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🗡️ Dark Fantasy

Nettle & Bone

Name: Nettle & Bone
Price: 28.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781250244048

✍️ T. Kingfisher

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$28.99

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A convent-raised daughter teams up with a gravewitch and a demon chicken to kill an abusive prince.

Marra leaves her convent life to confront the prince who harms her sisters. She partners with a gravewitch who demands three impossible tasks in exchange for help. Her companions include a fairy godmother who does not want to help, a former knight, and a demon-possessed chicken. This odd quartet travels together to execute a plan against the tyrant. The story focuses on their interactions and the dark magic they employ. Kingfisher writes with a sharp eye for detail and character voice. The novel fits within the fantasy and horror genres, blending magical elements with grim realities. It offers a fresh take on revenge tales by centering on a quiet, convent-raised woman rather than a warrior.

Key Themes

familial loyalty dark magic revenge

Literary Context

Published by Tor Books in 2022, this work sits within the modern fantasy and horror landscape. It draws on gothic traditions and supernatural fiction. The Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher brings a distinct voice to these established genres, appealing to contemporary readers of dark fiction.

T. Kingfisher

📚 all books by this author (48) →

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · Neil Gaiman

🗡️

Dark Fantasy

🏛 Tor Books 📅 2022 📖 256 pages 🌐 English 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9781250244048

📚 This Book in Collections

🧙 Witches in Fiction 😈 Demons, Possession & Exorcism

📝 Description: Nettle & Bone

Marra, raised in a convent after being the third-born daughter, observes her sisters suffering under a tyrannical prince's abuse. Understanding that no outside power will rescue them, she turns to a formidable gravewitch for help. The witch grants Marra the ability to assassinate a ruler if she finishes three impossible tasks. Marra assembles an odd team: a hesitant fairy godmother, a muscular ex-knight, and a chicken with a demon inside. These five individuals work together to depose the prince. T. Kingfisher, a Hugo Award winner, mixes fantasy and horror in this 256-page book. The tale uses gothic and supernatural elements, including dark magic and grim quests. It suits fans of twisted fairy tales and rough character relationships. People wanting light romance or standard high fantasy might dislike the bleak tone. The novel explores familial loyalty and revenge using dark humor and magical realism. Early mentions of crows and madmen establish a gloomy mood that continues throughout. The plot depends on the gravewitch’s magic and the group’s unwilling cooperation. Kingfisher employs sharp prose to advance the action. The story prioritizes the immediate goal over detailed world-building. Fans of moral complexity and unique heroes will enjoy this. The ending shows the group still trying to liberate Marra's family.

💎 Our verdict on Nettle & Bone

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

T. Kingfisher delivers a sharp, character-driven story where dark magic meets grim quests. While the plot relies heavily on the gravewitch’s rules rather than expansive lore, the interactions among the odd quartet provide sufficient engagement. The gloomy mood is established early and maintained effectively through attention to detail. The bleak tone and lack of detailed world-building may deter readers expecting a more conventional heroic journey. Instead, it offers a focused look at familial loyalty and revenge through a lens of dark humor and magical realism.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate moral complexity and unique, non-traditional heroes will find this tale compelling. It centers on a quiet, convent-raised woman rather than a typical warrior, offering a fresh perspective on revenge narratives. The story prioritizes sharp prose and character voice over extensive world-building, appealing to those who enjoy rough relationships and dark humor. Fans of twisted fairy tales and magical realism will value the blend of supernatural elements with grim realities. The narrative’s focus on immediate goals and unwilling cooperation provides a distinct pacing that differs from standard high fantasy, making it ideal for readers seeking a bleak yet engaging tone.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

Readers who adore subverted fairy tales, gritty magical realism, and morally complex characters will find much to love here. However, those seeking lighthearted romance or traditional high fantasy worlds should look elsewhere, as this narrative embraces a relentlessly bleak tone over comfort.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

❓ Frequently asked questions

No. While relationships drive the plot, the focus is on reluctant teamwork and survival. The tone is dark and humorous rather than romantic.

It uses high fantasy structures but injects them with gothic dread, grim quests, and unsettling magical elements, creating a unique hybrid of the genres.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

This work sits firmly within the lineage of dark fairy tale retellings and gothic horror, echoing the grim traditions of authors like Angela Carter. It diverges from sanitized folklore by embracing visceral consequences and supernatural dread. The novel aligns with contemporary trends that blend fantasy mechanics with horror aesthetics, prioritizing psychological tension and macabre atmosphere over heroic triumphs.