Nettle And Bone by T. Kingfisher

 

Everyone thinks that Marra's life should be wonderful since she is a princess.  But Marra doesn't want to be a princess.  She doesn't want to be married off to a prince she doesn't know and she doesn't want to have children just to secure a kingdom.  Her oldest sister had been married to Prince Vorling of the North Kingdom to secure their kingdom's harbor and safety.  When she died, Marra's middle sister was sent to marry him.  Marra knows that if anything happens, she would be next.

When she finds out that Votling is a tyrant and a wife-beater, she decides that she has to rescue her sister.  The only way she can see to do it is to kill the prince, but she knows she would need help.  She travels to the home of the Dust-wife, who can talk to the dead.  In order to get started, Marra must make a cloak of nettles, a dog of bones and capture moonlight in a jar.  When she completes these tasks, she and the Dust-Wife start their journey.  They rescue a knight, Fenris, from the Goblin Market and pick up Agnes, Marra's godmother.  Then off they go to save Marra's sister, kill a king and secure a kingdom.

This is my first T. Kingfisher fantasy novel but it won't be my last.  There is plenty of adventure but there is also comedy and warmhearted stories.  Marra starts as a shy girl who is afraid of everything and ends as a strong independent woman who can do anything she sets her mind to.  The characters are wonderful and the world building is terrific.  This book got lots of buzz and it deserves everything it got.  This book is highly recommended for fantasy readers.