A review by sahibooknerd
The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette de Bodard

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

After finishing the first book in the series yesterday, I decided I was gonna binge this trilogy because why not. It’s been a while since I’ve done it and it’s always fun, just like this sequel turned out to be. 

I can’t believe that I’m saying it but this series is turning out to be one where I don’t always understand what is happening, but it doesn’t bother me much and I’m still enjoying the experience. This plot is truly full of political machinations and intrigue where every word spoken is a double edged sword, most of the characters are morally ambiguous and there is a looming dark vibe throughout which threatens to engulf the world whole. The pacing remains slow, the author’s writing perfectly capturing the decaying nature of both the Houses in Paris as well as the underwater dragon kingdom, and just when we think we have predicted something, we get an unexpected twist that delights us. 

I did like that we get to explore more of Madeleine’s and Philippe’s storylines even though the proceedings mainly shift to House Hawthorn and the dragon kingdom. Madeleine’s fear and addiction is palpable in every thought of hers, her grief making us feel so much more empathetic towards her and I just wanted her to finally have some peace. Philippe on the other hand is haunted by the consequences of the choices he made in the first book, and is trying to undo them even if the results might be disastrous. Asmodeus and Thuan play other significant roles and it was so fascinating to see these two powerful beings who have a deep loyalty to those they consider theirs, face off against each other initially and then see the shifting dynamics. There was another subplot which took up a significant page time but I somehow didn’t feel attached to those new side characters at all, but I have a feeling they might play prominent roles in the finale. 

In the end, this was as much of a dark and compelling read as the first book, just with more betrayals and devastation. I’m definitely excited to read the finale, but that ending has made me so much more interested in Thuan and Asmodeus’s relationship and I hope we get to explore that next along with whatever life threatening dangers the author decides to throw at us readers.