Brudunnock is a small Scottish village going through hard times. With an absentee landlord, the villagers are never sure what their fate will be. With the war recently ended, and the ‘flu rampant, there have been casualties amongst many, and it’s taking all the efforts of those left behind, and those invalided to keep the estate going.

Moira Jean is one of the young folk of the village. Strong willed and hard working, she is a force to be reckoned with, but she has her own demons too.

Unusually for me I read a few reviews for this book before starting as I had not heard of the author before, and must say I approached the book with some trepidation due to the negative comments. However, I liked it. This is a proper fairy story, with all the faery folk you can imagine, and some you would never dream up. Yes, it’s a bit long winded, and sometimes very slow. At times the writing is more suited to a YA novel, and supremely far fetched, and at times it’s pure whimsy, but for a fairy story that’s to be expected. I think the “relationship “ between The Dreamer and Moira Jean could have been developed more, though the ending sort of tied everything up (unless there’s a sequel?), and didn’t hold back on those that didn’t survive. Not a bad read if you take it as pure fantasy and go with the flow.

For those who love fantasy this is for them.

Thank you NetGalley.

Thank you HarperCollins Uk, Harper Fiction and NetGalley for the arc of I JJA Hartwood’s The Thorns Remain in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I read The Shadow in the Glass last year, and found the premise and plot to be interesting, so wanted to see what the second novel would provide. Set during WW I in the Scottish Highlands, it focuses on the character Moira Jean and her fight to rescue her kidnapped friends after they accidentally attract the attention of the fae one night.

Moira Jean had to make bargains with the fae, provide services as demanded (not that sort!) and always remember that the fae are tricksy, words and deeds must be specific and carefully used.

Whilst, there are many characters in the story, the focus is truly on Moira Jean and some of the fae, with the exception of Mrs Iverarch, who helps Moira Jean by telling her the fae folklore, educating het about iron and supporting her as much as she can.

The world building focuses on this tiny Scottish village and the community spirit and support that is essential to keep the village running, alongside the Manor House and associated service expectations. Plus the strata of this mini society and of course the romance involving Moira Jean.

Whilst I enjoyed the story, at times the pace would stutter and sometimes it did feel a little strained but, Harwood writes excellent prose that truly carries the story. And if you’re looking for a light escape, you could do far worse.

Unfortunately this one ended up not being for me. It's a very slow paced, meandering read with a heavily atmospheric backdrop as we follow Moira Jean and the search for her friends amongst the Fae. And although I admired the beautiful descriptions, I found the characters didn't receive the same treatment. When never really get to see Moira Jean develop as a character, and I felt there was a lot of missed potential to develop the relationship between Moira and the Fae.

Lots of potential, but this ultimately didn't fulfill what it promised.

The Thorns Remain sounded like a great premise. I love Fae books and this sounded like a story with a dark fairytale vibe. The Fae in this story did seem to be darker than most YA which I enjoyed but it was probably the only thing I did like.

I wasn’t a fan of the writing style and how the MC was in third person. I got sick of reading her name, and couldn’t connect with her.

The pacing was too slow in the beginning for me, I found too much not needed information and not enough detail about her friendships when the story is about her trying to save her friends I was just hoping for the connections to be better described.

It’s one I would say is on the much younger side of YA and while it wasn’t one for me I do think a lot of others might enjoy this.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for sending me an E-arc of this in exchange for my honest review.

What I would give to be able to read this story over and over again with fresh eyes and to discover it’s greatness time and again.

This story was beautifully written and I hope there will be a sequel.

Moira Jean and The Dreamer *sigh*
I hope they find their way back to eachother someday with the dreamer having learned his own lessons this time.

This post WW1 set teen fantasy takes place in Scotland in a fictional village where the small population has been plagued by the effects of war and the great influenza epidemic. Nineteen year old Moira Jean is the last sibling living at home and has a hard but largely fulfilling life working on the land. When they can, the few young people of the village escape to the forest to party, and it is on one of these occasions that the unthinkable happens. What follows takes Moira Jean on a quest that combines history, superstition and forces ger to use her wits as she faces the realities of ancient Scottish folklore. Acting alone, Moira Jean faces the darkest of times, physical and psychological, as she battles forces both human and fae in order to save those she loves.

I adore myth and legend, and this places both in a believable setting and location, and with exceptional detail. Moira Jean is a likeable and robust character, strong willed and feisty, although I initially thought she was a lot younger (maybe 15) as she seems quite child-like in some parts. Her story fits into the folklore elements well. Also the lack of a future for young people in this post-war period is explored, the decline of the big houses and their requirements for staff, and the need to move away for jobs and opportunities.

The ending was a little predictable, but that’s fine, there were elements and threads that could only be tied up in one way.

The book format bothered me, there’s no chapters (not good for a bed-time reader) and instead the story is split into five long-feeling parts, which could be read over five days, but I’d prefer breaks and shorter chunks.

All in all not a bad book at all. Suitable for teenagers, scenes allude to romance but no descriptions. Some mild fantasy violence including mythical creatures.

This was an overall pleasant read, perfect for those who love descriptive language, folklore, magick and fantasy.

We're introduced to a rural Scottish village after WW1 and the flu epidemic that followed, seeing the effects that losing half a generation of young people can have on the everyday running of a small, tight-knit community. Moira Jean is learning to cope with the loss of her fiancé when her friends are taken by a local Fae Lord for intruding on his sacred land. Bargaining for their return, we follow Moira as she completes her end of the deal - instead of the more recent tendencies to romanticise the Fae, this Fae-based story leans into more traditional folklore, with sometimes sinister and morally ambiguous Fae.

I initially devoured this book, as Harwood's writing style is generally easy to read, and easy to follow. Later on, I did find that the pacing of the story telling jumped between slow, descriptive, and sometimes repetitive to rushed, vague and overlooking important details. For the most part, however, Hardwood's world building is beautiful, detailed, and well worth the read.

Like some of the other reviews, I too did not massively click with Moira Jean as the main character. I found her a little difficult to relate too, but that's not a huge barrier for me within reading. I think part of this is I found it hard to place the ages of the main, young group - sometimes the language felt like the group were young teens, and other times like the group were in their mid twenties.

Overall, I would say if the description sounds interesting, give it a read. It was time well spent, and Harwood's writing is excellent.

I read this initially as an ARC via Net Galley, but will be purchasing the physical copies as soon as they're published - I cannot wait to re-read this in a physical form!

A tale full of the darker versions of the Fae.

Set in rural Scotland after WW1, we follow Moira Jean as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her fiancé. She is a character full of raw emotions, young and strong, given an almost impossible task to save her friends. This isn’t a story with a romantic Fae cast. Rather one that takes on the more traditional approach where mortals are easily ensnared in a world that is riff with danger. Harwood doesn’t shy from creating multifaceted villains who struggle to do the right thing. Yet, despite their lack of a moral compass, there are times when they are endearing, making them a compelling set who are perfect opposites to the self sacrificing nature of Moira Jean’s character.

Certainly an enthralling plot and one I would recommend!

An enjoyable read full of magic, action and surprises. If you love all things Fae, then this is definitely a read for you.

The Thorns remain is the second book from J.J.A Harwood that I have read. I enjoyed her previous novel ‘The Shadow in the glass’ so I was looking forward to reading this.
Even though this had an interesting premise. I thought this started really slow and although the protagonist Moira Jean was her aim to save her friends from ‘The Dreamer’ the story kept going off track and describing Scottish folk lore and her relationship with her mother instead. There was also not a lot of background about her friends and why she was so hell bent in saving them. The only part I really liked of this story was the ending and the reasons why ‘The dreamer’ did what he did to Moira Jean thinking that there was a future between them 3 stars from me.

I wasn't really sure to make of this book. It starts off slow and I had frustrations that it just had too many unknowns at the beginning. I get a bit of mystery, but it wasn't that, it was deliberate avoidance that I found aggravating. It meant it took me forever to get into the book because I'd pick it up and then be like, not today. But, once I persevered (and I did, and I would recommend others do as well) and got past that then the story that was told after was really lovely.

I can't really place when the book is set, but it tells the tale after a war, and after a bout of the flu, where there are a lot of uncertainties. And in a quiet village, that is run by a family that is absent, the struggles of everyday life are real. But near this village, is another kingdom that is bountiful and wonderful, and the merging of these worlds is a story to behold.

A 3 1/2 stars for me if I could, but a 3 doesn't do justice to some of the beauty of the book.

Great premise, but the writing and the characters didn't work for me. I'd still like to check out more from this author, there is lots of potential here. Three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Although what seemed to be an interesting concept, unfortunately, I did not enjoy the book on this occasion. It started off very confusing, and the writing became highly repetitive. The book's pace was not consistent throughout, and I felt it had the potential for more. It isn't personally to my tastes but may be to someone else.

I did enjoy this although it was a bit slow paced and at times it was a bit repetitive i did like the mix of historical and magical elements i wouldnt say its a typically a romance story but has elements of the fairy romance tropes i like how its shows moria jeans loyalty to her friends and her feelings of getting left behind not just physically but emotionally as she struggles to move on from her loss i read her other book the cinderella retelling and i think this one while having the same historical and magical elements is less dark than this one was

Unfortunately, this books wasn't for me. It was too slow and over descriptive. The blurb sounded amazing but the story just wasn't for me. The blurb compared the story to Addie LaRue which probably made my expectations really high.

In support of the ongoing Harper Collins union, I won’t be posting a review for this book until the reasonable demands for fair pay and conditions are met.

Unfortunately I gave up on this one half way through reading it. I wanted to love it as it was marketed for fans of ACOTAR by Sarah J Maas but it was falling flat for me the more I kept reading. I don't know exactly what I didn't like about it so I figure that if I can't pinpoint a reason then I should leave it aside and maybe revisit again in the new year when I maybe won't find the whole thing as confusing and the main character a bit more interesting.

I was really looking forward to reading this one: one of my favourite genres- historical fantasy with a touch of magic, a fairy tale for the grown ups! Sadly, I was disappointed and it did not live up to my expectations. I loved the plot line but the book was just too long. Full of trivial descriptions and repetition and at about 50% I started to skim read to the end. Interestingly I could see this working more as a film or series especially with the Fae folk and the Highlands being very visually appealing, but as a book it did not keep me interested enough to plough through.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this advance e copy.

I read Hartwood’s <i>The Shadow in the Glass</i> last year, and I was interested to see where she’d go with her second novel. Although the debut was of a similar genre, and one I love - historical fiction mixed with a bit of the supernatural - here we are taken from Victorian London into the Scottish Highlands. Quite the journey.

<i>The Thorns Remain</i> focuses entirely on the Fae folk, and the stark consequences which can occur from a night of dancing with them. It’s a fascinating topic for me, ignited entirely by Clarke’s <i>Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell</i>, and a difficult one to tackle, so I was eager to see how Hartwood would handle it.

Moira Jean and her friends accidentally call on the Fae folk one evening, and unwittingly enter into a dance with them. As Moira Jean is the only one to escape, she must do everything in her power to return her friends to their own world, making bargains with the Fae, and carrying out their wishes. No thank you, wouldn’t be me, sorry friends but you’re there until the end of time.

Hartwood’s characters aren’t great here. Although the friends and their safe return are the focal point of the story, there isn’t a great deal of backstory on them, which diminishes our engagement on whether or not they return. One of my favourite characters, who provides Moira Jean with stories on local folklore to help her make sense of the mess she’s in, is also quite badly characterised and remains in the background. I’d have loved to have heard more from her and about her.

Speaking of folklore, this is very lightly grazed over also. I’m Scottish, so I do have a decent understanding of the different creatures who live amongst our lore; I was disappointed in the almost indifferent explanations I was given of them.

Despite these points, I really enjoyed Hartwood’s world building, and her depictions of a small Scottish village in the early 1900s. It was wonderful to see the work that goes into keeping a village running, the opinions of those in the ‘big hoose’ and the different types of relationships which run through the community.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book. Unfortunately, I didn't find that it lived up to the blurb and my expectations. I had been looking forward to reading a story set in Scotland at the end of the First World War. I found the story slow to build and Moira Jean was not particularly interesting. The story was confusing and although I finished the book I don't feel satisfied by the ending.
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