Neither quite knows the other’s story, but they have a companionship made of deep devotion, compassion and loyalty. Both are still plagued by nightmares, not just of the horrible prison to which they had been unjustly sentenced, but of the events which led to their individual imprisonments. They are far enough out of the reach of their enemy to breathe easier, if not quite easy. If that allure doesn’t come through in this review the fault is entirely mine since it does come through very strongly in the story.Īfter escaping the truly disgusting and horrifying prison of an evil chieftain with the help of fey lord Conmael, Blackthorn and Grim have settled into life in the country of Dalriada. She pulls you into a world of dust and grime and hard work but one dark and gorgeous with bewitchment. One that can send you back to a time long ago, when magic roamed the earth in the form of little people, the fey, enchanted forests and curses. Doing so does give you a deeper look into the characters but in terms of plot and following the story, it is not necessary.įairy tale romance requires a certain voice. This is book two of the Blackthorn and Grim series but you don’t have to read book one prior to reading this. Given my past experiences with this author, I’m surprised to say Tower of Thorns was just okay. I’ve read so many of these books I know what terrific, great, good, acceptable and sub-par look like intimately. It’s safe to say that science fiction and fantasy novels have been staples of my reading diet since I first began to read, which means that I can be a harsh critic when it comes to this genre.

Tower of thorns by juliet marillier