“Nothing is fair, except that we try to make it so. That’s the point of humans, maybe, to fix the things the gods haven’t managed" (Kingfisher, 2022, p. 181).
“If I were a man, I would fight him.
If she were a man, no one would force Kania to try to bear child after child. If I were a man, I would not be the next in line to be married if he kills her. If we were men… She stared at her fingers curled into the dirt. It did not matter. They were not and the history of the world was written in women’s wombs and women’s blood and she would never be allowed to change it.
Rage shivered through her, a rage that seemed like it could topple the halls of heaven, then vanished under the knowledge of her own helplessness. Rage was only useful if you were allowed to do anything with it” (Kingfisher, 2022, p. 58).
Author: T. Kingfisher
Title: Nettle & Bone
Publication Date: 2022
Number of Pages: 262
Edition: Kindle
Geographical Setting: (fictional locations) Between the Northern Kingdom, Harbor Kingdom, and the Goblin Market
Time Period: Medieval times spans around 30 to 35 years from start to beginning
Plot Summary:
Marra is a "spare" princess. She is the youngest sibling of two older siblings, Damia and Kania. Damia marries into a powerful kingdom, the Northern Kingdom, and is key to keeping her small kingdom, the Harbor Kingdom, safe from outside invaders. However, she dies from a mysterious situation involving her new husband, Prince Vorling. Her sister Kania replaces her. To keep this alliance alive, Marra has been secluded in a convent as a spare option in case her sister dies without producing an heir. Marra is shy but resilient and is allowed to explore her talents as long as she stays at the convent. While not necessarily close to Kania, when Kania begins to show signs of deadly abuse, Marra fears for her safety. After years of watching her sister suffer physical abuse and several miscarriages, Marra decides to take matters into her own hands by killing Vorling.
To do this Marra must gain the help of a powerful dust-wife who requires her to accomplish three impossible tasks: build a dog of bones, sew a cloak of nettles, and capture moonlight in a jar. She accomplishes these tasks despite the odds and gains the companionship of the dust-wife. But they cannot do it alone, so they travel to gain more accomplices. An average fairy godmother, a disgraced knight named Fenris, and a chicken possessed by a chicken. So they journey to the Northern Kingdom to do the impossible: to kill a king and save Marra's sister.
Subject Headings:
Horror, Fantasy, witches, curses, zombies, demons, quest
Horror Appeals
"Horror genre plays on and speaks to our worst fears" (Wyatt, 2019, p.237).
Marra's inability to protect her sister as well as her fear that she will be murdered by Vorling is a fear that everyone can understand. Everyone has someone that they worry about, whether that is a family member or friend. They can empathize with Marra's desire to protect her sister and the real fear that she won't be able to save her.
Tone "Authors achieve these feelings by placing every other element of the novel in service to creating the sense of menace and establishing the emotional impact" (Wyatt, 2019, p. 238-239).
Kingfisher does this with Marra's terror for her sister throughout the story while also bringing to life terror-inducing images and actions. Aspects of being trapped, not understanding what to do next, and dealing with monstrous creatures all set a tone of "foreboding and menace" (Wyatt, 2019, p. 239).
Frame/Setting "Topics and explanations that foster ancillary learning and enrich the fabric of the novel, largely come from the conventions and characters of the genre" (Wyatt, 2019, p. 239).
As Marra goes on her quest to save her sister, the legends and origins of the world are explained in great detail allowing for the frame of the story to fill in a lot of the suspense and character development. Kingfisher blends frame details and the setting to transport the readers to experience the details of the dust-wife cottage to the Northern Kingdom's crypt. All of them are "extravagantly" (Wyatt, 2019, p. 240).
3 terms that best describe this book: heart-wrenching, quest-like, witty
Horror Read-Alikes:
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Gillig, R. (2022). One Dark Window. Orbit
common appeals: horror, curses, quest, witty dialog
References
Kingfisher, T. (2022). Nettle & Bone. Tor Books.
Wyatt, N., & Saricks, J. G. (2019). The readers' advisory guide to genre fiction (3rd ed.). American Library Association.
I like how you used various quotes for Nettle and Bone. I used just one, but I think a couple of them can convey what is in the book and why you should read it. I liked how you connected how horror played on humanity’s worst fears, and I think you connected it to Nettle and Bone. I do see a typo, in your References-Kettle & Bone.
ReplyDeleteFantastic annotation! Good job on the summary and appeals! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete