Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
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Synopsis
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel An Instant USA Today & Indie Bestseller An Oprah Daily Top 25 Fantasy Book of 2022 A Vulture Best Fantasy Novel of 2022 An NPR Best Sci Fi, Fantasy, & Speculative Fiction Book of 2022 A Goodreads Best Fantasy Choice Award Nominee From Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes an original and subversive fantasy adventure. This isn't the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince. It's the one where she kills him. Marra — a shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter — is relieved not to be married off for the sake of her parents’ throne. Her older sister wasn’t so fortunate though, and her royal husband is as abusive as he is powerful. From the safety of the convent, Marra wonders who will come to her sister’s rescue and put a stop to this. But after years of watching their families and kingdoms pretend all is well, Marra realizes if any hero is coming, it will have to be Marra herself. If Marra can complete three impossible tasks, a witch will grant her the tools she needs. But, as is the way in stories of princes and the impossible, these tasks are only the beginning of Marra’s strange and enchanting journey to save her sister and topple a throne. “Wholly entertaining."—Buzzfeed “A modern classic.”—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway “Pure delight. T. Kingfisher uses the bones of fairy tale to create something entirely her own.”—Emily Tesh, award-winning author of Silver in the Wood Also by T. Kingfisher Thornhedge 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.
Is Nettle & Bone appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This dark fairy tale retelling features domestic abuse as a central plot driver and includes moderate violence as the protagonist seeks to kill an abusive prince. The tone blends dark themes with humor, and while not graphically violent, the subject matter is mature.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include domestic violence, abuse, and death.
Who'll love this
Teens will love this subversive fairy tale where a shy convent girl becomes an unlikely hero who takes matters into her own hands to save her sister.