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Thornhedge

T. Kingfisher

4.45

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novella!

From New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.

*The very special hardcover edition features a foil stamp on the casing and custom endpapers illustrated by the author.*

There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story.

Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?

But nothing with fairies is ever simple.

Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…

"The way Thornhedge turns all the fairy tales inside out is a sharp-edged delight."

—Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin Emperor

Also by T. Kingfisher

Nettle & Bone

A Sorceress Comes to Call

What Moves the Dead

What Feasts at Night

A House with Good Bones

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

FantasyScience FictionFictionFairy TalesMythologyAdult
Pages
134
First published
August 15, 2023
Language
English
Edition
Ebook

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Shelved by 8 Litcadians

Reviews

  • adventurousemotionalhopefulinspiringmysteriousreflectiverelaxingSlow-paced

    Started August 25, 2025 · Finished August 25, 2025

  • Finished September 10, 2025

    Aw, poor sweet Toadling! No matter what she went through, her kindness still prevailed, and I love her for it. This was a magical and melancholy fairytale retelling that still managed to be a fun and engaging read. The novella format worked well imo and kept it from slipping too deep into the overly dark fairytale vibe.

  • Finished January 26, 2026