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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
This was truly a thrilling read. I don't normally care for contemporary settings but this one had enough magic and charisma to see me through. I went in unaware of the plot (read: by the time I got to it, I'd forgotten what it was about) and was pleasantly surprised. Laurence was such a lovely blend of loyal and self-sabotaging. Quen is.. oh, the poor boy. I want to hug him very badly, but I suspect that would not end well for me. I am desperate to know what's up with him and his family. The mythos presented was super intriguing and I'm excited to see what happens next!
set this down for some reason, had no interest in picking it back up
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm going to sound so harsh, but I found this read to be awful. Had I not gone into 2024 with the aim of DNFing so many books, I'd have dropped this one so damn fast. It's only saving grace was how well written and harrowing the prologue (AKA Bait, it's a trap, don't eat the cheese, 100% a hidden trapdoor) was. The rest? Cringe worthy.
Our MMC is meant to be irresistibly good looking - and he knows it. But the guys a total wet blanket.
I also get the ick by the fact that even though he KNOWS schmex and all that it entails is a sore point for the love interest, but he still thinks, dreams, and pushes all the fucking boundaries on the fact. It gave me pervy creep vibes, and not in the fun dark romance sort of way.
And then we have Quentin, the love interest in question. It baffles me how an English author can write and English character so poorly. I get he's meant to come from nobility and all that, but the guys such a fucking drip. Talking in third person constantly, and generally being HEAVILY stereotypically pompous. Add onto that that the guy has spent a significant amount of time traveling around modern day American society and can't even grasp what "you're hott" means? GTFO.
Our MMC is meant to be irresistibly good looking - and he knows it. But the guys a total wet blanket.
I also get the ick by the fact that even though he KNOWS schmex and all that it entails is a sore point for the love interest, but he still thinks, dreams, and pushes all the fucking boundaries on the fact. It gave me pervy creep vibes, and not in the fun dark romance sort of way.
And then we have Quentin, the love interest in question. It baffles me how an English author can write and English character so poorly. I get he's meant to come from nobility and all that, but the guys such a fucking drip. Talking in third person constantly, and generally being HEAVILY stereotypically pompous. Add onto that that the guy has spent a significant amount of time traveling around modern day American society and can't even grasp what "you're hott" means? GTFO.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very promising! I still have so many questions about this world and the magic and gods within it and I'm glad not everything was answered right away. I have so many theories--very excited for what all will be revealed later on in the series!
I quite enjoyed Jack of Thorns, but it was not at all what I expected. This was a lot darker and more fantasy oriented than romance while I was expecting a pretty light fantasy romance. Laurence is a recovering addict with no direction in life who is unable to control his powers of premonition. When he prays to some pagan gods, he accidentally summons Jack of the Green, the god of fertility, who promises to help him. Quentin is hotbed of repressed issues wrapped up in a good-looking and rich package of a British baron, far away from home and hiding from his father. Fate bringing them together may just bring more than either one could have bargained for.
I liked how both Laurence and Quentin had their own distinct voices. They brought their own personalities and issues. You really just have to look past the pretentiousness and cartoonish way Quentin was written with his insistent need to refer to himself in the third person and his unbelievable level of being out of touch with reality (of not being rich). It’s really quite odd. Otherwise, I actually liked their interactions and how each were sort of fish-out-of-water in each other’s worlds. Their romance is such a slow burn, it’s nearly non-existent, with it being mostly just set up for future installments.
Jack of Thorns does feel like a series opener. It sets up a lot of questions, especially about Quentin and his past that remain unanswered. And much of the dark tone of the book comes from these hinted at issues in both Quentin and Laurence. There’s physical and even sexual abuse, alcoholism, and the obvious drug addiction. It does make me want to read on just to see how Quentin and Laurence’s relationship develops and how they tackles these serious issues. And I am immensely curious about Quentin’s past.
Jack of Thorns is a dark urban fantasy with two queer and damaged central characters that sets up an interesting contemporary world mixing with mythology.
I liked how both Laurence and Quentin had their own distinct voices. They brought their own personalities and issues. You really just have to look past the pretentiousness and cartoonish way Quentin was written with his insistent need to refer to himself in the third person and his unbelievable level of being out of touch with reality (of not being rich). It’s really quite odd. Otherwise, I actually liked their interactions and how each were sort of fish-out-of-water in each other’s worlds. Their romance is such a slow burn, it’s nearly non-existent, with it being mostly just set up for future installments.
Jack of Thorns does feel like a series opener. It sets up a lot of questions, especially about Quentin and his past that remain unanswered. And much of the dark tone of the book comes from these hinted at issues in both Quentin and Laurence. There’s physical and even sexual abuse, alcoholism, and the obvious drug addiction. It does make me want to read on just to see how Quentin and Laurence’s relationship develops and how they tackles these serious issues. And I am immensely curious about Quentin’s past.
Jack of Thorns is a dark urban fantasy with two queer and damaged central characters that sets up an interesting contemporary world mixing with mythology.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ehh. There are some interesting elements, but overall I found the book rather flat. The themes of addiction and sexual abuse are discussed only on rather superficial level, making it feel like they're there more for dark vibes than actual themes. Similarly the plot feels a bit underdeveloped. The romance is kinda better, but I kept being brothered by how the love interest was some weird british stereotype.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Quentin is an over-the-top caricature of British aristocracy, due to a combination of his little-discussed father's eccentricities and the way his wealth has insulated him from plebian realities. Whether he might better handle British slang is unclear, but he completely misunderstands the many, many American euphemisms for anything to do with sex or sexuality in a way that gradually makes it obvious that something strange is going on with how he processes the concept. Laurence is a recovering heroin addict who is being stalked by an ex-boyfriend, a situation which gets even weirder when prayers to his god for help result in Jack showing up on his doorstep, complete with a demand that Laurence feed him sexual energy.
I appreciate the choice to have a main character (Quentin) who is sex-repulsed and asexual (but probably not aromantic). I think it's handled pretty well, especially with regards to the friendship/relationship between the main characters (Laurence is bisexual). It's important to note that the villains are antagonists partly due to their disrespect of personal autonomy and disregard for consent, especially but not only with regards to sex. This means that certain elements of the plot revolve around unwanted sexual contact and conversations aimed at both main characters. There's also a focus on addiction and recovery, of working through the destructive patterns in their lives and trying to make long-term changes.
I hope the sequels feature Quentin working through the mental blocks which are disrupting his life, but without treating it like he needed to be fixed with sex. Based on how this book went, I have high hopes that this will be handled well going forward, but I'll be keeping my eye on it.
I appreciate the choice to have a main character (Quentin) who is sex-repulsed and asexual (but probably not aromantic). I think it's handled pretty well, especially with regards to the friendship/relationship between the main characters (Laurence is bisexual). It's important to note that the villains are antagonists partly due to their disrespect of personal autonomy and disregard for consent, especially but not only with regards to sex. This means that certain elements of the plot revolve around unwanted sexual contact and conversations aimed at both main characters. There's also a focus on addiction and recovery, of working through the destructive patterns in their lives and trying to make long-term changes.
I hope the sequels feature Quentin working through the mental blocks which are disrupting his life, but without treating it like he needed to be fixed with sex. Based on how this book went, I have high hopes that this will be handled well going forward, but I'll be keeping my eye on it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Minor: Ableism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Acephobia/Arophobia, Pregnancy