't have time to notice much of that, as I found it fell apart a bit if I looked too closely.
Thematically, it feels like it never really gets going. It's never a full subversion or re-investment in the fairy tale patterns it uses. It's setting is sometimes quite detailed, sometimes quite hand-waved, and it's never clear when or why those things are what they are. Fortunately, it's quick enough that you don't have time to notice much of that, as I found it fell apart a bit if I looked too closely.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Body horror, Classism, and Physical abuse
blueowl2ivy's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Infertility, Child death, Murder, and Domestic abuse