It's the sensation of being a little kid who stayed out too long past dinner and sure, you were having fun, but now it’s a moonless night and the forest is dark and you are hopelessly lost. In the beginning, Marra isn't compelling, and the story starts in a way that makes you think it's going to be Horror, and ultimately isn't, which is going to be either a pro or a contra depending on whether you like Horror or not.

I'm also bummed that the "three impossible tasks" only functioned as an introduction to the story - I really wanted them to be more central to the story! She notes that she was not engaged by the non-linear structure of the opening chapter, but praised the remainder of the novel and its subversion of standard fairy tale tropes.It's also got a fabulous cast: an aging himbo warrior, a not-so-fairy godmother, a witch of the dead, a demon chicken, and of course, the dog made of bones. She pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head and slid partway down into the pit, cradling the dog skeleton to her chest.

A chicken possessed by a demon, a dog made of bones and a women on a journey to save a sister who doesn't even like her all that much. Great world building, quirky, engaging characters whom we really care about, and a fascinating story. the dust-wife — is a great character who, despite being a supporting character really steals the show from our ordinary-ish protagonist, especially when eventually acquiring a friend/foil in the form of a fairy godmother who apparently has a knack for things way less Pollyannish than her initial introduction may suggest. it's just another story of a girl trying to kill a prince to protect her sister AND THE FRIENDS SHE MAKES ALONG THE WAY.

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. As Marra watched, the hen lifted her tail, voided her bowels on the king’s broken face, and then strolled to the dust-wife’s shoulder with a satisfied cluck.

And the middle sister was sent off to be another political bride that would secure peace and the safety of her kingdom.I really wanted it to lean into more of the horror elements (which I know this author can do) and not try to shoehorn a romance into a story about DV and agency.