A Unique Bluebeard Retelling: "The Seventh Bride" Review

I read “The Seventh Bride” by T. Kingfisher as a part of my Fairytale Reading Challenge for 2024. In my opinion, I’ve started the year off strong. Even though I’m familiar with Bluebeard, this book felt fresh and unique. I found myself agonizing over the next chapters, worried about Rhea and the other characters. The worldbuilding was also fascinating, and I wanted to explore it more. 

When a mysterious nobleman appears at young Rhea’s door and proposes marriage, something feels wrong. But, Rhea is a simple miller’s daughter and it’s impossible to turn down a lord. When he demands that she stays at his remote manor prior to their wedding, she meets his previous wives who are all imprisoned within his manor. Determined to escape, Rhea must complete various magical tasks in order to postpone the wedding. 

This Bluebeard retelling centers mostly around magic, horror, and time. The magical system used in the story is uniquely unnerving, and readers are able to discover more as Rhea does. Readers are introduced to various types of magic as well: the nobleman, a few of the wives, and Rhea herself. 

If you are a fan of gothic stories with light horror, I would recommend this book. The horror elements are woven throughout the prose, and are a big part of it. A detail I particularly liked was the bird-golems. The descriptions made my stomach twist, and their haunting warnings drove up the suspense. I’m not a huge horror fan myself, but this book was just enough to keep me entertained without running me off. 

Finally, the theme of time was both confusing and entertaining. Trapped at the manor, the wives feel disconnected from the rest of the world. The clock wife is a character who immediately caught my attention and I enjoyed Rhea’s exploration of her story. 

This book is for those who love the slightly creepy, unnerving fairytales. I also liked the slightly dark magical feeling of the story. Each bride has their own, twisted background and it’s interesting to learn about these characters with Rhea as she completes her tasks. I rate this book a 4 out of 5. The only reason it isn’t a 5 is because I wanted more of a glimpse into the worlds mentioned throughout the story. 

If you are looking for a darker fairytale or even something that is a light horror read, this is the one for you. I believe that this book is best when the reader goes in with very little knowledge of what will happen.