Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
Thornhedge
by T. Kingfisher
Fantasy | Horror | Retelling
116 Pages
Released August 2023
Rating: ★★★★ 1/2
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I love a good fantasy retelling and this book truly hit the spot. I’ve read a couple of T.Kingfisher’s books so far (Nettle and Thorn, What Moves the Dead), and this is the first one where I enjoyed every second of reading it.
Thornhedge is a dark twist on a classic fairy tale. In it, we follow Toadling who has been charged with the arduous task of protecting the tower holding a sleeping maiden for all eternity - but not in the way you may think. Because in this re-imagining, the goals isn’t to keep anyone out — it’s to keep something in.
This book is short and sweet (just like this review will be). The characters are immediately endearing and the concept is a refreshing, albeit brief, take on Sleeping Beauty. I flew through this book in record time, anxiously waiting to see how the story played out. Overall I loved almost everything about this story - except that I wish it was a little bit longer! The book builds up to this fantastic climax and ends quite quickly thereafter (though it’s still a satisfying ending, in my opinion). Overall, if you’re a fan of fairy tale retellings and are looking for something you can devour in a day, definitely pick this one up!