Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

I read Nettle & Bone last year and it became an unexpected favorite, so when I read the synopsis for Thornhedge, I got super excited because it sounded like it would have similar vibes. And it did!

I love T. Kingfisher’s storytelling, the way she infuses her books with subtle humor is just so good and really elevates the storytelling.
This spin on Sleeping Beauty was SO unique and entertaining, I read it in one sitting and was thoroughly invested.

It was wonderfully weird, a bit creepy at times but still so charming.
I’m also really impressed with how much depth the world had, considering it’s only a 130 pages novella, but I would definitely be interested in reading a different story set in this world.

Overall, I really loved this and highly recommend!

This is a fairy tale not like the others. I’m a fan of the strange and unusual and I have to say this was exactly how I would explain this book. A short and intriguing read. A tale that screams don’t judge a book by its cover!

3.75

I’ve never had the pleasure of reading a T. Kingfisher book before, and I can safely say I will be continuing to read their works.

I don’t typically read shorter stories and enjoy them. However, this 129 page fairytale caught me by surprise!

We meet Toadling, a once human girl swapped with a faerie at birth to become apart of a watery fairy family, who finds herself with an impossible task of containing and guarding a princess in a tower. You may think she is the villain of this story? That may not be so correct after all…

I found this book to be so charming! It gives me the same feeling as I used to have as a small child, reading my mother’s book of Hans Christian Andersen tales before bedtime.

It unlocks that simple childish wonder in you that perhaps you felt you had moved on from, and pulls you in to the classic tale of a magical girl who meets a heroic boy (but with a subversive twist).

The writing is simple and clean, and makes for such a good whimsical short read that lifts your spirits!

https://lynns-books.com/2023/08/17/thornhedge-by-t-kingfisher/
5 of 5 stars
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Sleeping Beauty, the alternate version

I didn’t realise how much I needed this story in my life. This is so, so good. I loved it. It’s literally short and sweet and ultimately downright satisfying.

At the heart of this little nugget is Sleeping Beauty, but, as the description points out, this is not her story. This is the story of Toadling. A character stolen at birth, who finds a loving family in the most unexpected of places, whose life becomes entangled and locked into that of the princess in the tower when a magical gift goes quite wrong. Of course, a knight comes along, as they often do in these tales, in search of something, he knows not what, and from there grows a charming and compelling story.

This is only a short story (appox 120 ish pages) but it totally worked it’s magic on me – which is a surprise as short stories usually fail to win me over (confession time, I hadn’t realised this was a novella when I requested it but I’m so glad that my oversight worked out so well).

I don’t want to say too much more. The beauty of this tale is finding it fresh for yourself and it’s such a compact story it’s possible to gobble it up in one sitting.

What I will say is that I was totally absorbed. I adored the central character and the charming knight. The story itself is intriguing, the writing delicious and I concluded the story with that happy glow that finishing a really good book elicits. Do you self a favour and read this book.

I received a copy through the publisher, courtesy of Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

I’m a fan of the author and was looking forward to reading her take on Sleeping Beauty. I liked Thornhedge a lot. It’s a fun, hugely entertaining read. I wanted the book to be much longer though as I was enjoying myself so much. This has everything you’d expect from a fairytale: madness, mayhem, magic, enchantment, and sinister curses. I had a lot of fun reading this.

I love T Kingfisher's books, and Thornhedge is a beautifully written fairy tale about... a toad. As with all fairy tales, there is a kingdom, a beautiful princess, and a curse, but Kingfisher has given it her magical touch and turned it into something unexpected and magical.

A quick, wonderful read that will leave you feeling bereft when you turn the last page, with characters that will stay with you for a long time. Highly recommend.

A reimagined Sleeping Beauty/Rapunzel story featuring changelings and a curse gone wrong.

The main character, Toadling, is definitely what drives the story, though due to her personality, albeit intricate and unusual, there is a lack of agency to her that makes the story a bit too straight forward. Other than Toadling, the characters feel a bit underdeveloped and the strength in the writing varies throughout.

Nonetheless, I did enjoy my time with this sweet novella and found it hard to put down in places. 3.25 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for the eArc!

I love Kingfishers fantasy and this is no exception. A wonderful nod to the Rapunzel/Sleeping Beauty story but with a few twists. This is wonderful, dark, cosy and whimsy. It's practically perfect. Not quite Nettle and Bone, but it still warmed the cockles.
Toadling is sent to sort out a very naughty changeling. She's very, very unruly, some might say EVIL. But Toadling is just too nice and so protects the royal household by building a impenetrable barrier between it and the rest of the humans. However, centuries later a (almost) brave knight comes to see what's behind the wall of thorns....

I love whatever T. Kingfisher writes: horror, fantasy, humorous fantasy. Name it and I love it.
This is the sweetest story I read, a novella that made me smile and moved me.
I love Toadling and Hamlin, loved her fairy green-teeth family and how this story was told.
A lovely novella that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I am quite sorry about this, but I need to let you know that this would be quite a short, and repetitive, review because really you just need to know one thing about this book: it’s worth your time, and you should go and read it, if you are even a tiny little bit interested in what the synopsis is telling you. That’s it!
And since I mentioned the synopsis, I have to say a couple of words here, because it’s right to give credits where credits are due. I am not the biggest fan of synopsis, because sometimes they contain spoilers (it happened more than once, and every single time is annoying as the first), or they are misleading, so I don’t usually read them (and sure, this led to some funny misunderstanding in the past, but that’s okay) if not for when I write the reviews, and I copy them in the post.
And this particular synopsis is amazingly well done because it says everything about the book, in the most perfect way possible. I love this synopsis!!!

And, obviously, I loved the book too. I was really excited when they approved me for the ARC and I may have done a happy dance around the house before starting it, but once started I could not put it down again, I was so captured by this story, and by these amazing characters that I wished to stay with them as long as possible.
The story is brilliant: it’s the sleeping beauty story, but it’s not her story. How cool is that? And it’s right there in the plot summary: There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.
This is Toadling’s story, and it’s Halim’s story. And it’s the castle story, too. In this order.
And the author creates the sweetest characters ever, and it’s not sweet in the romantic sense of the term, I am not speaking about romance at all, but it is sweet because they are the quintessential of the good people coalesced before your eyes. And that’s not to say that they are naive, or that they are gullible or whatever, they are good people who know how hard and harsh the world can be, they have no rosetinted glasses and yet they stay true to their being, to their goodness. And it is the cutest thing ever.

Because this book is cute, it is delightful, it is also highly original and quotable. And it is about duty, about love, not only the romantic kind, and what this book says about love is beautiful, I think that this alone is a good reason to read the book, but you have other reasons for reading it, mind me. You need Toadling and Halim in your life. She is a faerie who is trying her best to protect a secret and to save lives, and he is a kind knight, without shiny armor but with a shiny heart for sure. And then there is the story, because this is an amazing retelling, and it is highly original and masterfully developed, and this is not a small feat, let me tell you since I love the ideas behind the retelling usually, and then I am highly disappointed by their development, but this did not happen here. At all!

So, if you have enjoyed other books by this author, or if you are intrigued by retelling, or you want to try out something new, or if you are feeling the craving for something delightful and thoughtful well… wait no more! Just go and read this book, pretty pretty please with a cherry on top!

I'm such a huge fan of Kingfisher's fairy tale retellings (I think I've read them all at this point?), as she is really good at keeping the traditional core of the tales while examining them from a new angle. Combine that with her quirky and cozy writing style and its a recipe for success!

This is a retelling of sleeping beauty, and I think it might be my favourite retelling of hers so far! The twist here is that it is not about the princess, but about her fairy godmother. Although the book is pretty short, it cleverly manages to discuss what constitutes good and evil, and how appearances will often influence this.

There was also a lovely romance, and the heroine? So so lovely. I want a book 2 with these characters, please and thank you.

T. Kingfisher may not forgive me for saying this, but... "Thornhedge" is adorable!! There are smiles, laughter, and tears, and this book just feels *RIGHT* in a way I can't put into words (so I won't try). The characters are perfect. The story is superb and delivered brilliantly. The writing is seamless. I want so many more stories from this author - about 200 should do!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

It was the fairytale reimagining that drew me to this book, my first ever read from T.Kingfisher. The written craft on style on show was phenomenal, and the way the author took the tropes we all know and love and turned them on their head was masterful.

However, I didn't feel as strong for the characters as I felt I should with such a magical story. This is a definitely it's not you, it's me moment and I loved this version of the story. But not an immediate favourite.

Thorndhedge was the second book - well, novella in this case - I read by T. Kingfisher and let me tell you: I'm obsessed. I loved Swordheart and I also loved Thornhedge which means I definitely have to pick up more books by this author, I'm so glad she has a big backlist I can read my way through!
But lets get back to Thornhedge: it's a novella (usually not my favorite but when I already like an author I'll give it a go) about faeries and a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty and uff - it was really hard hitting? I really liked what T. Kingfisher did with the story, how she put her own twist on it and it worked so well! The book had me hooked from the first page and I just devoured it in one sitting because Toadling was such a compelling narrator.
I don't want to say too much because this is such a short book but it truly was a fantastic read and I can't recommend it enough.

A fantasy book full of fairytale.
T. Kingfisher has been a long time favourite writer of mine. I lean more towards her horror books but this didn't disappoint I couldn't put it down and cannot wait to put it on my staff recommendations at the end of the month!

"They must be telling stories," said the fairy hopelessly. "About a princess in the tower and a hedge of thorns to keep the princes out." {....} "I can't fight stories," she whispered, and a few tears, dark as ink, ran down her face and tangled in her hair.

I have no words for how much I LOVED this book - it's an absolute gem of a fairytale (Sleeping Beauty) retelling. Kingfisher writes in such an engaging, enchanting way that I was totally mesmerised from start to finish.

We are told Toadlings story, stolen from her cot as a baby and replaced by a Changling. She grows up with the Greenteeth, lving her days out in the cold, murky water with her loving adopted family while she develops some interesting magic of her own. That is, until she is sent back to the mortal world to bestow a gift to her Changeling counterpart and things go very, very wrong...

I have seen that another reviewer commented on the 'gentleness' of the leading characters and I think that's what sold this novella to me. Their interactions are so whimsical but have the undercurrent of much deeper themes, like loneliness and the weight of duty.

This will be one I read over and over again!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @titanbooks for this e-arc in exchange for my unbiased review!

#thornhedge #tkingfisher #sleepingbeauty #fairytaleretelling #bookreview #review #bookrecommendation #netgalley

Oh, this was so lovely. I read this in one sitting, since it's quite short, but I think I will reach for it again and again, whenever I need comforting, because despite this book's premise (what if Sleeping Beauty was evil, and she was cursed to protect the people from her) this story just feels like cool aloe balm on burned skin, like a blanket when you're cold, like gentle summer rain after the heavy buildup of water and electricity in the air.

Needless to say, I loved this. I loved the gentleness of our two main characters, the way they care for their families and nature and even the monster. I loved the descriptions of fairies in the best way possible - definitely more Oberon and Titania than Rhysand and Feyre (thank God for that btw), with the mischievousness of Puck and the bite of Suren, perfect and taking immense joy in their wickedness, but not out of evil, but because of their very nature. I loved this. I loved this so much.

And once again, without spoiling anything: I have rarely ever encountered an ending as perfect as this one. You are ours, we are yours, and we will wait for you. What a dreamy, undeniably perfect thing to say to someone. I have never cried so hard about the words of a toad.

Thank you so much to T. Kingfisher for writing a book like this. I needed this, and I feel that a lot of people out there will also feel soothed by this story.

I love fairytales. I especially like a dark fairy-tale re-telling. But let's be serious fairytales in their origin are dark. Then get made sweeter and I just prefer a dark fairytale.

This book was no exception. Taking the Sleeping Beauty tale up a notch.

Starting off I loved all the little subversions Kingfisher did while also staying true to the story and its characters. Sure some personalities and alignments have changed but it's still the same princess asleep in the tower tale. I loved our main character, Toadling, so much and I enjoyed following her and her life/experiences she has within this story. I love her feistiness, I love her intelligence, everything.

Now I had heard about Kingfisher's amazing horror works for ages so that was what I was super excited about to read in this story. And this book did not disappoint... at all. The imagery, the pacing, and the choice of words. All of this made for an exhilarating and creepy reading experience. I devoured this book while also curled up in my bed with all the lights on.

This is my fifth book by T. Kingfisher and she just doesn't miss!

Without spoiling too much, Thornhedge is a novella with an unlikely heroine and an exciting twist on the fairytale Sleeping Beauty.

I love the fact that Kingfisher keeps writing loveable, unique but unlikely heroines that don't fit the usual portrayal of what a fantasy heroine "should" be. In this case, our heroine is a fairy that looks like a literal toad who gets very nervous around people but is also very kind. Our male hero was also an absolute delight, a Muslim knight who apologizes too much and loves his mom a lot. Put him and Toadling together and you get a romance that was at once extremely awkward and also extremely sweet. I always love T. Kingfisher's men because they're so respectful and useful and kind, unlike the brooding, arrogant love interests that are found often in fantasy. The portrayal of Faeries as ultimately malicious and alien beings was something I really enjoyed too.

Kingfisher goes back to her roots her a bit with the fairytale retelling which reminded me of her earlier work, The Raven and the Reindeer, which I also adored. The exploration of guilt and duty in this book, as well as its messages about inner and outer beauty and how the two don't always match up, were thought-provoking and well-written. The one thing missing from this a little was Kingfisher's usual humour, but this was alright by me since I felt it would have cheapened some of the messages of the book.

All in all, a quick, interesting read that I recommend to fans of fairytale retellings and unlikely heroines. 5/5 stars.

T. Kingfisher did it again! Another perfect book. Perfect length, amazing pacing, interesting premise and fantastic characters! The author has a very strong hold on different genres and plays perfectly into this ‘dark’ fairytale story. This story ends up being somehow wholesome while using the ‘real evil and ugly’ faeries and not the PG version of a fairytale to spin a new tale that feels familiar yet completely different.

I would go into it blind without reading the synopsis because it makes it way more exciting and with such a short novel reading the synopsis could spoil some of the magic. If you’re looking for a sweet but somehow dark fairytale with a twist then I whisk definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with an e-arc of this book! (Will be purchasing a physical copy for my bookshelves as soon as it’s out!)