I wasn’t sure what to expect reading this one. It carried the fantasy genre in various places, but we were a bit into the book before the fantasy came into play. The Path of Thorns feels more historical or literary than fantasy, which is okay. There is a lot of day-to-day life to get through, with Asher taking care of the children and Asher caving to her boss. In that, it was a bit repetitive, and I didn’t feel like the story really picked up until we were almost 1/5th into it. But when you look at the book as a whole, it’s an engaging story. You want to find out what Asher is really up to and what her goals are in working for this family.
I liked the tales that were told either to the children or aloud. In the end, Slatter said she had used some of them in another book of hers. I thought they added another layer to the story, and I like how it ties her work together. Overall, this is an imaginative story with a bit of a gothic vibe, with just the right amount of otherworldly and mystery that keeps the reader engaged. Thank you, Titan Books, for sending this along.
Book Links
Releasing June 28th
About the Book
Asher Todd comes to live with the mysterious Morwood family as a governess to their children. Asher knows little about being a governess but she is skilled in botany and herbcraft, and perhaps more than that. And she has secrets of her own, dark and terrible – and Morwood is a house that eats secrets. With a monstrous revenge in mind, Asher plans to make it choke. However, she becomes fond of her charges, of the people of the Tarn, and she begins to wonder if she will be able to execute her plan – and who will suffer most if she does. But as the ghosts of her past become harder to control, Asher realises she has no choice.
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