Garden of Thorns
Author: Amber Mitchell Genre: YA Fantasy/Action/Adventure
Published: March 6, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Description:
After seven grueling years of captivity in the Garden—a burlesque troupe of slave girls—sixteen-year-old Rose finds an opportunity to escape during a performance for the emperor. But the hostage she randomly chose from the crowd to aid her isn’t one of the emperor’s men—not anymore. He’s the former heir to the throne, who is now leading a rebellion against it.
Rayce is a wanted man and dangerously charismatic, the worst person for Rose to get involved with, no matter what his smile promises. But he assumes Rose’s attempt to take him hostage is part of a plot to crush the rebellion, so he takes her as his hostage. Now Rose must prove where her loyalties lie, and she offers Rayce a deal—if he helps her rescue the other girls, she’ll tell him all the Garden’s secrets.
Except the one secret she’s kept for seven years that she’ll to take to her grave if she must.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30118749-garden-of-thorns
Entangled Publishing: https://
Garden of Thorns is a fantastic debut young adult fantasy novel that readers are definitely going to want to read. I was surprised - and impressed - when I found out this was the author's first book. I wouldn't have had any idea from just reading the story. Every aspect of the book showcases the author's talent and I'm definitely looking forward to reading her future works. The story line was fascinating and had me hooked right from the very beginning - to the point where I read the entire book in one sitting. I really hope the author turns this into a series - there's so much that can be done with it and Rose is such a fantastic main character. I liked her right off the bat. She's smart, witty, down to earth, determined, and fiercely loyal. I loved getting to know everything about her throughout the book. I enjoyed watching her with Rayce and seeing their relationship grow and change.
The plot was a breath of fresh air - and that's hard to come by any more. The whole concept of the Garden and everything related to it was intriguing. I loved learning I could about it, but at the same time I hated it for all of the horrible things involved. It was definitely a love/hate thing for me throughout the book. The other aspects of the plot - the warring kingdoms, a lost heir to the throne, the rebellion - were all pretty predictable, but not in a bad way. It didn't bother me, mostly because of the vibrancy the Garden brings to the story. The author uses a great blend of vivid imagery and detailed descriptions to bring Rose's world to life before our eyes. One major plus for me that I want to at least mention is the author's choice of writing style. It's told from the first person point of view - from Rose's perspective. If you've read any of my other reviews, you'll know how important POV is to me. First person allows the reader to really connect with the narrator on a deeper and more personal level. This book was no exception and I'm so glad the author chose to use this style of writing. I don't think I would have been as immersed in the story if it had been done any other way. Luckily, I didn't have to worry. I highly recommend this novel to fans of YA fantasy, action/adventure, and readers looking for a nice change of pace and a breath of fresh air.
When she isn’t putting words on paper, she is using cardstock to craft 3D artwork or exploring new places with her husband Brian. They live a small town in Florida with their four cats where she is still waiting for a madman in a blue box to show up on her doorstep.
Garden of Thorns is her debut novel from Entangled Teen.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15236246.Amber_Mitchell
Twitter: @amberinblunderl
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The plot was a breath of fresh air - and that's hard to come by any more. The whole concept of the Garden and everything related to it was intriguing. I loved learning I could about it, but at the same time I hated it for all of the horrible things involved. It was definitely a love/hate thing for me throughout the book. The other aspects of the plot - the warring kingdoms, a lost heir to the throne, the rebellion - were all pretty predictable, but not in a bad way. It didn't bother me, mostly because of the vibrancy the Garden brings to the story. The author uses a great blend of vivid imagery and detailed descriptions to bring Rose's world to life before our eyes. One major plus for me that I want to at least mention is the author's choice of writing style. It's told from the first person point of view - from Rose's perspective. If you've read any of my other reviews, you'll know how important POV is to me. First person allows the reader to really connect with the narrator on a deeper and more personal level. This book was no exception and I'm so glad the author chose to use this style of writing. I don't think I would have been as immersed in the story if it had been done any other way. Luckily, I didn't have to worry. I highly recommend this novel to fans of YA fantasy, action/adventure, and readers looking for a nice change of pace and a breath of fresh air.
When she isn’t putting words on paper, she is using cardstock to craft 3D artwork or exploring new places with her husband Brian. They live a small town in Florida with their four cats where she is still waiting for a madman in a blue box to show up on her doorstep.
Garden of Thorns is her debut novel from Entangled Teen.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15236246.Amber_Mitchell
Twitter: @amberinblunderl
Don't have one.
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I love all I have read so far, and can't wait to read this book. Thank you to this blog for the intro to Amber Mitchell and her work. Good job both of you.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite YA fantasy is the Harry Potter series.
ReplyDeleteI love the reviews on this read, and I love finding new authors.
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