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erinarkin20
I really enjoyed this narrator and of course...the story. If you liked reading the actual book, consider this in audio!
4.5 stars as I really enjoyed this!
As soon as I read the summary of Garden of Thorns by Amber Mitchell I knew I had to read it. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy and Mitchell had my attention from page one of this book.
Rose is the main character and has spent the last seven years as a slave in the Garden, a burlesque dance troupe. When the Garden is set up to perform for the Emperor, Rose sees an opportunity to escape and she is willing to do whatever she needs to in order to make it happen. Unfortunately for Rose, she chooses the wrong person in the audience to use so she can get out and she ends up being the one held against her wishes.
I love a great character driven story and Mitchell did a fantastic job of getting me to care about these characters. Rose and her Wilted have been together the entire time they have been in the Garden. As a Flower, Rose is directly responsible for anything that happens to her Wilted and almost immediately something happens that forces her to make a decision about her future. One of the things I really liked was that Rose isn’t perfect. She makes mistakes and she keeps secrets. Her biggest secret is the one that ended up getting her captured by the Gardener and it is the one that she continues to try to hide from everyone around her. I couldn’t really blame her for the things she kept hidden…even though I wanted her to tell Rayce everything. She hasn’t had an easy life since she was captured and she has learned just how dangerous and evil some people can be, not just the Gardener and his right hand man, Shears but also those someone she thought was a friend.
Rayce is who Rose ends up trying to use as a hostage in her escape without really knowing that he is the guy who is wanted by the Emperor for leading a rebellion against the Empire. He also happens to be the former heir to the throne and I loved learning more about his background as the story progressed. It is clear he takes his leadership role very seriously and his reasons for going against his uncle have a personal aspect to them. There were so many scenes with Rayce that I loved and most of them revolve around the weight he carries on his shoulders as a leader. Of course, there are some swoony parts that I loved too – I just wish there had been more kissing (yeah, I said it). The relationship that forms between Rose and Rayce isn’t something that happens overnight and there was one quote from Rayce that I highlighted that I thought was a perfect reflection of them both.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you in the past, but I will prove you wrong now. I’m going to make you believe in me, not because I want you to, but because that’s what you need.”
Mitchell did a wonderful job with the secondary characters as well. From Arlo and Marin to the Emperor and the Gardener, all of them were pretty well-developed. The one character in the group that stood out for me was Oren. He was the man who helped Rayce become a leader and he was the one who helped Rose realize what she really needed to do to save the people she loves.
As the story moves forward, there is quite a bit of action and danger. Rayce and Rose make a deal to work together to take down the Emperor and save the rest of the girls, but it doesn’t go smoothly. Of course Rayce is wanted by the Emperor but now Rose’s picture is also on a wanted poster and she is sure that the Emperor knows exactly who she is. Not only does that mean she is in danger but anyone who is with her is too. Never mind that this really complicates any plans she has to save the rest of the girls from the Garden.
Overall I really enjoyed this book – I’m not going to say anything more about the story as I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone. Just know that the characters were well done and the story kept me turning the pages. It is hard to say whether this is a standalone (I hope not!!) or the first of a series. I am interested to see what happens next for these characters and while it ended in a great place, there is definitely more story here – at least from my point of view so I really hope there is another book coming. Regardless, I will be keeping an eye out for more from Mitchell. If you are looking for a new YA Fantasy to read, consider checking this one out when you can, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
As soon as I read the summary of Garden of Thorns by Amber Mitchell I knew I had to read it. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy and Mitchell had my attention from page one of this book.
Rose is the main character and has spent the last seven years as a slave in the Garden, a burlesque dance troupe. When the Garden is set up to perform for the Emperor, Rose sees an opportunity to escape and she is willing to do whatever she needs to in order to make it happen. Unfortunately for Rose, she chooses the wrong person in the audience to use so she can get out and she ends up being the one held against her wishes.
I love a great character driven story and Mitchell did a fantastic job of getting me to care about these characters. Rose and her Wilted have been together the entire time they have been in the Garden. As a Flower, Rose is directly responsible for anything that happens to her Wilted and almost immediately something happens that forces her to make a decision about her future. One of the things I really liked was that Rose isn’t perfect. She makes mistakes and she keeps secrets. Her biggest secret is the one that ended up getting her captured by the Gardener and it is the one that she continues to try to hide from everyone around her. I couldn’t really blame her for the things she kept hidden…even though I wanted her to tell Rayce everything. She hasn’t had an easy life since she was captured and she has learned just how dangerous and evil some people can be, not just the Gardener and his right hand man, Shears but also those someone she thought was a friend.
Rayce is who Rose ends up trying to use as a hostage in her escape without really knowing that he is the guy who is wanted by the Emperor for leading a rebellion against the Empire. He also happens to be the former heir to the throne and I loved learning more about his background as the story progressed. It is clear he takes his leadership role very seriously and his reasons for going against his uncle have a personal aspect to them. There were so many scenes with Rayce that I loved and most of them revolve around the weight he carries on his shoulders as a leader. Of course, there are some swoony parts that I loved too – I just wish there had been more kissing (yeah, I said it). The relationship that forms between Rose and Rayce isn’t something that happens overnight and there was one quote from Rayce that I highlighted that I thought was a perfect reflection of them both.
“I’m sorry about what happened to you in the past, but I will prove you wrong now. I’m going to make you believe in me, not because I want you to, but because that’s what you need.”
Mitchell did a wonderful job with the secondary characters as well. From Arlo and Marin to the Emperor and the Gardener, all of them were pretty well-developed. The one character in the group that stood out for me was Oren. He was the man who helped Rayce become a leader and he was the one who helped Rose realize what she really needed to do to save the people she loves.
As the story moves forward, there is quite a bit of action and danger. Rayce and Rose make a deal to work together to take down the Emperor and save the rest of the girls, but it doesn’t go smoothly. Of course Rayce is wanted by the Emperor but now Rose’s picture is also on a wanted poster and she is sure that the Emperor knows exactly who she is. Not only does that mean she is in danger but anyone who is with her is too. Never mind that this really complicates any plans she has to save the rest of the girls from the Garden.
Overall I really enjoyed this book – I’m not going to say anything more about the story as I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone. Just know that the characters were well done and the story kept me turning the pages. It is hard to say whether this is a standalone (I hope not!!) or the first of a series. I am interested to see what happens next for these characters and while it ended in a great place, there is definitely more story here – at least from my point of view so I really hope there is another book coming. Regardless, I will be keeping an eye out for more from Mitchell. If you are looking for a new YA Fantasy to read, consider checking this one out when you can, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy!
Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott is one of those books that as soon as I turned the last page I had to pause for a moment and revisit everything I just read. There was so much about this book that I found interesting…and disturbing but Scott did a wonderful job developing both the characters and the story.
Domino is the primary character and it is immediately apparent that she hasn’t had it easy. When she is first introduced, she is living in an abandoned house in Detroit with someone she considers her person, Dizzy. When Dizzy is arrested, Domino makes a decision that changes everything for her. In her desperation to pay his fine, when Domino meets Madam Karina and is offered a way to make money, she decides to do it. As soon as she got into Madam Karina’s car, I knew things weren’t going to be easy and it was clear Domino has some concerns but she was willing to consider almost anything if it meant she could get Dizzy out of jail and she was convinced that he would do the same for her so her mind was made up.
Weirdly Domino didn’t ask any questions before agreeing to go with Madam Karina and she ends up in Texas at a place called Madam Karina’s Home for Burgeoning Entertainers…let’s just say, the term entertainers is an interesting descriptor. Madam Karina is crazy – that’s about all I can say. She is desperate to keep the people in her life close to her no matter what. She immediately sees something in Domino that makes her both protective and dangerous to Domino. What Madam Karina doesn’t know is that Domino has her own protector who goes by the name of Wilson.
There isn’t a lot I can say about Wilson as I don’t want to give anything away but as you read the story, you will understand the role Wilson plays and how important he is to Domino.
The relationships that Domino builds while she is in the house are key to her story. First, there is Poppet – her roommate and eventually her partner in moving up the ranks. Poppet welcomed Domino with open arms and I liked that about her. She definitely came off as a bit young and naïve but when needed, she was willing to jump right into the fray and do what she needed to in order to help her friend.
The other person is Cain. He is big and tough but didn’t speak around the girls unless really pushed. The only time he seemed to connect with anyone was when he and Domino were alone with each other. I thought the way their friendship/relationship developed was interesting. They both have secrets and they both think that when the other finds out about them, they will run away. The interesting thing here is that neither thinks what they did was their fault and they don’t hold their actions against each other.
As the story progresses, we find out what is really going on at the house (there really wasn’t a lot of question around this) and just how much control Madam Karina had over these girls. We also found out what really happens when someone tries to leave Madam Karina.
The characters are really what make this story so interesting. Every one of them is flawed and in their own way and no doubt, dangerous. This is definitely a dark story and I thought Scott did a great job of tying it all together. By slowly revealing the main character’s backgrounds, I couldn’t help feeling bad about their situations and then rooting for them to survive and get away. I love Scott’s other books and this one is definitely right up there so if you are looking for a story that will keep you on edge until the very end, definitely consider this one.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
Domino is the primary character and it is immediately apparent that she hasn’t had it easy. When she is first introduced, she is living in an abandoned house in Detroit with someone she considers her person, Dizzy. When Dizzy is arrested, Domino makes a decision that changes everything for her. In her desperation to pay his fine, when Domino meets Madam Karina and is offered a way to make money, she decides to do it. As soon as she got into Madam Karina’s car, I knew things weren’t going to be easy and it was clear Domino has some concerns but she was willing to consider almost anything if it meant she could get Dizzy out of jail and she was convinced that he would do the same for her so her mind was made up.
Weirdly Domino didn’t ask any questions before agreeing to go with Madam Karina and she ends up in Texas at a place called Madam Karina’s Home for Burgeoning Entertainers…let’s just say, the term entertainers is an interesting descriptor. Madam Karina is crazy – that’s about all I can say. She is desperate to keep the people in her life close to her no matter what. She immediately sees something in Domino that makes her both protective and dangerous to Domino. What Madam Karina doesn’t know is that Domino has her own protector who goes by the name of Wilson.
There isn’t a lot I can say about Wilson as I don’t want to give anything away but as you read the story, you will understand the role Wilson plays and how important he is to Domino.
The relationships that Domino builds while she is in the house are key to her story. First, there is Poppet – her roommate and eventually her partner in moving up the ranks. Poppet welcomed Domino with open arms and I liked that about her. She definitely came off as a bit young and naïve but when needed, she was willing to jump right into the fray and do what she needed to in order to help her friend.
The other person is Cain. He is big and tough but didn’t speak around the girls unless really pushed. The only time he seemed to connect with anyone was when he and Domino were alone with each other. I thought the way their friendship/relationship developed was interesting. They both have secrets and they both think that when the other finds out about them, they will run away. The interesting thing here is that neither thinks what they did was their fault and they don’t hold their actions against each other.
As the story progresses, we find out what is really going on at the house (there really wasn’t a lot of question around this) and just how much control Madam Karina had over these girls. We also found out what really happens when someone tries to leave Madam Karina.
The characters are really what make this story so interesting. Every one of them is flawed and in their own way and no doubt, dangerous. This is definitely a dark story and I thought Scott did a great job of tying it all together. By slowly revealing the main character’s backgrounds, I couldn’t help feeling bad about their situations and then rooting for them to survive and get away. I love Scott’s other books and this one is definitely right up there so if you are looking for a story that will keep you on edge until the very end, definitely consider this one.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.