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Thornhedge
Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.
There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story.
Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?
But nothing with fairies is ever simple.
Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…
There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story.
Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?
But nothing with fairies is ever simple.
Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…
116 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2023
About the author
T. Kingfisher
44 books13.4k followersT. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,863 reviews
August 21, 2023
Well, it has happened: a T. Kingfisher fairy tale retelling I've not liked.
Never let yourself be told that milestones don't suck.
And this didn't have any signs that it'd suck, because the beginning was interesting, and the main character was interesting. The plot premise may not have been new or fresh, as recounting Sleeping Beauty from the POV of the fairy godmother is an old trick by now, having been done a few times over, including in the Maleficent film that Kingfisher watched and named in her author's note, and drew the wrong conclusion from, apparently. Why? Spoilers ahead, so be warned.
Because redeeming the evil fairy doesn't have to mean villainising the sleeping maiden, which is exactly what is done here. The fairy is made into a good-hearted if clumsy character and the sleeping maiden is a psychopathic child who is evil from birth for no reason at all besides her origins. She is evil and murderous and cruel merely because she has to be like that, that's her nature, and the poor clumsy fairy has to stop her from doing harm. Everything the fairy Toadling does is good and justified, everything Princess Fayette does is evil and unexplainably unjustified. No in-between, no nuance, no nothing.
And that's what nukes a retelling out of orbit for me. There's nothing I loathe as much as villainising the hero to redeem the villain from the original tale. It's nothing but a lazy exchange of places. It's what lazy authors do when they want to redeem the Evil Queen by making Snow White the monster instead of, you know, giving the Evil Queen a reason to be like this that is plausible. And in the case of Sleeping Beauty, to villainise her is even worse because it's one of those tales in which she's done absolutely nothing to deserve her tragic fate (because it IS tragic from any angle you look at it, she's basically comatose and at the mercy of everything and everyone) and, in the darker and older version, she's even raped in her sleep and gives birth to rape babies. So how can you make the victim the evildoer with no reason ever given? T. Kingfisher even argues in her notes that "After all, why would you trap someone inside a hedge of thorns, anyway? Because you wanted to contain her. Because there was some reason you didn’t want her to get out. Because she was dangerous," thus essentially deciding to blame the victim.
I've often hated her snarky commentary on fairy tales (see her inserts for the Halcyon anthology) because that's shown her as one of those who take tales literally and miss the metaphor and symbolism alongside the point of the story. But this is frankly too much.
Mind you, I am not saying you can't or shouldn't make Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty the villain. You absolutely can. But give reasons. Give a damned reason, don't just make her be. Nobody is born evil, evil is made, evil is nurtured, evil is grown. But Fayette here is evil from the cradle, literally and not figuratively, unless you want to say the botched gift made her be, which isn't what the text implies.
But this lazy exchange of places isn't my only big issue with this retelling. The story is set in the real world, our world, but there's an absolutely abysmal sense of place and time. For example, Fayette's parents are a king and queen, but they live in a little keep and behave and act more like lords of a small manor, baronets at best, rather than monarchs. The whole keep is like a low-ranking baron's country house, not a king's court.
And what time period is this even? We are told Justinian's third plague came and went, which would make it the 1800s (or the early 2000s if we take into account that Halim tells Toadling it's been two centuries since; see? No sense of period), but . . . there are still questing knights and the overall setting is like the 1400s, the time of the second Justinian plague, but . . . we are told calling Muslims "Saracens" is politically incorrect now and there's an anachronistic merry and amiable interaction between Halim, the Muslim knight, and a Christian monk at a monastery that apparently lets a foreign knight with no letters of introduction (and a Muslim at that) into the monastery to read old manuscripts that would be in Latin, a language our so very Muslim Halim doesn't speak. At this point, what's missing is a rabbi to complete this idyllic religious tolerance at a time when the Crusades were yet to go out with a last hurrah. Oh, and did I mention that priests and nuns have no issue with the pagan creatures that are fairies and folk from Faerie, and teach them the Lord's Prayer whilst being tolerant of their magic? Goodness, I could go on and on and on with the extremely implausible historical setting of this retelling!
But I don't want to give the impression that I didn't like anything in "Thornhedge." I did, in fact. Toadling was my favourite, she's very unique as Sleeping Beauty godmothers go: a changeling raised by bog folk who genuinely love her and she loves back. Her life in the swamp with the Greenteeth and learning magic are the best parts, she's such a lovely character. Which is why it makes me so sad the story isn't as good as it should've been. I can't say there's anything fresh about Halim, he's pretty much like many other questers I've seen save for perhaps his ethnicity, but Toadling is an original and creative take on the fairy godmother I've not seen anywhere, but she can't carry the plot alone.
A good main character, in sum, but a disappointment of a story.
Never let yourself be told that milestones don't suck.
And this didn't have any signs that it'd suck, because the beginning was interesting, and the main character was interesting. The plot premise may not have been new or fresh, as recounting Sleeping Beauty from the POV of the fairy godmother is an old trick by now, having been done a few times over, including in the Maleficent film that Kingfisher watched and named in her author's note, and drew the wrong conclusion from, apparently. Why? Spoilers ahead, so be warned.
Because redeeming the evil fairy doesn't have to mean villainising the sleeping maiden, which is exactly what is done here. The fairy is made into a good-hearted if clumsy character and the sleeping maiden is a psychopathic child who is evil from birth for no reason at all besides her origins. She is evil and murderous and cruel merely because she has to be like that, that's her nature, and the poor clumsy fairy has to stop her from doing harm. Everything the fairy Toadling does is good and justified, everything Princess Fayette does is evil and unexplainably unjustified. No in-between, no nuance, no nothing.
And that's what nukes a retelling out of orbit for me. There's nothing I loathe as much as villainising the hero to redeem the villain from the original tale. It's nothing but a lazy exchange of places. It's what lazy authors do when they want to redeem the Evil Queen by making Snow White the monster instead of, you know, giving the Evil Queen a reason to be like this that is plausible. And in the case of Sleeping Beauty, to villainise her is even worse because it's one of those tales in which she's done absolutely nothing to deserve her tragic fate (because it IS tragic from any angle you look at it, she's basically comatose and at the mercy of everything and everyone) and, in the darker and older version, she's even raped in her sleep and gives birth to rape babies. So how can you make the victim the evildoer with no reason ever given? T. Kingfisher even argues in her notes that "After all, why would you trap someone inside a hedge of thorns, anyway? Because you wanted to contain her. Because there was some reason you didn’t want her to get out. Because she was dangerous," thus essentially deciding to blame the victim.
I've often hated her snarky commentary on fairy tales (see her inserts for the Halcyon anthology) because that's shown her as one of those who take tales literally and miss the metaphor and symbolism alongside the point of the story. But this is frankly too much.
Mind you, I am not saying you can't or shouldn't make Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty the villain. You absolutely can. But give reasons. Give a damned reason, don't just make her be. Nobody is born evil, evil is made, evil is nurtured, evil is grown. But Fayette here is evil from the cradle, literally and not figuratively, unless you want to say the botched gift made her be, which isn't what the text implies.
But this lazy exchange of places isn't my only big issue with this retelling. The story is set in the real world, our world, but there's an absolutely abysmal sense of place and time. For example, Fayette's parents are a king and queen, but they live in a little keep and behave and act more like lords of a small manor, baronets at best, rather than monarchs. The whole keep is like a low-ranking baron's country house, not a king's court.
And what time period is this even? We are told Justinian's third plague came and went, which would make it the 1800s (or the early 2000s if we take into account that Halim tells Toadling it's been two centuries since; see? No sense of period), but . . . there are still questing knights and the overall setting is like the 1400s, the time of the second Justinian plague, but . . . we are told calling Muslims "Saracens" is politically incorrect now and there's an anachronistic merry and amiable interaction between Halim, the Muslim knight, and a Christian monk at a monastery that apparently lets a foreign knight with no letters of introduction (and a Muslim at that) into the monastery to read old manuscripts that would be in Latin, a language our so very Muslim Halim doesn't speak. At this point, what's missing is a rabbi to complete this idyllic religious tolerance at a time when the Crusades were yet to go out with a last hurrah. Oh, and did I mention that priests and nuns have no issue with the pagan creatures that are fairies and folk from Faerie, and teach them the Lord's Prayer whilst being tolerant of their magic? Goodness, I could go on and on and on with the extremely implausible historical setting of this retelling!
But I don't want to give the impression that I didn't like anything in "Thornhedge." I did, in fact. Toadling was my favourite, she's very unique as Sleeping Beauty godmothers go: a changeling raised by bog folk who genuinely love her and she loves back. Her life in the swamp with the Greenteeth and learning magic are the best parts, she's such a lovely character. Which is why it makes me so sad the story isn't as good as it should've been. I can't say there's anything fresh about Halim, he's pretty much like many other questers I've seen save for perhaps his ethnicity, but Toadling is an original and creative take on the fairy godmother I've not seen anywhere, but she can't carry the plot alone.
A good main character, in sum, but a disappointment of a story.
April 2, 2024
ciern
stylizowana na stara basn historia o wrozce Ropuszce i o tchorzliwym rycerzu Halimie, o okrucienstwie swiata magii i milosci ludzi. (bywalo tez na odwrot) wow, poetycko. na co chce zwrocic uwage to wykreowane postacie- nasza Ropuszka odbiega od standardow pieknej, zadziornej i niefrasobliwej glownej bohaterki. Wrozka jest niesmiala i powolna. ksiazka ktora absolutnie chwycila mnie za serce, przypomniala mi o malej toli kochajacej dziwne opowiesci. troche mi sie lzy zbieraja jak to pisze. piekne opisy przyrody- raczej tej ktora nam nie odpowiada, czyli blota ,zapadlisk i zarosnietych stawow, i wlasnie to jest wspanialosc tej ksiazki. oczywisxie pozycja miala tez swoje wady- magia nie byla zbyt wytlumaczona, a na czesc wydarzen bylo trzeba przymknac oko, ale czy mi to przeszkadzalo? wcale. wszystko rekompensowal mi uroczy jezyk i w gruncie rzeczy smutna historia o wyrzutkach. czytajcie.
stylizowana na stara basn historia o wrozce Ropuszce i o tchorzliwym rycerzu Halimie, o okrucienstwie swiata magii i milosci ludzi. (bywalo tez na odwrot) wow, poetycko. na co chce zwrocic uwage to wykreowane postacie- nasza Ropuszka odbiega od standardow pieknej, zadziornej i niefrasobliwej glownej bohaterki. Wrozka jest niesmiala i powolna. ksiazka ktora absolutnie chwycila mnie za serce, przypomniala mi o malej toli kochajacej dziwne opowiesci. troche mi sie lzy zbieraja jak to pisze. piekne opisy przyrody- raczej tej ktora nam nie odpowiada, czyli blota ,zapadlisk i zarosnietych stawow, i wlasnie to jest wspanialosc tej ksiazki. oczywisxie pozycja miala tez swoje wady- magia nie byla zbyt wytlumaczona, a na czesc wydarzen bylo trzeba przymknac oko, ale czy mi to przeszkadzalo? wcale. wszystko rekompensowal mi uroczy jezyk i w gruncie rzeczy smutna historia o wyrzutkach. czytajcie.
April 25, 2024
In Thornhedge, T. Kingfisher brings her lush, humorous and whimsical storytelling to a quick and adorably-reimagined Sleeping Beauty origin story.
Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors. I have loved everything of hers that I have ever read and after reading this, it doesn't appear that is going to change anytime soon.
I will try to write an unbiased review, but it will be difficult. I'm a fan girl, what can I say?
In this story we meet Toadling, who as an infant was stolen and transported to live in the world of the faeries. They treated her well, and her early life was undeniably warm and comfortable. She couldn't lodge many complaints.
Once she came into adulthood though, the faeries asked a favor of her that ended up changing everything.
She is asked to return to the world of humans to bless a newborn child. A little girl. A bumbling, beautiful baby girl...
A century later, a knight approaches a wall of brambles, an impenetrable fortress of thorns. He's heard legends of a cursed Princess high in a tower. He's here to save her, as knights do.
Toadling, however, has different thoughts on this so-called curse and she'll do anything to uphold it. You'll have to read this enchanting story to find out why.
This was a super fun and quick read, which I did listen to on audio. It has a nice, cozy feel to it, that I definitely need every once in a while to break up my darker reads.
I enjoyed how Kingfisher gave us enough of the original tale that you could figure out what she was alluding to, yet she brought her own original twist that caused me to view the fairy tale in a while new light.
The twist itself was fascinating to me. Darker than I expected, but whimsical at the same time. I was really impressed with it.
I think it is a great example of Kingfisher's skill as a writer. I also highly enjoyed the narration of the audiobook. This story is pure, engaging entertainment.
I would recommend it to any Reader who enjoys twists on classic tales, whimsical, cozy fantasies, or Kingfisher's work in general. There is no way this story isn't going to bring a smile to your face.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. T. Kingfisher is a gift. She has a gift and she is a gift!
I will continue picking up every single thing she writes.
Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors. I have loved everything of hers that I have ever read and after reading this, it doesn't appear that is going to change anytime soon.
I will try to write an unbiased review, but it will be difficult. I'm a fan girl, what can I say?
In this story we meet Toadling, who as an infant was stolen and transported to live in the world of the faeries. They treated her well, and her early life was undeniably warm and comfortable. She couldn't lodge many complaints.
Once she came into adulthood though, the faeries asked a favor of her that ended up changing everything.
She is asked to return to the world of humans to bless a newborn child. A little girl. A bumbling, beautiful baby girl...
A century later, a knight approaches a wall of brambles, an impenetrable fortress of thorns. He's heard legends of a cursed Princess high in a tower. He's here to save her, as knights do.
Toadling, however, has different thoughts on this so-called curse and she'll do anything to uphold it. You'll have to read this enchanting story to find out why.
This was a super fun and quick read, which I did listen to on audio. It has a nice, cozy feel to it, that I definitely need every once in a while to break up my darker reads.
I enjoyed how Kingfisher gave us enough of the original tale that you could figure out what she was alluding to, yet she brought her own original twist that caused me to view the fairy tale in a while new light.
The twist itself was fascinating to me. Darker than I expected, but whimsical at the same time. I was really impressed with it.
I think it is a great example of Kingfisher's skill as a writer. I also highly enjoyed the narration of the audiobook. This story is pure, engaging entertainment.
I would recommend it to any Reader who enjoys twists on classic tales, whimsical, cozy fantasies, or Kingfisher's work in general. There is no way this story isn't going to bring a smile to your face.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. T. Kingfisher is a gift. She has a gift and she is a gift!
I will continue picking up every single thing she writes.
April 11, 2024
Za krótkie!
May 11, 2023
I really hope there’s more. And I mean, really, really. Heck, I’ll even throw in a third REALLY, this is how much I want a Thornhedge 2.
T. Kingfisher’s latest novella is as good as novellas come. It’s the tale of Sleeping Beauty, spun on its head, where a kind fairy (of sorts) named Toadling is tasked with offering a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Only she screws it up and finds herself stuck in the human world, left there to keep right what she wronged. Until a knight, intrigued by an old legend, approaches a massive wall of brambles hundreds of years later, and Toadling is forced to come out of hiding to protect the curse she cast all those years ago.
Now, my desire for a Thornhedge 2 isn’t so much because Kingfisher leaves us with a major cliffhanger. (She doesn’t; in fact, she wraps the story up nicely.) It just felt like one because I wasn’t ready for Toadling’s story to be over.
So Ms. Kingfisher, please write more. I must find out what happens to Toadling after you typed The End. Thornhedge is the sweetest, most delightful fairy tale you’ve given us yet, and I know, deep in your heart, there's story left to tell.
Thornhedge publishes August 15, 2023. (Not soon enough, I know. But it’s worth the wait!)
My sincerest appreciation to T. Kingfisher and Tor Books for the physical advanced reading copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
T. Kingfisher’s latest novella is as good as novellas come. It’s the tale of Sleeping Beauty, spun on its head, where a kind fairy (of sorts) named Toadling is tasked with offering a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Only she screws it up and finds herself stuck in the human world, left there to keep right what she wronged. Until a knight, intrigued by an old legend, approaches a massive wall of brambles hundreds of years later, and Toadling is forced to come out of hiding to protect the curse she cast all those years ago.
Now, my desire for a Thornhedge 2 isn’t so much because Kingfisher leaves us with a major cliffhanger. (She doesn’t; in fact, she wraps the story up nicely.) It just felt like one because I wasn’t ready for Toadling’s story to be over.
So Ms. Kingfisher, please write more. I must find out what happens to Toadling after you typed The End. Thornhedge is the sweetest, most delightful fairy tale you’ve given us yet, and I know, deep in your heart, there's story left to tell.
Thornhedge publishes August 15, 2023. (Not soon enough, I know. But it’s worth the wait!)
My sincerest appreciation to T. Kingfisher and Tor Books for the physical advanced reading copy. All opinions included herein are my own.
April 17, 2024
‘I came because of a story.’
Minds are easily enchanted by tales of heroic journeys with the promise of a beautiful maiden in need of rescuing. It’s a staple of fairy tales and also a point that has inspired many retellings with gender-bent twists or heroic heroines who don’t need saving. All of which might have us considering what the romanticization of tales like this suggest are social values and what constitutes as heroic. Thornhedge, the latest novella from T. Kingfisher in Tor’s recent line-up of her works (though, according to the author’s note, the first manuscript she submitted), probes such questions through her loose retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale. It is a quiet, sweet story, if a little sauceless at times, where we find the fairy who has cursed a young maiden to a lengthy sleep is not evil at all. Toadling ‘had lived with dread for 200 years’ standing sentry outside the tower where the young princess rests, though when a knight comes ‘because of a story’ seeking some sort of adventure or at least to know if it is true, the truth behind the myth comes out for why she would prefer he did not continue his quest. While this is admittedly fun with a lot going for it—especially Toadling who is so endearing—it simultaneously feels like it doesn’t lean into it’s own retelling enough while also relying to much on it as the bones to hold the whole structure up. Sweet and imaginative, though perhaps needing more nuance and room to breathe to allow the long history of events stretch their narrative legs a bit, Thornhedge is still an interesting look at how stories can twist to romanticize a tale at the expense of the truth.
There seems to be a recipe for romantic knight’s quests and rescue missions, usually involving a “fair maiden” who has been captured away by some great evil. A dragon perhaps, or an evil sorceress, and it seems almost a given in these tales that the princess is beautiful and the sorceress…lacking in beauty. Enter Toadling, sweet, shy, lovable Toadling, who we are told many times she is not beautiful (the knight tells her as much, but does say she is interesting which is either a condolence or perhaps more valuable anyways), and she is watching a tower where sleeps a princess. Who is trapped for a fairly valid reason. I won’t give away the plot but its pretty fun and sets up what could have been a really interesting look at how the Sleeping Beauty tale is merely a misunderstanding of what happened but instead becomes almost overly good and evil flipped on its head.
Anyways, regardless, knowing the recipe for knight quests, this story doesn’t seem to fit and gossip has a way of trying to make the events much sexier and we learn “the truth” which is then juxtaposed with the stories around these events that are circulating 200 years later. Unsurprisingly, what we hear is a very romanticized version (a retelling of its own, I suppose) that leans into the rather masculine “knight saves the day to win the princess.” Or, as David Foster Wallace discusses in his essay Back into the New Fire (in an essay that is a bit problematic but we are going to use this for a different purpose so that's a discussion for another time), ‘the way the story always goes, good Sir Knight risks life and lance against the dragon not to “rescue” the good-looking virgin, but to “win” her. And any knight, from any era, can tell you what “win” means here.’ Which is a huge bummer for Toadling because she’s become a villain and the real villain is now the sought after “prize.” Nevermind the fact that, while being an ancient evil, she is in human form forever asleep as an 8 year old girl. Which, perhaps is part of the subversiveness of how the romanticization of the story is sexualizing an 8 year old girl for knights to “win,” but either way Kingfisher is directing us to how pretty gross the whole idea of a knight “winning” a captive princess is.
‘I mostly came for answers,’ our knight tells Toadling, ‘or maybe just the story.’ Unlike most knights, this one is more interested in winning a story and seemingly not a beautiful princess, though I’m sure it has crossed his mind. Kingfisher plays with some expectations here as well, making him a Muslim knight and also describing him as not particularly attractive as well. Though this does touch on how it is sort of unclear when this story is supposed to take place or if it is actually our Earth or a fantasy world with most of the same elements and general vibes. I mean, I do enjoy that we are going for an inclusive story but Toadling was just describing people waving crusades banners and now monks are just hanging with the Muslim knight talking about god like everything is just cool? It seemed a missed opportunity to discuss the religious violence or at least find a way to frame the story in history. Which I guess we are supposed to brush aside for the sake of the story, but at least the world building for the world of fairies is rather lovely and I especially enjoy the way time works in this book with decades passing in the fairy realm being only a few days in the human one. Anyways, an interesting dynamic is that the knight has to confront the version of the story he has heard with the existence and warnings of Toadling, who is pretty charming in her quirky shyness (poor fairy girl has been in solitude for centuries, so you’ll forgive her awkwardness) but doesn’t really fit the bill for a heroic knights quest. His stubbornness in thinking he can lift a non-existent curse on her (does he think she’ll turn beautiful?) makes for some rather cute and charming scenes.
But for all the sweetness, the atmosphere is rather lacking. I found Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead to be an unsettling delight, particularly for the way it felt electrifying in the tense tone and eerie atmosphere. Toadling is great and quiet, but the story is almost too quiet and soft as well, seeming like the whole thing is far removed in soft flashbacks bathed in a sepia tone with little contrast to emphasize the sinister shadows and thorns of the story. Not that there aren’t some great scenes, but it all feels a bit unhurried in a telling that is also too truncated for the scenes to really land. I think Marquise explains all this much more efficiently in her review, but the elements of Fayette simply being a pure evil being felt too much like a shortcut past what could have been a tension building exploration of childhood cruelty giving way to unbearable darkness. The novel decides this is just an evil child beyond redemption and that’s that—the nature of who she is supposed to be and all the changeling lore is pretty cool, granted, but it all happens too quickly to really give you much to grip onto even with one pretty dramatic and violent scene.
I did, however, really enjoy the way the magic mixes with the world and the kingdom falling into a state of disrepair as ‘the people bled away drop by drop and nobody tried to staunch the flow.’ You do feel Toadling’s sadness and longing quite strongly, and I found her to be such a well constructed and lovable character you really do root for.
Despite some aspects that didn’t quite work for me, i would still encourage you to read Thronhedge as it is quite a fun little tale. I would have enjoyed more space given to let the story flow and at times it seems it would have benefitted by playing around with its own elements more. It felt unsure if it was a retelling or an homage at times, and I think it could have been more successful by just really leaning into itself. Still, I read this in a single sitting and found it quite engaging the whole way and I really appreciate the aspect on seeing how history can get twisted into myths and legends that fit the needs of those who desire conquest or an romanticized tale at the expense of the truth. While I may have been a bit critical here, Thornhedge was enjoyable and I will certainly continue to read more T. Kingfisher.
3.5/5
‘The only choices for her father’s house had been a quiet, peaceful ending or a prolonged horror under Fayette. It had needed Toadling to put it out of its misery, nothing more.’
Minds are easily enchanted by tales of heroic journeys with the promise of a beautiful maiden in need of rescuing. It’s a staple of fairy tales and also a point that has inspired many retellings with gender-bent twists or heroic heroines who don’t need saving. All of which might have us considering what the romanticization of tales like this suggest are social values and what constitutes as heroic. Thornhedge, the latest novella from T. Kingfisher in Tor’s recent line-up of her works (though, according to the author’s note, the first manuscript she submitted), probes such questions through her loose retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale. It is a quiet, sweet story, if a little sauceless at times, where we find the fairy who has cursed a young maiden to a lengthy sleep is not evil at all. Toadling ‘had lived with dread for 200 years’ standing sentry outside the tower where the young princess rests, though when a knight comes ‘because of a story’ seeking some sort of adventure or at least to know if it is true, the truth behind the myth comes out for why she would prefer he did not continue his quest. While this is admittedly fun with a lot going for it—especially Toadling who is so endearing—it simultaneously feels like it doesn’t lean into it’s own retelling enough while also relying to much on it as the bones to hold the whole structure up. Sweet and imaginative, though perhaps needing more nuance and room to breathe to allow the long history of events stretch their narrative legs a bit, Thornhedge is still an interesting look at how stories can twist to romanticize a tale at the expense of the truth.
There seems to be a recipe for romantic knight’s quests and rescue missions, usually involving a “fair maiden” who has been captured away by some great evil. A dragon perhaps, or an evil sorceress, and it seems almost a given in these tales that the princess is beautiful and the sorceress…lacking in beauty. Enter Toadling, sweet, shy, lovable Toadling, who we are told many times she is not beautiful (the knight tells her as much, but does say she is interesting which is either a condolence or perhaps more valuable anyways), and she is watching a tower where sleeps a princess. Who is trapped for a fairly valid reason. I won’t give away the plot but its pretty fun and sets up what could have been a really interesting look at how the Sleeping Beauty tale is merely a misunderstanding of what happened but instead becomes almost overly good and evil flipped on its head.
Anyways, regardless, knowing the recipe for knight quests, this story doesn’t seem to fit and gossip has a way of trying to make the events much sexier and we learn “the truth” which is then juxtaposed with the stories around these events that are circulating 200 years later. Unsurprisingly, what we hear is a very romanticized version (a retelling of its own, I suppose) that leans into the rather masculine “knight saves the day to win the princess.” Or, as David Foster Wallace discusses in his essay Back into the New Fire (in an essay that is a bit problematic but we are going to use this for a different purpose so that's a discussion for another time), ‘the way the story always goes, good Sir Knight risks life and lance against the dragon not to “rescue” the good-looking virgin, but to “win” her. And any knight, from any era, can tell you what “win” means here.’ Which is a huge bummer for Toadling because she’s become a villain and the real villain is now the sought after “prize.” Nevermind the fact that, while being an ancient evil, she is in human form forever asleep as an 8 year old girl. Which, perhaps is part of the subversiveness of how the romanticization of the story is sexualizing an 8 year old girl for knights to “win,” but either way Kingfisher is directing us to how pretty gross the whole idea of a knight “winning” a captive princess is.
‘I mostly came for answers,’ our knight tells Toadling, ‘or maybe just the story.’ Unlike most knights, this one is more interested in winning a story and seemingly not a beautiful princess, though I’m sure it has crossed his mind. Kingfisher plays with some expectations here as well, making him a Muslim knight and also describing him as not particularly attractive as well. Though this does touch on how it is sort of unclear when this story is supposed to take place or if it is actually our Earth or a fantasy world with most of the same elements and general vibes. I mean, I do enjoy that we are going for an inclusive story but Toadling was just describing people waving crusades banners and now monks are just hanging with the Muslim knight talking about god like everything is just cool? It seemed a missed opportunity to discuss the religious violence or at least find a way to frame the story in history. Which I guess we are supposed to brush aside for the sake of the story, but at least the world building for the world of fairies is rather lovely and I especially enjoy the way time works in this book with decades passing in the fairy realm being only a few days in the human one. Anyways, an interesting dynamic is that the knight has to confront the version of the story he has heard with the existence and warnings of Toadling, who is pretty charming in her quirky shyness (poor fairy girl has been in solitude for centuries, so you’ll forgive her awkwardness) but doesn’t really fit the bill for a heroic knights quest. His stubbornness in thinking he can lift a non-existent curse on her (does he think she’ll turn beautiful?) makes for some rather cute and charming scenes.
But for all the sweetness, the atmosphere is rather lacking. I found Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead to be an unsettling delight, particularly for the way it felt electrifying in the tense tone and eerie atmosphere. Toadling is great and quiet, but the story is almost too quiet and soft as well, seeming like the whole thing is far removed in soft flashbacks bathed in a sepia tone with little contrast to emphasize the sinister shadows and thorns of the story. Not that there aren’t some great scenes, but it all feels a bit unhurried in a telling that is also too truncated for the scenes to really land. I think Marquise explains all this much more efficiently in her review, but the elements of Fayette simply being a pure evil being felt too much like a shortcut past what could have been a tension building exploration of childhood cruelty giving way to unbearable darkness. The novel decides this is just an evil child beyond redemption and that’s that—the nature of who she is supposed to be and all the changeling lore is pretty cool, granted, but it all happens too quickly to really give you much to grip onto even with one pretty dramatic and violent scene.
I did, however, really enjoy the way the magic mixes with the world and the kingdom falling into a state of disrepair as ‘the people bled away drop by drop and nobody tried to staunch the flow.’ You do feel Toadling’s sadness and longing quite strongly, and I found her to be such a well constructed and lovable character you really do root for.
Despite some aspects that didn’t quite work for me, i would still encourage you to read Thronhedge as it is quite a fun little tale. I would have enjoyed more space given to let the story flow and at times it seems it would have benefitted by playing around with its own elements more. It felt unsure if it was a retelling or an homage at times, and I think it could have been more successful by just really leaning into itself. Still, I read this in a single sitting and found it quite engaging the whole way and I really appreciate the aspect on seeing how history can get twisted into myths and legends that fit the needs of those who desire conquest or an romanticized tale at the expense of the truth. While I may have been a bit critical here, Thornhedge was enjoyable and I will certainly continue to read more T. Kingfisher.
3.5/5
‘The only choices for her father’s house had been a quiet, peaceful ending or a prolonged horror under Fayette. It had needed Toadling to put it out of its misery, nothing more.’
April 27, 2024
I loved how strange, nuanced and scary The Hollow Places was. While I certainly enjoyed some of this, certain parts were better than others. I enjoyed Toadling's character. The concept of changelings has always been one that interested me. When she meets her own, I felt enthralled by that part of the story. The knight, on the other hand? Boring.
🎧 NetGalley
🎧 NetGalley
October 29, 2023
“The only curse is that she is a changeling. And she will be as cruel as she can, because that is the nature of changelings. Good spirits do not steal away babies to take their place. It is only the wicked that are sent to make mischief. And only the dutiful that are sent to try and stop them.”
To me evil is actually scarier when it’s an evil kid who’s evil just because, and your love and devotion and care is not enough to change a sociopath into something less horrifying. (Some people are just born cruel assholes and you can’t convince me otherwise). (Maybe that stems from reading The Omen at the tender age of eight and getting terrified out of my mind by the idea of an evil toddler who’s pure evil, evilly* ). Human brain wants explanations and reason for evil because it’s more rational then, rather than “just because”, and probably susceptible to fixing it with enough effort and care.
But sometimes it’s just not enough.
“It should have mattered. All that love and all that trying should have changed … something…”
*
But sometimes a good solution to evil may be “stab it with the pointy end”, but to thoughtful, kind and careful people that solution is very hard to arrive at.
And yet despite the inclusion of an evil child torturing living beings “just because”, it’s surprisingly a very sweet book. Playing off the role reversal in Sleeping Beauty tale, it focuses on a kind and quiet “villain” who’s just keeping evil at bay. Toadling is a non-pretty kid traded at birth for a changeling, growing up in Faerie, raised with love by human-eating water monsters and then tasked with keeping the evil changeling at bay back in the human world. But a few hundred years later a legend of a beautiful sleeping maiden still endures, and a quiet, calm and very polite knight appears in Toadling’s life, disturbing the years and years spent carrying out her self-imposed sentence of guarding the evil.
“There’s a very high wall,” said Halim, “according to the imams, called al-A’raf. Between hell and paradise. And if you haven’t been good enough or evil enough to go one place or the other, you live in this wall. But even those people will eventually enter paradise, because God is merciful.” He jammed his chin onto his fist and gazed at Toadling. “It seems like you’ve been stuck in that wall for quite a long time now … That’s all the theology I’ve got in me, incidentally, so I hope it’s useful.”
Toadling sighed. “I would like to climb down from that wall,” she admitted.
“Well, then.”
It’s a quiet and calm story mostly built on thoughtful introspection, guilt and regret. And resignation to fate that follows seeming inability to change things for the better with love, kindness and sensible hard work. It’s the bittersweet kind of sweetness here and not that of the sugary cotton candy variety that I can’t stand. It flows well, and as usual, Kingfisher/Vernon does some impressive magic with her seemingly easy and unforced writing that makes the words fall just right.
I enjoyed it way more than I expected to. I’m usually not too keen on retellings (even from Kingfisher herself), but this one is very much it’s own story of guilt and regret just leaning on the framework of a fairytale, and that’s alright with me.
4.5 thorny stars.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
September 27, 2023
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher is a Retelling of Sleeping Beauty, in a Roundabout Way!
Thornhedge is full of the delightful fairytale imagery of fairies, a king and his queen, a princess, a kind knight, and all the wonderful elements one would expect to find in a make-believe kingdom.
There's also poor, dear Toadling, who was whisked away from her family by fairies the day she was born. She grew to feel safe and loved in her new toad-like form in the watery warmth of faerieland.
When Toadling reaches adulthood she's asked to return to the human world to bless a newborn child. Trouble is, she garbles the words and the blessing turns into a curse.
Centuries later, as Toadling hides in a wall of thick towering brambles and thorns, a knight arrives. She just wants him to leave. She must ensure the curse stays a curse forever and she has her reasons why...
How can anyone resist the talent and creativity of T.Kingfisher's beautiful writing style and storytelling? Or should I say Retellings? It's simply impossible. The characters here are as diverse as good and evil, the magic is ever present, and the atmosphere is both bright and a bit dark.
For Thornhedge, I was fortunate to have both a physical ARC, which I read first, and an ALC, which I listened to second. The narrator, Jennifer Blom, offers excellent voicing skills. Although, audiobooks are my preference, any format you choose for this story will be a delight.
I thought my fairytale days were long gone but, alas, T. Kingfisher has scratched that itch in the form of a retelling once again. I highly recommend Thornhedge!
4⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and T. Kingfisher for an ALC and Tor Publishing Group for a physical ARC of this book through Shelf Awareness. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.
Thornhedge is full of the delightful fairytale imagery of fairies, a king and his queen, a princess, a kind knight, and all the wonderful elements one would expect to find in a make-believe kingdom.
There's also poor, dear Toadling, who was whisked away from her family by fairies the day she was born. She grew to feel safe and loved in her new toad-like form in the watery warmth of faerieland.
When Toadling reaches adulthood she's asked to return to the human world to bless a newborn child. Trouble is, she garbles the words and the blessing turns into a curse.
Centuries later, as Toadling hides in a wall of thick towering brambles and thorns, a knight arrives. She just wants him to leave. She must ensure the curse stays a curse forever and she has her reasons why...
How can anyone resist the talent and creativity of T.Kingfisher's beautiful writing style and storytelling? Or should I say Retellings? It's simply impossible. The characters here are as diverse as good and evil, the magic is ever present, and the atmosphere is both bright and a bit dark.
For Thornhedge, I was fortunate to have both a physical ARC, which I read first, and an ALC, which I listened to second. The narrator, Jennifer Blom, offers excellent voicing skills. Although, audiobooks are my preference, any format you choose for this story will be a delight.
I thought my fairytale days were long gone but, alas, T. Kingfisher has scratched that itch in the form of a retelling once again. I highly recommend Thornhedge!
4⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and T. Kingfisher for an ALC and Tor Publishing Group for a physical ARC of this book through Shelf Awareness. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.
April 27, 2023
Sleeping Beauty with a twist!
The true beauty of this book is how Kingfisher has created such an endearing, captivating and wonderful tale with unique characters in 120 pages. T. Kingfisher can do no wrong in my book. I love her writing and how she approaches characters.
There is a sleeping princess trapped in a tower, but it is Toadling who has the spotlight in this book. Toadling was stolen on the day she was born by fairies and raised by them in the waters of faerieland. She loved the water, her new family and the comfort they provided.
One day a goddess appears and tells Toadling that she must go with her to be educated. Eventually Toadling is sent back to the human world to deliver a gift to a newborn. Sounds simple, right?
Centuries later a knight appears, he has heard about a curse which needs breaking...
Toadling stole my heart with her unselfishness and kind demeanor. She wants so badly to do the right thing and I admired her dedication. She has been alone for a long time and when a knight appears, everything changes.
This book had a little bit of everything. There is family, there is a tower surrounded by hedges, there is a changeling, there is a sensitive knight and there is Toadling, sweet endearing, Toadling.
I love how T. Kingfisher blended light and darkness in this book. She took a beloved fairy tale and made it her own in such a magical way. She has written a fairy tale that I want to read. Not everyone is beautiful on the outside, but there are some that are quite beautiful in their actions and personality.
This book had me turning the pages to see how things were going to end.
Gripping, captivating and magical!
I cannot wait to see what she writes next!!!
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
The true beauty of this book is how Kingfisher has created such an endearing, captivating and wonderful tale with unique characters in 120 pages. T. Kingfisher can do no wrong in my book. I love her writing and how she approaches characters.
There is a sleeping princess trapped in a tower, but it is Toadling who has the spotlight in this book. Toadling was stolen on the day she was born by fairies and raised by them in the waters of faerieland. She loved the water, her new family and the comfort they provided.
One day a goddess appears and tells Toadling that she must go with her to be educated. Eventually Toadling is sent back to the human world to deliver a gift to a newborn. Sounds simple, right?
Centuries later a knight appears, he has heard about a curse which needs breaking...
Toadling stole my heart with her unselfishness and kind demeanor. She wants so badly to do the right thing and I admired her dedication. She has been alone for a long time and when a knight appears, everything changes.
This book had a little bit of everything. There is family, there is a tower surrounded by hedges, there is a changeling, there is a sensitive knight and there is Toadling, sweet endearing, Toadling.
I love how T. Kingfisher blended light and darkness in this book. She took a beloved fairy tale and made it her own in such a magical way. She has written a fairy tale that I want to read. Not everyone is beautiful on the outside, but there are some that are quite beautiful in their actions and personality.
This book had me turning the pages to see how things were going to end.
Gripping, captivating and magical!
I cannot wait to see what she writes next!!!
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Tor Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Read
August 21, 2023Absolutely delightful inverted Sleeping Beauty that answers questions such as "what do the fairies do with the children they steal?" and "why exactly would you create a full on thorn hedge and a massive sleep spell to keep a beautiful girl locked away from the world?" Wonderfully engaging story of quiet kindnesss and love against the selfishness of the world.
February 25, 2024
What if Sleeping Beauty were an evil fairy changeling?
What if it were necessary to keep her asleep because she was a powerful little psychopath and the only one capable of doing it was the child who was stolen and raised in Fairy?
Enter Toadette.
She was raised by the creatures of the water in Fairy and permanently changed by her time in the land. She is near immortal and has some magic, but no idea that she is anything different than they are until one day a goddess comes to take her home.
The rest of what unfolds is the "true" story of Sleeping Beauty.
And while it isn't traditional, I really enjoyed this version quite a bit. But since it's so odd, I think everyone's mileage will differ on it, so I'm not going to be pushing it as a must-read for fans of this particular fairytale.
One of the positives, if you're on the fence, is that this is a fairly short story, so at least it's not a huge investment of your time.
Recommended for someone looking for a new spin on an old tale.
What if it were necessary to keep her asleep because she was a powerful little psychopath and the only one capable of doing it was the child who was stolen and raised in Fairy?
Enter Toadette.
She was raised by the creatures of the water in Fairy and permanently changed by her time in the land. She is near immortal and has some magic, but no idea that she is anything different than they are until one day a goddess comes to take her home.
The rest of what unfolds is the "true" story of Sleeping Beauty.
And while it isn't traditional, I really enjoyed this version quite a bit. But since it's so odd, I think everyone's mileage will differ on it, so I'm not going to be pushing it as a must-read for fans of this particular fairytale.
One of the positives, if you're on the fence, is that this is a fairly short story, so at least it's not a huge investment of your time.
Recommended for someone looking for a new spin on an old tale.
October 1, 2023
“It never occurred to her to doubt her welcome. Such was the gift of a child raised with love.”
this is a hard one to rate, but i think i have settled on the highest of 3 stars! but three stars feels extra wild because the mc of this is probably my favorite character that t kingfisher has ever created! this is a sleeping beauty reimagining that really makes the reader think about what humans can perceive as good and/or evil on first glance. it also has heavy themes of nurture versus nature and how important it is for children to grow up with love and safety. but there was just something about the evil one being a child* in this story that made me uncomfortable, and upon finishing it just really made me not want to give out a higher rating, despite loving so many other aspects of this novella. (*i know there is more to this, but i am trying to be vague for this mini review!)
toading, the main character, is truly wonderful. and I loved seeing her watch generation after generation pass while protecting this tower, until one day a prince comes that makes her want to do things a little differently. i loved seeing her growing up among the fae, with a family and community who loved her unapologetically with everything they had. and i loved the writing of this and how beautifully kingfisher was able to blend past and present narratives together. i know this review is a little all over the place, but i still recommend this one and i can’t wait to continue reading everything from this author.
trigger + content warnings: blood, plague, death, kidnapping, captivity, brief mention of child birth, death of a child, self harm for magic / testing magic, mention of animal cruelty, physical abuse (slap), suicide mention, violence, extreme isolation
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➽ What Moves the Dead ★★★
➽ A House with Good Bones ★★
➽ Nettle & Bone ★★★★★
November 2, 2023
In the early days, the wall of thorns had been distressingly obvious. There was simply no way to hide a hedge with thorns like sword blades and stems as thick as a man’s thigh. A wall like that invited curiosity and with curiosity came axes, and it was all the fairy could do to keep some of those curious folk from gaining entrance to the tower.--------------------------------------
Eventually, though, the brambles had grown up around the edges—blackberry and briar and dog rose, all the weedy opportunists—and that softened the edge of the thorn wall and gave the fairy some breathing room. Roving princes and penniless younger sons had been fascinated by the thorns, which were so obviously there to keep people out. Hardly anybody was interested in a bramble thicket.
How does anyone manage? There are too many streams and they all flow and all of them could be good and there’s no way to know. How does anyone ever choose to do anything?Match.com profile – Languid Lady - Wanna meet a real princess? Low maintenance, fond of comfortable bedding, long walks in dreamland, quiet weekends at home in the castle. If you are looking for consistency, a quiet, luxurious, restful life, send me a message. Only real princes need apply. Let’s make some magic together. (Submitted for a friend)
T. Kingfisher aka Ursula Vernon - image from Open Library
We all know, or should know, the story of Sleeping Beauty, whether the Disney version or some other. Beautiful princess is tucked away in a tower for a seemingly endless nap, done dirt by an evil fairy. Kingfisher, as she has done many times with established tales, offers a different perspective.
Illustration for Charles Perrault's La Belle au Bois Dormant from Histoires ou Contes du Temps passé: Les Contes de ma Mère l'Oye (1697) - image from Wiki
This time, what if it was not a dark force, but a kind one that had caused all those zzzzzzzzzs? What if there was a good reason for doing so? What is someone was charged with making sure that no one disturbed the sleeper, however many years, decades, centuries might pass?
One thing I like to do with fairy tales is to look at them and go “How can I make this even worse?” - from the Grim Dark interviewI am not so sure that Kingfisher’s tale really is a worse version. Well, maybe worse that the Disney version. But far from the worst. There is one (and there are others as bad) in which a wandering king happens by the castle where a sleeper named Talia is housed. He decides this is a great opportunity for him, absconds with her virginity, and leaves the unconscious Talia pregnant with twins. What a guy!
We get a look at some of the trappings of fairy tales, including a fairy civilization that is maybe not so nice. Another, the Greenteeth, who raised her, provide our heroine with her other side abilities. These include the power to switch back and forth between human and toad form, which can come in handy. Her name is Toadling. She has been dutifully standing guard over the castle in which the sleeper has been kept for multiple centuries.
From MY BOOK OF FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES ILLUSTRATED BY JENNIE HARBOUR. - image from Wiki
Until one day, a knight arrives. Halim is not one of those spoiled, handsome, armored snots who usually trot through such tales, slaying dragons and rescuing (abducting?) fair maidens. He is a Muslim, for one, and, not being a first-born, not exactly in line for a nice inheritance.
Being a knight isn’t about being religious, you know, so much as it is to figure out what to do with your extra sons so they don’t tear up the family seat. Every now and then someone gets the idea we should start chopping each other’s heads off, but in practice, the Pope squats in Rome like a spider and the caliphs glare at one another over their walls, and the rest of us get along as best we can with each other.”As is obvious from this, Halim comes across as a pretty decent sort, mostly there to check out something he had read, about a long-form sleeper in a tower. I suppose there might be an angle of interest in forming an alliance with a landed bit of royalty when your own prospects are a bit slim, but really, it is mostly curiosity. We are led to think that he is a good guy by the conversations he has with Toadling. But is he on the level with her, or is he trying to manipulate her into letting him past the massive thorn hedge that surrounds the castle?
The Sleeping Beauty by Edward Frederick Brewtnall - image from Wiki
For her part, Toadling is riven with guilt for having messed up a magical task she had been assigned, thus her lengthy tenure at this post. She is dutiful, and honor-bound.
Toadling tells Halim her (and thus the sleeper’s) story in bits, so that by the time we are nearing the end, we know all there is to know about how the whole princess-in-a-tower situation came to be, the decisions that were made, the actions that followed and the active perils.
The sleeping Beauty by Viktor Vasnetsov - image from Wiki - Showing the somnolence of the entire household - not so much in this telling
There are multiple sources of joy in this novella (30K words). The first is the interaction between Halim and Toadling. Both are modest people. She tells Halim that she is not beautiful, and he says the same of himself.
Practical overworked middle-aged women basically keep the world running…And being myself a rather frumpy middle-aged woman, I write stories about people like me partly because they’re very much who I can write, but also because I want those women to have stories. Sometimes we read fantasy stories in order to pretend we’re someone else, but sometimes we read fantasy stories in order to pretend that people like us can have adventures too. Mind you, if the readers ever get tired of reading about middle-aged gardeners, I’m probably in trouble, but so far, so good. - from the Grim Dark interviewThe second is the creative reinterpretation Kingfisher had concocted of the classic tale. It is far from alone. The Sleeping Beauty story first appeared in the 14th century. A later version, adapted by Charles Perrault in the late seventeenth century forms the basis of all later versions, including the one transmitted by the Brothers Grimm. That one was called Little Briar Rose. I am sure you will be excited to learn that there is classification system for fairy tales, called the Aarne-Thompson system. It was news to me that this existed. It is a major tool for folklorists. Sleeping Beauty slots in at Type #410, FYI. There have been many versions over eight hundred years.
The third is Toadling herself. She is such a wonderful character, a good person challenged with outrageous fortune in her life, but holding up because her core is good, kind, and strong. You will quite enjoy spending time with her.
Disney’s Aurora - image from ArmChairCinema.com
Thematically, there are walls aplenty in here, the fortress, of course, the thornhedge of the book’s title, and the barriers between the human world and the land of fairy. Halim offers a lovely image for Toadling.
“There’s a very high wall,” said Halim, “according to the imams, called al-A’raf. Between hell and paradise. And if you haven’t been good enough or evil enough to go one place or the other, you live in this wall. But even those people will eventually enter paradise, because God is merciful.” He jammed his chin onto his fist and gazed at Toadling. “It seems like you’ve been stuck in that wall for quite a long time now . . . That’s all the theology I’ve got in me, incidentally, so I hope it’s useful.”And there is the wall between Toadling and Halim. Will they break through that one?
Toadling sighed. “I would like to climb down from that wall,” she admitted.
Sleeping Beauty wakes up after the kiss of a prince -- Or --Startled by the presence of a strange man, the young lady sat up while sharply wiping her mouth. “And just who the f&^k are you, dirtbag?” by Otto Kubel- image from Wiki
Bottom line is that Thornhedge is a lot of fun. It takes our expectations and turns them inside out, all the while offering us the welcome companionship of Toadling. This new interpretation of an old tale is rich with creativity. No spindles required. Let Kingfisher put you under her spell and you will be in for a magical read.
Review posted - 10/27/23
Publication date – 8/15/23
I received an ARE of Thornhedge from Tor.com in return for a fair(y) review. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.
This review is cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Goodreads, and Twitter pages
Profile - from the Fantasy Hive
T. Kingfisher is the adult fiction pseudonym of Ursula Vernon, the multi-award-winning author of Digger and Dragonbreath. She is an author and illustrator based in North Carolina who has been nominated for the Ursa Major Award, the Eisner Awards, and has won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story for “Jackalope Wives” in 2015 and the Hugo Award for Best Novelette for “The Tomato Thief” in 2017. Her debut adult horror novel, The Twisted Ones, won the 2020 Dragon Award for Best Horror Novel, and was followed by the critically acclaimed The Hollow Places.
Interviews
-----The Fantasy Hive - Interview with T. Kingfisher
-----Grim Dark Magazine- Not All Curses should be Broken by Rona Denton
-----Orion Magazine - T. Kingfisher Wrings Hope and Drama from Fairy Tales by Kyla McCallum
My review of an earlier book by Kingfisher
-----What Moves the Dead
Songs/Music
-----Into the Woods - Agony (reprise)
-----Beautiful Dreamer - written by Stephen Foster – performed by Leslie Guinn and Gilbert Kalish
Items of Interest
-----Wiki on Sleeping Beauty - there is a lot here
-----Wiki - The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Rackham)/Briar Rose
-----Wiki - Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index
April 11, 2024
“She was theirs; they were hers. The love of monsters was uncomplicated.”
Oh my goodness, this novella is so pleasingly melancholic, endearing, and sweet.
Toadling, loved by the fairies though taken from her true family, is burdened with a most daunting responsibility. When a fumbled blessing becomes a curse, the changeling child she is to protect becomes the horror Toadling must secure to protect everyone else. And with any great fairytale, there is good reader, a knight. A mediocre knight, but nonetheless, a dear and amenable knight.
A retelling of Sleeping Beauty, subtly hitting on themes such as beauty, responsibility, apology, and love. To what extent must we be our brother’s keeper, to what extent must we apologize, and to what extent and in what ways do we allow ourselves to love?
I absolutely allowed myself to love Toadling and her story. - Sara W.
Oh my goodness, this novella is so pleasingly melancholic, endearing, and sweet.
Toadling, loved by the fairies though taken from her true family, is burdened with a most daunting responsibility. When a fumbled blessing becomes a curse, the changeling child she is to protect becomes the horror Toadling must secure to protect everyone else. And with any great fairytale, there is good reader, a knight. A mediocre knight, but nonetheless, a dear and amenable knight.
A retelling of Sleeping Beauty, subtly hitting on themes such as beauty, responsibility, apology, and love. To what extent must we be our brother’s keeper, to what extent must we apologize, and to what extent and in what ways do we allow ourselves to love?
I absolutely allowed myself to love Toadling and her story. - Sara W.
August 21, 2023
A not-exactly-good-looking fairy godmother sometimes-toad girl with under-average fairy skills + a not-exactly-good-looking Muslim knight in shining armor with Sorry Syndrome and a very un-knight-like reluctance to fight + a sleeping, slightly evil beauty + T. Kingfisher's beautifully twisted, wonderfully creative little mind =
P.S. Don't skip the Acknowledgments at the end of the story, they are—as always with Kingfisher—filled with fun, insightful tidbits about her writing process and the genesis of the story.
P.P.S. T. Kingfisher is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, please consider buying this or any of her books (or subscribing to her Patreon) to show your support!
[Pre-review nonsense]
Pretty sure I would have read tons of fairytales when I was naught but a wee littleshrimp kid, had Kingfisher been around at the time. But she wasn't, so I didn't 😬.
➽ Super Extra Short Review (SES™) to come and stuff.
P.S. Don't skip the Acknowledgments at the end of the story, they are—as always with Kingfisher—filled with fun, insightful tidbits about her writing process and the genesis of the story.
P.P.S. T. Kingfisher is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, please consider buying this or any of her books (or subscribing to her Patreon) to show your support!
[Pre-review nonsense]
Pretty sure I would have read tons of fairytales when I was naught but a wee little
➽ Super Extra Short Review (SES™) to come and stuff.
December 3, 2023
I loved this updated version of Sleeping Beauty. Kingfisher really knows her way around a fairytale. She's becoming one of my favorite writers.
Nothing is as it seems in this twisted tale. Toadling is half human and half frog, but she's all heart and she's protected the hidden keep from all comers for a very long time. One morning a horseman rides in and seems to be settling in. How can she get rid of him? She has so few tricks and spells, tying his hair in knots, leaves him undisturbed. He is rather kind, but oh, he is making life difficult. Toadling would like to be left alone in her vigil, but it's not to be.
Nothing is as it seems in this twisted tale. Toadling is half human and half frog, but she's all heart and she's protected the hidden keep from all comers for a very long time. One morning a horseman rides in and seems to be settling in. How can she get rid of him? She has so few tricks and spells, tying his hair in knots, leaves him undisturbed. He is rather kind, but oh, he is making life difficult. Toadling would like to be left alone in her vigil, but it's not to be.
August 27, 2023
I've been meaning to read something by this author for a while, and this short story seemed like a good place to start.
It has an interesting storyline and characters, Toadling being my favourite. It has both dark and sweet elements. The resolution felt a bit abrupt, but I enjoyed it overall.
It has an interesting storyline and characters, Toadling being my favourite. It has both dark and sweet elements. The resolution felt a bit abrupt, but I enjoyed it overall.
March 31, 2024
cudowne
ocena: 4,5.
ocena: 4,5.
September 26, 2023
I've reached a point in my reading life where I've happily accepted that T. Kingfisher can do no wrong. I know, some of you are rolling your eyes inwardly because you don't think any author can be flawless, and that's fine for you, but this is my review and I'm saying T. Kingfisher's stories are flawless and that's that on that.
Thornhedge is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but wow, does it turn the story on its head. It's such a short read that it's very difficult to say much without spoiling things, plus one of the most important pieces of the plot is a bit of a surprise, so all I can really say is this: I loved this story very much, and if you enjoy unique, short fairytales with unusual heroines, you should absolutely give Thornhedge a try. If nothing else, I bet you'll love little Toadling just like I do.
I read a final copy I purchased myself, but for the sake of disclosure, I was also sent an early review copy by the author/publisher. All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for:
———
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Two hundred years. It was immense—unthinkable—and ultimately meant nothing at all. Two years or two hundred or two thousand. The magic endures.
Thornhedge is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, but wow, does it turn the story on its head. It's such a short read that it's very difficult to say much without spoiling things, plus one of the most important pieces of the plot is a bit of a surprise, so all I can really say is this: I loved this story very much, and if you enjoy unique, short fairytales with unusual heroines, you should absolutely give Thornhedge a try. If nothing else, I bet you'll love little Toadling just like I do.
I read a final copy I purchased myself, but for the sake of disclosure, I was also sent an early review copy by the author/publisher. All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for:
———
twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
January 14, 2024
A nice way to retale Sleeping Beauty with a twist.
Toadling was taken by faeries when she was born. She was raised in the water in fairyland. She loved the monsters that lived there as her own family. Then, she is retaken from the water that she loves and told that she must be educated. Furthermore, she is told that she must go back to the human world and give a blessing to a child.
Due to her inexperience, the blessing she performs turns into a curse. As the years pass and the danger grows, Toadling decides to do what must be done to stop worse things from happening.
Centuries later, Toadling's isolation is interrupted when a knight stops by trying to break the curse. Toadling thinks he would be better off staying away but she can't seem to make him leave and starts looking forward to spending time with him. But can she let him break the curse?
I like the writing, the descriptions, and the main character, Toadling. Yet, I did feel like the end was underwhelming.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Tor Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Toadling was taken by faeries when she was born. She was raised in the water in fairyland. She loved the monsters that lived there as her own family. Then, she is retaken from the water that she loves and told that she must be educated. Furthermore, she is told that she must go back to the human world and give a blessing to a child.
Due to her inexperience, the blessing she performs turns into a curse. As the years pass and the danger grows, Toadling decides to do what must be done to stop worse things from happening.
Centuries later, Toadling's isolation is interrupted when a knight stops by trying to break the curse. Toadling thinks he would be better off staying away but she can't seem to make him leave and starts looking forward to spending time with him. But can she let him break the curse?
I like the writing, the descriptions, and the main character, Toadling. Yet, I did feel like the end was underwhelming.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Tor Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
August 19, 2023
Thornhedge is a melancholy reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. The heroine was unexpected. The sleeping princess was not what she seemed. The knight in shining armor was unexpectedly philosophical. Don't get me started on the Fae. Most of them are such jerks.
Anyway, the tale left me with emotions as tangled as the titular thornhedge. Don't get me wrong, if you love T Kingfisher, you must read this. If you are new to T Kingfisher, maybe start with another of her books. This one is far more serious than most of her works and I am still digesting the ideas it contained.
Anyway, the tale left me with emotions as tangled as the titular thornhedge. Don't get me wrong, if you love T Kingfisher, you must read this. If you are new to T Kingfisher, maybe start with another of her books. This one is far more serious than most of her works and I am still digesting the ideas it contained.
Read
August 17, 2023Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I'm... really disappointed in this, if I'm going to be honest. And I'm even more disappointed that I'm disappointed, because I adore T. Kingfisher.
I'll start with the things I enjoyed:
This is probably the coolest premise for a Sleeping Beauty retelling ever. The use of realms to play with time, the complete rewriting of the evil queen role to be a human raised as a frog-shifting faerie, the tangling of fates. Kingfisher/Vernon is always absolutely overflowing with the most brilliant whimsicality and this story is absolutely no exception.
The characters were so much fun, as I always find with Kingfisher's work. They're full of insecurities and complexities and are so motivated by their unique perspectives. They're so wholly realized and just a joy to read.
In fact, this book was a joy to read overall. T. Kingfisher just has this incredible ability to connect with her story and her audience with such an ease. I can almost feel how much fun she's having through the pages. I always know when I pick up a Kingfisher story, I'll never find myself lacking for engagement or investment in the tale, characters, and world at hand. She is without a doubt an auto-buy author for me.
But here's where this book struggled:
The changeling plotline. So this story has a fascinating setup built out of changeling lore: our main character was stolen as a baby and replaced with a changeling (a fairy child), only to grow up in the faerie realm–where time moves much faster–and return to the human realm as her own replacement's fairy godmother. What a cool setup, right? Immediately, I was so excited to see the direction this would take and what Kingfisher would do with this framework, as our MC is literally tasked with altering the fate of her own alternate self. However, I found Thornhedge to not only have a lot of missed opportunities of interesting conflict regarding these fascinating circumstances, but found it to be a bit complacent to some harmful rhetoric involving changelings.
For everyone reading this review and saying "harmful rhetoric involving changelings? what?" I'll quickly pause and explain: changeling lore has often been used throughout history to create fantastical justifications for the abuse and murdering of disabled children. Before disabilities were well-researched (especially mental and learning disabilities),when people found themselves with children that were "oddly-shaped" or "poorly behaved," they reasoned: my child must have been switched at birth with an evil fairy child. And this of course, often led to the idea that these "fairy children" or "changelings" could be tortured into normalcy or should otherwise be killed. Of course, we now know that many of these children (if not all) were just disabled, and that these people were just torturing and murdering innocent, normal children. (Here's some resources on that: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1259568, https://adc.bmj.com/content/90/3/271) Of course, not all changeling usage in books is harmful! Changelings can be used very casually, without any rhetoric tied to them at all. Or their history can be utilized as interesting metaphor in regards to disability, such as in Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman or A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid. (I want to make it VERY clear for my Goodreads readers: changelings are not inherently harmful. I didn't see the word "changeling" and immediately label this book as bad. In fact, I gave it so much grace and spent most of the book expecting a positive twist and making excuses for the usage of the lore. And even now, I'm not asking y'all to "cancel" this book, but to please be aware of this problem if you choose to pick it up. Though I'd recommend Nettle & Bone instead.)
So, with this in mind, let's talk about Thornhedge. The changeling child in this story, aka our Sleeping Beauty, from her very first introduction is seen as dangerous and inhumane. Throughout the story, she tortures and attacks people and animals, and all she does is to cause suffering for those around her. She's considered not only a burden to her family, but a threat. And all of the rhetoric around her behavior boils down to "well she's a changeling, so it's in her nature to do harm and be scary, and the only way to stop her is through death."
And honestly, I had a lot of hope at this point in the story‘s usage of changelings, as it didn't seem connected to any metaphor or seem to have any commentary. But then, Kingfisher began to explore some metaphorical commentary as our MC–Toadling–kept implying there was room for the changeling child to learn and grow and find a place where she could belong. Despite everything, she kept trying to care for the child and provide it love, and this seemed to be leading somewhere. There were even some really fantastic conversations between Toadling and another character, as they discussed how hard it must be to be a faerie stuck in the wrong realm, and how scary it must be to be surrounded by things that can hurt you. That other character–Halim–even had some really great moments of questioning the way Toadling often chalked-up the changeling’s problems to the nature of her being. He offered an alternative: that perhaps, like all things, changelings are of many natures and temperaments. And once this proverbial bubble had been popped, once we began questioning the rules of the world, we as the audience couldn't go back.
But tragically, this confronting of expectations began and ended in that conversation. I genuinely waited until the very tail end of the story to decide how I felt about the use of changeling lore, as I really truly felt as though it could go either way depending on where it ended up. But it ended up right back where it began, and the story wrapped without any narrative satisfaction, almost acting as though that bubble had never been popped in the first place. The changeling child was not made better through love and care, she didn't turn out to have any complexity or nuance, and she was treated as a monster through the very end. In a metaphorical sense, it left a sour taste in my mouth in regards to what this has to say about disabled children.
But as I mentioned, this trajectory also left the story structure feeling wildly underwhelming. And I’m genuinely more upset–and frankly, confused–about the missed storytelling opportunities than the harm. It was a really confusing choice for Kingfisher to essentially narratively backpedal her story's thematic conversations. Why have those discussions if you don't take them anywhere? Why question the origins of these belief systems if you're not going to dig deeper? Why confront this stereotyped rhetoric if you're just going to follow through on it in the end? Why begin to chip at the walls of your world if you're not going to tear them down? I didn’t feel as though there was much narrative distance covered by any of the characters. At the end of it all, mostly, I just can't help but feel the only growth that occurred is that the main character is no longer guarding a tower. There was no internal shift in perspective, no lesson learned, no expectation subverted. And with how much I normally love T. Kingfisher's writing, it was just a letdown to feel so... "that's it?" at the end. I genuinely don't understand how an author could peel back the layers of their world just to cover them back up again. There were just so many interesting paths laid before the characters with no attempt to go down them. A story in which characters are only changed by their physical states by the end of the story and not their internal ones is just uninteresting, and sadly, that’s how this book turned out, despite its gripping setup. Frankly, it was just poor storytelling, which is mind-boggling considering Kingfisher's usual writing skill.
It seriously sucks to feel this way about this book. I don't feel good writing this review, I take no joy in criticizing this work. And I do have to say: part of me still really enjoyed this book, just because at how rich T. Kingfisher's storytelling voice is and how much comfort I find in her world and characters, but I think I'll be sticking to her other work.
CW: ableism (in story rhetoric), suicide (offscreen), death, animal torture, dead body, self-harm (for magic), blood, plague (mention)
I'm... really disappointed in this, if I'm going to be honest. And I'm even more disappointed that I'm disappointed, because I adore T. Kingfisher.
I'll start with the things I enjoyed:
This is probably the coolest premise for a Sleeping Beauty retelling ever. The use of realms to play with time, the complete rewriting of the evil queen role to be a human raised as a frog-shifting faerie, the tangling of fates. Kingfisher/Vernon is always absolutely overflowing with the most brilliant whimsicality and this story is absolutely no exception.
The characters were so much fun, as I always find with Kingfisher's work. They're full of insecurities and complexities and are so motivated by their unique perspectives. They're so wholly realized and just a joy to read.
In fact, this book was a joy to read overall. T. Kingfisher just has this incredible ability to connect with her story and her audience with such an ease. I can almost feel how much fun she's having through the pages. I always know when I pick up a Kingfisher story, I'll never find myself lacking for engagement or investment in the tale, characters, and world at hand. She is without a doubt an auto-buy author for me.
But here's where this book struggled:
The changeling plotline. So this story has a fascinating setup built out of changeling lore: our main character was stolen as a baby and replaced with a changeling (a fairy child), only to grow up in the faerie realm–where time moves much faster–and return to the human realm as her own replacement's fairy godmother. What a cool setup, right? Immediately, I was so excited to see the direction this would take and what Kingfisher would do with this framework, as our MC is literally tasked with altering the fate of her own alternate self. However, I found Thornhedge to not only have a lot of missed opportunities of interesting conflict regarding these fascinating circumstances, but found it to be a bit complacent to some harmful rhetoric involving changelings.
For everyone reading this review and saying "harmful rhetoric involving changelings? what?" I'll quickly pause and explain: changeling lore has often been used throughout history to create fantastical justifications for the abuse and murdering of disabled children. Before disabilities were well-researched (especially mental and learning disabilities),when people found themselves with children that were "oddly-shaped" or "poorly behaved," they reasoned: my child must have been switched at birth with an evil fairy child. And this of course, often led to the idea that these "fairy children" or "changelings" could be tortured into normalcy or should otherwise be killed. Of course, we now know that many of these children (if not all) were just disabled, and that these people were just torturing and murdering innocent, normal children. (Here's some resources on that: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1259568, https://adc.bmj.com/content/90/3/271) Of course, not all changeling usage in books is harmful! Changelings can be used very casually, without any rhetoric tied to them at all. Or their history can be utilized as interesting metaphor in regards to disability, such as in Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman or A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid. (I want to make it VERY clear for my Goodreads readers: changelings are not inherently harmful. I didn't see the word "changeling" and immediately label this book as bad. In fact, I gave it so much grace and spent most of the book expecting a positive twist and making excuses for the usage of the lore. And even now, I'm not asking y'all to "cancel" this book, but to please be aware of this problem if you choose to pick it up. Though I'd recommend Nettle & Bone instead.)
So, with this in mind, let's talk about Thornhedge. The changeling child in this story, aka our Sleeping Beauty, from her very first introduction is seen as dangerous and inhumane. Throughout the story, she tortures and attacks people and animals, and all she does is to cause suffering for those around her. She's considered not only a burden to her family, but a threat. And all of the rhetoric around her behavior boils down to "well she's a changeling, so it's in her nature to do harm and be scary, and the only way to stop her is through death."
And honestly, I had a lot of hope at this point in the story‘s usage of changelings, as it didn't seem connected to any metaphor or seem to have any commentary. But then, Kingfisher began to explore some metaphorical commentary as our MC–Toadling–kept implying there was room for the changeling child to learn and grow and find a place where she could belong. Despite everything, she kept trying to care for the child and provide it love, and this seemed to be leading somewhere. There were even some really fantastic conversations between Toadling and another character, as they discussed how hard it must be to be a faerie stuck in the wrong realm, and how scary it must be to be surrounded by things that can hurt you. That other character–Halim–even had some really great moments of questioning the way Toadling often chalked-up the changeling’s problems to the nature of her being. He offered an alternative: that perhaps, like all things, changelings are of many natures and temperaments. And once this proverbial bubble had been popped, once we began questioning the rules of the world, we as the audience couldn't go back.
But tragically, this confronting of expectations began and ended in that conversation. I genuinely waited until the very tail end of the story to decide how I felt about the use of changeling lore, as I really truly felt as though it could go either way depending on where it ended up. But it ended up right back where it began, and the story wrapped without any narrative satisfaction, almost acting as though that bubble had never been popped in the first place. The changeling child was not made better through love and care, she didn't turn out to have any complexity or nuance, and she was treated as a monster through the very end. In a metaphorical sense, it left a sour taste in my mouth in regards to what this has to say about disabled children.
But as I mentioned, this trajectory also left the story structure feeling wildly underwhelming. And I’m genuinely more upset–and frankly, confused–about the missed storytelling opportunities than the harm. It was a really confusing choice for Kingfisher to essentially narratively backpedal her story's thematic conversations. Why have those discussions if you don't take them anywhere? Why question the origins of these belief systems if you're not going to dig deeper? Why confront this stereotyped rhetoric if you're just going to follow through on it in the end? Why begin to chip at the walls of your world if you're not going to tear them down? I didn’t feel as though there was much narrative distance covered by any of the characters. At the end of it all, mostly, I just can't help but feel the only growth that occurred is that the main character is no longer guarding a tower. There was no internal shift in perspective, no lesson learned, no expectation subverted. And with how much I normally love T. Kingfisher's writing, it was just a letdown to feel so... "that's it?" at the end. I genuinely don't understand how an author could peel back the layers of their world just to cover them back up again. There were just so many interesting paths laid before the characters with no attempt to go down them. A story in which characters are only changed by their physical states by the end of the story and not their internal ones is just uninteresting, and sadly, that’s how this book turned out, despite its gripping setup. Frankly, it was just poor storytelling, which is mind-boggling considering Kingfisher's usual writing skill.
It seriously sucks to feel this way about this book. I don't feel good writing this review, I take no joy in criticizing this work. And I do have to say: part of me still really enjoyed this book, just because at how rich T. Kingfisher's storytelling voice is and how much comfort I find in her world and characters, but I think I'll be sticking to her other work.
CW: ableism (in story rhetoric), suicide (offscreen), death, animal torture, dead body, self-harm (for magic), blood, plague (mention)
Read
October 30, 2023This is a lovely and sweet story in its way, but at its heart is the idea that there is a homocideal fae child and the only way to deal with it in the end is to kill it. I am reading this in the context of the current Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people, and their stated aim on their own news channels to wipe out the children. The juxtaposition is jarring and horrifying. Because it is this idea - that this child no matter how they are treated/loved will grow up to rain terror upon their surroundings - that Israel is using in their internal propoganda to rationalize the whole scale murder of Palestinian women and children.
I don't believe for a minute that Kingfisher/Vernon meant to grant credibility to Israel's heinous actions or propaganda through her story. The counterarguments are clear - the child was a changeling, was never human, was only one and not a whole people, and there might have even been a very small chance that she might have been a changeling that didn't turn evil (though most of them do). But, my friends, Israel leans into the lack of humanity argument: Netanyahu and his cabinet refer to the Palestinians as human animals, as a pestilence that has to be wiped out. Having a human-like creature that can never be reformed, that we must then destroy in order to save ourselves - that story has horrible ramifications for how we then close our books and walk away - and look at those around us, those whom we have learned to think of as inferior, to dehumanize. The only answer in Thornhedge is murder--intentional or accidental. And that is Israel's only answer as well.
This has only cemented in my mind how desperately important it is that we really think about the stories we read and the stories we tell, and the global context in which they're told. And the importance of having nuanced storylines, where children are not murder machines, and compassion actually can make a difference. Absolutely there are irredeemable villains, but casting a child as such plays into narratives that are terrifying in their consequences.
All of that said, I do want to say that there was some absolutely lovely Muslim rep, and that there is a lot in here about learning to love yourself and finding your way forward. In so many ways, it is such a wholesome story. Had I read this a year ago (and it was first drafted, I think, in 2015), I may not have made the connection I did above. But I am reading it now, and more than anything, it is making me think about the power of the stories we tell each other, about each other, and what we will allow and consider necessary when we define a person as non-human.
I don't believe for a minute that Kingfisher/Vernon meant to grant credibility to Israel's heinous actions or propaganda through her story. The counterarguments are clear - the child was a changeling, was never human, was only one and not a whole people, and there might have even been a very small chance that she might have been a changeling that didn't turn evil (though most of them do). But, my friends, Israel leans into the lack of humanity argument: Netanyahu and his cabinet refer to the Palestinians as human animals, as a pestilence that has to be wiped out. Having a human-like creature that can never be reformed, that we must then destroy in order to save ourselves - that story has horrible ramifications for how we then close our books and walk away - and look at those around us, those whom we have learned to think of as inferior, to dehumanize. The only answer in Thornhedge is murder--intentional or accidental. And that is Israel's only answer as well.
This has only cemented in my mind how desperately important it is that we really think about the stories we read and the stories we tell, and the global context in which they're told. And the importance of having nuanced storylines, where children are not murder machines, and compassion actually can make a difference. Absolutely there are irredeemable villains, but casting a child as such plays into narratives that are terrifying in their consequences.
All of that said, I do want to say that there was some absolutely lovely Muslim rep, and that there is a lot in here about learning to love yourself and finding your way forward. In so many ways, it is such a wholesome story. Had I read this a year ago (and it was first drafted, I think, in 2015), I may not have made the connection I did above. But I am reading it now, and more than anything, it is making me think about the power of the stories we tell each other, about each other, and what we will allow and consider necessary when we define a person as non-human.
August 21, 2023
A creative and captivating Sleeping Beauty retelling.
In this retelling, we follow Toadling and her journey to becoming a "fairy" and completing her first mission.
If you're a fan of retellings, this is a must-read!
***Thank you to NetGalley, T. Kingfisher, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
In this retelling, we follow Toadling and her journey to becoming a "fairy" and completing her first mission.
If you're a fan of retellings, this is a must-read!
***Thank you to NetGalley, T. Kingfisher, and Macmillan Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
July 23, 2023
A novella subverting the Sleeping Beauty story and centering the fairy who put her to sleep. Not every curse should be broken...
I thought this was a charming story with a lovable character, but it's also about how physical beauty can hide darkness. And a plain exterior doesn't mean someone is evil. And it's about when all the love in the world can't make someone good when they don't want to be helped. Also kind of cool that the knight in the story is Muslim and kind of a cinnamon roll. Certainly worth a read! The audio narration is excellent as well and it's quite quick. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
I thought this was a charming story with a lovable character, but it's also about how physical beauty can hide darkness. And a plain exterior doesn't mean someone is evil. And it's about when all the love in the world can't make someone good when they don't want to be helped. Also kind of cool that the knight in the story is Muslim and kind of a cinnamon roll. Certainly worth a read! The audio narration is excellent as well and it's quite quick. I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
May 16, 2023
I always encourage my friends to read T Kingfisher by telling them how sweet and funny the stories are, filled with touching middle-age romances, unique magic, beloved characters, and clever humor. My friends are kind and sometimes my enthusiasm is catching. I’ve got them!
And then, I have to sell them on the eldrich horrors and other darkness that abounds in her books—which I love all the same (and I’m a huge wimp when it comes to horror!). But I think the darkness is important. It brings into relief the kindness and endurance that’s essential to her work, that feeling that there’s always a reason to carry on.
Which is to say Thornhedge doesn’t disappoint! It’s setting is new and unexpected, but the clever take on Sleeping Beauty and Cherry is not. T Kingfisher has a way of upending old stories that always feels fresh, especially if you’re a person who prefers sensible characters who care more about feeding the chickens than glamorous quests. It delights in all those muddy details, from the birds that come to roost to the painful work of healing and change.
As for the characters, they feel like old friends. Halim was lovely, a slight change of pace from her usual Paladins, and I’m sure his gentleness will win over readers new and old. And of course, there is Toadling—how could anyone not love her?
A joy to read, with a deeply satisfying ending.
ARC provided by Edelweiss and Tor Books. All thoughts are my own.
And then, I have to sell them on the eldrich horrors and other darkness that abounds in her books—which I love all the same (and I’m a huge wimp when it comes to horror!). But I think the darkness is important. It brings into relief the kindness and endurance that’s essential to her work, that feeling that there’s always a reason to carry on.
Which is to say Thornhedge doesn’t disappoint! It’s setting is new and unexpected, but the clever take on Sleeping Beauty and Cherry is not. T Kingfisher has a way of upending old stories that always feels fresh, especially if you’re a person who prefers sensible characters who care more about feeding the chickens than glamorous quests. It delights in all those muddy details, from the birds that come to roost to the painful work of healing and change.
As for the characters, they feel like old friends. Halim was lovely, a slight change of pace from her usual Paladins, and I’m sure his gentleness will win over readers new and old. And of course, there is Toadling—how could anyone not love her?
A joy to read, with a deeply satisfying ending.
ARC provided by Edelweiss and Tor Books. All thoughts are my own.
June 26, 2023
I thought this was a very charming novella retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I'm not sure the flashbacks were the most effective way to build tension and the ending was a bit rushed, but I'm a big sucker for all things T Kingfisher so that didn't really dampen my overall enjoyment
October 17, 2023
I love a dark twist on a fairytale!
‘She was theirs, and they were hers. The love of monsters was uncomplicated.’
‘She was theirs, and they were hers. The love of monsters was uncomplicated.’
August 16, 2023
I love Kingfisher’s writing (and think I always will) but have to say this paled in comparison to Nettle and Bone for me ):
Let me start by saying T Kingfisher is a fantastic writer, especially in terms of the way she weaves words together. There’s something so unique and deeply poetic about her turns of phrase that really lent itself to the atmosphere of a fairytale retelling. It was mystical and magical and felt almost like you could curl up inside of it, despite the sometimes dark subject matter.
She never fails to impress in her characters, either. Toadling was an absolutely lovable heroine, a bit quite human not quite faerie cursed (but not literally) to never quite achieve what she sets out to. I loved getting to experience her inner monologue and felt quite endeared to her as someone who frequently fears saying the wrongs things, and not feeling I measure up to the world around me. Halim was the perfect counterbalance to her, a kind and gentle knight determined to set her free by any means necessary. Getting to watch them together was a highlight of the story.
However, I did not feel the arc of this story was what I was hoping for, especially after the adventure of nettle and bone. It felt like the storyline, of an evil changeling child and the protector tasked to teach her, was leading up to something and then it kind of…didn’t go anywhere. When we got to the big final even I couldn’t believe that that was where things were stopping, because there was so much buildup for such a lack of conclusion. The first pages were quite slow to me but I thought “hey, it took me a while to get into Kingfisher’s other works too, so maybe this will take a turn at about halfway” but the turn never really came. It almost felt like the story either needed to be even shorter (I’m thinking six deaths of the saint style), or longer and with more development.
I also feel it necessary to point out (as some other reviews have) that historically, the myth of evil changelings taking the place of human babies has been used as justification for the abuse of disabled children. I am not saying you can’t read Thornhedge because of this fact. And although there was a “maybe not all changelings are bad” moment, I do think it’s important to keep the historical context and harm that the changeling myth has had in mind if you do decide to pick it up. I would also recommend reading Bri’s fantastic review, as they provide a thorough breakdown of Thornhedge, the changeling myth, and some great sources!
Overall: I would recommend this if you want a quick little fairytale with a compelling heroine, if you don’t mind a bit of letdown by the conclusion of the story.
Content warnings: Suicide, murder, torture of animals
—
Finally starting this! Thank you to TOR for providing me an ARC (:
Let me start by saying T Kingfisher is a fantastic writer, especially in terms of the way she weaves words together. There’s something so unique and deeply poetic about her turns of phrase that really lent itself to the atmosphere of a fairytale retelling. It was mystical and magical and felt almost like you could curl up inside of it, despite the sometimes dark subject matter.
She never fails to impress in her characters, either. Toadling was an absolutely lovable heroine, a bit quite human not quite faerie cursed (but not literally) to never quite achieve what she sets out to. I loved getting to experience her inner monologue and felt quite endeared to her as someone who frequently fears saying the wrongs things, and not feeling I measure up to the world around me. Halim was the perfect counterbalance to her, a kind and gentle knight determined to set her free by any means necessary. Getting to watch them together was a highlight of the story.
However, I did not feel the arc of this story was what I was hoping for, especially after the adventure of nettle and bone. It felt like the storyline, of an evil changeling child and the protector tasked to teach her, was leading up to something and then it kind of…didn’t go anywhere. When we got to the big final even I couldn’t believe that that was where things were stopping, because there was so much buildup for such a lack of conclusion. The first pages were quite slow to me but I thought “hey, it took me a while to get into Kingfisher’s other works too, so maybe this will take a turn at about halfway” but the turn never really came. It almost felt like the story either needed to be even shorter (I’m thinking six deaths of the saint style), or longer and with more development.
I also feel it necessary to point out (as some other reviews have) that historically, the myth of evil changelings taking the place of human babies has been used as justification for the abuse of disabled children. I am not saying you can’t read Thornhedge because of this fact. And although there was a “maybe not all changelings are bad” moment, I do think it’s important to keep the historical context and harm that the changeling myth has had in mind if you do decide to pick it up. I would also recommend reading Bri’s fantastic review, as they provide a thorough breakdown of Thornhedge, the changeling myth, and some great sources!
Overall: I would recommend this if you want a quick little fairytale with a compelling heroine, if you don’t mind a bit of letdown by the conclusion of the story.
Content warnings: Suicide, murder, torture of animals
—
Finally starting this! Thank you to TOR for providing me an ARC (:
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