Ursula Vernon

T. Kingfisher is a pseudonym used by Ursula Vernon, who also writes and publishes under that name. Some of the stories in this collection were originally published as by Ursula Vernon. When she writes for children, she uses the Vernon name (but she also publishes YA/adult fiction under that name); beyond that, I don't see any clear distinction between when she uses the two names.

Let's start, as I am prone to do, with the two award-winning stories, "Jackalope Wives" (Nebula short story show more winner, 2015) and "The Tomato Thief" (Hugo novelette winner, 2017). They share a central character, Grandma Harken, an old woman living in the desert southwest. She is a woman with unusual powers, though it's never precisely clear where they might come from. She's a witch, perhaps, or a minor god; if she's not a god herself, she's at least on speaking terms with some of the local gods.

Both stories find Grandma Harken coming to the aid of enchanted people who now live on the border of human and animal. Of the two, I prefer "Jackalope Wives;" "The Tomato Thief," while an entertaining story, meanders a little too much for my taste.

Witchcraft and enchanted creatures are common themes throughout this collection, which places Kingfisher solidly in the fairy tale tradition. She's writing variations on the classics -- "The Dryad's Shoe" is a witty take on Cinderella, "Let Pass the Horses Black" riffs on Tam Lin -- and putting a fairy tale spin on stories that might not seem to be part of that world -- "Origin Story" is a delightfully creepy variation on Frankenstein.

Best in show honors, though, go to the spectacular comedy of "That Time with Bob and the Unicorn," in which the narrator gets tangled up in a local man's quest to find a unicorn. This is surely the only story I'll ever read that includes the phrase "narwhal turds," and when the narrator starts going on about "the genetics of inbred hillbilly water unicorns," I was giggling with delight.

That story highlights one of Kingfisher's strengths, narrative voice. Her stories vary wildly in tone, but each has a voice that is precisely tailored, internally consistent, and a joy to read. There are several more Kingfisher/Vernon stories on the Great Checklist of award nominees, and I look forward to them with great anticipation. show less

Cordelia doesn't exactly know what her mother is, or how she does the things she does. Evangeline can take over Cordelia's body, forcing her into "obedience" and making her do and say only what Evangeline wills -- and it's not only Cordelia over whom she can exert such control. When Evangeline returns from the city to fetch Cordelia, stating her intention to marry a rich man and then marry Cordelia off to an even richer man, there's no way for Cordelia to resist. However, in the home of show more Evangeline's intended, there may be unexpected allies -- a feisty maid, a spinster sister with bad knees, even the rich man that Evangeline intends for Cordelia...

If you take a variety of fairy tales and break off some interesting bits, stir in a dash of body horror and a large dollop of Regency house party, and mix thoroughly, you'll get A Sorceress Comes to Call. I enjoyed it greatly. show less

”I had just taken poison when the king arrived to inform me that he had murdered his wife.”

A great first sentence isn’t everything, but it helps.

I still haven’t met a Kingfisher book I did not like. I like her style, I like her humanity, I like her imagination, I like her humour and characters with a wonderful narrative voice.

Anja is a nerdy expert on poisons. The king’s daughter, Snow, is sick. Is Snow being poisoned? Can Anja help? Our main character is not exactly a sleuth. She show more doesn’t do people very well, and her inner monologue is so hilarious at times. She might be a bit slow on the uptake, but let’s see us readers do better in the same situation instead of sitting with this book somewhere comfortable. One thing, though: Anja, saying that you don’t believe in magic when you are a character in a fantasy book just makes us readers roll our eyes, so stop already.

I loved the mirrors! (Be careful with mirrors.) Kingfisher is very good at writing scary stuff, and here it was leaping off the pages. It felt very “real”, oh dear.

The Snow White elements were interesting, but I also thought about [Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There] - obviously, but it was still fun.

Oh, there was a cat, too! A cat that ”had an expression like it was thinking about disemboweling everyone in the room.” The cat was wonderful! A most excellent cat! Give me more such cats in fiction! ”No sense asking why he was like this. He was a cat.”
”There are few things in life more disdainful than a one-eyed cat.”

I didn’t really want the book to end, but I did want to know what happened, so here I am, satisfied.

Quotes:

”This was actually quite centering, because you cannot be distracted while working with a venomous snake.”

”Javier grunted. I wondered how many words he was allotted a week and whether he had been going into a deficit with all the talking I’ve been demanding.”

”Slow down. There’s a large gap between doesn’t find you repulsive and kissing.”
I think you are on to something there, Anja. show less

I’ve only read two of Kingfisher’s novels, so I wouldn’t call myself a fan just yet, but we’re quickly moving in that direction with every one of her books I finish. I expected an artful mastery of a magic system, a set of well-written and realistic characters, and narration with a hook based on what got me into Nettle and Bone, but the startling shift in genre was an unexpected and well-received surprise. Where we saw our quest through a more typical fantasy landscape previously, show more the sorceress in this novel - though it is far more focused on her quietly unassuming and immediately charming daughter - moves confidently through a Regency-inspired world where magic is admittedly present but something of an unspoken naughtiness. This woman, though, is far removed from the cheap schemes of her fellow magicians, and wields her power in a selfish manner to take exactly what she wants from the world, with nary a care for the wellbeing of anyone in her vicinity. This includes her daughter, who seems to be the byproduct of a past dalliance that she would sooner forget, and winds up coming up short of her mother’s expectations time and time again. While many stories of this sort have themes that softly explore the quiet abuses and lack of care from some parents, Kingfisher holds no punches here and makes it clear from page one that this woman was never meant to be a mother, and the comeuppance that she earns by the book’s finale is nothing less than her due. Along the way, we’re never quite sure if Cordelia will win herself free of her mother’s evil influence, as Kingfisher weaves a complicated narration that is impossible to put down. She has shifted her tone somewhat to match the English style of the tale, reminding me of Diana Wynne Jones in her moments of unexpected humour, but with a far sharper edge that takes the story well into the realm of adult storytelling despite the 16 year old protagonist. While this book leaves me with far more questions than actual answers (more about the magic system, what’s the background of the evil mother, what happens next with Cordelia’s new found-family?!?), I can definitely say that I had a great time reading this book and getting into Kingfisher’s unexpected genre mash-up! show less