Across her body of work, Kingfisher consistently explores themes of power, care, and recovery, particularly in the aftermath of abusive or coercive relationships. Though her narratives frequently invoke folklore and legend, they avoid ideas of heroic destiny, instead focusing on endurance, attentiveness, and the slow rebuilding of trust—both in oneself and in others.

One of the most distinctive and recurring features of Kingfisher’s writing is her use of personification, especially in her treatment of animals and nonhuman beings. The Sworn Soldier series (beginning with 2022’s What Moves the Dead) , for instance, portrays the protagonist’s horse, Hob, with emotional depth and agency, positioning the animal as a full participant in the narrative. Similarly, in A Sorceress Comes to Call (2024), geese are personified as vigilant protectors, blending domestic realism with mythic resonance. In Snake-Eater, this approach manifests through figures such as Copper, the squash god, and the spirits of the desert, all of whom participate meaningfully in Selena’s moral and emotional world. 

Kingfisher also repeatedly subverts expectations around gender, authority, and power. Her stories often take place in settings where tradition or hierarchy might be assumed—historical periods, religious communities, or isolated towns—only to undermine those assumptions through characters who resist rigid roles. Women’s labor, emotional intelligence, and care work are treated as sources of strength, while authority is depicted as situational and communal rather than absolute. In its emphasis on reciprocal care and its refusal to romanticize intense but asymmetrical relationship dynamics, Snake-Eater echoes patterns visible throughout Kingfisher’s broader oeuvre.