A Sorceress Comes to Call

📘 About This Book

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes A Sorceress Comes to Call—a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm's "The Goose Girl," rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. *The hardcover edition features a foil stamp on the casing and custom endpapers illustrated by the author.* 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. "Kingfisher never fails to dazzle."—Peter S. Beagle, Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award-winning author of The Last Unicorn "Kingfisher is an inventive fantasy powerhouse."—BookPage Also by T. Kingfisher Nettle & Bone Thornhedge What Moves the Dead What Feasts at Night A House with Good Bones

📖 Summary

T. Kingfisher returns with A Sorceress Comes to Call, a dark and gripping reimagining of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale The Goose Girl. Scheduled for release in 2025, this fiction novel invites readers into a chilling world steeped in secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. The narrative centers on a young girl named Cordelia, whose upbringing has been anything but ordinary. Her home life is defined by isolation and control; notably, their house contains no doors between the rooms, symbolizing a haunting decree that there are to be no secrets in this house. Cordelia is forbidden from having a single friend, leaving her isolated and utterly dependent on her mother's peculiar whims. The only comfort and sense of freedom Cordelia experiences comes from her daily horseback rides with Falada, a magnificent white horse. However, the strangeness of Cordelia's mother goes far beyond mere eccentricity. The true nature of her mother's behavior crosses the line from unusual into deeply disturbing territory, most notably when she forces her daughter to remain entirely silent and motionless for grueling stretches of time lasting hours, and occasionally even days. As the narrative unfolds, the dark undercurrents of the household come to light, revealing that Cordelia's mother possesses dangerous magical capabilities that dictate every aspect of their existence. Kingfisher crafts a masterclass in atmospheric tension, blending the timeless resonance of folklore with modern psychological suspense. The story explores the heavy price of confinement, the psychological toll of maternal abuse wrapped in supernatural mystery, and the quiet resilience of a child striving for freedom within an inescapable prison. Readers familiar with Kingfisher's acclaimed catalog will recognize her signature ability to ground fantastical elements in deeply human emotional struggles. The hardcover edition of the novel elevates the reading experience further, featuring an exquisite foil stamp on the casing and custom endpapers illustrated by the author herself, making it a treasured addition to any bookshelf. As Cordelia navigates the terrifying boundaries of her mother's sorcery, the novel builds toward a reckoning where silence can no longer protect them, and the hidden truths of the household threaten to spill out into the wider world. It is a haunting exploration of agency, fear, and the enduring bond between a girl and her loyal horse in the face of insurmountable darkness.

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