Laura E. Weymouth

Dark, gripping, and utterly unique, this atmospheric historical fantasy from critically acclaimed author Laura E. Weymouth is perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood and Caraval. Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic kept both the countryside and Violet happy. That is, until her father’s treason destroyed everything. Now she’s been given a chance to return home. But Burleigh isn’t what she remembered. Wild with grief, Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain. As its tormented magic ravages the countryside, Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known. A house left unchecked will lead to ruin. But I will not let it ruin me.

A Treason of Thorns

Dark, gripping, and utterly unique, this atmospheric historical fantasy from critically acclaimed author Laura E. Weymouth is perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood and Caraval. Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh's magic kept both the countryside and Violet happy. That is, until her father's treason destroyed everything. Now she's been given a chance to return home. But Burleigh isn't what she remembered. Wild with grief, Burleigh's very soul is crying out in pain. As its tormented magic ravages the countryside, Vi must decide how far she's willing to go to save her house--before her house destroys everything she's ever known. A house left unchecked will lead to ruin. But I will not let it ruin me.

Liz Griffin

A fun story with an engaging plot, I blitzed through the book and didn't want to put it down. However, there were a few things which hindered my enjoyment and the impact of the story.

There was a lot of tell not show. Far too much. Most of the book, I felt, was Weymouth telling the reader what to think. Most of the drama is supposed to come from Vi falling in love with Wynn, her childhood best friend but I felt I never fully believed either of them. We were rarely shown them as children being friends - and even then halfway through the novel, but told over and over again by Vi herself and the other characters that they were. The blurb tells us that Vi is in love, but it certainly never feels like it in the book -- they have a few awkward conversations, they remind us that they were once best friends and then oh look they're kissing. <spoiler>On this pedantic note. It feels there is an increasing YA trope of boy dedicated from childhood to protect the girl - and this is his only character trait. When I was 13 I would have found this perfectly swoonworthy and escapist (and is it really so bad for kids to desperately want someone to love them so much that their purpose in life is to love them?) but it reads a little flat now. Poor Wynn, after all that trauma and abuse he still wants to be with Vi. I would believe it more if I ever saw them act in love.</spoiler> Considering the book is kind of about the agony of love you'd think there'd be more time devoted to ahem... love?

Similarly we are told over and over again that Vi loves her house. Loves it. But very rarely shown this to be true. This decision is so hard, she says. Is it? Or Vi's love for Jed and Mira - the old house staff. We are 

 Vi loves them as her family but she certainly doesn't act like it. She seems to spend little time helping them, is regularly sullen, and they are very submissive to her decisions. Again, Vi's hatred of the king would come off far more convincing if I felt her seethe in anger, if Weymouth dedicated time to narrate her body language, the way her skin crawls, the fear he strikes in her - instead we are told 'I stare daggers at him. I hate him so much.' It is always powerful when the protagonist makes a declaration of feeling such as that but because everything is narrated to us this intensity is feeble. I definitely felt that the emotional devastation of the book is severely tempered by the audience never being allowed to experience it for themselves. 

Another thing I felt really let down this awesome premise was how fast it moved to Vi reclaiming the house. The first chapter opens with her dad under house arrest and the second chapter, seven years later, as she is told he is dead and she can return. I understand there is a hefty plot still to come, and that spending more time on world building might slow down the story but I felt so much of Vi's motivation comes from the events in these two chapters which are unfairly glossed over. 

Starting with the arrest is certainly jumping straight into the action, but at the expense of seeing the childhood Vi fondly remembers. Because we are never allowed to see Vi enjoy the house it is difficult to empathise with how much she misses it (once again. We are told this). If the book rests on the premise that Vi has a special connection with the house surely surely it would be effective to let us witness this? It would be far more convincing if we had a chapter on little Vi's interactions with the house - as readers it would make the forced removal far more devastating and Vi's heartbreak upon returning more gut-wrenching. (Similarly, it would be harder to see the house in disrepair, and to appreciate how bitter this is if we had ever seen it in its full glory). Similarly, it would have been nicer to have seen the exile of hardship a little more -- this is supposed to have been awful for Vi (we are once again told that it is hard and she struggles but do we see it??) but the emotional impact is severely lessened when she is quickly returned to the house. Surely we deserved a little yearning? A little hardship? (oh but we are told that they regularly starve in winter and that she's fed up...)

Time moves extraordinarily quickly throughout the whole book and there are many timeskips which are summed up simply as 'nothing happened this week except I worked in the tavern and waited'. I dunno, the pacing just felt really off. It almost seems a parallel problem to the tell v. show - Weymouth seems reluctant to let her reader inhabit the text or dawdle over details. It's as if there is so much to cram in that we are given a walking overview. 

This means that really important facts are mentioned bizarrely late in the plot - like the <spoiler> ghosts of memories </spoiler> This becomes vital to the plot development and is only mentioned a third of the way through in an offhand comment -- surely this would have been worth mentioning in the opening chapter. Similarly Queen Isabella - she appears as a name out of nowhere at a convenient plot point. 

This review is far longer than I intended, and I haven't meant to rant. I really did love the premise of the book and I think it could have been utterly spell binding but unfortunately I felt that the writing really let it down. Would still recommend for the premise though if you're in the mood for a quick and feel good read. 

hat carter

A fun story with an engaging plot, I blitzed through the book and didn't want to put it down. However, there were a few things which hindered my enjoyment and the impact of the story.

There was a lot of tell not show. Far too much. Most of the book, I felt, was Weymouth telling the reader what to think. Most of the drama is supposed to come from Vi falling in love with Wynn, her childhood best friend but I felt I never fully believed either of them. We were rarely shown them as children being friends - and even then halfway through the novel, but told over and over again by Vi herself and the other characters that they were. The blurb tells us that Vi is in love, but it certainly never feels like it in the book -- they have a few awkward conversations, they remind us that they were once best friends and then oh look they're kissing. <spoiler>On this pedantic note. It feels there is an increasing YA trope of boy dedicated from childhood to protect the girl - and this is his only character trait. When I was 13 I would have found this perfectly swoonworthy and escapist (and is it really so bad for kids to desperately want someone to love them so much that their purpose in life is to love them?) but it reads a little flat now. Poor Wynn, after all that trauma and abuse he still wants to be with Vi. I would believe it more if I ever saw them act in love.</spoiler> Considering the book is kind of about the agony of love you'd think there'd be more time devoted to ahem... love?

Similarly we are told over and over again that Vi loves her house. Loves it. But very rarely shown this to be true. This decision is so hard, she says. Is it? Or Vi's love for Jed and Mira - the old house staff. We are told Vi loves them as her family but she certainly doesn't act like it. She seems to spend little time helping them, is regularly sullen, and they are very submissive to her decisions. Again, Vi's hatred of the king would come off far more convincing if I felt her seethe in anger, if Weymouth dedicated time to narrate her body language, the way her skin crawls, the fear he strikes in her - instead we are told 'I stare daggers at him. I hate him so much.' It is always powerful when the protagonist makes a declaration of feeling such as that but because everything is narrated to us this intensity is feeble. I definitely felt that the emotional devastation of the book is severely tempered by the audience never being allowed to experience it for themselves. 

Another thing I felt really let down this awesome premise was how fast it moved to Vi reclaiming the house. The first chapter opens with her dad under house arrest and the second chapter, seven years later, as she is told he is dead and she can return. I understand there is a hefty plot still to come, and that spending more time on world building might slow down the story but I felt so much of Vi's motivation comes from the events in these two chapters which are unfairly glossed over. 

Starting with the arrest is certainly jumping straight into the action, but at the expense of seeing the childhood Vi fondly remembers. Because we are never allowed to see Vi enjoy the house it is difficult to empathise with how much she misses it (once again. We are told this). If the book rests on the premise that Vi has a special connection with the house surely surely it would be effective to let us witness this? It would be far more convincing if we had a chapter on little Vi's interactions with the house - as readers it would make the forced removal far more devastating and Vi's heartbreak upon returning more gut-wrenching. (Similarly, it would be harder to see the house in disrepair, and to appreciate how bitter this is if we had ever seen it in its full glory). Similarly, it would have been nicer to have seen the exile of hardship a little more -- this is supposed to have been awful for Vi (we are once again told that it is hard and she struggles but do we see it??) but the emotional impact is severely lessened when she is quickly returned to the house. Surely we deserved a little yearning? A little hardship? (oh but we are told that they regularly starve in winter and that she's fed up...)

Time moves extraordinarily quickly throughout the whole book and there are many timeskips which are summed up simply as 'nothing happened this week except I worked in the tavern and waited'. I dunno, the pacing just felt really off. It almost seems a parallel problem to the tell v. show - Weymouth seems reluctant to let her reader inhabit the text or dawdle over details. It's as if there is so much to cram in that we are given a walking overview. 

This means that really important facts are mentioned bizarrely late in the plot - like the <spoiler> ghosts of memories </spoiler> This becomes vital to the plot development and is only mentioned a third of the way through in an offhand comment -- surely this would have been worth mentioning in the opening chapter. Similarly Queen Isabella - she appears as a name out of nowhere at a convenient plot point. 

This review is far longer than I intended, and I haven't meant to rant. I really did love the premise of the book and I think it could have been utterly spell binding but unfortunately I felt that the writing really let it down. Would still recommend for the premise though if you're in the mood for a quick and feel good read. 

Libby G

When I read 'A Light Between Worlds' I knew that Laura E. Weymouth was going to be a gift in YA fantasy. 

'A Treason of Thornes' only cemented that opinion. A rich, magical, alternative history to our world with AMAZING characterization and a freaking magical house. 

I soaked up every second of this gorgeous, thrilling tale. A fresh new idea and one that gave me goose bumps. Well done!

Candyce Kirk

laura

* I got this book for review*

I really enjoyed this read. It was so eerie and creepy and such a engaging read. I normally never read standalone reads. This one captured me from page one. I also really liked the friendship the developed with Wyn throughout the read, I also really liked how the magic system developed. I also really liked how found family was the heart of this read. I really would rec this read for the halloween season!! I really did grow to love the main character in the read!!

Alexis 

2/5 Stars 

DNF'd @ around pg 165 

I tried really hard to read and enjoy this book, but It just wasn't for me. I was just bored, I didn't care about the characters or the plot. Nothing was catching my attention and I kept wanting to put the book down. This just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

Elizabeth Raines

Violet was like any other seventeen, they're always seventeen, year old young adult, fantasy heroine. She was immature and selfish at times but again, we have to remember that she is a teenager and that comes with the territory. I just felt like she did not change or grow throughout the novel, she was rather stagnant and that can be said for the side characters as well. 

I always enjoy an English setting. This book never states when it explicitly takes place but I would say sometime in the 1800s by the art that is inside of the dust jacket. I could be wrong though. Again, that could have played a lot into the plot by giving us a time period and letting the readers imagination of that time add more to the story.


 The writing was fast paced and this was an easy read. It is obvious this book does not take place in modern times so I wish that the dialogue did not have a modern twist to it but that did not really take anything away from the story; just a personal thought. 

The plot that is given to the reader is a fascinating one. It is unique the only thing that it could truly remind me of is 'Time Keeper' by Tara Sim. I had so many questions thought and that results on not enough world building and not enough knowledge on the magic system that is at play here. It would be more understandable if this was the first book in a series but it is not, this is a standalone novel. There just needed to be more information for the reader to get a better understanding of this universe.

The characters were not anything new to the genre, if you have read any other recent young adult fantasy than you are more than aware of these traits. The setting of an English manor is always one that peaks my interest and if you like gothic or classic British literature then you will probably enjoy this setting. The writing was fast paced and easy to read. The plot was something new but just was not none properly, there was not enough building or foundation. 

Check out my full review here: https://izzyreads.blog/2021/09/17/a-t...

Deborah Kerr

A pretty boring book that is thankfully quick and light so you can blitz it.

The characters have NO PERSONALITY. NONE.

And while I loved the idea of sentient houses and house magic, etc. instead of being interesting it was just dull.

The flashbacks absolutely destroyed any traction this book created.

When seventeen-year-old Violet Sterling returns to Burleigh House after years in exile, Burleigh's magic is tormented, ravaging the countryside, and she must strive to save her house before it destroys her.

Samantha Bass

A friend of mine had an ARC of this book and graciously sent this to me to read. I was so excited! But I noticed problems in the first chapter. I thought the magic system in this story was crazy unique - the house has all the power and its Caretaker wields a key to help hone its power responsibly. I haven't heard of a system like this before and it was really interesting to read. My problem with it though, was that I didn't get a true sense of the magic system until more than halfway through the book. This not only made it confusing as to what was happening, but kinda boring. Which was unfortunate, because I thought the premise was really cool!

Another thing that irked me was the repetitiveness of the main idea. Caretakers put their houses first, before anybody or themselves. Violet consistently repeats this in her head, out loud, to Wyn, and anybody who will listen. It gets a bit annoying after awhile. I understood the author was trying to make a point, and have Violet learn something by the end, but it was a struggle to read the same line/thought over and over again. 

Besides those issues, I really enjoyed the story and thought it was a fun read. I did want to see more of the "side characters" we meet, because they brought a lot of personality to the story. It was a shame they weren't included more. Overall, interesting new read that I haven't seen before and think everyone should give a try once it has been published in September! I'm excited to reread and see what changes have been made.

Leelynn Brady

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, and HarperTeen for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.



Anxiety, Emotional & Physical Abuse (non-graphic),
Gaslighting, Mild Body Horror

Okay whoa. This got super creepy, and I kind of liked that? I wasn’t expecting it, although I guess I should have from a bit of what the synopsis said. I don’t think I was prepared for certain magical aspects to hit me right away though, which really made things interesting and pull me in from the beginning.

Poor old House – it hates to see me unhappy just as much as Wyn does. ~ Vi’s observations of Burleigh

I know when I started this book, I just was so… entranced by the idea of a house having such a connection with a person, a family. I know I have been in a fantasy kick lately, and this is another one of those that has magical realism in the real world (England, to be exact), so I guess I should have expected it, but the way that Vi talks about Burleigh seriously makes me feel like there’s a soul in this house. The house is its own entity and has a mind of its own. It does things on its own and has human emotions. It’s almost creepy, but very interesting.

Well it’s not the only house that can do this.


  Blood for a beginning
Mortar for an end
Speak out your binding,
Be you foe or friend

Take up the deed
Take it well in hand
a bind a House's power
Bind it to the land

Blood for an ending
Mortar for a start
Unmake a binding
At your House's heart

Unleash a House's power
Let it all run free
Leave naught for the king
Naught for you or me

First House for a prison
Second for ladies' rest
Third for a palace
Fourth to be blessed

Fifth House holds quicksilver
The Sixth ruins all
But for blood in its mortar
But for breath in its walls


I couldn’t imagine being exiled from my home for nine years, especially after finding out that my father was accused of treason. Whatever that was, and then not knowing whether he and my childhood friend – who came to the house under suspicious circumstances really – were alive or not because they were put under House arrest. How could Vi live like that for nine whole years, and not have the comfort that Burleigh brought her, with all its magic and wonder? It’s just amazing that she even lasted as long as she did.

It is a wicked punishment, House arrest, designed to torment both a Caretaker and the Great House they tend. If found guilty of treason, a Caretaker is stripped of the key that allows him to channel the House’s magic safely, and restricted to the grounds.~ House arrest

And how could Vi feel such a strong pull towards Burleigh, when a House can be forced to kill its treasonous Caretaker? Even if the treason wasn’t real? I can’t tell you if he really was guilty or not, but he was put under House arrest for it, so clearly someone thought he was guilty.

Yeah, this book was super interesting. You’ll have to read it for yourself to see what I mean, because I don’t think I could have really imagined England quite like this. I mean, maybe now that I read this, but it makes me wonder how other lands would have fared with they had Great Houses like these. What it really means to be a Caretaker, and how far you’d be willing to go to put the House first.

Lush and atmospheric, beautiful prose. Characters who grip your heart and don’t let go. Minimal romance, which I also loved and appreciated deeply.

Content warnings: death of a parent, hallucinations

K.J. Haakenson

Holy smokes this such an eerie and angsty little book. Although it was slower paced and the magic system was a little vague, it was the emotion and characters that pulled me through. 

It was creepy with it’s ivy covered and dying 1800s sentient house. It was beautiful with it’s childhood best friends stargazing and wishing their paths had crossed without so much heartache. It was magical with it’s suddenly blooming flowers through floorboard and it’s memories playing for guests of the house like ghosts passing through this world.

It had high-stakes angst and emotion like The Scorpio Races, magic and Downton Abbey-esque houses like Splinters of Scarlet, and dangerous and twisted nature like Among the Beasts and Briars.

I love Vi and her dedication to Burleigh House and Wyn’s dedication to Vi. They had such an interesting dynamic that continued through the whole book. The stakes were high because they wouldn’t stop loving but they couldn’t stop what they were destined for. (I think I’m rambling at this point, sorry - it was just so good!!)

This book may not be for everyone but it sure was the perfect story to bridge summer and spooky season. And I fell in love with it.

Aubrey Erskine

To read my full review visit my blog:
 http://theshelflifechronicles.home.bl...

A Treason of Thorns was such an original story that I was totally immersed in from the moment I picked it up. I read it in an evening and was so sad when it was over and had to leave this new and original world Weymouth had created. It was dark and gothic with a creepy old house that I actually ended up not only understanding, but loving by the end. It also explored the idea that just because you have someone older and that you look up to you telling you how to live your future and who to become, you are free to forge your own path. That was something I needed to learn when I was a teenager, so I hope this books reaches those that need it.

Vanessa Bintou

3,5 stars

I loved the story and how original it was.. magical houses all over Great Britain and Europe, whose caretakers channel their magic and help the country thrive. Sounds great! The problem is that there was not backstory to this or to the characters and the narrative was a little repetitive. I liked Vi, but Wyn was the star of the story. Despite the fact that there were enough signs to suggest that he wasn't just another character, he wasn't treated as he was supposed.
We have learned almost nothing about his life before or after his coming to the manor, and only in the end we explored more about him. Vi on the other hand, seemed like the most special caretaker, strong and smart and caring, but personally I never really connected to her.

I think that if it was less repetitive with more backstory about the houses and focus was on Wyn, the book could have been great!

Manon van Heumen

I found this quite an enjoyable read. It reminded me a bit of a spooky Austen novel, and that worked really well for me.

Ashlee

This book is ... fine? Yeah, that’s about it. It’s not bad. It’s not great. It just exists, kind of like Burleigh House. It’s one of those books that it takes 3/4 for things to feel like they’re actually moving in the story.

One of my biggest issues with this book is that we’re given such an incredibly limited view on the world. The beginning and premise are so interesting, so promising – but the world building is weak at times. I have so many questions – about the Great Houses and the house magic especially – that I wish were answered, however I feel that we were just meant to smile and nod and understand these things exist and not really question them. 

If you’re new to YA or want to read something where the stakes never seem truly dire or fully explained, with characters that don’t question much of the world around them, this would be up your alley. It feels like the kind of book that would be titillating at youth camp, which isn’t a bad thing, but I feel like this book wanted to be darker than it was allowed to be. Additionally, it’s not surprising that Violet’s sole focus is Burleigh House, but it’s a little disappointing that is all the story wants to focus on too. Flat and one-dimensional at best.

I’m also disappointed in Wyn’s character. His back must be sore because he carried this story the whole way, however I feel as though he never lived up to is character’s full potential.

That said (and I know this review isn’t a shining endorsement), I quite liked the way it ended and where it leaves the characters. I just feel as though this story had much more potential, but was stifled at times.

Kaylee Z

*This ARC was provided by HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review*

This is Laura E. Weymouth’s second young adult novel and has a very unique take on historical fantasy. Weaving fiction and fantasy together with well-known locations adds a whole new layer to magical possibilities of the past. I must say, the idea of having a series of Great Houses that control much of their immediate area was an interesting premise and something I haven’t seen done in quite this way before.

The overall feeling that I had while reading A Treason of Thorns was curiosity. I wanted to know the history of the Houses, the politics of the kingdom, how the magic worked, what kind of capacity Violet possessed to fix Burleigh, and so much more. As an avid epic fantasy reader, I love all of the world building and deep character analysis and this book had the makings of a very big world. The only downside to all of my questions is that they weren’t all answered. I think that for the average young adult fantasy reader, who hasn’t delved into the larger epic stories, would be fairly pleased with how the world is explained as the pacing is well-done and there is enough explanation given to get you through.

I think it is safe to say that me wanting more is a good sign that I enjoyed this story.
As I said before, the pacing is done well for for the general demographic that it is tailored to but I did find the writing fairly surface-level but this again ties into me enjoying world building, plot and characters being flushed out more.

I do wish I understood more about how the magic in the world works because, as it is, I had to take everything I was being told at face value and just try not to think too hard on it or else it fell apart. Additionally, I still haven’t been able to decide if the choice of writing in first person took me out of the story or not. I find it personally difficult to get into a new book that is written in first person until I am nearly halfway through.

Something that I did appreciate though was that there was no major focus on Violet needing a love interest. Anything having to do with one was placed solidly on the back-burner and more focus was placed on an old friendship that was allowed to go wherever it needed to. I enjoyed the fact that Violet was pretty independent but a lot of the initial research to figure out how to help Burleigh was placed on two characters that she came to trust a little too quickly for me. Eventually she does a lot of the dirty work and that was when I liked her character the most.

A Treason of Thorns was an overall delightful read for me that I devoured within a day. It reminded me a bit of The Secret Garden, Menagerie, The Waking Land, Caraval, and something completely it’s own. I do have things that I would change but it was a fun read that kept me wanting to know more and to see how it ends.

A Treason of Thorns

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