Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

You think you know, but you have no idea - A fresh take on sleeping beauty with this imaginative re-telling.

If you love fairytale retellings, this is a must-read perfect for both YA and adults. I loved T. Kingfisher's Nettle and Bone and was worried this may not live up - but it blew me away and kept me guessing about the ending all the way through.

We're following a fairy called Toadling who is tasked with watching the castle our 'sleeping beauty' rests in. The story is so descriptive that you can feel the leaves and thorns of the hedges closing around you as the story progresses. I don't want to say too much about what happens next, because T. Kingfisher starts flipping the story sideways almost as soon as we enter it, but the pacing is great and the journey is worth it.

If you prefer audiobooks, you'll love this one. I both read and listened to the story and felt equally immersed in both. Our narrator, Jennifer Blom, IS Toadling. I'm positive if I met her, I'd expect her to shapeshift any moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener copy. With this story T. Kingfisher is becoming an automatic buy and read for me (and hopefully you too!)

This book is best listened to by a pond, with the sound of toads croaking and fish splashing.