T. Kingfisher

With her signature mix of the grim and the delightful, award-winning author T. Kingfisher takes the old bones of fantasy and fairytale and makes them into something entirely new in this enchanting adventure. 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. “Nettle & Bone is the kind of book that immediately feels like an old friend. Fairytale mythic resonance meets homey pragmatism in this utterly delightful story. It's creepy, funny, heartfelt, and full of fantastic characters I absolutely loved!” —Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage

Nettle & Bone

Emma Miller

I am so emotionally invested in keeping Bonedog safe 😭

Caroline Clutterbuck Kapulkin

They had put a collar on Bonedog, although it was more like a knot with a loop tied around his neck bones. She slid a hand through the loop protectively.

She could not leave him. She’d brought him back to life and that felt like a bargain to her, even stronger than the bargain that humans made with living dogs who loved them.

Wait—that wasn't just a figure of speech?

“Do you mean that your chicken has a literal demon in her? Not that she's just a ... a bad chicken?"

The words sounded incredibly foolish as she said them, and the dust-wife's look indicated that they did not improve upon hearing.

"Girl, have I given you any indication in the last week that I joke about anything?"

“How did you get a demon in your chicken?"

“The usual way. Couldn't put it in the rooster. That's how you get basilisks."

Am I being too cautious? Or not nearly cautious enough?

Marra admired his diplomacy. When he had said that he was a warrior and a diplomat, she'd given more weight to the part with swords than words.

"I've done many things that were terribly important, lives hanging in the balance and so on and so forth. There is something pleasant about chopping wood. If I miss a stroke, nothing awful happens. If a piece of wood is not quite right, it will still burn. If I stack it and it isn't perfect, clans will not fall."

"Mm. Sometimes." He fixed her with a thoughtful look, and it occurred to her that his eyes were the color of sun-warmed earth, and she did not quite know what to do about it.

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