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A review by 0ivy0
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Nettle and Bone is a dark, whimsical, gothic yet cosy fairytale, with some of the most unique and lovable characters I have encountered. It's very much more about the journey than the climax, yet the climax did not disappoint.
30 year old Marra embarks on a quest to save her sister from an evil prince. She encounters three impossible tasks and has the help of a grave witch, a demon chicken, a bonedog, a man they freed from the goblin market and a fairy godmother.
We start part way through Marra's journey, which was slightly confused but in a way that inspired curiosity and made the book itself more unique, before going back to see how it all started.
The world-building was done seamlessly without an exposition-dump, however I wasn't 100% sure what the setting was truly like. I wonder if it would have benefited from a map for visualising the borders of territories and to map the journey.
The book contains great characterisation and every character felt unique both within the book and within the fantasy genre.
Our lead, Marra, is 30 years old, emotional and somewhat naive - sometimes she felt too immature and at times I was confused by her age and timeline for flash backs. We experience the story through narration with the addition of Marra's thoughts in italics, which helps the reader understand her better. Marra is the youngest of three princesses, however she would rather be a nun than to be percoeved as such. Her queen mother puts the people and peace above her kin - however this was explored.
As exoected from a dark fairytale, Nettle and Bone is well-written, though not always as visceral as it could be, with whimsical creatures - a bone dog and a chicken with a demon in it!
It seemed to me that the book had a theme of understanding people and their actions, that they are doing the best with what they are given as well as exploring response to trauma e.g. "this is happening, and I am a part of it, but that is all".
The prose was beautifully written and easy to read whilst remaining complex and romantic. There is exploration of heavy topics, especially towards the beginning, including DA and child loss.
There was definitely more emphasis on the journey and those you pick up along the way rather than the action/climax. Despite this, the climax was well-written and hit well which is surprising to me as I am usually bored by a climax (as they are generally predictable).
The ending was perfect, the plot was tied together beautifully in a bittersweet way.
My only disappointment was that I was told this book contained representation for chronic pain and, although Marra damages her hand, it is not explored enough in her thoughts or plot to be representative for me.
Overall, Nettle and Bone had a fantastic balance of charm, humour, and whimsy vs the darker themes and descriptions. The characters were well-written and unique and the plot both sorrowful but uplifting. I loved this book.
30 year old Marra embarks on a quest to save her sister from an evil prince. She encounters three impossible tasks and has the help of a grave witch, a demon chicken, a bonedog, a man they freed from the goblin market and a fairy godmother.
We start part way through Marra's journey, which was slightly confused but in a way that inspired curiosity and made the book itself more unique, before going back to see how it all started.
The world-building was done seamlessly without an exposition-dump, however I wasn't 100% sure what the setting was truly like. I wonder if it would have benefited from a map for visualising the borders of territories and to map the journey.
The book contains great characterisation and every character felt unique both within the book and within the fantasy genre.
Our lead, Marra, is 30 years old, emotional and somewhat naive - sometimes she felt too immature and at times I was confused by her age and timeline for flash backs. We experience the story through narration with the addition of Marra's thoughts in italics, which helps the reader understand her better. Marra is the youngest of three princesses, however she would rather be a nun than to be percoeved as such. Her queen mother puts the people and peace above her kin - however this was explored.
As exoected from a dark fairytale, Nettle and Bone is well-written, though not always as visceral as it could be, with whimsical creatures - a bone dog and a chicken with a demon in it!
It seemed to me that the book had a theme of understanding people and their actions, that they are doing the best with what they are given as well as exploring response to trauma e.g. "this is happening, and I am a part of it, but that is all".
The prose was beautifully written and easy to read whilst remaining complex and romantic. There is exploration of heavy topics, especially towards the beginning, including DA and child loss.
There was definitely more emphasis on the journey and those you pick up along the way rather than the action/climax. Despite this, the climax was well-written and hit well which is surprising to me as I am usually bored by a climax (as they are generally predictable).
The ending was perfect, the plot was tied together beautifully in a bittersweet way.
My only disappointment was that I was told this book contained representation for chronic pain and, although Marra damages her hand, it is not explored enough in her thoughts or plot to be representative for me.
Overall, Nettle and Bone had a fantastic balance of charm, humour, and whimsy vs the darker themes and descriptions. The characters were well-written and unique and the plot both sorrowful but uplifting. I loved this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abortion, Domestic abuse, Child death, and Pregnancy