Another fantastic story from T. Kingfisher, which combining magic and horror wonderfully. I was swept up in the dark plot, which manages to bring together twisted sorcery, friendship, family and love with just enough humour to balance it all out. I’m at the stage where I no longer read the blurbs for Kingfishers books and instead dive in blind.

Cordelia’s story tugs at the heartstrings but for me, the star of the show is Hester. She’s warm, clever and full of love for those deserving of it. It’s great to see an older character and one with a disability shine. She’s got a strong personality and a great group of friends - essential when defeating dangerous sorceresses!

A cracking story with a lively and intriguing array of characters. I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley.com for providing me with an ARC of this title.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a loose re-telling of Goose Girl by The Brothers Grimm.

It's a fairytale laced with darkness set in a magical regency era. This is my first T Kingfisher book and I enjoyed it. The writing was beautiful but easy to read.

This is at its core a story about abuse, manipulation and coercive control. Evangeline is a terrible person who abuses Cordelia to suit her own needs. Farada is Evangeline's familiar and he too was awful!

My favourite character was Hester, she is the spinster sister of Samuel. She was smart, kind and took Cordelia under her wing. The found family element of the story was my favourite part.

I was a little underwhelmed with the ending and the story wasn't as gripping as I first thought it would be. I found myself bored in parts.

Overall I did enjoy it and would recommend it and I look forward to reading more of her works.

An incredibly engaging, character led fantasy following a young woman whose terrifying mother schemes to try and marry rich to elevate their status. (Simplified one line I must say)

On the surface it seems very simple and something we have seen in the likes of The Gilded Age, Bridgerton or Downton Abbey for example but Kingfisher adds a secondary layer to her story following a narrative of abuse, manipulation and dark magic. Cordelia, the daughter of a very powerful sorceress, struggles to exist through the day dealing with her mother’s machinations and emotions. Never being allowed to close a door to not being able to control her own body when her mother puts her under a spell.

Reading the pages and pages of suffering Cordelia goes through and how that impacts how she views and interacts with the world is a heartbreaking read. But I loved watching her grow, learn how to trust and how to gain strength in herself.

I loved the comedy of manners style to this book. The fantasy, especially in the first half, is minimal as we focus on our collection of characters. Their motivations and their wants. And honestly I was so entertained by the the plotting of our Sorceress to woo a man under the confines of polite society. I felt like I was watching a historical piece of scheming and plotting but don’t worry if you came for the fantasy Kingfisher is known for you will NOT be disappointed. That second half is a gut punch but you need that more characters focused half to really set the groundwork for why you should care about these characters and why the magic is important.

This would be perfect as a play! I want it on the stage!

I loved this! It's a fantastic remix of the Goose Girl tale with a compelling cast of characters while managing to keep the creepy gothic fairy tale vibe.

T. Kingfisher is one of my favourite contemporary fantasy writers, and I have read most of her back catalogue, but I would very rarely rate her books very highly (with some exceptions, like Nettle&Bone). You always know what you are getting with a T. Kingfisher book - a bit of magic, a bit of mischief, a neurodivergent-coded awkward female protagonist (yup, she can only write one of those) and a stoic but boring male love interest. A Sorceress Comes to Call has all of these things, but it is all somehow brilliantly executed and elevated to unquestionably one of the best Kingfisher books ever.

Technically, we are dealing with a reworking of The Goose Girl, a fairy-tale which had the (mis)fortune of never being picked up by Disney and thus vague and flexible enough in most readers' minds to accommodate almost anything as its retelling. Even with that in mind, there is little of The Goose Girl left in here, so you can enjoy it even if you've never heard of the original story - I hadn't and I loved it.

Cordelia's mother is a sorceress who can control people's minds. She is a cold, calculating and cruel woman, whose only ambition in life is to marry Cordelia off to the very highest bidder. In her schemes, she sets out to marry the Squire, whose shrewd and wise sister Hester will do anything to prevent the marriage.

A Sorceress is a mannerpunk book masquerading as cosy fantasy, with a hint of Kingfisher's trademark faerie horror. Most of the book is occupied by embroidery, tea parties and card games, but don't be fooled, there is plenty of darkness in here. People get maimed, people get mind-controlled, people die.

Two things really elevate this novel: the achingly precise capture of a controlling parental relationship and beautifully composed and accomplished prose. The relationship between Evangeline, the mother, and Cordelia is, of course, cranked up to 11, as this is a fairy tale fantasy, but at its core it is grounded in very relatable frameworks of parental over-control and emotional abuse. The devil is, as always, in the details - Cordelia's realisation that doors of her room can be closed, or the extent to which she had conditioned herself to not even consider writing her true feelings in her personal diary are beautifully rendered. Additionally, Kingfisher's unique selling point was never her prose, often under-edited and somewhat sloppy. Not in A Sorceress - the sentences are expertly crafted and cut deep. Coupled with, as always, competent and well-designed narrative structure, A Sorceress presents a polished text of a fantasy master at the height of her craft.

This was exactly what I expected from a Grimm's Fairytale retelling from Kingfisher! It was atmospheric, fast paced and really kept me hooked. I did feel unfortunately that it ended up being a little unpredictable and we lost the atmosphere towards the end but I still had a great time reading and will definitely return to T. Kingfisher again!

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Thank you to T. Kingfisher, Titan Books, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a ‘fantasy of manners’ - a historical fantasy set in the regency era. I mostly liked the book but also found it a little lacking and surface level. Characterisation was off for some characters - Evangeline (Mother) did the classic dastardly-revealing-her-evil-villainous-plans, which weakened her character. The pacing was also quite slow in parts and I felt it should have either been edited into a novella or expanded into a fully-fleshed story. Interesting tidbits were skimmed over and not so interesting were dragged out - the old land was mentioned a few times but not expanded on and there was no explanation of the magic system but we sat through multiple meals that were not needed for plot development!

I think it’s my love for regency settings and appreciation for it being in 3rd person dragging it to 3 stars.

I love a good retelling, especially one with gothic overtures. And "A Sorceress Comes to Call" is ticking all of the boxes for me.
Loosely based on the "Goose Girl", this is a gothic fantasy that veers into horror at times but is never gruesome and manages to be original in the storyline. Our protagonist is Cordeila, a young girl who is imprisoned by who sorceress mother. Cordeila eventually decides to escape and the storyline moves rapidly as villains and heroines clash.

I absolutely love T. Kingfisher. I don’t think I’ve read a book of theirs I haven’t liked. This one is no exception. I love a good fairytale retelling. Especially when things are twisted around.

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a gothic fairytale retelling from T. Kingfisher. I have recently been binge reading all of T. Kingfisher’s work. She seems to write books that have a perfect blend of horror, fantasy and humour. Also, she manages to write rich and compelling standalone stories! Considering how many times I have been disappointed by a series; I love being able to pick up one of her books and know that it will be complete. This is exactly the case with A Sorceress Comes to Call- she has written a full and fleshed out story that mixes horror with black humour. It is definitely my cup of tea!

This is one of her more dark, gothic stories which toes the line between fantasy and horror. In it, we encounter a witch who has confined her daughter Cordelia in a house with no doors. She is completely isolated and strictly controlled. In fact, she is often forced to be silent and still for hours on end. When her mother starts pursuing an older Squire, Cordelia meets his unmarried sister Hester, a woman determined to save her brother and Cordelia. It was really refreshing to have a so-called ‘spinster’ as one of our main characters. She drives the action of the plot and I loved seeing her as a heroine.

This novel is inventive, twisted and very macabre at times. If you want a fairytale vibe, this is not for you. But… if you love seeing the horrible underside of legends and fables (and if you can handle some death and violence) I think you will love this sinister retelling.

Ooh this was good! I think I’ve officially found a new favourite author. This was my third T Kingfisher book and the best one yet.

T Kingfisher is absolutely superb at characters, her FMCs are complex, relatable and brilliant. It is so hard to make a character like Cordelia, who is timid and so downtrodden she never had the chance to develop a personality, a likeable MC. But she is so compelling. I was so drawn to her kindness, her growing confidence and subtle acts of bravery against a truly awful mother. And I loved that her character development wasn’t based on hidden powers.
Her mother Evangeline is a villain of the first order. A narcissist and dictator and utterly loathsome.
Hester was wonderful and I loved her immediately. Her story arc was also glorious and I loved how she stepped up, despite her dodgy knee!
The side characters were also superb and so beautifully etched - Imogene, Richard, the Squire, Willard (whose one liners were iconic) and of course Queen Penelope. Shout out to Falada as well for being utterly unexpected and equally terrifying.

This is a retelling of a Brothers Grimm story and in allegiance to the source text it is dark. The themes of this story are heavy and T Kingfisher does her magic in being able to weave through horror and darkness impeccably into a tight contained narrative.

Thoroughly recommend!

I think this is my favourite T. Kingfisher. Loosely based on “The Goose Girl” somehow everything is flipped and just works perfectly. The regency setting is vivid and transportive. What I most adored was the unraveling and sinister undertone this story created. Although it also does have cozy elements that balance out the impending peril. Character wise, they are all brilliant and utterly believable. Even the horse has major personality. The story uses wit and wisdom all wrapped into one. I cannot recommend this book more - I read it in a day! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Exceptionally written book with a cast of gritty, personable characters.

Weaker plot, yet strong, endearing, and hilarious characters- from main characters to all the small appearances.

I’m a plot driven person so it was a bit of a miss for me at times, despite that, I adored the character work, dark atmosphere and the overwhelming sense of dread bundled up within.

Not familiar with the original ‘The Goose Girl’ so this is a wholly original tale to me, I think it delivers a new story perfectly fine with no need of previous knowledge.

Very Vivid story, I could picture the plot completely in my head.

3.5 star, though one I’d recommend to the right audience who are more character driven. As there are plenty of moments I did love!

This book was an unexpected delight. T. Kingfisher takes the classic "Goose Girl" tale and spins it into something darkly whimsical and refreshingly original. The story centers on Cordelia, a young girl under the thumb of her manipulative sorceress mother, Evangeline. Their arrival at the home of the unsuspecting Squire and his sharp-witted sister, Hester, sets the stage for a tale filled with magic, intrigue, and a fair share of goose-related antics.

What I appreciated most was the character of Hester—a middle-aged heroine with a no-nonsense attitude and a bad knee, who proves that bravery and cleverness aren't reserved for the young. The narrative balances moments of genuine creepiness with dry humor, making for a read that's both unsettling and oddly comforting.

Kingfisher's prose is engaging, and the pacing kept me hooked from start to finish. The themes of autonomy, resistance, and found family are woven seamlessly into the plot, offering depth without overshadowing the story's fairy tale roots.

If you're in the mood for a gothic-tinged fantasy that subverts expectations and delivers both chills and chuckles, this one's worth picking up.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.*

I haven’t had as much luck with T Kingfisher’s horror/retellings as I have with her cozy and romance but oh wow this was perfect. Evangeline was terrifying and deranged but very much existed in the same world as the more grounded Hester and Cordelia. Hester was a familiar Kingfisher character but I loved her for it and the friends she brought around her were brilliant. I don’t know how Kingfisher turned a dark fairytale nightmare into found family but she pulls it off spectularly

The title of this book is slightly misleading in that 'comes to call' implies a brief visit, possibly for tea. Here the sorceress has come to stay with the intention of marrying into the family. Similarly, although some of the names in the book are taken from the Goose Girl fairy tale, the characters and plot are very different.

It's told from the point of view of Cordelia, the sorceress' daughter, and Hester, the sorceress' unwilling hostess. It feels a bit like a murder mystery, although in this case the problem is not in identifying who the murderer is but in figuring out how to stop them.

The story is darker than the last couple I've read from Kingfisher, and although I enjoy her lighter stuff, I think that her writing tends to be more memorable on this end of the spectrum. There is a controlling mother, a man forced to commit murders, a sorceress who must be stopped, more murder, betrayal of secrets told in confidence, a child forced to torture herself, and a (murderous) headless horse.

Recommended, but with warnings for child abuse and minor character death.

Regency meets sorcery. Cozy meets horrifying. T Kingfisher and her traumatic past with horses.

Cordelia’s mother plans to marry a rich Squire and marry Cordelia off to someone even richer. Only thing is, her mother is an evil sorceress and extremely controlling and manipulative.
When Cordelia moves to the estate of her mother’s newest target, she finds a place that makes her feel safer and a wonderful friend in Hester, the Squire’s older sister.

Hester is amazing! A fifty-one year old shrewd, witty woman who has a heart of gold, immediately takes Cordelia under her wing, and is extremely suspicious of Cordelia’s mother (nicknamed Doom) and her ambitions.

<b>”Eh?" Hester realized that her brother had been speaking. "What was that? You have to speak up, my hearing's not what it was." (This was entirely untrue, but she had found that it was a very good excuse when she had simply been ignoring a dull conversation.)
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T Kingfisher tackles some heavy topics with a drop of cozy and heartwarming protagonists.

Her mother can make Cordelia be obedient which made her akin to a puppet- controlling her body but Cordelia is still inside looking out helpless.
When we first meet her, and for most of the book, Cordelia is extremely meek and scared and unsure. Closing the door when she was home alone was as much rebellion as she initially dared. Living on an estate where she can suddenly close doors, keep secrets, and have a lovely maid is novelty to her.

<b>Her mother's good moods had once been more difficult to live with than the bad ones. Cordelia had dared to hope that things would change, that all would be better, that there would be no more obedience, and the weight of her hope had crushed her beneath it. Now she no longer had such illusions.
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Expect tensely fraught dinner conversations, delightful dinner guests, knitting, card games, but also grizzly murders.
This is a <b>comedic book of Jane Austen-esque manners</b>, but there is also a grisly, headless, glowing horse that roams the grounds at night.

T Kingfisher has definitely become an auto-read author for me and her range is INSANE!

Thank you to Tor for providing the physical arc in exchange for a review!

I really loved this one. The world drew me in right away, and the writing had such a beautiful flow to it; T. Kingfisher never disappoints.

The characters felt so real and layered, I grew really attached to them, and I wasn’t ready for it to end. There’s a depth and tenderness to the story that stayed with me long after I finished.

Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

A beautifully written story, I was totally immersed in the world created by T. Kingfisher. An enjoyable, magical novel that pulls you in from the start!

In this story, we follow Cordelia, a fourteen-year-old who is entirely under her mother's control. Sometimes even literally, as her mother can take over her body at any given moment. When Cordelia and her mother leave their small town for the remote country manor of a wealthy older man and his sister, Cordelia will have to choose between filial loyalty and her newfound independence.

I really loved this one! I was hooked from the very beginning and could not put it down. The characters are compelling enough that I would happily continue reading about them in a future book. The book is apparently a retelling of The Goose Girl by the Brothers' Grimm but, as I haven't read the original story, I can't comment on that.

A recommended read for fans of T. Kingfisher and dark fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.