Scan barcode
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Violet loves Burleigh House. Unabashedly, unreservedly, and to the point that she’s in a toxic/codependent relationship with Burleigh as it will take everything she has to give and hurt her in return. I kept waiting for it to do something for her, something beyond occasional flowers. Violet has to figure out whether she wants to live for more than Burleigh, if she can be more than a Caretaker. She's ready to give everything for it and it's waiting to take everything she'll offer.
The worldbuilding is more repetitive than it is deep. There's a lot of wordplay involving magical definitions to otherwise normal phrases, and little historical details (such as Pompeii having been a Great House before the disaster). It shows rather than tells most aspects of House magic, especially early on. I read this in a single day, due in no small part to the audiobook narrator’s excellent performance. She brought Violet to life and elevated repetitive sections into an absorbing litany.
The eventual romance with Wyn doesn't precisely come out of nowhere, but he's drawn to her because they've been through something so fucked up that literally no one else he knows would understand, could feel it in their bones. That means the bond can feel very deep, as bonds of shared trauma often are, but if I try to outline exactly why they'd be good as a couple going forward I come up short. Wyn begins the story with no illusions about what Vi's connection to Burleigh means for her and her ability to prioritize anything else.
For those who have read THE LIGHT BETWEEN WORLDS, this feels like a more obsessive version of Evelyn's desire to return to the Woodlands. Except, I can believe the Woodlands love Ev, and I have trouble believing Burleigh loves Vi in a way that's healthy or has anything to do with her, specifically. If you read THE LIGHT BETWEEN WORLDS and wanted there to be more longing and obsession, then you'll probably love A TREASON OF THORNS. If you didn't like that aspect, this doubles down in a way that likely won't be appealing.
Ultimately, this is a book which goes deep on a very specific atmosphere and stays in the head of a narrator whose obsession fills every moment. If you like that vibe there's a lot to love, but if you're having trouble getting into it there's no moment to push past in order to reach a different kind of story. I love it and don't wish it were anything else.
The worldbuilding is more repetitive than it is deep. There's a lot of wordplay involving magical definitions to otherwise normal phrases, and little historical details (such as Pompeii having been a Great House before the disaster). It shows rather than tells most aspects of House magic, especially early on. I read this in a single day, due in no small part to the audiobook narrator’s excellent performance. She brought Violet to life and elevated repetitive sections into an absorbing litany.
The eventual romance with Wyn doesn't precisely come out of nowhere, but he's drawn to her because they've been through something so fucked up that literally no one else he knows would understand, could feel it in their bones. That means the bond can feel very deep, as bonds of shared trauma often are, but if I try to outline exactly why they'd be good as a couple going forward I come up short. Wyn begins the story with no illusions about what Vi's connection to Burleigh means for her and her ability to prioritize anything else.
For those who have read THE LIGHT BETWEEN WORLDS, this feels like a more obsessive version of Evelyn's desire to return to the Woodlands. Except, I can believe the Woodlands love Ev, and I have trouble believing Burleigh loves Vi in a way that's healthy or has anything to do with her, specifically. If you read THE LIGHT BETWEEN WORLDS and wanted there to be more longing and obsession, then you'll probably love A TREASON OF THORNS. If you didn't like that aspect, this doubles down in a way that likely won't be appealing.
Ultimately, this is a book which goes deep on a very specific atmosphere and stays in the head of a narrator whose obsession fills every moment. If you like that vibe there's a lot to love, but if you're having trouble getting into it there's no moment to push past in order to reach a different kind of story. I love it and don't wish it were anything else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gun violence, Blood, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Self harm, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death and Sexual content
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I liked the idea of this book, but overall found it rather boring and a bit repetitive. Violet kept repeating the same few things over and over, and I really don’t understand why she was so attached to the house. She talked to it like one would talk to a child, and loved it more than her found family, and for what? There’s sentimentality, and then there’s whatever this was.
The concept of sentient houses and mortar magic could’ve been cool, but I think Weymouth spent too much time focusing on the wrong parts of the story. I never got attached to Violet; I think Wyn or Esperanza would’ve been better protagonists. And speaking of Wyn, that romance really felt like it came out of left field. I couldn’t make myself care about that, or the house. I did like Esperanza though, and Frey. MVPs.
I considered DNFing, but pushed through because a small part of me was curious to see how things would play out. The takeaways here, I think, are that Weymouth’s writing isn’t my cup of tea, and if my instincts are telling me to put a book down, I need to listen. Not that this book is bad; I just didn’t connect with it.
Representation
The concept of sentient houses and mortar magic could’ve been cool, but I think Weymouth spent too much time focusing on the wrong parts of the story. I never got attached to Violet; I think Wyn or Esperanza would’ve been better protagonists. And speaking of Wyn, that romance really felt like it came out of left field. I couldn’t make myself care about that, or the house. I did like Esperanza though, and Frey. MVPs.
I considered DNFing, but pushed through because a small part of me was curious to see how things would play out. The takeaways here, I think, are that Weymouth’s writing isn’t my cup of tea, and if my instincts are telling me to put a book down, I need to listen. Not that this book is bad; I just didn’t connect with it.
Representation
- Jewish side characters
- Black side character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
Minor: Body horror and Blood
Mental illness is tagged because the protagonist has anxiety. Parent death is off-page but frequently mentioned.
More...