Nettle & Bone
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Our view
“Nettle & Bone” turns the fairy tale inside out: a shy princess brought up in a convent sets out to kill a prince. Her company includes a gravewitch, a fairy godmother who would rather not be there and a demon-possessed chicken. The mix of dark subject matter and humour is its strength, and it reads quickly. Some readers find it closer to young adult than the premise suggests, and the romance dull.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself. Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning. On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.2 across 747 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 83% of the weight and the score stays at 8.1 — the Fantasy average of 8.0 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.2 | 747 | 100% |
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Fantasy — with scores between 8.1 and 8.2, closest to this book.
