1
of
1
Bitterthorn
TikTok made me buy it! A sapphic Gothic fantasy for fans of Samantha Shannon
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 6,218 ratings, 1,294 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK
Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock
Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Bitterthorn. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Writing
Shortlisted for the Nero Book Award
Longlisted for the Polari Prize
A darkly seductive sapphic Gothic romance inspired by classic fairytales like Beauty and the Beast.
‘Kat Dunn has spun a love story both intimate and epic’ — SAMANTHA SHANNON, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree
'A deliciously dark fairy tale full of the agony and ecstasy of longing and desire' — KATHERINE WEBBER, author of Twin Crowns
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.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Bitterthorn by Kat Dunn is celebrated for its gothic and atmospheric style, blending elements of fairy tales with themes of curses, belonging, and betrayal. The story is described as a haunting and intimate love story that resonates like a fireside tale, filled with suspense and emotional depth. Reviewers praise its blend of classic and novel themes, with its exploration of loneliness, resilience, and the power of love crafted in achingly atmospheric prose. Fans of gothic romance and slow-burn love stories are likely to find it an exquisite and unforgettable read.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781839132957
Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 04 May 2023
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Andersen Press Ltd
Audience: Teenage
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 293g
Pages: 368
About the Author
Kat Dunn grew up in London and has lived in Japan, Australia and France. She has a BA in Japanese from SOAS and an MA in English from Warwick. She’s written about mental health for Mind and the Guardian, and worked as a translator for Japanese television.
Also by Kat Dunn
View all-
Monstrous Design
With swashbuckling, super-fast paced action and own voices queer romance, The Battalion of the Dead return in a dazzling new adventure, set amid the opulence and squalor of 18th-century London and Paris. 1794, London: where luxury and squalor rub shoulders and men of science conspire to raise the dead and make monsters. From the glamorous excesses of the Vauxhall Pleasure...Paperback$1899Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Pre-orderRottenheart
Revenge me. For I am murdered . . . Odette and Cecilia are young women, living between their grand homes in Hampstead and the imposing, ancient Herne House in Suffolk. Though Odette's artist mother Lydia keeps a tight grasp on her, she and her beloved Cecilia are mostly left free to roam, to learn and to love. But when Lydia...Paperback$3199Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableOut 4 Aug 2026Pre-order -
Dangerous Remedy
The first in a dazzling, commercial, historical adventure series set in the extravagant and deadly world of the French Revolution. A whirlwind of action, science, and magic reveals, with a diverse cast of fearless heroines, a band of rebels like no other. Camille, a revolutionary's daughter, leads a band of outcasts – a runaway girl, a deserter, an aristocrat in...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Rottenheart
THE UNMISSABLE NEW SAPPHIC GOTHIC HORROR NOVEL FROM KAT DUNN, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF HUNGERSTONE AND BITTERTHORN 'Feed this directly into my veins' TAYLOR JENKINS REID 'A darkly intoxicating and fierce sapphic retelling of Hamlet. Extraordinary' LUCY ROSE, author of The Lamb 'Sinister and devastating. I want to read it again and again and again' BEA FITZGERALD Revenge me. For I...HardbackSold Out -
Hungerstone
THE FIERCEST, MOST POWERFUL RETELLING OF 2025: A STORY OF AMBITION, FEMALE OPPRESSION AND UNSTOPPABLE HUNGER . . .'Rich and daring. This is everything I dream of in a novel' Ava Reid'A beguiling feast of a novel' Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb'I LOVED it' Taylor Jenkins Reid'Phenomenal' Samantha Shannon FOR WHAT DO YOU HUNGER . . . ?Lenore is...PaperbackSold Out -
Hungerstone
THE FIERCEST, MOST POWERFUL RETELLING OF 2025: A STORY OF AMBITION, FEMALE OPPRESSION AND UNSTOPPABLE HUNGER . . . 'Ravenous, righteous and utterly sublime' Bea Fitzgerald 'Intoxicating and vivid . . . Sensual and vicious' Hannah Kaner 'An extraordinary book' Jennifer Saint FOR WHAT DO YOU HUNGER . . . ? Lenore is the wife of steel magnate Henry, but...Sold Out
More from Young Adult
View all-
New ReleaseSong of the Saltings
On the isolated island of Brack, the people live by an ancient bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. Eight years ago, it should have taken Lotta. Instead, the monster spared her and claimed her pony, shattering tradition and anointing her both folk hero and object of suspicion. Now...Paperback$2499Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseTell Me with Kisses
From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in the Tell Me series, where Kamila Hamilton is caught between the two Di Bianco brothers after they burst back into her life. From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in...Paperback$2399Elsewhere:$2800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Release Me
The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment. Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her...$2200Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
A Language of Dragons
The most exciting debut of 2025 – an incredible fantasy Dark Academia, perfect for fans of Babel, Fourth Wing, and the Scholomance trilogy. EVERY FIRE STARTS WITH A SINGLE SPARK. Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons. London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules,...Paperback$1700Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Shatter Me: Shatter Me series 1
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a gripping dystopian novel that plunges readers into a world where society is on the brink of collapse. At the heart of this chaos is Juliette, a 17-year-old girl with a fatal touch—literally. For 264 days, Juliette has been imprisoned in solitary confinement, her only crime being an accidental touch that resulted in death....Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Cozy Corner
Relax and unwind with this adorable colouring book – it’s time to get cozy! Step into a world of calm and comfort with Cozy Corner, featuring 45 beautiful hand-drawn pages ready for you to colour in. Settle into your very own cozy corner with these brand new colouring pages! This follow-up to Coco Wyo's beloved Little Corner promises a new...Paperback$1700Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book): the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator of the Year
When Bunny, Monkey and friends discover a glitch in reality, life gets even crazier than normal: Bunny declares himself The Woods' Magical Protector, Pig becomes a superspy, plus there's complete metal Monkey mayhem! Experience the laughs and chaos in Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book), the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator...Paperback$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Summer I Turned Pretty
The Summer I Turned Pretty is now a major new TV series on Amazon Prime! If you loved The Kissing Booth and Jenny Han's smash-hit Netflix movie series To All the Boys I Loved Before, then you'll adore this gorgeously funny, romantic story! Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this....Paperback$2400Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is the New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller that has captivated readers globally. Now adapted into a major BBC series, this intricately plotted and intensely gripping novel is being lauded as a modern classic in young adult literature. Pippa Fitz-Amobi, an intelligent and determined high school student, is looking...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Powerless
OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! THE INSTANT NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON. ‘Nothing short of epic’ - Rosie Talbot, bestselling author of Sixteen Souls ‘A thrilling fantasy with the most delicious slow-burn romance’ - M.A. Kuzniar, bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood ‘[A] titillating debut’ - Publishers Weekly ‘A masterpiece’ - Goodreads Reader Review ‘Everyone needs to read it’ -...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2899Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Free Gift
The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks
Louise Rennison for the Dork Diaries generation - hilarious, relatable and full of heart. The first book in the hilarious new series for children by the bestselling creator of Hurrah For Gin. The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks follows Lottie Brooks, who is 11 and feels like her life is already officially over. Not only is she about to...Paperback$1799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Free Gift
Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip
The fourth book in this hilarious bestselling series full of friendship, family, and first experiences from the creator of Hurrah for Gin. Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip continues to navigate the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny illustrated series for a 9-12 audience, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments, and plenty of lols. Woe is me. So much...Paperback$1900Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Young Adult lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
-
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listYoung Adult
Emily's YA Recommendations
The amazing Emily visited Book Hero and made a list of some of her favourite reads - perfect for ages 12 and...View the list -
![]()
![]()
![]()
Lizzy's listYoung Adult
Lizzy's Favourite Young Adult Romance
In this list there really is a bit of everything - coming of age stories, magical stories about enemies to lovers, boarding...View the list
