A Sorceress Comes to Call

"I preorder everything this woman writes and always go in blind. I didn’t even realize this was a Brothers Grimm retelling until I read some reviews. What even is The Goose Girl? Never heard of her. Regardless this was good, but not my favorite of her books. It was entertaining and borderline horrifying though- just how I like my reads. 4.5: points off for pacing as the ending dragged. Good for easing into spooky season 🐴 🩸 🧙‍♀️ 🪓 "

"3.5? 4? I’m waffling on the rating a bit. I really love T. Kingsfisher and their writing. They hit the right amount of spooky and gothic atmosphere. They also have endearing characters that don’t fall into the stereotypes of fantasy and fairy tales, that I enjoy. This book is duel POV that follows Cordelia and Hester. Cordelia is very aware that the way her and her mother live are very different from others. For one thing, Cordelia can be forced to be obedient and has to do her mother’s bidding while under the curse. Things take an unexpected change when Cordelia’s mother has decided to find herself a suitor, and not just any suitor, but Hester’s wealthy brother. Hester is middle aged woman, content with her life, until she has a feeling of doom coming over her. She finds out that Cordelia’s mother has set her eyes on her brother and his fortune. The more she learns about this sorceress, the more she knows that she must help Cordelia stop this woman from ruining not only her life, but also Cordelia’s. There’s interesting side characters and a found family aspect. The only thing I think is that I think the story could be made tighter by either making it shorter (just because her novellas are tightly honed in and focused) or longer (to add more details and more about the magic system.) Overall good book!"

"Great writing but it was all so lighthearted with a dark undertone and then suddenly it switched and people were dying left and right😭 Like girl, gimme some time to readjust to going from having to hold my breath to stop myself from laughing so i dont wake people up to clutching my blankets tighter bc i can feel that horrid mom breathing down my neck. Like, great characters and i ******* loved the old goose lady but man, talk about whiplash."

"<b>A SORCERESS COMES TO CALL by T. Kingfisher</b> <br/><br/><i>This audiobook ARC was given to me by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review of this book before its expected publication on August 6, 2024</I><br/><br/><b>A Dark Fantasy Horror retelling of the fairytale classic Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl</b> <br/><br/><b>Dangerous Secrets, Mysterious Murders, and Forbidden Magic</b><br/><br/>Fourteen-year-old Cordelia lives in fear every day. Her mother is strange, and cruel, and always demands her obedience. Their home is unusual. It doesn’t have any doors between rooms; if they did, she is never allowed to be behind a closed door for any privacy. Ever. <br/><br/>As far as she knew, other mothers didn't force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers and do not demand 100% obedience without question. Cordelia isn't allowed to have friends. The only thing she has for enjoyment is daily rides on her mother's beautiful white horse Falada with strange green eyes. The only thing she could talk to about her wants and fears... Fear of her mother. But her mother's horse is also strange, and when Cordelia thinks to run away with him, her mother suddenly appears to stop her. There is no escaping from her mother.<br/><br/>Cordelia’s mother insisted they leave in the middle of the night without understanding why. There is talk of murder in the town, but she doesn't understand why she was forced to leave the only place that she knew. After her mother suddenly acquires a small carriage that they didn't have before, they arrive at a remote country manor of a wealthy older man. The Squire, and his unwed spinster sister, Hester live in his large lavish manor.<br/><br/>After a brief meeting in town, her mother convinced the Squire to have them stay at his manor while she waits for clothes to be made for her and Cordeila as it is close to his home. Cordelia’s mother has a plan which includes lying about Cordelia's age and stating she is 17. She clearly did not look the age, but no one challenged her mother's claim. She plans to trick the Squire into marriage and become the lady of the house to ensure Cordelia is courted and married off to a rich man as they have nothing but the clothes on their backs. Being poor they do not have the money or the connections to do so now. Cordelia is expected to be on her best behavior so all will go well in her mother's plan. The problem is, that she is very young, scared, and did not grow up as someone raised in a manor home with servants to take care of all your needs. <br/><br/>The kind Squire's sister Hester however is intelligent and savvy. She notices how Cordelia shrinks away from her mother, how the young girl doesn't act like a normal girl of 17 and does not know the simplest of things in a manor house. Even the house staff can see how the young girl fears her mother whenever she is near and doesn't understand what a fully staffed manor runs. Hester knows this woman is up to no good and has every intention to stop her brother from marrying this witch as she can see through her intentions. She also wants to rescue this sweet terrified young girl from her clutches since her behavior is not one has for their parent. What Hester doesn't know is just how dangerous Cordelia's mother really is, or what she is and doom is now in their home.<br/><br/><i>Although I never read the Brothers Grimm Goose Girl story to make a comparison, this was an interesting story about an awful mother using her daughter to get what she wanted. Lying and manipulating people to steal their wealth, and a woman determined to help a young girl escape and save her brother and the love of her life from an evil selfish woman. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it.</i>"

"Listened to the audio book. It was good for my commute and to listen while I worked. "

"3<br/>The beginning was a bit slow for me but the last half of the book was thrilling for sure. Did feel a bit rushed after such a slow start. But the slow start emphasized the sense of being trapped that Cordelia experienced.<br/>Some other people described it as flat or stationary and I think that’s a perfect description for this story."