Thornhedge

‘That was so sweet!' Were my exact words when I finished reading this and then I read the author's Acknowledgments and had it confirmed! Maybe not everyone will feel that way about Thornhedge, but I really loved this novella! It felt like a fairytale for those of us who don't feel like princesses. Who feel odd, and ugly and unlovable and that there might be hope for us to find our happily ever after too. A re-telling of Sleeping Beauty using faerie lore and much more ‘original' Brothers Grimm feel, it is exactly the kind of atmosphere and earthier overtone I like for my fairytales. It made me think of Jim Henson's The Storyteller series, which I also love. Dark, old world magic, gritty and yet oddly enough still really charming. The main character Toadling stole my heart, I love her so much, and the prince was humble and endearing in a way I don't think I've ever seen in fantasy. No brooding fae or snobby royalty here. For such a short read, it just charmed me from the first to last page. Despite borrowing from other works, it feels completely unique and I highly recommend it! After really enjoying T.Kingfisher's novel Nettle and Bone earlier this year, I may have found a new fav author!