Kat Dunn, Bitterthorn, Anderson Press, May 2023, 368 pp., RRP $22.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781839132957
We had slunk around the edges of history while all around countries merged and split and feuded and warred. A nation of sheep and wool and spinning.
No one noticed us, except the Witch. (p. 8)
For hundreds of years the largely unremarkable town of Blumwald has been haunted by the Witch. Once per generation she emerges from her distant castle to claim one of their men as a companion. A human sacrifice never to return. That time is growing near once again, and pungent dread envelopes the town as they await her arrival…
Daughter of the Duke, Mina learnt from a very young age exactly what she was – a problem that needed solving. Lonely, grieving, and seeing no future for herself in Blumwald, when the Witch arrives demanding her next companion Mina spontaneously offers herself up. But as the heat of the moment fades Mina realises she has no idea what she’s just signed up for. No more than she knows of the terrifying secrets held at the heart of the Witch’s tower.
A delectably Gothic sapphic romance, Bitterthorn presents a rich tapestry that weaves together aspects of classical fairy tales with original perspectives, characters, and themes. Loneliness is a central concept explored throughout the novel – as are grief, duty, and the healing power of love – as Mina learns how dearly she needs to be needed. Full of inner turmoil, introspection, and enchanting imagery, this heady fantastical story offers much connection to readers who themselves have been through challenging periods of grief, fear, and isolation in the past few years.
I would highly recommend Dunn’s bittersweet and intoxicating novel for anyone with a soft spot for fairy tales aged 14 years and over.
Reviewed by Libby Boas
