3.6 (5 ratings)

The Thorns We Endure (Cults and Curses)

Name: The Thorns We Endure (Cults and Curses)
Rating: 3.6 (5 reviews)
Author: Elsie Madison Le
ISBN: B0GX75MHR4

by Elsie Madison Le

ghosts

About this book

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Where there’s a cursed forest, there’s a town keeping its deadly secrets and the people who feed it.

Accursed with a gift he does not want, Dorian Belrose has turned his ability to see ghosts into a career as a paranormal author. Tasked with investigating a cursed forest, he uncovers a town built on secrets and sacrifices. He encounters Theo, a cynical young woman whose family is tied to the forest's dark past.

‘Raze it to the ground’ were her mother’s last words. Theo Hawthorne has kept her head down to keep from ending up with a worse fate than her mother and sister. When a stranger comes into town, threatening to unearth their long-buried secrets, she realizes this is her chance to burn it all down.

As they investigate the cursed forest, they must also navigate their burgeoning relationship. To free the town and its trapped souls, including Theo’s sister, they will have to confront not only a malevolent ancient power but also the people who protect it.

Publication Date: May 25, 2026
ASIN: B0GX75MHR4

Reader Reviews

Ghost Cats, Necromancy, and Family Trauma? Say Less.

May 9, 2026

The Thorns We Endure pulled me in immediately with its eerie atmosphere, cursed forest, and emotionally layered characters, but what really made this book work for me was Dorian Belrose. Dorian is an occult author who can see and speak to ghosts, and later we learn he’s a necromancer - which already made him incredibly compelling to me - but underneath all of that supernatural darkness is someone struggling with family wounds and emotional isolation in a way that felt deeply real. His...

A genuinely interesting premise

May 10, 2026

Thank you to the author for a copy of The Thorns We Endure and for the opportunity to give an honest review. This contemporary fantasy/paranormal romance follows Dorian, an author of occult books, who arrives in a mysterious town where no one born there can ever leave. While researching the disappearance of a young woman whose ghost he can communicate with, he meets the girl’s sister, Theo. As the two grow closer, they begin uncovering the dark secrets hidden within the town and the surrounding...

A small town curse

May 17, 2026

3.5⭐ Dorian is an author who can see ghosts and the supernatural; he's been tasked with visiting Ravenwood and looking into what's happening. Theo is a resident of the insular town alongside the ominous forest. This book has several elements that I enjoy, but something about the execution didn't work well for me. There's a lot of downstairs elements here: ghosts/seeing them; spell casting; gods; potentially dystopian world (owning books is rare?); curses etc. You can expect 3rd person POV from...

Enjoyable read

May 10, 2026

An enjoyable read filled with unique magic and meddling gods. There are curses and ghosts, including a ghost cat named Brat. There are sacrifices and acts of betrayal. My only issue was the pacing at the end that led to plot conveniences that left me saying “what?” )

Very Slow Burn

May 18, 2026

This is definitely a very slow burn romantasy. I wish it hadn't been quite so slow, but overall I really liked this book! It took me a bit to get into but once I did, I was invested. I wish there had been a little more fantasy elements but overall I thought it was a great story!!! )