Hemlock & Silver

Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

I'll be honest, I liked this far more than I expected to! I generally enjoy T. Kingfisher's fairytale retellings, but I wasn't terribly excited by the Snow White premise until it became clear we had a unique perspective on the tale with Anja, a researcher of poisons and their antidotes, trying to solve the mystery of Snow's deteriorating health.

Things I liked:

• Anja's enthusiasm for discovery was infectious
• A gradual romantic thread that didn't take center stage to the story
• Intriguing mirror magic
• A solid cast of characters, including a particularly sassy cat
• I don't usually stomach horror or suspense elements very well, but T. Kingfisher seems to be an exception to that rule, because her more grotesque creatures don't have me skipping pages. I couldn't tell you exactly why that is, but if you're a horror wimp like me, don't be put off!

While it did take a minute for the book to gain momentum, I thought the tale unfolded well and was pretty delighted by the end. I would recommend this for fans of fairytale retellings and fantasy romance.