Hemlock & Silver

A review of Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Kiran Fane

I should state here that Hemlock &Silver is my first T. Kingfisher novel, though I have been excited to read her work for some time now. Dedicated fans may thus find me opining on matters of craft and voice that have been, by now, already well-trodden. This review will contain unavoidable spoilers of a rather impactful nature. For those who enjoy a good mystery, I will summarize my opinions here rather than at the end of the article, so as not to risk ruining a rather enjoyable read. Hemlock & Silver is, nominally, a darker retelling of Snow White. I say nominally because the story more ‘takes inspiration from’ its source material than presents its own take on the tale. That said, I found the book to be engaging and witty while still maintaining an appropriate thread of tension throughout. I highly recommend Hemlock & Silver to fans of cozy suspense or more mature, grounded fairy tales.

I will focus first on the prose because, to me, it is the lens through which the story is viewed and colors everything that is to follow. This being my first Kingfisher novel, I found the prose to be more functional than artistic. A stylistic choice that I do not condemn, but one that does impact my personal enjoyment. Throughout the prose, there were glimmers of artistry, a cleverly twisted sentence or choice word that hinted at the author's ability to deliver more than she did. On the matter of voice, however, Hemlock & Silver was beyond reproach. Wit and charm pervaded every page, recalling to my mind happy memories of the likes of Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams.

The novel is set in a fictional kingdom of a fictional world that ultimately felt like a hidden gem. Unique and creative theology, intimations of trade routes and commerce, and hints of cultural depth that glowed like a sunrise on the horizon. Unfortunately, for me, that sun never quite rose. I grant that the story was never meant to be one of epic proportions, but the world of Hemlock & Silver leaves me wishing for a sequel that I suspect will never come. I respect that the author put clear effort into creating a setting for her story that goes beyond “fairy-tale land,” but in the end, she succeeded in intriguing me far more than was necessary to the tale. Few of the world’s unique elements impacted the story, and enough seemed unchanged to the point that I do not feel I would have noticed if it had not been set in a fantasy land. I will say, quite ironically, that the mirror world does not in any way reflect this opinion. Within the silver, everything is different and fantastical, and I would have been happy to spend double the length of the novel just exploring that grey expanse.

The characters of the novel are a point of both strength and weakness. Our protagonist, the poisoner Anja, as well as Grayling, the talking cat, are excellent, true studies in how to convey a character through their words alone. Anja in particular is a refreshing expression of a protagonist being highly competent in their field of experience without then being inordinately capable in every other field even tangentially related to their own. The remaining cast, including both the princess and Anja’s love interest, Javier, feels flat in comparison, even if they might have proven otherwise serviceable had they not been placed beside two otherwise shining examples. Javier, in particular, feels like he deserved a little more depth. Without a deeper exploration of the character, I was left feeling that the romantic subplot felt flat. I had no idea what the man looked like or what he wore, leaving me to picture a generic “town guard” in every scene he occupied. Without a deeper connection, the romance seemed to blossom at a jittering, breakneck pace, each scene leaving me feeling as if I had somehow missed some sort of lead up along the way, like missing a step on the stairs on every other step.

Hemlock & Silver’s plot is one to be lauded. Those seeking a more traditional retelling of Snow White may find themselves disappointed. But for a reader who is content to enjoy a story inspired by Snow White, it is a wonderful tale that hooks your interest and drags you effortlessly along. My largest complaint with the story is also the greatest spoiler, so if you have read this far, please continue forewarned. Anja is a poisoner, or at least a healer who specializes in the treatment of poisons, but for the sake of brevity, she is a poisoner, and this informs her character in a number of well thought out, and executed, ways. She is tasked by the king to help him cure his daughter, Snow, who he believes is being poisoned. However, at about the half-way point, our healer discovers it is not poison affecting the young princess, but the effects of eating food from the mirror-world. I have no problems with this as a premise, but I feel it completely nullifies any reason to have had Anja be a poisoner in the first place. Her profession, and indeed obsession, was almost entirely immaterial to her ability to solve the story's central problem. A ballerina or blacksmith would have been equally as equipped to deal with a magical mirror monster as Anja is, perhaps even more so in their own ways. This small annoyance does not detract nearly enough from my enjoyment of the story to affect my opinion of its quality, but I do not review books only to not share my thoughts.

As I opened this article with a summary, I shall here be succinct. Hemlock & Silver for all my seeming negativity, is a wonderfully entertaining book that I rate quite highly in the field of modern publishing. If the world or characters feel wanting, it is only in contrast to the author’s apparent potential and skill. I certainly look forward to enjoying more of Ms. Kingfisher’s works in the future and highly encourage others to do the same.