BOOK REVIEW : THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS : MIDNIGHT MAGIC AND DANGEROUS TALES

I know who I am without anyone there to tell me.

-THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS : MIDNIGHT TALES AND DANGEROUS MAGIC, LEIGH BARDUGO

TITLE : The language of thorns : Midnight tales and dangerous magic

AUTHOR : Leigh Bardugo

GENRE : YA, Fantasy, Myth, Fairy Tale and Folklore

FBRC RATING : 4.5 Stars

BLURB:

Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.

Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid’s voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy’s bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves. 

FBRC REVIEW :

I read this book for the buddy read that’s happening on Sept 16th for the Goodreads group by the name For love of a book. I gave this book a 4.5 star. I loved this short story collection. I loved the fact that it was filled with 6 fairytales that were retold in Leigh Bardugo’s world called the Grishaverse. The stories are all based on folklores & myths that we are pretty familiar with. This was an interesting collection of stories that were captivating and filled with great messages to take away at the end of it.

Every story told in this book is a fairytale retelling that is essentially flipped on its head. The story that we know is transported to the atmospheric setting of the Grishaverse which is then complemented by the magic and the dark bargains one makes to make their wishes come true. Everything that was familiar about these stories is flipped on its head and given an alternate ending that was equally unpredictable and exclusive in its essence.

I loved the setting and the atmospheric, gothic feel it had to it. The dark side of the story and how the beautiful and the perfect characters we knew in the stories were shown with the darkness inside them. We get to realize that the best people described in those disneyfied versions are not what they seem to be. I loved the dark connotation a lot of these characters had. These stories gave the villains a voice that was otherwise deprived to them. I enjoyed the unique perspective these characters were able to provide in this book. The way the author tells the story made it fascinating to me.

The major themes were of sacrifice, love, trust, betrayal, and revenge. Every story in this collection was executed beautifully and had a great time reading this book. My favorite was the first story and its message. The story of Ayama and the Wolf was really beautiful and fascinating to me. It questions the standard of beauty we appoint to the world and our prejudices and judgment towards people who don’t fit the standard beauty.

I love the artwork that is provided in this book. It was really stunning and done so beautifully. I loved how it perfectly complimented the story and gives us a glimpse into Leigh Bardugo’s imagination. The stories are unique, unpredictable, thought-provoking and insightful. Overall if you are in the mood for a quick, gripping fairy tale retelling, this book is the way to go. Definitely check it out and I guarantee you will be intrigued and captivated by the setting and story line.