Nettle & Bone

T. Kingfisher

Nettle & Bone

T. Kingfisher
54 pages1-hour read
Fiction
Novel
Adult
Published in 2022

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Marra is the thirty-year-old youngest princess of the Harbor Kingdom who has lived quietly in a convent for fifteen years. Though lacking magical talent, she possesses immense determination and a practical mindset. She steps outside the traditional expectations of a royal daughter to undertake three impossible tasks. Her goal is to secure the means to rescue her sister from a dangerous marriage.

Key Relationships

Enemy and Target of Prince Vorling

Younger Sister of Kania

Younger Sister of Damia

Daughter of The Queen

Supplicant to Dust-Wife

Traveling Companion of Fenris

Goddaughter of Agnes

Creator and Master of Bonedog

Medical Apprentice to Sister Apothecary

Prince Vorling is the heir to the powerful Northern Kingdom and the husband of Princess Kania. He is an abusive and dangerous man whose peculiar, violent appetites pose a constant threat to his wives. His immense political power and heavily guarded environment make him virtually untouchable through conventional means.

Key Relationships

Brother-in-Law of Marra

Abusive Husband of Kania

Former Husband of Damia

Son-in-Law of The Queen

Father of Virian

Protected by The Godmother

Kania is the middle princess of the Harbor Kingdom who marries Prince Vorling to secure a vital political alliance. She endures horrific physical and emotional abuse to ensure her people's continued safety. Despite her traumatic circumstances, she remains sharp, stoic, and fiercely dedicated to her kingdom's survival.

Key Relationships

Captive Wife of Prince Vorling

Older Sister of Marra

Younger Sister of Damia

Daughter of The Queen

Mother of Virian

Goddaughter of Agnes

Dust-Wife is a cynical, pragmatic old woman who tends to cemeteries and communicates with the dead. She assigns Marra three seemingly insurmountable challenges, fully expecting the princess to fail. Accompanied by strange poultry, she serves as an unconventional guide through magical and dangerous territories.

Key Relationships

Magical Guide to Marra

Traveling Companion of Fenris

Magical Peer of Agnes

Magical Adversary of The Godmother

Traveling Companion of Bonedog

Owner and Keeper of The Demon Chicken

Fenris is an exiled warrior who chose to sleep in a fairy fort to escape a cycle of vengeance in his homeland. After Marra purchases his freedom with one of her own teeth, he pledges his life to her dangerous mission. He is highly capable in physical combat but carries deep guilt and views his survival as unearned.

Key Relationships

Sworn Protector of Marra

Traveling Companion of Dust-Wife

Traveling Companion of Agnes

Traveling Companion of Bonedog

Sworn Enemy of Prince Vorling

Traveling Companion of The Demon Chicken

Agnes is the official royal godmother of the Harbor Kingdom. She prefers a simple rural life because her magical abilities lean naturally toward curses rather than blessings. Her deep compassion constantly restricts her from using her darker magical talents, prompting her to bless every child simply with good health.

Key Relationships

Godmother of Marra

Godmother of Kania

Employed by The Queen

Magical Peer of Dust-Wife

Traveling Companion of Fenris

Professional Counterpart of The Godmother

Supporting Characters

The Godmother is an ancient, incredibly powerful magic user tied to the Northern Kingdom's royal line. She commands immense respect, functioning almost as a living deity within the palace. Her magic ensures that no foreign interference or physical harm can topple the royal family.

Key Relationships

Ancient Magical Protector of Prince Vorling

Professional Counterpart of Agnes

Magical Adversary of Dust-Wife

Damia is the eldest princess of the Harbor Kingdom and the first bride sent to marry Prince Vorling. She accepts her political duty to protect the small nation, ignoring dark rumors about her betrothed. Her sudden, suspicious death just months after her wedding sets the tragic events of the narrative in motion.

Key Relationships

Deceased First Wife of Prince Vorling

Older Sister of Kania

Older Sister of Marra

Daughter of The Queen

The Queen of the Harbor Kingdom is a practical and ruthless monarch who prioritizes the survival of her small nation over her children's happiness. She knowingly sends her daughters into dangerous marriages to prevent a devastating war. Her emotional detachment alienates her surviving youngest daughter.

Key Relationships

Mother of Marra

Mother of Kania

Mother of Damia

Mother-in-Law of Prince Vorling

Bonedog is an undead canine constructed from scavenged bones and wire. Built by Marra as part of a magical task, the skeletal animal exhibits a loyal, somewhat erratic nature and serves as a bizarre but friendly companion on the road.

Key Relationships

Creation and Pet of Marra

Traveling Companion of Dust-Wife

Sister Apothecary is a knowledgeable nun dedicated to providing medical care to the surrounding community. She mentors Marra during her years in the convent, teaching her practical skills like midwifery and herbal medicine.

Key Relationships

Mentor and Instructor of Marra

Virian is the infant daughter of Kania and Prince Vorling. Her brief life represents both the heavy burden placed upon the royal women to produce heirs and the tragic reality of Vorling's abusive household.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Kania

Daughter of Prince Vorling

The Demon Chicken is an ordinary-looking brown hen possessed by a demonic entity. It belongs to the Dust-Wife and accompanies her on her travels, occasionally exhibiting unnatural behaviors and disturbing sounds.

Key Relationships

Supernatural Pet of Dust-Wife

Traveling Companion of Fenris