The Language of Thorns

This goes to show you that sometimes the unseen is not to be feared and that those meant to love us most are not always ones who do.

Screw ordinary and reason - I'm jumping into a fairytale! 

What a beautiful collection of magical fairytales and stories! Bardugo's collection, The Language of Thorns, introduces six unique and memorable tales:

• The Witch of Duva
• The Too-Clever Fox
• Little Knife
• Ayama and the Thorn Wood
• When Water Sang Fire
• The Soldier Prince

Magic of threes for this magical collection!

1. Entertaining and Exciting

When beginning this collection, I had only heard great praise for Bardugo's writing and stories and could not wait to dive into the stories, and dive I did. This collection presents an entertaining and eventful series of tales and events, which leave the reader in awe and fascination. Bardugo engages the imagination with her rich world-building, fast-paced text, and abundance of magic and magical creatures. The stories are entertaining due to their unexpected twists and turns, such as the shocking revelations the clever fox discovers in the story "The Too-Clever Fox" and the murder presented in "When Water Sang Fire". These stories truly blend the riches of childhood curiosity and fairytales with the darkness and mortality. 

2. Radiant and Unique

Furthermore, Bardugo's collection comes to life with her unique characters and radiant writing. I adored her rich storytelling and vocabulary, which give depth to the simplicity of her plots and ideas. I enjoyed her description, such as her ability to bring water to life in "Little Knife": 

3. Humorous and Fun

What I love about this collection the most is the ability to let go of reality and enter a completely different universe where magic is the norm and nothing is quite what it seems. Each silly character, colourful metaphor, and use of suspension makes the collection a delightful and fun read, even if the stories are laced with an unseen, but felt, darkness. The stories are worth reading with an open mind and eagerness to explore magic