A Sorceress Comes to Call

I loved this, as I expected. The tone feels like a fairy tale, the plot is like a horror historical romance. I really enjoyed having Cordelia and Hester's perspectives. There's a great supporting cast of decent people, which highlights how awful the villain is as a person and a threat. There's also a lot of humor sprinkled around, which works for me, but I can see how maybe it wouldn't work for some readers.

Content Warnings:
Moderate: Murder, Body horror, Violence, Death, and Torture
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Animal death

Regency era historical fantasy with a touch of romance, though I personally wouldn’t call this horror? Definitely has eerie parts. Good googly moogly, Falada was gnarly. Headless spider horses = new nightmare material. I wish there was more backstory or motivation for Evangeline. Cordelia felt as washed out as her hair and eyes, but Hester was enjoyable for all of the obvious reasons.

T. Kingfisher’s “A Sorceress Comes to Call” modernizes the Brothers Grimm’s “Goose Girl” within a gothic regent era, exploring a tense mother-daughter relationship marked by fear and control. Fourteen-year-old Cordelia is trapped in a nightmarish existence under the tyrannical rule of her sorceress mother, Evangeline “Doom.” Subjected to years of mind control, Cordelia is isolated from the outside world, with only Falada, her mother's green-eyed white horse familiar, as her confidant. After turning against her benefactor, Evangeline seeks revenge, forcing her and Cordelia to flee in the dead of night to the remote manor of Squire Samuel Chatham and his sister, Hester. Evangeline aims to win the Squire's affection without using her magic, as any enchantment would break at the altar. Hester, having sensed danger through a premonition, becomes determined to protect her brother and Cordelia from Evangeline’s bewitchment. Together with friends, they strive to dismantle Evangeline’s magic before it's too late. Kingfisher’s novel is not for the faint-hearted, as Evangeline's disturbing spells and unsettling violence, including headless demons, create a chilling atmosphere. While the blending of fantasy and paranormal horror adds depth, some elements feel immature and illogical, detracting from the overall impact. The headless horse and the seemingly arbitrary rules for breaking enchantments seem haphazard, as if the conclusion was rushed to tie up loose ends, undermining the initial magical framework.