The Language of Thorns

I have always loved fairy tales, so I greatly enjoyed this collection. These are fairy tales of the Grishaverse; that is, these are the fairy tales that the Grisha characters would have known and heard. I am impressed at the literary world-building, first of all, but even without that factor, these stories are powerful on their own. They are gripping, twisted, dark, and (sometimes) disturbing, but they're also inspiring, memorable, and (sometimes) hopeful.

I remember watching Disney's The Little Mermaid when I was in elementary school. I remember being irritated, even then, that Ariel could transform from mermaid to human with no physical pain and no ill effects; even then, it seemed like cheating. I remember being slightly resentful of show more Disney for trying to soften the Andersen tale that I knew so well, and I think a rebellious part of me has always been interested in parts of fairy tales that never made it to the mainstream. Imagine my delight to see that this collection of stories doesn't try for "soft"; it doesn't shrink at all from the darker side of folklore, or from the hard edge that characterizes so many tales. It even includes a take on the mermaid tale that puts Disney to shame. And just to be clear, these are not mere retellings of existing stories—these are all new stories, even if some of the elements are familiar.

Some final thoughts:
•The illustrations are great, and really make this book beautiful in more ways than one.
•One of the stories shows creative magic as happening through music. (Love that!) I've only ever seen that from one other fantasy author, the great J.R.R. Tolkien, and here, as there, it was masterfully done. Leigh Bardugo, if you're reading this, you rock!
•Some of the tales are sad. Some aren't. They are all beautiful. show less

This book is so damn good! There are 6 short stories about Grishaverse as mentioned in the summary above. Of all 6, I liked The Witch of Duva best! It somehow resonates with me the most :-)

Firstly, the lovely art cover caught my eye and then there's Grishaverse mentioned. With Leigh Bardugo, I assumed nothing can go wrong but I did get worried as most of the times, authors tend to drag and drag their popular series extensively until it is high and dry. Thank goodness, this wasn't it. The short stories turned out to be interesting, unique and engaging. I was so into the stories, imagining the fantasy and enjoying it every single bit.

I totally liked the way it was written, so simple and melodious, entertaining from the start to the end. show more I do find that the prose here is a little better than Six of Crows duology, the only other books I've read by Leigh Bardugo. Maybe the short story concept differs from the lengthy novels or maybe my mindset has shifted LOL! It sure was a fast read for me! Either way, if you like fairy tale, fantasy and magic, do give this book a chance. show less

One of the best fairy tale collections I've read in years -- rich, creepy, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but beautifully and hauntingly illustrated, and all original tales. I kept losing time every time I opened the book, because they just would not let me go. In the Grisha universe, but you don't need previous knowledge to enjoy these gorgeous fantasies.

Where to begin? My entire body is thrumming with energy after having read this book. (I just finished reading it). This is what fantasy should feel like, and this is what retellings should be like. While the stories do remind one of childhood fairy tales, they do just that: remind. They don't conveniently replace characters and worlds while retaining the story line of those old tales. Rather, they are new innovative story arcs with just hints thrown here and there to lure one further in. And the stories command one's attention. They are each beautifully wrought, dark, twisted, with endings that are much more credible than happy-ever-after ones and leave one satisfied. In fact, The Soldier Prince was downright frightening. I was reminded show more of Keith Donohue's The Puppet Master. I'm sure I'll have nightmares for a few nights at least.
The Language of Thorns is a must-read for fantasy lovers, especially Bardugo's fans. show less

''You see, some people are born with a piece of night inside, and that hollow place can never be filled- not with all the good food or sunshine in the world.''

Leigh Bardugo is a writer that doesn't need introductions. I haven't read the Crows Duology but I enjoyed the Grisha Trilogy immensely and I knew that a short stories collection inspired by the Grisha universe would be as dark and complex as the Darkling's fascinating world. I wasn't disappointed. There are four original stories and two retellings of famous and beloved fairytales. Dark forests, sorrow, magic, ambition, love, and death. Witches, haunted towns, mermaids, mighty elements of Nature join in a dance macabre perfect for those of us who want our fairytales dark and show more twisted. Russian Folklore provides endless inspiration and Bardugo is a writer who knows how to make excellent use of it.

Ayama and the Thorn Wood: Two sisters, Ayama and Kima, and a misshapen boy, the son of a king. Terrible events start plaguing the citizens, results of a terrible injustice done to the child and it falls to Ayama to appease the wrath of the wronged prince. A beautiful tale that makes use of the traditional theme of the maiden who must soften the beast's heart with her stories and her kindness.

The Too-Clever Fox: A very clever fox and a mysterious girl in a haunting forest. A tale inspired by the mystical, and often violent, Russsian myths. This story will terrify you and show you the twisted, treacherous nature we all hide inside.

''There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls.''
The Witch of Duva: If we think of dark, haunting and menacing forests, our mind should immediately wander off to the Russian landscape and the steppes with their vicious, otherworldly beauty. This is the setting of my favourite story in the collection. A dark, violent tale where the characters are far more different than they appear. A story that is worthy of five stars and a proper tale for the darkest winter nights.

''It is dangerous to travel the northern road with a heavy heart.''
Little Knife: Dark woods, sad, and an abandoned city. A girl of supernatural beauty and her suitors. An all-powerful river and a good-for-nothing boy. A tale of Ravka that echoes the traditional Russian stories of the beautiful maiden and the impossible tasks a man would accomplish to win her hand. But be careful. There is an outstanding twist that few will be able to imagine. This was my second favourite story in the collection.

''Are you mine?''
The Soldier Prince: A haunting, menacing version of The Nutcracker. A beautiful, twisted journey to a favourite tale of our childhood. Reading this story felt like Christmas...

''Kneeling there, you hear the ice moan. The wind scrapes away at you, a razor on the stop. Even so. Be still and listen. Think of it as part of the bargain.''
When Water Sang Fire: A retelling of Andersen's The Little Mermaid. Ulla and Signy. One grey and strange, the other beautiful and shallow. Ulla is a mermaid whose voice can gather storms, her temperament equally powerful. Signy is the vulnerable one, the girl who dreams of love and wealth. This version is darker and much more sensual than the original and I loved it.

Sara Kipin's illustrations are beyond beautiful. The style, the colours....they embody the essence of each story in a unique way. Enough with my boring rumblings. This collection is unique and you need it in your life.

"This is the problem with even lesser demons. They come to your doorstep in velvet coats and polished shoes. They tip their hats and smile and demonstrate good table manners. They never show you their tails."

My reviews can also be found on:https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less

This is the second book I've read by Bardugo (I read Ninth House last year). And I loved it just as much.

The first thing to catch your eye is the gorgeous cover and all the beautiful illustrations on each page the grow as each story continues, and starts over with something new for each tale. Many of the stories have characters that those familiar with fairy tales of out Europe will recognize. However, the first story in this collection, 'Ayama and the Thorn Wood' set the reader up for what to 'expect' so well. And that is that expectations based on fairytales many probably heard as children will not be met here. For me, however, that is what makes this book so wonderful and precious.

"Let me guess," you might say along with the beast, show more the story ends like.... but at each turn, Bardugo says (along with Ayama in the first tale), "What nonsense!... Of course that's not how the story ends"

Content Warning: These are not 'Disney' style fairytales. They are sometimes dark and some contain violence. show less

The five stars I gave this book and the five stars awarded to the author's other works like Wonder Woman: Warbringer or Shadow and Bone are two entirely different stars. While WW:W entranced me with the relatable portrayal of Diana Prince and her Grisha Verse introduced me to an amazing world and cast of characters, this book is entirely different.

The Language of Thorns (Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic) is a set of fairytales based in the world of the Grisha. It has some inspiration from folk stories and fairy tales that we are all familiar with, but amazingly these minor details and similarities did not feel recycled or cliche. In fact, they felt very fresh and I loved how I would think "oh... it's ina like _" only to have my show more expectations (often brought on by the tropes we find in current fairy tales) totally thrown out the window. Leigh Bardugo has done something amazing with these few Grisha legends: she has created a whole new form of fairytales, ones where marriage isn't always the solution and often times the witch isn't who you thought they were. These are the fairy tales a lot of little girls all over the world have been wanting since they noticed that every female Grimm and Anderson character usually ends up being saved or dead.

And it was a visual masterpiece! Throughout this book are illustrations that grow bit by bit on every page. Something is always added, removed, or changed and it falls perfectly in place with the development of the story. It couldn't be more apparent than in the last one where the border images go through two complete transformations as the characters change and grow. I found myself stopping to look at the differences and how they tied into the story more time than I could count. And it was not helpful that the artwork done by Sara Kipin was amazing.

Not only that, but these stories were told as if they were fairy tales. they had a dark, foreboding feeling and a prose style that was just screaming to be read aloud by a fire on a cool winter night. While I liked some more than others, I couldn't help but notice how incredible they were and the way they had been placed in the book. The first one has a lot to do with stories and subverting and expectations of ending based on the stories we know which cleverly embeds the idea in the reader that these tails aren't average.

These tales were crafted with care and whit and are great for any Grisha fan or someone looking for a good collection to read before bed could enjoy. Not much knowledge of the Grisha Verse is needed to understand what is going on, and the few things that are mention, generall Grisha and Fjerdan word for "witch" is explained and the included map can help anyone unfamiliar with the layout understand the few areas mentioned.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes Fantasy, fairy tales, and/or the world of Leigh Bardugo. show less