These are the stories, says Bardugo, that the characters from her other books would have grown up knowing. The writing style itself seamlessly incorporates the fantastical elements of the Grishaverse (magical abilities, curses, creatures, etc) with the feel of an age-old tale. The dark, eerie feel of the stories perfectly capture the essence of a fairy-tale. In particular, “The Witch of Duva” gave me literal goose-bumps at its climax. They will haunt your thoughts long after you have finished this novel. Her short stories, like well-known fairy-tales (not the Disney version) are somewhat dark and twisted. PROsīardugo succeeds in capturing the feel of a fairy-tale. However, you will recognize the country names. You do not need to have read any of the other books in Bardugo’s Grishaverse to understand or enjoy this book. Though brief, each tale reveals intriguing characters and a dark, mysterious world.

Furthermore, other short stories in the collection vividly describe original, compelling tales. However, these retellings succeed in creating something unique and different from their well-known counterparts.

For example, “The Soldier Prince” clearly reimagines The Nutcracker, and “When Water Sang Fire” most certainly retells The Little Mermaid. Some of these stories are obvious retellings of well-known fairy-tales. The Language of Thorns features six short stories. The Last Wish: Dark, Compelling Characters in a Gritty World.Book Lovers Review: A Not So Typical Small Town Romance.

The language of the thorns