A Sorceress Comes to Call

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: 6.79

178 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

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.
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
MacyMcR
Oct 18, 2025
7/10 stars
A little cliche and simple but a fun Halloween read.

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