Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.
Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.

Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.

This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves. 

I think I can’t find proper words to express how breathtakingly beautiful everything about this book is, from the stunning cover, lyrical prose and exquisite illustrations to each and every well-thought detail, and whimsical twist. Just reading it made me fall in love with Bardugo’s writing over and over again and reminded me exactly how much I adore this amazing world she has created.

The Language of Thorns is a collection of six short stories—fairytales, if you will, but each so deliciously righteous and with a dark twist that will leave you speechless long after you turn the last page.

It speaks volumes of Bardugo’s style how she managed to make almost every story seem like full-fledged novel, rather than just a few dozen pages long novella. Even though the longest story is just a little less than hundred pages and the others are at least two times shorter, it simply didn’t feel like it. Nothing was too much nor too little; it was enough and it was perfect.

If I had to pick my favourite, it would definitely be When Water Sang Fire. It’s something I’ve honestly never seen before, a completely unique take on the (sort of) story of The Little Mermaid, but also a heart-wrenching tale of friendship, love and betrayal.

I wholeheartedly recommend you to read this amazing book, whether you’re already a fan of Bardugo’s work or just about to become one; I promise you won’t regret it.

^quote from The Witch of Duva, my second favourite and probably the most twisted story of the bunch