Review: Heart of Thorns (Heart of Thorns #1) by Bree Barton
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Series: Heart of Thorns #1
Author: Bree Barton
July 31st 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books
Goodreads Synopsis
Inventive and heart-racing, this fiercely feminist teen fantasy trilogy from debut author Bree Barton examines a dark kingdom in which only women can possess magic—and every woman is suspected of having it.
Mia Rose wants only one thing: revenge against the Gwyrach—feared, reviled, and magical women—who killed her mother. After years training under her father’s infamous Hunters, Mia is ready. She will scour the four kingdoms, find her mother’s murderer, and enact the Hunters’ Creed: heart for a heart, life for a life.
But when Mia is thrust into the last role she ever wanted—promised wife to the future king—she plots a daring escape. On her wedding night, Mia discovers something she never imagined: She may be a Huntress, but she’s also a Gwyrach. As the truth comes to light, Mia must untangle the secrets of her own past. Now if she wants to survive, Mia must learn to trust her heart . . . even if it kills her.
Goodreads
Review
Heart of Thorns sees a world where women are repressed, and forced to wear gloves in the fear that they may possess magical powers, and be a Gwyrach. Mia Rose has always wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and be a Hunter, tracking and finding the feared witches, but even more so since her mother was killed by one three years ago. However, life takes a different plan, when she is forced to marry Quin, the prince of the River Kingdom, and give up her dream to protect sickly younger sister, Angelyne. But, on her wedding night, after her new husband is shot, and they are fleeing for their lives, Mia discovers that life as she knew it is simply fiction, and that she, and her mother, are Gwyrach, but they shouldn't be reviled any longer. Mia and Quin need to find out the truth, and seek safety, in order to survive, but what they discover may just change them for ever.
I've had this book on my shelves for ages now, and for some reason I never got around to picking up it, or it's sequel Tears of Frost until this month, when I was invited to take part in the blog tour for book 3. In a way, I'm really happy about that, as I simply adored this book, and if I had had to wait to read the sequels, I don't know how I'd have coped. Heart of Thorns has quickly found itself a place in my heart, pun unintended. Mia was a character I loved, wholeheartedly, and seeing her development, and her courage and strength, throughout the entire book was perfect. She was thrust into a difficult situation, again and again, and always came out fighting, but her vulnerabilities and her caring nature showed how important she was.
The secondary characters all had their merits too. I really liked Quin, who was aloof and distant to start off with, but once we learn about his upbringing, and how his feelings for both men and women were suppressed by his father. Underneath his persona, he was kind, and thoughtful, and it was easy to imagine people - including Mia - falling for him. Pilar was abrasive, and seemed to especially dislike Mia for reasons mostly unknown. I can see that she will play a bigger role in the future, especially with how involved she was in the final scenes.
The whole aspect of Gwyrach and the oppression faced by the women who have powers was phenomenal. Some of the content was pretty hard hitting, with references made to abuse and sexual violence, so this may trigger some readers. When Mia and Quin make it to Refuj, and discover the truth about magic, the book really took a turn. Some readers have said the first half was pretty slow going, and I would agree to an extent, but it definitely did pick up from this point. I was in awe with how Bree created the world, and wove all the conflicting story lines together to the epic conclusion. I will definitely be starting Tears of Frost straight away!
Dates Read:
December 9-11, 2020
Rating
5 Stars
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