A.G. Slatter

A gorgeous dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter. Should delight readers of Naomi Novik and Erin Morgenstern. Asher Todd comes to live with the mysterious Morwood family as a governess to their children. Asher knows little about being a governess but she is skilled in botany and herbcraft, and perhaps more than that. And she has secrets of her own, dark and terrible – and Morwood is a house that eats secrets. With a monstrous revenge in mind, Asher plans to make it choke. However, she becomes fond of her charges, of the people of the Tarn, and she begins to wonder if she will be able to execute her plan – and who will suffer most if she does. But as the ghosts of her past become harder to control, Asher realises she has no choice. Dark magic, retribution and twisted family secrets combine to weave a bewitching and beautifully written gothic fairy tale.

The Path of Thorns

A. G. Slatter

A gorgeous dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter. Should delight readers of Naomi Novik and Erin Morgenstern. Asher Todd comes to live with the mysterious Morwood family as a governess to their children. Asher knows little about being a governess but she is skilled in botany and herbcraft, and perhaps more than that. And she has secrets of her own, dark and terrible - and Morwood is a house that eats secrets. With a monstrous revenge in mind, Asher plans to make it choke. However, she becomes fond of her charges, of the people of the Tarn, and she begins to wonder if she will be able to execute her plan - and who will suffer most if she does. But as the ghosts of her past become harder to control, Asher realises she has no choice. Dark magic, retribution and twisted family secrets combine to weave a bewitching and beautifully written gothic fairy tale.

Beatrice

Well, A.G. Slatter has done it again! After enchanting me with the gorgeous All the Murmuring Bones, she kept me glued to the dark and twisty Path of Thorns. I was fairly sure I would enjoy this one, and I was right!

Asher Todd is a fantastic main character. She is smart, capable, full of secrets... and out for revenge. But she was also wonderfully complex and moving in the morally grey space that I find fits the gothic setting so perfectly. This book also had basically all the elements I love: there is witchcraft (dark one, too), there are ghosts and other creatures of lore, there are family secrets, and there is murder. Lots of murder, actually. I kept turning the pages waiting for all the secrets to come to light, and they were each more delicious than the one before.

The setting was beautifully atmospheric and perfectly gothic. There are some horror elements, but not too much, so I'd define this as creepy more than outright scary. It does get pretty dark though, so be mindful if that's a concern for you. There's also quite a lot of injustice and sexism going around, as well as some abuse and very, very complicated relationships, so again be mindful if that's triggering for you. 

The only part I wasn't too sold on was the romance, but it took up such a small part of the story that it actually didn't bother me all that much in the end. The rest of the relationships between the various characters were really masterfully drawn up, as each displayed their complexity to the fullest, as well as the darkness that can hide within. Several themes were running underneath the main storyline and helped to make this so much more than just another gothic fairytale.

Overall, The Path of Thorns is a perfect spooky season read, with its eerie vibes and gothic setting, perfect for lovers of fantasy and dark fairytales.

Content Warnings: (view spoiler)[this book contains mentions of abuse (domestic and parental), murder, abortion, necromancy, animal cruelty, blood, infidelity. (hide spoiler)]

For more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Nichole Bogard

This is my first book by A.G. Splatter and I was not disappointed. She brought a dark gothic atmosphere that gave me Grimm Fairytale vibes.

Witches, werewolves, ghosts and just all things that go bump in the night.

Asher Todd reports to Morwood estate to become the governess. She is very secretive and will have you asking all the questions. As the story unfolds you will find out everything you need to know. 

I will say that the story was dark and my being out sadness and angry. Other than that it was an intriguing and compelling read that you will not soon forget.

Special thanks to Netgalley, A.G. Slatter and Titan Books for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Alice Hyman

I adore the aesthetics of this one, gothic, magic, wild, its just perfect. Super excited to be able to giveaway a copy of this as part of Titans book tour. 

Morwood Tarn and Morwood Grange. A quaint village and a dignified manor. No one is fooled.

There is blood and magic cemented into the bones of this land. A land where wolves ran wild and people with them. Where evil can haunt in every roost, and secrets are guarded with death. 

Asher Todd arrives amidst it all with some secrets of her own. 

This is a world of magic and control, of witches and wild things, of science and the church. Bound by promises that she does not wish to keep Asher arrives with secrecy around her like a cloak. Hired as a governess through a prestigious academy in Whitebridge, Asher reads the secrets of the house like it is her own. The power struggles at the head of the family, the cruelty in control. Asher has never had a protector but she finds herself doing so for her charges. 

The deeper Asher becomes entwined in the thorns of Morwood the harder it becomes for her to hide herself and her secrets - and keep her promises.

I utterly adored this book. It definitely deserves the accolade of being like Jane Eyre but with magic. It grips you from the first page, Asher is an amazing, complex heroine. She is both good and not, she is kind and violent, petty and honourable - she is bound by the trauma of her past just like the rest of us, she makes mistakes and fights to right them. She loves strongly but not as strongly as she has learned to love herself.

This book deals with some heavy themes of familial emotional abuse, as well as domestic violence. But I felt that it is dealt with in the most healing of ways, how difficult it is, how healing is often not the easiest of pathways, and how with family - blood isn’t necessarily thicker than water. I recommend checking some trigger warnings if you need, my dms are always open if you’d like clarification before jumping in.

The Path of Thorns

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