A Sorceress Comes to Call - T. Kingfisher - ★★★.¾

AUTHOR: T. Kingfisher

GENRE: Fantasy, Retelling

PUBLICATION DATE: August 6, 2024

RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A dark fantasy supposedly retelling the Brothers Grimm fairytale: ‘The Goose Girl’. Excellent character development and interesting plot. Slowish pacing and vague world-building. Entertaining as a standalone story, though not effective as a retelling. I had fun reading this gripping novel. Recommended. Loads of triggers; take the adjective ‘dark’ seriously.

Plot Preview:

Fourteen-year-old Cordelia is controlled by her mother Evangeline. (And when I say ‘controlled’, I mean *controlled*!) She doesn’t know how her mother is different from other mothers, and she has no one she can confide in except her beloved white horse Falada.

One day, Evangeline suddenly decides to leave their home and everything else behind, and move with just Cordelia, Falada and a few of their belongings to a wealthy squire’s manor, hoping to marry him. Cordelia doesn’t know what fate awaits her there, and she certainly doesn’t count on making friends with the squire’s unwed sister Hester. Can teenaged Cordelia and middle-aged Hester help save each other’s futures?

The story comes to us in the third-person perspectives of Cordelia and Hester.

Bookish Yays:

🔮 Cordelia. The portrayal of a child who has always been mentally abused is so spot on! It was a treat to see her bloom in strength and courage as the story progresses, but without turning all “Chosen One” about it.

🔮 Hester. Physically weak (which makes her sound older than 51) but mentally strong. I loved her personality as well as her loving relationship with her brother. It was amazing to read about her hobby – not a common one in historical fiction. I also loved her secret pet name for Evangeline! 😂

🔮 Evangeline. Think Jane Austen’s Lady Susan but with magical powers. Evangeline was a magnificently devious character and the perfect antagonist for such a story.

🔮 The writing choice of never keeping us in suspense about who the villain is. Without the suspense, the reading experience is more eerie than investigative.

🔮 Falada. Good Lord! That’s all I’ll say.

🔮 All the secondary characters with substantial roles, whether the maid, the butler, the squire (I love how he's shown as gullible to feminine charms but not a complete buffoon), the “love interest”, or Hester’s two friends. This novel is elevated by its characters, a rare occurrence for a fantasy.

🔮 The lead pair of Cordelia and Hester make interesting age-gap protagonists. Their alternating perspectives help keep the story interesting, as Cordelia’s sheltered ignorance is balanced by Hester’s realistic awareness of their conundrum. I appreciate how neither is portrayed as instant masterminds, and they need to slog their way to a solution.

🔮 The fact that Hester's knee pain is not just a background detail forgotten after a couple of scenes but consistently mentioned and utilised in the plot.

🔮 The atmosphere. To be clear, the original fairytale is also dark, so this matches the tone. But what I appreciate most is how the darkness never feels forced. I could actually feel the evil oozing from the page.

🔮 Despite the darkness, there are many light moments, whether through human connection or witty interactions. I love the tiny threads of humour incorporated into Hester’s inner monologues as well.

🔮 The pacing. Nice and steady – not too fast, not too dragged. Not for those who like instant results; the characters take their time to understand what’s happening, much like we would in real life.

Bookish Okays:

🏡 Though promoted as a retelling, the book barely has any resemblance to the original fairytale. I can say it has a few ingredients in common, but the recipe and the end result are entirely different. Luckily, the novel delivers excellently on its own strength. However, those looking for a more faithful retelling might be disappointed.

🏡 The two “couplings”. One is understated and sweet. The other is befuddling and seems to come out of nowhere.

Bookish Nays:

🐴 While the sorcery (Not a spoiler; see title) is captivating, there isn't much info about its hows. The magical detailing is vague, with the readers supposed to blindly accept whatever the characters discover and do. The worldbuilding and time setting is also hazy.

🐴 For a story deriving from ‘The Goose Girl’, there are minimal geese in the story. I wanted more of them.

🐴 I didn’t get why Hester never voiced her concerns about Evangeline directly to her brother, given their closeness.

🐴 The finale. Too easy and perfect for such a story, though it does offer closure.

Overall, while I would have liked some more details to the magic and the world, I still enjoyed this entertainer. The start was creepy-good, but after a few chapters, it turned creepy-horrifying and stayed that way, making for a gripping reading experience.

I have heard a lot about this prolific author’s fantasy novels. This was my first exploration of her works, and based on this, I would love to read more by her.

Definitely recommended to readers looking for a more character-oriented fantasy. As a dark story, this has plenty of triggers, so check out the content warnings online if you need to.

3.75 stars. (This was a strong 4.25 stars until the first two-thirds or so.)

My thanks to Tor Publishing Group and Tor Books for providing the DRC of “A Sorceress Comes to Call” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.