Millers’ daughters do not traditionally spend a great deal of time engaged in single combat.

The Seventh Bride
by T. Kingfisher

237 pages (kindle), published by 47North

In fairytales the number seven is often considered magical. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the seven-league boots and others. A seventh bride therefore foreshadows something significant. Rhea is definitely significant. And her hedgehog as well… 

Rhea is a simple miller‘s daughter, but she‘s plucky and not easily frightened. 

“Her name was Rhea. Her father said that she had been named after a great and powerful goddess of the old days, the queen of all the gods, but in that country at that time, there weren’t many books about gods.
There was no reason that a goddess had to look human, of course—plenty of them had never been human, which was part of the reason that the saints were safer—but if an immortal had to pick a shape, a giant long-necked chicken seemed like an odd choice.
Rhea the girl felt that, had she been Rhea the goddess, she would have done a better job there.“

And when she has to marry a Lord, it is immediately clear that something is off. Once she reaches the magical manor in the woods, things take on a sinister turn…

Did I mention the hedgehog? I did… The hedgehog is fabulous. I want one. 

“She was still going somewhere terrible, but she had a hedgehog, dammit.“

Loved the clock wife, loved all the unique female characters in this. Great stuff. 

I will have to re-read this novella in one go at some point, because my reading experience during my holiday was way to scattered and I didn‘t give this the attention it deserved. 
Four hedgehogs for now… 🦔🦔🦔🦔

P.S.: I have a pretty impressive T. Kingfisher backlist on my library wishlist and Audible as well, I think. I will get there. It‘s a lot of fun!

PSS: this is listed as YA, but didn‘t feel like that for me. Definitely has the feel of a traditional fairytale, with a touch of horror. Here is what StoryGraph had to say:

The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher is a perfect fit for readers who crave a dark, suspenseful, and empowering tale of self-discovery, as it weaves together themes of feminist resistance, fairy tale magic, and the struggle for autonomy, making it a must-read for fans of atmospheric and thought-provoking young adult fantasy.