I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher Published by 47North on December 1 2025
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 271
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A quirky, feel-good story full of gods, scorpions and lovable characters, Snake-Eater is the perfect cozy end-of-the-year tale.
“On the radio, a song was abruptly interrupted by DJ Raven announcing that the aliens had been in contact again and they had agreed to postpone the invasion if Raven played more Alice Cooper. ‘I have agreed to this deal for the good of civilization,’ DJ Raven announced. ‘Here’s Poison. You’re welcome.’”
I’m so glad T. Kingfisher decided to write something different, because this is one of my favorites of hers. Yes, I enjoy her fantasy and fairy tale retellings, but there have been so many of those lately, and Snake-Eater was a nice change of pace. If you loved The Hollow Places and The Twisted Ones, you don’t want to miss Snake-Eater, although I wouldn’t classify this as horror, as it has more of a creepy, cozy vibe.
Thirty-year-old Selena has left her mentally abusive boyfriend Walter and her job as a deli manager behind, hoping to escape her unhappy life. Her Aunt Amelia lives in a remote desert town called Quartz Creek, and she figures Amelia will be happy to let her visit while she figures out her next steps. But when she arrives, she’s told that Amelia has died. Selena has only $27 to her name, and without money for a train ticket home, she’s stuck in Quartz Creek until she can figure out a way to pay for a ticket.
But it turns out the folks who live in Quartz Creek are kind, and they see no reason why Amelia’s niece shouldn’t stay in her adobe house, which still sits vacant just outside of town. Selena is hesitant at first, but as “just one night” turns into weeks, she starts to see a different future for herself.
If only that creepy doll in the living room didn’t keep moving around. And what about those weird dreams she’s having where someone is in bed snuggling her? When a roadrunner starts bringing Selena dead rattlesnakes, things take a turn for the worse. Selena is being stalked by something ancient and dangerous, and she’s going to need her new friends’ help if she wants to survive.
As with all of Kingfisher’s books, the characters are the best part of the book, and I fell in love with each one. Selena is in a sorry state when we meet her—she has severe social anxiety and no self esteem, mostly due to her awful boyfriend—but her character growth is wonderful to watch. She’s also a kind-hearted soul who would rather relocate a scorpion that’s found its way into the house instead of killing it. She is accompanied by a Very Good Dog™ named Copper, a black lab who captured my heart (and who safely makes it to the end of the story).
The residents of Quartz Creek are perfect examples of Kingfisher’s trademark quirky characters. There’s Grandma Billy, who lives next door to Amelia’s house and has a peacock named Merv, not to mention a bevy of chickens who lay way too many eggs (luckily for Selena, since she barely has any money for food). Jenny works at the post office but is also the town’s mayor. Father Aguirre is the local Catholic priest and was one of my favorite characters (there are some hysterically funny Catholic jokes in the story!). I also loved DJ Raven, who mans the radio station Selena ends up listening to. Some of the characters turn out to be way more than they appear—I won’t spoil those surprises since they were so much fun to discover.
The desert setting was fascinating, and Kingfisher does a great job of making the reader feel the heat and dust, the prickly cacti that grow there, and all the various biting and stinging creatures like black widow spiders, scorpions, snakes and more. The roadrunner is very important to the story and figures into the speculative elements that enter about half way through. I loved the folkloric feel and the way Kingfisher added desert gods to the story—Snake-Eater is the name of the roadrunner god, and we meet a host of other gods in one very entertaining, dreamlike scene. There’s even a Squash god who hangs out in Selena’s garden—appearing to her and then disappearing just as quickly—who encourages her squash to grow.
The story is also hysterically funny, which won’t surprise diehard T. Kingfisher fans. I can’t tell you how many times I laughed out loud! There’s one line that involves The Clan of the Cave Bear, and if you’ve read it, you will totally relate;-) The heartfelt moments are just as strong as the humor, especially since Selena basically acquires a very special found family in Quartz Creek. She’s so down when she first arrives, but it doesn’t take long for Grandma Billy, Father Aguirre and the others to lift her up and show her that she’s worthy of having a good life—Walter be damned! Snake-Eater might be the feel-good story of the year, and I guarantee you’ll finish the book with a smile on your face.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
Awesome review! I can’t wait to read this one!
Thanks Lauren! I can’t wait to hear what you think.
I’m glad Copper makes it to the end of the story. That’s all I ask for! 😛 And it does sound different from Kingfisher’s usual books but nontheless amazing as well!
Kingfisher’s dogs always make it, at least all the ones I’ve read:-)
Ooh, creepy-cosy sounds good — I felt like that with Rachel Harrison’s Cackle, and it was a surprisingly fun vibe.
It’s got a very similar vibe like Cackle, I think you’d love it:-)
Amazing! I have a copy already, since I pretty much automatically want to read everything T. Kingfisher writes — but I hadn’t read a synopsis before. I had no idea this would have a cozy vibe, or be set in a desert town, or really, anything at all. Not at all what I expected, but I’m excited to read it now!
It’s such an unusual combination of elements, but of course Kingfisher makes it work!
I absolutely loved how heartwarming this was, even though I was not expecting that!
Yes! It was one of the best found families I’ve read recently:-)
Glad to hear it was great for you!
Thanks Anne:-)
I’m glad you loved this one! It was a nice combo of cozy/creepy. I really need to check out The Hollow Places
Definitely check out The Hollow Places, it’s one of my favorites:-)
creepy cover, I hate snakes!
LOL it’s a dead snake, does that make it better?
Great review, I have a copy and so very happy to see your rating. Plus ‘feel good story of the year’ and lots of humour. Colour me happy.
Lynn 😀
I hope you love it:-)
I’m glad you enjoyed this one and that there was also humor. Wonderful review!
Thanks! Kingfisher is so reliable, I just love reading everything she writes:-)
Fabulous review, Tammy – and you’ve made up my mind. I’m a Kingfisher fan, as you know – but I’ve been a tad wary of her horror offerings. I saw this one on Netgalley and decided against requesting it as I thought it might be too scary. But if there’s so much humour and it’s more about tension than gore – I’m in. Apart from anything else, reading about desert heat in the middle of winter sounds like a sound strategy.
I am really looking forward to this one. I am way behind on Kingfisher books and she has another one on the way early next year. I like the sound of a cozy yet creepy read.
I really look forward to trying this one. Love that it’s something a bit different. And having lived out there I love the setting and have lots of memories of some of those creatures, like folding up our tent in the morning after camping just to see a scorpion come crawling out of it. 🙂
Im glad you enjoyed this one so much, your enthusiasm for its feel good factor is really infectious. And I appreciate the heads up to its cosier than expected nature. It sounds less horror than I was anticipating but well worth a read regardless. Im especially excited to discover the folklore feel for myself and meet the cast of characters given the found family vibes. Lovely review, as always.
I snagged this one when it was offered through prime reads so I figured I wouldn’t have to feel pressure to get to it quickly. But I am going to push it up soon because honestly it sounds amazing. Kingfisher never disappoints!
The Hollow Places and The Twisted Ones are some of my favorite of T. Kingfisher’s works, so you sold me with that comparison alone! I really love the sound of this one and can’t wait to check it out. So glad you enjoyed it so much!
I’ve really been wanting to read this author, and this sounds so good! I need to put this author on a list to definitely read in 2026. Great review!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2025/12/09/review-love-letters-for-other-people-by-shaylin-gandhi/
Oh my, this is such an amazing review! The book was already on my TBR because well, it’s a Kingfisher’s book, no other reasons needed. But now I need to get to it ASAP!!