I’ve read two wildly different T. Kingfisher stories, so I had no hesitation in picking up her newest tale, A Sorceress Comes to Call. Kingfisher is a great writer and her talent is undeniable, but even these truths could not hold my attention in her retelling of The Goose Girl.
Cordelia can’t move her body, at least not when her mother Evangeline is making her “obedient.” But even when Evangeline’s strange power falls away, young Cordelia cannot relax because she might say or do something to earn the difficult woman’s ire. Cordelia makes herself small and only finds joy when riding their family horse, Falada. But one day, Evangeline sets her sights on marrying a rich man, and Cordelia must leave her isolated life for a manor inhabited by a squire, his sister Hester, and a full household staff. How can Cordelia manage her mother’s expectations and perform properly to prevent herself and anyone else from coming to harm?
This story’s strength belongs to the two main characters. Cordelia and Hester are interesting, strong voices that add depth and color to the story. Cordelia is especially refreshing to read because she is a young girl who falls outside the typical coming-of-age story and instead is a child who is powerless in the face of her mother. Cordelia is not expected to seize the day and become something more than she is now. She is shy and naive and trying to survive and mitigate damage toward everyone else, even at the cost of her own life I appreciated a story from the perspective of a young, powerless girl who truly does not have the knowledge or resources to improve her situation but makes small, brave choices in her own way to be the story’s hero. Hester is the much-needed adult in the room. She is a distinguished middle-aged woman who is educated, independent, and kind. While Cordelia gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the situation, Hester is the observer and serves as a fresh pair of eyes to the uncanny situation that has arrived at her door. I enjoyed her measured presence in the story and thought she was a great foil to Cordelia.
My biggest issue with A Sorceress Comes to Call is its slow pacing, which was manageable at first but quickly contributed to me losing interest only halfway through the book. There was a lot of dawdling about as the characters poorly dealt with the evil sorceress at hand. I felt that I was trapped in the parlor while everyone drank tea and fretted over the fact that no one had any idea of what to do. There’s not a lot of get-up-and-go energy in this story, the focus is more on the beautiful floral language and less on the pace. Cordelia’s chapters are anxious and fearful accounts of trying not to upset her mother, and Hester is wise but not one to take action quickly. I was even more disappointed at the ending when the climatic confrontation finally appeared but then disappeared so quickly that I was a little bewildered. The ending felt rushed, unfinished, and unexpected. The book’s group of do-gooders spent a lot of time researching and testing a solution that ended up being irrelevant in the end. The climax and conclusion felt like a slap in the face especially after hundreds of pages of discussions that ended up doing nothing.
I also didn’t like how easily characters were introduced and forgotten. As the story establishes itself, Cordelia and Hester become our main POVs with some interactions with Evangeline and even fewer with the squire and household staff. It’s quite a small group to see the events through, and I rejoiced that more characters were eventually introduced to the situation. But the problem is, these characters are barely there. For instance, one couple and their son arrive at the manor, but after a chapter, maybe two, the husband and son are never heard from again. The husband is at least seen one other time. The wife becomes a larger player in Hester’s circle, but even she is a rare sight. This felt like a possible tribute to the style of older fairytales, but it also felt like a place where some modernization and conversion to long-form storytelling would have gone a long way. It was hard to stay committed to a slow story that picked up and dropped people without much care. Besides our POVs, everyone else in the book felt insubstantial and it was nearly impossible to create connections with anyone else.
I’m almost mad at myself for not enjoying A Sorceress Comes to Call as much as I have Kingfisher’s other stories. I can’t deny my boredom, but I am a huge fan of Kingfisher’s writing and her ability to create compelling characters. Ah well, you win some and you lose some. I will continue along my journey through the author’s catalog regardless.
Rating: A Sorceress Comes To Call – 5.5/10
-Brandee
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The thoughts on this story are my own.
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