"Nettle & Bone" ~ T. Kingfisher Book Review
- Apr 19
- 5 min read
Absolutely loved it! A quick & quirky read with relatable characters & an honest story.
Rated: four out of five stars
Disclaimer: I do my absolute best not to disclose any spoilers of the book, but I may unintentionally provide some leading information. I am sorry if I give anything away! I only hope to speak with other book lovers by picking apart the wonderfully intricate bones of novels which have fed my soul. With all love, you have been forewarned. <3
Synapsis of the Book
What a gem of a book which delivered a beautiful story with captivating characters in only 240 pages. T. Kingfisher managed to tell a tale as old as time in a unique, humanly raw perspective while bringing attention to the nuances of heroic ventures. This story focused on Marra, the youngest princess of three from a small kingdom pinned on the precipitous of seizure. In order to secure the kingdom's safety, an alliance of marriage of the eldest daughter, Damia, to the prince of Northern kingdom is established; however, shortly after the princess meets her unexpectant demise, the second princess in line, Kania, must take her place. Marra, having no interest in princessly matters and being the youngest, is allowed leave to join the convent and live a simpler life. That is, until she discovers the unjust suffering Kania is enduring to secure the marriage alliance and to protect her people. Seeing no one coming to her sister's rescue, Marra decides to take matters into her own hands. She never claims to be a hero by any means but knows something must be done. So, she sets off on her own adventure full of doubt, challenges, and questions. Through determination, and a bit of magic, Marra bands together an interesting group of misfits from a convent princess, an ex-knight, a dust witch, a fairy godmother, a dog made of bones (literally), and a demon chicken. Together they must save a princess and possibly unravel a kingdom. Sounds deliciously magic, right?
My Dissection Report
This book wasn't only a quick, quirky read I desperately craved, but it was so much more. Marra is such a normal, relatable character in the sense that she lacks choice, options, and power even despite being a princess. Even more so, she has flaws. What?! Shocking, I know but certainly appreciated. Marra never claimed, nor wanted, to be a hero; she simply strives to do the right thing, and since she saw no one else step up, she did. Although, I believe she often sold herself short (she literally accomplished tasks deemed impossible, not to mention the admirable character trait of determination in the sense of continually striving to be and do better), she clearly knew her limitations and didn't hesitate to ask for help. I loved this quote in particular about Marra highlighting the nuances of fairytales, "She wondered if all of the old stories of heroes slaying monsters and maidens locked in towers had involved long, tedious stretches of trying to find the monsters or build the towers in the first place. Probably. No, almost certainly. Who wants to hear the dull practical bits? Me. I do. It would make me feel less like I am failing," (pg. 178). By Gods, that's what I've been craving to hear all my life without knowing it: life is messy and I am not the only one failing.
T. Kingfisher did a wonderful job in reminder her readers that we are all human; we all fail, make mistakes, have flaws, and are beautifully unique in our own right. Not only that we are human, but that it is perfectly okay and a perfectly human thing to need help, and to accept help. Needing or accepting help does not make you any less human or capable, well the opposite actually, for being aware of your weaknesses or shortcomings and being open to receiving assistance makes you a stronger person for it. Which could also foster a greater connection with others, and you may be able to learn or develop skills for the future. Afterall, we can't be expected to know or be good at everything, then what would truly make us different from the rest? Sounds boring to me actually, to never have the opportunity to try new things, to challenge myself, or to learn something new and, quite possibly, grow relationships through vulnerability.
Furthermore, not only did T. Kingfisher create unique, realistically developed characters, but she brought to life her own spectacular magic system. Good magic takes time. Yes, read that again; good magic takes time. Magic is a tool, a craft in and of itself. It may be all and good to snap your fingers at any little thing and "poof!" Problem solved! Yet this seems rather too convenient for my taste. Magic should be earned just like anything good is from relationships, trust, home cooked meals, crafting a novel and brewing a spell. After all, love and magic are the same, are they not? Just as magic carved throughout this story, the author managed to weave in the tale of women beautifully into this novel. From a lack of choice or control over one's own fate or future, being undervalued and misjudged, to verbal and physical abuse/assault; the author accurately depicted the lack of women's rights and how women are treated (mainly by men or society) without directly addressing the issue. She both normalized such prevalent issues (because the lack of women's rights has been normalized) while also first (or second) hand showing the reader the injustice we have normalized in society. Marvelously done, thank you. I can vividly feel Marra's frustration, anger, and hurt as it mirrors my own [empathy]. The author has purposefully led the reader into empathizing with characters by fostering a sense of connection to them through ink and paper.
All seriousness aside, the Bonedog and demon chicken stole the whole show. Along with deeper, powerful issues the author riddled humor throughout the story with an innocent character only known to dogs, even undead ones, and with a sassy chicken possessed with a demon's soul. I cannot count how many times I involuntarily smiled from such magically fictional characters, even amongst heavily themed topics (not to mention I could genuinely see the personalities of my past furry companion, Sadie, and recently deceased demon-like chicken, Rosie, within the script of T. Kingfisher's Bonedog and demon chicken). I certainly will be picking up another of her novels in the near future; any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Themes & Final Thoughts
We are all human; we all have flaws & make mistakes, but accepting help makes us stronger
Relationships are cultivated & fostered through vulnerability
Our weaknesses could just as much be our greatest strengths
Life is messy & can be difficult, yet it is also beautiful
Some of the most beautiful things in life come from the simplest of moments
You don't have to be a hero to do the right thing
You just have to be willing to stand up for what you believe in
Even heroes do not fight all of their battles alone, the collective holds greater power
Women are marvelous & deserve to be treated as human, as an equal, not less than
Everything good in life takes time & must be earned
Thank you for listening to my book review, I hope you enjoyed my rambled and are inspired to pick up this book, or any book at all :) Please feel free to contribute to the conversation (but try not to give away any spoilers in the comments!) and I'm sure I will have more random book reviews to come in the near future. Also, if you have any suggestions of story topics you would like for me to write about, I would love to hear from you. Aaannnd, if you have been inspired to get your own copy of this book, then please use the link below, every click helps me to continue to provide free content to you all! As always, thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a magically delicious day.
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