Based on the already-eerie tale of The Goose Girl, T. Kingfisher comes through with a vibrant story about daughterhood, identity and magic. A Sorceress Comes to Call has a couple of flaws – including the fact that it’s very loosely based on that story – but I really did like it.

Cordelia is a kind girl who’s stuck under the thumb of her very odd mother, Evangeline, and her equally odd living situation. Evangeline has long abused her daughter, both emotionally and physically, occasionally using magic to maintain control over her. Cordelia is not allowed to have friends or leave the home, and her only real companion is her mother’s beloved horse, Falada.

One day, a death takes place in the town where Cordelia and Evangeline have lived for ages. Evangeline flees – with Cordelia and Falada – in the middle of the night to avoid accusations, heading to a remote area, where lies a country estate. Evangeline sets her sights upon winning the affection of the Squire, a kind country gentleman who owns it. Fortunately for poor Cordelia and the Squire alike, he also has a sister in residence. Hester is determined to protect her brother – and in showing Cordelia the first kindness she has ever known, gives the young girl the chance to realize that there are other, better ways to live outside her mother’s influence.

The biggest problem I had with A Sorceress Comes to Call is that there is very little Goose Girl in this Goose Girl retelling. The novel stands well enough on its own as a magical tale of abuse and revenge, but it only borrows a few details from Grimm and I wanted more.

Another issue? Cordelia is so passive. Now that’s understandable considering how much severe abuse she’s been through, but I wanted her to do SOMETHING, anything, with herself before the last quarter of the book. Unfortunately, Evangeline’s abuse has realistically kept her locked within herself. That does make her eventual emergence all the more rewarding, but I still wanted her to show more spunk.

But I loved so much more of the book; Hester, the kind Squire, and even the wicked Evangeline are interesting people. I also liked the magical system Kingfisher conjured up. Even with a couple of flaws, A Sorceress Comes to Call is dark, harrowing, and a gripping piece of fiction, with a wonderfully well-deserved ending. It gets a B+ from me.