Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"This is the story you asked to taste, whether it be sour or sweet, it is done."

Being able to return to the same eerie, gothic world as All The Murmuring Bones had me so excited, and I wasn't disappointed at all!

All is not as it seems with Asher Todd, new governess to the Moorwood children. The truth slowly unravels itself throughout the book, little titbits of information fed to us like crumbs on a forest floor. There is an almost oppressively dark atmosphere within the pages from the get-go, with Asher being stalked through the trees by an unseen beast, to the haunted and seemingly terrified mistress of the house; it all adds up to the gothic setting I came to expect from Slatter after reading her previous work.

I loved the links to ATMB throughout, little seeds of interest for those who know to look for them. The characters are compelling, and interesting. A whole host of them - distrustful locals, snarky maids, uppity butlers, endearing children, handsome groundsmen. You have them all. There's a mystery at the centre of the plot which reveals itself gently, carefully, and then all at once like a flood. I found myself sort of predicting some parts, but it didn't detract from the reading experience at all.

I love the way that magic is woven into the Sourdough universe the way it is; that it's an everyday reality. It's not strange. It is feared, and there is a healthy dose danger for those who practice it, but it doesn't stop people from seeking out a local wise woman for cures to what ails them.

"All darkness is a gift, but you must find the light in it."

I can't wait to read more stories from this fantastic world in the future!

2.5 ⭐️ A slow-moving stand alone without a strong sense of world / magic system building

Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve never read any of A G Slatter’s books before this one but I loved the cover and I was really intrigued.The main reason I struggled with this book was that it didn’t feel like it had a strong enough sense of world building so that I didn’t really understand any aspect of the society including the religious beliefs or magic system.

Since finishing this book i’ve done a little research and it seems that A G Slatter has written multiple books that are all in the same world but can be read as standalone’s however I felt like this wasn’t reflected in the writing and I was left wondering if I’d understand the world and magic system better if I had read the other books. Having read Tessonja Odette’s Entangled With Fae Books (standalone’s that are in the same world with some overlapping characters) I feel like that’s a good example of how The Path of Thorns could have been stronger.

Even after finishing this book, I’m still not clear on magic within this world, and even less clear about Asher’s magical abilities- I’m not sure why she has it, or what the extent of it is or how common those powers are. Even the society’s opinion of magic is a little confusing because within the same town there is talk of ‘Cunning women’ existing (a side character’s grandmother) but equally Asher mentions being worried about being tried/killed for Witchcraft.

I had some issues with the writing style and it was quite antiquated which was probably done to give an idea of time period but made it difficult to read at times. Sadly this book was also quite slow, and there didn’t seem to be any real hints or bread crumbs to allow you to theorise or start to understand what was happening until half way through the book! It did start to pick up the pace after the half way mark and it was faithful to the gothic genre however this wasn’t enough to make it more than a 2.5 star read for me. ☹️

No one quite does dark adult fairytale fantasy with gritty horror in the mix quite like Angela Slatter. She has a way of landing those unsettling moments in one sentence, which is just enough for your imagination to fill in the rest. This is a fabulous addition to the ‘Sourdough universe’ and it contains a sufficient amount of reprehensible characters that make this a rather grueling and frustrating read. Asher Todd is a wonderful character and you cannot help but invest in her quest to solve the mysteries that surround her. It’s dark, atmospheric and sometimes so frustrating as to be agonizing to read but well worth it.

I was initially unsure of requesting this title, my opinion of Slatter's previous novel All The Murmuring Bones was slightly above average but the cover and synopsis for The Path Of Thorns drew me in regardless- I'm glad it did.

There's a noticeable improvement in the plot and pacing of TPOT, Slatter withholds enough information from the beginning to encourage investment in the mysteries. Asher arrives at Morwood with secrets and motives unknown to us and a burning hatred that screams of a history to uncover.

I found the writing a little inconsistent, the prose is occasionally out of sync with the time period in which The Path Of Thorns is set.
Although this was noticeable enough to break my focus it was of little detriment to the overall reading experience as I was easily drawn back in.

I was pleased to find Slatter has again added short fairytales within the story, as you might guess from the cover Little Red Riding Hood is heavily featured. The tales are beautifully written and hint at subtext leading the reader to consider their relation to the main plot and what hidden motives might be revealed.

Told in first person from Asher's perspective, it's clear she is on a revenge mission but her kind heart isn't darkened by it. Her character is well developed through the interactions and relationships built with those around her, this alongside Asher's inner monologue creates a kinship with the reader that held my interest well.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Path Of Thorns, great for fans of Arden, Ernshaw, Whitten or Novik.

"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."

Governess and revenge? You didn't even have to name-check famous authors I love with that handle!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. This has not impacted my review.

This was a deeply gothic fairy tale reminiscent of Angela Carter. The story of Asher Todd, who moves to a remote estate to become governess to three children. The estate has many secrets – locked doors and paintings missing from the walls – but so does Asher.

There are dashes of horror and gore, and a gothic atmosphere throughout that matches the craft of the writing. None of the characters, bar Asher and the children, are particularly likable. They all have their own secrets and motivations at play, which makes for a brilliant melting pot of tension. Once the plot lines began to unravel, I was fully invested, and wanted to know where the threads would lead.

The book has all the elements of classic gothic horror: the mysterious house, the family secrets, the staff with secrets of their own. It more than lived up to the premise and I thoroughly enjoyed this!

The Path of Thorns is a standalone book in Slatter’s Sourdough universe, a secondary world rather reminiscent of early Victorian England, where wise women are good for all kinds of interventions, be it a potion, or a story. I still haven’t read all of the Sourdough stories – a fact I need to remedy – but I loved Slatter’s last novel in this world, All the Murmuring Bones, and so have been looking forward to this book immensely.

And it didn’t disappoint in the slightest.

The Path of Thorns tells us the story of Asher Todd, a governess who has worked her way into the household of a manor lord, in order to seek vengeance on behalf of her mother, who was wronged in ways that are slowly revealed over the course of the novel. Atmosphere is where Slatter excels, and this book was excellent in that regard; there is a cold, damp and foreboding feeling that settles over the entire novel. The plot largely sticks to a lot of the hallmarks of gothic literature – misty moors, and a ghost in the locked spare bedroom – but it was much darker in tone than I was anticipating, and I was genuinely surprised by the lengths Asher was willing to go in pursuit of justice.

Because frankly, this is not a happy book. It made me angry, it made me sad, it made me feel frustrated and so, so tired of sexism and all the injustices, little and small, that eat away at women in our society on a daily basis. Yet, it’s also cathartic; Asher Todd is downtrodden, bitter, and a victim of her own delusional attempts to cling to what little scraps of affection she’s given, lest they slip away. But her deep rage somehow manifests itself as compassion for those who suffer under the same patriarchal systems, and a dogged determination to help others find peace. There’s also a sense of righteousness in watching Asher take down those whose only intent is to do harm along the way.

I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re looking for a lighthearted read, but if you’re looking for something to absorb – or possibly magnify – your rage at the world for a few hours, The Path of Thorns absolutely fits the bill.

You know those authors where you know you love their work but somehow they're not automatically at the top of your mind and then you see a new book by them and you think, oh yeah I should read that; and then you do read it (perhaps eventually) and you think WHY DO I FORGET HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM?

Maybe that's just me.

Sorry, AG Slatter. I really do love your work.

This novel is set in the world of Slatter's mosaic novels - Sourdough and Other Stories, and The Bitterwood Bible and Other Recountings. You don't have to know those stories to love and appreciate this one; they're not about the same characters, or even necessarily the same places in the world. This is a world where magic is real, at least some of the time, but not everyone approves. Magic is mostly done (at least in these stories) by women, which feeds into the disapproval of that 'not everyone'. It's used for good and for ill and sometimes doing it for one reason ends up having the opposite consequences. In her Author's Note, Slatter points that the world is a mishmash of the Victorian, Renaissance and Medieval - and asks readers not to go looking for historical accuracy. So there are moments that maybe kind of feel familiar from history, but they're set with moments that really don't.

What I particularly love about this and the other Sourdough stories is that they feel like fairytales, even though they're definitely not tales that I know. There's something about the ideas and themes - as Slatter suggests, "weird family dynamics, manipulation and lies, false faces, lost families and found, terrible acts and the potential for redemption". There's also something about the way Slatter writes, and here I am completely lost for words. I can't tell you what words or phrases she uses to evoke a slightly eerie world, the sense that this is a world just slightly off from ours; that makes me a bit amazed that this is NEW work, rather than something that was told ages ago and has that patina of tradition, of being a well-worn and beloved story - of familiarity. And that last is particularly odd, frankly, because I really didn't know what on earth was going to happen from page to page. She uses phrases and stories-within-stories that read like they SHOULD be as old and familiar as the wine-dark sea and Achilles' rage, but ... they're not.

So: Asher goes to Morwood Grange, to be governess to three young children. She has a frightening experience on arrival, and brings with her some things that she immediately puts under a floorboard. And see, right from that, you just know things aren't going to be straightforward. And so the story proceeds - making friends and enemies and figuring out how to do what she's come to do; you already guessed that Asher didn't come to Morwood accidentally, right? In some ways a bit claustrophobic - Asher mostly interacts with the family and few servants at Morwood - it's saved from being TOO gothic the-house-is-trying-to-eat-me by occasional visits to the village and out into the grounds of the estate, and also through Asher's occasional reminiscences, It's an intense story, intensely inwards-focussed - and look, I read it in a day.

I loved it. A lot. It's not always easy to read; the family is a deeply broken one, Asher's not exactly perfect, and there are definitely actions that people regret (or should, but don't). And yet, I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The Path of Thorns is a gothic fairytale-Esque novel about a girl named Asher Todd who is full of more than one mystery. How many lies does it take to get to the center of this story?

A.G.Slatter has created a dark, immersive world of witches, shape shifters, and blood magic that captivates the mind and holds the light at bay. You see into the soul of those who would do anything for praise from the right person. The way a person can see themselves as broken, and yet still carry on in the world and do incredible things. The way women’s feet can hurt.

The strongest part of the writing, in my opinion, was the narrative voice. Asher Todd is a distinct character who is as likable as she is flawed. She has a way of looking at the world which is carried through to the end of the novel. The plot makes sense because of the person she is. And the plot itself is woven so that you can really only see pieces of what is happening until you realize what Asher’s plan really is.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, definitely in the realm of four stars!

I had the toughest time getting into this book. I love fantasy and i’m not sure if it’s the format or what but I couldn’t get into this world. This was a DNF for me at about 20%.

I hope to pick it up maybe in physical form once it is released and try again, because it sounds like something I should love!!

The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter was a slow burn for me. I thought the information regarding the estate was long-winded, and I wanted to learn more about its inhabitants. The mystery was intriguing enough, but I wanted more of the supernatural elements. I love the witchy plot points, the hint at werewolves, and the entire wolf lore, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if I got to spend more time with the complexities of the characters. I also felt the climax of the story, when Asher completed her ultimate task, the language took me out of the story. The use of mother-uncle felt absurd to me. There could have been a more tactful way to use this or trust that the reader understands the magic.

Thank you, NetGalley and Titan Books, for the ARC.

This is such a fun intriguing fantasy book! I truly loved it. I thought about it, the characters and what would happen next daily. I rate this book a 10 on creativity, mystery, believable characters and atmosphere.

I loved this gothic tale of a witchy governess who made a promise that takes a lot of careful construction to fulfill.

Asher was a strong and intriguing main character. Set to fulfill a promise she made to her mother on her deathbed, Asher takes on the role of Governess at the Morewood Estate. The atmosphere is brooding and deliberate and I fell completely into the story. The side characters were just as engaging as the main.

I enjoyed how the web of the story was slowly spun out and the reader didn’t know everything right at the start. I didn’t even know the promise Asher needed to fulfill until near the end. It kept the mystery going throughout.

I will definitely be reading this author again, especially if she writes more gothic horror.

Beyond amazing! This book was an incredible read and I can't recommend it enough. This is a book you'll want on your shelf and to give as a gift. Everyone needs to read it.

A beautifully written story with hints of a fairy tale, with wolves, witches, and enchantments. Full of intrigue and family secrets, the narrative keeps you hooked as more is slowly revealed.

Asher Todd arrives at the Morwood's manor to school the three young children. But she has ulterior motives, and a plan which cannot fail. Asher is a protagonist full of flaws, desperate for the love she was denied as a child, and hides a secret that will mean her downfall if it is ever discovered. Held to a promise made on a deathbed, she must carry out certain practices, however distasteful.

Although slow at times, the story was gripping enough to keep me reading to the end. There are a few twists along the way, and the ending is everything it should be. An enthralling story. Recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Asher arrives at an old country manor house on a dark and stormy night. She has been hired as the new governess. But her motives are increasingly mysterious as she seems to have hidden knowledge of the house and its residents. But why is she really there and what is her dark secret. This incredible mix of Gothic, Fantasy and Mystery had me hooked from the opening scene. The author expertly weaves fantasy and drama together with some fairy-tale like side stories. I loved how women forward the book was and the author tells a great story of parental expectations, family trauma and grief. Great for fans of Naomi Novik.

This was a wonderfully captivating story from start to finish. I've seen it likened to Jane Eyre x Frankenstein and it's an apt likeness.

This is a fully immersive gothic fairytale, set in a world much like ours. Asher Todd arrives at Morwood to be the new governess, but everything is not what it seems, with Asher and those living at Morwood.

Perfectly blending fairy tales with the ordinary, this is a story that is haunting and eery throughout. You'll be racing through this to unlock all the secrets and lies, to get to the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for my DRC in exchange for my honest opinion!

A.G. Slatter's "The Path of Thorns" is a gothic fairytale dream. I loved how lush and descriptive Slatter's writing is. While it starts off quite slow (it honestly reminded me a lot of "Jane Eyre"` and "Wuthering Heights), I thought Slatter's writing was enthralling enough that I didn't notice that often. And while I do tend to veer away from most modern books written in the style of classic British novels like the ones I mentioned previously (I'm a British Lit. grad student lol), I honestly enjoyed Slatter's deference to writing in that longer style that was so common back then. I don't know, I know that it'll probably put a lot of readers off, but I think Slatter's writing was just so pretty that I'm okay with it.

Our main character, Asher is such an enjoyable character too! She's a vengeful witch and while her plans go astray more often than she'd like, it was engaging to follow her. I loved how complex she was and her relationships with the other characters was really compelling to read and probably my favorite aspect of the novel. I think if you have difficulty getting into the narrative because of the slow beginning, the saving grace is Asher and how Slatter illustrates her relationships and interactions with everybody else.

I loved the mystery and suspense of this book a lot more than I had anticipated. I tend to guess any plot points and with this one, I was guessing right up until I was told the points. This was an enjoyable read and I'd definitely recommend it!

The Path of Thorns is a fantastic fantasy story about a woman named Asher and how she goes about getting revenge for her mother. It is really quite the story and I loved everything about it. The main character Asher is smart, headstrong, and incredibly cunning. She is a witch who has trained as a doctor and this comes in handy in several situations. Her skills bring about several ethical questions as the book goes on, but generally, she uses her talents for good. The Morwood family that she is hired to care for consists of the grandmother who is a bitter power-hungry woman, Luther, the man of the house who is a womanizing, awful, human, and the kids who are innocent in all this. There is way, way more to the family than it seems but telling would ruin the surprise. There is also various household staff who are important in one way or another. My favorite is Eli, the man Asher has a romantic relationship with. The story is very well-written and will keep you engaged all the way to the end. If you like a good gothic dark fairy tale, this one is for you.

Another wonderful fairy tale in Slatter's Sourdough world, I personally think it is a stronger novel than All the Murmuring Bones, which was a little slower to start. In this new novel a young lady has traveled a long distance to take up the task of teaching the young children of the manor, but we are told from the first page that there are ulterior motives. Great voice, great characters, more than one or two twists that caught me by surprise, and the inter twinning of Slatter's fairytale retelling make The Path of Thorns a must for fans of Naomi Novik and V E Schwab