Item: A Sorceress Comes to Call
Rating: 5.00
Author: quirkycat

by T. Kingfisher

From USA Today bestselling author T. Kingfisher comes A Sorceress Comes to Call—a dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm's Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic.

Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.

But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t sorcerers.

After a suspicious death in their small town, Cordelia’s mother insists they leave in the middle of the night, riding away together on Falada’s sturdy back, leaving behind all Cordelia has ever known. They arrive at the remote country manor of a wealthy older man, the Squire, and his unwed sister, Hester. Cordelia’s mother intends to lure the Squire into marriage, and Cordelia knows this can only be bad news for the bumbling gentleman and his kind, intelligent sister.

And indeed Hester sees the way Cordelia shrinks away from her mother. How the young girl sits eerily still at dinner every night. Hester knows that to save her brother from bewitchment and to rescue the terrified Cordelia, she will have to face down a wicked witch of the worst kind.

Book Summary:

Cordelia is used to being punished - or controlled - by her mother. All Cordelia wants is to be out from under the control of her mother - a feeling more literal than usual. Her mother’s latest scheme further proves that Cordelia needs to find a way to free herself.

Hester is wise in many ways. So when a marriageable woman shows up to woo her brother, she knows exactly what is up. What Hester doesn’t understand is this woman’s method. She’ll have to find a way to save her brother and the young woman this monster has brought with her.

My Review:

T. Kingfisher is back with another magical retelling! This time, her focus is on the Goose Girl, and I was immediately hooked on the premise. A Sorceress Comes to Call is everything I hoped it could be - rich, dark, compelling, and so very magical.

The story is told through two perfectives, Cordelia and Hester. One is young, timid, and gunshy; the old is bold, wise, and quite determined. They’re not the most likely team around, but their unique perspectives combine to create a compelling narrative.

As for the narrative itself, it is everything a fractured fable should be: magical, dangerous, high stakes, and a touch of romance. Naturally, all of these elements come about in slightly unexpected ways, but that’s what makes it so good.

As a major fan of retellings and fractured fables, my review may be slightly biased. I just can’t get enough of them. That said, I feel like A Sorceress Comes to Call stands independently, even without the label. So be sure to check it out!

Highlights:
Magic & Witches
Horror & Fantasy
Goose Girl Retelling
Fairy Tales

Trigger Warnings:
Controlling & Abusive Behaviors
Violence & Death
Animal Death

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A Sorceress Comes to Call

by T. Kingfisher

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Dec 7, 2024

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