Review: Thornhedge, by T. Kingfisher (Tor)

Whoops! I finished this audiobook in a day, completely by accident. Once I entered Toadling’s world, I couldn’t leave. And after such a short time with her, I am now bereft. T. Kingfisher nails it again with her latest novella, Thornhedge.

Toadling guards a tower, the contents of which are not immediately apparent. She stands vigilant for years, watching people pass by. But one day, a knight, Halim, breaks Toadling’s isolation, and he is on a quest to rescue whomever may be in the tower. As Toadling and Halim’s relationship develops, Toadling shares the devastating story of how she came to guard the tower, and the true nature of what lurks within.

T. Kingfisher is just so brilliant at adult fairy tales. I was bowled over by Nettle and Bone last year, and Thornhedge impressed me even more. Toadling’s story is heartbreaking and compelling; I loved rooting for this unconventional hero.

Audiobook narrator Jennifer Blom gave a perfect performance. Her soft voice perfectly complemented the whimsical story. In fact, her soothing, hypnotic tone made the sometimes violent twists and turns even more surprising. Combined with Kingfisher’s expert prose, it was an ideal pairing.

Like I said earlier, I finished this audiobook in a single sitting. Thornhedge is perfect escapism. The fantasy elements combine perfectly with the occasional bit of horror, and the central relationship is just beautiful.