Stunning illustrations and a great little addition to the Grishaverse.

This one was a really enjoyable read even if it is something that technically wasn't needed. A collection of six short stories, inspired by other works including myths and fairy tales, the stories were so atmospheric and well written that they could work as a standalone and still be enjoyable. Sometimes with collections you can have some stories that work more than others, but I enjoyed every single one of these.

Would recommend to anyone who likes the Grishaverse or fantasy as a whole.

I love short stories, I love dark stories, this book sounded right up my street and I was not disappointed

Incredible. The world building and the mysticism of this whole world is just captivating

Couldn't download it so unable to review unfortunately.

Really enjoyable read found it a bit slow to get into but once I did i couldn’t get enough

Okay.. first off the illustrations are absolutely beautiful

Story 1 - 5/5 stars.
This story was absolutely amazing I loved every minute of it. Especially the ending. The illustration at the back with the girl and the beast is absolutely breathtaking. I loved every story that Ayama told and how they affected the beast. I also loved how the others got their comeuppance and the lessons that the beast learned should be learned by everyone.

Story 2 - 5/5 stars.
Yet again another brilliant and meaningful story with a stunning picture to end with. All of the illustrations are just beautiful. I love this story of the clever fox and the fact that he still needed help from his friends to outwit the hunter. He was clever and full of ideas and Koja was relentlessly teased for being ugly but he had people there for him when he needed them the most.

Story 3 - 5/5 stars.
This one was a bit of a backwards Hansel and Gretel. The twists and turns kept me guessing right to the very end. I love the fact that in the stories not everyone are as they seem Nadya was a strong and brave character even though she feared those who had been trying to help her and ran towards those who weren't. I love how twisted everything is and that nothing is as it seems. If you get the chance.. stir the pot.

Story 4 - 5/5 stars.
Leigh can do no wrong.. It was nice to read a folktale where the princess doesn't end up marrying one of the suitors that her father has lined up for her and is instead set free by something as magnificent as the river. She was so beautiful that everyone who saw her wanted to take her away and keep her for themselves. I'm glad Semyon didn't end up winning her hand because he only wanted her for her money so that he no longer had to live in squalor.

Story 5 - 5/5 stars.
This story was magnificent. Especially the end where Clara's mother seemed to become enchanted. I loved the idea of the toys coming to life because unbeknownst to the maker he had breathed some life into them and made it so if they wanted badly enough, they could grow big and live their own life. It was a really good idea and it was well executed and the illustrations were yet again stunning.

Story 6 - 5/5 stars.
This was my favourite story of them all and reminded me so much of Ursula. Ulla was a brilliant character and I loved her right through to the bitter end.

Overall the book was absolutely stunning from the amazing artwork to the magnificent tales and characters. Leigh always writes a beautiful book.

4.5 stars. What a wonderful book of Grisha folk and fairy tales! Leigh Bardugo says in her author’s note that these tales were written as the fairy tales characters from the Grisha world may have listened to as children.
The fairy tales most told nowadays are sanitised, but these are full of the grim and dark which convey the message that impossible tasks are an odd way to choose a spouse, that predators come in many guises, that a prince’s whims are often cruel. These tales will seem familiar but have a creepy twist. I thought that all the stories were strong and as with all fairy tales, these are meant to be read again and again. And I shall.
Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Language of Thorns is a gorgeous book, from the illustrations to the dark fantasy stories, to the way the book is produced. Bardugo has written six reimagined fairytales, as they might have been told to her Grisha universe characters, and she had definitely put the 'Grimm' back in. Fairytale retellings can be very hit and miss, partly because they play with archetypes and are an exploration of human nature at its most subtle and most perverse. These stories are not so much retellings as stories in their own right, written in a fairytale style but keeping all of the gore and grittiness. What I found especially fascinating was the way Bardugo explored the holes in the original source material. Fairytales - if you're not referring to the toothless versions cleaned up by the Victorians - should leave you feeling a little uncomfortable. The reason might be different for every reader. Bardugo has looked straight at those areas that made her uncomfortable and delved into 'why'.

<b>Ayama and the Thorn Wood </b> - a tale exploring why impossible tasks come up so often in fairytales and taking the real blame in stories such as beauty and the beast and putting it where it belongs - on parents who would happily sacrifice a child for wealth.

<b>The Too Clever Fox </b> reads a little like an Aesop's fable and is a fun if rather grim look at how you can get caught in your own trap, and also not to take a friend for granted.

<b>The Witch of Duva</b> hands down my favourite. This was a very chilling twist on Hansel and Gretel that once again puts blame back where it belongs.

<b>Little Knife</b> another story looking at the fallacy of impossible tasks and the problem with greed.

<b>The Soldier Prince</b> I liked how this one took The Nutcracker (Der Gnusseknacker und das Mauskonig) and examined how anything sentient must always and only belong to itself. Projecting your wants onto something doesn't make it yours. Bardugo manages to hit on just why that very weird German fairytale always disturbed me.

<b>When Water sang Fire</b> More of an origin story of the Sea Witch in Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid (with a few nods to Disney). This was interesting because as with the original it dealt with the feeling of being an outsider - other within your own race - and also with the crushing effect of betrayed friendship, especially between two girls. Han's Christian Anderson allegedly wrote the story as an allegory for his own situation - that of being in love with his closest friend (in a time when homosexuality was not tolerated at all) and being rejected by him; feeling like an outcast for being different.

All in all this was a wonderful collection. 5 well deserved stars. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a bit of dark fantasy and/or finds themselves continually drawn back to fairytales.

This book was pure magic from cover to exquisite cover.

From the enchantingly beautiful illustrations around the edge of every page, to the stunningly re-imagined fairytales, this book is definitely one you don't want to miss!

The tales were powerful, magical, dark, wise, and compelling. Add to that the very clever illustrations by the talented Sara Kipin which subtly follow the story along and add their own twist to the tales, and you have a completely wonderful, un-put-downable book!

We get to meet fiercely powerful women, crafty animals, toys who wish to be alive, and some very surprising monsters along the way.
The re-tellings were very cleverly done; weaving together the traditional fairytales that we know and love with Leigh Bardugo's amazing Grishaverse to wonderful, and surprising effect!

These definitely won't be the tales and endings you remember!

The book itself is beautiful. I have only read the e-book version but even that is gorgeous. The illustrations only add to the stories, giving you a sense of what the story is like with the colours and images that are used. When I first got the book I honestly just spent a few minutes flicking through it just to look at the design of it. I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this book because I’m sure it’s even more beautiful in person.

On top of this the writing is incredible. Leigh Bardugo has such a way with words. She takes fairytales and folklore that feels familiar but gives it a completely original twist. This collection was like no folklore collection I have ever read before. Having a collection of short stories was great because it meant that I didn’t have to read it all at once. I could read one story and put it down and I didn’t have to remember a lot of details to read the next one. The stories themselves were lyrical and creepy and basically everything you would want from fantasy/fairytale stories. I don’t think I could pick a favourite story. They all had their own voice and tone and yet they all melded together to make the collection a joy to read.

(I received a copy via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

Leigh Bardugo is one of my favourite authors, I absolutely adore Six of Crows, so when I was granted this on Net Galley via the publisher I was so excited. First of all the cover for this is stunning and I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to buy the physical copy so I can have it on my bookshelf.

This is a collection of short stories inspired by fairytales and folklore but as expected Bardugo managed to put her own personal twist on each of these stories. I really enjoyed this read as Leigh just has a way with words and her descriptions combined with the beautiful illustrations at the end of each story worked perfectly at creating such a great atmosphere.

As with all short story collections I found myself loving some stories a little more than others but I did enjoy them all. There were so many that I really enjoyed that I would have been happy to read an entire book on the story as the setting and characters were so complex and the story portrayed such an interesting message. Highly recommend as it’s the perfect autumn read!

Delightfully dark twists on well known fairy tales. If you like your short stories beautifully illustrated, feminist, and full of high fantasy world-building, this is for you.

I received a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and and the publisher for the opportunity.

I have not read any other Leigh Bardugo works so, her style was new to me. There are six tales in the book, three of which had been previously published and three were new. Written in a classic fairy tale style these are stories of wise animals, enchanted princesses, clever maidens, but most of all they are about the harsh truth. In these stories love doesn’t conquer all, but finding and accepting the truth is what will bring you peace. I have to say that these stories didn’t make a great impression on me. I understand that while they are based in the Grisha universe they don’t necessarily tie into the Grisha stories. Without that link to draw you in and keep you interested these are really just folk tales. A pleasant afternoon’s read but they are unlikely to pull me back for the rereadings that are characteristic of my favourite imaginary worlds

The Language of Thorns is a collection of six short stories set in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. Three of these stories had already been available to read on the Tor website for free but I'm thrilled to see them in print for the first time, especially in such a beautiful book. I'm still waiting for my hardback copy to turn up (I read the kindle version) but you only have to look at the photos posted on Amazon's description (see below) to see jut how gorgeous it is and I love the stunning illustrations by Sara Kiplin that can be found throughout.

Leigh Bardugo talks about the fairytales that inspired her stories in her author's note at the end of the story and she's definitely captured that feel to her fables so anyone who is a fan of the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson will love these. Although the stories are set in the Grishaverse they aren't linked to any of the previous books in terms of timeline so this book can be read as a standalone. I'm sure you'll fall in love with the author's gorgeous writing though and I'd highly recommend all of her books.

Here's just a brief rundown of the stories included:

1. Amaya and the Thorn Wood - This story is kind of a mash up between Beauty and the Beast and A Thousand and One Nights with a sprinkling of the Minotaur in his labyrinth. It doesn't end how you'd expect it to and this was probably one of my favourite stories in the book.

2. The Too-Clever Fox - This is one of the stories that has been available to read on Tor's website so it was my second time reading it. There are tiny hints of Red Riding Hood but that's more to do with the feel of the story than the plot, I loved Koja's character and didn't spot the twist coming on my first read.

3. The Witch of Duva - The second of the stories I'd already read online this story is definitely inspired by Hansel and Gretel, it has everything you need for a good fairytale - a witch, an evil step-mother and missing children - but comes with a brilliant twist at the end. I'd completely forgotten how this story ended so it shocked me just as much on a reread.

4. Little Knife - Last of the stories from Tor's website, this is about a father setting impossible tasks to his daughter's suitors to decide who should be her husband. A good reminder to be careful what you wish for, if you get too greedy you may end up with more than you bargained for but it'll probably be what you deserve.

5. The Soldier Prince - Inspired by the Nutcracker this was a really creepy story full of clockwork toys that are magically bought to life that raises questions about what it's like to be real. It has a great twist at the end and I kind of want to read a sequel!

6. When Water Sang Fire - This is the only story that includes a character from the Grisha trilogy and I think a lot of fans are going to be excited when he puts in an appearance, I won't say who because of spoilers but he's a popular character. I will warn you that he's not the main character in the story so don't expect it to be all about him but it was fun to spot a familiar face. Anyway, this was a Little Mermaid retelling and it was brilliant, a very fitting final story for the anthology.

It goes without saying I will read anything Bardugo writes, her writing is spell-bindingly beautiful, that before you know it you’re whisked away into an enchanting world that you never want to leave. With The Language of Thorns Bardugo gives you so much, with characters who are fierce, to those who you’d never expect to be duplicitous, I really couldn’t have asked for anything more! The Language of Thorns features six fabulous short stories, in my review I thought I’d focus on two of my favourites.

Ayama and the Thorn Wood.
“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. That emptiness cannot be banished, and so some days we wake with the feeling of the wind blowing through, and we must simply endure it.”

This was a wonderful start to a collection of short stories and probably one of my favourites of the entire book. I think because the story really was turned on its head that I found myself greatly appreciating this aspect. I’m also always a fan of characters who are underdogs, I tend to find myself rooting for them and wanting to succeed over the course of the story, and this was the case with Ayama. Her parents were really awful to her, the way they treated her actually made it seem like she wasn’t a member of the family at all and just another servant. And the way they had no care in the world, when they sent her to tame the beast for the king made me super mad. But Ayama was more quick-witted than most people had expected her to be, and so the way things turned out, I was a huge fan of.

The Witch of Duva
I was always a fan of Hansel and Gretel when I was younger, I would always find myself shouting at them not to go into the strange cottage or be lured by any tasty treats. I thought that The Witch of Duva would be Hansel and Gretel all over again, with little girls going missing throughout the story, with our MC Nadya herself being unable to resist the enticing scent that was coming from the woods. But I’m glad that despite the similarities, Bardugo takes us completely by surprise with her plot twist. I usually find myself to be quite a good judge of character, so to say I was a little shocked and in awe of how this story turned out, could be the biggest understatement.

The Language of Thorns was truly a delight to read, it was made even more beautiful with the gorgeous illustrations for each short story. I for one can’t wait to see these in the finished editions of this book!

I really enjoyed this. I loved her Shadow And Bone trilogy so I had high expectations for this.
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While these stories are set in Bardugo's Grisha-verse, you don't really need to have read those books (or remember them in great detail) if you fancy reading this: it's a little collection of twisted fairytales, somewhat shaped by the world of the Grisha, somewhat just by Bardugo's responses to old stories. There's a version of Hansel and Gretel, a sort of prequel to 'The Little Mermaid', a retelling of the story of the Nutcracker...

Each story has a certain magic, and Bardugo handles them well: they feel like fairytales, while also feeling fresh and new. I liked Ulla's story in particular, the last one in the collection -- but I liked the perspective Bardugo took on each of them. For example, the sting in the tail of her Hansel and Gretel retelling... But I'd better not say too much.

Suffice it to say it's a great little collection, and it's probably going to be a beautiful book in hardcopy, too. I recommend it if you love fairytale retellings as well as if you're a fan of the Grisha-verse.

This is my first time reading the author.

I loved every story in this collection.

The Language of Thorns is a gorgeous read; the cover is beautiful and I loved the illustrations throughout. This was impressive in a Kindle book and I’d love to see this in a hardback edition.

The writing in this collection of stories is rich, lush and gorgeous. I got completely pulled into the stories and struggled to put the book aside.

The stories in this collection are old-fashioned fairy tales at heart with echoes of good and evil, light and dark. I found them irresistible.

Now I need to read everything Leigh Bardugo has ever written. NOW.

First of all, I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was absolutely delighted by this anthology! I'm a massive fan of the Six of Crows duology, and the magical world it is set in, and these tales were a great addition to that universe.

Each of the 6 tales in this anthology is framed as a traditional fairy tale from one of the regions of the Grisha universe: 3 from Ravka (all of which had previously been published online, I believe, although I had never read any of them before), 1 from Novyi Zem, 1 from Kerch, and 1 from Fjerda. These 6 stories vary a great deal in length, theme and tone, but each of them was captivating in its own way.

One thing that surprised me was the scarcity of links to the full-length Grishaverse novels. Of course, I haven't read the main trilogy, only Six of Crows, so it's entirely possible I missed something, but for the most part the worldbuilding established in the main series is kept to the background. Occasionally, references to jurda, or Ketterdam, or a Fabrikator crop up, and I think one of the characters from the main trilogy makes an appearance in the final tale, but for the most part, a reader with no knowledge whatsoever of this universe could pick up this book and still thoroughly enjoy each tale, without getting too confused.

"What gave her strength then? We cannot know for sure. That contrary thing inside her? That hard stone of rage that all lonely girls possess?"

I think that my favourite thing about this anthology was the way it so unabashedly celebrates female strength. In most of the stories, the protagonists are women, or else the female characters gradually become more interesting than the protagonist, and I was always satisfied by the women's fates as I turned the final page. In fact, the twists at the end of each story, which were all so much more satisfying to me than most of the endings of the classic fairy tales we're used to, were another of my favourite aspects of the book - along with the unrestrained sense of magic throughout, which was always dark but uplifting, delightfully inventive, and absolutely captivating.

And now, here's a few more specific thoughts about each story (in the order that they appeared in my copy):

'Ayama and the Thorn Wood'
This was the Zemeni tale, one of the longest in the book, and definitely my favourite. It's a blend of One Thousand and One Nights, Beauty and the Beast, the legend of the Minotaur, and even a hint of Naomi Novik's Uprooted - incredibly atmospheric, wonderfully uplifting, with a fantastic heroine and my favourite trope of all: stories about stories!!

'The Too-Clever Fox'
This one, on the other hand, was probably my least favourite of the bunch - though it was still very enjoyable! It was the first of the Ravkan stories (aka the ones previously published online), and I think it may also have been the shortest in the anthology. I saw the twist in this one coming a mile off, but it didn't make it any less satisfying!

'The Witch of Duva'
This one is retelling of Hansel and Gretel, and I did NOT see the twist coming here! Arguably the darkest tale of the whole lot, I have a feeling it's the one that I'll find myself thinking about 3 weeks from now. Again, it had a fantastic heroine, and I loved the ending and the fate she chose for herself - and the other female characters too!

'Little Knife'
Another short Ravkan tale, this one raised a lot of great questions about women's agency, and was one of the only tales to feature actual Grisha. Short and sweet!

'The Soldier Prince'
Set in Kerch, this retelling of The Nutcracker (with elements of Pinocchio) revolves around the themes of belief, hopes and dreams, and the power they hold. With its townhouse setting, the tone was very different - much less wild - than the others, but it was just as enchanting.

'When Water Sang Fire'
This Fjerdan take on The Little Mermaid was absolutely incredible. Very dark, and yet brimming with magic and the conviction that the lost and lonely girls of the world can always find a way forward. I utterly adored it.

One last thing: for the first time ever, I almost regret getting an ARC, because there were very few illustrations, and I'm not even sure if the ones that were included were the finalised versions that will appear in the finished book - but they were stunning even so! I particularly loved the illustrations for 'Little Knife' and 'When Water Sang Fire', which were stunning. I would definitely consider buying myself a hardback copy just to see what the other illustrations are like, because it seems like there were a lot missing from this version, and I'd love to see more of this world!

For the most part I enjoyed this collection of tales, but I also feel indifferent and a bit let down by it.
As always, Leigh Bardugo's writing is beautiful and her take on popular folk and fairy tales was interesting and dark which I enjoyed - but I kept forgetting that the book was set in the 'grishaverse' because there wasn't that much 'grishaness' about it.

The illustrations that I saw in the Netgalley copy were nice, if a little basic, and I'd have liked to have seen more because I didn't get the full immersive experience that would have made this more enjoyable.

My favourites in the collection would probably be 'When Water Sang Fire' and 'The Too-Clever Fox', but they each had their own qualities that I enjoyed.

It was a good read with interesting twists on fairy tales and a nice addition to the grisha books. And although it didn't blow me over I'm glad I had the chance to read it.