The Language of Thorns

The Language of Thorns is a 2017 collection of six fairy tales by Leigh Bardugo, set in the world of her Grishaverse novels and illustrated throughout by Sara Kipin. The tales are told as the folklore of the lands they come from, and they read closer to the Brothers Grimm than to Disney: the bargains are costly, the magic has a price, and the clever do not always come out ahead.

In "Ayama and the Thorn Wood", a servant girl is sent to face a beast kept beneath a palace. In "The Too-Clever Fox", a fox forms an uneasy alliance in a forest threatened by a ruthless hunter. "The Witch of Duva" follows a girl who investigates disappearances in her village and finds refuge, and magic, with a witch.

In "Little Knife", a contest for a duke's daughter sends a Grisha tidemaker through a series of tasks involving a river. "The Soldier Prince" is a clockmaker's enchanted nutcracker coming to question his purpose, and "When Water Sang Fire" follows two mermaid-like singers who leave the sea for a royal contest.

The stories stand alone, so no knowledge of the Shadow and Bone or Six of Crows books is needed, though fans will enjoy the familiar regions and the hints of Grisha magic. It suits readers who like fairy-tale retellings, short fiction, and darker fantasy for teens and adults.