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A review by violetlily13
Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Although this dark gothic fantasy is inspired by the works of Angela Carter and Catherynne Valente's Deathless, Juniper & Thorn veers from those authors' depictions of women overcoming violence and corruption by becoming violent and corrupt themselves. Instead, Reid weaves a story about two young people overcoming horrific abuse throughout their lives by supporting one another, standing up to their abusers, and, at least in the case of the narrator, revealing her abusers' monstrosity to the world. That's probably the most fairy-tale aspect of the story, to be honest. Nonetheless, the ending is cathartic and provides a hopeful future that I wasn't expecting, considering how awful things were for the main characters.
There's a lot working in favour of this novel: the unreliable narrator, the complex secondary characters (for the most part), the creepy atmosphere of the crumbling old house, and, most of all, the in-depth world-building. The setting was my favourite part, and I would love for Reid to explore it further or from another angle in future stories because she handled the infiltration of the modern world into an ancient magical past in a highly satisfactory way - she sketches out just enough without overdoing it while also creating something rich and vibrant.
I'm glad that I picked this one up. It does have flaws - such as the "instalove", the underdeveloped love interest, and the heavy heteronormativity - and I think I would have liked it better ten years ago during my Deathless stage, but it's a far better Slavic-inspired fantasy than The Bear and the Nightingale and I'll keep an eye out for what Reid writes next.
There's a lot working in favour of this novel: the unreliable narrator, the complex secondary characters (for the most part), the creepy atmosphere of the crumbling old house, and, most of all, the in-depth world-building. The setting was my favourite part, and I would love for Reid to explore it further or from another angle in future stories because she handled the infiltration of the modern world into an ancient magical past in a highly satisfactory way - she sketches out just enough without overdoing it while also creating something rich and vibrant.
I'm glad that I picked this one up. It does have flaws - such as the "instalove", the underdeveloped love interest, and the heavy heteronormativity - and I think I would have liked it better ten years ago during my Deathless stage, but it's a far better Slavic-inspired fantasy than The Bear and the Nightingale and I'll keep an eye out for what Reid writes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death of parent