T. Kingfisher’s newest novel Thornhedge (Tor, 2023) is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that follows Toadling, the person in charge of keeping the fair maiden asleep inside her tower and the thorns surrounding that tower strong.

Kingfisher discusses the joys of retellings, her love of plants, and the ways in which a story can be simultaneously murderous and gentle.

A. E. Lanier is a short fiction writer and educator living in Central Texas. More about her work can be found at aelanier.com.

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T. Kingfisher, "Thornhedge" (Tor, 2023)