Juniper & Thorn

A Novel

By: Ava Reid

Narrated by: Stina Nielsen

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 Oblya’s 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 city’s amenities and revel in its thrills, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart.

As Marlinchen’s late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her father’s 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.

Dark but beautiful

The prose was lovely and bordering on poetic. The dark story was not what I expected but was very engaging. Stina Nielsen’s performance was excellent!

Difficult and worth it

I definitely recommend this story, it's told in told as such a heartbreaking fairytale, it's raw and beautiful at the same time.
You might want to look up some trigger warnings though, and it's a difficult read that grips you, but it was impossible to put down.
One thing I didn't care for was the sex parts, but that was mostly because I was too emotionally exhausted to think they're fun. But they did add to the rawness of the story.
But again, I LOVED this story and I feel really satisfied at the ending.

Enjoyed!

I very much enjoyed this book. The combination of magic, wizards, and monsters was amazing. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

A great modern grim fairytale

A great version of a girm fairytale. Three sisters caught under the oppression of a wizard father, when the youngest learns when to bite the hand that feeds. Sexy and dark, with great narration.

beautifully written

it's like one big poem. beautiful writing. will definitely be recommending to friends and followers. I also LOVED the narrators performance. perfect match for the writing