Loved itAnd I was fresh off of graduating, about to graduate, with my PhD. And it was just delightful. It was reminding me of Stardust, the movie.
Review 1 of 6
Nettle & Bone (2022)
Others: Mostly positive After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself. Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning. On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.
- ISBN:
- 9781803360997
- Length:
- 323 pages
Lists: …
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Thistlefoot
GennaRose Nethercott
2022 · 376 pages · 7 reviews
Others: PositiveIn the tradition of modern fairy tales like Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver comes an immersive fantasy saga, a debut novel about estranged siblings who are reunited after receiving a mysterious inheritance. “A wonderfully imaginative, wholly enchanting novel of witness, survival, memory, and family that reads like a fairy tale godfathered by Neil Gaiman and Tim Burton in a wild America alive with wonders and devils alike. Thistlefoot shimmers with magic and mayhem and a thrilling emotional momentum.” —Libba Bray, bestselling author of The Diviners The Yaga siblings—Bellatine, a young woodworker, and Isaac, a wayfaring street performer and con artist—have been estranged since childhood, separated both by resentment and by wide miles of American highway. But when they learn that they are to receive an inheritance, the siblings agree to meet—only to discover that their bequest isn’t land or money, but something far stranger: a sentient house on chicken legs. Thistlefoot, as the house is called, has arrived from the Yagas’ ancestral home outside Kyiv—but not alone. A sinister figure known only as the Longshadow Man has tracked it to American shores, bearing with him violent secrets from the past: fiery memories that have hidden in Isaac and Bellatine’s blood for generations. As the Yaga siblings embark with Thistlefoot on a final cross-country tour of their family’s traveling theater show, the Longshadow Man follows in relentless pursuit, seeding destruction in his wake. Ultimately, time, magic, and legacy must collide—erupting in a powerful conflagration to determine who gets to remember the past and craft a new future. An enchanted adventure illuminated by Jewish myth and adorned with lyrical prose as tantalizing and sweet as briar berries, Thistlefoot is a sweeping epic rich in Eastern European folklore: a powerful and poignant exploration of healing from multi-generational trauma told by a bold new talent.
Why?
What made the match, strongest first
Also fantasy and horror49%On 5+ of the same lists43%Thoughts on Tomes loved bothPersonalize your recommendations8%Thornhedge
T. Kingfisher
2023 · 120 pages · 10 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveThere'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 Toadling: 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…
Why?
What made the match, strongest first
Also fantasy and horror52%On 5+ of the same lists31%3 creators loved bothPersonalize your recommendations17%The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches
Sangu Mandanna
2022 · 41 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveA warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family--and a new love--changes the course of her life. As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don't mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously. But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he's concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat. As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn't know she was looking for....
Why?
What made the match, strongest first
On 5+ of the same lists52%Also fantasy30%2 creators loved bothPersonalize your recommendations18%Juniper and Thorn
Ava Reid
2022 · 10 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveFrom highly acclaimed, bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the world of The Wolf and the Woodsman, where a young witch seeks to discover her identity and escape the domination of her abusive wizard father, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M. Valente. A gruesome curse. A city in upheaval. A monster with unquenchable appetites. Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblya’s last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies and beguile them with nostalgic charm. Marlinchen spends her days divining secrets in exchange for rubles and trying to placate her tyrannical, xenophobic father, who keeps his daughters sequestered from the outside world. But at night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out to enjoy the city’s amenities and revel in its thrills, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart. As Marlinchen’s late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her father’s rage and magic. And while Oblya flourishes with culture and bustles with enterprise, a monster lurks in its midst, borne of intolerance and resentment and suffused with old-world power. Caught between history and progress and blood and desire, Marlinchen must draw upon her own magic to keep her city safe and find her place within it.
Why?
What made the match, strongest first
On 5+ of the same lists51%Also fantasy and horror32%2 creators loved bothPersonalize your recommendations17%The Salt Grows Heavy
Cassandra Khaw
2023 · 128 pages · 2 reviews
Others: MixedFrom USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw comes The Salt Grows Heavy, a razor-sharp and bewitching fairy tale of discovering the darkness in the world, and the darkness within oneself. You may think you know how the fairy tale goes: a mermaid comes to shore and weds the prince. But what the fables forget is that mermaids have teeth. And now, her daughters have devoured the kingdom and burned it to ashes. On the run, the mermaid is joined by a mysterious plague doctor with a darkness of their own. Deep in the eerie, snow-crusted forest, the pair stumble upon a village of ageless children who thirst for blood, and the three 'saints' who control them. The mermaid and her doctor must embrace the cruelest parts of their true nature if they hope to survive.
Why?
What made the match, strongest first
Also fantasy and horror69%Similar descriptions16%On 3 of the same listsPersonalize your recommendations15%Cackle
Rachel Harrison
2021 · 304 pages · 10 reviews
Others: Leaning positiveAll her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. She’s stunned by how perfect and picturesque the town is. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is dreamy too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation. Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. That’s how Sophie lives. Annie can’t help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more and more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the townsfolk seem…a little afraid of her. And like, okay. There are some things. Sophie’s appearance is uncanny and ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power…but she couldn’t be…could she?
Why?
What made the match, strongest first
Also fantasy and horror65%On 4 of the same lists24%A creator reacted alikePersonalize your recommendations11%
Loved it
Not a fanI'm sorry, this isn't even special for fantasy. It's barely an actual novel and it doesn't do anything that hasn't been done before. It's a fairy tale retelling.
Not a fanthen also I don't love Nettle and Bone and Olivie Blake is not for me.
Review 1 of 2
Loved itNettle and Bone is one of my favorite books of all time.
Review 1 of 6
Loved itAnd then I read like the first couple pages and I really like the writing style. It's like very much my type of writing style.
Loved itIt has a great balance of like endearing and lovable characters, a darkness and grit to the plot and a beautiful writing style that's going to pull you right in.
Review 1 of 7
Loved itnettle and bone was just a very quirky Nolla that I very quickly fell in love with
Loved itthis was the patreon read for this month and oh I had such an amazing time with this... I wrapped up the year with t king fisher again with nettle and Bone wow blown away it was such an amazing read
Loved itlast year I read Nal and Bone and I know that she writes just these amazing kind of like darkish fairy tales that I just love reading in the Autumn time
Review 1 of 3
Loved itthis is a standalone fantasy novel which I don't read a lot of but I just got sucked away and loved this world so much
Loved itI've also read nettle and Bone by te king fisher which has some darker subject matters and elements but still manages to read cozy
Review 1 of 2