I went into this one with high hopes because I usually love T. Kingfisher’s fairy tale retellings and low-romance fantasy, but this didn’t quite land the same way.
The premise is strong. Cordelia is a sympathetic character, trapped under the control of her cruel sorceress mother, Evangeline. Her inner thoughts feel real and painful, while on the outside she’s forced into obedience. When they move on to their next victim, a kind squire, Cordelia meets his sister Hester who sees through Evangeline’s schemes and tries to help. The dynamic between the three women had a lot of promise and there are some really powerful darker moments that worked well.
But once the story shifts to the squire’s estate, the pace slows right down. The middle section drags with endless conversations, house parties and glares across the room. Some of the tension is there but it lingers too long and the action stalls. The fairytale angle also felt pretty thin.. apart from the horse Falada and Hester looking after geese, it didn’t really tie back to The Goose Girl in a meaningful way. I think it stands better as its own story.
Hester herself is likeable, but her subplot with Lord Evermore didn’t fully make sense to me. She refuses to marry him because of appearances, yet later on suggests he should be engaged to Cordelia despite it being just as scandalous. It felt a bit inconsistent. I also thought Cordelia’s voice blurred into Hester’s at times, losing some of the unique character work from the start.
The last part of the book picks up with more creepy and horror-leaning elements, and the climax is exciting if a bit convenient. By then though, it felt like a long wait to get there.
Overall, compared to other fantasy books out there this is still solid, but against Kingfisher’s usual work it fell short for me. I missed her trademark humour and sharper pacing. It’s not a bad book by any means, but not one of my favourites from her.
⭐️3/5 stars Strong characters and a dark edge but it drags a bit too much!
