The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

This collection was every bit as gorgeous as I had hoped it would be--if not more. I love how unique the stories are while also bearing strong influences and taking on familiar forms of other classic fairy tales. Bardugo truly proves her creative and accomplished writing skills in this collection, weaving together lyrical words with jaw-dropped stories and themes. These stories contain beautiful messages and dismantle on so many fairy tale tropes in order to create new ones by maintain the classic ideas but warping them into something rather different. The illustrations in this book are also so beautiful and add so very much to this entire story. I love how each story alternated with the blue and red color scheme, and I particularly loved how the border of each story developed as the story continued. That entire concept was a beautiful, creative idea that worked out wonderfully. And now I'd like to include a brief word on each story: Ayama and the Thorn Wood - ★★★★: I found this to be a perfect story to start the collection off with. There were some incredibly classic elements that made it feel very classic, while also embodying an wholly new and unique story at the same time. I loved the storytelling element added to this story and felt that the entire thing was quite lovely. It became slightly repetitive towards the end, which I understand is common in these types of stories, but that took away some of my enjoyment. The Too-Clever Fox - ★★★★: I really enjoyed this story, although I found it slightly predictable at times. This one felt particularly classic and familiar, but I loved the various twists Bardugo weaved into it. I really enjoyed reading about all of the different animals and there roles, but the clever fox, of course, was my favorite. "The Too-Clever Fox" gets a little darker than the first story, but it still weaves in an interesting little fable message. The Witch of Duva - ★★★★★: I loved this one! The entire concept and the dark atmosphere that permeated the entire story in such a wonderful manner were amazing, and I really think Bardugo crafted this one perfectly. The witch was a fascinating character, and i loved how somewhat disturbing and odd this story became as it went on. Little Knife - ★★★★★: "Little Knife" is brilliant. This is a story about a girl named Yuva who is so jaw-droppingly beautiful that she literally has to go around with a veil over her so that people can control themselves when she is around. This is another one that I really loved. It was such a classic and timeless tale, and one that I really enjoyed. The Soldier Prince - ★★★: This was probably my least favorite content-wise. I loved the illustrations and border decorations on this story, but the story itself fell somewhat flat for me. This is a take on the Nutcracker, and although I enjoyed that aspect, I felt a little lost and uninterested in many parts o this story. the plot idea was interesting, but the execution felt lackluster. When Water Sang Fire- ★★★★: I completely understand why this was chosen as the last story of the book, as it leaves an incredibly strong message. This is a Little Mermaid-inspired tale that is all about sacrifice, ambition, and acceptance. I don't want to go into any detail on this one because it is wonderful to discover on your own. Overall, I've given The Language of Thorns five stars! I can definitely see myself re-reading these tales and even reading them to others.

Leigh Bardugo's chronicles of the Grisha and her Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom duology are epic examples of how to create not just a world of magic and mysticism, but also people it with characters who are dangerous and sexy and exciting and flawed. And, as in the case of the characters in her duology, fill them with people who are wickedly funny. Her books are a phenomenal experience to read, to get lost in, and go back to again and again. Her latest, The Language of Thorns, is a fantastic collection of fairytales and legends from the Grisha. With the Grishaverse's decidedly Russian flavor and motifs, these six different stories have the same style and morals found in the old Slavic tales of our universe. And Bardugo has listed which country within the Grishaverse each tale originates from; Fjerda, Ravka, Novyi Zem and Kerch. These are tales of passion and princes, hideous creatures and witches, forbidden love and treachery, soldiers and mermaids, and lots and lots of magic. All are well written with poetry and prose and imagery that proves Bardugo is the queen of verse. "The night their second son was born, the full moon rose brown as an old scab in the sky." "...a valley where wild ponies with manes of mist ranged; a quicksilver lake as big as a sea where they met with dashing pirates who had gems for teeth; a palace of dogwood walls and larkspur towers...where clouds of butterflies hovered, wings chiming like bells." "She held each sorrow like a chafing grain of sand and grew her grudges like pearls." The most magical part of this book is what you see as you turn each page. There are illustrations that begin with the first page of each story; a castle in the corner of the page that grows as you turn each one; then thorns, then a labyrinth, or a conch, or flowers and these extraordinary drawings expand along the edges, encircling the pages, and end each story with a breathtaking picture. The cover is embossed. And the page print of one story even changes color as the characters within transform into something else. It's a lovely reading experience. My favorite stories are the first and the last ones she shares and, yes, Grishaloves, there is one that will make you clap with joy because Leigh Bardugo has listened to you and knows exactly what you want. She does not let you down. So, enjoy the beauty of these wonderful tales, the richness of its cover and magic of each page.

This is a powerful collection of fairytales, and it would have made the Brothers Grimm incredibly impressed. Leigh Bardugo has such a disctinctive ‘voice’ when it comes to her writing, and it lends itself well to allegorical tales such as these, with vivid imagery, and vibrant characters, some frightening, and some beautiful. You can’t help but be drawn into even the most scary stories, just like you did when you heard Little Red Riding Hood’ for the first time, but this you realize is on a much grander and more lavish scale. The book itself is a delight to hold and read, and the illustrations by Sara Kipin make it a keepsake you’ll want to treasure. It’s not a book to rush through and the stories are definitely ones that make you think. Thorny, sumptuous and very clever.

Beautiful edition of Grisha short stories, super fast read

This book is one of my top ten favourites of all time. I’m not super into romantasy as a genre so Shadow and Bone doesn’t really do it for me. But I AM super into folklore, and this book scratches that itch big time. It’s a collection of modern folklore stories, based in Eastern European folklore traditions, with exquisitely evocative writing, gorgeous illustrations, and all the darkness of the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen. Love love love. Disclaimer: if you’re looking for a book that will give significant insight into the grishaverse, this might not be for you. If you’re looking for a delightful folkloric side project, READ IT!

Leigh Bardugo non delude mai. Libro bello dal punto di vista estetico, sia per quanto riguarda la copertina ma anche l'interno. Illustrazioni veramente spettacolari. Sono veramente contento dell'acquisto.

Als das Buch ankam, war ich bereits vom Gewicht überrascht. Auch das Einband ist wunderschön und auf jeden Fall ein Hingucker! Das Buch ist mit wunderschönen Illustrationen gefüllt, dessen Details einem nicht nur beim ersten Hinschauen, sondern auch beim zweiten und dritten immer neue Details ins Auge fallen lassen! Eine Liebe die einen schon bannt, ehe man das erste Wort gelesen hat. Wer Märchen und Geschichten liebt, dazu noch wundervolle Bilder mag und eine Liebe zu Details besitzt, wird von diesem Buch definitiv begeistert sein! Ich jedenfalls habe mich auf den ersten Blick verliebt ;)

Magnifique livre qui vient accompagner la série de Leigh Bardugo, bravo !