jean_michelle_miernik's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Author Jean Michelle Miernik here! The Grove of Thorismud is an unusual exploration of what Western culture perceives as "natural" human desires. It subverts familiar fairy tale tropes to reveal power in weakness, undermine the conflation of heterosexuality with heteronormativity, and feature female characters who top from the bottom in ways I've never quite seen in an accessible and fun novel before. This book is not particularly kinky, but it is lusty and emotionally complex with an ending that leaves most readers unsettled if not unsatisfied. If you like literature that confuses you, mixing crass humor with creeping dread and ecstatically beautiful pagan poetry, give this one a try. It's a warm, gothic, and cozy read for apple-picking season, just twisted enough for horror fans but never without sweetness too. The discreet cover depicts apple blossoms, which quietly promise a tempting harvest for the reader who dares to shake the tree.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Infertility, Murder, Alcohol, Mental illness, Blood, Ableism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Sexism, Cannibalism, and Genocide
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, War, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Genocide, Misogyny, Slavery, Gore, Trafficking, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
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