Nettle and Bone flips the script on fairytale retellings, telling the story of Marra, a 30-year old princess who goes on an adventure to rescue her sister from her evil husband. 

Marra is a socially awkward and third princess of her country who lives at a convent. Her family are the royals that preside over a small country that connects to the harbor, constantly at ends with the larger kingdom to the North and South. Her eldest sister, Damia, was married to Prince Vorling of the Northern kingdom as an alliance but she died shortly after. Her next older sister, Kania takes her place and marries him next. Marra learns her sister is being abused by the prince with her life at risk and decides she must do something about it. She leaves her relatively safe life to travel to a dust-wife, a "witch" that communicates with the dead and asks her what she must do to kill the prince. Marra is set three impossible tasks, and once they are completed she will get the help she needs to defeat him. This weapon turns out to be the crew she assembles in her journey. 

This novel subverts fairytale retellings and creates something new from the aspects of common fairy tale stories. There are godmothers, faeries, princesses and princes, but this book is definitely something completely different. It's a very refreshing fantasy that features a much older main character and also imbues more concepts that are horror based, which I loved since I've read her horror books. The plot is almost simplistic with minimal world-building but I think this is one of the books where you just enjoy the journey rather than the destination.

Character wise, Marra struggles with feeling useless and is largely naive to what she intends to do. She recruits the dust-wife and her demon chicken to her efforts, as well as her own fairy godmother, a dog made of bones, and a noble ex-warrior from a far off kingdom. They become one big found family. There is unexpected humor and wittiness written into their conversations that I love. The romance is subtle and just happens, which I think it perfect for this story. The only criticism I had was that I wished Marra had a moment where she takes charge and contributes more to when they confront Vorling. Her friends do most of the work while she stands, but I digress. That could be an important moment of her finding her "family" and them helping her as a character point, but I think that would have been a penultimate moment where she confronts her feelings of uselessness and takes charge. 

Overall, if you're looking for a refreshing take on fantasy that takes aspects of fairytales but becomes a witty, short, and funny story with found family, I recommend this!