A Sorceress Comes to Call

Bookseller recommendation

“In T. Kingfisher’s retelling of the Goose Girl fairytale, there’s an emphasis on found family, and finding strength in yourself that you didn’t know you had. I would like Hester and Cordelia to be my new best friends, please and thank you.”

— Cora Kelly • Bear Pond Books

Bookseller recommendation

“The perfect blend of characters in a fast-paced mysterious witch hunt. What more could you want?”

— Kristine • Buttonwood Books and Toys

Bookseller recommendation

“I really enjoyed this book! The author did a fantastic job of developing the characters and making their emotions feel real. I loved how the characters' choices and actions felt genuine, and you could feel the consequences of their decisions. Also, this book made me quite fond of geese!”

— Sarah • Cavalier House Books

Bookseller recommendation

“An intensely satisfying retelling of The Goose Girl! This dark-er faery tale explores the hearts and minds of Cordelia, her mother (oh-so-appropriately called 'Doom'), and Hester - Cordelia's would-be savior. The character development is deliciously in-depth, and the minimalist setting development forces the reader to explore those inner depths. Just chilling! Highly recommend!!!”

— Yvonne • Author's Note

Bookseller recommendation

“This book will transport you, it captivated me body and soul. Heck, I was getting a tattoo and barely felt it because I was so invested in A Sorceress Comes to Call. Kingfisher has penned another dark fairy tale that evokes love and terror in equal measure. I adored even the most despicable character (I didn’t particularly like her, but I can’t stop thinking about her) because Kingfisher writes with wit and charm no matter who the character is. She is especially adept at evoking practicality in absurd situations. This fairytale has magic, exceptionally lovely and meddlesome older women in the driver’s seat, a magic horse, and a young woman trapped inside her own body. I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed A Sorceress Comes to Call, and I hope you will enjoy it as well.”

— Izzy • Off the Beaten Path

Bookseller recommendation

“T. Kingfisher gives us a perfect mix of humor and fantasy with a dash of horror in a Regency setting. This retelling of the Goose Girl fairytale follows Cordelia as she tries to survive the nightmarish, social climbing, life ending plots of her sorceress mother. ”

— Tom • New Story Community Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Oh my heart. I adore Kingfisher's tales, and especially her portrayal of women. The audio was particularly excellent; the narrators brilliantly portrayed everything from Hester's stubbornness to Evangeline's deviousness to Cordelia's hesitation. Practically perfect in every way. ”

— Melissa • Watermark Books

Bookseller recommendation

“An interesting use of magic to describe the emotional abuse and damage that can be done to someone by gaslighting and controlling behavior. ”

— Rosalyn • PRINTED

Bookseller recommendation

“One of the most striking things about this book is just how every chapter is captivating. Not bogged down in overly described scenes, it is focused on the characters to the point you feel everything the characters are feeling. While there isn't much traveling and sometimes not much action, you are still on the edge of your seat for what comes next. It is clear Kingfisher is such a wonderful storyteller. A very realistic and empathetic take on childhood trauma and the responses people have to trauma set in a low fantasy world. It is beautifully told and I was sad when the book was over and I won't be spending anymore time with any of the characters.”

— Jamille Christman • Eagle Eye Book Shop

Bookseller recommendation

“Gruesome fairy tale meets novel of manners! Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ Goose Girl, Kingfisher depicts the horror of the power parents wield over their progeny - here pitting an evil sorceress (and one absolutely horrifying horse) against her own awkward, earnest daughter and the canny spinster sister of the rich nobleman she’s bewitched. In this grisly, horror-tinged fantasy, a lovable found family and a fantastic middle-aged heroine await! ”

— Megan • Underground Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Even though I'm not familiar with the Goose Girl fairy tale, I really enjoyed this story! The author did an excellent job of mixing a horror-tinged fantasy tale with just a dab of high-society Bridgerton vibes. I loved both POV characters, and I really loved that they each got their own narrator. Both narrators did an excellent job embodying their characters, and I was sad when the book was over. ”

— Stefani • The Book Nook

Bookseller recommendation

“When you realize that your mother is an evil sorceress, it is a game-changer. Cordelia knew her mother was different and that her life under her mother's rules was unusual, but she didn't realize how different and unusual. Magic, good vs. evil, romance, murder, manipulation, and protective geese. This story has it all!”

— Nancy • Raven Book Store