I think I’ve probably said this before, but I am a T. Kingfisher loyalist, and she never disappoints. I especially love her fairy tale novels (Nettle and Bone, Thornhedge), so I was very excited for A Sorceress Comes to Call, a retelling of Grimm story, The Goose Girl. Once again, Kingfisher has created a world full of magic, death, and sarcastic jokes.
The novel opens with young Cordelia under a spell which prevents her from having control over her body. Her sorceress mother, Evangeline, is the one who has weaved the spell, so the reader quickly gets the idea that this is so much worse than your standard helicopter parent. Evangeline relies on wealthy male “benefactors” to maintain her lifestyle, and when she is spurned by her latest paramour, Evangeline drags Cordelia off to live with her latest conquest, the Squire.
However, the Squire’s sister, Hester, sees Evangeline for the succubus she is, and notices how Cordelia is absolutely terrified of her mother. When Evangeline meets the Squire’s social circle, and people start dying, Cordelia must use all her courage to defy her mother, and prevent further tragedy.
Predictably, I loved this book. It’s funny, gripping, and absolutely terrifying. There are some scenes towards the end of the novel that will forever change the way I look at horses (also nice to note that in the acknowledgements, Kingfisher shares a real-life horse horror story). But also, I have a newfound respect for geese.
California Reading 