The Language of Thorns

Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

By: Leigh Bardugo

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, number one New York Times best-selling 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 listeners 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.

©2017 Leigh Bardugo (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

I couldn’t stop listening

I don’t often enjoy short stories or write reviews but every single one of these had me completely invested in plot. Leigh Bardugo’s writing and ingenuity in this blows me away. I only want more of these to listen to.

“Come help me stir the pot”

Leigh Bardugo’s The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic (2017) is a well-written collection of six fairy tales set in her secondary world of the “Grishaverse.” Each story is a vivid and clever modern adaptation (pot stirring) of a different kind of fairy tale. Bardugo likes to trick the reader with twists wherein she revises or reforms traditional fairy tales by, for instance, making the apparent monster a protector and the apparent victim a monster. The stories have some gruesome bits but mostly feature relatively happy endings (though the reader can’t get TOO comfortable).

Here is an annotated listing of the stories.

“Ayama and the Thorn Wood” might be called, “Ugly and the Beast.” OK, Ayama is not really ugly, though people (including her family) treat her as such, maybe because her voice is hard on the ears. The story is reminiscent of Angela Carter’s reworking of “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Tiger’s Bride,” with some Scheherazade action for good measure (featuring three stories, not 1001). The story features a pair of overlooked second siblings, a slimy king, a greedy grandmother, a forest full of thorns, and an enchanted pool. The point of the story is that truth rules, especially in stories, so feel free to change the traditional lame happy endings according to your own experience of life.

“The Too-Clever Fox” begins as a beast fable and ends as a human monster hunt from the point of view of animal victims. The story features a scrawny, ugly, clever fox (Bardugo likes telling stories about physically unattractive, intelligent, and plucky protagonists), a helpful nightingale, a super hunter and his mournful sister, and a scary revelation and climax.

“The Witch of Duva” plays with Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel, featuring a long famine, a serial killer of girls, a shape-changing spirit, a witch in the woods, and a daughter who says she wants to go home. It has delicious listings of foods and some creepy gingerbread and crow magic.

“Little Knife” revises the traditional fairy tale where the ruler (here a duke) sets increasingly impossible tasks for his daughter’s suitors to perform before he’ll let anyone marry her. Add to this scenario an obedient but finally independent daughter and a helpful but finally independent river and some selfish men who won’t listen to good questions, with even a dash of Shel Silverstein’s *appalling* The Giving Tree, and you get an idea of this tale.

“The Soldier Prince” is an interesting take on the Nutcracker fairy tale, featuring a clocksmith who makes marvelous human automata who do bad things, a dreamy tea merchant’s daughter who wants to live in a world of fantasy, and a nutcracker who has trouble thinking of himself and his own desires (until he’s visited by the Rat King). It has a satisfying resolution.

“When Water Sang Fire” is a vivid adaptation of Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” or rather is an origin story for a key character in that story. The themes about the creative and destructive power of desires as well as the imagination of the undersea world of the merfolk and their relations with mortals ashore and the climax are compelling, though I lost patience with the protagonist a few times.

Bardugo writes potent descriptions, like “Her throat was dry as burnt bread,” “The night their second son was born, the full moon rose brown as an old scab in the sky,” and “Weeks in the sun had turned his skin gold, his hair white. He looked like a petulant dandelion, gathering breath to throw a tantrum.” The best similes she writes are suited to the settings or situations or personalities of her characters, as when the sea folk prince Roffe tells Ulla, “I can smell your ambition like blood in the water.”

Some stories have effective morals, like “to use a thing is not to own it” and “sometimes the unseen is not to be feared, and sometimes those who should love us most do not,” and “There is no pain like the pain of transformation.”

The stories in the printed book feature lovely marginal illustrations, and each story has a color code, red or blue, for both illustrations and font. The audiobook obviously lacks the colors of the physical book, but does feature a capable reader in Lauren Fortgang, who does some neat voices for some extreme characters (like the Beast and the Rat King) and doesn’t try too hard to be male for male voices and enhances the stories.

I hadn’t read anything by Leigh Bardugo before but may try more after this.

Perfect stories for adults

Finally some remarkably narrated stories for adults too to enjoy.
Ms Bardugo is an exelent old fashioned writer and I loved all her previous Grisha books and this very talented narrator, Lauren Fortgang, brings to life these stories in a so enchanting and perfect narration.

Classic Tales Uniquely Delivered

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic is a six-story anthology written by Leigh Bardugo. Each tale opens with a predictable tone that reminds listeners of German, Russian and Irish fairy tales of old. However, Bardugo's writing style quickly shines through as she weaves intriguing, distinct narratives which expertly blend intricate plotlines with believable character development. Lauren Fortgang narrates each tale in a spirited, heart-felt manner that distinctly matches each story. This anthology is difficult to pause and easy to recommend.

In The Language of Thorns' opening story, a young peasant girl tries to appease a beast with a story that won't bore him. Towards the end of her tale, the beast snarls, "Let me guess…," and he shares the way he thinks the predictable tale unfolds (Bardugo 00:34:03-22). "'What nonsense!' said Ayama, hoping the trembling of her voice did not betray her. 'Of course that's not how the story ends!'" (Bardugo 00:34:33-24). She then fabricates an unpredictable and unique conclusion that the beast never expects. Thus defines the five classically composed but entirely unconventional fairy tales in The Language of Thorns. The environments, settings, character types and plotlines hearken back to Russian and German fairytales, but the elements weave into intricate narratives that consistently circumvent expectations.

There are six stories contained within this anthology:

Ayama and the Thorn Wood
The Too-Clever Fox
The Witch of Duva
Little Knife
The Soldier Prince
When Water Sang Fire

Each story is well-paced and exciting. The characters consistently enter dangerous, unforeseeable situations, and their actions and motivations weave together seamlessly. Oftentimes, the lines between villain and hero are blurred, and it can be difficult to decide who to root for. In this manner, each story has dark undertones. The stories conclude in ways that are rarely positive for the protagonists, although the conclusions are almost always satisfying. Each of the six entries have unique elements that are easy to appreciate, even if the first four works are stronger than the final two. The Soldier Prince has a somewhat confusing ending with some characters breaking away from their established motivations. When Water Sang Fire is by far the longest of the six works, making up 31% of the six hour and 30 minute duration. It moves at a slower pace than the others, and the characters are fairly unlikeable. Despite these minor shortcomings, every story shares an undeniable charm and mysteriousness that demands exploration.

Lauren Fortgang bolsters the atmosphere, mood and allure of each piece with her excellent narration. Each character has a unique voice that weaves neatly with their personas. Dialogue is delivered in a natural manner that's never forced. The stakes of each situation and encounter is matched with an appropriate display of passion and emotion. She maintains a smooth, comforting flow that makes the minutes fly by.

In The Language of Thorns, Bardugo delivers an excellent modern take on ancient folklore. Each story is wholly unique, but they firmly fit within the mold of classic German, Irish or Russian fairy tales. Bardugo largely outpaces classic authors by masterfully incorporating mystery and suspense within each work. Her solid pacing maintains a strong level of engagement. Fortgang expounds on the works with genuine, convincing narration. Despite a few minor shortcomings in the final two stories, this is a superb anthology that is worth exploring for fans of fiction, fantasy and fairytales.

YAAASSSSS

This is just what I needed after binge listening to all her other books!!!! LOVE ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

A delightful surprise!

I usually don't favor collections of shot stories thinking there's a lack of time for full plot and character development. However, I purchased this book as an accident assuming it was just the next book in the Grisha series. By the time I'd realized what I had done I was too far enthralled to stop listening. While these stories are fine to stand by themselves I admit they enhance my understanding and appreciation of the culture and places surrounding the Grisha universe. I also enjoyed the lessons and unsugar coated yet clever stories that display them in a fulfillingly unconventional manner. Watch out GrimBrothers. you have some solid competition on your hands. I truly applaud you Leigh Bardugo.

Fairy Tales at their finest!

As a huge fan of fairy tales, I was delighted by these stories. There are touches of familiar characters, settings, and plots, but each story is entirely unique and entirely engrossing. Highly recommended for fairy tale buffs or anyone looking for a touch a fantasy.

Fairy tales with dark twists

The imagery is great, performance was impressive. The fairy tales are going to feel familiar but Bardugo makes them her own. Enjoyable listen for cooking over my last two days. About to buy more from Bardugo.

Listen to this...then go buy the book

If you like fairytales, folklore, and myths that don't shy away from darkness and contains a nuanced cast of characters and settings, this is for you. Those who enjoy the original Grimm's fairy tales and crave fantasy that doesn't fixate too much on romance will appreciate this work. You won't find damsels in distress or knights in shining armor in these tales--or if you do, expect Bardugo to subvert your expectations in a way that shows how nuanced the characters (much like ourselves) really are.

It's also wonderfully accessible to those who don't enjoy too much horror, spooks, and scares. In fact, I introduced the audiobook to my mother while we were on a road trip together and she was absolutely in love (we actually talk about the book frequently and have encouraged other family members to read it)--and my mother really does not like scary stuff. Like, she will absolutely refuse to watch or read scary things even if they just appear mildly scary. So, while Language of Thorns is most certainly dark in nature, it's not so spooky that it's for horror-fans only; (this might seem silly but I specifically make this point for readers who are like my mom, who see key words like "midnight" and "dangerous" and think, "nuh-uh, too spooky.")

If you are familiar with Leigh Bardugo's writing, you know she is a talented writer and a spellbinding worldbuilder. The quality that makes Bardugo so talented is that you can actually see her craft progress as she publishes new works. I loved the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and this work is indeed an accompaniment to the larger Grishaverse, but somehow Bardugo's narrative craft in Language of Thorns exhibits her magical prowess as a writer even better. This is not to say that you need to have read Shadow and Bone (or watched the Netflix series) in order to read, listen to, and fully appreciate Language of Thorns. It can function as a stand alone text with no knowledge of the rest of the Grishaverse (although you should absolutely read the rest of the Grishaverse).

I cannot tell you how many times I have listened to this beautiful performance of Leigh Bardugo's Language of Thorns. So many that the sound of Lauren Fortgang's voice is deeply ingrained in my memory. Fortgang's ability to adopt character's unique voices without being campy and create atmosphere with pacing and tone is a triumph of vocal performance. I first downloaded the individual story "The Witch of Duva," not realizing it was part of a larger collection. When you hear Fortgang's performance of "The Witch of Duva" she literally opens a portal to another world. "Witch of Duva," by the way, is my favorite in the collection and I would argue the best, although every single tale has an atmosphere that makes you (or, at least, me) forget who and where you are.

I bought the hardcover print version of this book, and it is one of my greatest treasures. I've spent many a morning drinking coffee and pouring over the pages. There are illustrations on every page which reflect what's happening in the text, which is so amazingly cool. Whenever I am craving something both comforting and thought-provoking, I turn to Language of Thorns, sometimes imbibing the magical healing powers of both the audiobook and hardcover simultaneously.

The bottom line is, if you're a nerd for dark fairy tales that look at the world through a lens that is simultaneously ancient and modern, beautiful voice acting, and being transported into a fantastical world that burrows into your brain and haunts you with images that both echo our world and deviate from it, then you should absolutely listen to this audiobook...and then go buy the hardcover!

Loved this even though I don’t love short stories

This is so good. I listened while occasionally looking at the illustrated physical copy I have. The stories and narration is amazing. If you have a physical copy the art is amazing too.

They are retold folk tales we all know but told in a unique Grisha way.