Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher

Hello dear readers.

Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher was an endearing read. While I’ve mentioned before that I’m not the largest fan of the third-person perspective, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. (Some spoilers below!) Here is the synopsis for you:

“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 the 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—and now joined by a disgraced ex-knight, a reluctant fairy godmother, and an enigmatic gravewitch and her fowl familiar—Marra might finally have the courage to save her sister, and topple a throne.”

The book was well-paced. I didn’t get lost, I didn’t get confused, and I didn’t get frustrated with the characters. Princess Marra, a 30-year-old almost nun, is a quiet and naive character. She has a sad story, one I would never wish upon anyone. I felt for her in ways I didn’t think I could. Her being the youngest of three girls I couldn’t relate to, but I certainly could relate to the sisterly feeling. The despair of losing your sister is a great one. And then the despair of another going away, only to find out that she’s being abused by her husband… it’s a scary, real-world scenario.

The part that I want to emphasize the most is that Marra did not deserve this type of life but she did what she could. When she found out about Kania’s situation, she decided to do something about it. She decided Vorling had to die. And I was right there alongside her.

The dust-wife and her chicken were a fun duo. And Agnes was a lovely woman who was just born with power she didn’t want, but Fenris is a different story. A man burdened by a young boy who he thought would be safe back home with his father (after being captured alive), who he thought would want to be home, was killed because he forced him there. Fenris was a good and honest man who expected better of people, much like how Marra expected better of Vorling.

I liked the story behind this. It’s a noble one. Everyone in this story did their part, no one was faltering. They put in 100% of themselves, just as any good team would. I truly appreciate that.

The beginning of the story was hard to grasp, I will say. I was slightly bored in the beginning, with Marra digging around in a pile of bones, but that quickly dissipated. Thankfully so. The hints of magic made it feel just a little more real and easy to imagine, whereas some stories are so chock full of insane magical scenarios that they feel a little… too fake. I like a good book that makes me feel like I’m in it, not just watching it.

Overall, without spoiling much more of this lovely book, I am happy to say that Kingfisher really hooked me on Nettle and Bone. This was an impulse library pick-up, and I really enjoyed getting to know Marra, Dust-wife, Fenris, Agnes, and of course Bonedog.

Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher gets 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Sending all my love,

Vic