Nettle & Bone

This was such a unique and darkly delightful read. I can totally imagine a Tim Burton-esque movie being made out of it, as it tends toward that dark, magical, slightly strange feel about it. After really liking the first initial part of the book I wasn't sure about it for the rest of the first quarter, as it seemed a bit disjointed but as it progressed, it kept getting better and better. Our main character Marra was likable once her initial frustrating naivete gives way to determination - although I think that is rather part of the point of her character arc. Her companions on the journey are what makes it so entertaining and enjoyable though. The bone dog, the gravewitch, the fairy godmother and the disgraced Knight are the most interesting and likable part for me. The journey isn't of the epic kind, but I kind of liked that it was engaging without needing to delve deep into the lore. Kingfisher has a deft way of conveying the world without bogging it down in a lot of verbiage and I enjoyed that aspect, as well as her ability to make it still feel very fairytale-ish, even with all the tropes turned on end and the bizarre and dark nature of the story. Highly recommended!