REVIEW: Heart of Thorns by Bree Barton

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

ISBN: 006244770X

Format: Hardback, Paperback, E-Book

Release Date: 31st July 2018


Links: Goodreads, Amazon.com, Indigo,
B&N, Book Depository

Website, Instagram


Rating: 8/10


Synopsis:

In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood.

Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch.
But when Mia's father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy.

Review:




**Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for sending me an arc in return for my honest review**

A lot of amazing books are coming out this year and Heart of Thorns is no exception. 

Mia is being forced into an arranged marriage to a Prince when she would rather be searching for the Gwyrach who killed her Mother. 

The book had me hooked from the very start. The world and characters are wonderfully written. Mia in particular was a beautifully written character. She holds strength, independence and isn't afraid to stick up for herself or protect those she loves. I loved that the origin of magic was due to the result of centuries of oppression and violence against women. It was a wonderful way to include feminism into a fantasy setting.

I would have loved to read passages about Mia training to be a Hunter. It was often mentioned how hard she had trained and the dangers that the Gwyrach hold. 

The relationship between Mia and Quinn starts off rocky. Mia would much rather be hunting down her Mother's killer than forced into an arranged marriage. But their relationship quickly builds and they quickly fall for one another. 

It would have been nice to have their relationship build slower but I did fall in love with how their communications between each other. I also appreciated that Quinn was also bisexual and that Bree Barton delved into the struggles he had faced with his Father, the King and his first love. 

Mia is very protective over her sister and I really enjoyed reading about her relationship  with both her sister and her Father. Throughout the book, Mia's Father is trying to protect his daughter's even though not everything is as it seems. The twist in the book had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put the book down until I had finished. 

I really look forward to the next book in the series, especially with how Heart of Thorns ended. The story is beautifully written and fits nicely within the YA Fantasy genre. I cannot wait to see where Bree Barton takes the series next.