Release Date: August 19th, 2025
Rating: 10 out of 10
Spice Level: 0.25 out of 5
Cover Grade: A-
Audiobook Narrator Performance: Excellent!
Synopsis
HEMLOCK & SILVER is a darkly unique twist on "Snow White." There are poisons, mirrors, and great evil. Anja, an expert in poisons who lacks tact, is obsessed with creating cures for poisons that don’t have one, and finds humans attached to problems to solve bothersome. The King has summoned her to cure Princess Snow of an enigmatic illness. Anja’s investigation uncovers a magical mirror realm, an unhelpful cat, and a baffling case of why Snow is continuously declining. Accompanied by a stoic bodyguard, Anja must unravel the mysteries of the mirror world before the darkness inside poses a danger.
Strengths: Fantastical world building, unique take on Snow White. Delightful characters and a magical storyline. Perfect voice actor.
Weaknesses: —
Verdict
Loved this. Incredibly unique take on this old fairytale, and satisfies my curiosity regarding what a world inside a mirror might entail. A well written blend of wit and the macabre, crafting a haunting atmosphere that lingers even after the story has ended. Yet it maintains a sense of humor, which makes the eerie moments even more striking. The author writes a vivid, captivating, and menacing world, with characters that are quirky, flawed, and memorable, bringing a kittenish energy to the story. The cat is my favorite! (10/10)
Thank you, T. Kingfisher, Macmillan Audio & NetGally. I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Pre-Order Your Copy
Aber Stoat Books (print)
Bookshop.org (eBook)
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From the Publisher:
Audiobook, Unabridged
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 9781250395665
DURATION 10 Hours, 30 Minutes
Hardcover with dust jacket
Publisher: Tor Books/Macmillan
ISBN: 9781250342034, 1250342031
368 pages
Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
Fiction / Fantasy / Action & Adventure
Description:
From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind
Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.
Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.
But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.
Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.
Or it might be the thing that kills them all.
Author Bio:
T. KINGFISHER writes fantasy, horror, and occasional oddities, including Nettle & Bone, Thornhedge, A Sorceress Comes to Call, What Moves the Dead, and A House with Good Bones. Under a pen name, she also writes bestselling children's books. She lives in New Mexico with her husband, dog, and cats that almost certainly do not talk.
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