Bookseller Reviews
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Evocative, Immersive Fairy-Tale Fantasy
What a true treasure of a novel. I wish I could forget it to read all over again, feel surprised at its gentle twists and turns, and become completely imme... READ MORE
A fairytale with bite!
Blumwald is a town overshadowed by something much worse than a simple curse: Blumwald is at the mercy of one who lives in the depths of the never ending an... READ MORE
A dark fairytale for a new generation.
Mina is the daughter of a Duke in somewhere in the Black Forest (I think). This is a dukedom under a curse. Once every fifty years a witch comes down from ... READ MORE
A sapphic gothic page turner
I devoured this book in one sitting and was left with so many feelings afterwards.
Mina is the daughter of a duke, who has spent her life feeling lonely ... READ MORE
A Gothic fairytale with a hopeful twist
I stayed up till 3am to finish this book, which I take as a testament to how engrossing the world is: full of humanity, with beautiful descriptions of the ... READ MORE
Deliciously Gothic, Endlessly Romantic
A thoughtful, intricate and refreshingly sapphic exploration of loneliness and found family told through the poetic language of a dark fairytale.
I devour... READ MORE
Sapphic fairytale romance, what more could you ask for!
The sapphic fairytale romance you've been waiting for! Dunn creates a soft and careful narrative of two women, abandoned by the world, slowly learning to t... READ MORE
A true Gothic sapphic love story
This read like butter and the weaving (this will get to be an Easter egg when you've read the book) of the story was really well-made! The romance was soft... READ MORE
Amazing read
Incredible gothic tale with strong fairytale elements and haunting atmosphere. Explores the themes of loneliness and love and how the two intertwine. This ... READ MORE
Synopsis
Blumwald is a town overshadowed by an ancient curse: in a sinister castle in the depths of the wild wood lives a monstrous Witch.
Once a generation, she comes to claim a companion to return with her - never to be seen again. Now that time is drawing near once more... Mina, daughter of the duke, is grieving and lonely. She has lost all hope of any future for herself in Blumwald.
So when the Witch demands her next companion, Mina offers herself up - though she has no idea what fate awaits her. Stranded with her darkly alluring captor, the mystery of what happened to the previous companions draws Mina into the heart of a terrifying secret that could save her life, or end it.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
- ISBN: 9781839132957
- Number of pages: 368
- Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 22 mm
- Interest age: From 14 years
- Weight: 293g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allGothic, sapphic goodness
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Anderson Press for giving me access to an e-arc of this book.
Kat Dunn, this book was beautifully written and has such ... READ MORE
Beautifully written
I have so many emotions flowing through my mind and body after finishing this beautifully written and completely emotionally captivating book. I don’t know... READ MORE
Unsure on this one
I’m not really sure on my feelings after reading Bitterthorn which is a dark, gothic fairytale for 2023 with a queer love story at its heart.
On one hand ... READ MORE
A sweeping gothic heartache
I finished Bitterthorn one winter night while the rain battered the windows, and by gods, what a book. It’s a masterpiece, a slow burn gothic story of love... READ MORE
This book is truly captivating. I can’t sum up how I feel
Thank you Andersen Press and Netgalley for the arc of Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
“And to the lonely: I hope y... READ MORE
Gothic Slow-burn Delight!
Took a few days to sit down with this book and give it my full attention! I really enjoyed the world building and found myself itching to get back to readi... READ MORE
Gothic Fairytale
Blumwald is a town overshadowed by a Witch.... and a curse that strikes fear in the heart of every resident, as every 50 years, the Witch takes a companion... READ MORE
Enchanting, deep and beautifully written
What a brilliant read! I absolutely devoured it. It broke my heart and rebuilt it again. Beautifully written, lyrical, heartbreaking and hopeful. It’s not ... READ MORE
A new sapphic fantasy to get completely lost in
If you felt lost, unloved and lovely would you offer yourself to the Witch who comes calling for a companion? That's exactly what Mina does when Blumwald's... READ MORE
Heartbroken it ended
This was the most beautiful book I've ever read, so much more than just romance, finished in 5 hours and I'm so sad it ended. 100/10 would recommend.
A gorgeously Gothic sapphic fairytale that completely had me under its spell
Kat Dunn has established herself as an author I need on my shelves. Bitterthorn is a gem of a book, surprisingly touching and quietly enchanting.
Dunn ... READ MORE
Amazing LGBTQ+ Story with Gothic Elements
This book is amazing. I am recommending it to many people and I love it so much. This is about a girl called Mina who offers herself as a companion for the... READ MORE
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