Nettle & Bone

Nettle & Bone
T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon), 2022

Hugo winner - 2023

Premise: Marra was a mediocre princess and an average nun, why does she think she can rescue her sister from a prince? 

Of course I grabbed this from the library as soon as it won the Hugo (this review may be delayed). I was a little unsure when I got it. I knew the author also writes children's books, and I had the impression her other work was more YA. This isn't YA. At all. It's not inappropriate for kids, but it's a fairy tale for grownups, for people still finding themselves in their 30s, for adults struggling in a society set against them. 

In short, it's spectacular, absolutely worth picking up if you have any love for fairy-tale-inspired fantasy. 

I loved all the characters, I loved Marra's narrative voice, and I loved the magic. I loved how dreamy everything felt while also seeming completely grounded and tangible. 

The writing is gorgeous. Lovely, creative descriptions that tell us everything we need to know about the characters and the world are peppered with the kind of wise asides that help a book stay with you long after you read it. 

There's a lot here about the difference between stories and reality, even as Marra assembles a classic group of unlikely heroes to lead on a quest. Marra and her friends are trying to do one possibly right thing in a situation in which there are no good choices, only less bad ones. It's a modern, feminist story about pushing back against the powers that say you don't matter, even when your only allies are old women, the exiled, and the dead.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I might just read it again soon.

5 Stars - An Awesome Book