Juniper & Thorn

By Ava Reid

Book Overview

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. In this atmospheric historical fantasy, 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 begins a dangerous dark romance with a dancer who 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 the power of dark Slavic folklore. 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.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062973177
• ISBN13: 9780062973177
• Release Date: April 2023
• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.4" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

I'd give this 3 1/2 stars

This was ok for me. I read it just to see if it was worth the hype it's been getting - I honestly didn't expect to love it. To be fair, this is the author's retelling of an already existing tale. I haven't read the original, so I can't speak to how good her changes were. The book definitely has it's weird parts. I only felt particularly attached to one of the characters, and maybe that's why I don't love it. I like to be very invested in at least a few people in the book. But I was very eager to see how things turned out in the end, so I guess overall it's a good book. The writing style also just isn't for me, so I won't read it again. But it's probably better for teens.

stop comparing people to naomi novik

ava reid has a very distinct voice and is very good at creating a sense of a character jusy barely holding it together. this story feels familiar like your parents told it to you as a child (which no this is not a kids book don't give it to a kid) but there's something about it, like you missed a step. it's circular and dizzying and a really good read. why bring up naomi novik? ava reid's other book was compared to it and idk i just don't like novik's writing. feels a bit juvenile especially when compared with this. and i feel like reid is good enough to stand on her own merit without comparison