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Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo
11 reviews
bookishfads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
You read this book and come across a sentence that pricks you like a thorn and has you staring at the wound. Beautiful writing.
I enjoyed this book so much I actually read it as slowly as possible so I can properly savor it. Some would say that's the intended way of reading. Leigh Bardugo has a modern approach to fairy tales - in a good way, although they sometimes come across as almost cringe-inducingly feminist (and I say this as a woman). However, a few "gatekeep-girlboss" moments here and there don't take away from the depth of her characters, the twists of her plot and the poetry in her prose - all in a very limited format of a fairy tale.
I loved the moments of female rage, something that is hardly noted in traditional stories. Fairy tales sometimes romanticize very... questionable behaviors and it's nice to see some typical tropes subverted and exploration of healthy vs toxic relationships. That being said, I do sometimes get weary of writers trying to "fix" folktales and overthinking and misunderstanding them (Cinderella being the best example). I had fun with this book, so I'd say Leigh Bardugo did it well. She goes for a more Andersen approach, where the story isn't like an oral folktale, but longer, more elaborate, with deeper characterization.
Bardugo may sometimes get into too much detail, with names of places and whatnot - this is probably to keep us in the Grishaverse, though we're not there, but in their stories. I understand why she and her publisher may have wanted this, but I think it limits the book quite a bit and the cameo of that one character isn't worth it. I guess it's cool to have a fictional world's anthology, but it hardly expands upon anything. So for my fellow Grishaverse fans who aren't too into fairy tales - just look up what happens. For people who love fairy tales but haven't seen/read anything about the Grishaverse - you may be confused at times, but I believe in you. For those who are into both - just read it already!
I understand people who gave it five stars, but certain moments took it down for me, plus the cameo and grisha-bait.
Me being shallow: the cover and the art are just gorgeous! The two-color palette made for a more clever result. I love the idea of the slowly forming margin, so each new page reveals more of the story, like a cheeky little spoiler right before you read it. The final illustration always a delight. I would love to see more books that go for the thorn/rose aesthetic and if they do, this book will be the bar they have to reach. I remembered how this was the first book of LB that captured my attention when I was at a bookstore: "the Six of Crows woman wrote fairy tales!"
Spoiler below for the cameo criticism
I also don't think that the Darkling, a man who spends the main trilogy haunted by the loneliness of his own immortality would have the "you can come if you want" attitude to his SISTER. You're telling me he wouldn't try to make her see his way? Show up when everyone leaves her and use his manipulative ways? Use the bell that can control her? The entire cameo, as fun as it was, felt cheap and didn't make much sense. Why do the Fjerdans tell the story involving the Darkling? Why is it so detailed? Did he write it himself? It would have been much more fun to see him as a recurring character in various Ravkan legends (and it would make way more sense) or have a few told by him. Make the fans work for the lore, don't spoon feed us that it's our beloved/behated villain.
I enjoyed this book so much I actually read it as slowly as possible so I can properly savor it. Some would say that's the intended way of reading. Leigh Bardugo has a modern approach to fairy tales - in a good way, although they sometimes come across as almost cringe-inducingly feminist (and I say this as a woman). However, a few "gatekeep-girlboss" moments here and there don't take away from the depth of her characters, the twists of her plot and the poetry in her prose - all in a very limited format of a fairy tale.
I loved the moments of female rage, something that is hardly noted in traditional stories. Fairy tales sometimes romanticize very... questionable behaviors and it's nice to see some typical tropes subverted and exploration of healthy vs toxic relationships. That being said, I do sometimes get weary of writers trying to "fix" folktales and overthinking and misunderstanding them (Cinderella being the best example). I had fun with this book, so I'd say Leigh Bardugo did it well. She goes for a more Andersen approach, where the story isn't like an oral folktale, but longer, more elaborate, with deeper characterization.
Bardugo may sometimes get into too much detail, with names of places and whatnot - this is probably to keep us in the Grishaverse, though we're not there, but in their stories. I understand why she and her publisher may have wanted this, but I think it limits the book quite a bit and the cameo of that one character isn't worth it. I guess it's cool to have a fictional world's anthology, but it hardly expands upon anything. So for my fellow Grishaverse fans who aren't too into fairy tales - just look up what happens. For people who love fairy tales but haven't seen/read anything about the Grishaverse - you may be confused at times, but I believe in you. For those who are into both - just read it already!
I understand people who gave it five stars, but certain moments took it down for me, plus the cameo and grisha-bait.
Me being shallow: the cover and the art are just gorgeous! The two-color palette made for a more clever result. I love the idea of the slowly forming margin, so each new page reveals more of the story, like a cheeky little spoiler right before you read it. The final illustration always a delight. I would love to see more books that go for the thorn/rose aesthetic and if they do, this book will be the bar they have to reach. I remembered how this was the first book of LB that captured my attention when I was at a bookstore: "the Six of Crows woman wrote fairy tales!"
Spoiler below for the cameo criticism
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Since these are fairy tales written in a very brief style, nothing goes into too much detail, although the writing is so emotional and impactful, sometimes these brief mentions can be upsetting enough on their own, so bear that in mind.tropico98's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
One of my favourite
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Bullying, War, Animal death, Murder, Animal cruelty, Violence, Body shaming, Torture, and Emotional abuse
rory18's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A masterfully crafted collection of dark yet inspiring cautionary tales. There's no unreality trigger warning, but if there was one it would certainly apply for The Soldier Prince (heavy themes of grooming in that one, too.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Xenophobia, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Child death, Alcohol, Homophobia, and War
wrinnola's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Blood, Confinement, Child death, Violence, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Classism, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Self harm, Body horror, and Bullying
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Addiction
magdie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
THE ILLUSTRATIONS PROGRESS ALONGSIDE THE STORY!!!! But in all honesty, I just loved it! I practically inhaled it in one afternoon after struggling to get through few pages of 3 different books the previous weeks. The genre just hit right ig. It's very whimsical but dark (it can get REALLY dark) and you can easily see the inspiration in popular fairytales, but it's not a retelling per se. They felt just right, enough fairytaleness, poetics and morals yet quite realistic characters. I also loved the tidbit easter eggs and references to other grishaverse books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Bullying, and Abandonment
Minor: Incest, War, Trafficking, Miscarriage, and Pedophilia
peggy_racham's review against another edition
4.5
Six childrens stories that the grishaverse characters probably grew up hearing. They were all unique, interesting and diferent even when taking inspiration from some of our stories.
(TWs are mostly of page and mention only, but these are stories similar to grimm original)
(TWs are mostly of page and mention only, but these are stories similar to grimm original)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Murder
talasterism's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Murder, and Pedophilia
Groomingeriniven's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
jbabbm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I truly recommend this book if you want a peak of the Grishaverse before committing to read any of the books. These stories are great and pretty entertaining. Leigh Bardugo did a great job with these retellings of classical tales from our world.
This is also a great book to read if you have previously read the Grishaverse and feel nostalgic but aren't ready to dive back in just yet.
This is also a great book to read if you have previously read the Grishaverse and feel nostalgic but aren't ready to dive back in just yet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
blakethebookeater's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My ranking of the short stories:
1. The Soldier Prince (5/5)
2. When Water Sang Fire (5/5)
3. Amaya and the Thorn Wood (5/5)
4. The Witch of Duva (4/5)
5. Little Knife (3/5)
6. The Too-Clever Fox (3/5)
Overall, I think that this was a beautiful collection and I loved the way Leigh subverted fairy tale tropes to create stories that feel so unique and dark and magical. This is definitely worth your time! Breakdown of thoughts on each story below:
Amaya and the Thorn Wood was such a beautiful and strong start to this collection. I loved the message of this story and it had some very strong imagery. Leigh knows how to write a good fairy tale.
The Too-Clever Fox was a good tale, classic animal fable, but it felt a little too short for me to really care and I feel like I saw the end coming.
The Witch of Duva was a VERY dark story and I loved it. It was very inspired by Hansel and Gretel and Leigh took it and twisted it into something so different and weird and it was great.
Little Knife was an overall strong story but I feel out of all of the stories, this one felt the most predictable to me. It’s not a bad thing, but when most other stories subverted or at least tried to subvert expectations, this one just fell a little flat in comparison. Still a good story!
The Soldier Prince is so good. Sooooo damn good. It surprised me by how much I loved it and the FEELINGS I got from even this short little tale made me love it all the more. This and Water Sang Fire are the tale that I feel like NEED to be adapted to the screen somehow because they are just that amazing.
When Water Sang Fire is the last story in this collection and the one that packs the most punch. It feels like a novella because of how long it is, and because of that this story definitely has the best character development of the bunch. This is even better when you realize it’s a loose adaptation of The Little Mermaid and it’s so dark and amazing. Great way to end this collection!
Now the only bad thing is that there aren’t more stories. So Leigh, please, I need another book of Grisha fairytales please because this was awesome.
1. The Soldier Prince (5/5)
2. When Water Sang Fire (5/5)
3. Amaya and the Thorn Wood (5/5)
4. The Witch of Duva (4/5)
5. Little Knife (3/5)
6. The Too-Clever Fox (3/5)
Overall, I think that this was a beautiful collection and I loved the way Leigh subverted fairy tale tropes to create stories that feel so unique and dark and magical. This is definitely worth your time! Breakdown of thoughts on each story below:
Amaya and the Thorn Wood was such a beautiful and strong start to this collection. I loved the message of this story and it had some very strong imagery. Leigh knows how to write a good fairy tale.
The Too-Clever Fox was a good tale, classic animal fable, but it felt a little too short for me to really care and I feel like I saw the end coming.
The Witch of Duva was a VERY dark story and I loved it. It was very inspired by Hansel and Gretel and Leigh took it and twisted it into something so different and weird and it was great.
Little Knife was an overall strong story but I feel out of all of the stories, this one felt the most predictable to me. It’s not a bad thing, but when most other stories subverted or at least tried to subvert expectations, this one just fell a little flat in comparison. Still a good story!
The Soldier Prince is so good. Sooooo damn good. It surprised me by how much I loved it and the FEELINGS I got from even this short little tale made me love it all the more. This and Water Sang Fire are the tale that I feel like NEED to be adapted to the screen somehow because they are just that amazing.
When Water Sang Fire is the last story in this collection and the one that packs the most punch. It feels like a novella because of how long it is, and because of that this story definitely has the best character development of the bunch. This is even better when you realize it’s a loose adaptation of The Little Mermaid and it’s so dark and amazing. Great way to end this collection!
Now the only bad thing is that there aren’t more stories. So Leigh, please, I need another book of Grisha fairytales please because this was awesome.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, and Confinement