Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher is a fantasy novel featuring Anja the village healer, but she doesn’t just know her herbs—she knows her poisons. But what happens to her peaceful life…let’s dive in.
If you like reading T. Kingfisher, you can read A Sorceress Comes to Call .
” Anja often drinks poison to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.
But a King disturbs her peaceful life. His daughter is dying, and he hopes Anja’s secret methods can save her.. This dark world of mirror may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.”
Genre – Fantasy
Number of Pages – 368 pages
My Rating – ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ( 5 Stars )
Publishing Date – August 19, 2025
Author – T. Kingfisher
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
Everything in Anja’s life is going good until the king himself shows up at her workshop, looking less like royalty and more like a man who hasn’t slept in three weeks.
His demand or should i say confession? Oh, just something casual—he killed the queen after finding her cutting out their elder daughter’s heart. Excuse me, WHAT?
“Tact is overrated anyway. And if I started being tactful now, he’d probably die of shock.”
Before Anja can even think about that family horror story, he tells something more worth worrying: his surviving daughter, twelve-year-old Snow, is sick, and he’s sure someone poisoned her. Being a sensible man, he decides the woman who voluntarily drinks venom is the right person for the job.
So off Anja goes to the palace, followed by two guards, one of them—Javier—might just be more than a bodyguard if fate (and awkward flirtation) has its way. She interviews maids, snoops in Snow’s chambers, and even has to deal with Grayling, the princess’s narcissistic talking cat who clearly thinks he’s the star of the story (and maybe he is?).
But here’s the twist: Snow isn’t poisoned. Nope, it’s worse. There are mirrors in the palace—strange, ominous mirrors—that open into a realm where something dark and hungry waits. You know, your standard “oops, a sort of gatway to other realms and world” kind of problem.
Now the science-driven healer who trusts logic above all else has to wrangle with magic she doesn’t even understand. Can she save Snow without dooming everyone else? And more importantly, how does one out-logic a mirror demon?
Spoilers:
Anja, our sharp-tongued widow with a knack for curses, is dragged into a royal mess when Queen (Snow White herself, all grown up and ruling) falls under a mysterious illness.
The mystery pulls her into a hidden world of mirrors — yes, those enchanted reflective portals where nightmares and whispers wait. Snow’s chances to live, depends on what is going to happen after, and Anja, armed with her wit and an absolute lack of patience for anyone’s nonsense, dives in.
Alongside her are returning allies from Thornhedge, including Maura, the toad-shaped good-hearted fairy, bringing loyalty and levity to the otherwise eerie quest.
Quote:
“I had just taken poison when the king arrived to inform me that he had murdered his wife.”
What she uncovers is bigger than a poisoned apple or a wicked stepmother: the mirror realm hides the lingering corruption of the old queen, and it’s poisoning her from within. Saving her means confronting that darkness face to face.
Also Read: Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
And the ending? Rightly seems Kingfisher’s style, it’s not a glittery “and they all lived happily ever after.”
Snow survives, but the it comes at a cost. The villainous influence is neutralized, yet the memories and scars — both literal and emotional — remain. It’s bittersweet and kinda sharp, and laced with Kingfisher’s trademark mix of horror and humor.
About the Author:
T. Kingfisher is the pen-name of Ursula Vernon. She is known for her fantasy books & kids book. Also, her work has been nominated for the Eisner, World Fantasy etc.
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