Title: A Treason of Thorns
Author: Laura E. Weymouth
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Summary:
"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."
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."
Review:
A Treason of Thorns was utterly magical of a story. I had never read any of Weymouth's other books before, but after reading this, I am a fan.
What I loved most about this book was the life that was given to Burleigh house. If a person gets cut, they bleed. When Burleigh house is hurt, it seeps mortar. Violet is connected to Burleigh house through blood, and so when she is sad, the house feels it. If she is happy, Burleigh will sprout flowers from vines into her hands. They breathe as one. It is an intense connection they share, but also a dangerous one.
Violet's best friend, Wyn, who has lived in the house with Vi since she was a child, is just so selfless and caring, it makes my heart ache knowing all he has done for her. Their chemistry in Treason of Thorns is just so raw and genuine it makes me yearn for them and want only the best.
Violet has taken it upon herself to be the caretaker of Burleigh house in a deal with the King in a short amount of time before the King appoints someone else to, whom would destroy Burleigh and not care for it like Violet would. Without the key to Burleigh to control the magic of the house, Violet relies on her connection to Burleigh to do as much as she can for it, without draining herself and causing the destruction of the house. That's where Wyn comes in. *sigh* I love him. Everytime I think of his name I just have to pause and collect myself. Wyn does everything he can to help Violet and to take some of the pressure off of her, while also manually repairing the house as best he can.
A Treason of Thorns is a perfect blend of magic and story telling. It flows so beautifully and really connects to you as a reader. I read it in one sitting because I absolutely couldn't put it down. The selfless love between Wyn and Vi kept me on the edge of my seat. The moments when Burleigh would stitch itself back together, or make it snow, or the thunder claps that would erupt when it was angry was too vivid to not imagine yourself right there on the property. For a fictional novel, this story felt all too real. I could imagine myself traveling to England and finding a series of Manors all connected to eachother and the land, controled by magic with human emotions.
If you need an escape from reality, but still want to feel like your feet are on the ground, go buy A Treason of Thorns on its release day. It's one of those books that you will be thinking about long after you finished it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ~ 5 Stars ~ MUST READ
