Countdown to 2024 Day 6: Christmas stocking – stocking fillers – a novella or short story
6 December 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Novella or short story, Christmas Stocking, Countdown to 2024, Day 6, T Kingfisher, Thornhedge
Today is day 6 of my countdown to 2024. Using a series of prompts each day I will post a book title that I believe fits the prompt. The aim is to highlight as many books as possible that I read from 2023 and shine the spotlight on them once again (although for some prompts I will be looking at future reads). A list of prompts can be found here if you wish to join me in counting down to 2024.
Today’s prompt: Christmas stocking – stocking fillers – a novella or short story
Thornhedge by T Kingfisher. Such a lovely short story. I absolutely loved it.
25 Days Remaining
Thornhedge by T Kingfisher
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Sleeping Beauty, the alternate version
I didn’t realise how much I needed this story in my life. This is so, so good. I loved it. It’s literally short and sweet and ultimately downright satisfying.
At the heart of this little nugget is Sleeping Beauty, but, as the description points out, this is not her story. This is the story of Toadling. A character stolen at birth, who finds a loving family in the most unexpected of places, whose life becomes entangled and locked into that of the princess in the tower when a magical gift goes quite wrong. Of course, a knight comes along, as they often do in these tales, in search of something, he knows not what, and from there grows a charming and compelling story.
This is only a short story (appox 120 ish pages) but it totally worked it’s magic on me – which is a surprise as short stories usually fail to win me over (confession time, I hadn’t realised this was a novella when I requested it but I’m so glad that my oversight worked out so well).
I don’t want to say too much more. The beauty of this tale is finding it fresh for yourself and it’s such a compact story it’s possible to gobble it up in one sitting.
What I will say is that I was totally absorbed. I adored the central character and the charming knight. The story itself is intriguing, the writing delicious and I concluded the story with that happy glow that finishing a really good book elicits. Do you self a favour and read this book.
I received a copy through the publisher, courtesy of Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Mr rating 5 of 5 stars
Friday Face Off: Thornhedge by T Kingfisher
Today I’m returning to the Friday Face Off, originally created by Books by Proxy). I’ve missed these for the past few months and so would like to get back to comparing covers (and hopefully I will be updating this page with a new banner. This is an opportunity to look at a book of your choice and shine the spotlight on the covers. Of course this only works for those books that have alternative covers (although sometimes I use this to look at a series of books to choose a favourite). . So, if you have a book that has alternative covers, highlight them and choose your favourite. If you’re taking part it would be great if you leave a link so I can take a look at what you’ve chosen.
My book this week is my current read: Thornhedge by T Kingfisher.
I must say I like both these covers, and just look how different they are. Both are styles that would automatically draw my eye. The first one a close up view of what is presumably a hedge with thorns, with the menace of the dripping blood and in the background the fairytale castle. The colours give a very cool feel to this one. The second, in contrast is very striking, quite dramatic covers. I love the banners and attention to detail and it feels like you’re going to have a dark fairytale on your hands.
I found it difficult to choose with both of these but if pushed my favourite would be:
Which is your favourite? Have you read this book yet??
Join me next week in highlighting one of your reads with different covers.
Can’t Wait Wednesday : Thornhedge by T Kingfisher
26 April 2023
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't wait Wednesday, T Kingfisher, Thornhedge, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is : Thornhedge by T Kingfisher. Here’s the cover and description:
From USA Today bestselling author T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.
There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.
Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?
But nothing with fairies is ever simple.
Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He’s heard there’s a curse here that needs breaking, but it’s a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…
“The way Thornhedge turns all the fairy tales inside out is a sharp-edged delight.”
―Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin Emperor
Expected publication : August 2023
Books and travelling with Lynn 