A Sorceress Comes to Call

By: T. Kingfisher

Narrated by: Eliza Foss, Jennifer Pickens

Long-listed, CPL: Chicago Public Library Best of the Best, 2024

Long-listed, Audible.com Best of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, NPR Best Book of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, BookPage Best Books of the Year, 2024

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

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

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

©2024 T. Kingfisher (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Expertly blending humor with folkloric horror, this incredibly satisfying fantasy will delight Kingfisher’s fans and newcomers alike.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"This is another one of Kingfisher’s marvelous works (like the Hugo-winning Nettle & Bone) that takes elements of fairy tales, myths, and legends and blends them into a story that feels both familiar and new at the same time while subtly weaving a novel where women play the parts that men traditionally filled, and men serve as helpmeets, sidekicks, and love interests. . . . Highly recommended for readers who enjoy reimagined legends.”—Library Journal, STARRED review

"Dark fantasy fans will be enraptured by the descriptive narrative and well-developed characters.”—Booklist, STARRED review

Horrific and creepy!

A horrific display of cruelty from one mother to her daughter, even if she is a sorceress. I can’t imagine what makes Evangeline think this is okay. To use magic so your daughter can be obedient, like move for you and talk for you and control your entire body with you still floating around in your own head. Cordelia is so scared of her mother and so sweet when she doesn’t even know proper etiquette or even basic dinner manners. To be frightened constantly must be exhausting. Cordelia finds the courage in the friends she makes at the new home her mother brought her to in hopes of “saddling herself a new husband” This book is greatly recommended and super well written!

Brilliantly creepy

The book is great, it’s a horror piece, if that’s your thing buy it now T Kingfisher does awesome horror. I HATED the villain. I was glad when their just desserts were served. The two main characters were facianating and relatable. It’s rare to see a 50+ woman as a MC. I want so many more stories like this, go buy the book!

Another delight from T. Kingfisher

Fantastic story, beautifully written as usual. Normally I am not a fan of more than one narrator, but these two were amazing together. I couldn’t stop listening.

Great fairytale retelling

Very female-forward story, with characters of different styles and strengths and depths. The main character is weak, but reasonably so—not written in a way that makes you hate her for being so weak or dumb. I always love this author, and the way she weaves a fable.

Slow paced , gentle horror

I’m typically not a horror reader, so I think those that are might not agree that it fits in the genre. It’s a good way to dip your toes into the horror water without scaring yourself half to death. The story is intriguing and the world is interesting. The pace was slow and I had to take breaks and come back a few times.

Absolutely gripping and wonderful!

It was difficult to stop listening! I always enjoy Kingfisher and this is my first time listening rather than reading. I am thrilled! this title really works in this format and I liked both narrators. thank you! highly recommend!

Great Escape into a likable place

I liked this books very much. The characters were well thought out and the plot was original. I love that the older ladies were not least as hapless and useless. Great story to escape to for a bit.

Wasn’t sure at first…

The story was engaging and I found myself thinking of it and looking forward to listening after it really got started. I liked having the two female narrators, both of whom gave believable, thoughtful performances which embodied the nuances of their characters. I highly recommend!

Tangled meets Get Out-trigger warning

Very quickly, if you’ve had an abusive and/or controlling parent, this will be triggering. It’s so well written, I was hooked with in a couple minutes. The story, world and characters are well described without droning on. I can’t think of anything I don’t like about this book. Best book I’ve listened to in a while

Sorcery

Excellent audio. I enjoyed this audio. The story was gripping and had me gasping in places. Well done.