Quirky Cat
Nettle & Bone is the first novel I've read by T. Kingfisher – but I can tell you right now that I'm adding every other book of hers to my TBR list. I loved this one so much. Please make the time to read Nettle & Bone; you won't regret it!
Marra is the third daughter – the third princess. That offered her some level of protection, though it forced her to watch her two eldest sisters handed off to the same abusive prince. Now Marra is done sitting back by the sidelines. She's going to find a way to stop him. No matter the cost.
Her only hope is the help of a grave witch. Tasked with three impossible things, Marra keeps moving forward with her quest, determined to find a way to shatter the protection surrounding the prince and his kingdom. It's the only way to save her sister.
Nothing is fair, except that we try to make it so. That's the point of humans, maybe, to fix things the gods haven't managed.
Wow. Wow. Wow. Nothing could have prepared me for Nettle & Bone; that much is certain. This book blew me out of the water – and I want more. I am ranking Nettle & Bone on my top ten list for 2022 (so far); it is THAT good.
First, let's talk about the world. It is complex, magical, dark, and fascinating. There were times when it felt like we were hopping from one world to the next, as each location is vastly different. Honestly, I would give anything to go back and explore some of those areas (and their citizens) in more detail.
The characters are a delight. Marra is a bold lead that brought readers many unexpected twists in her journey. Naturally, I also adored Bone Dog and the other characters that come into play (I'm trying to avoid naming them to avoid spoilers).
There were so many parts of Nettle & Bone that made me happy. Or upset and concerned. In other words, this book got me fully emotionally invested in the story. Frankly, I'm amazed at how much T. Kingfisher was able to fit in a mere 256 pages.
Long story short, Nettle & Bone is incredible. Go read it.
Thanks to Tor Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks