A review by quintopus
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I liked this a lot. The way magic works is very engaging. It behaved very much as a means to an end, not just for the characters but also for the story itself, in a way I haven't seen all that often. I liked the characters too, including the main one for all she stays very insecure even until the end. Her growth is quiet, but she is more than she believes herself to be and that is obvious to her companions and the reader if not to herself. The rest of the cast is a delight. All of them are familiar character types but charming and wise in their own  way. The story moves fast and there isn't a lot of time wasted at any point. It feels like a wild mixture of different fairytale tropes, drenched in all the horror and hope that the Grimm-Märchen also hold. It's much more concerned with the fates of women though. And that's as relieving as it is refreshing. Solid recommendation. 
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