Book Review: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

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.

My Review:

Ohmigod, where do I begin?? First off this book is beautiful to look at, photos do not do it justice at all. From the gorgeous dust jacket to the gold embossing (is that what it's called?) on the hardback itself to the stunning illustrations inside, this may very well be one of the prettiest books I own! 

This book is comprised of six stories and not a single one let me down, I loved them all. Each story was a pleasure to read and you could clearly picture the children of the grishaverse being told these stories as children. I don't want to spoil any of the individual stories but if I had to pick one ultimate favorite I think I'd go with The Witch of Duva.

These stories and the book itself was like opening up a darker version of Grimm's Fairytales and it transported me back to my childhood when my grandmother read me fairytales before bed. This is the sort of collection of stories I've been craving all year and I didn't want to put The Language of Thorns down once I started reading.

Overall, this book is perfect for old fans of Leigh Bardugo as well as newcomers and great for readers of almost all ages. My only complaint (that's not really a complaint) is that I would have loved to keep reading more stories like these. 

As Jane Austen said, “but for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.” 

My Rating:

★★★★★

5 of 5 Stars!