Well, A.G. Slatter has done it again! After enchanting me with the gorgeous All the Murmuring Bones, she kept me glued to the dark and twisty Path of Thorns. I was fairly sure I would enjoy this one, and I was right!

Asher Todd is a fantastic main character. She is smart, capable, full of secrets... and out for revenge. But she was also wonderfully complex and moving in the morally grey space that I find fits the gothic setting so perfectly. This book also had basically all the elements I love: there is witchcraft (dark one, too), there are ghosts and other creatures of lore, there are family secrets, and there is murder. Lots of murder, actually. I kept turning the pages waiting for all the secrets to come to light, and they were each more delicious than the one before.

The setting was beautifully atmospheric and perfectly gothic. There are some horror elements, but not too much, so I'd define this as creepy more than outright scary. It does get pretty dark though, so be mindful if that's a concern for you. There's also quite a lot of injustice and sexism going around, as well as some abuse and very, very complicated relationships, so again be mindful if that's triggering for you.

The only part I wasn't too sold on was the romance, but it took up such a small part of the story that it actually didn't bother me all that much in the end. The rest of the relationships between the various characters were really masterfully drawn up, as each displayed their complexity to the fullest, as well as the darkness that can hide within. Several themes were running underneath the main storyline and helped to make this so much more than just another gothic fairytale.

Overall, The Path of Thorns is a perfect spooky season read, with its eerie vibes and gothic setting, perfect for lovers of fantasy and dark fairytales.

Content Warnings: this book contains mentions of abuse (domestic and parental), murder, abortion, necromancy, animal cruelty, blood, infidelity.


I received an e-arc of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way. ( )

This book took me a looooong time to get through (for me.) I alternated between enjoying it and being quite disturbed by certain elements. Overall, I'd say it was imaginative and well-written, but just not for me.

Trigger warnings that I wish I had known about ahead of time include animal cruelty/death, abortion, body horror/gore. I feel like there was something else too, but unfortunately I may have repressed that memory. ( )

this is an imaginative combination of horror and dark fantasy, set in an original fantasy world called Sourdough World, and the author says it came out of a question she asked herself: "what would happen if Jane Eyre met Frankenstein?". it moves seamlessly through fairy tales to werewolves, ghosts, and witches, and uses a framework of psychological horror, with a mystery folded in, and Australian writer Angela Slatter is definitely a storyteller worth seeking out. ( )

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
There are several scenes of violence and gore, including murder and attempted murder. Abuse, emotional, physical and sexual, features multiple times throughout the book. This includes emotional and physical abuse to children, and a domestic abuse relationship. Other themes include misogyny, animal cruelty, animal death, and ableism.

The Path of Thorns is a gloriously gothic fantasy mystery that follows Asher Todd to the estate of Morwood Grange where she begins her role as governess to the Morwoods’ three young children. We are immediately made aware by Asher that she is not a governess, that the fantastic references that got her the job are forgeries, and she is there for something much more sinister. It is that unknown reason that makes this book so delicious to read. Slatter draws it out bit by bit, teasing it out like a knot in a piece of embroidery.

As we learn more about Asher and her mission, her secrets, we also learn more about the Morwoods and the other members of the estate. There are secrets going back generations at Morwood Grange, and the things that go bump in the night are not just figments of imagination. In The Path of Thorns Slatter has woven together a story that encompasses the untold struggles of family, the burden women silently bear and how desperately we fight for approval even when we know it will never come.

For more of my reviews please visit my blog! ( )