I'm not big on fairytale retellings but I LOVED THIS!

Healer Anya reminded me of MaoMao from Apothecary Diaries in the way she would test poisons and antidotes on herself. The way T Kingfisher writes her female characters always amazes me, they are all so relatable and full of life.

This was an amazing take on Snow White with some of the original motifs of apples, enchanted mirrors and the evil queen but with T Kingfisher's spin on it which made it a milion times more enjoyable than the original material. I'm always a sucker for an animal companion, especially if they have a sassy persona to them, which Greyling definitely did. His and Anya's interactions were amusing to read, with his cat like way of seeing the world shinning through.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an EArc of this amazing book!

I will continue to read and love anything by Kingfisher! She truly has a way to combine cozy fantasy elements with more gothic, creepy ones in a way that is seamless and highly enjoyable. I loved her take on the Snow White retelling: the mirror world was intriguing but always kept me on edge, much like Anja, curious to explore but wary of what we will find, and I particularly enjoyed the twist she spun on the elements of the apple and the evil step-mother!

The only reason why I’m not rating it higher is that it took me until around the 35% mark of the book to really feel engrossed in the story, as the beginning was quite slow and it felt like the plot was going nowhere. However after that I simply could not put it down and I think it may have become a new favorite by her (though no surprises there, as I love fairytale retellings!).

Thank you to netgalley, Pan MacMillan, and the author for the review copy

I had seem lots of recommendations for this author and thought this book sounded interesting with its take on a classic fairy story.

I read a lot of fantasy, but generally of the epic fighting/ magic type. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this much slower paced, cosy style fantasy. I’m not going to lie, I felt seen with the main character. More mature than the typical fantasy heroines, I loved her awkwardness in society, her practicality and her enthusiasm for new discoveries. Knowing it was a Snow White retelling I had the advantage over Anja in working out what was happening. The mirrors did give it a very different slant though. I don’t know whether it was me, but I did struggle with getting to grips with all the explanations of the mirrors and how they worked although it didn’t stop my enjoyment of the book. Bonus points for the sweet romance element.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the pace of the story, but I was not that drawn into the story. I enjoyed it, but I found myself getting distracted easily. I did enjoy the ending and how everyone's brought together.
I definitely plan on reading more books by T Kingfisher!

That last 40% felt like I was watching a movie, and I needed to fall into the book to know more immediately!! The story was incredible, and the way it unfolded was insane.

This was a cozy and neat fantasy, and such a fun reimagining and retelling of Snow White. It’s got talking cats, (sort of) portals, magic that isn’t magic, and that’s all I will say about that!!

Romance is not a major part of the plot, and I somehow did not mind that because the little romance we got was so incredibly sweet and tender. Their slow burn was so slow, I was burning on the flame for both of them (loved it!!). I enjoyed every bit of their conversation and them coming together at the end was beautifully written. Anja is also written immaculately, she is a strong FMC who knows what she wants and leaves no stone unturned to get there.

Being an Agatha Christie fan, I love reading about poisons and their use in plots. Adding a fantasy aspect to poisons mixed with a little mystery is just what I needed. The only aspect of contention with me is that the pacing was a tad slow at the beginning – albeit it catches up since the last few chapters were a fun rollercoaster ride!

I haven’t read T. Kingfisher’s books before and that needs to be rectified immediately! On my way to add to the mountain that is my TBR.

I adored Hemlock and Silver. T. Kingfisher never misses when it comes to blending folklore, horror, and humor. A grumpy, poison-loving heroine, a super weird twist on Snow White, and a world that’s creepy, clever, and totally offbeat.

Hemlock & Silver is funny, a little sad, and just the right amount of spooky. The mirror world is unsettling in the best way, the magic feels wild and dangerous, and the characters (including a very judgmental cat) are pure Kingfisher gold.

If you like fairy tales with bite, smart women who are done with everyone’s nonsense, and stories that are just a little bit unhinged in the best possible way, you’ll love this.

Thanks to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan, and T. Kingfisher for the free eARC.

I had just taken poison when the king arrived to inform me that he had murdered his wife. [opening line]

A new T Kingfisher novel is always a delight, and Hemlock and Silver -- a dark and occasionally horrific riff on 'Snow White' -- has brought me great joy, right from that opening line.

Healer Anja is thirty-five years old, unmarried, an expert in poisons and their antidotes. The king, having informed her that he'd murdered his wife, wants her to cure his adolescent daughter, Snow, whom he believes is being poisoned. The money is good and the offer difficult to refuse. In short order, Anja is on her way to Witherleaf, an opulent palace in the desert. She meets the young princess, who is clearly hiding something; she runs tests, the results of which are inconclusive; and she encounters an excellent cat.

I loved the worldbuilding: the beasts of heaven rose up and slew the cruel, pitiless gods, and are worshipped as saints. (There is no Saint Cat.) Anja refuses to believe in magic, and approaches her work with scientific rigour. She's a likeable narrator with a pragmatic approach and a burning urge to understand the world around her.

There are elements of horror that reminded me of some of Kingfisher's darker works, such as The Twisted Ones and The Hollow Places: there's also romance, friendship and the aforementioned excellent cat ("His Gloriousness, God-King of the Deserts, Lord of Rooftops, King of Mirrors, Heir to the Mantle of Harar, He Who Treads the Serpent's Tail, Whose Claws Have Scarred the Bark of the Great Tree") who is key to the resolution of the mystery.

UK publication date is 19th August 2025: thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

I love reading anything by T. Kingfisher, and I was entranced by this story from the first pages.

This is an original take on the story of Snow White, with the author's unique blend of wonderful, quirky characters who quickly become a part of your world.

A blend of magic, natural healing, and incurable curiosity, with an intriguing mirror land and its creatures, and an evil plot worthy of any fairy tale, I didn't want it to end! Highly recommended!

As usual, T.Kingfisher could write a shopping list and I would anticipate it and read it. This was a very interesting tale, funny in a Kingfisher-way, makes you think without realising you are doing some thinking and most importantly, engaging and enjoyable to read.

I was delighted to find that this was yet another splendid T Kingfisher book, which I throroughly enjoyed reading from the very first page.

Anja was a protagonist of the type I have come to know and love from Kingfisher: mostly pragmatic, entirely comfortable in herself, occasionally prone to utterly overthinking things, and thoroughly unbothered with concerns such as looking fancy and impressing the king. (Or rather, she is moderately bothered with being respectful to the king but also keeps forgetting that there are different rules for interacting with him, and he doesn't particularly seem to mind.) Anja is very good at her one thing, which is poisons, and not very good with anything else, including talking to people, and it makes her a delightful character to read. Especially when all of her go-to conversational topics are about poisons and venomous creatures and she breaks these out at courtly dinners. Mostly I really enjoyed that she just seemed to know exactly who she was and what she was good at, and proceeded to then be very good at it, and not very good at or interested in much else, even if other people assumed she somehow would be. (Perhaps my favourite interaction in the whole book was a lady of the court asking her if she has children (no), the lady apologising, and Anja following it up by mentioning that she does, however, keep venomous snakes.)

I found this book to be an entirely novel take on Snow White, and I greatly enjoyed seeing how the aspects of the original story had been used and changed to suit the form the tale took here. For the first part of the book, as Anja tried to work out what, if anything, was poisoning Snow, I came up with my own theories (which were of course wildly wrong, because I was thinking in terms of real-world ailments, not fantasy-world ones) and generally found myself very invested in the course of the story. As the mystery unravelled, more mysteries were revealed, and with every new discovery I was drawn into the narrative even more, and pretty much ended up finishing the book in one sitting. I felt like this book did an excellent job of building tension and slowly putting together the pieces to construct something that was undeniably really quite dark. Overall, though, the approach that Anja took and the way that the narrative was presented meant that the story didn't read as horror to me particularly (although I admit I am not the best judge of this), but rather could be seen the way Anja viewed it: a problem that needed to be solved, with the occasional moment of 'oh, this is actually really rather screwed up'.

The worldbuilding I thought was excellent, and I appreciated that everything was viewed through the lens of understanding that best suited the period, with Anja considering her patients' health in terms of the humours. It made everything seem much more realistic (insofar as that can be accomplished in a fantasy world) because such an approach fit together with the rest of the fictional world so well. I liked the saints-based religious system that Anja (sporadically) followed, and the fact that there was so much interesting backstory there that was only briefly touched upon gave the world a sense of greater depth to me.

Of course, no good review of this book could be complete without paying respects to the wonderful talking cat, His Gloriousness, God-King of Deserts, Lord of Rooftops, etc etc, more commonly called Grayling. He was an excellent and entirely cattish character, the source of much frustration for Anja, and an all-round entertaining presence in the book. I would also mention Javier, but I don't know that I really have anything to say about him.

All in all, this was a joy to read, filled with all of T Kingfisher's classic wit and creating something unique from a story that's been told many times before. If you like Kingfisher's other books, you'll definitely enjoy this one, and if you're a fan of no-nonsense female protagonists in their mid-thirties, you should definitely check this out (along with probably a good half of Kingfisher's existing catalogue).

Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When T. Kingfisher publishes something new, I instantly know that it's going to be either funny and cosy, or dark and eerie. "Hemlock & Silver" is a fantasy retelling of "Snow White", a grim reimaging of this timeless classic in a different key. Healer Anja studies poisons and their cures, trying to save lives, and her unlikely obsession will lead her to the king's mansion, surrounded by the desert, where his young daughter is mysteriously ill. Someone is allegedly poisoning the princess, and, after the death of her mother, the Queen, and her sister Rose, Snow is in the throes of an unknown disease that threatens her life. Aided by a taciturn bodyguard and a talking cat, Anja must understand what and who's menacing Snow and save her before it's too late.

Kingfisher's new novel promised intrigue, fairytale-like settings and scenes, and a magical plot, and it respected its premises. This book is a perfect combination of well-written characters and an interesting plot that will keep you glued to the pages until the very end.
Anja recounts the events in first-person narration, and she's such a funny protagonist! Her inner desire to discover, her scholarly behaviour while investigating Snow's case, portrayed the image of a thirty-five-year-old woman with a keen sense of humour and with a brilliant mind. Anja's reasoning is anchored in science and facts, so when the mystery of Snow's condition starts to unravel into something far more magical, she struggles to grasp the fairytale direction taken by the events. I loved how she remained faithful to her scientific mind till the end, even when she couldn't fathom the reasons behind certain occurrences.
"Hemlock & Silver" features a love story, though it takes root from the 50% of the story. However brief, the relationship tying Anja and Javier is sweet and delicate.

The funny and whimsical tone of Kingfisher's writing made this book easy to read and extremely enjoyable, especially if you're searching for a compelling retelling with hilarious characters and a page-turning story. I highly suggest this book for those who loved "A Sorceress Comes to Call" and "Where the Dark Stands Still".

Hemlock and Silver is the latest release from T Kingfisher, a Snow White reimagining told from the perspective of Anja, a healer of poisons. This book is T Kingfisher at her best, a dark fairytale with plenty of amusing moments. It cleverly reworks many of the symbols, characters and plotlines of Snow White to create a completely new tale. If you're already a fan of Kingfisher’s works then I would highly recommend this book, which is Kingfisher doing what she does best. If you've yet to read Kingfisher, this is a great starting point for her works. Her character work is great, with a convincing protagonist who was entertaining to read and a great fairytale villain, world building that was surprisingly fresh with a certain element which I really loved, and a plot which kept me gripped throughout.

A very unusual retelling of Snow White, told through the eyes of Anya, a healer of sorts, but poison is what fascinates her the most. When tasked by the King to find out what is wrong with his daughter, Anya puts her scientific mind to work but finds herself caught up in a strange world of magic and monsters. With a sassy cat and a guard by her side, this becomes quite the adventure. So captivating and intriguing with a plot that keeps surprising you at every turn, A fabulous story.

What a delightful little book! This was my first time reading T. Kingfisher, though I’ve long heard glowing praise for her work, especially her refreshing choice to centre older protagonists, a bit of rarity in fantasy fiction. I’m happy to say all the praise was well deserved: this was a fantastic read, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

The humour was a real standout for me. Anja’s voice felt so warm and personal, like a friend sharing an amusing story over tea. She’s sharp, deeply passionate about her work, and unapologetically focused, a trait some might find unusual, but she owns it.

Though the story takes a little time to hit its stride, I appreciated the slower start; it gave me a chance to settle in and get to know Anja. Once it got going, it was thoroughly engaging.

The romance was sweet, gentle, and a lovely complement to what is already a beautifully executed fairytale retelling. I’m not usually a huge fan of retellings, but this one struck a perfect balance, familiar yet fresh, and I think it will charm many readers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Perfection in a book. Witty characters, an intriguing mystery and a fascinating world come together to deliver the modern fairytale vibe that I have come to love from T.Kingfisher. Did I mention there is a talking cat???? You should not need any further reason to go read it, but nonetheless I will end this review by saying that I highly recommend that you pick this one up.

I adore T. Kingfisher, but Hemlock & Silver might be my least favorite of her books so far.
That said, it’s still a clever and creative retelling – this time of Snow White – infused with all the quirky charm this author is known for. The FMC, Anja, is a mid‑30s healer who specializes in poisons, and she embodies everything I love about Kingfisher’s protagonists: practical, witty, socially odd. Anja was the highlight of the story for me: her internal monologue, her self‑awareness, and the slow‑burn romance were very well done. Kingfisher truly excels at writing mature, genuine relationships, and I only wish there’d been more of that here.

The fact that this book didn’t fully work for me may stem from its structure, which is essentially made up of two distinctly different parts. The first half builds around Anja: her life as a healer, the king’s visit, and her ensuing journey to help the poisoned princess. The Snow White elements – King’s daughter, enchanted mirrors, and a secret mirror‑realm – don’t fully emerge until about the halfway point. By then, I was so invested in Anja’s arc that the shift to Snow’s story felt jarring. I struggled to connect with the new characters, and the mirror‑realm mechanics (especially the rules about reflections) felt overly complex. I found myself longing for more poison lore to be honest.

Even so, a less-favored Kingfisher novel is still an enjoyable read. She remains one of today’s most original and delightful voices in fantasy. I’ll absolutely keep reading – and recommending – her books. This one just didn’t enchant me quite as much as her best work.

Dark, clever, and delightfully off-kilter, Hemlock & Silver is a slow-burn fairy tale reimagining that takes its time—but rewards the reader in spades.

Anja is a healer with a fascination for poisons, a deeply practical mind, and the driest sense of humor I’ve read in a while. Summoned to save a cursed princess, she ends up tangled in mirror lore and eerie truths that go far deeper than “just” a poisoned apple.

The pace starts slow (fair warning), but the voice carries it well. Anja’s inner monologue is whip-smart and often hilarious, and the payoff when the plot kicks into gear? Totally worth it. I especially loved how the mirror world was handled—creepy, inventive, and symbolic in all the right ways. Also: the cat. Enough said.

There’s real emotional weight beneath the wit and magic. Themes of reflection, agency, and fractured sisterhood echo throughout, and even seemingly quiet characters get their moment to shine.

Surprisingly, this was my first book by this author and I expect I’ll dive in her other titles very soon!

A women interested in antidotes is called upon by the King to cure his daughter, who suffers from bouts of illnesses that cannot be explained.

I'll read anything T Kingfisher writes, so I won't say this is an unbiased review. Her special mix of Fantasy, Horror, Mystery and Romance are exactly my type of book and this is no different.

A fascinating plot which brings a scientific mind to a fantastical world. A mystery that had me questioning everything. And a subtle but extremely sweet romance. Brilliant.

As always, a mostly cosy read with a few thought provoking slightly unsettling elements that make you think. The usual range of interesting characters and a cat! I found Anja and her poison obsession strangely fascinating.

I love fairy tale retellings and this isn't my first by T Kingfisher - I wasn't disappointed!

A wonderful & vaguely creepy fairytale of poison, apples & mirrors.

I loved our main character, Anja. I could relate to her struggle dealing with children. I also enjoyed the world building & would be intrigued to see more - even though the story wrapped up neatly. I will definitely seek out T. Kingfisher whenever I need a dark fairy tale to read!

I'd recommend for those who like Christina Henry's fairytale retellings, Heartless by Marissa Meyer and dark magical stories.