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A Sorceress Comes to Call

T. Kingfisher

Start date: June 1, 2025

Finish date: June 30, 2025

Discussion: Monthly Reads

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Monthly Reads

* October 2025 - Esperance (No Spoilers)
By Oleksandr · 1 post · 4 views

last updated Sep 29, 2025 10:03PM

* October 2025 - Esperance (Spoilers Allowed)
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last updated Sep 29, 2025 10:04PM

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What Members Thought

Oct 06, 2024 Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship rated it it was ok

Shelves: standalone-fantasy, fantasy, 2-stars, horror

A great opening led to a disappointing novel. It seems this author is not for me.

This book is a fantasy twist on the English country house mystery, in which readers and characters all know the culprit from the beginning. It follows two perspectives: Cordelia, the abused 14-year-old daughter of the titular sorceress, Evangeline; and Hester, the 51-year-old spinster sister of Evangeline’s next mark. There are elements of horror and humor—I actually did get a few chuckles out of this one, unlike my A great opening led to a disappointing novel. It seems this author is not for me.

This book is a fantasy twist on the English country house mystery, in which readers and characters all know the culprit from the beginning. It follows two perspectives: Cordelia, the abused 14-year-old daughter of the titular sorceress, Evangeline; and Hester, the 51-year-old spinster sister of Evangeline’s next mark. There are elements of horror and humor—I actually did get a few chuckles out of this one, unlike my prior Kingfisher, Nettle & Bone—but Kingfisher also draws heavily on the trending “cozy” aesthetic. This means that after an opening that powerfully immerses the reader in Cordelia’s life under her mother’s control, and her difficulty operating in a new environment, after the first 80 pages or so that momentum peters out. The rest of the book consists mostly of all the good guys hanging out together planning to defeat the villain someday, leading up to a predictable and dull finale, as if the author just wanted it to be over (or maybe I’m projecting, because I definitely did).

The characters also felt half-baked, the leads included. After that strong opening with its focus on how a life of abuse and control by her mother has shaped Cordelia, Kingfisher’s interest in Cordelia’s psychology recedes; she apparently “gets over” her abusive childhood (unmitigated by any other strong influences in her life) in a couple of weeks, loses all conflicting feelings about her mother, carries over no maladaptive behaviors into her relationships with anyone else. By the end she’s apparently fine and entirely boring.

Hester was also a disappointment, mostly because of her passive role. This may surprise those who have seen me complain about fantasy leads incapable of holding their tongues under any circumstances, but it turns out going all the way the other direction is no better: despite her strong relationship with her good-natured brother, who frankly never seems that emotionally invested in Evangeline, Hester says absolutely nothing to him and instead repeatedly invites Evangeline in while vaguely plotting to thwart her someday, despite having pegged her as evil on sight. This is not played as excess timidity on Hester’s part (Hester is supposed to be a confident, no-nonsense woman), but the smart decision because “you can’t talk someone out of love.” Maybe not, but I suspect Samuel would’ve listened to objections if she’d offered any, as well as tactfully presented facts indicating that the woman he met two hours ago is definitely a gold-digger, probably abusing her kid, and ugly to the servants. The fact that Hester doesn’t even try felt contrived to allow the plot to happen, unfair to her brother, and not even a successful stratagem on Hester’s part since Evangeline recognizes her as an opponent regardless. Others have pointed out that Hester seems physically very old for her age (it was jarring to see her played as elderly rather than disabled, when she’s so debilitated by knee pain at only 51, but she lives in a world without modern medicine so okay), as well as suffering from serious body issues that go mostly unaddressed, leading her to refuse the advances of the highly idealized man she’s in love with for what feel like contrived reasons.

But the worldbuilding is also a weakness here. This is very much an English country house story that feels based in the late 19th or early 20th century (though the technology is a century or two earlier), and even with some specific real-world references like someone being a “secret Catholic” making for high scandal. But instead of just allowing that the unnamed country is a fantasy version of England, Kingfisher gestures at the notion that we’re somewhere else entirely: these people’s ancestors have only been in this land a few generations (who did they take it from, then, and what happened to them?), but at the same the information we have doesn’t match any real-world colonies either. So instead of fading into the background, the halfhearted worldbuilding winds up calling attention to itself.

Finally, I found the end clichéd and predictable: (view spoiler)

Ultimately, despite the strong start, I think Kingfisher is not for me. Her writing feels indulgent, from the saggy/“cozy” middles and notably lazy worldbuilding (also problems I had with Nettle & Bone) to the overuse of italicized internal monologue, often in multiple paragraphs as the characters think something and then correct or contradict it (this might work with one point-of-view to show she’s an overthinker, but is used identically for both). But I do now understand what people mean in calling this book “cozy horror,” and those who enjoy that aesthetic might like it more. ...more

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Sep 28, 2024 DivaDiane SM rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, ryb-mount-tbr, fantasy, buddy-read-book-club-read, a-z-midyear-challenge

This was a darker story than l've read by T. Kingfisher, but it was nuanced and had interesting things to say.There's a lot that is horrifying, but Kingfisher has a way of tempering the horror with hope or compassion.

The narrator was less than stellar. She has an odd affectation of gasping softly at the end of sentences when characters speak. Somehow, I managed to ignore it. I have been spoiled by excellent narrators who are able to modify their voices subtly but consistently to make which chara ...more

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Jan 22, 2025 Rachel rated it really liked it

I had to look up the goose girl story, but I’m not sure even if I’d known it I’d see much connection. This one has one of the most disturbing things done to a child ever- but it is presented so matter of fact ly. You have ti go back and imagine an infant or toddler made obedient and then the true horror hits you.

Good book - Vernon is the mistress of middle aged heroines

5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 14, 2024 Andria Potter rated it it was amazing

This book was anxiety the entire time. But thankfully a happy ending and I hope Kingfisher is sincere about not writing a much kinder horse in her next book. 5 ⭐! ❤️

4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 14, 2024 Karen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: a-libby-borrowed, o-standalone, f-audio, c-fiction

Enjoyed this fantasy novel which is a retelling of a Grimm tale. I wasn't familiar with the original tale, but this novel is set in an unclear period but which is vaguely Regency era England. I loved the main characters and the story was interesting and satisfying. ...more

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