Nettle & Bone

By: T. Kingfisher

Narrated by: Amara Jasper

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

2023 - Hugo Award - Winner

2023 Nebula Awards - Nominee, Short-listed

2022 NYPL Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

2022 NPR Best Book of the Year, Long-listed

2022 BookPage Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

2022 Shelf Awareness Best Books of the Year Long-listed

From Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes an original and subversive fantasy adventure.

This isn't the kind of fairytale where the princess marries a prince.

It's the one where she kills him.

Marra never wanted to be a hero.

As the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter, she escaped the traditional fate of princesses, to be married away for the sake of an uncaring throne. But her sister wasn’t so fortunate—and after years of silence, Marra is done watching her suffer at the hands of a powerful and abusive prince.

Seeking help for her rescue mission, Marra is offered the tools she needs, but only if she can complete three seemingly impossible tasks:

—build a dog of bones

—sew a cloak of nettles

—capture moonlight in a jar

But, as is the way in tales of princes and witches, doing the impossible is only the beginning.

Hero or not—now joined by a disgraced ex-knight, a reluctant fairy godmother, an enigmatic gravewitch and her fowl familiar—Marra might finally have the courage to save her sister, and topple a throne.

"Nettle & Bone is the kind of book that immediately feels like an old friend. Fairytale mythic resonance meets homey pragmatism in this utterly delightful story. It's creepy, funny, heartfelt, and full of fantastic characters I absolutely loved!”—Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage

©2021 T. Kingfisher (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Deeply satisfying and darkly funny feminist fairytale.... At its heart a story of good people doing their best to make the unjust world a fairer place, this marvelous romp will delight Kingfisher’s fans and fairytale lovers alike.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Blending fairy-tale familiarity and common-sense characters, Kingfisher’s prose balances grim circumstances with humor and heart. Readers of Alix E. Harrow’s A Spindle Splintered and Melissa Albert’s ‘The Hazel Wood’ series should pick this up immediately.” —Library Journal, starred review

"Kingfisher’s combination of comedy with feminist rage in a complex fairytale setting makes for a wholly entertaining read." -- Buzzfeed

Creative and fun. MC internal monologue drags on way too much

Good and creative story. Way too much internal monologue going on with the main character.

Good writing. Good narration. Bummer story

I thought this was described as humor. There’s zero humor, not even a funny sidekick. Bones coming to life seems to be a theme. It follows main character through painful experiences of childhood. I didn’t finish because pain and bones gets old.

A dark, funny, captivating adventure

I loved how adventure-focused this was! There’s an element of romance but it truly enhances the story rather than overpowering it. I love how flawed the main character is; it made every overcome obstacle that much more real and impressive. I also really liked the shortness of the book: the story could have drawn out but kept to this length, the pacing was perfect. With well written characters, believable motives, unexpected twists and horrors, an intriguing magic system, and a wonderful balance of miracle and sacrifice, this book is the most entrancing fantasy and certainly the best fairytale I’ve read in a long time.

Wonderful!

This is just about the most perfect book I’ve listened to. The protagonists are not beautiful 16 year olds, the magic comes from hard work, the main characters know how to be kind and choose to be so. I think I’ve listened to this half a dozen times since I downloaded it.

Nettle and bone

Great story and one of best audibles I have. Cam if you have others like this. Let me know

Very Engaging Story

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wish a sequel was on the horizon. The story was satisfying all on its own, though.

Loved it

Loved this book so much. Didn't want it to end. Loved the chicken. I will be reading more Kingfisher's books.

Not your typical

I really enjoyed the spooky blend with sweetness. This book has typically gathering of hero’s. But it’s not what you’d expect.

The narrator did a great job with all the different characters!

Wonderful modern fairy tale

Two for two 5 star listens from T. Kingfisher. My new favorite writer! Also, just finished Thornhedge, which was amazing. Can’t recommend enough both of these books!

A wonderful combination of classic storytelling with a modern sensibility

This is one of my favorite books that I have read/listened to in years. It has a little bit of everything – adventure, humor, whimsy, and just a little bit of darkness to keep it from being too sweet. The symbolism is layered so you can appreciate the story on multiple levels.