“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 the ones who do.”Īll of these stories take inspiration from classic fairy tales, but I wouldn’t really call them retellings (except maybe the last one - When Water Sang Fire). I actually wasn’t aware that three of the stories are ones that were available online beforehand and that I had read already - The Too-Clever Fox, The Witch of Duva and Little Knife - but I also don’t care that much because they are all fantastic and I read them again just to see them play out alongside the gorgeous illustrations. And if you’re considering whether it is worth buying a hardcover copy of The Language of Thorns - definitely go for it. They have that timeless fairy tale quality, reminiscent of Neil Gaiman and Laini Taylor’s Lips Touch: Three Times.

These dark, haunting and beautifully-written little fairy tales had me reading at every spare moment.

Dark things have a way of slipping in through narrow spaces.īardugo is definitely at her best when writing short stories. So shut the window tight and make sure the latch is fastened. This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves. Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange-to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.

The language of thorns by leigh bardugo