Nettle & Bone
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-04-28 04:20:08
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：T. Kingfisher
- ISBN：B08QGL9BZD
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
This isn't the kind of fairytale where the princess marries a prince。
It's the one where she kills him。
Marra never wanted to be a hero。
As the shy， convent-raised， third-born daughter， she escaped the traditional fate of princesses， to be married away for the sake of an uncaring throne。 But her sister wasn’t so fortunate—and after years of silence， Marra is done watching her suffer at the hands of a powerful and abusive prince。
Seeking help for her rescue mission， Marra is offered the tools she needs， but only if she can complete three seemingly impossible tasks:
—build a dog of bones
—sew a cloak of nettles
—capture moonlight in a jar
But， as is the way in tales of princes and witches， doing the impossible is only the beginning。
Hero or not—now joined by a disgraced ex-knight， a reluctant fairy godmother， an enigmatic gravewitch and her fowl familiar—Marra might finally have the courage to save her sister， and topple a throne。
It's the one where she kills him。
Marra never wanted to be a hero。
As the shy， convent-raised， third-born daughter， she escaped the traditional fate of princesses， to be married away for the sake of an uncaring throne。 But her sister wasn’t so fortunate—and after years of silence， Marra is done watching her suffer at the hands of a powerful and abusive prince。
Seeking help for her rescue mission， Marra is offered the tools she needs， but only if she can complete three seemingly impossible tasks:
—build a dog of bones
—sew a cloak of nettles
—capture moonlight in a jar
But， as is the way in tales of princes and witches， doing the impossible is only the beginning。
Hero or not—now joined by a disgraced ex-knight， a reluctant fairy godmother， an enigmatic gravewitch and her fowl familiar—Marra might finally have the courage to save her sister， and topple a throne。
Reviews
Phoebe
，
Cozy and Interesting Could have been longer （I enjoyed hanging out with the characters）。 I never have doubts that Kingfisher’s characters are real， but I wish they didn’t succeed so easily。 Five stars。
Sarah Smith
，
I feel like I am on a roll this month， and I’m handing five stars out like they are candy。 This was another wonderful book。 I loved the characters and the humor。 The imagery was beautiful and terrifying。 And I connected so quickly with Marra and her band of strange heroes。 I’m not sure I can adequately do this book justice。 I’m not sure how to explain why this was so great without giving away storylines。 There was an evil prince， there was a damaged princess， there was dog made of bones， there w I feel like I am on a roll this month， and I’m handing five stars out like they are candy。 This was another wonderful book。 I loved the characters and the humor。 The imagery was beautiful and terrifying。 And I connected so quickly with Marra and her band of strange heroes。 I’m not sure I can adequately do this book justice。 I’m not sure how to explain why this was so great without giving away storylines。 There was an evil prince， there was a damaged princess， there was dog made of bones， there was a goblin market， godmothers， a knight， and some chickens。 And somehow this all came together to be an incredibly entertaining and thrilling book， that kept me wanting to know what was next， what adventure will they go on next。 。。。more
Sarah
，
WOW what an amazing book！！ The humor in this book is absolutely hilarious， and the plot is good twist on the fairy godmother tale。 I have no doubt that this will be a highly successful book， and will go on to be loved by all audiences。
thewoollygeek （tea， cake， crochet & books）
，
Within a few pages of Nettle and Bone I was completely hooked ， it’s funny yet dark and gritty。 T。 Kingfisher has written an absorbing and enthralling narrative。the style is absolutely beautiful， lyrical and poetic。I also loved the world building ， so well done and such a great magic system， I mean a dog made of bones I fell in love with， a demonic chicken， why wouldn’t you be drawn to this and the fact the book draws on important issues too like domestic violence and abuse， it’s a stunningly cr Within a few pages of Nettle and Bone I was completely hooked ， it’s funny yet dark and gritty。 T。 Kingfisher has written an absorbing and enthralling narrative。the style is absolutely beautiful， lyrical and poetic。I also loved the world building ， so well done and such a great magic system， I mean a dog made of bones I fell in love with， a demonic chicken， why wouldn’t you be drawn to this and the fact the book draws on important issues too like domestic violence and abuse， it’s a stunningly creative， unique and impressive read。 Thoroughly recommended Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion 。。。more
PastTheSample
，
REVIEW （Twitter style）: Nettle and Bone by T。 KingfisherWounded necromancer is in a haunted forest and rummages through a bone-filled pit to build a dog。Why？Nobody knows。Then someone approaches her， and she。。。🌈🧵♥️。。。suddenly gives an irrelevant flashback where she shared a campfire with 2 strangers。Okay？Nothing happens。She completes the dog， and it runs off。lolI managed to push myself to chapter 2， and there we get the dreaded backstory info dump。Oh boy。。。In terms of the writing:Not Terrible， pe REVIEW （Twitter style）: Nettle and Bone by T。 KingfisherWounded necromancer is in a haunted forest and rummages through a bone-filled pit to build a dog。Why？Nobody knows。Then someone approaches her， and she。。。🌈🧵♥️。。。suddenly gives an irrelevant flashback where she shared a campfire with 2 strangers。Okay？Nothing happens。She completes the dog， and it runs off。lolI managed to push myself to chapter 2， and there we get the dreaded backstory info dump。Oh boy。。。In terms of the writing:Not Terrible， per se， but not good either。Weirdly many direct thoughts。 （Why not just write 1st person？）Very odd to refer to nettle as "wires"。 Especially in the opening lines， the word "wire" immediately evokes images of a modern setting。Setting is very unclear。There are some hints about princes or whatever， but somehow， all the inner monologues didn't clarify that。The vibe I got from the story: The 100 + Necromancy。Judgement: Lack of Engagement + Irrelevant Flashback FAIL！2 Stars because I liked the descriptions of the bone dog， especially the lick。 。。。more
Molly
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Amazing。 Haven't been disappointed yet。 Amazing。 Haven't been disappointed yet。 。。。more
Chey Ireland
，
This was my first T。 Kingfisher books so I wasn’t sure what to expect。 I will express a TW for those sensitive to topics of abuse as the general concept of the entire plot does pretty much revolve around it but no direct description or details are presented。This is a story about a princess。 A princess who doesn’t get her prince。 A story about how this princess becomes a nun， meets a witch with a demon chicken， a fairy godmother， a bone dog & a murderer and how they try to save the princess’ sist This was my first T。 Kingfisher books so I wasn’t sure what to expect。 I will express a TW for those sensitive to topics of abuse as the general concept of the entire plot does pretty much revolve around it but no direct description or details are presented。This is a story about a princess。 A princess who doesn’t get her prince。 A story about how this princess becomes a nun， meets a witch with a demon chicken， a fairy godmother， a bone dog & a murderer and how they try to save the princess’ sister。 The story overall is well done。 It was a little slow to start and was a little confusing starting in the middle and then going back and forth between the present timeline and the past timeline。 I’m not sure if the confusion came from the narration process or the actual story itself but there were parts where I was definitely confused whether or not I was back in the current time or still in the past。 The characters were well balanced and played well off of each other and I really enjoyed how they interacted with each other。 I especially liked seeing how the sisters grew together after all they went through。 As for the narration， the first portion of the narration felt really drawn out and the narrator focused excessively on enunciating the word “AND” so much that I couldn’t focus on the story。 This did not carry out through the rest of the book so hopefully they correct the first couple chapters before final publication because it was extremely distracting and really detracted from the initial character introduction。 Beyond that the narrator really captured each and every character's voice so very well and made this an enjoyable read。 Thanks to #NetGalley & #MacmillanAudio for the DRC audiobook。 。。。more
Jaime Fellis
，
Once upon a time T。Kingfisher wrote the fairy tale of my dreams。 Nettle & Bone is whimsical， weird， and full of heart！ The story is both familiar and unlike anything I have every read。You'll follow Mara as she fiercely fights to protect her sister from the ugliness of royal life。 You'll visit Goblin markets， find comfort from an undead companion， and strike bargains with human teeth。 You will meet unlikely fair godmothers， darling demons， and dashing companions。 This is a journey that's not to b Once upon a time T。Kingfisher wrote the fairy tale of my dreams。 Nettle & Bone is whimsical， weird， and full of heart！ The story is both familiar and unlike anything I have every read。You'll follow Mara as she fiercely fights to protect her sister from the ugliness of royal life。 You'll visit Goblin markets， find comfort from an undead companion， and strike bargains with human teeth。 You will meet unlikely fair godmothers， darling demons， and dashing companions。 This is a journey that's not to be missed！Nettle & Bone stands on it's own as a unique and tantalizing tale。 If I had to make comparisons， I would say this has the humor of Terry Pratchett， The atmosphere of Erin Morgenstern， and the Whimsy of Lewis Carrol。 This will speak to the hearts of anyone who enjoys a macabre style fairy tale but this story offers depth and humor in equal measure， balancing darkness and light masterfully。 This was my first T。 Kingfisher novel but it certainly wont be my last！！Endless thanks to Netgalley and Macmillion audio for the advanced review copy。 。。。more
Jerome’s Cat
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satisfying fantasyPrincesses must marry to save the kingdom。 The youngest sister is the safest - can she save her older sister。 Complex magic and family feeling。
Claudia
，
Oh I loved this！ So charming and lovely and what I want from a shorter fairy tale like story。 Audiobook was amazing。 Thanks Netgalley！ Full review in a bit！
Dawn
，
I loved the quirkyness of this book， the characters from the Bone Witch to Agnes to Fenris， everyone added a unique loveliness to this book。 Some of the characters like the Innkeeper were decidedly strange but compelling。 My favorite character was Agnes。 She was hilarious and balanced the other characters I think。 The Bone Witch I think we never had an idea of how powerful she was （as was Agnes）。 And Fenris。。the slow burn romance was a little unsatisfying even up to the end。 I am hoping to see m I loved the quirkyness of this book， the characters from the Bone Witch to Agnes to Fenris， everyone added a unique loveliness to this book。 Some of the characters like the Innkeeper were decidedly strange but compelling。 My favorite character was Agnes。 She was hilarious and balanced the other characters I think。 The Bone Witch I think we never had an idea of how powerful she was （as was Agnes）。 And Fenris。。the slow burn romance was a little unsatisfying even up to the end。 I am hoping to see more of these characters。 。。。more
Kevin
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I'm honestly just here for the demonically possessed chickens！ So intrigued now！ I'm honestly just here for the demonically possessed chickens！ So intrigued now！ 。。。more
Bethany
，
2。5 stars rounded upNettle & Bone feels like a dark fairytale， blending elements from different stories and creating something new。 It follows the youngest princess in a royal family of a small nation。 After her older sister goes through a political marriage and dies without bearing an heir， the next sister in line must take her place as wife to a dangerous prince and our heroine is sent off to a nunnery。 When she discovers her sister is being abused， she is determined to stop this prince using 2。5 stars rounded upNettle & Bone feels like a dark fairytale， blending elements from different stories and creating something new。 It follows the youngest princess in a royal family of a small nation。 After her older sister goes through a political marriage and dies without bearing an heir， the next sister in line must take her place as wife to a dangerous prince and our heroine is sent off to a nunnery。 When she discovers her sister is being abused， she is determined to stop this prince using whatever magic she can scrounge up。Take my review with a grain of salt because most reviewers seem to be loving this while I had more mixed feelings。 I like how it's trying to tackle the issue of domestic violence through a fairytale， but while it started very strong， for me it dragged through the middle and I didn't really care about the romantic subplot。 At times the writing is evocative and the world is dark and interesting。 But to me it felt like it was trying to be macabre and violent while ALSO being sweet and lighthearted some of the time。 And that didn't work for me， especially given the subject matter。 I really wanted it to lean into more of the horror elements （which I know this author can do） and not try to shoehorn a romance into a story about DV and agency。 That said， I could see this being a hit for readers who don't like horror and want this kind of a lighter blend。 For me it was not enough of either thing， and had a lot of questing and journeying through the middle which I found less compelling。 The audio narration is excellent though。 I received an audio review copy of this book via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kristen
，
This is the story of Marra， who is the third-born princess of a small nation which sits in between two larger nations。 The only thing keeping those nations from conquering the small country is a marriage between their princess and the prince of the northern kingdom。 The prince， however， is abusive， and after one sister dies and the other suffers， Marra takes it upon herself to rescue them no matter what it takes。 So， Marra visits the dust-wife， who gives her three impossible tasks in exchange fo This is the story of Marra， who is the third-born princess of a small nation which sits in between two larger nations。 The only thing keeping those nations from conquering the small country is a marriage between their princess and the prince of the northern kingdom。 The prince， however， is abusive， and after one sister dies and the other suffers， Marra takes it upon herself to rescue them no matter what it takes。 So， Marra visits the dust-wife， who gives her three impossible tasks in exchange for her help。 Marra goes off on her quest with the dust-wife， her demon chicken， a bone-dog， a fairy godmother， and a former knight and many shenanigans are had。 I really liked Marra as a character。 She was incredibly easy for me to cheer for， this youngest， shyest princess who seems a rather unlikely heroine but really steps up when her sister needs her help。 She really grew as a character over the course of the story and the Marra we see at the end isn't the small， shy， convent-raised girl anymore。 The characters she meets and befriends on the way are also fantastic in their own ways。 The dust-wife and her demon chicken were often hilarious， Fenris was super sweet， and Bonedog was absolutely adorable （for a bone-dog）。 The writing flowed well and made this a book that was incredibly easy to read and hard to put down， as is typical of my experience with T。 Kingfisher。 The world was well built， with all sorts of interesting and unique creatures and people in it。 It was just a wonderful unique sort of fairy tale。 All told， I loved it。 I was expecting to like it， given the author， but I definitely loved this one just as I love the White Rat novels （and interestingly， I found at least one nod to the White Rat in this one， which was fantastic）。 I can't wait to read her next book。superstardrifter。com 。。。more
The Captain
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Ahoy there me mateys！ I received an eArc of this fantasy novel through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings 。 。 。I love T。 Kingfisher's writing and this was no exception。 This is the story of princess Marra whose life is no fairytale。 The third of three sisters， her kingdom lies between two other more powerful nations that are always looking to gobble it up。 Marra is not considered a great princess。 She be shy and awkward。 She wants to be unnoticed and live a simple life devoid of p Ahoy there me mateys！ I received an eArc of this fantasy novel through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings 。 。 。I love T。 Kingfisher's writing and this was no exception。 This is the story of princess Marra whose life is no fairytale。 The third of three sisters， her kingdom lies between two other more powerful nations that are always looking to gobble it up。 Marra is not considered a great princess。 She be shy and awkward。 She wants to be unnoticed and live a simple life devoid of politics。 She believes she has succeeded。 But when a Northern prince brings suffering to her sisters， Marra wants revenge。Much like others of Kingfisher's work， there is a lovely， twisted blend of horror and humor。 The situation of Marra's sisters is reprehensible and individuals live awful lives for the greater good。 And yet there are lovely elements like a bone dog， a demon inhabiting a chicken， and a reluctant fairy godmother。 The writing is wonderful。The book can distinctly be broken into two parts。 The first is a description of Marra's life and how she eventually landed on the path to revenge。 The second half deals with how Marra gets that revenge and how she changes in the process。 I happened to love both aspects equally and enjoyed how they were woven together。 I also enjoyed that all of the main characters in the revenge portion were over 30 and some very much so。 I also loved how all of the characters had to work together to accomplish the goals。 Without one， they all would have failed。There is a light romance and some excellent friendships。 I will certainly reread this treasure。 Arrrr！ 。。。more
Marleen
，
You had me at "a chicken possessed by a demon" You had me at "a chicken possessed by a demon" 。。。more
Kaitlain
，
4。5 StarsThis book is so damn good。Full RTC
Amy's Book Cafe
，
Nettle & Bone by T。 Kingfisher is a really well written and atmospheric fantasy about a princess， who is almost a nun and doesn't have much faith in fate。 Marra is the third daughter of the queen who rules a small city state with the only deep harbor along the coast of two rival kingdoms。 To save the kingdom， her eldest sister is married off to the prince of the Northern Kingdom。 When she dies， the second princess gets married to him。 When Marra visits her sister and realizes that the prince abu Nettle & Bone by T。 Kingfisher is a really well written and atmospheric fantasy about a princess， who is almost a nun and doesn't have much faith in fate。 Marra is the third daughter of the queen who rules a small city state with the only deep harbor along the coast of two rival kingdoms。 To save the kingdom， her eldest sister is married off to the prince of the Northern Kingdom。 When she dies， the second princess gets married to him。 When Marra visits her sister and realizes that the prince abuses her sister and probably killed her eldest sister， she decides to do something about it。 To kill the prince， she seeks help from a gravewitch， who sets three impossible tasks for Marra， which she surprisingly accomplishes。 Together they go on on a journey to the capital of the Northern Kingdom。 They are joined on this quest by a fairy godmother who can bless only health， a chicken possesed by a demon， a dog made of bones and a man who can't return to his home。 It's an engrossing fantasy with magic， visits to the goblin market， long travels， politics， romance and much more。 I loved the atmosphere in this one。 It's really easy to read and understand。 It's funny at times， especially in the latter half。 It's really well paced and never feels rushed。 The writing is also good。 The ending was satisfying。 I feel that it starts off really strong and something goes missing towards the middle。 But it still remains a good book and I had a great time reading it。 Thank you to Netgalley， the publisher and the author for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Xio
，
Thank you so much Tor and NetGalley for gifting me an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 T。 Kingfisher is definitely an author I’m going to keep an eye out for moving forward。 （And I need to read some of their old titles， too！）。 For starters， the audiobook is stunning。 I loved the narrator and the voices that kept each character easily identifiable。 I also think it helps paint the picture very well。 This story itself was beautiful and well paced。 I loved the characters and how Thank you so much Tor and NetGalley for gifting me an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 T。 Kingfisher is definitely an author I’m going to keep an eye out for moving forward。 （And I need to read some of their old titles， too！）。 For starters， the audiobook is stunning。 I loved the narrator and the voices that kept each character easily identifiable。 I also think it helps paint the picture very well。 This story itself was beautiful and well paced。 I loved the characters and how everyone had a distinct personality。 The main character Marra was fierce and protective。 I liked that the main events of this story centered around her journey to avenge her sisters and eliminate their abuser。 And I love how many strong female characters were at the forefront of this book。 I liked the fantastical elements that are weaved into the characters’ journey。 I especially enjoyed the darker themes like the focus on dust and bones， dead animals/people， and curses。 Kingfisher’s world building is truly excellent and feels realistic （especially with the audiobook）。 There were a couple points when I thought there was a lot going on and I had to rewind the audiobook to really digest what was going on。 Other than that I think this is a fantastic read。 4/5 stars！ 。。。more
Autum
，
This was a cute， quick， fairy tale-esque quest that gets wrapped up within 250 pages。 If you are a fan of found families， journeys & magic， you will probably like it。 Much more heart warming than I anticipated， it was a lovely little story。
Tyne Swedish
，
Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook of Nettle and Bone！ Being completely honest this book starts so slow I thought I was going to DNF but it does pick up and wow。 I thought this books was so fun and the characters so enduring （and lovable）。 This story is wonderful and I could totally see a book two and I will jump on a preorder and read it because I literally adored all of this。
Sheena
，
Happy Publication Day！！Nettle and Bone is a dark fairytale with the classic T。 Kingfisher twist。 Marra lost her first sister to an abusive prince。 She watchers her second sister suffer with the same prince and is constantly worried about her safety。 Marra takes measures into her own hands and goes on a quest to kill the prince。 From there， we meet fairy godmothers， a chicken possessed by a demon， and take a trip down to the Goblin Market。 While reading this， I had no idea where it was going but Happy Publication Day！！Nettle and Bone is a dark fairytale with the classic T。 Kingfisher twist。 Marra lost her first sister to an abusive prince。 She watchers her second sister suffer with the same prince and is constantly worried about her safety。 Marra takes measures into her own hands and goes on a quest to kill the prince。 From there， we meet fairy godmothers， a chicken possessed by a demon， and take a trip down to the Goblin Market。 While reading this， I had no idea where it was going but I think it’s best that way。 I had a really great time with this one， I was laughing and entertained throughout it。 Even when it gets slower， it’s still so much fun。 I’m not going to lie， if this was written by anyone else - I probably would not have read this but T。 Kingfisher never disappoints me！ I already can’t wait for her new releases next year。 Thank you so much to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for an advanced copy of this book！ 。。。more
Dilliemillie
，
There are many things here to love - witches， a demon chicken and a goblin market， to name a few - sprinkled among a fairytale setting of godmothers， princesses， and curses。 Amara Jasper did a great job giving each character a unique voice for the audiobook version。 The book was poised to be a favorite， but it just didn't work for me。 I can sum up my disappointment with two things: the story's beginning， and its main character。 The early chapters that set up the background felt so much more unin There are many things here to love - witches， a demon chicken and a goblin market， to name a few - sprinkled among a fairytale setting of godmothers， princesses， and curses。 Amara Jasper did a great job giving each character a unique voice for the audiobook version。 The book was poised to be a favorite， but it just didn't work for me。 I can sum up my disappointment with two things: the story's beginning， and its main character。 The early chapters that set up the background felt so much more uninteresting than they deserved to be， and I nearly gave up before the main story started。 Then there's Marra， the heroine leading the story。 She's thirty years old， and utterly naive and oblivious。 Basic kingdom politics have to be spelled out for her， and she's shocked to hear them。 I understand that she was raised in a convent since her teenage years， but she doesn't have any common sense。 Beyond being determined to save her sister and completing two vaguely described "impossible tasks，" Marra is frustratingly passive。 She collects a strange group of friends who take over the action and storyline while she freezes in dismay with barely verbalized protests。 On top of that， the romance plotline was underdeveloped and made me want to cringe。 I wish I had better things to say about Nettle & Bone。 I'm a fan of Kingfisher's quirky magical books！ But while this has some of the right elements， it lacks the usual magic something I've come to expect from her。 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Paperbacks
，
Nettle and Bone is the fairytale I didn’t know I needed in my life！ It is a wonderfully chaotic story in that you never quite know where it's going to take you next， when I first picked it up it was dark and bleak to the degree that I thought I was reading a dystopian but as the story winds back the clock to tell us how our protagonist Marra gets herself into the predicament she finds herself in， its clear that this is a dark and delicious fairytale full of macabre creatures， darkly comedic wit Nettle and Bone is the fairytale I didn’t know I needed in my life！ It is a wonderfully chaotic story in that you never quite know where it's going to take you next， when I first picked it up it was dark and bleak to the degree that I thought I was reading a dystopian but as the story winds back the clock to tell us how our protagonist Marra gets herself into the predicament she finds herself in， its clear that this is a dark and delicious fairytale full of macabre creatures， darkly comedic wit and demon possessed chickens。Telling the story of 3 sisters who are doomed to marry the wicked prince of a nearby kingdom， Marra is sent to a convent to protect herself from the misfortune that has befallen her siblings。 Not one for convent life and hiding away whilst her family suffers， Marra sets out on her own to save her sister as it’s clear that no prince charming is going to do the right thing。 I loved the refreshing take that Marra steps up to this！ Nettle and Bone then takes us on a wonderful mash up of the wizard of Oz meets found family as Marra picks up a band of outcasts along the way to aid her in her quest。 My favourite by far was the Dust Wife， whos no nonsense and brittle exterior was a clever front for a quick witted keen mind and a knack for forward planning。Their journey is full of perils， puzzles and often angry spirits as Marra and each of her troupe find their own redemption arc and their part to play to get to the castle but can they save the princess in time？！ 。。。more
Veerle
，
*4。5
Sarah
，
I love a fairy tale inspired fantasy， especially those that acknowledge the frequently dark roots of these storue， and this delivers with impossible tasks， fairy god mothers， and curses。 Marra is the third daughter of a King and soon learns as her sisters are married off one after the other， that the monsters of her world are princes and no one will risk the good of the kingdom to save a princess。 Marra must find a way to save her sister and herself from being pawns in someone else's game。I love I love a fairy tale inspired fantasy， especially those that acknowledge the frequently dark roots of these storue， and this delivers with impossible tasks， fairy god mothers， and curses。 Marra is the third daughter of a King and soon learns as her sisters are married off one after the other， that the monsters of her world are princes and no one will risk the good of the kingdom to save a princess。 Marra must find a way to save her sister and herself from being pawns in someone else's game。I loved the audio narration， although， I did find the first chapter a bit confusing since it took me a bit to realize it started in media res and I hadn't just accidentally jumped a few chapters ahead。As a note， I've seen a few reviews refer to this book as YA。 While there are a few flashbacks to when Marra is a teenager， Marra is about thirty for the majority of the book。 。。。more
Kayleigh
，
I’m on the fence with this one。 I think if I had been in the mood for it I would’ve enjoyed it more but as it is， I skimmed a lot of it。It was definitely an interesting story and had some great characters — the demon chicken and bone dog really added to the motley crew on their quest。There was some humour too and a very subtle romance。I also really liked the development of the sisterly relationship between Marra and Kania。 I feel like maybe a little bit more world building would’ve been good bec I’m on the fence with this one。 I think if I had been in the mood for it I would’ve enjoyed it more but as it is， I skimmed a lot of it。It was definitely an interesting story and had some great characters — the demon chicken and bone dog really added to the motley crew on their quest。There was some humour too and a very subtle romance。I also really liked the development of the sisterly relationship between Marra and Kania。 I feel like maybe a little bit more world building would’ve been good because I was a little confused with a few things and maybe that was part of the reason I began to skim some of it。Thank you to the publisher for kindly sending me a copy。Pros:+ good story line+ good characters+ a little bit of humour + subtle romance Cons:- bit confusing at times- also subtle romance because practically non-existent until the end- some more world building would’ve been good 。。。more
Chelsea
，
First， I want to say I thoroughly enjoyed this story。 However， it didn’t start out that way。When I first started this book， I nearly convinced myself it wasn’t for me。 I wasn’t particularly fond of Marra （our main character）， there seemed to be a lot of backstory for little active plot， and it just wasn’t drawing me in。 I was growing bored。 And then the dust-wife entered the story and I realized the first third of the book was worth reading。Once I reached the point of Marra finding the dust-wife First， I want to say I thoroughly enjoyed this story。 However， it didn’t start out that way。When I first started this book， I nearly convinced myself it wasn’t for me。 I wasn’t particularly fond of Marra （our main character）， there seemed to be a lot of backstory for little active plot， and it just wasn’t drawing me in。 I was growing bored。 And then the dust-wife entered the story and I realized the first third of the book was worth reading。Once I reached the point of Marra finding the dust-wife， I was invested。 The dust-wife brought magic and action into the story while infusing humor and wit。 Her brown hen with the demon inside provided several funny moments I couldn’t help but laugh at。 The dust-wife was the redeeming part of the story for me。I did grow to like Marra as the story went on - her thoughts and outlook on her situation were intriguing and her self-awareness was refreshing。 She finds herself with an unlikely band of individuals all looking to help her take down the prince in order to save her sister - her disbelief about the situation she found herself in made her more likable to me， more real。 Her being thirty was a nice surprise - it’s nice having a female main character who isn’t in their late teens/early twenties。 Fenris and Agnes were excellent secondary characters - they added warmth and depth to the overall story without detracting from the plot and distracting the reader。 Agnes surprised me so many times and I found myself chuckling at some of her antics。 I couldn’t go without mentioning Bonedog - he is wonderful and goofy and brings a lightheartedness to some tense moments。 The most loyal bone dog there ever was！This is a great stand-alone fantasy novel that I will definitely recommend to everyone。 Thank you so much to Tor Books for this ARC！ 。。。more
Heather
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This wa an enchanting fairy tale that drew me in from the first。 Vibrant landscapes and vivid world spinning 。 You find yourself cheering her on even when she seems to make some unwise decisions。 I felt like I was part of the story。I look forward to reading more of this authors work。
A Mac
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Marra is the third-born daughter to the rulers of a small kingdom。 She’s always been shy and lacking when it comes to navigating the court， so her mother sent her to a convent。 But as she learns the truth about her sisters’ husband and the complacency of those around them， Marra realizes that she must take matters into her own hands if she’s to save her sister。 As Marra moves forward with her goal， she stumbles across odd allies who might be her only hope at defeating the evil prince。If I had to Marra is the third-born daughter to the rulers of a small kingdom。 She’s always been shy and lacking when it comes to navigating the court， so her mother sent her to a convent。 But as she learns the truth about her sisters’ husband and the complacency of those around them， Marra realizes that she must take matters into her own hands if she’s to save her sister。 As Marra moves forward with her goal， she stumbles across odd allies who might be her only hope at defeating the evil prince。If I had to pick the best thing about this work， it would be the worldbuilding。 I was blown away by the number of interesting details about the setting that the author was able to incorporate in a way that didn’t slow down the plot but greatly added to the immersion of the work。 There were too many instances of this for me to list， but the market， the lore of the dead， and the cursed children were some of my favorite examples of the author’s talent in this area。The characters were also well written overall。 Marra was a little difficult to relate to， but many of the secondary characters more than made up for that。 The dynamic between Lady Fox and Agnes was immaculate。 While the romance wasn’t my favorite part of the work， it didn’t detract from it and the author managed to avoid the insta-love trap that is so common these days。I listened to the audiobook version of this work。 The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters and their emotions to life。 My only complaint was that it was a little difficult to tell when there was a section break， especially around flashbacks。 This made it a little confusing from time to time， especially at the beginning of the work。 I highly recommend this book。 It was a lovely work of dark fantasy with a satisfying ending and amazing worldbuilding。 I will be reading more from this author。I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley。 All opinions expressed in this review are my own。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Nettle & Bone
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Nettle & Bone&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Nettle & Bone&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0