I've become a big T. Kingfisher fan over the last year or two, and I've enjoyed every genre I've read her in so far. Unfortunately I think Thornhedge is, for me, the weakest of her fantasy works. It's so hard NOT to compare this to the fantastic Nettle & Bone, because they're operating under the same sort of low stakes, close character fantasy feeling. Where the story is about the main character(s) and their journey, and not some big explosive kingdom-engulfing plot.

That's not to say this is a bad book. Hell no. This is good! If I hadn't already read a bunch of T. Kingfisher, I think I would rate it higher. But I have read her, and I think there's some small spark of something missing here for me as the reader and T. Kingfisher fan that I am.

Essentially, this is a take on Sleeping Beauty where the story is about a fae guarding the tower and the knight who seeks to enter it. The story twists the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, creating a very compelling alternate version of it that I actually really enjoyed. I think where this faltered for me was in the two main characters, Toadling and the Knight.

Toadling to me felt like she didn't have any agency whatsoever. As we learn about her backstory and the history of the tower, she does literally nothing of her own volition (other than one thing that I will not talk about here because it would be a spoiler). Even when the Knight shows up and is very bumbling and sweet, she still allows him to absolutely tread all over her. [The rest of this under a spoiler tag, just to be safe.]

She does nothing to stop him from getting to the tower. Nothing! Why, because he's a nice person? That was another thing - I got so irritated by the Knight. He just steamrolled right past her, and ohhh we're supposed to like him because he always feels guilty and always says sorry and feels bad about killing people as knight? NO. Go home, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. It was so FRUSTRATING being with these two.

This story could have been so good if the characters just had a liiiittle more agency and conscientiousness for each other, I think. I loved the gradual reveal of Toadling's history and the story of the tower. Really enjoyed that! I just wish I enjoyed Toadling and the Knight more than I did.