“A Hunger of Thorns” provides listeners with a captivating fantasy story that weaves a tale of magic, mystery, and the power of friendship. The story follows Maude, a young girl who embarks on a daring quest to rescue her best friend, Odette, who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Set in a richly imagined world where magic and nature are deeply intertwined, Maude's journey takes her into the heart of an abandoned power plant—a place steeped in dark secrets and long-forgotten magic. Wilkinson’s lush prose and vivid world-building immerse the reader in a landscape that is as enchanting as it is dangerous.

The novel excels in its character development, particularly in portraying Maude's transformation from a hesitant girl into a determined and courageous heroine. "A Hunger of Thorns" is not only a thrilling fantasy tale but also a poignant exploration of the bonds that tie us together and the lengths we will go to protect those we love. It is a must-read for fans of fantasy who appreciate a well-crafted story with strong, relatable characters.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Bolinda Audio, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

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I thought that his was a strange one.
The premise of magic and witchcraft being controlled and censored was interesting. I enjoyed the casual nod to Swan Lake.
I definitely enjoyed parts of the story, but Maude's obsession with Odette went a bit too far - it was definitely unhealthy. I also found Odette to be a wholly unlikable character - she was very self absorbed and only used Maude for her magic.
If that element of obsession wasn't quite so pronounced, I'd have been able to enjoy the book more and rate it higher but I get that not every book is for everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for this review.

Apologies for my delay, I’ve had a very hectic few months.

But this book wasn’t really for me unfortunately. Never got into it enough to really care and don’t remember a whole lot of it. Might give it another chance in the future though, we’ll see.

"A Hunger of Thorns" by Lili Wilkinson is a captivating blend of friendship, loss, and redemption. Despite losing her supernatural abilities, Maude emerges as a master storyteller with unwavering loyalty to her missing ex-best friend, Odette. As Maude embarks on a daring quest to find Odette, she confronts her own insecurities and past, weaving a compelling narrative that keeps readers engaged until the very end.

Wilkinson's skillful storytelling and well-developed characters make "A Hunger of Thorns" a standout in the realm of supernatural fiction. The dynamic between Maude and Odette adds depth to the storyline, showcasing the complexities of friendship and forgiveness. For fans of fantasy and mystery alike, this novel offers a captivating journey through the bonds that hold us together and the strength found in self-discovery.

<I>'‘Girls are not nice. Girls are wild and fierce and powerful, and I will not let anyone take that away. Not ever again.’</I>
This was a really enchanting story with the wildness of freedom at its heart, layered in a story of first love, magic, communities, the patriarchal fear of womens magic, monsters and self discovery.
The story was wonderfully and disturbingly grimly told, not shying away from the darker side of magic, corruption and self. I struggled with this story a bit because the FMC’s level of obsession and refusal to acknowledge the faults in the person she’s obsessed with genuinely made me uncomfortable, and was hard to get through at times. I listened to the audio, and as good as the voices were I found the overall narration sounded very young and girlish, which didn’t quite mesh with the teenage angst of the main character and made the story drag.

***Thank you to Netgalley for an audio of this book in exchange for an honest review***

This was such a brilliant and engaging book; I am only slightly annoyed that it took me so long to read (due to personal reasons).

Maude and Oddette were once best friends in their youth, with their differences. For one, Maude is a daughter of witches and has the wonderful power of storytelling, which Odette wishes she was a witch.

But when Maude grew up into teenhood, and her magic suddenly disappeared, she lost more than her abilities; she lost her best friend, too.

That is, until Odette disappears and Maude is determined to discover the truth, but perhaps the truth is better left hidden...

Because Sicklehurst is forbidden to all who enter, but Maude is willing to pay the price to get her best friend back.

A book filled with fantastic worldbuilding and an engaging narrator that made the story a delight to follow, and every time I had to pause it, I was just as eager to get back to listening.

I admit that I thought some scenes were a bit too long/dragged out. I also feel that some of the character relationships fell flat, and overall, I did not like Maud's character for most of it.

Without the narration, I would have stopped reading this book halfway through, but it was easier since I was using the audiobook during my long travel to college and work.

There was something about the description of this book that just drew me in, witches, storytelling, and an ancient forest, yes please. I was a little disorientated at first because at the start of the book, it wasn’t quite the atmosphere I had envisioned but I stuck with it and I’m very glad that I did.

I loved the magic structure, the strands of mettle and the witch hands, and I thought it was fascinating that there was this type of magic that Maude and her Nan used, which seemed powerful and natural. However, there was also magic that people used as a commodity, for mostly very vain purposes. It seemed as if the more natural type of magic was banned and all that was left was the heavily controlled version.

There was some information on this at the start of the book but I didn’t feel like I totally understood it and I wish I knew more about why there were auditors and where Maude’s mum was taken. I’m not sure if this isn’t clear to me because I listened to this on audiobook, so it is not as easy to flick back through and try and figure it out, or if it is intentionally vague.

It took a while to play out properly but I enjoyed the portrayal of Maude’s relationship with Odette, it is the kind of relationship that you realise morphs from one thing to another the more you learn about both girls. It highlighted how different a relationship can seem depending on whose perception you look at it from. I quite enjoyed that it showed this very flawed side to Maude who for a lot of the story I was annoyed at for following after someone who seemingly treats her poorly.

I loved everything about Sicklehurst, you can tell straight away it’s different from the day-to-day world that Maude lives in. I love the edge of danger that is omnipresent and that of course it is where Maude’s stories have come to life. I won’t say much more about it because I’d hate to spoil anything but it was a brilliant adventure as soon as Maude entered the forest.

This book was also a lot more emotional than I thought it would be, it has a very interesting generational dynamic between Maude, her Mum, and her Nan, which unfolds throughout the story. By the end of the book, I was so invested and could really feel the struggle as Maude has to come to terms with the consequences of past actions. I also feel like the narration helped with that, Katy Sobey did an amazing job and captured the perfect tone for every scene.

A Hunger of Thorns is a wonderful adventure with a dark fairytale quality and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Unfortunately this is a book which should have been enjoyable - the lush, Welsh-inspired lore is something different for the modern reader but, instead, we were offered a too-long novel which read as an info=dumping debut.

It felt overly detail-heavy and yet somehow missed out any defining descriptors of where/when the story was set.

I was so sure I was almost done just to find out I was only at 43% and the resulting 57% just felt like a slog.

Such a beautiful book to listen too. Very well read out. Such a magical story about magic and friendship. How thing change. How obsession is there but can change all at the same time. A young girl growing up being a storyteller. Fighting for friendship. Them fighting together. How when all seems lost they come together and to try and save each other.

I have absolutely loved listen to this beautiful story

Where to start with this one. The positives I guess.

Firstly I loved the narrator of this, she really swept you into the characters and story. I found her voice really suited to the fantasy elements of the story.

Next the ending. WOW that was some ending! The last part of the story (proba bin ly just under the last quarter) really ramped up the action and I couldnt stop listening to see what happened next.

This was exactly what I had been expecting from the book. A real feel of old witch magic, dark twists and fairytale fantasy vibes.

A couple of aspects I didnt see coming, and the flashbacks to the past REALLY worked in this part of the book as Maude recalled the important events that her younger self played a roll in. This ending is what gave it the 4 stars for me.

Now the harder part. Sadly so many parts of the first three quarters of this book didn't work for me. It was so long and slow. I love a chunky book but parts of this felt so irrelevant and boring. I kept thinking it would be part if the story later but it really wasn't. So many parts could have been left out making this a more enjoyable read.

I stopped the audiobook several times to see how much I had left and battled with myself whether to DNF this book. I actually stopped and started it several times certain I wasnt going to read on.

If it wasnt for review I probably wouldnt have.

This had such a great oppo6to be a strong feminist, witchy wives sapphic read but it felt like it never quite got there sadly.

Maude was so hard to like at times. I had no clue what she saw in Odette as a friend. This was one of the most toxic relationships ever. Odette was unlikeable and disnt redeem herself while Maude bordered on obsessive and stalkerish for the most part of the book.

The only saving features of this book were the ending and Ruffus who knew what true friendship was.

I'm glad I read till the end purely because the ending was so good. Enough to save the book. No sadly.

Will I read book two? Yes. I'll start it and hope that it continues with the same impressive vibes as Hunger ended. If the author wrote like this through the whole of book one this would have been an instant 5 star read for me.

Well done again on the narration of this!

Witches, check, fairytales, check, strong female friendships, check! This book drew me in and did not want to let me go. I devoured it and listened to it every moment I could. The sequel cannot get here fast enough! The history of these girls' lives kept me so raptured, I needed to know everything. A definite recommend.

This is such a bloody scream of a book. An exploration of the true horror of growing up as a teenage girl, with the added burden of magic and the even more soul-destroying experience of having homoerotic feelings for your codependent childhood best friend.

Set in a modern yet second world fantasy world (a setting I'm loving to see more in fantasy at the moment!) this book is a love letter to storytelling, to nature, to childhood and the mistakes we make in order to grow as people. The body horror elements and female rage made this book an easy 5 stars, along with the exploration of the control and destruction society attempts to exert on girls' bodies.

I wish I had had this book as a teenager to truly understand that the horror of growing up doesn't have to be such an isolating experience.

The narrator does a brilliant job of conveying Maude's character, with an incredibly engaging voice that made me binge this audiobook in about a day. Her character voices really helped differentiate characters, and brought home the pure rage and fury this book exudes with every page.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this story in return for an honest review.

This is a story for witches, for those dangerous wild lost girls. It has no place for good , kind ,sweet natured girls.

It weaves together different bits of fairytales and folklore. I loved each every moment of this tale. At its center is the theme of lost friendship. Its incredibly beautiful, dark and more magical then I have words for.

So if you are a wild girl, a lost girl, if you ever wanted to take the less traveled path this is the book for you.

Spoiler Free Review

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The story kept getting more and more interesting and it also includes a colourful cast of characters. Katy Sobey did a beautiful and fun job bringing the story to life.

We follow Maude, a girl coming from a witch family and after hearing her oldest friend Odette went to a magical forest and is presumed dead, Maude sets out on a mission to rescue her and encounters various challenges and characters along the way.

I'm excited for the sequel coming in 2024.

Perfect for those who enjoy witches, family bonds, strong female protagonists, fantasy, magical forests, monsters, quests, and mystery.

𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 🌶

I listened to A Hunger of Thorns on audio.

I enjoyed the single narration (single female POV) and found the narrator to have a good range of voices and tones for the different characters.

For me, I never really got hooked into absolutely needing to know what happened next, but I still enjoyed the overall story and was happy to listen to it.

I loved the forbidden magic, oppressed witches, queer rep (sapphic), and story-telling elements of the book.

The ending had everything wrapped up well, and I'm intrigued by what will happen in the next book, Deep is the Fen, and whether there are any character cross-overs.



💢 𝙏𝙒𝙨: Grief, death, violence, injury, kissing


☆ I recieved an ALC of this book from the author, Bolinda Audio, and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own honest opinions. ☆

I read the audio version of this charming and often enchanting fairy-tale styled story.

It centres around Maude, who is a 17 year old witch who has lost her magic. Her once best friend Odette has gone missing and with much conflict she feels compelled to defy her grandmother's wishes and tries to find and rescue Odette.

In doing so we gradually learn the back story of what happened to Maude's mother in Sicklehurst and how she is drawn back there from a time she feels she can barely remember. We learn how she lost her magic albeit she still has a gift for weaving stories, some that feel like they are immersed in lore.

Thematically the books taps into the corruption of magic and power. The setting is very vivid, depicted with a backdrop of a dark forest of seemingly toxic plants. This metaphorically lends itself to the toxic relationship that Maude and Odette share, which is complex, layered and at times uncomfortable. Plenty to debate in a book club re this. Maude shares her thoughts with the reader like an open book - moving back and forth between thoughts and conflicts as she tries to work things through. Likeable, intelligent, but at times annoying, she is well loved and protected by her grandmother, so she knows she will always be forgiven, but she is at grave risk by breaching the laws related to the use of magic.

The book on the whole offers a steady reveal. There are times it feels like it slows down too much, but did pick itself back up again. This probably reflects aspects when the back story is relayed in a bit of a clunky way that lacks focus. The risk is it ends up being frustrating rather than captivating. It is brimming with mystery. The narrator was exceptional with her pace, intonation and use of the Welsh accent for Maude's grandmother. Perhaps a book less suited to adult readers, than some YA, but has lots that will be appealing to younger readers I'm sure.

I had really high hopes for this books as I loved the premise, however I was disappointed.

The narration was good and I felt worked well for the characters and story, my issue is with the story itself….I just really hated Maud and could completely understand why Odette found her obsessive.

There were a lot of moments where I just wanted the story to speed up and felt like parts had been added to make it longer, when the whole book itself could have been 5 chapters shorter (Maud finds Odette really early on in the book and you end up just watching her mope about for a while). I think it ends setting up for a sequel but it would have been better if Maud could have gone on and found out more about Illium and how to take down the magic corporations in this first book and left it at that.

I was lucky enough to be approved for the audiobook of this wonderful story. It’s a beautiful little fairy tale but like the title suggests, it’s got an edge to it too!

A Hunger of Thorns is a YA fantasy and features Maude, who is a teenage girl growing up in a magical family in a world where magic has been almost completely outlawed, only sanctioned by strict rules and regulations. What I loved about this story was that it is told in a way that reflects tha FMC because she is a storyteller, always weaving tales and she uses this to both her detriment and advantage during the story. The worldbuilding is lovely, it’s a great look at the unrealistic expectations that are set on women of all ages.

We get shown the familial relationships between the generations of her family and there is a lot of queer representation which is lovely. There were points where I was angry at both her nan and her mother, for different reasons too. There was a scene later on, I happened to be out walking my pug and it caused me to burst into tears and cry in the street listening to what happened.

It is a fantastical story which I adored, the characters were great too. I particularly liked her friend Rufus, he is a great addition. I would highly recommend this novel, it was fun but also has a much needed message of embracing your wild inner self and not dimming yourself for anyone.

What if your stories came to life in an Alice in Wonderland kind of way without you knowing it?
A Hunger in Thorns is a book about magical abilities, friendship and empowerment. We follow the main character Maude, who was born with the gift of storytelling but sadly her magic disappears. With that she also lost her childhood best friend Odette, who went on a search for dark magic. Maude is desperate to find her and prove everyone around her wrong who say she is dead.

This book was a rollercoaster. There was a lot going on and maybe sometimes a bit too much... It sometimes felt like I was reading a fever dream, and in moments in the story that worked out very well and in a lot of moments it was just very confusing. I have the feeling the author tried to tell multiple stories in one and that it was maybe one too many. There was magic, friendship, consumerism, grief, sexuality, female empowerment, family, and they all got a bit mixed up which made the story a bit hard to follow.

I did enjoy the book, to be honest, because the narration of it was phenomenal! It was read in a good flow, easy to listen to and very well done. The narrator talked me through the whole story and that made me finish the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bolina for the audiobook A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Maude is a member of a family of witches and loves to tell stories. She created a story for her best friend Odette as a child that was fairytale like, with princesses in trouble, princes and deadly creatures but, despite this Odette and Maude grew apart as Maude lost her witch powers at puberty. Despite this, Maude still tries to save Odette when she disappears.

There’s a lot to like about this book, including a great cast of characters, some solid world building and a solid plot but, unfortunately Maude was not one I liked - she appears to be very childish, blind to the obvious and her journey felt far too slow for me. Whilst I enjoyed the book, I didn’t feel for or have any empathy for Maude which marred it a little for me. Despite this, if you love witches and witchy stories, this is an enjoyable listen.