Ursula Vernon

Once again, T. Kingfisher has pulled off an enormously entertaining, funny yet terrifying tribute to another grand master of horror. I read The Hollow Places not long ago, and this follows the same formula: a modern-day sitcom heroine and a trusty pet in a family member’s rundown, spooky old building that she’s tasked with cleaning up, located near a small Southern town populated by endearing and colorful local characters. The wisecracking heroine encounters eldritch horrors inspired by show more classics: In The Hollow Places it was Algernon Blackwood’s “The Willows”; in this novel it’s Arthur Machen’s “The White People.” At first, I was fooled by references to “Ambrose” into thinking this would be Ambrose Bierce–inspired, but searching the internet to try to identify the story, I discovered it was Machen’s story, which I had to read before finishing the novel so I wouldn’t miss any references. It turns out I needn’t have bothered, since the entire story is summarized in a manuscript the heroine discovers, but I suspect knowledge of the original story and not just the sometimes tongue-in-cheek summary might lend some additional creepiness.

“Formulaic” would normally turn me off, but this is Kingfisher’s own original formula, and a very successful one. I would happily read several more of these, since I find the blend of humor and horror very appealing. And while The Hollow Places ended on a rather cheerful note, The Twisted Ones’ ending is rather disquieting, and I liked it even better for that.

I listened to the audiobook, read by Hillary Huber, who also read The Hollow Places, and in both cases she does a terrifc job with this sarcastic narrator’s voice. show less

I want to give this book a big hug (the author, too). I have not laughed so much (while reading, I mean) in a very, very, very long time. Halla joins the ranks of my favourite characters - welcome.

The worldbuilding is effortless. I enjoyed watching a motley crew have scary adventures, I loved the banter and characters talking themselves out of tight spots. There is also wisdom and compassion beneath all the lightheartedness. Oh, and there is romance, too...

Where is this sequel promised in show more the afterword? show less

This was cute, as Ursula Vernon usually is, and it was meaningful, as Ursula Vernon usually is. A twelve-year-old mage is sent on a quest to bring rain to his drought-ridden village, with only an armadillo familiar and three spells to his name. It's about the way large groups of people can think, and how that can make people worse than they really are, and it's about the toughness of doing the right thing when no one else will, and when it will have a terrible cost. Plus the armadillo is show more pretty funny, and there's a teenage boy with a compulsion to make harps out of the corpses of murder victims that shriek in the presence of their murderers. Dark stuff, communicated lightly, and very good, as Ursula Vernon usually is. show less

I'll admit: I was a little sad this didn't have more of "The Goose Girl" in it. I read Shannon Hale's rendition as an appetizer, but the only commonalities I really found were a young protagonist who learns bravery, and Falada the horse. I can't tell if the marketing was misleading or if I'm missing something!

While it takes the same tone and humor as many of Kingfisher's other fairytale retellings, this story is notable in its portrayal of an emotionally and physically abusive show more mother-daughter situation. Cordelia, a demure and repressed young girl, has grown up isolated and puppeted by her sorceress mother's magic. If she so much as speaks against her mother, her entire body can be possessed and forced to act against her will and conscience. There is seemingly no hope for her, as her mother Evangeline plans to marry her off to whichever wealthy old man will have her. But first, Evangeline must marry into money to pay for her daughter's season. Enter the Squire and his spinster sister, Hester.

While Evangeline is busy tempting and casting spells on the wealthy Squire and digging her claws into his fancy estate, Cordelia begins to seek help and refuge in Hester and the kindly servants of the house. What ensues is an exciting game of cat and mouse, as the rest of the house begins to band together to take Evangeline down and save the Squire and Cordelia from her grasp... but she's definitely no "good witch" and fights dirty.

This was a great read, with a lovable cast of supporting characters who are committed to doing what is right, even in the face of supernatural horror. Great if you like your spooky fairytales with a dash of found family and revenge. show less