REVIEW: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
T. Kingfisher has long proved herself to be the queen of the twisty, dark, satirical, genre-blendy fairytale retellings, but I think she truly outdid herself in Hemlock & Silver. Is it a fairytale fantasy? A portal fantasy? A horror fantasy? A cozy fantasy? A romance fantasy? Honestly, who even cares. It’s just a damned brilliant book steeped in Kingfisher’s trademark dark humour and wit that had me intoxicated from start to finish.
“The cat sighed the sigh of the much put-upon. “I didn’t plan to educate a human today,” he said.”
I mean, just read the first line of Hemlock & Silver and tell me you don’t immediately want to keep reading: “I had just taken poison when the king arrived to inform me he had murdered his wife.”. THAT is what I call a strong opening; the hook is planted, the tone is set, and the intrigue is already just oozing off the page. Then add to all that some strangely haunting mirror worlds, a mysteriously ill princess, addictive toxic apples, a narcissistic cat with a big ass personality, and an introverted bodyguard who is really distractingly attractive (how unfair of him!).
Needless to say, T. Kingfisher has taken the tired, old Snow White fairytale and spun something uniquely refreshing and exciting out of it. But the real magic that makes this loose retelling stand out from the crowd for me is the fact that it’s told from such a refreshing perspective: a blunt, headstrong, plus-size (and autistic-coded?) 35-year-old healer and poison expert who is both (deservedly) confident and embarrassingly awkward all at the same time. In other words, Anja is the woman of my dreams.
“Tact is overrated anyway. And if I started being tactful now, he’d probably die of shock.”
Now, I can see how some people might find the pacing of Hemlock & Silver a bit rocky in places with its slow set-up and very hectic ending, but I personally didn’t care at all as there was truly not a single second where I was not entertained. Anja is just so charming and funny without even trying to be, and processing all the increasingly weird events of this mystery investigation through her pragmatic and deadpan perspective made it all the more fun.
Moreover, Anja is extremely competent and clever without being cocky about it, and I loved how her incredible knowledge of all things poison, herbology, and faith (which she passionately spouts out at the most (in)opportune moments) just made the entire world come to life. Kingfisher’s boundless imagination is truly on full display, and it’s honestly astounding to me how much rich and unique worldbuilding is packed into such a tight standalone novel. Sure, it might have taken me quite a while to wrap my head around the intricacies of the eerie mirror realm magic, but Anja seemed to understand how the logic was logicking, so I was just along for the wild ride and I eventually caught up (I think?).
“After a moment I swallowed hard and said, “I’ve gone mad.”
“That,” said the cat, “is also none of my business.”
Anja’s strong (and dare I say, intoxicating) first person narration just had me completely immersed and engrossed the entire way through, and the unconventional way that she interacted with the world and the people around her was honestly beyond amusing to me. Especially her deep despair over having to work with a volatile 12-year-old princess (help, how do you deal with CHILDREN?!), her sharp banter with her unexpected, sassy animal companion, and her undeniable attraction to her wonderful bodyguard who accidentally gets roped into her crazy rollercoaster of an investigation just had me constantly smiling and feeling all the feels (please tell me where I can find myself my own Javier, thank you very much).
In a way, the dynamic between Anja and Javier reminded me a lot of the romances in Kingfisher’s Saint of Steel series, except in Hemlock & Silver the romance is just simmering in the background and never becomes quite as explicit. The tender, slow-burn yearning was just sooo delicious, and I loved how that subplot balanced out the diabolical darkness that is packed within these pages. I mean, talk about some horrifying visuals, sickening sensations, pulse-pounding action and heart-wrenching twists and turns. Also, don’t expect Hemlock & Silver to conclude with a perfect fairytalesque ‘and then they lived happily ever after’ ending. Yes, this is a very satisfying standalone, but I would honestly sell my soul to get a sequel someday to follow up on some of the tantalizing threads left dangling.
“That’s humans for you, I suppose. In dreadful danger, with the weight of the world crushing us down, we’ll somehow still find ourselves thinking: I wonder if he likes me?”
At this point I have read almost the entirety of Kingfisher’s catalogue, and Hemlock & Silver is not just one of my top favourites, but I’d dare say it’s also one of her best works yet (which is saying a lot, because she honestly just doesn’t miss). So, whether you love T. Kingfisher mostly for her fantasy works like A Sorceress Comes to Call and Nettle & Bone, for her horror works like The Hollow Places and What Moves the Dead, or her fantasy romance works like Swordheart and Bryony & Roses, I think Hemlock & Silver is a masterful blend of all those styles that will satisfy cravings you never even knew you had.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Hemlock & Silver is scheduled for release on 19 August, 2025.
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