A review by fauna_n_fiction
The Tangleroot Palace: Stories by Marjorie Liu

3.5

 **Story 1: Sympathy for the Bones** 

7/10 

I enjoyed this story. There was a good amount of horror and the atmosphere. I loved the details and I am a big fan of bone-instruments so the sewing needles, I really enjoyed. 

 

**Story 2: The Briar and the Rose** 

8/10 

Possibly the most memorable story for me. I loved this romance and the story itself was heartbreaking but very interesting. It was such a good take on Sleeping Beauty. I do wish that it didn’t jump over such significant times, like skipping six months again with not much else having happened. I wished there was a bit more romance as that was what I enjoyed about this story. 

 

**Story 3: The Light and the Fury** 

4/10 

Very forgettable. A lot of lore/worldbuilding that we couldn’t get into because it was a short story. I feel like the story itself didn’t have a lot of substance; I would have loved to hear the “backstory” that this story referenced. 

 

**Story 4: The Last Dignity of Man** 

8/10 

This was so complex and intriguing and interesting and horrifying. I loved the main character’s complex inner thoughts. I enjoyed the story that he was set in and I liked the other characters that came into his life. 

 

**Story 5: Where the Heart Lives** 

9/10 

I really enjoyed the relationship in this story. My mind almost immediately started comparing Barnabus to Kaleb from “Credence – by Penelope Douglas”. I believe having read that novel before this affected how I felt about this story because the relationship between him and Lucy was heaps and bounds healthier than of that in Credence and that really made me love it. 

I loved the found family, the individual traumas and the growth together. 

 

**Story 6: After the Blood** 

2/10 

I nearly DNF’d this book during this story. I found it very boring and I felt like there was a lot that just flew over my head. I wasn’t able to pay attention and because of this, I missed a lot of stuff that I think was supposed to be strong and emotional. 

 

**Story 7: Tangleroot Palace** 

8/10 

Although one of my favourite, plot-wise, I think this story felt a little bit shallow-deep even considering it was the longest of the collection. I felt like this was told by someone who really loved the story but couldn’t remember all the details. I loved the romance, the story itself and the ending but I just wish we would have gotten a little bit more.