5 December 2014

Review #97: The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss



My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Mathias Malzieu, the singer of the French music band, Dionysos, has quoted while saying about "love":

“We love each other like matches in the dark. We don't talk, we catch fire instead”

Theodora Goss, an American author, has weaved a sweet fairy tale in her new book, The Thorn and the Blossom .

Synopsis:

One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.

When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she did not know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he did not know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself...



Well the story is mostly a corny love-story, where girl-meets-boy and falls in love in the very first sight! However, unfortunately evil magic curses their fate! Wow now that really sounds like a fairy tale!

Honestly, for the first time ever, I am going to praise about the book's look-and-feel instead of its content! The plot could have been very enchanting and interesting because I felt the author's story telling was quite articulate. Nevertheless, readers will not fall for her story telling since there is no charm the way she has narrated the story! Sorry to say, the book is not up-to-the-mark and I was very heart-broken!
I will tell you why:
A) The book comes in a cool book-jacket like an old record!
B) The book does not open like any typical book; instead, it opens like an accordion.
C) Two protagonists and there is no hard-and-fast rule to read the girl's story first or the boy's story first.
D) Benefit of two POVs
E) The book illustrations will arrest your mind and soul. Moreover, for that I would like to applaud Scott McKowen for his hard work.

When these factors were involved in the making of this book, I wished the story could have been better, and then it would have won millions of hearts! Most above all, I though there will be some kind of mystery fore- playing for their fate, instead the plot became very predictable!

The only thing that I liked the most was character-development, which is okay and somewhat strong! Since this was a fairy tale, so you can obviously expect a fragile girl and a hunk kind of person and trust me, this is where the book will not fail you.

If you read from Evelyn's side, you will feel like "this is the cheesiest love-story ever written!" Also fills up your heart with joy and happiness! Although it is a modern-day love-story but lets, you feel like inside the pages of a fairy tale. However, it was not that touching and moving, instead, I felt like it ended so abruptly.

If you read from Brendan's side, you will terribly hate the story! Although he is a very strong character, like some hot brooding hunk, still I felt very incoherent. Moreover, at times, I felt myself drifting away from it. The narration was not at all striking enough.

For fairy tale lovers, this book can be their perfect getaway to the enchanting land of love, thrill and magic.
Hence, I would like to appreciate author's approach for writing this mystical story!

Verdict: This two-sided love-story looks flawless only from the outside!

Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Quirk Books, for sending me over a copy of this book, in return for an unbiased review. 
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Author Info:
Theodora Goss's publications include the short story collection In the Forest of Forgetting (2006); Interfictions (2007), a short story anthology co-edited with Delia Sherman; Voices from Fairyland (2008), a poetry anthology with critical essays and a selection of her own poems; and The Thorn and the Blossom (2012), a two-sided novella in an accordion format. She has been a finalist for the Nebula, Crawford, Locus, and Mythopoeic Awards, and on the Tiptree Award Honor List. She has won the World Fantasy and Rhysling Awards.
Visit her here 

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