The Thorns Remain by JJ A Harwood

I would like to thank Magpie for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher - Magpie

Published - Out Now

Price - £16.99 hardback £7.99 kindle eBook

A dance with the fae will change everything

1919. In a Highland village forgotten by the world, the young people who remain after war and flu will soon head south to make something of themselves.

Moira Jean and her friends venture to the forest for a last night
of laughter before parting ways. Moira Jean is being left behind. She too planned to leave once – but her lover died in France and, with him, her future. The friends light a fire and dance. But, with every twirl about the flames, strange new dancers thread between them, music streaming from the trees.

The Fae have joined the dance.

Suddenly Moira Jean finds herself all alone, her friends spirited away.

For the Fae feel left behind and forgotten too. Led by the darkly handsome Lord of the Fae, they are out to make themselves known once more. Moira Jean must enter into a bargain with the Lord to save her friends – and fast, for the longer they spend with the Fae, the less like themselves they will be upon return. If Moira Jean cannot save her friends before Beltane, they will be lost forever…

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!