I was approved for two different ARCs by T. Kingfisher, Nettle & Bone and What Moves the Dead. I had heard of Kingfisher before but hadn’t read anything by her. I applied for these ARCs because they both are dark fantasies, and I chose to read Nettle & Bone first because it is the most fairytale-esque… my favorite. I really liked this book but I do have a few critiques. This review will have slight spoilers.

Synopsis:

After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.

Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.

On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra’s family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.

My Thoughts:

• Rating- ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I loved many things about this book but one aspect of it that I particularly enjoyed was that all of the characters were over the age of 30. I’ll be 30 this summer and while I don’t mind reading books with younger characters, it’s always fun to have that representation in fantasy. However, while all of these characters are adults, this book reads more like a Young Adult novel. This could be a good or bad thing, depending on what you look for in a story.

For me personally, while I like YA, I prefer the New Adult genre. When I’m reading a book with characters over 30, I expect some grit, drama, tension, etc. and this book is lacking that. This is a very “clean” read. Don’t misunderstand me, there’s nothing wrong with that and it is still a great book but there were times that I wanted more. I wanted it to be a little darker, sexier and more intense.

The storyline leaned more toward fairytale than dark fantasy. That made it a fun and light read but perhaps not the most memorable. There are moments of absurdity that are really funny; like a chicken with a demon inside of it, a silly fairy godmother and a “living” dog made of bones.

This book overall was just fun to read. While I would have liked it to be a bit more adult, I definitely don’t regret spending my time on it. If you like fairytales and fantasy that are semi- dark, I recommend Nettle & Bone.

Final Thoughts:

This book will be released on April 26th, 2022; this month if you’re reading this when it’s posted. What Moves the Dead won’t be released until July so I’ll review it in the next month or so. Is this one you plan to buy when it releases? Let me know! Thanks for reading and have a great day!