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maria_schnecki 's review for:
Hemlock & Silver
by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the arc!
T. Kingfisher is one of my most read authors, so I was very happy to get to read one of her new works quite so soon.
Anja is a middle aged, quirky women not bothered to conform to social standards - as seen by her work. She is a poison healer, keeping a venomous snake in her workroom and testing poison regularly - on herself, of course.
When she is called upon by the king to solve the mysterious sickness that has befallen his daughter Snow, Anja is overwhelmed. She is not a healer, she lacks the social skills a healer should have and is not interested at all to travel to the Castle Snow is kept in. Still, you don't say no to a king, so Anja, half her lab and of course her snake go to meet Snow. Soon Anja as a feeling Snows sickness is no ordinary problem - it may even be otherworldly.
If you love the women T. Kingfisher writes, especially in Nettle and Bone and the Paladin series, you will love Anja, too. She is not your ordinary fantasy protagonist and I appreciate a mc being not quite perfect in her own sense.
I liked the plot, but it could have been a bit shorter. It is an unique spin on the Snow White tale with slight horror elements. Read if you liked the more light hearted books by T. Kingfisher like Nettle and Bone and Paladins Grace.
T. Kingfisher is one of my most read authors, so I was very happy to get to read one of her new works quite so soon.
Anja is a middle aged, quirky women not bothered to conform to social standards - as seen by her work. She is a poison healer, keeping a venomous snake in her workroom and testing poison regularly - on herself, of course.
When she is called upon by the king to solve the mysterious sickness that has befallen his daughter Snow, Anja is overwhelmed. She is not a healer, she lacks the social skills a healer should have and is not interested at all to travel to the Castle Snow is kept in. Still, you don't say no to a king, so Anja, half her lab and of course her snake go to meet Snow. Soon Anja as a feeling Snows sickness is no ordinary problem - it may even be otherworldly.
If you love the women T. Kingfisher writes, especially in Nettle and Bone and the Paladin series, you will love Anja, too. She is not your ordinary fantasy protagonist and I appreciate a mc being not quite perfect in her own sense.
I liked the plot, but it could have been a bit shorter. It is an unique spin on the Snow White tale with slight horror elements. Read if you liked the more light hearted books by T. Kingfisher like Nettle and Bone and Paladins Grace.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail