Nettle & Bone gave me everything I wanted from it as an unconventional little fantasy about those pushed to the sidelines, family, and plenty of magic! I loved Marra as a character, with all of her sense of justice, awkwardness, and absolute refusal to give up on protecting her family. Sister narratives always get me, and this one is no exception! But all of the side characters were equally striking, leaping right off of the page even in a relatively short book, and I found myself caring for all of them so much by the end. The magic and fairytale elements here were equally beautiful--they all felt original and unique, while also fitting so easily into the world Kingfisher had built. They felt like they could've easily been stories I had heard before in one way or another and were just delightful. I was so drawn into the story and the setting of this vibrant kingdom and all of its people! There was just a perfect balance of the magical with the real-world that kept me really invested, and lots of good little horror bits that created the perfect, eerie but fantastical tone. The romance also worked fine for me (and I am deeply picky about heterosexual romances), it wasn't anything I'll obsess over, but it was satisfying and well-developed. Again, I just feel like this book achieved everything it set out to do very well!