The Language of Thorns

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

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

Absolutely fantastic. This was so good I didn't want it to end. Bardugo does an excellent job with the stories and Kipin's illustrations evokes the fairy tale setting and characters so well. I may just buy this in hardback for the illustrations alone. These stories are a great blend of retellings as well as something darker that leaks into each story that makes it just as much a cautionary tale as Grimm's original fairy tales. Here are my ratings for all of the stories, but spoiler alert, each one got 5 stars from me.

"Ayama and the Wood Thorn"-A retelling of Beauty and the Beast mixed in with some Cinderella, Snow White and Rose Red, and even the Greek myth of the Minotaur I thought. A young girl who (Ayama) who is not as beautiful or show more loved as her older sister, is asked by her family to do the impossible, soothe a monster. I really liked this one and loved the dual destinies of Ayama's sister Kima and the handsome prince along with Ayama and the prince who was shunned. I think this may have been the only story that we get a somewhat happy ending. I adored the character of Ayama, didn't care about her parents, and thought her grandmother kind of sucked. The other stories I thought were far darker.

"The Too-Clever Fox"-I honestly don't know what this is a retelling of and I will have to look it up later. But the story follows a fox named Koja that was rejected by its mother for being too ugly. Koja though is a clever fox and we get to follow some adventures he has. However, when animals in the forest start to disappear, he investigates a renowned hunter and his sister. I thought this was very well done and I have to say Bardugo does a great job of luring you into a story that you think is going somewhere else.

”The Witch of Duva"-A retelling of Hansel and Gretel. But this time we have an older girl named Nadya. The woods near her home seems to eat girls. And when Nadya's mother dies, and her father remarries, she is scared that her new stepmother has something planned for her. I have to say, this was great. I did not see that reveal or ending coming.

"Little Knife"-Well this one did have a happy ending, but only for some, others not so much. Once again, this story feels familiar to me in some sort of way, but no idea what fairy tale it is based on. A duke's daughter who is more beautiful than anything ever known named Yeva is being offered as a bride to whatever man can perform three tasks her father asks.

"The Soldier Prince"-A retelling of the Nutcracker with some Velveteen Rabbit to boot. Definitely darker. The story follows a clockmaker who is focused on creating something to entice a young woman (Clara). The clockmaker creates a nutcracker that she can tell all of her secrets to. However, things change when Clara is somehow able to have the nutcracker transplant her into a world she wants to be in with him as her prince. I thought this one had a sadder ending for some of the characters. It definitely plays into desire and wants, and what do we do when someone else's wants are always swamping your own.

"When Water Sang Fire"-A retelling of The Little Mermaid and kind of a backstory of sorts for the sea witch known as Ursula that we all know and love.

I loved how Bardugo set up the story of two mergirls named Ulla and Signy and how their songs were able to create magic for the merpeople (called sildroher). The two girls are stronger together and eventually capture the eye of one of the prince's named Roffe. When he asks them to accompany him to the human kingdom (every year for 3 months the sildroher walk on land with two legs) Ulla ends up finding out more than she ever wanted to know about the humans as well as people she considered her friends. show less

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic - Bardugo
4 stars

I had the wrong impression of this book before I started it. I thought it was a collection of prequel or ‘between the books’ stories from Bardugo’s Grishaverse series. In fact, it is a collection of dark fairy tales set in the same universe. These stories do not involve any characters from the other books and could be read independently of the series. Some of the stories have recognizable elements from the Grimm brothers or Hans Christian Anderson. Several have a definite Russian or Polish flavor. They aren’t pretty stories. They have a dark atmosphere, not quite horror, but definitely gothic. As fairy tales, I felt they were too long winded. Bardugo show more seems to wallow in her detailed and frequently gory descriptions. However, every story ended with a surprising twist that alleviated any lingering boredom. 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