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anna_m_k's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Alphabet of Thorns is a fantasy story that feels removed from reality and like it was drawn from ancient tales. And it is amazing because of that. If you think modern fantasy novels don't have a lot of magic in them, need to be more ethereal, or want something that doesn't thematically focus on violence and never even has an action scene, then you will love this book.
The book weaves its three plots together wonderfully. There is the story of Nepenthe, an orphaned transcriptor who has taken on the task of translating a book written in an alphabet of thorns. In that book is the life story of Kane and her unending, obsessive love for her emperor. And outside of Nepenthe's home, the royal library, Tessera is newly crowned as queen and facing her first challenge alongside her advisor, the sorceress Vevay. Each story feeds into the other, and creates the feeling of an expansive, living world.
The most important characters are all women, or teen girls, and they feel alive. The powerful sorceresses Vevay and Kane, the young Queen Tessera, and the transcriptor Nepenthe are all fascinating and well-rounded. Their failings, successes, and intelligence drive the three storylines of the book.
McKillip writes fantasy where the magic truly feels otherworldly, while remaining grounded in the worlds and stories she constructs. There are enough rules for a modern fantasy fan to feel that there is some grounding to the magic. But, it does have a deeply wild and free feeling to it. Each reveal of the extent of this world's magic, and what it takes to harness it, made me feel like when I was a kid staring up into a starry night sky, learning about the secrets of the deep oceans, or learning about something truly ancient. It really makes the whole book feel magical.
The book weaves its three plots together wonderfully. There is the story of Nepenthe, an orphaned transcriptor who has taken on the task of translating a book written in an alphabet of thorns. In that book is the life story of Kane and her unending, obsessive love for her emperor. And outside of Nepenthe's home, the royal library, Tessera is newly crowned as queen and facing her first challenge alongside her advisor, the sorceress Vevay. Each story feeds into the other, and creates the feeling of an expansive, living world.
The most important characters are all women, or teen girls, and they feel alive. The powerful sorceresses Vevay and Kane, the young Queen Tessera, and the transcriptor Nepenthe are all fascinating and well-rounded. Their failings, successes, and intelligence drive the three storylines of the book.
McKillip writes fantasy where the magic truly feels otherworldly, while remaining grounded in the worlds and stories she constructs. There are enough rules for a modern fantasy fan to feel that there is some grounding to the magic. But, it does have a deeply wild and free feeling to it. Each reveal of the extent of this world's magic, and what it takes to harness it, made me feel like when I was a kid staring up into a starry night sky, learning about the secrets of the deep oceans, or learning about something truly ancient. It really makes the whole book feel magical.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death and War
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