Blumwald is a town overshadowed by an ancient curse: in a sinister castle in the depths of the wild wood lives a monstrous Witch. Once a generation, she comes to claim a companion to return with her – never to be seen again. Now that time is drawing near once more.
Mina, daughter of the duke, is grieving and lonely. She has lost all hope of any future for herself in Blumwald. So when the Witch demands her next companion, Mina offers herself up – though she has no idea what fate awaits her. Stranded with her darkly alluring captor, the mystery of what happened to the previous companions draws Mina into the heart of a terrifying secret that could save her life, or end it.
"Loneliness isn't a fixed state".
Kat Dunn's Bitterthorn is a sapphic gothic tale set in the Nineteenth Century, its atmosphere reminiscent of The Beauty and the Beast while not being a complete retelling. Told in the first person, it narrates a tale of profound loneliness and duty, of cruelty born of isolation, of love and infinite kindness. The story gravitates around Mina and her relationship with the Witch, the monster haunting the region with her curse.
The Witch is seen through Mina's eyes; through Mina we are first scared, then fascinated, as the inquisitive narrator does her best to understand her captor and what is to be asked of her. Her ignorance of her fate makes for a compelling read as the reader puts the pieces together and divines what the climax of the novel may be, only to be surprised by the outcome. I don't deny I would have loved a more tragic ending - it seemed to be inevitable - but this book is softer than what one might glimpse at first.
The historical backdrop, with its use of Bismark's unification, serves the novel well, giving it an edge; the ignorance of the more modern Germans, who treat the Witch's existence as mere superstition, contrasts with the terrified knowledge of the country folk, who have to live with the seeping inevitability of the coming reaping. The few named characters are well-rounded, especially the schloss' all-present servant and Mina's father, but others seem to be paper-thin, like Mina's stepmother; of her step-sisters, only one seems to be a character.
This book would have maybe benefitted from more pages to truly appreciate the slow development of the relationship between Mina and her Witch, and to better explore the slow horror of the schloss, haunted with strange happenings and trapped in time. The writing was exquisite, lyrical and evocative and perfect in creating a haunting atmosphere.
Bitterthorn is a beautiful tale of love and duty.
✨ 3.5 stars
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for: Beauty and the Beast, gothic
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