Ahoy there me mateys! I have loved Paolo Bacigalupi ever since I read the windup girl. So when I heard that he had co-written a book, I knew I had to pick it up. Just be aware that this is not one complete story but rather four interrelated short stories set in the same world. I am glad that me matey, Millie @ milliebotreads, warned me of this so I was prepared.

That said, I absolutely loved this book. The world and its magic is so very fascinating. Brambles are taking over the world and destroying everything in their path. They are spread by the use of magic and they kill. The solution seems easy. Just stop doing magic. And yet folk can’t seem to help themselves. A little spell to stop a sickness. A charm to fix physical defects. A magic bridge to span a river. The bigger the magic, the more the brambles grow. Every spell hurts. The four stories talk about the consequences of the brambles in various walks of life.

The four sections follow 1) an alchemist, 2) an executioness, 3) a child of Kahim, and 4) a blacksmith’s daughter. Personally, stories 1 and 4 were me favourite. The alchemist story set up the world in a wonderful way and I was highly invested in what would happen. The blacksmith’s daughter had unexpected turns throughout that kept me guessing.

All of the stories had unresolved endings and yet were satisfying. That be unusual for me. I would love to have further adventures of both the alchemist and the blacksmith’s daughter. I would also love to have more stories set in this amazing world. It was a quick read and I couldn’t put it down. I want more!

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