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Nettle & Bone cover art

Nettle & Bone

By: T. Kingfisher
Narrated by: Amara Jasper
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Publisher's Summary

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.

©2022 T Kingfisher (P)2022 W F Howes

What listeners say about Nettle & Bone

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  • Ant
  • 14-01-2023

Beautiful from start to finish

Richly textured book with beautiful narration. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

wonderfully imaginative story

really loved this epic fairytale style tale, satisfying ending and so well narrated. great stuff!

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    5 out of 5 stars

A macabre yet heartwarming adventure

A princess/nearly-nun, a dog made of cursed bones, a gravewitch, a fairy godmother, a former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon go on a quest to save a queen from a horrible fate… What more could you want in a story?

The aforementioned princess/nearly-nun, Marra, is a fully realised, relatively ordinary, relatable heroine that doesn't fall into any of the usual tropes. She's in her 30s, she's had life experiences, she has her flaws and anxieties, and doesn't have any particularly special abilities (apart from embroidery). What she does have, after spending half her life in a convent and discovering her sister is trapped in an abusive marriage, is the realisation that no one else is going to save her and the determination to do it herself. Marra must find the courage to face the outside world and the horrors that come with it. She finds help along the way in the most unlikely of companions and a sisterhood with unusual but powerful women develops to put right the terrible works of men.

I adored this book. It's beautifully written, the horror elements are superbly macabre, and there's never a dull moment. The story touches on some very dark themes (domestic abuse, cannibalism, murder, child death, and other horror elements) but throughout it all, the author's humour and wit is delightful and the friendships that develop between the ragtag band of somewhat morally grey characters shine through.

The narrator did a great job of giving voice to the different characters.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Ok, I guess

I read this because it won the 2023 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

It was pretty good, I guess, but honestly, I expected better for something with such a prestigious award under its belt. The story is slow and meandering, feeling like it places emphasis more on language than momentum. The 'fantasy' is inventive and creative, but not particularly gripping.

It's a decent listen that won the Hugo for originality but not, I think, for 'most fun, unputdownable or grippin' novel.

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Enjoyable listen realistic characters (for fantasy)

The Narrator was great and the story was decent, I enjoyed listening but Its not my favourite Kingfisher book. I love the characters and the world building.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Dark fairytale vibes

It was ok, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected. I felt like it was simultaneously slow-paced, yet rushed through parts that I wanted explored in more depth. I liked most of the characters, but I didn’t enjoy Marra as the main protagonist. She was just frustratingly naive and not very interesting, but I think I would have liked her as a side character.
I think I was expecting a more cosy, feel-good, humorous story. If you like dark and gloomy fairytale-inspired stories, you’ll probably like this.

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A Fantastic Read

Although as stated in another review on this Audible book (which nearly turned me off listening to it) the book does grapple with the topic of abuse, the story in no way romanticises it and I think handles the topic well, from the perspective of a family member witnessing it.
The story is engrossing and I enjoyed the performance. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories about magic and witchcraft, particularly with a macabre twist.

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Reminds me of a fairytale

Such an easy book to listen to. Sounds like a fairytale but with way better character development. I love the writing style and the characters are interesting.

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A Fairy Tail for Grown-ups.

I loved everything about this book! The story is great, and the narrator is perfect. I have listened to it more than once, and I'm going to listen to more of this author's work. Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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There's a lot wrong with this book!

Suffice to say that I struggled to finish. DV turned into a fantasy? Really?

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