A lush and twisted dark fairy tale suffused with witchcraft, dark secrets and bitter revenge from the award-winning author. Exquisite, haunting and at times brutal, readers of Naomi Novik and Erin Morgenstern will be entranced.
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.
From the award-winning author of All the Murmuring Bones, dark magic, retribution and twisted family secrets combine to weave a bewitching and addictive tale.
The Path of Thorns is true to its title but not in the way intended. I expected beauty. Instead, I’m sore and angry about what I’ve just read.
With a cold-hearted witch on a hunt for revenge, a haunting fairy tale, deep family secrets, and classical gothic horror references, A.G. Slatter’s The Path of Thorns felt like a perfect escape when the days get hotter and I’m ready for the cold. Slatter is a magnificent writer but The Path of Thorns left me incredibly disappointed.
Entering into this book, you’ll find a witch-fearing village, gossiping townies, and an old privileged family rotting in an old manor. After her mother’s death, Asher Todd finds herself at the door of the mysterious Moorwood manor with revenge on her mind for the family that changed her life forever. Asher’s porcupine, knives-out demeanor attracts the local beastly groundskeeper, who grows into a wolf, loves to kiss a witch, and swears like a good boy. Torn between a daughter’s duty and a family that needs her, Asher’s heart warms for the Morwoods. Depicting the oppressive misogyny of women in gothic horror and fairy tales, domestic abuse becomes a cycle in The Path of Thorns.
For the most of The Path of Thorns, Slatter had me hooked. I lick up fairy tale inspired fantasy books. The natural, wood-encased feeling of Asher Todd’s entire world made me feel like putting on some witch boots and flying on a broomstick just to get closer to the moon. The innate meanness of Asher appealed to my love for the off-center heroine, who is equal parts messy and a little bit of a bitch. For me, a good story is about interesting characters. And Asher, the Moorwoods, the maid, the groundskeeper she can’t help but kiss a little bit? They are all so interesting.
But then, the pieces started to look wonky.
Much of The Path of Thorns is brilliant, but it developed into a story that looked a little too transphobic for me. A feminist fantasy, The Path of Thorns looks at women’s victimhood in fairy tales and classical gothics but also thinks about the rights white cis men received by inheritance, which women usually did not. As the book depends on that purpose, it caves in when feminist ideologies fell into stereotypes about trans people.
I found it hard to know what to do with multiple scenes of a heroine with no idea how to gender a Frankenstein creature with ‘large man’s hands.’ Time and time again I found myself up against a heroine unsure which pronouns to use for this horrific monster, which goes along with the idea that a ‘woman is stuck in a man’s body’. I’m confused, even sickened, as to how the feminist ideologies are clearly written as intentional, but these integral scenes are unintentionally socially unaware.
Suddenly the smile on my face disappeared, and I’m at odds with an underdeveloped story showing trans people as monstrous, vengeful creatures with bodies that don’t fit. The holes are a bit too gaping for me to ignore. It’s the purpose of the entire feminist message that shows me Asher Todd’s thoughts lead to an ultimately transphobic message. That’s what’s so enraging.
The Path of Thorns was mostly enjoyable to me. With gates covered in ivy, cottages that seemed to grow out of the dirty ground, and swaying trees, there was a lot to enjoy. If there had been more thought put into the larger editorial decisions, this intricate fantasy would have been a great read.
The Path of Thorns was a complete waste of my time.
Thank you Titan Books for an e-copy for review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
