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Juniper & Thorn
Juniper & Thorn: A Novel | Ava Reid
4 posts | 6 read | 12 to read
From highly acclaimed, bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the world of The Wolf and the Woodsman, where a young witch seeks to discover her identity and escape the domination of her abusive wizard father, perfect for fans of Shirley Jackson and Catherynne M. Valente. A gruesome curse. A city in upheaval. A monster with unquenchable appetites. Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblyas last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies and beguile them with nostalgic charm. Marlinchen spends her days divining secrets in exchange for rubles and trying to placate her tyrannical, xenophobic father, who keeps his daughters sequestered from the outside world. But at night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out to enjoy the citys amenities and revel in its thrills, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart. As Marlinchens late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her fathers rage and magic. And while Oblya flourishes with culture and bustles with enterprise, a monster lurks in its midst, borne of intolerance and resentment and suffused with old-world power. Caught between history and progress and blood and desire, Marlinchen must draw upon her own magic to keep her city safe and find her place within it.
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blurb
BookBr
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A twisty sort of fairy tale today, with a battle between magic and industry, which sounds fascinating. I‘m hooked already, and wish I wasn‘t at work…

review
ItsAnotherJen
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Panpan

There are so many 5 star reviews of this book. So many. Did I like it? No. And that's okay. Everyone is different. We all can like what we like. That's the beauty of life. I thought this book would be right up my alley. Sounded interesting. Yet I did not like anything about it. The bulimia, the abuse, the sexual depravity. I'm fascinated to read all the positive posts. It's as though we all read different books. Oh well, on to the next.

jdiehr I think I'll unstack this one... 5mo
RamsFan1963 I feel the same way about Fourth Wing, everyone seems to love it but me. 5mo
GondorGirl Ugh. I loved both of this author's other books, but this one was HORRIBLE. I didn't like any of the characters and the sex stuff was really cringy. I only finished it out of spite. 5mo
59 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
eol
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Pickpick

Oh boy, is this book thirsty. Or should I say—hungry…

Honestly tho. I almost DNFed this. The list of warnings on this… Especially the CSA—which is central to the plot, actually—came out of the left field. This book is disturbing, but then it is horror.

Fairytale-infused… erotic horror?

Ahem.

In the end, the “disturbing-ness” was what made me like this. Although it certainly isn‘t for everyone. Beware the warnings.

4.0/5

review
sprainedbrain
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Pickpick

This is a beautifully written reimagining of sorts of the classic fairytale The Juniper Tree. It‘s filled with gorgeous prose and magic, but reader be warned: the original was a Grimm tale loaded with child abuse and cannibalism, and this book is clearly labeled as both a dark retelling and a romance. There is body horror, monsters, and sex (some nice, some not). If you are down for that and go in prepared, I bet you‘ll enjoy it. I did!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nutmegnc Just 8 more weeks until my copy becomes available at the library 🤣. Sounds great though!! 2y
Clare-Dragonfly Oh, this review makes my impulse purchase sound very well considered! I would definitely have stacked it from your post if I hadn‘t just bought it! 😂 2y
sprainedbrain @Clare-Dragonfly I almost commented on your post yesterday that I was loving it. Hope you enjoy it!! 2y
64 likes2 stack adds3 comments