A review by mysana
Tower of Thorns by Juliet Marillier

2.0

I really just don’t think Marilliner’s style works for me. 

The core of the book is too long and slow for me (with so little learned or gained!) and then the ending is too fast and short. Some plot threads seemed so obvious so immediately to me that I found it hard to not see Blackthorn as missing the obvious. And honestly, I just didn’t like the plot at the center of the story, same as Dreamer’s Pool. Part of my want to read the third book to see the longer plot threads wrapped up but ugh. We’ll see. 

I did really like Grim and Blackthorn as characters, and I liked Grim's arc in this story. I think Marilliner does a good job on description and scenery, which I don't usually notice, but I do have a sense of place of where this story took place, which is impressive. 

”she was as mad as a half-witted dog at full moon. Did what she wanted and didn’t give a fig about anyone else” not a satisfying conclusion to 400 pages of the question “what’s the curse of the tower of thorns”!!!


I really liked the small fae in this story. I think the screaming was part of why Blackthorn wasn't as on top of it as usual, but I don't really enjoy reading characters being incompetent. Even if there's a good reason for it, it's just less satisfying than them being competent imo?
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