Dancing on the delicate line between reality and enchantment, The Thorns Remain weaves a mesmerising tale that once again showcases the author's mastery of blending magic with the mundane. Having previously enjoyed J.J.A. Harwood's The Shadow in the Glass, I approached this new book with eager anticipation, and it did not disappoint.

Set against the backdrop of a forgotten highland village in the aftermath of war and disease, the novel transports readers to a realm where the mystical and the ordinary entwine seamlessly. Harwood's prowess lies in capturing the essence of life in a tight-knit, isolated community, where relationships and secrets are as dense as the surrounding woods.

The narrative's tempo mirrors the gradual shift of seasons as it unfolds at a deliberate pace. With a slow build and a slow burn, it casts a growing sense of unease that mimics the disquiet Moira Jean feels. As Moira Jean and her friends gather one fateful night, the boundaries between realms blur, and the fae emerge from the shadows, casting their spell upon the unsuspecting group. Harwood's storytelling makes you question reality alongside Moira Jean, intensifying the narrative's eerie allure.

The richness of fae lore and myth woven into the story sets The Thorns Remain apart. The meticulous entwining of folklore, superstition, and ancient tales breathes life into the fae, rendering them as enigmatic and unpredictable as the mist-laden woods they inhabit. The vibrancy of these elements deepens the atmospheric magic that pervades the novel.

Central to the story is Moira Jean, a character both vulnerable and resolute. Her determination and selflessness, even in the face of her own grief, propel the narrative forward. Still mourning her lost love, Angus, her courage and tenacity shine as she faces the enigmatic Dreamer to save her friends.

However, the novel's crescendo doesn't blend seamlessly with its gradual tempo. The conclusion feels hurried and disconnected from the slow pacing maintained throughout. The sense of dissonance leaves the reader slightly unsatisfied, craving a more harmonious resolution that mirrors the earlier rhythm.

In The Thorns Remain, J.J.A. Harwood invites us to step into a world where the fae dance on the periphery of human existence, and the barriers between reality and fantasy dissolve. With a steady hand, the author crafts a tale that resonates, capturing both the enchantment and the peril that come with brushing against the otherworldly. Moira Jean's journey into the heart of the fae's domain becomes our own, as we traverse the delicate threads of enchantment, loss, and courage, emerging on the other side, much like Moira Jean herself - forever changed.

I really enjoyed this one. The Scottish folklore feel was totally wonderful and the book had a lovely array of characters.

I haven't quite gelled with JJA Harwood as a writer yet. I want to love their books more than I end up doing as the synopses always sound great.

This book was brilliant. It was gripping and intricate and I honestly loved it! Would definitely recommend!

I love Scotland and I love myths, and folklore so couldn’t wait to get reading. This is a good read but it didn’t capture my imagination quite as much as I was hoping, the book focuses on Moria Jean and her struggle to get her friends returned to the real World rather than the characters of the fairy world.

This was such an interesting read. The story was different, had a good pace, a character with good development, and a satisfying ending.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

Well, this was a clear 5* read for me all the way through to the climax so even though it fell a little flat at the very end I will have to let it off.

The story follows Moira Jean as she slogs through her responsibilities to her mum and the community (mostly) uncomplainingly while grieving the loss of her fiancé and best friend. Then the fae steal her friends and she is the only one who knows what happened or can get them back, and life suddenly becomes a lot harder but a lot more interesting.

It is a mixture of folk- or fairy tale with a YA coming-of-age story and the blend works really well. I completely empathised with Moira Jean and was righteously indignant at the way she was treated by the ungrateful and suspicious village community when she was continually putting herself in the firing line to help everyone else. There was a bit of a Tiffany Aching (from Terry Pratchett’s children/teen Discworld sub-series) element to her character, but darker and slightly more adult.

In fact, I was so riveted to the characters and events throughout that I found myself rather shamefully wishing that MORE of Moira Jean’s friends had been abducted, so that I could enjoy more of the bargaining and ‘game’ aspects of the story.

My only less-than-satisfied moment was at the climax and ending, which all felt a little bit rushed. I wanted to know how the Dreamer dealt with the issue of the dreaded tithe after all the build-up it had during the conflict of the plot.

I find it hard to imagine Moira Jean returning for a sequel but I do feel the story of the Dreamer, his subjects, and the village still has more story potential remaining… I live in hope!

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

Unfortunately ran out of time with this but my local library has it so will definitely be reading it soon

VERDICT This gripping, folkloric tale of the Scottish fae will keep readers thoroughly engrossed and transport them to this fairy tale realm. Fans of Rebecca Ross, Heather Fawcett, and Sarah J. Maas will enjoy the latest from Harwood (The Shadow in the Glass).

Headlines:
Atmospheric Scottish historical fantasy
Fae and disappearances
Romantic suggestions

So much made me engaged with The Thorns Remain, the historical Scottish setting alongside the very elusive fae lord 'the dreamer'. Moira Jean, the MC was a spirited and savvy heroine, she could see beyond first glances and her distrustful nature was an asset. Moira Jean was a young woman grieving and just getting through.

The plot engaged even if it was a bit slow moving at first. The friends, the disappearances and the village folk who knew about the fae were a strange bunch. The Dreamer held me captive on the page though. Fans of fae stories would recognise much of the lore, but Harwood kept their own unique take on things.

As things came to their culmination I was a little disappointed how the story ended up and that's what keeps this book from being a solid 4 stars. I felt and needed more concrete direction and more with certain characters (vagueness is necessary).

Overall, a talented tale and I will be going back to read Harwood's first book.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the e-ARC.

On paper this book should be a 5* read. A faery novel set in Scotland. Being Scottish I love our folklore. Sadly this doesn't hit the mark at all. It drags out and quite frankly I couldn't wait for it to end. Plus the epilogue was a huge massive eye roll for me. Good concept, poorly executed.

I liked this one but I felt it wasn’t gripping and I could have happily not finished it. Thanks to the author, the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I found this book quite confusing.

The storyline is about a girl in a Scottish village when on the last night before her friends leave to pursue their lives out of it, they go into a clearing to celebrate and they are kidnapped by the Folk under the Hill. From there, the girl - Moira Jean- does whatever she can to return her friends home safe, including bargaining with the Lord of the Folk under the Hill.

Although the read is very promising and sounds interesting, there were a couple of things that didn’t deliver best for me.

Firstly, the plot is a bit confusing as it incorporates a lot of new and folklore details but they’re not giving a solid background. This leaves many unanswered questions and the reader wondering.

Also, in parts it moves very slow without adding any value to the plot, and in parts lacking depth and explanation that would have led to better understanding.

Lastly, the ending was a bit rushed leaving me a bit disappointed after all that reading.

I’m not saying that it was a ‘bad’ read. It was still pleasant. However, slight changes in the above would have made it a five star read.

The bargain between a human and a magical being is a very old concept. Storied told with Djinn, witches, gods and so many more creatures. It’s the concept of the path or sometimes a puzzle to try and work out where the literal devil in the detail may be. In JJA Harteood’s charming The Thorns Remain we have a tale of a young woman matching with with a fae Lord to save her friends and her own life.

It is 1919 and in the small Scottish village of Brudonock the relaxing young villagers are still recovering from the dual horror and scars left behind from WW1 and the deadly Spanish Flu still haunting the world. They start to dream of escape to the big cities and restarting their lives. But they escape their parents for one last night on the hills but dancing around the fire attracts strange figure’s attention and Moira Jean awakes to find all her friends gone and the villagers have very different memories of the past few days. It transpired that the dance and fires attracted the fae and Moira Jean’s friends are now in the Land Under The Hill forever dancing. Moira Jean’s how lies in a mysterious Lord known as The Dreamer who sets Moira Jean tasks to release friends one by one but if not done by May Day (Beltane) she too will be lost.

There is a lot to enjoy if you enjoy your folk tales in this novel. Harwood is a very good storyteller and they bring this period and village to life that you can see it and feel it. I think the use of the 1919 setting is quite refreshing a time between the old and new worlds of technology and everyone is still recovering from WW1 which led to Moira Jean’s fiancé’s death. Even as the story broadens we get to meet the other villagers plus Moira Jean’s mother and it earths the tale.

But the main event is equally interestingly told and this tale is very much using various fae tales to create its own story. I really like the strangeness it feels for Moira Jean as she finds herself alone remembering people -‘s then realising that the fae are real. She is on a learning curve but importantly has wits about her to match The Dreamer.

This battle/relationships is really well delivered. The Dreamer is gloriously not quite human and I loved how Harwood made them ever changing in appearance between human, animal and plant. Aware of humans but emotionally at first very different with a casual cruelty that makes them seem a villain but we sense a form of bond with Moira Jean as the tale develops that gets very interesting - how human can he be?

There is though a little too much repetition. Perhaps just too many friends need rescuing and each rescue introduces us to different fae types that while interesting did slightly stall the plot. Just when i thoughts things would accelerate it felt a little slower and laboured halfway but this does come back in the final quarter to a satisfying conclusion as Moira Jean claims her own independence again and lets her own personal demons go to in the process.

It is an interesting fae tale with lots to enjoy despite these pacing issues and those who enjoy well told magical tales will I think enjoy this. Perfectly timed for the season too! Happy Beltane!

The Thorns Remain follows Moira Jean as she bargains with the Lord of the Fae to return her friends after they were taken to the land under the hill. She must act fast as the longer one spends with the Fae, the less like themselves they are upon return. And she only has until Beltane till they're lost forever.

I absolutely loved this one! The mythology accurate Fae and Highland village created an amazing, magical atmosphere. I loved all the different type of Fae we see, especially my favourite the cù sìth. It was made very clear they have different views of what is right compared to humans while we see the Lord struggling to understand Moira Jean's feelings. The complexity of the Fae was captured really well!

Not only the Fae were written well but so was Moira Jean and the other characters. Her bargains bring up tough memories surrounding the death of her lover and show how resilient she is and what she's willing to do for her friends. I think it was a little slow at some points and it did feel longer than it actually was but getting past those parts was worth it as overall the story was really enjoyable!

I do love a good stories about the Fae, and this didn't disappoint. It was a lot darker than I was expecting, going more towards the old superstitions, but I still enjoyed it very much, and I adored that it was set in the past - I don't get to read nearly enough historical fantasy books.

I do admit though the ending had me wondering if I wanted it to end another way, but thinking on it, it was what was best for the story line and the characters involved.

Character wise, you have to love how spirited Moira Jean was, and how she didn't let things get her down. The Dreamer was also very interesting and it was definitely fascinating to see the relationship between them and Moira Jean and how it changed throughout.

Definitely one to read

3.5 🌟

This was a very different read to what I was expecting which I quite liked. I love a small town setting and you very much feel immersed in the past and the environment.

I really liked Moira Jean and how strong she was as a person. There’s so much that happens to her in this I just felt so bad for her. For her to live there her whole life and for eventually the whole town to turn against her and try and put her in an asylum, without even her mother knowing about it was just absolutely shocking and I was so worried about what would happen to her!!

The Dreamer was such a confusing character I just never knew how to feel about him. Until Moira Jean realised it I didn’t see how much he had manipulated her either through just little things, not to mention taking away her memories or Angus and then acting like he didn’t care about her. I think that he did love her in his own way, but not obviously the proper way and I like that he helped her escape the Land Under the Hill. The ending was sweet him coming to see her off.

I did quite enjoy this book; I liked seeing the actual standard folklore of the fae being bad and manipulating humans just for their own amusement. The opposition between Moira Jean and the Dreamer was also really fun to see. I just wish it was a little bit shorter and that the ending in the faerie lands wasn’t so jarring because I found it hard to keep track of it all. But overall a good read, I’m just not sure if it’s one I will remember very well.

A historical fantasy novel with a faerie bargain smoothly woven into post-WW1 Scotland.

I was excited to read The Thorns Remain as it has an interesting premise and includes many elements I love; set in Scotland, faerie folklore, a deal with dangerous fae, and set following WWI, not long after soldiers have returned home, and fear of the Spanish flu is rife. It was intriguing, but I was never really hooked. It needed more pace.

Harwood conveys well the grief and loss of individuals, families and communities in the wake of the First World War and the flu pandemic, as well as grief of a lost future for a whole generation. This was very emotive, as was the awful treatment of neighbours who became suspicious - it made me think of the witch hunts. I also think the exploration of toxic and healthy relationships, and recognising if you are being manipulated, was important. Learning to understand what love is, and what it is not, and how there should be freedom in love.

For me, the most powerful parts were about exploring how to move forward and face the future after such loss.

I was really putting off reading this as I thought I wouldn't enjoy it, but I was proved very very wrong!

Moira Jean lives in a small village in Scotland, early 1900s (after WW1 and the flu). One night she and her friends go to the forest to drink and dance, but end up being taken by the local fae. She must strike a bargain with the Dreamer to get her friends back, but the Dreamer quickly takes an interest in her.

This book was not what I was expecting. I thought I was signing up for a classic fae/protag romance fantasy, but what I got was *so* much better. This is what I've been wanting fae stories to be - deliciously creepy and unsettling, dangerous, atmospheric - this is the kind of lore I grew up with. I definitely think this needs to be classified as a fantasy horror as these faeries are HORRIFYING [complimentary] and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

I loved this book, the emotions hit hard, the tension was thick, the characters were fantastic. I loved Moira Jean and how she came into herself throughout the book, and I loved the complicated dynamic of the village.

My only negative would probably be the chaotic turn everything took in the final 10% - I would have preferred if it stayed true to the atmosphere and pacing the rest of the book had.