Scan barcode
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Nettle & Bone was a curious book in many ways. Despite the fact that I gave it four stars, I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it. I might edit this review one day when my feelings become clearer (but don't hold your breath on that one).
Let me say one thing - the writing is excellent. It's crisp, sharp and elegant. T. Kingfisher is clearly an old pro at this style, and not a word is wasted. I also really appreciated how Kingfisher takes common fairy tale tropes and uses them in ways that are alternately hilarious and profound. The female characters in this book are all incredibly strong, courageous and intelligent, but each of them expresses these qualities differently.
The issues I had may have had a lot to do with the time I took to finish it, despite its relatively short length. The pace was definitely slower than I would have liked, and there were times when the phrasing was just a little too cryptic and philosophical for my taste - I want to be intrigued, not confused!
Overall, this was a well-written, thought-provoking fantasy, but I wish it could have moved at a slightly faster pace.
Let me say one thing - the writing is excellent. It's crisp, sharp and elegant. T. Kingfisher is clearly an old pro at this style, and not a word is wasted. I also really appreciated how Kingfisher takes common fairy tale tropes and uses them in ways that are alternately hilarious and profound. The female characters in this book are all incredibly strong, courageous and intelligent, but each of them expresses these qualities differently.
The issues I had may have had a lot to do with the time I took to finish it, despite its relatively short length. The pace was definitely slower than I would have liked, and there were times when the phrasing was just a little too cryptic and philosophical for my taste - I want to be intrigued, not confused!
Overall, this was a well-written, thought-provoking fantasy, but I wish it could have moved at a slightly faster pace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Child death, Animal death, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Blood, Violence, and Body horror
Minor: Sexual violence, Rape, and Cannibalism
bluejayreads's review against another edition
4.0
I put this on my TBR list for a reason, I assume. However, by the time I actually got around to reading it, I didn’t remember that reason. And as I tend to do with books that are on my TBR list, I didn’t even bother to read the back cover before I started reading. So I really had no idea what to expect going into it. So I was pleasantly surprised with how enjoyable it happened to be and how much it felt like a genuine fairy tale, albeit a darker one.
The story moves very fast and seems shorter than it is. It goes back and forth between past and present, showing Marra’s quest to kill the abusive prince as well as the backstory – her life as a third-born princess and how she decided killing the prince was the way to go in the first place. It was a little confusing at the beginning as it went back and forth. Both storylines were interesting, but the backstory was told out of order so it wasn’t always clear where events fit in the timeline. Once I got oriented a bit better, I managed to fit the outlines of the story together and enjoyed it a lot.
I was somewhat expecting a YA book (I have a tendency to gravitate towards those in general) and all the accompanying tropes. So I was pleased to find that not only is this not YA, Marra turns all of the protagonist tropes on their head. She’s thirty years old. She hates being a princess not because she wants her freedom or anything, but because it’s a lot of pressure and politics and she’d rather knit and embroider at the convent. She’s incredibly innocent and considers herself a coward, but doesn’t recognize exactly how much she is willing to go through to save her sister. And as a final interesting bit, she’s slightly below average in mental faculties and aware of it, which was interesting and unique and in its own way a bit refreshing. She was a fantastically interesting and unique character, and also quite easy to like, if just slightly too bland to adore.
The rest of Marra’s questing party were quite fun. I loved the grouchy, powerful, knowledgeable old woman, and her relentless matter-of-factness was fantastically entertaining. The former knight who was trapped in fairyland for a while and not sure what to do now was okay, but incredibly bland – notable for being muscular and vaguely kind, but not possessing much in the way of personality. The fairy godmother was a later addition to the party, but she was rentlessly cheery and I enjoyed her quite a bit too. The chicken possessed by a demon and the dog made of bones who hasn’t really figured out he’s dead were both fun (mildly amusing and completely adorable, respectively), but were both more like pets than actual characters, no matter what the back cover said.
The plot moves very fast and the book seems a lot shorter than it is. The three “impossible tasks” are over and done with fairly early. It alternates the quest to collect allies and kill the prince who murdered one sister and is abusing the other with Marra’s upbringing as a third princess and in the convent. Despite the past having significantly less plot than the present, I found it just as interesting. All of the story itself was very good. It’s the details where things start to struggle, and most of them I noticed more in retrospect.
The magic was fairy tale-ish but the system was vague, which was fine for the kind of story this is. I really couldn’t get a sense of the world beyond “generic medieval-ish fantasy,” and even with Marra growing up in a convent I only got the vaguest sense of one minor deity-ish being. It was … fine, but I think there could have been more done with it. Also with the demon-possessed chicken – there’s a lot of potential in that idea that never played out. And there’s an interesting theme about trying to force people to receive your help when they don’t want it. It’s a very worthwhile message and an interesting idea to contemplate, but I don’t think Marra ever actually learned the lesson so I’m not sure it really counts as a theme in the first place.
Despite the shortcomings, I very much enjoyed the book. It struggles in the details, but the problems are easy to overlook while reading. Usually when a book has two storylines, I prefer one over the other, but both the past and present stories in this one were enjoyable, which is unusual and deserves major props. I appreciated a protagonist who isn’t whip-smart and is just honestly trying her best. It was a solid plot, good characters in general, a great protagonist, a mostly happy ending, some fun and interesting ideas, and some good emotions. The details may be lacking in retrospect, but it doesn’t affect the reading experience, and on the whole it’s a very good read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Child death, Murder, Blood, Violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death and Cannibalism
thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Nettle and Bone is a lovely cross between sinister darkness and wry humor. I found myself falling immediately for this strange little cast of characters and caring deeply about their safety. The plot, though simple, was engaging and propulsive, and the world was full of enough magic to intrigue and enough shadows to frighten. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and look forward to reading more from Kingfisher this year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Child death, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Cannibalism
Minor: Torture, Slavery, Abortion, and Miscarriage
tea_overload's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, Slavery, Child death, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Cannibalism and Blood
directorpurry's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Confinement
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
Minor: Animal death
30something_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
5 ⭐
This book is such a little gem!
A dark and twisty fairytale filled with dry humor and a sprinkle of romance that scratched an itch I didn't know I had.
A third-born princess sets out on an impossible quest to kill the evil prince and save her sister. Along the way she gathers a dog of bone, an old woman who can speak with the dead, a knight entrapped by the fair folk, and a peculiar fairy godmother. Together, they set off on this "fool's errand in which they will probably die."
This book is such a little gem!
A dark and twisty fairytale filled with dry humor and a sprinkle of romance that scratched an itch I didn't know I had.
A third-born princess sets out on an impossible quest to kill the evil prince and save her sister. Along the way she gathers a dog of bone, an old woman who can speak with the dead, a knight entrapped by the fair folk, and a peculiar fairy godmother. Together, they set off on this "fool's errand in which they will probably die."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Death, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Torture, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Animal death, and Miscarriage
risten's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Blood, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, and Child death
Minor: Abortion, Miscarriage, and Grief
vasha's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is a T. Kingfisher fantasy novel, and if you have read a few of her others, you will know what to expect and not be wrong. It's funny, creepy, and thought-provoking by turns; it has powerful, eccentric old women, it has animal companions, it has a very, very well-behaved knight, it has a quest through a world where something inventively horrible is likely to turn up at any moment, and it has a naïve, earnest main character who fumbles through doing something impossible because things simply aren't fair and must be rectified. Sometimes I complain because T. Kingfisher's books are so much alike (apart from "The Twisted Ones" and "The Hollow Places" which are contemporary horror and my least favorite, go figure!) But firstly, what she does is unique and excellent so why object if she keeps doing it; and secondly, each of her books has a subtly different theme. This time, she takes on fairy tale marriages. A queen is playing a tricky strategic game trying to keep her small kingdom from invasion, and one of her moves is to marry her beautiful, sweet eldest daughter to the monstrous prince of a neighboring kingdom. The death of the eldest means the second daughter Kania, a much more steely personality, is the next wife and must become pregnant over and over trying to produce an heir, while the third daughter, Marra, is set aside in a convent. Marra is the hero of this story: she's shy and prone to anxiety, and it takes her a long time to realize just how bad Kania's life is (eventually leading to reflections on how many injustices the whole system of marriages and inheritances contains), and even longer to think of something to do about it, though that thing is just going to someone else for help. She's a very unusual hero in that other people do all the dramatic deeds in this story, and she has the most unlikely of personalities for a leader, but the other members of her quest party defer to her, if only because the whole thing was her idea, she keeps persisting, and she gives the others a reason not to give up or do something else. It's a lovely depiction of getting something done by mutual assistance and by taking one step at a time: Marra goes to a dust-wife, an extremely powerful witch who can talk to and command the dead, and convinces her to set aside the inaction which (and really, it's a good thing) she usually maintains; she helps rescue Fenris, a knight held captive by the Fair Folk, and while he provides the party with skill with weapons, she realizes that he needs emotional support and inconspicuously gives it; she overcomes her prejudgment of her apparently-useless fairy godmother Agnes to find another ally of an unexpected sort (Agnes's accomplishments are some of the most delightful surprises in the book); and the final member of the party is Bonedog, a mastiff resurrected as a skeleton, who really just needed another chance to be a good dog. In this story, a princess saves another princess, or really gives her the opportunity to save herself, and the distinction between good and evil fairy godmothers is hopelessly muddled. This deeply feminist and quietly hopeful book is one that's badly needed, and I expect to be re-reading it many times.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
Minor: Blood, Medical content, War, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, and Torture
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
- NETTLE AND BONE is a short, strange, wonderful book. It's both horrifying and funny, managing to balance a serious plot with delightfully weird characters.
- The group that Marra gathers along her journey is a great little ragtag crew, each character unique and full even with the book's brevity.
- I mean, don't you want to read a book that has both "burn the patriarchy" vibes AND a chicken possessed by a demon?
- The group that Marra gathers along her journey is a great little ragtag crew, each character unique and full even with the book's brevity.
- I mean, don't you want to read a book that has both "burn the patriarchy" vibes AND a chicken possessed by a demon?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Alcohol, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Miscarriage
- NETTLE AND BONE is a short, strange, wonderful book. It's both horrifying and funny, managing to balance a serious plot with delightfully weird characters. - The group that Marra gathers along her journey is a great little ragtag crew, each character unique and full even with the book's brevity. - I mean, don't you want to read a book that has both "burn the patriarchy" vibes AND a chicken possessed by a demon?spiritedfaraway's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Slavery, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Child death, and Death
Minor: Cannibalism and Rape