A Treason of Thorns is a very interesting dark tale about magic and houses that can love you too much.Title: A Treason of Thorns
Author: Laura E. Weymouth
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 10th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
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.
When I started reading A Treason of Thorns at first I was like oh wow this is strange, I’m not so sure about this. Violet was a little off putting in the beginning as well. As I kept with and continued to read, I really enjoyed the story. I thought the concept is super interesting, house that are alive and their magic is channeled into the land around them due to a binding.
I think the story really picks up for me when Violet returns to Burleigh in order to set things in order for a new caretaker. She has held steadfast and true to this idea that she is meant to be the caretaker of the house and that she alone must bear Burleigh’s pain and bring the house to greatness again. She actually gets kind of annoying at points with how often she feels the need to remind everyone else of that. I’m like listen here Violet you are more than this house.
I loved the descriptions of the house itself and the magic it contains. I could picture this living breathing thing that is normally inanimate. When Violet feels the houses pain and suffering you really can envision it. As well as just thinking of the house as almost like a person. Now do I think the house and Violet have an unhealthy relationship, yes.
I like where the story takes us with the plot. The idea that the houses can be unbound and their magic set free so they no longer can be controlled by a caretaker or royalty. I also think it’s interesting to see how Violet changes and how what she thought were the most important things to her in the world are not exactly what she thinks they are. I think we really see her understanding grow throughout the book and by the end, we see a very different Violet.
Wyn is also an interesting and complicated character. You know there is something off about why he is at the house. You know that there is more to his story but it has to be pieced together as we go along.
The romance is there but light and slow burn.
I did enjoy the writing but there is some repetitiveness. Although I think it might be in a way to show how Violet in particular, has had this thought drilled into her. Besides that though I really liked the plot and thought it was creepy and interesting. I also really liked the side characters.
I enjoyed A Treason of Thorns and for a standalone I really the concept of the story and magic system.
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.
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GIVEAWAY
Prize: Win signed copies of Laura E. Weymouth's books: THE LIGHT BETWEEN WORLDS and A TREASON OF THORNS (US/CAN only)
Starts: 10th September 2019
Ends: 24th September 2019
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