Whilst the book was deliciously dark and mysterious it failed to deliver compared to Kingfisher's other works. But an enjoyable dark fairy tale retelling regardless.

I’ve read one other book by the author and although it was short, it was the writing style itself that made me sure to pick this up when I saw it.

The writing style makes it seem like a children’s story until the darkest undertones make you realise it is for a slightly older audience. Cordelia and Hester are the two narrators who take turns showing us their own views on the events that are unfolding. Seeing as Cordelia is the daughter of a Sorceress and Hester knows nothing about the sorcery at play while being extremely affected by it all the same, they give the readers a complete picture.

The plot itself is simple, as is the possible solution to things. It’s the journey to the eventual end and all the asides that make the narrative entertaining that brings something unique to the book.

I will not go into the details because the people and the details are what made me want to finish the book in one go, something I’ve not been able to do in a while and luckily wanted to do two books in a row!

I would highly recommend this book to fans of this genre and would love to read more books by the author. For context, the closest tone of this book would be the ones for adults I have read by Eva Ibbotson.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This will undoubtedly feature as one of the top 3 books of 2024 for me.

Cordelia has been Made Obedient by her controlling, ambitious mother so many times, she sometimes forgets it isn't normal. But as her mother's schemes grow more complicated, and as other people are drawn into her orbit, Cordelia realises that she has to try and fight it, and to do that, she's going to have to unlearn a lot of what keeps her safe.

A deeply heartfely ode to hope and kindness, 'A Sorceress' is unnerving, disturbing, and uplifting by turns in a way that Kingfisher has mastered.

This probably didn't need to be marketed as a Goose Girl retelling, because the inspiration is there but only barely. It's a very good story overall, though. I loved that the two main perspectives were those of a teenage girl and an older woman, which isn't something I see often (except in T. Kingfisher's other books).

It deals with agency and abuse, and how people in an abusive situation can feel like there is no way out for them. In Cordelia's case it is literal—her mother can use her like a puppet, using her mouth to talk and her legs to walk. This isn't a horror book, but the scenario Kingfisher paints is, frankly, terrifying.

As always, the characters really shine here, and I genuinely loved all of them (except for the villains, of course). The romance between Hester and Richard was really cute, but I don't think I ever fully understood Hester's reluctance to marry him. Her reasons don't make much sense to me, especially considering the events towards the end of the book, which I assume would put them on more equal footing in her head.

The resolution felt too fast and too easy for how much the villain had been built up, but I had a great time reading this, and would broadly recommend it if you're in the mood for a darker fantasy.

Whimsical and very fairytale-like. Wish I could have loved this more. but it was too slow going for my tastes.

Prior to this, I had only read 1 T Kingfisher book which was a novella, but now I have devoured A Sorceress Cones to Call, I can say that T Kingfisher has to be one of my favourite authors. The perfect blend of magic, tension and action.

I love how Kingfisher tries to do something a bit different in each book. This is a Goose Girl retelling (if you squint) but it has some of my favourite things – a Regency-adjacent setting with magic thrown in. Add to that Kingfisher’s fabulous characters, her dry wit really suits this era. It reads like a dark fantasy until it goes headfirst into horror. This is on par for me with Nettle & Bone, and has a similar vibe to it. This does feature a very toxic controlling and abuse relationship, but there is a detailed content warning at the start, so do check that out if you need it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan for sending me an e-arc!

I enjoyed this one more than I expected it. It says that’s a reinterpretation of Goose Girl, but I couldn’t see it, but that didn’t stop me from reading it.
I enjoyed most of T. Kingfisher’s books, I love how she combines the horror elements with the fairytales and with the day to day life.

The book is a historical fantasy set in a Recency era. The main character, Cordelia, the sorceress’s daughter, and is broken and she does whatever her mother tells her to. She actually doesn’t have a personality for the first chapters of the story, she’s just there.
Everything changes when her mother wants to remarry and we meet new characters that will influence Cordelia’s life and future.

I loved Heather a lot! She is the sister of the man they the Sorceress wants to marry.
She’s actually my favourite and i loved reading her chapters. You have to meet her, I’m sure you’ll love her as well.

“A sorceress comes to call” is a dark story, with emotional moments, emotional abuse, narcissism, great characters, great twists, a small found family, friendships and romance.

This is definitely my favourite book from this author and I can’t wait to read more by her.

This book was extremely dark. Starting with a scene where Cordelia is unable to move because of her mother controlling her entire body, it continues on from there. It didn’t shy away from the ways that a parent manipulate and control a child, embellishing it with magic. Cordelia’s mother was a beautiful villain, sinister and magical while also having a foundation in a very real type of abuse.

My favourite parts were actually at the end, with Falada and the geese. It was a wonderful way to bring the goose element of the original Goose Girl fairytail into the book. I loved the image of Falada being surrounded by a load of hissing geese.

This book was clever, evocative and beautifully written. I wouldn’t say that much of it was inspired by the fairy tale, but like with the geese, there are elements there.

An all around good read.

T. Kingfisher has become an auto-buy author for me over the last 2 years and I throughly enjoyed this latest book. I think anyone who has read Nettle and Bone or What moves the dead will have an idea of the vibe of this book, although I would say that this one definitely strays more into the horror genre and has less of the cosy fantasy elements. No demonic chickens here!

For full review see my tiktok.

I didn't love this one unfortunately. I was possibly expecting a different vibe, but this was a little too high society for me and not magical enough.

Cordelia's mother is not easy to live with and when angry has a tendency to do nasty things. With Cordelia, this often means controlling her movements and that's not a pleasant feeling, to be sure. For others, this can manifest in far more terrible punishments. Her mother decides she's going to get married and takes Cordelia with her to snag her husband. Cordelia knows what her mother is like and fears the worst will happen. She does find herself with allies at the home of the intended betrothal and it's down to a matter of time to find a way to stop her mother.

As I understand it, this is a retelling of "The Goose Girl", a story I have never read but have heard about. In any case, I like the way the writer presents the story, and I like the cast of characters who come along for the ride. Most are unique and quite helpful at solving the difficult problem of Cordelia's mother. Cordelia's character is quite sympathetic and the fact she is able to rise above her difficult situation is admirable.

Overall, this was quite enjoyable, and I rate it four stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for giving me a free copy of the book. I've provided my feedback under no obligation.

T. Kingfisher is like no other author at the moment. Each book is exquisitely haunting and full of gut-punching moments. SORCERESS is a dark fantasy with some horror elements. Content warnings are at the start of the book but the main warning is parental abuse and neglect. The portrayal of the relationship between Cordelia and her mother is brutally raw and powerful. I loved that the supporting characters were middle-aged women and Hester, Imogene and Penelope were unforgettable. Another 5 stars from me.

A Sorceress Comes To Call is a loose retelling of the Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm and by that I mean there are geese and a horse named Fallada. That's pretty much where the similarities end. But it follows Cordelia who's mother is a sorceress has a history of ensnaring wealthy men. She doesn't let Cordelia have a single friend, Cordelia isn't allowed to keep secrets and her mother periodically takes over her body to make her "obedient". Her mother's latest victim is a kindhearted if foolish Squire who she intends to marry to then marry off Cordelia to a rich man as well. But her mother didn't expect the Squire's spinster Sister Hester who senses something not quite right
So this is quite dark. It deals heavily with abusive mother Daughter relationships. despite this being fantasy, the emotional abuse was very realistic, and the reactions Cordelia had were something I could relate to. Like not wanting to make your parent mad, not understanding their anger, being scared to do something wrong in social situations, etc. But as much as it deals with parental abuse it also deals with healing and breaking free from that. I loved Hester and I love T. Kingfisher's commitment to writing middle-aged women in fantasy kicking ass.

While this was darker even than Nettle and Bone, Hester brought some of Kingfisher's signature humour. There were quite a few horror elements with the sorceress' abilities and the creepy horse, but it was mild imo. Goose Girl was one of my favourite fairytales growing up so I had fun with the nods to the original but this was really its own thing. We also finally find out what Kingfisher's deal with horses is so I'm glad that is cleared up.
This was a five star read for me but do check trigger warnings! However, I do recommend it to fans of Nettle and Bone.

It’s never taken me three weeks to read a five star book before. That’s how good this book is. I know. That doesn’t make any sense. Here’s some context…

I started reading this book after attending a conference about coercive control. The day after. It wasn’t the proximity to the conference that affected me, though. It was the fact that I had listened to a series of experts discussing coercive control for two days, yet not one speaker was able to get inside the experience of coercive control in the way that this book does.

I felt the control Cordelia’s mother had over her and because her experience was so authentic (magic aside), I was only able to tolerate small amounts at a time. It got to the point where I would notice my body tense whenever Evangeline walked into a room and that, more than anything else, told me the author had well and truly done their job.

Cordelia’s mother makes her obedient, using her power as a sorceress to control her every action. When she’s obedient, Cordelia is a marionette in her mother’s hands.

Her body is not her own.

“No one noticed that Cordelia moved in unison with her mother.
No one ever did.”

Her voice is not her own.

“Her tongue did not belong to her.”

She fears her mother can hear her thoughts.

Cordelia is constantly on guard, monitoring her mother’s moods, her tone of voice, every word she says - searching for clues about her safety - later that day, that hour, the next moment.

Cordelia resists her mother’s violence in small and big ways. She makes herself inconspicuous. Her careful study of her mother has taught her the behaviours she needs to avoid to increase her safety.

“Closing the door when she was home alone was as much rebellion as she dared.”

Despite having been abused all of her life, Cordelia has strengths her mother has failed to stamp out. Cordelia can identify her mother’s attempts at gaslighting, even though she doesn’t know the terminology, and has been able to hold onto her sense of self in a way that most adults who experience coercive control are unable to.

Evangeline, like many abusers, keeps her daughter isolated, but that’s going to change. They’re about to meet Hester, a fifty one year old woman with bad knees, who’s going to seriously mess with the status quo.

“You can’t save everyone, you know.”
“I’m not trying to. But if someone who needs help falls in your lap, you help them. It’s what you do.”

We all need a Hester in our corner.

This book is about the insidious nature of abuse but it’s also about the seen and unseen ways that people who experience abuse resist. It’s about courage and resilience and hope.

It’s also about the responsibility we have as individuals to remove domestic and family violence from our too hard basket and respond safely if someone shares with you that they are experiencing abuse. If you’d like to explore this more, I can’t recommend https://www.insightexchange.net highly enough.

New fear unlocked: white horses. Thanks for that, Ursula. 😊

Content warnings, which are mentioned in the book before the first chapter (thank you, Titan Books), are abusive family dynamics (emotional abuse; coercive control), violence and bereavement.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Cordelia has always known her mother was different. She seems to have an unusual control over Cordelia and her only friend is her mother’s horse Falada.
When her mother sets her sights on the local squire Cordelia fears that something has been set in motion that cannot be controlled.
A really vivid tale with wonderful characters will keep you entertained throughout.
Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is a retelling of the Brother's Grimm Goose Girl and definitely worth checking out, especially if you enjoy fairytale/folktale stories. The characters are the highlight throughout - they are so well written. The writing is good and although a little slow in the middle, the plot was generally compelling throughout.

A creepy Regency fairy-tale from Kingfisher, showing off her horror chops. Cordelia is the daughter of a sorceress, a woman so powerfully manipulative that a fourteen year old has no chance to stop her. Or does she? Once again, Kingfisher pits an older, practical heroine against magical powers, and along with a flock of geese, they just might prevail. Fascinating though this retelling is, with the horror elements ramping up and a slow-spun thread of dread, there was a chance to reflect more deeply on the imbalance of power: Cordelia and her mother are no one in society. They are poor. The sorceress’ wiles are already remarked upon as tactics that conniving women use upon rich men - but with no other option to rely upon, what woman wouldn’t use magic if she had access to it? I would have enjoyed a little more exploration of this, as Cordelia’s essentially reliant on the good nature of the wealthy in order to make any headway at all. Fortunately, of course, they are a benevolent and loveable cast.

Do check the trigger warnings for this one. I hugely enjoyed both the geese and the horse.

A SORCERESS COMES TO CALL is a quirky and often funny tale that's also got a large dangerous streak at its heart.

This is a very loose retelling of the goose girl, the story more a jumping off point for this tale. There are a few familiar elements - Falada the horse, some geese running about in the background - but that's about it. Instead, this is a story of a young girl and some older people coming together to defeat a cunning sorceress.

I really liked how Hester and her friends were such key characters (Hester is one of the two narrators.) SFF can really overlook characters who are not in their twenties. Here we have people who have seen life and have creaky knees and the determination to do what is required to help others, even if it means facing down a sorceress and a demon horse.

I laughed a lot at this book. The situations are bizarre and the characters at least pay lip service to the strict rules of etiquette, which creates this funny jarring note. A couple of characters also use humour as a defence. This humour is balanced by the grim situation, and I found it endeared me to the characters more because I liked them that much more.

This is the third T. Kingfisher I've read - and I've enjoyed it as much as the others, so the author is firmly on my "to read" list now.

This latest book by T. Kingfisher is a nuanced story with elements of traditional tales, Regency, gothic horror all revolving around its key female leads.
Cordelia is 14 and has lived under the rule of her mother Evangeline, a sorceress who can not only influence people and events but take over someone's body so they become her puppet. Cordelia is frequently used as a puppet for her mother, to further Evangeline's schemes and loathes her with a passion.
Their lives are precarious as they are funded by the men Evangeline entrances and when her most recent paramour lets her down she devises a scheme which transports herself and Cordelia into the household of a wealthy squire, Samuel and his spinster sister, Hester. Evangeline's aim is to lead the squire into marriage and to marry off her daughter by claiming Cordelia is 17.
Hester is the other lead in this story and is middle aged, with aches and pains, who has lived her life but has some romantic regrets. She senses the evil in Evangeline - calling her Doom and so surrounds herself with friends who can support her repel the encroachment on the household by Evangeline.
Cordelia slowly grows emotionally under Hester's guidance, she is betrayed (amongst others her horse Falada), lives in terror of her mother but is able to turn this around and seize back her life.
Another great read from the author although I did find the controlling elements uncomfortable to read.
My thanks to the publsher and Netgalley for access to this ARC. All views are my own.