In an effort to get in the right frame of mind I've come home today, made advocaat, filtered the Christmas Schnaps I started macerating last week, done a batch of mince pies, and drunk a little more wine than might be sensible on a school night. As soon as I've written this I'll be off to bed to Finish Val McDermid's Winter book (a delight so far).
It's a while now since I read Hemlock and Silver, I thoroughly enjoyed it, it ticks all the Kingfisher boxes, and I'll read whatever comes my way by her - but 3 fairy tale retellings in there's a business as usual feel about these books. A heroine verging on middle age, a little plain, but not too plain, she is an educated woman who has her share of self-doubt, and she'll find a hero who is every bit her match, whilst overcoming something really quite horrible.
It's a pretty good formula, the books are well-paced and witty, full of humour and creeping unease. I absolutely recommend any one of them (Nettle and Bone and A Sorceress Comes to Call are the other two I've read) but maybe the issue of changing the focus from whoever would normally be the focal point of the fairy tale to someone who is generally a side character is a feeling that I've already read it. That said, I do love a middle-aged woman overcoming aching joints to sort stuff out, so it isn't much of a complaint.
Hemlock and Silver is a skewed version of Snow White where the Evil Queen exists within a mirror world (lots of excellent and horrible details to be had out of this idea when Anja the healer finds her way between worlds) and is trying hard to find a way into our world. There's a huge amount to like here and Winter is the perfect season to be just a little unsettled whilst waiting for a happy ending so it's well worth picking up a Kingfisher and enjoying it.
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