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adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: Drug abuse, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Child death
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Mirrors - YES
Apples - YES
Dwarfs - NO
Princes - NO
This is loose as retellings go, and I think that's a good thing. You might not even recognize this as a Snow White retelling if Snow's name were changed. Furthermore, the protagonist (Anja) doesn't understand Snow's perspective or motivations until the very end of the book, which makes it a much more interesting journey.
Anja and her relentless internal monologue are wonderful. Like many of us, she struggles with imposter syndrome and overthinks everything. Anja is also a bit older and a bit larger than your average fairy tale protagonist, so it was easy to relate to her as a regular person.
The magical system in this book was not quite seamless. There were a few aspects that didn't hold up to scrutiny, causing me to get hung up on the details at times.
Like in her other books, T. Kingfisher has injected a lot of humor into the narrative. Some of this comes via a sardonic cat, who is a definite highlight. Jennifer Pickens is a talented narrator who brings each character to life with unique tone and pacing.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my review.
Apples - YES
Dwarfs - NO
Princes - NO
This is loose as retellings go, and I think that's a good thing. You might not even recognize this as a Snow White retelling if Snow's name were changed. Furthermore, the protagonist (Anja) doesn't understand Snow's perspective or motivations until the very end of the book, which makes it a much more interesting journey.
Anja and her relentless internal monologue are wonderful. Like many of us, she struggles with imposter syndrome and overthinks everything. Anja is also a bit older and a bit larger than your average fairy tale protagonist, so it was easy to relate to her as a regular person.
The magical system in this book was not quite seamless. There were a few aspects that didn't hold up to scrutiny, causing me to get hung up on the details at times.
Like in her other books, T. Kingfisher has injected a lot of humor into the narrative. Some of this comes via a sardonic cat, who is a definite highlight. Jennifer Pickens is a talented narrator who brings each character to life with unique tone and pacing.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Drug use
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received this ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
T. Kingfisher has done it again! This book is a fantastical reimagining of Snow White. I adore Kingfisher’s ability to look at a story or trope and say, “That’s great, but what if…?”
This book follows Anja, a middle-aged woman who specializes in poisons and antidotes. Summoned by the king to save his daughter Snow, Anja soon finds herself unraveling a deeper mystery behind the princess’s illness as she uncovers a whole world alongside a fickle one-eyed cat? and her bodyguard.
This book beautifully blends the familiar tale with fresh twists and turns, leaving readers horrified, delighted, and laughing in equal measure. It’s a masterful retelling with a heartwarming and irresistibly charming romantic subplot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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
*Thank you to the publisher and Libro.fm for the ALC! All opinions are my own.*
T. Kingfisher is a master of the fairytale retelling. She takes all the best vibes of a fairytale and infuses it with her unforgettable and hilarious casts of characters and a glorious blend of fantasy and horror. Hemlock & Silver is incredibly entertaining from the start and Anja is among my favorite of Kingfisher’s protagonists. Also, the narrator of the audio, Jennifer Pickens, is FANTASTIC. Highly highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Vomit, Death of parent
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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:
No
I had just taken poison when the king arrived to inform me that he had murdered his wife. [opening line]
A new T Kingfisher novel is always a delight, and Hemlock and Silver -- a dark and occasionally horrific riff on 'Snow White' -- has brought me great joy, right from that opening line.
Healer Anja is thirty-five years old, unmarried, an expert in poisons and their antidotes. The king, having informed her that he'd murdered his wife, wants her to cure his adolescent daughter, Snow, whom he believes is being poisoned. The money is good and the offer difficult to refuse. In short order, Anja is on her way to Witherleaf, an opulent palace in the desert. She meets the young princess, who is clearly hiding something; she runs tests, the results of which are inconclusive; and she encounters an excellent cat.
I loved the worldbuilding: the beasts of heaven rose up and slew the cruel, pitiless gods, and are worshipped as saints. (There is no Saint Cat.) Anja refuses to believe in magic, and approaches her work with scientific rigour. She's a likeable narrator with a pragmatic approach and a burning urge to understand the world around her.
There are elements of horror that reminded me of some of Kingfisher's darker works, such as The Twisted Ones and The Hollow Places: there's also romance, friendship and the aforementioned excellent cat ("His Gloriousness, God-King of the Deserts, Lord of Rooftops, King of Mirrors, Heir to the Mantle of Harar, He Who Treads the Serpent's Tail, Whose Claws Have Scarred the Bark of the Great Tree") who is key to the resolution of the mystery.
UK publication date is 19th August 2025: thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Vomit, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This dark fairy tale from T. Kingfisher has the absolute best protagonist! I was hooked from page one and loved the tension the slow build provided in the first third of the book.
While Hemlock & Silver is a retelling of Snow White, Snow takes a back seat to Anja—a tall, sturdy, and 35(!) year old healer. She is smart and her town’s go-to for solving problems, specifically those involving poison.
Once Anja starts to solve Snow’s mystery, the story picks up—and it gets delightfully weird. The love story plot isn’t front and center, but it’s so sweet. Oh, and there’s a feisty cat. Pretty sure Kingfisher has met my fluffy little demon.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the eARC!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Vomit
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
This was such a unique retelling of Snow White. The first quarter or so dragged on a bit for me, but also felt necessary for setting up the rest of the story. Healer Anja is a great female main character- strong, competent, and always learning. The mirror magic was a cool way to tie in the magic mirror from the original tale in a different, new way. I also loved the cat! The story was dark, with plenty of humor, and twists along the way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief
Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent
adventurous
funny
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
I love T. kingfisher’s work, so when I found out that she had a new book coming out I was super excited. I was even more excited to get an ARC from NetGalley and Tor so I was able to read this book early—thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early read!
The novel is a retelling of the Snow White story, and I am a sucker for retellings, especially fairy tales. In Kingfisher’s world, Anya is a talented healer, although she’d argue that point. Anya knows about poisons and their antidotes and sometimes can offer cures, often risky ones. When the king’s daughter Snow becomes ill and no one else has been able to help, he comes to Anya as a last resort.
The novel is super atmospheric, placing much of the story in a desert setting (drawn perhaps from the author’s own recent move to the Southwest). I love Anya’s story: she’s no ingenue, as so many main female characters in this genre tend to be, and she’s smart and funny. She’s great at her job, and her world doesn’t revolve around her love interest (although there is one and I enjoyed the way that storyline develops). Anya is energetic and curious AND a single woman in her mid-30s—all parts of her character that kept me rooting hard for her to succeed.
The minor characters pulled me in, too, from the kindly and wise Lady Sorrel to the mysterious talking cat (!!!) Greyling. (Important spoiler:nothing bad happens to Greyling, even though you might be worried about him for awhile—I love this about Kingfisher books, too—nothing bad happens to the animals you come to love!)
I can’t wait to read whatever T. Kingfisher does next!
The novel is a retelling of the Snow White story, and I am a sucker for retellings, especially fairy tales. In Kingfisher’s world, Anya is a talented healer, although she’d argue that point. Anya knows about poisons and their antidotes and sometimes can offer cures, often risky ones. When the king’s daughter Snow becomes ill and no one else has been able to help, he comes to Anya as a last resort.
The novel is super atmospheric, placing much of the story in a desert setting (drawn perhaps from the author’s own recent move to the Southwest). I love Anya’s story: she’s no ingenue, as so many main female characters in this genre tend to be, and she’s smart and funny. She’s great at her job, and her world doesn’t revolve around her love interest (although there is one and I enjoyed the way that storyline develops). Anya is energetic and curious AND a single woman in her mid-30s—all parts of her character that kept me rooting hard for her to succeed.
The minor characters pulled me in, too, from the kindly and wise Lady Sorrel to the mysterious talking cat (!!!) Greyling. (Important spoiler:
I can’t wait to read whatever T. Kingfisher does next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, Medical trauma
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Death