{AD|GIFTED} I'm so grateful to have been sent a finished copy of this book as it's easily become a new favourite. I'm now looking forward to reading the author's other books in the hope of discovering more weird little gems like this one.

This is the fantasy quest adventure you've been waiting for. Slightly absurd, atmospheric, and infused with fairytale tropes. The gang includes an almost-nun princess, an exiled knight, an old woman who speaks to the dead, a fairy godmother, a bone dog, and a demon chicken. It's exactly as amazing as it sounds.

The author explores gender and violence sensitively, questioning the position of women in society. There are some scenes to beware of as the story does involve intimate partner violence. However, the story ends on a triumphant note and I would love to revisit these characters one day. I would devour a cosy novel about the dust-witch and Agnes going about their daily lives. I highly recommend trying this book if you want a quest adventure with a rag-tag bunch of heroes.

4,5 Stars. To be honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of the way the story starts out in the present and only after a while we learn more about why Marra was on this mission. But I am glad i kept reading because i ended up absolutely adoring this story. My favourite thing about it was probably the dynamic between the dust-wife and Agnes. And the possessed chicken. Massive recommendation!

Before I get to my review, I have a confession: Nettle and Bone was the first book I’ve read from T. Kingfisher, even though some of my friends *looking at you Phil Williams* have been talking my ears off for a while now. When Nettle and Bone appeared on NetGalley, it sounded pretty interesting, so I decided it was time to make my acquaintance with the author and her work.

Nettle and Bone is the story of Marra, the third princess of a small kingdom that’s hard pressured to make an alliance to save themselves. This means they marry off the princesses to the Northern Kingdom, except for Marra who gets put aside in a convent until she can be married off too. Years pass, 16-year-old Marra grows into her thirties and through her friendship with the Apothecary, she learns how to deliver babies and generally help the villagers with medical care. Until, one day, she learns the truth about her sisters and their abusive marriages and decides she needs to put an end to it unless she’ll end up just like them. And thus, her adventure begins into magic, self-discovery, and new friendships.

Nettle and Bone uses some fairytale tropes and turns them inside out. The youngest princess goes on an adventure to help her siblings and to do so she has to complete three impossible tasks. Reading the blurb I expected the tasks to be the central plotline of the book, but turns out I was wrong – which is not necessarily a bad thing, mind. Actually, I liked the way it played out, although I also felt like the story needed a bit more worldbuilding, maybe. We never really get explained *how* exactly Marra was able to perform the tasks. Like, we get a description, but I still couldn’t help wondering if Marra had some powers on her own or not.

What I liked about Nettle and Bone was the relationship between the characters, how they supported each other and how a found family just grew before our eyes. The Prince and Fenris – one of Marra’s companions – were polar opposites, representing two male archetypes – the abusive toxic asshole and the caring, compassionate gentleman who respects boundaries. I especially liked the dust-wife and her no-nonsense ways. As for Marra, I could relate to her in some ways. She is cast aside, but she is still thriving in her own way. She also has an anxiety problem, overthinking everything, worrying about details others might not even think about. As someone who is dealing with anxiety myself, I felt seen more than once.

I admit this novel took me to places I didn’t expect and while it was a super easy read and I flew through the pages, I still ended up feeling like there was something missing. It felt more like a young adult novel in tone and writing than an adult one. Yes, it deals with topics such as domestic abuse, but it’s mostly off-screen. This is, once again, not a problem, just not what I was expecting, especially after the first couple of chapters, which totally hooked me, by the way. I can absolutely see why T. Kingfisher is loved by many, her prose is flowing with ease and you just can’t help but be immersed in her imagination.

Nettle and Bone is a fantasy novel built on typical fairytale tropes but giving them a new light that’s highly entertaining to read. It has a quest, a found family theme, and characters with unusual pets that are easy to connect with. And while this book did not turn me into a fan, it certainly convinced me that I need to take a deeper look into T. Kingfisher‘s work.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a review and these are my honest thoughts.

Writing –
This is my first book by T Kingfisher so I really did not know what to expect. I would say the writing was very atmospheric. It very much gave me the fairytale vibe which I am a huge fan of. In spite of that this also handles darker themes quite well.
The pacing was a bit of an issue for me and I think it could have been handled better.

Plot –
I would say, one very big problem I had with the plot is that it doesn’t start at the beginning of the story. You get a glimpse of somewhere in the middle of the story and then we are transported back in time. From there it continues chronologically. I wish the book would have gone chronologically because the back and forth, in the beginning, was very confusing to the point where I considered DNFing. I would say though, that sticking to it was a good decision.

Characters –
Character-wise, this book focuses very much on Marra and her emotional growth. I thought it was very interesting that the main character of a fairytale-esque book was in her 30s. I was a little unsure about this in the beginning but I ended up enjoying it a lot.
The chicken possessed by a demon part was what got me in the end, to be honest.

Overall –
It is pretty entertaining as a standalone fantasy. It’s only 250 pages so I would say it’s a very quick read. I am excited to see how it is received once it’s out.

As a fan of T Kingfisher I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this book and also slightly nervous that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. I'm delighted to say that not only did it live up to my expectations but it did in fact blow them totally out of the water. This book reminded me what it is like to really enjoy a story, I've been in three star purgatory for so many weeks and finally Nettle and Bone pulled me out into those heady five star realms.
I adored this story, which has it's roots in fairytale and fable but pulls also from the spooky and macabre, I thought that the way that the book started in very familiar fairytale territory and then pushed into more of a fantasy quest kind of story worked really well and kept things interesting. I also found that the cast of characters caught my imagination in a way that doesn't normally happen - I want back stories and sequels for each of them please and thankyou.
This is a book that I can see most people enjoying, it crosses over so many different narrative elements that I think there is something for everyone, and all tied together by T Kingfisher's exceptional writing. I am in awe of how well she creates such likeable main characters with such distinct voices.
I am obsessed. I already want to read it again. I will be thrusting this book upon everyone in my life. So glad to have a new favourite.
I received a free digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I absolutely love this book, it is wonderfully written, it drew me in from the first page and now I'm sat here wondering how I can aquire a dog made of bones and a chicken possessed by a demon. Marra is so loveable and relatable as a main character, I love that she's 30 and close to my age the right amount of cynical and hopeful. Fenris is such a caring and kind man without being overbearing and the Dust-wife is a joy to read, matter of fact in every way.

Nettle and bone made me laugh out loud and shout in excitement and frustration. Despite dealing with some heavy/dark themes the book isn't overwhelming and manages to be everything you need it to be. It's a wonderfully complete world regardless of its length. I have already recommend it to friends and family!

A darkly enticing fantasy from T. Kingfisher, that somehow manages to serve both cosy and creepy vibes perfectly side by side. With a healthy dose of sarcasm AND a demon chicken, Nettle and Bone was a luscious fantasy that I couldn't get enough of!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I confess when I saw the description of this I was a little disappointed by the expected fairy tale retelling vibe - which is not among my favourites. I'm happy to report this book completely exceeded my expectations and kept me up until 2am two days in a row. The protagonist was pragmatic and kind in a way that worked, the worldbuilding was fascinating and the supporting characters were lovely - I particularly enjoyed the fairy godmothers and the dust-wife's magic, but the sisterly storyline worked perfectly, too. I think the love interest Fenris is the weakest part of the book for me (particularly since I've read many a novel by Kingfisher with a good hunky knight in it), because he was alright, but not particularly fascinating. All the same, what a joyful read this was - in fact, I instantly ordered a paper copy for a future re-reading. Highly recommended.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

The pacing was a little slow to start. The beginning is written switching between past and present events, which I found a little confusing, but once you pass the point where the two timelines meet, it was much easier to follow.

I loved the characters and the dynamics between one another - particularly the dust-wife and Agnes. And who wouldn't love a story with a demon chicken! However, I did feel like the book plays fantasy buzzword bingo. It tries to hit so many different fantasy points that it didn't always work. Some felt more distracting than adding value to the world.

Overall, it was an enjoyable and entertaining fairytale, just a little slow for my taste.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage , Domestic abuse, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Animal death and Cannibalism

Once upon a time, there were three princesses. The youngest of these, who’s “almost a nun and barely a princess”, is on a quest.

Accompanying her are a dust-wife, a former knight who’s also a diplomat and a fairy godmother. Rounding out this ragtag bunch are a chicken with a demon, a highly motivated chick and quite possibly the best dog ever.

Their mission? Kill the prince. Don’t worry; he definitely deserves it.

“It’s a fool’s errand and we’ll probably all die”

I’m always keen to spread the word about books I love but every so often a read comes along that tips me over into book evangelism. This is one of those books. I want everyone to adore it as much as I did.

If you encounter me in the wild in the foreseeable future, I’m going to be recommending you read it and if you don’t love it as much as I did, you may notice me looking at you a little strangely. This will be my silently judging you for not getting it look.

How can you not love a book that brings the intrigue, the weird and the need to know everything in the first two sentences?

“The trees were full of crows and the woods were full of madmen. The pit was full of bones and her hands were full of wires.”

This book has everything I need in my life right now. The lengths you will go to for family, even the ones that don’t particularly like you. A found family who shouldn’t gel so well, but they do. A reminder that you can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. Making the impossible possible. A quest that’s born from a need for justice. Bonedog.

Bonedog is one of my favourite characters of all time. I either need to permanently borrow him from Marra or ask her really nicely if she would pretty please make a sibling for him and allow me to hang out with Bonedog II forever.

Content warnings include domestic abuse and miscarriage.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for introducing me to Bonedog and the rest of my new found family.

A macabre/dark modern fairytale. I devoured every word.

I didn't know that The Princess and the Pea was the (very loose) inspiration for this story until I read the author's note at the end. And while this story has nothing to do with that fairytale, it explores exactly that.

T. Kingfisher is one of those authors whose books I hoard, because I love her writing and am always scared I'll run out of new books. (then I don't read them for years but that's a different discussion) The prose flows beautifully, and is full of memorable lines. Even though the plot at the heart of the story is very dark, there's still plenty of witty humor sprinkled throughout, and it made the reading experience such a delight.

Our main character is 30 years old throughout most of this, and driven by love for her sister to undergo a pretty grim quest. She's joined by a motley crew along the way: a bone dog, a dust-wife, a possessed chicken, a godmother, and warrior in distress. The characters are all loveable and charming, easily worming their way into your heart. There is a bit of romance, but it's more like a sweet, extra detail, and not at all the focus.

But underneath the surface layer of a fairytale, we find the story of a woman struggling for change in a world that automatically favors men, of abusive relationships and the choices people sometimes make to stay in them. Even though Marra has moments of despair, where she thinks she will never be able to save her sister because of the power her husband holds over her, she never gives up. She endures the kind of horrors you usually find in dark fairytales, and, through it all, remains determined to see her grim journey through to its conclusion, no matter the cost. I admired her character, and all that she was willing to give up for her family.

Marra is the third daughter of the King and Queen of a small but strategically important harbour kingdom. The sisters’ lives aren’t wholly their own: the first is married off to a prince, as is the second when she dies. Marra is sent to a convent, the better to keep her out of the games of politics. But when she discovers how cruelly her sister is treated by her husband, she sets off on a quest to find a solution.

We start the story mid-task, and backtrack a little before continuing, and my singular tiny complaint here would be finding that timeline just a little clunky. I get it, though: it starts us up to our elbows in… well, less ‘action’ and more bones. Literally. Having spun a clock of nettles, Marra’s second task is to wire together a dog made of of bones. Bonedog (“you’re not the most imaginative, are you?”) is a loyal companion through the rest of the trials, joined by the Dust Wife who set Marra her challenges, her demon-possessed chicken, and a knight they rescue from the goblin market on the advice of a moth. Indeed! Oh, and don’t forget the fairy godmother.

The title and a few early tags had me a little worried this was one of Ms Kingfisher’s horror titles – like The Hollow Places (good but creepy) or The Twisted Ones (which I bought and have not been brave enough to read!) – but it’s thankfully much more in the dark but very practical fairy tale-esque books. And that was just *perfect*, especially for a bit of a personal slump time. There’s something so cosy about the storytelling, even as it involves domestic abuse, or ghosts that will happily drown you.

I’ve loved T Kingfisher’s work for a long time, and this just cements her crown as able to do absolutely no wrong. Well, apart from writing the odd book I’m too scared to read 😉 Absolute bonus with the demonic chicken, which is highly amusing in its own right, and more so if you follow the author’s twitter and regular updates about the real chickens :)

This could be one of the best fantasy stories of revenge that I have ever read. A spellbinding addition to the fantasy genre, cementing T. Kingfisher as a master of the field.

The story of Marra and he fight for vengeance is one of mystery and magic but above all else, sisterhood. Piecing together a rag tag band of heroes is just the begininning and throughout the journey Marra is confronted by impossible tasks, grotesque monstrosities and a demon chicken. Yup… there is a chicken in this story who is possessed by a demon.

The story itself is captivating. The pacing is absolutely perfect and allows the reader to really get to know Marra, the Gravewitch and the rest of the ensemble. Each character enters the story with such dedication and focus that you instantly connect with them. Too many times have I been reading and some characters have been on the periphery and never truly engaged with the story. That isn’t the case with Nettle And Bone!

My favourite parts of this particular novel were the social and sometimes comedic interactions between the entire group of characters! Each had stand out moments in the story each encapsulating the perfect main character of Marra.

I really didn’t want this to end and would love a follow up in the future. If an engaging, well structured story with superb characterisation wasn’t enough, the cover art of the book is stunning, I don’t think I have ever seen a book so beautiful. The sizing of the hardback is spot on also which most definitely means you should have Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher on your bookshelf.

I did quite enjoy this book even though in the beginning it was a bit hard to get into it. The writing style wasn't my favourite but after awhile I got used to end and ended up really enjoying the story and characters!

This is a fairytale that is unexpected in every way, a quest to save a princess from a prince, a motley crew of lovable characters with very questionable morals and one doggo that will steal your heart…and your bones.


We follow Princess Marra as she attempts and fails to navigate a world of political maneuverings and scheming royals and finds an unexpected solace amongst the nuns at the convent of Our Lady of Grackles.
But even as she tries her best to avoid entanglement with anything beyond her embroidery thread she can no longer ignore her family’s ties to the Northern Kingdom when she discovers her sister is suffering at the hands of her husband, the prince and heir to that icy Kingdom.

So Marra sets out on a quest to kill a prince and save her sister.
But quests are never as straightforward as the fairtytales would have you believe.
Mortals and fairy godmothers alike will hinder and help her on a journey that will take her from the peaceful convent gardens to the dust filled plains of the south and further still into a land blistered and ravaged by death before she can return with the tools to take down the prince.



Every character in this book is wonderfully realized and delightfully dimensional and complex, from the guest appearances to our main cast.
You will more than once be taken by surprise at the decisions they make, from the dead they deal to the teeth they trade and the souls they save but not one choice is out of character and I came to love this party of unexpected friends - and frenemies- more than I realized.
The primary focus is held firmly on our main characters and their personal growth, particularly Marra who has some brilliant character development throughout this story, but there is a lovely sub-plot romance that is so wholesome sweet it will give you toothache.

There is also more than one member of the main group that I would kill a prince to get a backstory for….just saying…in case the author reads this…

The world building is something completely unique and also, so sue me for using this word yet again, unexpected. As I read I felt like I was visiting lands from every one of my favorite childhood fantasies but this time they were that bit more merciless and that bit more authentically realized.
The plot was flawlessly paced and every time i made time to actually sit down and read i would fly through the pages not even notice how many I'd read until i checked the page count.
Writing style wise I was put in mind of Tessa Gratton and Naomi Novik, whimsical yet tangible, brutal yet beautiful and often charmingly hilarious - I laughed out loud more than once - while also so sharply honest and true to life it would often cut to the bone.

Overall this is a fine edged weapon of a fairytale that pulls no punches where the fairy godmothers will just as lightly curse you as bless you and the princesses wield bones and nettles just as deadly as any poison dagger.


Cannot recommend it enough to fans of dark fairytales and feminist fantasies who want something just that bit different from every other book on the shelf.

I absolutely adored T. Kingfisher’s strange writing style in The Hollow Places, and it worked just as well in a twisted-fairytale-esque setting.

This had a really atmospheric vibe but was super chaotic, in a fun way. I actually really enjoyed the pacing a lot—every time the plot slowed down a little, a new character was added. It meant that having so many main characters and so many locations felt a lot less overwhelming.

I did enjoy the characters a lot, though I wasn’t super invested in them. I did find myself loving their dynamic more than the individual characters, but they worked really well as a super unexpected group.

One thing that sometimes confused me was the time jumps. I often couldn’t figure out how much time had passed between certain events and had to backtrack a little to figure it out. I also did feel much more connected to the main characters’ adventures than I did to their end goal.

Overall, this was a really fun fantasy and it felt really cozy. This makes me even more excited to pick up more of T. Kingfisher’s fantasy novels going forward.

Content warnings: Death, murder, illness, death of an infant/child, miscarriage, domestic abuse, animal death, slavery, mentions of suicide, mentions of child abuse.

this is such a creative, grown and developed read, so unique and visceral to read. I hope there is more from this author!!

Nettle and Bone is a stand alone fantasy story about a princess called Marra who gathers an unlikely group of characters to help her with her task - to kill the king.

This was a whimsical, dark fairytale that drew me in from the very beginning. The story isn’t told chronologically so it took me a minute to find my bearings but once i did, I was invested. It was creepy, horrifying, funny, grim and fascinating - all at the same time. Some parts were actually quite terrifying. I loved the writing style and will definitely be picking up more from this author! I felt as though there were some pacing issues which meant my intrigue dipped a little in the middle - perhaps if I had read this in one sitting I wouldn’t have encountered that issue.

I really appreciated the underlying commentary about how those in power, particularly men, often get away with cruel acts; the main character in this book had a relatable rage against this unjust system and sought to fight against it. There was also a big theme about control and in particular relinquishing that control which was interesting to see.

The main character felt very real to me - tangibly realistic and relatable in the way she thinks & processes the world around her. She didn’t pretend to be something she’s not and had fears/doubts like the rest of us. The side characters were also very intriguing to me - a dust-wife, a demon chicken and a godmother? That sounds epic.

The world that Kingfisher created in such a small book is truly impressive. I loved all of the different magic occurring in this book - it was great and I highly recommend.

This was my first Kingfisher book and now I'm hooked. I went into this with zero expectations and was not only highly entertained, but also completely drawn into this world and Marra's journey. It's a sinister spin on fairytales, with witches and fairy godmothers and goblin markets, full of creative ideas. I loved it.

"Nettle & Bone" tells the story of Marra, an unusual princess of a small kingdom that needs to sell its princesses to bigger kingdoms in order to survive, basically. Marra, as the third sister, has been spared such a fate so far, and was allowed to live most of her life far away from palace intrigues. And far away from the suffering of her sisters - both married off to the same prince, one already dead, the other one constantly being abused by him. Marra's journey to save her sister with the help of a dust wife, a bone dog, a former warrior and a fairy godmother makes up the biggest part of the novel.

The characters are amazing, all of them complex and vivid. There is a romance that I admittedly wasn't really invested in, but I do love both characters so it didn't dampen my enjoyment as a whole. I simply didn't think it necessary in this particular story.
The plot is well-paced (though a bit slow and all over the place during the first few chapters), never boring and takes the reader to exciting places. The goblin market was probably my favorite, but honestly, it's just amazing all around. The writing is beautiful and I loved the humour intertwined with the darker aspects of the story. It was simply a joy to read. I now need to read absolutely anything this author writes.

Nettle & Bone is pretty unique, I can't think of another book I've read which has such an eclectic mix of characters. I'm not familiar with the author's other work, but 'a chicken possessed by a demon' is totally what drew me in!

I found the structure of the story somewhat offputting, the story begins with the main character, Marra, in the middle of a set of 3 impossible tasks. She's constructing a dog made from bone which was very odd and interesting but there was no context as to why it was happening or how anything worked, the story then jumps back in time to what I would consider 'the beginning' and carries on. Personally, I would've preferred the book if it started at 'the beginning' and was told in chronological order right from the start, it would've made more sense and been easier to get sucked into the story.

Because of the structure, the pacing was a bit all over the place. It starts off pretty quickly and then gets super slow while we properly meet characters and find out why everything is happening, the pace does pick up once Marra teams up with the dust-wife, Agnes and Fenris though and I enjoyed the story a lot more.

I do think this reads more YA than intended, Marra is meant to be 30 but she's lived a sheltered life so her actions and thoughts are pretty juvenile, even Fenris who's meant to be 40 comes across as very young.

I did enjoy the overall plot and I did want to find out what happened, I just found the style of storytelling wasn't a good fit for me.