A Sorceress Comes to Call

Name: A Sorceress Comes to Call
Rating: 6.81 (186 reviews)
ISBN: 9781250244079

Named a Best Fantasy Book of the Year by NPR, Elle, and Paste

A Goodreads Best Fantasy Choice Award Nominee

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

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Published Aug 6, 2024

336 pages

Average rating: 6.81

186 RATINGS

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say T. Kingfisher’s "A Sorceress Comes to Call" blends dark, gothic retelling with Regency-era social whimsy, creating a unique, atmospheric f...

Kristin Rose

Jun 24, 2025

8/10 stars

Another highly anticipated book for me! It was a little slow and boring at times but I thoroughly enjoyed the gothic vibes and the characters.

john castiglia

Apr 26, 2026

10/10 stars

This novel introduced me to an author whose books have populated my “Want To Read” list for months, waiting patiently for me prioritize them. My 2024 Halloween Book Countdown provided a perfect opportunity to elevate T. Kingfisher to “Currently Reading” status.

A Sorceress Comes To Call features enjoyable characters boasting both depth and dimension. The Regency Era setting evokes an air of social whimsy and cozy warmth, juxtaposed by the sense of dread and foreboding embodied by the sorceress.

T. Kingfisher has penned an occult treat, taut as a readied garrote!

wonderedpages

Apr 12, 2026

1/10 star

I picked this up on audio for a book club and struggled from the jump. The premise is strong and the Goose Girl inspiration is clear, but the experience felt slow, repetitive, and light on payoff. I kept zoning out even when I tried to dial in. The characters often read as childish, which undercut the menace for me, and the mother is one of the most upsetting antagonists I’ve encountered in a while. Here’s the big thing I wish I had known going in: this book contains intense child abuse, including magical coercion that removes bodily autonomy. I can handle grim fairytales, but several scenes made my stomach turn. The darkness fits the source material and the genre, yet I still would have appreciated clear content warnings before pressing play. What did land for me were the gothic, domestic-horror vibes and the way the story traps you in close quarters with a charming predator. I also liked the idea of two perspectives balancing the narrative: Cordelia’s fear and Hester’s steel. On paper, that combination should have been my thing. In practice, the pacing dragged, tension deflated, and by the time the plot gears finally engaged, I was more relieved to be done than satisfied by the resolution. If you love fairytale retellings that lean into cruelty, claustrophobia, and moral rot in polite society, this might hit exactly right. If you’re sensitive to parent-on-child violence or if you need faster momentum, you may want to skip or switch formats. I recommend reviewing a sample before committing.

JkittyReads

Dec 28, 2025

9/10 stars

I'm surprised this book isn't rated higher; it's well written with characters to root for and others you really would never want to meet. And it comes with a badass gaggle of geese! A solid reimagined fairytale themed around free will and independence. This was my first read of hers, and I'm on to try Nettle & Bone.

kcreadsabook

Nov 09, 2025

5/10 stars

High hopes but was pretty bored. Twisted ones is better