scottwilliamfoley.com

I always enjoy novellas due to both their brevity and potency. As I searched for a new one to read, I came across Thornhedge. Thornhedge won the 2024 Hugo Award for Best Novella and the 2024 Locus Award for Best Novella. It sounded like a good candidate, so I immediately found a copy at my local library. 

Quite honestly, I didn’t even read a summary of Thornhedge before diving in. I had no idea what the plot entailed. I quickly realized that this was a twist on a popular fairy tale. 

At just over 100 pages, Thornhedge can be read as a charming take on a well-known story. We’ve got a resting beauty, a magical godmother of sorts, and a knight. 

Toadling served as the protagonist of the book. Though born as a human child, a “changeling” took her place in the crib as she was whisked away to another realm of existence. As time in this magical land wore on, she became something of a fairy herself with the ability to cast spells, turn into a toad, and breathe underwater. 

Little time passed in the human world, though, since Toadling’s abduction, and eventually Toadling must stop the imposter child from wreaking destruction upon the world. 

So as you can imagine, this is quite an adventure story. However, it can also be interpreted as so much more. There are themes in this book that are the antithesis of the original fairy tales. It delves into ideas such as beauty does not equate goodness; nobility is not necessarily reliant on titles; ugliness is a matter of perspective; and all the love and kindness in the world cannot change some people. 

These modern sensibilities as well as the rich, descriptive language surrounding the magical elements in particular made for an excellent read. If you’re looking for a quick but thoughtful read, I recommend Thornhedge.