T. Kingfisher is an author who always does interesting things in her books, and this retelling of The Goose Girl – one of my favorites! – is no different. I loved it from start to finish.
Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn’t allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.
But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren’t evil sorcerers.
When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother’s next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother’s plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family.
Content Notes: child abuse, emotional abuse, animal death, murder, blood, death, fake adult/minor relationship, death of a parent, alcohol, mind control
Please take the content notes seriously. This book is not a light one in any way. If you want lighter, try the middle grade books. I’m particularly fond of Illuminations.
Anyway, back to the review of this book. +The Goose Girl is one of my favorite stories to read retellings of. I’ve read… a lot. A Sorceress Comes to Call did things with the story that I’ve never seen before and I loved it. All of the twists made a fantastical sort of sense with the original, even when they’re unique to this particular retelling. Honestly, it was great. It made me want to do some horrible damage to a particularly horrible mother in this, though. I don’t know how anyone could read it and not want to do things that NSA Brad would be very pissed at you for.
I really adored Hester and all of the side characters in this story. Penelope, in particular, was an absolute delight. Hester’s reality with her disabilities and her story arc regarding her acceptance of herself and others was heartbreaking in a different way from Cordelia’s story, but still beautiful. The whole ensemble felt real in a way that Kingfisher excels at.
I won’t go into the plot a ton because I don’t want to spoil anything, but I loved this book. I highly recommend it on audio.
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