Bitterthorn By Kat Dunn

A thoughtful, intricate and refreshingly sapphic exploration of loneliness and found family told through the poetic language of a dark fairytale.

I devoured the gorgeous macabre imagery: bones in the earth adorned with vines, moth-eaten blood-stained shirts. Dunn evoked every sense in every description, I felt the itchy stockings on my skin and smelled the musty damp of the castle.

The sinister effects of loneliness were explored expertly in both main characters, realistically presenting in their motivations and actions. For me, this book had the perfect balance of fantasy in the setting and relatability in the characters. There were moments of delicious romantic tension that were elevated by the time Dunn had dedicated to making both Mina and the Witch sympathetic, complex characters.

If you love a gothic moment, absorbing atmosphere and morally grey love interests, pick Bitterthorn up. You really don’t want to miss this one.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the e-arc, I’m ever so grateful.