Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

The Thorns Remain by J.J.A. Harwood

1 review

elizabethblue's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

(3.5*/5*) Great potential.

Reminiscent of traditional folktales about encounters with the Fae, this book is very well researched in regards to Faerie lore from the Scottish Highlands. The Faerie characters themselves are rightfully ominous and delightfully non-human in appearance, which I enjoyed. However, what initially caught my interest was the unique time period; the author brings in post-WW1 grief and the Spanish flu outbreak into the mix, which had a lot of potential. But this element falls flat in comparison to the folklore aspects. Moira Jean’s days consist of endless lists of chores and underexplored bouts of grief when not dealing directly with the Fae. It would have benefitted from more intimate character moments, and more exploration into the culture of people in these rural areas outside of their work responsibilities. The beginning of this book is intriguing. But the middle section, particularly when it comes to characterisation of Moira Jean and the other human characters, comes off as underdeveloped due to the lack of these smaller details. Despite this, this book is still miles better than most Faerie related books out currently, the ending is beautifully bittersweet and fits Moira Jean’s character progression perfectly. Definitely worth reading.

One of the main issues with the writing is how information is delivered, for example, the reveal that Fiona has been replaced with a changeling happens moments after the concept of changelings is even brought up. And the person to figure this out isn’t Moira Jean, it is an elderly side character used mainly for exposition. It would have been more fun, if this was brought up early and Moira Jean slowly figured it out by observing Fiona. I also think it was a bit of a wasted opportunity to bring in an older character who was clearly paranoid about the Fae, and then not go into her backstory with the fair folk at all - paranoia like that doesn’t come from nowhere!

The one aspect I really appreciated about Moira Jean was the frequent instances of bisexual panic, I see you girly. My all time favourite scene with The Dreamer was when he shifted into the form of a woman, and Moira Jean was too flustered to speak even though she had no trouble talking down to him as a man. Relatable. Chefs kiss. The ending was also very well done, I am glad that she didn’t end up with The Dreamer in the end and she managed to get away from her hometown. I couldn’t imagine a relationship with a Fae to ever be healthy, given how they are. But many books don’t want to acknowledge the darker aspects of the fair folk in their romances. Which is a shame, because the moral ambiguity and the danger element is what is so fascinating about the Fae.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual harassment and Violence