I’ve read two T. Kingfisher books this spring, so I guess that makes me officially a fan. “Themes” might be too lofty a term for patterns in books by the same author, but there are definitley similarities. She writes quiet, awkward female protagonists who don’t know their own strength. She writes what I am going to call fuzzy or slanted fairy tales – myths in tone and scope, but with a more personal touch and often a dark twist. They’re slowly-unfolding tales, more concerned with getting the details right than getting anywhere fast. They’re wierd. They’re lovely. They’re short.
Let’s talk about Thornhedge.
The Basics:
Title: Thornhedge
Author: T.Kingfisher
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Fairy-Tale, Retellings
Published: Tor, 2023
Spoiler-Free Summary:
Thornhedge is a tale in two timelines.
In the past: Toadling was a princess for all of five minutes until she was stolen from the cradle by fairies A fairy child is left in her place, as is the way of things. The child who will become Toadling is raised by swamp witches. They teach her their magic and their ways. For all their otherworldly strangeness, they are her family. She belongs to them and with them. Thanks to supernatural time dilation, she returns to the mortal realm after a My Fair Lady transformation (or, Pygmailon or Pretty Woman, as you like) as a young adult to be her own changeling’s fairy godmother.
In the present: Toadling spends centuries guarding a decrepit, cursed tower, hidden from the world by a supernaturally tall and dense hedge of thorns. When a wandering knight with kind eyes appears determined to break the curse (or, “curse”?) and free her, Toadling must chose between her heart and her duty as the stranger’s efforts bring him ever closer to the terrible truth.
Why This Book is for You:
I’m afraid I’ve made this pitch a little early in the intro in parsing out Kingfisher’s patterns. Do you like quiet, bite-sized, emotionally rich stories with sneaky-good character work against a wonderfully wierd backdrop? Do you want an audiobook you can finish in a single carride, or a book you can rip through on a Saturday morning over coffee? Do you like fairy-tale retellings with a twist? Check out Thornhedge. I enjoyed it. I think you will too.
Where Can You Find More?
The author’s website has a delightful name, Red Wombat Studio. That alone is worth a click, in my book. She’s a prolific writer, so perhaps a resource like Fantastic Fiction will help you navigate that backlist.
Happy reading, folks.
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