Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
Fairytale Retelling/Fantasy
August 15, 2023- Tor Books
ARC

T. Kingfisher is an author I’ve grown to love, whether it’s romantic fantasy, horror, or in this case a twisted fairytale retelling.

This is a reimagined sleeping beauty, where the sleeping princess is an evil changeling and the fairy godmother is actually the heroine of the story. Yes, there is even a kind-hearted knight bent on rescue, but he’s not what you’ve come to expect either.

Thornhedge is a novella-length story about Toadling and her unselfish and enduring strength in doing what is right. After she’s taken as a baby by fairies and switched out with a changeling she’s raised by a small group of water fae, and they are her family. But after a few years she’s sent on a mission, back to the land of her father, there is where she stays for the next two hundred (or more) years. Until a gentle knight arrives after hearing tales of a princess in a castle.

This was such a charming, endearing tale. A fresh take on Sleeping Beauty that kept me turning pages right up until the end.

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
Horror
August 8, 2023- Tor Nightfire
ARC

Yet another mind-bending horror story from Catriona Ward.

This novel starts out as a memoir, kind of a coming-of-age story of Wilder Harlow, a lonely 16-year-old boy who finds himself at a family cabin on the Maine coast. He befriends two young people his age, and they become companions over the course of the summer. Promising to meet again the following summer.

The next summer is the beginning of the end for this trio, as the boogeyman of the area is arrested and his crimes all come to light. Wilder will never be the same, but he’s determined to write everything down and get his truth out.

I never knew what was going on. I slowly became invested in these characters and their relationships with each other, but as the book progressed I quickly realized that this author was once again doing what she does best… turning everything upside down and inside out. As new characters are introduced and storylines became tangled I didn’t even know who was really narrating this story. I DID NOT SEE THE END COMING. Which is something I seem to find myself saying with every book I read by this author.

This author’s storytelling style may not be for everyone, but it definitely works for me.