Juniper & Thorn audiobook

↠ 5 starsMarlinchen is a witch, youngest of three daughters to a cursed wizard, living out her days in a city transforming from magic to industry. Last of the true witches in all of Oblya, she and her sisters cling to their gifts, which are little more than entertainment to the general populace and an asset to their father. Sequestered within the walls of their home, Marlinchen spends much of her free time placating the unending appetites of their authoritative father and utilizing her gifts to discern the truth from her clientele. The evening brings escape, as Marlinchen and her sisters creep into the city to partake in its revels and observe the captivating ballet theatre. These nighttime escapades offer salvation, but when Marlinchen captures the attention of a ballet dancer just as lost and isolated, her visits to the outside world become less uncommon. Entangled between the rage and hunger of her father, and her own desires, Marlinchen is caught in a snare, and the cost of freedom may be far more monstrous than she ever imagined.When I heard that Ava Reid had written a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, there was nothing I wouldn't do to read it at the soonest possible chance. Having absolutely worshiped her adult debut, The Wolf and the Woodsman, this novel promised to ruin me without remorse as much as its precursor. True to the fact, Juniper & Thorn is utterly gruesome, vividly capturing a darkness and horror that lingers down dark halls and underneath floorboards waiting for the prime moment to sink in its teeth. Reid is masterful at their craft, seamlessly blending horror and fantasy together in a story completely grotesque and illustrative of a blooming rose clouded among thorny brambles. Every sentence in this novel is striking, with imagery and prose that threatened to devour me whole. In time with the story, lore and fairytales play an important part in the main narrative, intersecting the vein of Marlinchen’s character development and the understanding of her own situation. These sporadic fairytales were definitely some of my favorite parts of the whole book, getting after the core themes and relationships between the main characters. At this point, Reid's capability for writing complex relationships is unquestionable, particularly ones that are nuanced and not simply good or bad, yet those you cannot help but love all the more. Three characters that come to mind are Marlinchen and her sisters Undine and Rose, as they endured years of abuse at the hands of their father, and impacted one another in continuously damaging ways. In turn, Marlinchen’s love interest Sevas was entirely endearing and latched on to my heart as the two attempted to escape their situations. A captivating gothic horror with a brutal design, Juniper & Thorn is imbued with memory, an examination of abuse, and survivorhood in all forms.Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest reviewTrigger warnings: violence, emotional abuse, gore, blood, death, murder, body horror, cannibalism, eating disorder (bulimia), vomiting (graphic), sexual assault, antisemitism, xenophobia, drug use

Wow, wow, wow this book. I’m a feeling a lot of things after reading it, but most of all I’m feeling seen. This book was like stepping through the halls of my soul. It resonated so deeply with me, and feels like a great big “YOU MATTER” in so many ways. ♥️ First of all, Juniper and Thorn is an adult gothic horror fantasy. Don’t let “retelling” lead you to believe this is a whimsical fairytale. There are certainly fairytale aspects of the book, but The Juniper Tree is already a dark story, and Reid reimagines it in ways that only they could do (and they do it well!). One of the purposes of the horror genre is to leave readers unsettled and if you feel that way after finishing this book, all I can say is: Good! Mission accomplished!Personally, I delighted in every bewildering moment of it. Again, it resonated deeply with me and I think many who have experienced similar traumas and violence will feel the same way. I greatly appreciated the way Reid carefully and accurately represents the effects of sexual trauma, particularly through Marlinchen’s intrusive thoughts and fixation on specific body parts, which tend to be hypersexual in nature. This is a very common behavior and even coping mechanism in folks who have experienced sexual trauma and violence, especially CSA. (There are reviews out there clutching pearls over this and making it out to be gratuitous or gross or unnecessary or disgusting, and simply put, it’s disappointing and disheartening to see, as someone who actually lives these types of thoughts and behaviors. What do these statements say to people who live this everyday? It’s not helpful rhetoric on SA or CSA, and completely misses what I feel is one of the central themes of this book. Again, reminder here that this is a horror book borrowing from an already horrifying story.)Reid has been frank and open about how much of this book reflects their own experiences and I felt like they handled that portrayal through the perspective of a main character masterfully. Simply put, it’s not something we see often in genre fiction. Characters who go through similar experiences are supposed to Get Good With A Sword™ and slay dragons and topple evil and dismantle authoritarian governments. Rather, Marlinchen isn’t a character that’s going to lead a rebellion or sacrifice themself for the greater good or take down a ruthless king. Instead she felt REAL. Marlinchen is smart and resourceful and has an innate desire to not just survive, but to live and experience everything the world has to offer. And when she meets Sevas and they discover how much of their experiences mirror one another? *chef’s kiss* Marlinchen and Sevas have both been treated in unspeakable ways by the people they should be able to trust and rely on more than any one (common for those who have experienced SA, particularly CSA), and there’s an innate beauty in seeing Marlinchen and Sevas them come together and discover how much power they hold and feed into the other.There is satisfying romance to root for throughout this book as well and it balanced the horror themes well. Sevas is the himbo fantasy love interest I didn’t know I needed, but I’m taking him home with me! You saw it here first!Simply put, Juniper & Thorn is a dark book with dark themes and dark consequences. It’s a story of two souls valued only for what they can do, rather than who they are, and the unraveling of the world around them that happens when they stand together.Again, if this book leaves you feeling unsettled, then it’s done what it’s supposed to do! I won’t get into a long list of trigger warnings on this book because as a horror novel, it’s safe to assume there will be potentially triggering content. Pointedly, there is depictions of (childhood) sexual assault and trauma (both post experience and seen through flashback), body horror, gore, bulimia, animal death, violence, and more. If you’re at all familiar with The Juniper Tree, then it’s safe to assume this book has a similar level of content. Finally, this is an adult novel. Between The Wolf and the Woodsman and this book, Reid has found themselves solidly in my favorite fantasy authors and I’m looking forward to everything that comes from them in the future! This book was a win in so many ways for me, and I feel as though I’ve found a kindred soul in Reid’s storytelling. Original, Cover Reveal thoughts:This book had me at "baroque Gothic horror" but I stayed for that INCREDIBLE cover. It is giving me all the feels and I am ready to get lost within the dark halls and brambles of this book.

Update! Adding in what I wrote for the Washington Post article I was featured in: “Juniper & Thorn” reimagines the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “The Juniper Tree,” one of their darkest and most violent fables. Reid leans into Hungarian and Jewish folklore to tell the story of a third daughter trapped in a meagre life by her cursed, tyrannical father, a xenophobic wizard. After slipping away with her sisters to see the ballet, she stumbles across a young man whose deepest desires mirror her own, setting in motion a painful journey toward emancipation. I knew I was reading something special when I found myself scribbling in the margins at 3 a.m., unable to put the book down. I’ve read more than 150 novels in 2022, and nothing comes close to “Juniper & Thorn’s” rich and often vicious imagery. In an era when far too many fantasy novels suffer from unnecessary bloat, this book is the antidote; Reid doesn’t waste a single sentence.Also, I did indeed make a video essay about the central motifs in Juniper & Thorn:Watch part 1 herePart 2 hereAnd part 3 here--------------------------------Will I write a thesis on this? Honestly, probably yes. (In video essay format, obviously 😉)When I do, I’ll update this review. But I guess I’ll leave you with this: I cannot disagree with the 1-star reviews of this book more. And I will be compiling my arguments for you in a TikTok. Watch this space xx

This was so fucked up! I loved it.Visceral and twisted, burried deep within the heaviness of confronting the truth that was always at reach but too dangerous to touch. Following the plain-face, too-dutiful, third-daughter of the last living Wizard in this land, we're swallowed whole by a story of loveless existences and the power in escapes. One can find self-love in the strangest of places, sometimes the darkest. This is a perfect example of how to handle seriously disturbing things and actions while being able to keep your audience engaged. I know not everyone will like this and that's partially because everyone's got different taste but, particularly this time; because when we deal with stories containing such hard themes, not everyone can push through certain things. And that is okay; so please remember to read trigger warnings for this story. (!!!)

I haven’t had a five star read in almost six months and THE DROUGHT IS OFFICIALLY OVER. FIVE [VERY WEIRD] STARS.Reading Juniper & Thorn is like reading a very dark old Eastern European fairytale in the best possible way. The writing in this book is what made me rate it 5 stars because...oh my god. It's haunting and poetic and beautiful and dark and it just sucks you right in and doesn't let go. Ava Reid's prose is incredible. (It has just now come to my attention that this is a retelling of the Grimm fairytale The Juniper Tree, so the whole "reads like a fairytale" thing makes a lot of sense now.) I don't even know how to rate or review the story (I'm terrible at reviewing books I loved, I just love them). I have quite literally had this unfinished review sitting open in a tab in Chrome for 3 days while I try to figure out what to say. Juniper & Thorn is the story of a young witch whose life is confined to a family that mistreats her and a father who terrifies her in a rapidly changing world where her family's brand of magic is little more than a tourist trap of the Old Ways. It is about isolation and the desire to be free warring with the fear of the unknown. It's about all the ways an abuser exerts control over their victims in an effort to feel fulfilled in a way that will ultimately never be enough. It's about love and the escape it can bring. This book is a difficult read at times. It is gruesome and devastating; both hard to watch and hard to look away. I've never read anything quite like it. CWs:- Gore/Body Horror- Childhood SA- Disordered Eating

thank you netgalley, avon and harper voyager, and ava reid for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! i really enjoyed this book and i can tell that it’s one that will stay on my mind for a long time. it’s dark and gruesome, but also hopeful.juniper and thorn is a loose retelling of “the juniper tree” and follows marlinchen and her two sisters, along with their father. i really enjoyed the writing style of this one and thought that it fit the story really well. reid’s lyrical prose helps the book establish its place as a gothic fantasy novel and kept me intrigued the entire time i was reading. i loved seeing the growth that all of the characters undergo throughout the novel. marlinchen starts to believe more in herself and learns some of the secrets that have been kept from her. there are some lighter moments between her and those she loves, but overall this is a very gruesome novel, and i recommend checking trigger warnings before reading. i was shocked at how descriptive some of the scenes were, because i wasn’t aware that this was an adult book before reading, but i was really impressed with it.ava reid did a wonderful job with the setting and character growth in this book and i’m eager to read more from them. i highly recommend this book for people wanting a darker fantasy novel.

I want to come back and review this later, but for now, I'll leave something short and sweet. Juniper & Thorn is a gothic horror fairytale retelling. There's a romance involved too which made it even better. The author's writing style took me a second to get used to, but it's absolutely perfect for the story. I stayed up all night to finish it. I couldn't put it down. I'm paying for it now, but it was totally worth it! Overall, Juniper & Thorn is dark, seriously fucking weird, and twisted, so naturally, I loved it! 😂

“What was a story except a berry you ate over and over again, until your lips and tongue were red and every word you spoke was poison?”Thank you to the publishers and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.Ava Reid’s debut, The Wolf and the Woodsman, was nothing short of a masterpiece of adult fantasy and set such a high standard for what debuts could accomplish. I was incredibly excited to be able to continue to support them and read more of their work… and a fantasy-horror retelling of Grimm’s darkest fairytale? Say no more!Juniper & Thorn follows Marlinchen, the youngest of three daughters of the last wizard in Oblya, a city in the midst of throwing off the old ways and embracing modernization. As witches, Marlinchen and her sisters are little more than a source of income for their tyrannical father, who keeps them locked away from the outside world and under a tight leash.But as young women, they chafe under his rules and sneak out of the house at night. On Marlinchen’s first night out, she is swept away by the ballet performance she sees, and the principal dancer who plays Prince Ivan. Every midnight tryst leaves hope for true love and freedom, but she also risks her father’s magic and rage if she’s ever found out.Between money problems, their father’s turbulent moods and explosive fury, and a monster who stalks the streets of Oblya murdering innocents, everything will fall to Marlinchen as she figures out the true depths of what her father has done to them, exactly what the cost of freedom could be, and if she can afford to pay it.Similar to TW+TW, Reid is able to craft such vivid, palpable atmosphere that is perfectly suited to the story they are trying to tell. Behind sunny and bright gardens lurk monsters and a sinister house that hides many things. Times of day alternate, turning sunny gardens to shadow-filled silence. Night migrations that lead to brightly lit ballet theaters. Like taking a bite of fruit with a rotten core, the atmosphere is in turns gorgeous and enticing, then shocking and disgusting, and back again. There’s a claustrophobic feel to the horror within their house, the weight of secrets and suffering.The vividly different imagery mirrored their abusive father’s moods. Sometimes he would be kind and grateful, and then he could explode and threaten them with his magic. They lived in constant fear of him. He was cursed by a witch to never feel satisfied with anything. This novel was a realistic (but horrible) example of how it can feel to live under the abuse from a parent. The fear. The unknown. Walking on eggshells. Desperately trying ANYTHING to please them and to be loved, only to fail, to slip up, again and again. Nothing will ever be good enough, and the difficulty of truly coming to terms with that fact.Fairytales are woven in to this narrative as Marlinchen recounts them to herself as she compares them to her life or uses them to make sense of things that have happened to her, or tells them to Sevas, the love interest. She was a child raised on magic and a fairytale codex and since this was a fairytale retelling, it seemed fitting. I always love the incorporation of fairytales and mythology within fantasy books.And Sevas, my god, I would die for him. I truly don’t know how Ava is able to write such compelling but noticeably different love interests. I loved Gaspar in TW+TW, but they are not very similar and relationship dynamics were completely different as well. Sevas’ kindness and compassion and understanding to Marlinchen from the very beginning above all. There is something so visceral and unendingly awe-inspiring than a good, old fashioned “I see you. I see all of your flaws. I accept them. I love you.” scene. They make me want to rattle the bars of my sanity cage and scream into my pillow.And I have to say I loved the complex relationship Marlinchen had with her sisters. So many times we read books about siblings being the best of friends, even if that isn’t always what reflects real life. Marlinchen’s relationship with her sisters was messy, was awful, set them apart, showed what they all had to do to themselves and to each other to survive living under their father, regardless if that meant throwing someone else to their father’s rage. I found it fascinating, and horrible, and understandable.Since humanity began recording their stories, we’ve used fairytales to explore the darkness inside us and around us and explain that monsters can come from within as easily as they can stalk us through the woods. Juniper & Thorn is faithful to that purpose and shows such understanding and reverence to that function fairytales performed, and as custom, also managing to have a happy ending for our dear plain-faced fairytale heroine Marlinchen.I look forward to anything else Ava Reid may write in the future, especially A Study in Drowning (fall 2023) and will certainly add this book to my collection come June!I encourage you to read the author’s full statement regarding this book’s content warnings that you can find in the Goodreads reviews and as a reminder, this book is a fantasy horror. It’s meant to horrify, to repulse, to offend. It tackles and gives words to topics that may be hard to read for some, but everyone, from abuse survivors, to SA survivors, to ED survivors, deserve to have stories written for them and deserve to see themselves within fiction. And perhaps even more importantly: remember that survivors have different experiences. Do not disregard their voices because you, personally, might not find it palatable.Content warnings: gore / body horror, child sexual abuse, physical and psychological family abuse, bulimia and graphic depictions of vomiting, animal death, cannibalism, self-harm and suicidal ideation, antisemitism and xenophobia.

VIDEO REVIEW discussing this book and it’s controversy: Juniper & Thorn | what was the issue?https://youtu.be/1aEPvsX4hNAIf you liked Mexican gothic, read this immediately. Check TWs first though because WHEW BOY. Can’t tell you how much I appreciate having on page ED depicted correctly though.

4.5 starsThis is the first book I’ve read by Ava Reid, and I was absolutely blown away by her writing style. It’s very atmospheric and clearly inspired by a few different gothic works. This story is equally as interesting as it is beautifully written. Ava Reid weaves a touching story about parental abuse through a fascinating magic filled mystery. Overall, I was so engrossed and impressed, I can’t recommend this author enough!Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had high expectations for this book to the point where I tried to curb them before I started reading because I knew odds were good that when I think a book is going to be THIS good, I’m probably going to be disappointed. If I had to describe this book as simply as possible, I would say that it’s 50% fairytale and 50% horror, mixed in with a classic feminist literature flair. One of the reasons why I was really looking forward to this book is because it’s a fairytale fantasy, similar to THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE or UPROOTED. From the first page, Ava Reid delivered. The prose was stunning and repeatedly returned to fairytales throughout the book. It wasn’t just a childhood story, based on mythology, or using a metaphor from a folktale. It used fairytales in every way imaginable. Every fiber of this book was built from their threads. I loved that. I began to get uneasy because the book overall was very sensual (hence my description of it as having a bit of a classic feminist literature flair). Sometimes I get frustrated with books that are overly sexual for no reason and with this one it seemed liked it was going beyond that into being weirdly sexual. There was one specific thing I found disconcerting, but then I realized a.) this is a horror book and I’m MEANT to find this content disconcerting and b.) there was a specific, in-book reason for the hyper-focus on this one thing that I just didn’t realize yet because it hadn’t fully been revealed yet. Another reason why I was super excited for this book was because I had seen Ava Reid talking about her protagonist on her Instagram stories. Marlinchen is very feminine. She wears pink silk dresses, has long hair, does the cooking and cleaning for her family, is her father’s youngest and most obedient daughter, and her most prized possession is the charm bracelet she inherited from her mother. I love the idea that women should be allowed to be soft and kind and feminine and not be killed for it or sneered at for conforming to the patriarchy. I’ve grown up in the age of YA fantasy and dystopias where every “strong female character” whines about having to wear dresses, has a sharp tongue, and wields a weapon better than any man. I’m sick of it. If anything, it’s more pro-masculinity than feminist. I know a lot of people in the book community have pointed this out, but even in 2022 a ton of the YA fantasy books I pick up have similar protagonists, even if the authors have made them less “not like other girls” in an outward way that puts down other women. I’m not seeing very many stories at all with women who are embracing their femininity and who are also strong women. Marlinchen is exactly what I’ve been looking for. This book is also squarely a horror book and I would suggest checking trigger warnings if that’s something you like to do. There were a couple scenes in particular that I found particularly challenging. In many ways, the entire book was uncomfortable. I don’t think there was a single scene in this book that made me genuinely happy or hopeful. I mostly found it disturbing, rather than frightening or disgusting. Everything had at least an undercurrent of unsettling energy. Most of the negative reviews I’ve seen have centered around this content and the fact that people don’t seem to realize this is a horror novel before they start it. There were lots of things that seemed excessive to me at first—especially some of the things that are highly sexualized—but make total sense within the context of Marlinchen’s trauma. I don’t want to get spoilery, but Marlinchin has bulimia and severe body dysmorphia as a result of the trauma she faced and continues to face. I also want to address the relationship between Marlinchen and the love interest. I saw a couple criticisms that it was a bit insta-lovey and too full of lust without enough development. On one hand, I do agree that they get together very quickly, but this makes complete sense given that Marlinchen is a young woman who hasn’t been allowed to walk past the gates of her house in the twenty-three years of life because of her abusive father. Of course, she’s going to fall in love with the first beautiful man she meets. She’s desperate for acceptance and love, and here is someone who is offering it to her. It occurs to me that Reid could have taken a much darker turn here—in addition to all the other horrible things that happen in this book, Marlinchen’s lover could easily betray her. As I said before, there aren’t any scenes in this book that are truly happy. I think having a slightly idealized version of events in finding Sevas and falling in love is necessary both because it gives the book the only hope it has to offer and because it would be unbelievably grim without that. I’m not sure how much I actually enjoyed reading this, but after I got a good ways into it I absolutely couldn’t stop thinking about it. I started writing this review when I was about 85% done because I just had so many thoughts I needed to get out (sorry, I know this is long—it’s probably the longest review I’ve ever written). I did drool over Reid’s beautiful prose while I was reading it. Now that I’ve finished, I still can’t stop thinking about Marlinchen. I don’t know when I ever will. One final note: I’ve never read The Juniper Tree so any love or distaste in that aspect of it is completely lost on me. I do have a copy of the Grimm’s book and I intend to go look it up soon to read it. I’m incredibly intrigued in the original story that inspired this one.

View this review on my booksta!Juniper & Thorn is a chillingly visceral portrait of the underpinnings and repercussions of abuse, painted over a haunting imagining of Slavic lore. Reid’s evocative writing heightens the morbid effect of her main weapon of delivery – body horror. Her words are darkly atmospheric; they snake around you with all the slithering seduction of vines and drag you headfirst into her gritty and sepulchral world. For those who like their fantasies heaped with indulgent servings of sordid, this is the perfect October read (if you’re planning on picking this up, I cannot implore you enough to look up the CWs and heed them). However, if you’re looking for an action-filled and plot-driven tale, it’s best to turn elsewhere. I love myself a depraved, no-holds-barred fantasy, but I still require orientation. I need the story to be grounded with a sense of direction regardless of how sinuous the trail may be. And yet, the cohesion between the underlying themes and the plot is weak. The grittiness began to feel like over-liberal seasoning compensating for an undercooked center. There was an effort to incorporate explorations on xenophobia and industrialization to the overarching storyline, but they proved to be as purposeless an element as the city map plastered on one page. The romance? Also very off-putting. The love interest had the potential to be an intriguing character in his own right, but it was like Reid had dunked both him and the MC in a tub of trauma, and upon their resurfacing, poked them with a stick to get them going at it. Zero chemistry, and a farce of a build-up (if having them meet each other a grand total of four times even constitutes one lol). Of course the cloistered and traumatized MC was going to fall in love with the first person who drops her a crumb of sincere kindness 🙄. There were better devices for character progression that could have been used. In retrospect, my expectations for this were ramped up high — Novik and Valente’s Eastern European lore-inspired books are some of my most beloved, and my standards were through the roof. Still, I commend Reid for her raw portrayal of womanhood, toxic relationships, and the hope that cycles of abuse can be broken. Marlinchen earned my sympathy and tested my patience; and it is the poignance of her journey that allowed me to overlook most of my gripes. ~a gothic retelling for fans of catherynne valente... a tale about sisterhood... SOLD.

Yep, I will be reading everything Ava Reid writes. Even though I read this in the middle of summer, I can tell this would be the perfect fall read. Dark standalone fantasy with some horror elements and a little romance subplot. The writing is as decadent as dark chocolate. I absolutely loved this !

I absolutely ADORE THIS BOOK, which is haunting and whimsical and brimming with monsters both human and fantastical. More importantly, it has my sweet children, Marlinchen and Sevas, both of whom I would lay down my life for without question. This book is a reimagining of The Juniper Tree, and the prose is as effortlessly beautiful and timeless as any fairytale. But what I admire most about this book is how cleverly Ava uses fairytale conventions to underscore the horrors her protagonists experience: stories root themselves deeply and begin to sprout thorns the more and more they're repeated. J&T is delightfully gruesome--but always, always hopeful. I seriously can't wait for y'all to read this one next year!

This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/I loved this book! Ava Reid’s debut, The Wolf and the Woodsman, was one of my favorite books in 2021 so to say that I was excited to read this book is an understatement. I couldn’t wait to dive into this story and once I did I read almost the entire book in a single day simply because I didn’t want to put it down. This is a very dark tale and I would encourage readers to check out the content warnings before picking this one up.This story is told from the point of view of a young witch, Marlinchen, who lives with her father, a wizard living under a curse. Marlinchen and her two older sisters must deal with his cruel ways but they have found a way to escape to the city to see the ballet while he sleeps. This is where she meets Sevas, the principal dancer in the show. Even though Marlinchen isn’t as beautiful as her two older sisters, she wins the eye of the young dancer. The world that Marlinchen and Sevas live in is often cruel and decisions about their lives are frequently made by others but they hope to change that.I grew to like Marlinchen pretty quickly and hated the way she was treated. I really wanted to see some positive changes come into her life. She worked so hard to keep her father happy and was never appreciated. The story itself was exciting. There were some pretty big surprises that came into play in the story. Because of Marlinchen’s father’s magic, anything could happen in this tale which kept things really interesting. I thought that the writing was excellent and loved the way that the vivid descriptions helped to bring the story to life.I would recommend this book to others. This was an incredibly imaginative and well-written tale that kept me glued to the pages. I have not read The Juniper Tree so I can’t say how this book compares but it was an entertaining read on its own. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.I received an advanced review copy of this book from Harper Voyager.Initial ThoughtsI read almost all of this book in a single day. I just didn't want to put it down! I loved Ava Reid's debut, The Wolf and the Woodsman, and was eager to dive into this book. This is a very dark story told from the point of view of a young witch, Marlinchen, who lives with her father, a wizard living under a curse. I grew to like Marlinchen pretty quickly and hated the way she was treated. There were a few really big surprises that came into play before the story drew to a close. This was an incredibly imaginative and well-written tale.

Sooo, after glancing at a few reviews it appears the author may have a whole bunch of rabid fans who jump on people who say less-than-positive things. Fellow humans, please stop this behavior. It makes you look very bad. People assume the writer is behind it. That makes them look very bad whether true or not. Reviews are here to help READERS. We are not so dumb that we can’t make up our own damn minds about whether or not we are going to read a book. Seriously, brush it off and go write your own review. With that said, please use great caution when dipping into this book because there are several triggers here that folks might find distressing or abhorrent. None of it bothered me but I’m used to reading terrible and bleak and graphic things and when I pick up a book where I’m not expecting those things and I find those things? Well, that usually grabs my attention - so take that into consideration. I’ll put the content warnings under a spoiler tag at the bottom. If you have any concerns, please read them.This book is inspired by the original unedited brothers Grimm fairytale The Juniper-Tree which I read before digging into this one. Let me tell ya, that old “fairytale” horrified me, and this story gives it a nice nod and also tells its own story. I’d recommend giving the Grimm tale a read so the horror will be fresh in your brain! I found an audio version on YouTube.Marlinchen is the third daughter of the last wizard in a world that is rapidly moving away from herbal remedies and magic. Her horrid father will do anything to keep his daughters under his thumb. He constantly threatens them with curses if they dare disobey. But they find a way to sneak out and on her first foray to the ballet, Marlinchen is entranced by the lead male dancer, Sevas. After the show, they have a brief encounter, and an attraction sparks that sets a dangerous series of events into motion. Her father’s endless hunger and rage begin to boil over and Marlinchin is forced to figure out a way to survive the threat her father poses to everything she loves as she discovers terrible truth after terrible truth. “We would be safest in ashes and in urns.”This book does not shy away from trauma, it doesn’t hide it or pretty it up, or shove it under the rug. It infects these characters and is the root of who they become and why they act the way that they do. I thought it was very well done. These people are traumatized and broken. But beware there is also the dreaded insta-love! This old trope usually drives me up a wall but here it felt ok considering, well, every damn thing these two had been through and were going through. And sometimes love at first sight IS a thing and sometimes it even works out. Or maybe I’m just having a good day, lol. Anyway, I read a lot of romance (and a lot of horror), and this exploration of sexuality, attraction, and love made sense to me. Would I have liked to have seen a bit more from Sevas’s POV? Well, of course, I love getting into the heads of damaged people but this book wasn’t a romance and I was okay with what we got.I fell into this book and didn’t want to leave. I mean, it’s not a perfect book, I can clearly see that but it was a perfect book for me. The plot meanders sometimes but so does my brain usually and it didn’t here. I didn’t have the urge to pick up my phone, watch an old episode of the X-files or avoid the book and dream about all the others I want to read instead. It captured me, faults and all, complicated characters and all, and I recommend it to anyone looking to become immersed in a very dangerous, sometimes gross world of magic and monsters where one young woman struggles to overcome a lifetime of abuse and manipulation. It’s a beautiful nightmare. You should definitely read it if this sounds like your thing.4 ½ Stars bumping up to a 5 because I adored it despite my little complaint above.CW: (view spoiler)[disordered eating (bulimia), many mentions of vomit, alcoholism, self-harm, suicide ideation, child sexual abuse, psychological abuse, magical abuse, xenophobia, cannibalism, animal deaths, disgusting men, overbearing fathers, mentions of incest and I do believe there was a moment of bestiality between a beast-man and a human 🙀. Does it count if he’s half-human? I dunno but even I did not see that one coming, lol. This book was Wild. So be careful! (hide spoiler)]