Fall is upon us, and with spooky season right around the corner, I can’t think of a better time to put T. Kingfisher on your radar. T. Kingfisher, aka Ursula Vernon (who writes children’s books under that name), is a prolific writer of humorous and often terrifying works of fantasy and horror. Some of her works even add romance to the mix for a delightfully chilling, thrilling, yet sweet read! T. Kingfisher does it all and often manages to make you laugh even when she is freaking you out. Below are some highlights of her adult fiction to add to your TBR pile/shelf/room.
Here is an example of Kingfisher’s trademark humor:
“Coonhounds usually get dumped when they turn out not to be very good hunters. Bongo is an excellent watchdog, by which I mean that he will watch very alertly as the serial killer breaks into the house and skins me.
But if the UPS guy ever tries to put one over on us, Bongo’s on the case. If dogs had religion, Satan would be the UPS guy.”
The Twisted Ones, T. Kingfisher (pg. 8)
With things that go bump in the night and creepy creatures from the forest, The Twisted Ones is sure to keep you up late with all the lights on and all the doors and windows locked tight.
Set in a similar world as her novels Swordheart and The Clockwork Boys, this novel, the first in a trilogy, features an older woman as the heroine. Grace is a hypercompetent perfumer who was previously married to a philanderer who decimated her sense of self-worth. Now on the run from the punitive Motherhood, she encounters Stephen, a paladin haunted by what he and his fellow paladins of the Saint of Steel did in their berserker states when their god died. He falls head over heels for Grace even as he doubts his own worth and self-control.
Grace and Stephen are kept apart via misunderstandings and lots of dramatic mayhem as well, but the paladin’s inexplicable gingerbread scent intrigues the perfumer and their paths keep crossing. A slow burn romance with lots of pining. Plus, body positivity!
“I had it in mind to write a fluffy romance. I am a great fan of fluffy romance. I am told that there are generally fewer severed heads and rotting corpse golems in fluffy romance, so possibly the book didn’t quite get there, but I’m certain I can write something fluffy eventually. Probably.”
Paladin’s Grace, T.Kingfisher, afterward
Despite her desire to write a “fluffy romance,” there is a fine balance ofhumor and horror in this historical fantasy romance series. I had the honor of talking about this book on KING5’s New Day NW with host Amity, to the author’s delight:
The suspense and horror elements build slowly before they reach a frightening crescendo, but I found myself flagging pages and reading them out loud because Sam’s observational asides are so utterly delightful. Kingfisher is becoming a comfort read for me, even when her stories (not this one) involve severed heads or bug invasions and jars of teeth (yes, this one).
T. Kingfisher in an authorial magician capable of blending humor and horror just so, with sprinkles of romance here and there, to deliver books that chill and delight in equal measure. Doesn’t that sound like just the thing for your spooky season TBR pile?
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