The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 4.5 stars
Published: September 17th 2017
Goodreads Synopsis:
Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.
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.
Leigh Bardugo's fairytale retellings set in the Grishaverse are actually deliciously wonderful and full of that dark, wondrous awe that retellings tend to have. I'm going to individually review each - I must say, the last story, When Water Sang Fire, was my favorite of the collection and essentially made the book for me. Also the illustrations came to life and weren't stagnant - they transitioned as each story progressed!
There are many unexpected and dark plot twists here, and I wouldn't say they're really children's fairytales because they're so twisted.
