Thornhedge is a novella from the prolific T Kingfisher (pen name of Ursula Vernon) about a character named Toadling, a human who grew up in faerieland who is stuck guarding a tower. When a knight approaches and says he will break the curse keeping her there, Toadling is reluctant. From this we switch back and forth between Toadling’s past and present, where we learn of the circumstances of the tower and its surrounding wall of brambles.
I have attempted to read books by T Kingfisher before, with mixed results. I read the Twisted Ones last year. That novel started out really strong but got stuck in exposition through a found diary. That novel should have been a novella. I tried reading the Hollow Places next, but that novel lacked tension and horror. I didn’t make it to the halfway point.
But rather than give up on this author, I’ve decided to try once again. To my surprise, Thornhedge was the T Kingfisher story that worked for me. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jennifer Blom. She does a good job with voices for every character. This audiobook was pretty short, clocking in at just under four hours. I was able to listen to it in a single day.
Thornhedge has a fairytale-like quality to it, but it adds a lot of unique elements to the standard tropes. We have the princess in the tower, but not in the way that you think. The knight that attempts to break the curse is a Muslim knight, which is something I had to look up to see if it was a thing (It is, but they were probably not called “knights”). Either way, this creative license adds a level of depth to this character that’s a welcome addition to the story.
Through flashbacks, we learn about Toadling’s upbringing. I don’t want to give away any plot elements, so I’ll just say that T Kingfisher is able to create a rich world with a deep lore in such a slim novella. With only a single sentence, a entire new vista of this world appears. Of course, we can’t go exploring down these shadowy paths unless Kingfisher decides to write more stories in this world.
I for one hope that she does.
4.5 out of 5★
Buy the hardcover: Bookshop
Buy the ebook: Kobo Store
Buy the audiobook: Libro.fm
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