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A review by bittennailbooks
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
A Sorceress Comes to Call weaves fantasy, folklore, and found family into a new gothic classic. I received this E-ARC edition through Macmillan Audio, narrated by Eliza Foss and Jennifer Pickens.
"A Sorceress Comes to Call" is an imaginative retelling of "The Goose Girl," a Grimms Fairytale I am not familiar with but certainly will be reading after the treat that was this novel by heavyweight T. Kingfisher. I have always enjoyed retellings that authors manage to put a unique spin on, and this one is sure to check many boxes for lovers of dark fantasy.
Cordelia is the mousy daughter of the powerful Sorceress Evangeline. Whether acting as her puppet or supplicant daughter, she knows her only role is "to marry a rich husband," a rather obscure idea for the 14-year-old. Cordelia's only refuge from her isolated life and emotionally abusive mother's control is her horse Falada. With her father done away with after refusing the hand of the sorceress and another benefactor having lost interest, Cordelia is rushed away to an older squire's home where Evangeline hopes to entrap a husband once and for all. When Cordelia meets the squire's older sister, she finally finds the strength to get out from her mother's magical grips once and for all.
Audiobook: This is the first full-length fantasy that I have enjoyed through an audiobook, and I believe the narrators did a superb job of bringing the characters to life. With one narrator taking a softer voice approach to Cordelia and the other taking a tighter vocalization for the sister Hester, it was easy to keep the storyline straight through the entire book. I would certainly seek to enjoy other novels by both of these narrators.
For fans of found family, folklore retellings, and survivors of mother dearest, I believe anyone will be able to build a home in this sweet novel. 4.5/5 stars.
"A Sorceress Comes to Call" is an imaginative retelling of "The Goose Girl," a Grimms Fairytale I am not familiar with but certainly will be reading after the treat that was this novel by heavyweight T. Kingfisher. I have always enjoyed retellings that authors manage to put a unique spin on, and this one is sure to check many boxes for lovers of dark fantasy.
Cordelia is the mousy daughter of the powerful Sorceress Evangeline. Whether acting as her puppet or supplicant daughter, she knows her only role is "to marry a rich husband," a rather obscure idea for the 14-year-old. Cordelia's only refuge from her isolated life and emotionally abusive mother's control is her horse Falada. With her father done away with after refusing the hand of the sorceress and another benefactor having lost interest, Cordelia is rushed away to an older squire's home where Evangeline hopes to entrap a husband once and for all. When Cordelia meets the squire's older sister, she finally finds the strength to get out from her mother's magical grips once and for all.
Audiobook: This is the first full-length fantasy that I have enjoyed through an audiobook, and I believe the narrators did a superb job of bringing the characters to life. With one narrator taking a softer voice approach to Cordelia and the other taking a tighter vocalization for the sister Hester, it was easy to keep the storyline straight through the entire book. I would certainly seek to enjoy other novels by both of these narrators.
For fans of found family, folklore retellings, and survivors of mother dearest, I believe anyone will be able to build a home in this sweet novel. 4.5/5 stars.