Thornhedge

This was a fun, quirky, weird fairy tale retelling. I found it cute and the characters entertaining while I was reading it, but the story wasn't really compelling. I put the book down half way through, and didn't pick it up again for over a week.

We have a knight trying to rescue a girl in a tower. Except nothing is as it seems. We also have Toadling, the girl's guardian, who is trying to keep the world from finding what is in the tower.

I enjoyed the flashbacks and slow reveal of the story. We have a knight now trying to find a way into the tower, and we have flashbacks to why the girl is there in the first place. I was a little confused how much Toadling was telling the knight, and if the flashbacks was her explaining the story or not. The current day story also progressed very slowly, and the most interesting parts were the flashbacks.

I expected this to take place in a secondary world, so I was thrown out of the story a little when it started mentioning real world religions. That is probably due to my expectations though, and not the story.

I enjoyed the ending, with Toadling thinking about her future for the first time. Overall it was cute and charming, but not one I'm likely to reread.

Another Kingfisher book I'm reading this year and who knows, it'll probably not even be the last. And every book of hers always manages to leave me feeling satisfied but wanting more.

This is a Sleeping Beauty retelling told from the POV from the faerie guarding the tower, Toadling. She is such an endearing character who is scared and unsure of herself, hasn't gotten much of a chance to make choices in her long life, and always tries to help in whatever way she can. The way the author reveals her backstory little by little is beautiful and she is definitely what makes this little novella memorable. The knight Halim on the other hand is a nice guy - no doubt - but the kind of nice guy who thinks he is doing the right thing, irrespective of the wishes of those around him. So while I thought he could be better, I wasn't totally swept off by him.

The prose is lyrical and haunting and sweet, something I've come to expect from the author, and it always marvels me how she manages to show the darkness in her stories but still ensures that there's enough light to be found at the end of the tunnel and the readers are always left with hope. It's the same feeling I got after finishing this story - it's too short but we get enough of it that we are satisfied despite all the awful moments that have passed, and we are left with hope for the many adventures Toadling might go on after this end.

To finish this off, you can't miss this if you are a Kingfisher fan like I am. And if you haven't encountered her works yet, this little novella is not a bad starting point. Just go in expecting something weird and horrific but also sweet and cozy and get swept up in its magic. I do have to mention that the audiobook narrator Jennifer Blom does a lovely job bringing Toadling's story to us and I would surely recommend the audio format to those who enjoy listening to fairytales.