Book Review - Nettle & Bone
Nettle & Bone, T. Kingfisher
5 Stars
I’m going to make this spoiler free, because I really want you to read this book.
Note: This book was recommended by Elliot Brooks on You-Tube in a recent video, and I loved her description of it so much that I went to grab it immediately. This is a rare thing. No I mean it. It’s rare.
This book is a fairy tale for people who like a little snark and an awkward protagonist. This book is a fairy tale for those of us who are tired of stories of beautiful people and happy lives. This is a book for those people who don’t want to be the princess.
This is a fairy tale for the rest of us.
Oh. And there is a demon chicken.
Nettle & Bone is a book about a girl who doesn’t want to be a princess. She’s not clear on exactly what she does want, but she’s uncomfortable being who she is.
She encounters a rag tag group of people on her adventure after leaving the castle, and later, the convent she’s been sent to. Each of these people is more interesting than the last.
A dust-wife, which is a witch who speaks to the dead.
A man who spent the night in a fairy circle and that Marra, our heroine, frees from the ‘goblin market’.
Marra’s own fairy godmother.
A woman who is ruled by a marionette.
And more chickens. There are a LOT of chickens in this book.
The lessons Marra learns along the way are lessons we all need to learn. That she must have faith in herself. That there are worse things than being a princess, but not very many. That not everyone is as they appear, even when you have known them your entire life.
If you’re looking for a cozy read that will make you smile often, this is it. There is magic. There is evil to overcome. There is a vault full of dead royalty and snarky elderly woman who’s demon chicken rides on her staff.
Do you really need anything else in a fairy tale?
Highly recommend.
Favorite Quote: “You cannot help people who do not want help,” rumbled Fenris. “You can’t force someone to do what you think is best for them.” He paused, then added, somewhat reluctantly, “Well, you can. But they don’t appreciate it and most of the time it turns out that you were wrong.”
