Court of Bitter Thorn is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with a fae twist. Beauty and the Beast is one of my absolute favorites and I’m always a sucker for retellings. Im combining my reviews for book 1 of the series and the prequel since the prequel is only 65 pages long and they flow together well. You can get the prequel, Heir of Bitter Thorn, by signing up for the authors email list on her site.
Elora is our beauty, an 18 year old girl who wants nothing more than adventure and the chance to compete in a sword fighting tournament like her illustrious father. She is a strong female lead that will do anything for her family, even sacrificing her own dreams to make sure they are taken care of. Frustrated by the social expectations and limitations based on first being a woman in the mortal world and then being mortal in Faerie, she wants to prove those that want to limit her based on these things wrong. Her desire for freedom and free will is relatable and drives many of her actions. She learns over the course of the book to not just let things happen to her, but to take things into her own hands and control her own fate.
Prince Brannick is our beast. He is broody, arrogant, and despises all human emotion. He is an all around a jerk but at the end he reveals the trauma that caused him to be that way. The prequel goes into more detail about some of the events that transpired to make him so emotionally jaded. His pet wolf Blaz is as much a part of him as anything. The fact that Blaz seems to express the emotions Brannick refuses to acknowledge himself is sometimes the only insight you get into his head. He is complex and well written.
Faerie is populated with a rich diversity of magical creatures that Elora meets along the way. Everything from gnomes, trolls, dryads, to my favorite a sprite named Tansy. The detail given about these magical beings really brings them to life. The world feels alive and well populated thanks to the various creatures.
I love how there are little snippets here and there that elude to the prequel throughout the Court of Bitter Thorn. Things that won’t drive you crazy if you don’t read the prequel but if you do are fun “hey I recognize that” moments. I’m not sure if the events of the prequel will ever come into play with the later books but I do suggest you pick it up and read it.
The Court of Bitter Thorn is full of foreshadowing. The plot twists are a bit predictable but honestly I have read so many books it’s hard to surprise me. I love the fact that the fae are portrayed more in line with traditional fae myth and are generally tricky, rude, and mischievous instead of the romanticized versions we see a lot. The book is very plot driven where the romance is lighter and slow burn. It will be interesting to see how it develops. Im hoping for more banter and angst with the next book.
Overall I would say it’s a solid Beauty and the Beast retelling and a good read for those that love fae stories with rich worlds and a bit of romance.
