A review by frantically
A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone

adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This made me talk about discovering new kinks in a full restaurant, so take that as you will

I've truly never felt so *seen* by a book and its characters. This feels so magical realism-ish but all the characters are so real which is something we rarely see in dark academia inspired novels. 

I'm not gonna talk too much about my sex life in this public review (sorry babes) but there are a lot of fascinating discussions about topics like virginity and general intimacy and it was so great. We've seen a lot of BDSM in romances but the BDSM in this book is so well researched and healthy and god, I'm so grateful we're getting beyond the Fifty Shades stuff. BDSM isn't just sex, there's so much more involved and a lot of conversations are required and all that comes across so good in this book while not feeling like a guidebook, if you catch my drift.

Also absolutely obsessed with the way religion is handled. We have Catholic characters who experience their closest link to God while recreating a Celtic ritual and priests who are still human, still experience sexual feelings. Religion can be so fluid and so personal and especially Catholicism isn't as straightforward and fixed in its rules as other Christian religions and I loved how we got to see all this represented in this book.

This is absolutely one of my new favourite novels and I was so delighted to find out it's a series — onto the next one!
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