Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about but haven’t yet read. Most of the time they’re books that have yet to be released, but not always. It’s based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme, which was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week my Can’t-Wait-For is Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher!
Genres: Fantasy
Published on: 26th April 2022
Goodreads
After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.
Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.
On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.
Okay, so first off, it’s T. Kingfisher – which means I’ve already hit the preorder button before I take a peek at the synopsis. Before the synopsis is even released!
And then when I do take a look at the description – once it’s been released into the wild – my brain immediately goes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I adore Kingfisher’s take on fantasy; she is original and clever and absolutely hilarious, and she writes the most real-feeling characters I have ever encountered. She writes books that make you glow, that you want to hug to your chest, even when they are also full of Anxiety and Scary Things and of course All The Feels. I will read anything she chooses to write, forever.
That is a Sia Rule.
But… gods, how do I explain this? I guess the best way to put it is that Kingfisher has always been a genre in and of herself. She is her own category. There are no Kingfisher readalikes; she has no competition; there are no ‘oh, if you love her books, try these!’ No. Very few authors are like that, but she is definitely one of them.
An Apex Author, if you will.
So I have no doubt whatsoever that I am going to love this book (whichever cover my copy ends up having). But what makes me especially excited for Nettle & Bone is that…it sounds, from the description, like Kingfisher is moving out of the space that is Just Hers. This book is being presented, marketed, not as a Kingfisher Book, but a Fantasy book.
I think she’s moving out of the territory that is unquestionably hers…and is coming to conquer what we might call more ‘traditional’ fantasy. I think Nettle & Bone is being camouflaged as Respectable Traditional Fantasy – albeit with a wink and a nod to those in the know – so that fools who dismiss Kingfisher as Just The Funny Writer (she is funny, but it’s not even a fraction of all she is) will be tricked into picking it up. And then they’ll be hooked.
(Also, readers who have just never heard of her, because they don’t engage in the spaces where everyone knows her, are more likely to be reached by Nettle & Bone. Because it’s camouflaged as what they’re familiar with, and is slipping neatly into their spaces, and they’ll pick it up.
And then they’ll be hooked.)
This got long.
TL;DR: I can’t wait to see Kingfisher take Respectable Traditional Fantasy and make it her own. This is gonna be awesome!
I love T. Kingfisher. I’m super curious about this one!
I have yet to read a T. Kingfisher book I have not ADORED, so this is one of my most-anticipated of the entire year 😀