A Treason of Thorns Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

A Treason of Thorns
Author: Laura E. Weymouth
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Publisher: HarperTeen

Synopsis:

Violet Sterling has spent the last seven years in exile, longing to return to Burleigh House. One of the six great houses of England, Burleigh’s magic always kept the countryside well. And as a child, this magic kept Violet happy, draping her in flowers while she slept, fashioning secret hiding places for her, and lighting fires on the coldest nights to keep her warm.

Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.

When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.

Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.

Content warnings are available via the author's website.

A Treason of Thorns is a beautifully written young adult fantasy full of secrets and magic. First, I want to take a minute to just admire the cover. Isn't it gorgeous? Anyway, I when I read the description and saw it was about magic - I knew I was in. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but I definitely got more than I hoped for. I really liked everything about this book, except that the pace felt a bit slow in the beginning. I understand that a lot of history, background and world building had to happen in order to get the reader into the story and give us a place to start from. So, while it was a bit slow in the beginning, I understand the reasoning and appreciate that the author took the time and energy to do such a fantastic job immersing the reader into Vi's world.

Vi is a great main character and I connected with her right from the beginning. She has great qualities like being smart, having strength, determination, love, loyalty, and not giving up until the end. She's raised knowing that she'll have this huge responsibility when she's grown up, but instead of rebelling against it or hating it, she wouldn't have it any other way. She loves Burleigh House more than anything in the world. She will take over as Caretaker of Burleigh and it's magic when the time comes. Obviously, things don't go as planned and her father is arrested for treason and sentenced to house arrest until death. Vi goes into exile to wait until the horrible day when her father dies and she can finally return to the home she loves and take over its care. There's a lot more to the story, but I'm not going to go through the whole book. There's lots of magic (which I absolutely loved), political intrigue, secrets, lies, and some twists. The story also talks of deeper topics like responsibility, doing the right thing, friendship, family, love, and so much more. The author wrote the book in the first person point of view, which is my style of choice, so that was the finishing touch for me. I love that we get to experience everything that happens through Vi's perspective and how we get to know her on a deeply personal level throughout the book. We feel what she does, see what she sees, learn of her inner thoughts, emotions, memories, hopes and fears, and dreams. I think this was the perfect choice for the story. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA, fantasy, magic, action, and political intrigue.

 

Laura Weymouth is a Canadian living in exile in America, and the sixth consecutive generation of her family to immigrate from one country to another. Born and raised in the Niagara region of Ontario, she now lives at the edge of the woods in western New York, along with her husband, two wild-hearted daughters, a spoiled cat, an old soul of a dog, and an indeterminate number of chickens. She is represented by the inimitable Lauren Spieller of TriadaUS.

Win signed copies of Laura E. Weymouth's books: THE LIGHT BETWEEN WORLDS and A TREASON OF THORNS (US/CAN only)

Starts: September 10, 2019

Ends: September 24, 2019

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