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Jack of Thorns by Amelia Faulkner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jack of Thorns by Amelia Faulkner

OMG this book was sooo good!

I admit I was hesitant to read it at first because there are some themes that, while they aren't triggers, I do find disturbing; drug addiction and child abuse hurt my heart in a major way so I tend to avoid books with them in general. That being said I am SO glad I read this book!

Amelia Faulkner has created such an amazingly rich world and mythos in this book. The premise? What if the old Gods really do exist and interact with humans? What if demi-gods are still being born today? What if you accidentally call down a God that you don't mean to and you find out he's a massive DICK, a user and an abuser to boot? This is the world Amelia creates, a world where Herne the Hunter married a human and now has a line of descendants, demi-gods, with amazing abilities. A world where The Green Man is a great big douchebag of a God who is as flawed as any mortal. A world where men can move things with their minds and demi-gods can make things _grow_ like crazy. It's fantastical and amazing but also gritty and realistic because she makes the characters real and flawed and doesn't shy away from the darkness of addiction and abuse.

The story starts with one of our main characters Laurence (only my mom calls me Bambi!) Riley getting a heroin fix and nearly dying. It was his near death that triggers his 'inheritance', his gifts. Laurence is an addict, he knows it and despairs because he can't resist the white rabbit, whether it's through the marajuana he uses his ability to grow, or the heroin he scores when the need gets too desperate. His visions of the future show him going back to rehab time and again, so his self-loathing only increases, which only increases his need for a hit in a vicious cycle of addiction, overdose, rehab, regret and self-hatred. Until the day Quentin D'Arcy, Earl of Banbury, happens into his life after a chance meeting in a park.

Banbury is on the run from a life of privilege, wealth and family he loathes. Being an aristocrat doesn't protect you from predators, not if they're family members. The peerage protects itself and proclivities are overlooked for the 'greater good'. But Banbury knew nothing else and he was his father's heir so he stayed, he endured and he survived. Until his mother was murdered. Now he's in San Diego, flying under the radar, vowing to not set foot back on English soil until his father does the decent thing by dying. Banbury - or Quentin as Laurence calls him - despises bullies, is ashamed of his body and freaks out at the merest suggestion of sex. Except when Quentin freaks out bad things happen to the weather... and to the people trying to hurt him. Because Quentin can move things with his mind, not that he knows he does it. When Quentin is threatened he simply shuts down, escapes within himself, and his abilities protect him with wild fury.

A tentative friendship blooms between the two psychic's, but Laurence has a stalker ex-boyfriend and he might have accidentally summoned a God to help him sort out his life; a god who is an absolute dick and who will help Laurence for a price - he needs Laurence to 'feed him' by getting sex regularly. Problem is, Laurence is falling for a guy who's fear of sex is potentially lethal, so sex is off the table. Suffice it to say, the God does not react well and very bad things ensue.

In order to survive the wrath of the God, Laurence and Quentin must learn to control their dubious gifts, learn to trust each other, and face their pasts head on. Easy peasy right? Oh hell NAW!

This book had me on the edge of my seat, turning each page with bated breath. I was seduced by the way Quentin talks, my heart broke for Laurence time and again as I watched him struggle with the demon of addiction, and watching their relationship unfurl like a fragile bud and blossom into a beautiful, strong, plant with deep roots was amazing.

I can't wait to dive in to book 2, Knight of Flames, to see what happens to the boys next.

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