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I had six five-star reads in May 2025, so it was hard to pick the top one. Definitely honourable mentions to Sylvie Cathrall's A Letter from the Lonesome Shore and Sau Fong Chan's Chinese Dress in Detail! But Hemlock & Silver was a lot of fun, very characteristically a Kingfisher book with a really fascinating interpretation/retelling of the Snow White story.

#12BooksOf2025 @TheEllieMo

Loved it, as expected. A delightful Snow White rewrite where Snow is an ancillary character to an adult lady poison expert. Light romance, creepy mirror world, on-its-head fairytale retelling? Yes, please. And I stand by my comp to Robin McKinley for this book, too.

Loving the new T. Kingfisher! It‘s giving me McKinley vibes but with a creepy sheen - maybe it‘s the desert setting making me think of Damar? Her inner dialogue writing of the reluctant hero is similar too.

I‘m really excited about my #AuldLangSpine list from @julesG ! There was just one book I had already read & loved (AWGTMI ⭐️) & a few on my TBR but several new to me titles, which I always love!

Pictured are are the first 6 I‘m starting with, beginning with the tagged book I was already planning on reading in January for #AuthorAMonth & I Know How This Ends because I loved Cassandra in Reverse.

Mahalo @monalyisha for another great match!

Another swing and a miss for me. I‘ve been so in love with T Kingfisher this year, so no one was more shocked by this than me. I was just very bored, and things from the blurb didn‘t start happening until like 60% in? Also just not a fan of this main character, idk. She felt like a watered down version of Grace from the first Saint of Steel book. And don‘t get me started on the romance that came out of NOWHERE…

3 stars | #fantasy

I love #FairyTaleRetelllings & I love Kingfisher‘s writing, so I was thrilled to dive into her reimagining of #SnowWhite. Anja is a healer specializing in poisons & antidotes— a passion started in childhood. Now 35, her king calls on her to cure Snow, his daughter. With its unique desert setting & more of a magical mystery, Grayling steals every scene in this tale with humor, adventure & even a dash of romance! I couldn‘t put it down! Fantastic!

Horror trivia at the Biergarten! We don‘t really drink but man is this our fave spot lately. It‘s going to be interesting to find a similar chill spot in our new city, especially because there‘s a pop up bookshop!

So far loving this installment but kingfisher has become an auto buy for me— and this one has pretty poison green end pages!

A very different, unique take on the Snow White tale. Our protagonist is a healer who specializes in finding cures to poisons. She is hired by the King to figure out why his daughter is sick. A fun fantasy/mystery story unravels, with a touch of romance too. Very entertaining and original. 4.5⭐️

Hey @Charityann , here‘s your list for #TrappedInASpookyHouse . Several of these books are on my TBR, so I‘m excited to see what you think! Happy Spooky Reading!!

5/5

Healer Anja is obsessed with curing poisons, but when she's called on by the king to save his poisoned daughter, she is drawn into a world beyond her understanding of science.

I loved this re-imagining of Snow White. I thought the setting from the culture to the religion was so fascinating. I loved Anja as the type of sensible protagonist that is frequently drawn into magical worlds in T. Kingfisher's writing.

#netgalley

4⭐
This loose retelling of Snow White is darker (and more adult) than the original, but it maintains a cozy feel through heart and humor. The plot incorporates familiar elements, such as poison and a magic mirror, but reimagines them in a unique, sometimes unsettling way. While I didn't enjoy it as much as Nettle & Bone, I'd still recommend it to fans of that earlier work by the same author.
🎙️Jennifer Pickens performed swimmingly in this.

Pugnacious Pigeon also approves of my new books

I'll admit, some of the mirror bits struck me as a little convoluted. Maybe they would have come across as easier to understand in print rather than audio. But the snarky talking cat totally makes up for that, as snarky talking cats always do. I liked Anja and her humor, and the creatures were very creative.

I love fairy tale retellings, and 'Hemlock & Silver' did not disappoint. I enjoyed the plus size MC. Also the talking cat is totally on point for a feline. The interplay of poisons and antidotes interested me. I also like how Kingfisher straddles the line between fantasy and horror in her work. The narrator was excellent as well. 5 stars.

It has finally cooled down enough to enjoy being at the park again! 🌿📚

T. Kingfisher knows how to write a fairy tale reimagining like no other. Snow White, but from the perspective of a poison expert brought in to try to save the young princess who her father suspects is being poisoned after the death of her mother and sister. It's dark and suspenseful and evocative and a touch romantic, and I utterly loved our poison obsessed narrator.

After obsessing over the gorgeousness of this book for the past few days, I'm officially ready to start reading it! 😂💚💚💚 Kingfisher hasn't let me down yet! Everything I've read by her so far has been amazing!

The king‘s daughter is dying & no one knows why. Many suspect it‘s poison which is why, Healer Anja looks up from her work one day to find the king standing in front of her. She reluctantly agrees to help him & soon finds herself in a world of adventure, danger & intrigue. With a pair of guards to keep her safe, a talking cat, & a defiant Princess, Anja finders herself surrounded by friend & foe. The solution is entertaining & this is a fun read.

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5⭐

I really enjoyed this unique take on a Snow White retelling with its fresh point of view and desert setting. I loved Anja's personality. Her nerdery over the study of poisons was endearing, and her bluntness and the awkwardness that sometimes resulted were relatable. The writing style was very strong with descriptive, sharp vocabulary that really brought the characters and tone to life.

Such a beautiful book, I had to pick a copy up for myself! Already 25% in and really enjoying it. T. Kingfisher writes characters that are so lovable and relatable!🐍🍏💚

Came home from vacation to some bookmail! I had this one preordered otherwise I would have grabbed it with my BOTM!

A “dark reimagining” of Snow White by T. Kingfisher? Yes please!

(Also, this green is amazing!)

Look what came out today! 💚💚💚 T. Kingfisher is always such a delight to read! 🥰

Are you afraid of Mirrors? You should be. this is easily the most terrifying book of T. Kingfishers i've read so far, with a beautiful twisting of a mix of Snow White and Alice through the Looking Glass, combined with some of the most horrific body horror i've ever seen, all wrapped around a mystery that must be solved by an antisocial healer more interested in poisons than in healing. it's a 10/10 book that you just HAVE to read.

My #botm picks for August! Both of these were on my TBR so I'm happy.

I think this will be another favorite author for me. I loved her book A Sorceress Comes To Call. It was outstanding. This one was also good. Not quite as good as Sorceress though. I didn't get the Snow White vibe everyone says it's based on. I did enjoy it though and it has a princess named Snow and lots of mirrors. This was just a way darker read than any Snow White book I've ever read. Still good.

[Received to review via Netgalley]

I loved this take on Snow White. I loved Anja and her attempts to apply the scientific method to a stubbornly magical situation, and I loved her camaraderie with her guard.

If you usually enjoy Kingfisher's work, this is a *very* Kingfisher book, and I'm pretty sure you'll like this one too.

T. Kingfisher‘s spellbinding dark fairy tales never miss! Hemlock & Silver is a mysterious, surprising, and satisfying twist on the classic fairy tale of Snow White, in an immersive world all its own, starring a mid-30s spinster poison expert, a gruff bodyguard, the scientific method, and the most unsettling magic mirror you‘ll ever face! I loved this one and think it will please fans of Nettle & Bone like me! 🍎🪞🤢

4.5✨

Vivid, humorous & down right chilling. A vibrant fantasy gothic retelling of Snow White with an extremely sharp FMC on the heels of a profound mystery. Very slow burn since the beginning heavily focuses on Anja‘s journey to being fascinated with poison/plants. It picks up heavy midway and throws you right into mystery & intrigue. Not surprised that I adore another Kingfisher novel #Netgalley #arc

This arrived while up late watching my two favorite drivers start the first race weekend of the season on top! 🏎️💨💨 #arc #netgalley #f1