Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

5 reviews

iris_lrf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Rarely am I disappointed by the Grishaverse and this is no exception. Bardrugo's magnificent talent for worldbuilding is exhibited full force in all six of these stories, each a deliciously dark twist on a classic fairytale. Her characters had me gripping the book, my nose barely an inch from the page, as I read on in disbelief, in worry, in vindication. 

To speak of this book without praising Sara Kipin's glorious illustrations would be a crime of the highest order. With every turn of the page, the margins bloom with colour, coming further and further to life. I would often catch myself skipping ahead for a glimpse of the final picture, only held back by the spoilers it would contain. Kipin's bright and bold work brings these stories, their characters and the setting to a new level. 

Whether you're new to the Grishaverse or long-time fan, this book is a must-read for all. Its beautiful pages and enthralling tales shed spectacular light on a world of powerful sorcerers and terrible monsters. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Infidelity, and Classism

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: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Trafficking, and War

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)

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

anielabooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

5.0

This book was absolutely beautiful. The cover and illustrations were gorgeous. The stories were captivating and reminiscent of classic fairy tales. I particularly loved “Ayama and the Thorn Wood” and “When Water Sang Fire.” The lessons taught in these books are very relevant and important for kids to learn but please read the content warnings before introducing them because some stories have dark scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed the way it connected to the world of the Grisha, as the S&B books slyly mention some of the folk tales outlined in the book. Overall amazing read and I recommend even those who haven’t read other books from the Grishaverse to explore this one.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Incest, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and War

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.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship