I had read another T. Kingfisher story late last year called Thornhedge that was, like Nettle & Bone, revisiting of a classic fairytale. While I really enjoyed Thornhedge, I came to Nettle & Bone prepared for more of the same. Nevertheless, in this story, T. Kingfisher was not only able to tell a story with a similar feeling, but prove how that’s exactly how fairytales should be told. These days, coming to a story based on the classic template predisposes the reader to expect some kind of subversion or upending of tropes. In Thornhedge, the evil monster was not necessarily the one you’d expect it to be. In Nettle & Bone, T. Kingfisher doesn’t make the reversal so blatant. Instead, everything about this story is very natural — not in an earthy, tree-hugging way. Even though we’re in a world with witches and curses, fairy godmothers and faerie markets, dogs made of bone and demon-possessed chickens, it feels somewhat comfortable and familiar, feels like we live in this world ourselves. 

We follow a princess named Marra, who is the youngest of three sisters. She has no royal social standing and grows up in a convent. However, when she learns that her sister (who was married off as future queen to a powerful prince) is being terribly mistreated, she starts on a quest to rescue her sister by eliminating the prince. Along the way, she meets up with a bunch of archetypal characters who become her companions and allies on this quest. She meets a comically snarky dust wife (i.e. a witch who deals with the dead), a strong and kind knight, a well-intentioned yet bumbling fairy godmother, and the aforementioned magical animal companions — throw in some musical numbers and we’re all set for a Disney movie (but one of the good ones, not the ones we’re getting these days!). 

These characters were classic, but also felt fresh and down-to-earth. Within this short novel, I really got to know the characters and care about each of them. T. Kingfisher’s writing is masterfully simple and subtle. Descriptions are beautiful without being ornate or flowery, yet the prose maintains a spark of tradition, enchantment, and the flavour of fable. The dialogue always felt casual and realistic, never archaic yet not too colloquial or anachronistic either. (I didn’t feel like I was reading a bunch of modern individuals cosplaying as fairytale characters.) The blend and balance between narration and characters’ thoughts (especially Marra’s) was perfect. In addition, the narrator of the audiobook was wonderful, using distinct and believable voices for each character (including some more extreme ones that the band meet on their journey). Both the storytelling and the narration helped me feel fully invested in these characters. At the sensational climax of the story, I was not only cheering them and their courageous actions, I was also feeling emotional and feeling proud of them. As a meek and unremarkable character, Marra was often full of self-doubt, but T. Kingfisher uses her to explore themes of heroism, greatness, and changing the world in a way that is neither heavy-handed nor preachy. The whole story was like a delicious fruitcake steeped in the warm liqueur of thematic goodness.

By the end, when I actually had to say goodbye to these characters, I was surprised by how attached I had become. T. Kingfisher had not only taken an old fairytale (though I’m not sure if there was a specific fairytale that this story is based on) and refreshed it, she created something enjoyable, meaningful, and special. 

5 stars

My GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/78985113-alvin-ng