Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic is a collection of short fairy tales that would supposedly have been read to the characters in Leigh Bardugo’s fantasy Grishaverse, a world in which her award winning series Shadow and Bone is set. Though it is set in the Grishaverse, those who are new to Bardugo’s work can also enjoy the stories, and anyone who has read Shadow and Bone or the other books in that world can appreciate the small details that connect each story to the Grishaverse.
The anthology is interesting, with each tale different from the last, and all 6 seem to have taken some inspiration from traditional fairy tales and myths. The first story draws from the Minotaur and its Labyrinth, the second from the Gingerbread Man, the third Hansel and Gretel, the fourth uses themes of nature spirits like nereids from Greek myths, the fifth hints at the nutcracker, and the sixth the little mermaid.
Despite the roots in well known children’s stories, Bardugo’s “Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic” are indeed a bit more dangerous to her protagonists, and have a darker spin, similar to Hans Christian Andersen’s stories.
In addition to the intriguing narratives themselves, each page has beautiful border illustrations that grows throughout the tale, drawn by Sara Kipin, subtly foreshadowing, and highlighting things that occur throughout the story.
All in all, Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic is a fascinating book that I highly recommend to anyone, whether or not you have read the other Grishaverse novels.
-Marina
Hi Marina! I am honestly so happy you posted this review because I absolutely LOVE books like these. These books sound like a great twist from the original stories, and I appreciate that you talk about the visual aspect of these books. From your blog the illustrations sound like they could be displayed at the Louvre. Amazing book review, I will definitely be adding this to my reading list!
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ReplyDeleteI’m not usually a huge fan of fantasy, but this seems like an excellent book. I think it’s interesting that you mentioned this book can be read on its own or as part of an universe built by other books. Even without knowing the characters and settings from the main series, you could probably still learn a lot about the Grishaverse through the fairy tales and their morals. Like Heidi said, it also sounds like the illustrations add to the story by providing a succinct visual for the infolding plot. Thank you for sharing this book recommendation!
This book looks really interesting!! I've started reading the Shadow and Bone series so it might be fun to see how this book connects to that series. Even if I hadn't started the series yet, this book looks really good from your description of it! I already love stories that take fairy tales or classical stories and twist them into something else, so I'll definitely try to find it someday! Great review!!
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