Leigh Bardugo

Presents a collection of six short stories that transports readers to familiar and strange magical lands with haunted towns, hungry woods, talking beasts, and gingerbread golems.

Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

The Language of Thorns

(Bre)anne✨

But Ulla was not alone; all these broken, betrayed girls were with her, and what a terrible sound they made.

The Grishaverse will be coming to Netflix soon with Shadow and Bone, an original series! 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. Enter the Grishaverse... 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. Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, the tales in The Language of Thorns 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, each of them lavishly illustrated and culminating in stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves. An Imprint Book This title has Common Core connections. A New York Times Bestseller "Lushly designed and wonderfully rendered ... Bardugo doesn’t twist familiar tales so much as rip them open." —Booklist, starred review "Strong writing, compelling stories, and gorgeous illustrations make this collection a must-have." —School Library Journal, starred review "Beautiful imagery conceived from precise, beautiful prose; beautiful cover image and interior illustrations that creep across each page toward a beautiful consummation; beautiful lands inhabited by beautiful hearts." —VOYA, starred review "Elegantly crafted...stylishly intricate illustrations...all fans of the darker side of folktales and folktale-like stories will find the stories satisfyingly full of pain, danger, and vengeance." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review "Gorgeously otherworldly...Any lover of retellings or original fairy tales will enjoy." —Kirkus Reviews “Gorgeous, cruel and almost wistful windows onto the dreamscapes and hard lessons of [Bardugo’s] alternate universe ... fairy tales with all the darkness intact.” —NPR Book Review "Those who seem innocent are shown to be guilty, one-dimensional characters become more complicated, and mothers who once were absent are given presence and power.” —Mashable "This new collection will intrigue, awe, frighten, and inspire both stalwart fans and new readers looking for a heady spoonful of fantasy.” —Hypable "This nightmare-inducing collection is short but powerful, each tale as brilliant and absorbing as the one before... brilliant storytelling” —Romantic Times "Marvelous tales, as full of twists and delights and strangeness as anything found in the Grimm Brothers. Leigh Bardugo is a master." —Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble Read all the books in the Grishaverse! The Shadow and Bone Trilogy (previously published as The Grisha Trilogy) Shadow and Bone Siege and Storm Ruin and Rising The Six of Crows Duology Six of Crows Crooked Kingdom The King of Scars Duology King of Scars The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic Praise for the Grishaverse “A master of fantasy.” —The Huffington Post “Utterly, extremely bewitching.” —The Guardian “The best magic universe since Harry Potter.” —Bustle “This is what fantasy is for.” —The New York Times Book Review “[A] world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp.” —NPR “The darker it gets for the good guys, the better.” —Entertainment Weekly “Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down.” —USA Today “There’s a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo’s original epic fantasy that sets it apart.” —Vanity Fair “Unlike anything I’ve ever read.” —Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent “Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!” —Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series

Kaitlyn Grace

chloe rae

JESUS CHRIST. This collection of short stories is absolutely STUNNING. Not only is the actual book physically beautiful but Leigh Bardugo's writing is just so marvelous and magical and mysterious. I enjoyed every single thing about this book. I'm honestly not quite sure which was my favorite; they were all so pleasantly dark and creepy and wonderful. Not to mention the added art element? GORGEOUS. I found the art to be refreshing and every story I found myself looking forward to what scenery would be drawn next.
A must-read. I thoroughly enjoyed not only this book, but the experience of reading it as well. Man, she's good.

shru

nina 

4.5 stars ✨ 

If you are looking for something to pull you out of a reading slump, this is the book. And the illustrations that adorn it are absolutely gorgeous. 
I didn't give it 5 stars, as I found the last two stories a bit mediocre compared to the rest

one of the most compelling, haunting short stories I've ever read.

fairuza hanun

I really liked these! this is probably one of my favorite bardugo books actually, it was very short and the stories were really entertaining. would recommend!

fris🐝

Emma Daniels

The art through this book is amazing! I think this is a great book of tales, but I will say the artwork is what bumped it up to a 5 for me. :)

chloé

If you like Shadow and Bone, you'll like the tales from this book. Some tales are similar to our own fairytales and others are entirely different. They all play out in the world of Shadow and Bone. Every story has its illustrations. With each page the illustrations grow until it's complete at the end of the story. Especially the last tale is hauntingly beautiful. 

Karen

Lara Engle

These twisted Grishaverse children's stories are delightful in that nightmare fairy tale way. You'll feel empathy for the villains, but you'll also feel a little glad for the bitterness that accompanies every victory.

There are so many short stories in this book so I wanted to give my thoughts on each of them 

This story had a great lesson about that not everything you see is what it is. Ayama was abused and mistreated by her family and the beast was judged by what the king had said about him. Ayama saw the beast for who he truly was and the beast was the only one who would listen to Ayama 

The too clever fox thinks he is the smartest in the woods because he outsmarted his mother and the bear and many other traps. So he thought that when a hunter came to town he knew, everything only to be wrong. Being clever is good but it is better to be wise 

This story is about Nadia who lives in a village where girls go missing in the woods and no body ever finds their bodies. When Nadia herself gets lost in the woods and comes across a witch she finds out why the girls actually go missing 

This story was quite strange with the Duke giving his daughter as a prize to whoever finishes the three tasks he has set. Seymon the poorest in the village thinks that he can win the duke's daughter Yeva with the help of the river he names Little knife however everything isn't what it seems. I liked the ending of this book with Yeva standing up for herself and deciding on her own what she wants 

This story was creepy and strange. I didn't like the idea of the clocksmith being obsessed with a little girl and then making a toy that will spy on her so that he can know how to make her fall in love with him. Most of the ending didn't make much sense to me and overall this story was weird and confusing 

Ulla the mermaid is not like the others with her grey skin and there are rumors that she is half human. The story goes along with her making a friend with Signy and then the prince and them going to land. The story is filled with betrayal and vengeance 

These were great short stories that I really enjoyed. This book felt like the stories that would get told to our favorite characters from the other grishaverse books 

June

There are so many short stories in this book so I wanted to give my thoughts on each of them 

-Ayama and the thorn wood- 

This story had a great lesson about that not everything you see is what it is. Ayama was abused and mistreated by her family and the beast was judged by what the king had said about him. Ayama saw the beast for who he truly was and the beast was the only one who would listen to Ayama 

-The too clever fox- 

The too clever fox thinks he is the smartest in the woods because he outsmarted his mother and the bear and many other traps. So he thought that when a hunter came to town he knew, everything only to be wrong. Being clever is good but it is better to be wise 

-The witch of Duva- 

This story is about Nadia who lives in a village where girls go missing in the woods and no body ever finds their bodies. When Nadia herself gets lost in the woods and comes across a witch she finds out why the girls actually go missing 

-Little knife- 

This story was quite strange with the Duke giving his daughter as a prize to whoever finishes the three tasks he has set. Seymon the poorest in the village thinks that he can win the duke's daughter Yeva with the help of the river he names Little knife however everything isn't what it seems. I liked the ending of this book with Yeva standing up for herself and deciding on her own what she wants 

-The soldier prince- 

This story was creepy and strange. I didn't like the idea of the clocksmith being obsessed with a little girl and then making a toy that will spy on her so that he can know how to make her fall in love with him. Most of the ending didn't make much sense to me and overall this story was weird and confusing 

-When the water sang fire- 

Ulla the mermaid is not like the others with her grey skin and there are rumors that she is half human. The story goes along with her making a friend with Signy and then the prince and them going to land. The story is filled with betrayal and vengeance 

These were great short stories that I really enjoyed. This book felt like the stories that would get told to our favorite characters from the other grishaverse books 

Language of Thorns is a collection of short stories about the saints of the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo. Personally I really like the Grishaverse, especially the Six of Crows duology. However, I did not enjoy reading these short stories. 

The short stories or fairytales are based on the fairytales I was read to as a kid, like Hansel and Gretel. I see no issues in retelling fairytales, but this was such a straight copy in my opinion, that I did not like it. 

The fairytales were all very dark and rarely had a good ending, which is also not really my cup of tea. 

Overall, I did not like this book and it was a bit disappointing because I love the Grishaverse and Leigh Bardugo so much. 

Laura

Language of Thorns is a collection of short stories about the saints of the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo. Personally I really like the Grishaverse, especially the Six of Crows duology. However, I did not enjoy reading these short stories. 

The short stories or fairytales are based on the fairytales I was read to as a kid, like Hansel and Gretel. I see no issues in retelling fairytales, but this was such a straight copy in my opinion, that I did not like it. 

The fairytales were all very dark and rarely had a good ending, which is also not really my cup of tea. 

Overall, I did not like this book and it was a bit disappointing because I love the Grishaverse and Leigh Bardugo so much. 

freya.nightwolf

Good short stories

Overall, I like the book, but I can't say I will ever read them again. Maybe in a few years, like in 10-15 years...


Ayama and the Thorn Wood - 5 stars

This one I really enjoyed. It's a Cinderalla kind of retelling, but it ends with a twist. This one was so much fun and had a good pace.


The Witch of Duva - 4 stars 

This one was kind of creepy :)) I liked the ending though and what Magda did for Nadya. But hell, I did not saw that one coming.


The too-clever Fox - 4 stars

I liked this short storie and the lesson behind it. The ending was easy to tell, especially after the girl pour wine for Koja. It ok to show kindness, but never let your guard down. Again, the hard truth: the human kind is the biggest predator...


Little Knife - 3 stars

I'm not sure what to say about this one... The lesson behind this story is a good one, but the pace of the story... not for me...


The Soldier Prince - 3 stars

It was ok. The Nutcracker in the grishavers :))) It was not for me, but this doesn't mean I can't understand it.


When water sang fire - 3 stars

The only thing that really got me focused on the story was the dark haired boy. Why??? Because it was the Darkling and the twist that came with him. But other than this, the story was ok, but it lost me into too many details...

From bestselling author of SIX OF CROWS, Leigh Bardugo, comes a lavishly illustrated collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice and love. Inspired by myth, fairy tale and folklore, THE LANGUAGE OF THORNS will transport you to both lands familiar and strange that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse. 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, no. 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 of the Grishverse. This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them beautifully illustrated with art by Sara Kiplin that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

Nessa Luna

I still love these stories so much. I think my favourite may be The Witch of Duva, but honestly I don't want to pick a favourite because they're all magical and amazing in their own ways!

surprisingly dark and unsettling. really looking forward to the next collection of short stories about the saints!

The too clever fox thinks he is the smartest in the woods because he outsmarted his mother and the bear and many other traps. So he thought that when a hunter came to town he knew everything only to be wrong. Being clever is good but it is better to be wise 

Ulla the mermaid is not like the others with her grey skin and there are rumors that she is half human. The story goes along with her making a friend with signy and then the prince and them going to land. The story is filled with betrayal and vengeance 

These were great short stories that I really enjoyed. This book felt like the stories that would get told to our favorite characters from the other grishaverse books. As always I loved Leigh Bardugo's writing, her books are always remarkable 

There are so many short stories in this book so I wanted to give my thoughts on each of them 

-Ayama and the thorn wood-

This story had a great lesson about that not everything you see is what it is. Ayama was abused and mistreated by her family and the beast was judged by what the king had said about him. Ayama saw the beast for who he truly was and the beast was the only one who would listen to Ayama 

-The too clever fox-

The too clever fox thinks he is the smartest in the woods because he outsmarted his mother and the bear and many other traps. So he thought that when a hunter came to town he knew everything only to be wrong. Being clever is good but it is better to be wise 

-The witch of Duva-

This story is about Nadia who lives in a village where girls go missing in the woods and no body ever finds their bodies. When Nadia herself gets lost in the woods and comes across a witch she finds out why the girls actually go missing 

-Little knife- 

This story was quite strange with the Duke giving his daughter as a prize to whoever finishes the three tasks he has set. Seymon the poorest in the village thinks that he can win the duke's daughter Yeva with the help of the river he names Little knife however everything isn't what it seems. I liked the ending of this book with Yeva standing up for herself and deciding on her own what she wants 

-The soldier prince-

This story was creepy and strange. I didn't like the idea of the clocksmith being obsessed with a little girl and then making a toy that will spy on her so that he can know how to make her fall in love with him. Most of the ending didn't make much sense to me and overall this story was weird and confusing 

-When the water sang fire-

Ulla the mermaid is not like the others with her grey skin and there are rumors that she is half human. The story goes along with her making a friend with signy and then the prince and them going to land. The story is filled with betrayal and vengeance 

These were great short stories that I really enjoyed. This book felt like the stories that would get told to our favorite characters from the other grishaverse books. As always I loved Leigh Bardugo's writing, her books are always remarkable 

Courtney

I am a fan of Leigh Bardugo’s writing. The Language of Thorns read more similarly to classic fairy tales (dark and with lessons to be learned), and not so much with happy endings for everyone. It had it’s depressing moments but the plot twists were well written and great segways into familiar fairy tales such as The Little Mermaid. I really enjoyed all six stories! I would recommend at least reading The Shadow and Bone trilogy before picking this up to understand some of the Grishaverse as well as the surprise character cameo in the last story!

I absolutely loved how the artwork came to life with each turn of the page! The illustrations were so clever and worked perfectly with each story! I was immensely enchanted with this book overall and honestly would reread it right now if I could, but I have to do the shower, eat, and sleep things I guess.

Lacy W

collective rating: 3.67 stars! Each short story was given a chance to obtain 5 (five) stars. I rated each book then added up the stars and divided by 6 (six) (for the number of short stories).

What an absolutely beautiful set of short stories. Even though I rated most of the stories 3 (three) stars, I highly enjoyed this and it was such a great addition to the Grisha world. I will briefly talk about each story and give a rating. It is what I have seen other reviewers do and it should work just as well for me. 

Ayama and the Thornwood- 4 stars
This was beautiful. It had a really good moral to it (well I think it did anyway) which was looks aren't everything. Ayama was clever and I admired her bravery immensely. I'm not sure what fairy tale this was based on though. Maybe Beauty and the Beast? Regardless, I adored this one. 

The Too Clever Fox- 3.5 stars
I'm not sure if I am the biggest fan of animal stories but regardless, I enjoyed this story. Koja was a fascinating little MC. Deporte how he was treated, I liked how he cared for his little forest family and looked out for them as best he could. Again, I have no idea what fairy tale this is based on or if it's a fairy tale all on it's own. 

The Witch of Duva- 3.5 stars
This was very reminiscent of Hansel and Gretel but with a twist. It was a twist I should have enjoyed but I found I didn't. I didn't care for the whole "evil stepmother" trope and I just couldn't connect with Nadya. But I enjoyed the way it was written.

Little Knife- 4 stars
I enjoyed this one immensely mainly because I finally got to see Grisha power! The Grisha powers was one of my favorite things in the Grivaverse trilogy. My one complaint is why are all these women so beautiful? That was literally what this whole little story was about. I know it's fairy tale retellings but the whole women are beautiful and men fighting over them is getting old. But yay for Grisha powers!

The Soldier Prince-2 stars
My least favorite of the anthology. It started out okay. But things went sour really quick. I wasn't okay with a grown man chasing a 12 year old. And then I must have missed something because the story got really focusing and I had no idea what was going on. I'm assuming this is based on The Nutcracker? But I've never read/seen that so I don't really know. 

When Water Sang Fire- 5 stars, favorite
My most favorite story! This was a beautiful retelling of The Little Mermaid. Fun fact- I don't care for Disney so I prefer the original fairy tales. I felt this respected the original fairy tale. Ulla and Signy were adorable and I firmly believe they are OTP (one true pair). I will be rereading this one over and over again, wishing it was a full length novel. 

I can't do a review on this book without talking about those breathtaking illustrations. I mean, my god, I spent a solid 5 (five) minutes just flipping through the book and breathing in the smell. My favorite illustrations were on these stories Ayama and the Thornwood and When Water Sang Fire. 

Overall, you can't go wrong getting this book. Even if you weren't a fan of the Grishaverse trilogy or the Six of Crows duology, I think you all woud enjoy this just for the fairy tale retellings and the illustrations.

dija

This book is STUNNING , the stories are all terrifyingly beautiful and the illustrations are to kill for.
My favorite story is definitely The Witch Of Duva I LOVED IT SO MUCH AND I HOPE I CAN STIR THE POT REALLY SOON

Jamieson

LEIGH BARDUGO IS THE QUEEN OF YA FANTASY

I

ONLY

POST

FACTS





Listen, I love the GrishaVerse so much. It's one of my favourite high fantasy worlds, and you can tell Leigh Bardugo loves it so much herself and has put so much work into it. The Grisha world just keeps on expanding and every expansion really makes me heart sing. This world is a little twisted, a little creepy, a little shattered. Filled with broken people and stories, with creepy histories and dangerous characters and a chilling aesthetic. And thats what I love about it. I love it being a little creepy and weird, it makes it so unique and so fascinating. 

I'dd admit, I'm not a massive short story lover. I don't know why, it's nothing to do with leigh Bardugo. It's me. So anytime I read a short story collection, even from my faves, I'm expected to be left a little disappointed just because short stories and me don't .... we don't get along great. 

But this is probably one of my favourite short story collections ever, because each story was so well written, and each one had a twist or addition I didn't expect. Leigh Barudgo really knows how to string you along and then undermine your expectation. She subverts the genre so often and fuck I love her for it. 

Ayama and the Thorn Wood: 4.5 stars. This definitely reminded me of how we usually hear Grimm fairly tales told. It followed that familiar fairytale set up we're used to. The three stories told by Amaya I absolutely LOVED. Each one definitely didn't end how I expected and I loved how they were deliberately supposed to go against your expectations. I didn't give it a full five star though because of the ending being a bit predictable. 

The Too-Clever Fox: 5 stars. BITCH I WAS SHOOK. I definitely didn't see the end of this one ocming, for some reason. This story gave me the absolute creeps, it was super creepy and kinda gross but I liked that about it. Definitely gave me the old spine tingles. I loved the characters in this, they were great and just the whole message of the story in general. I'm glad I hadn't already read the short story for this (because I believe this one is already published?) But anyway, loved this one

The Witch of Duva: 5 stars. YESSSS. This was my favourite one in the whole book. Oh my god, the plot twist got me okay. I was super freaked out and grossed out and jfghkjf. But I loved the female characters in this one and how they were written, the bond between the various characters, and the growth of the characters was amazing considering how short this was. I'd read this one again for sure I LOVED IT. 

The Little Knife: Leigh Bardugo makes every single river in Ravka a lesbian? Obviously giving this one a five star bitch. I am SO GLAD people posted the artwork for this story on twitter because wow it's gorgeous. So I loved the composition of this story, and the repetitive nature actually didn't get to me at all? The quests were super fun, and I liked to see how each one was tackled. But BRUH that ending. The women establishing themselves and then destroying those who tried to control them my Aesthetic. Love love love

The Soldier Prince  Eh. I didn't like this one much I kepy waiting for it to end. I kind of just .... didn't care? And I found the whole doll/kid thing kinda creepy, which I know I've been praising the creepy stuff but this one I don't know I just didn't like it much. The only bit I really liked was the Rat King's appearance. Only gave this one 3 stars

When Water Sang Fire 3.5 stars, maybe? I don't know, I'm very conflicted on this one. It had the Darkling in it, so that makes me happy. And I really loved the ending and what Ulla went out and did. But I felt kind of queer baited? I didn't like how Signy and Ulla's relationship went about, and I definitely felt the ending was the most predictable of all the stories. Pretty much the whole scene with Roth/Signy/Ulla annoyed me, but I was here for what Ulla did after that. I don't know this one is hard for me, I loved bits of it and felt nothing for other bits of it. 


  So shut the window tight and make sure the latch is fastened. Dark things have a way of slipping in through narrow spaces.


I definitely enjoyed this creepy set of stories from the Grisha world. No matter what they contained, it was amazing just to be back in the world. I was really impressed with some of the stories, and even though I didn't love a couple as much, overall this whole collection was chilling, spine tingling, hair raising. And I can't fault Leigh Bardugo for that

Also, I listened to this on audiobook so for anyone interested the audio is great! It reminded me alot of Every Heart a Doorway in the style and tone of the narration and there was a lot of emotion put into conveying the characters and their situations. Really recommend the audiobook!

You know what I take away from this whole thing most?

BRING ON KING OF SCARS
THE GRISHA VERSE IS MY SHIT

Stef

Staying up late to finish this book and worth my sleeping time. Full review coming soon :)

Lorelei Petcu

I don’t think there’s any surprise here. I loved this. I have loved and will love anything Leigh Bardugo writes. 

Even though these stories are nothing like the Grisha trilogy or the Six of Crows duology, they hold the same beautiful and dark atmosphere and, if anything, they bring out Leigh’s talent even more. 

Each of the stories was amazing and whimsical in such a twisted way, but my favourites were definitely Ayama and the Thorn Wood and The Witch of Duva. I was a bit disappointed by The Too-Clever Fox (that’s Alina’s nickname for Nikolai so I had big expectations ok?), but overall, they were all so incredibly well written and twisted. 

I think each of these left a mark and I will probably be thinking about them for a long time. So, even if you did not like the Grisha Trilogy, please please please read The Language of Thorns.

tina

“we were not made to please princes.”  

A Leigh Bardugo dark retelling of fairytales? Count. Me. In. 

Bardugo has proved countless of times that she can craft a novel excellently, but in this book she proved that she can be a masterful short storyteller as well. Each of the stories give off both a haunting and enchanting vibe. We get to see the Grishaverse in a different light, and it gives the world a clearer structure. The Language of Thorns is a fascinating exploration of the world’s folklore and it is definitely a wonderful way to learn about the world of Grisha. 

  “this goes to show you that sometimes the unseen is not to be feared and that those meant to love us most are not always ones who do.”   

The Soldier Prince - 5/5 
When Water Sang Fire - 4.5/5 
Ayama and the Thorn Wood - 4/5 
Little Knife - 4/5 
The Witch of Duva - 3.5/5 
The Too-Clever Fox - 3/5 

  “but hope rises like water trapped by a dam, higher and higher, in increments that mean nothing until you face the flood.”

Anna

Tout comme « The lives of Saints » C’est vraiment super d’avoir des livres collectors de ce genre qui nous racontent des contes de l’univers Grisha ! Ça permet de comprendre des références (exemple avec le conte du renard rusé qui est désigné dans King of scars pour parler de Nikolai) !

The Language of Thorns Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

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