The next book in my 2018 Most Anticipated feature is one that was immediately on my radar after seeing in in a deal announcement. It was pitched as Graceling meets Pride and Prejudice and I was instantly sold.
It is totally a 'me' book. I love fantasy novels and Bree Barton's Heart Of Thorns blends fantasy with another of my favourites if that pitch is to be believed. It features magic, royalty and a reveal that is going to create some pretty delicious conflict!
The Goodreads synopsis has only intrigued me more, and made me more eager to pick this one up.
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.
Mia Rose is obviously going to have some inner struggle when she discovers she has the same powers as those she has sworn to hunt. It immediately makes me wonder how her new husband to be will react to this news, and what it means to be Gwyrach in this world. I figure since it is 'forbidden magic' that it would be illegal to have these powers and I wonder what comes along with that.
Bree has kindly taken the time to chat with me about Heart Of Thorns. It is a Q and A that I hope will have you wanting to check out this book in 2018.
1 Describe Heart Of Thorns using three words.
Lush, dark, whimsical.
2 If someone were to make a signature ice cream in honour of your book, what might be included?
Snow plum ice cream. Made with pulped snow plums, almond cream, and a dash of butterfel.
3 Share something that helped inspire your main character (a movie, a picture, anything that helped form who they are)
My main character, Mia Rose, is super into human anatomy, whereas I don't know a femur from a fibula. In my research, I stumbled across The Art of Medicine: Over 2,000 Years of Images and Imagination. It's written by three women—a medical historian and two science writers—and provides an illustrated look at the human body over the last two millennia. I sat in various coffee shops, thumbing through this gigantic book, getting chills. I felt like I'd traveled back in time to see the very anatomical plates Mia studied.
4 Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel.
I'm not ashamed to admit I listened to "Light of the Seven" (Game of Thrones S6 E10) on repeat for two months. Ramin Djawadi is a genius. Carly Comando's "Everyday" is another favorite—moody and atmospheric, perfect for writing fantasy.
5 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?
Ancient Ireland! Irish mythology is peppered with female doctors, warriors, Druids, poets, and queens, women who enjoyed many of the same rights as men. Since HEART OF THORNS is a feminist fantasy, this speaks to my soul. I would miss nice hot showers and beds without fleas, but I'm willing to sacrifice those to ride a horse beside Queen Medb in the Cattle Raid of Cooley, her battle against her husband. Girl power, Celtic style.
6 What 2018 release are you most anticipating?
SEVEN DAYS OF STONE by Dana L. Davis. I just saw the cover and it is beyond stunning. A gorgeous cover for a gorgeous book!
7 If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of Heart Of Thorns
Once upon a time, in a castle carved of stone, a girl plotted murder.
That opening line is AMAZING and it fits with my initial thought that Mia Rose sort of reminds me of Sansa from Game Of Thrones. Both of them were sent off to be married and both seem to be stronger than they first appear to be. I am into it.
Heart Of Thorns releases July 31, 2018 but you can pre-order it right now from any retailer.
Bree has kindly taken the time to chat with me about Heart Of Thorns. It is a Q and A that I hope will have you wanting to check out this book in 2018.
1 Describe Heart Of Thorns using three words.
Lush, dark, whimsical.
2 If someone were to make a signature ice cream in honour of your book, what might be included?
Snow plum ice cream. Made with pulped snow plums, almond cream, and a dash of butterfel.
3 Share something that helped inspire your main character (a movie, a picture, anything that helped form who they are)
My main character, Mia Rose, is super into human anatomy, whereas I don't know a femur from a fibula. In my research, I stumbled across The Art of Medicine: Over 2,000 Years of Images and Imagination. It's written by three women—a medical historian and two science writers—and provides an illustrated look at the human body over the last two millennia. I sat in various coffee shops, thumbing through this gigantic book, getting chills. I felt like I'd traveled back in time to see the very anatomical plates Mia studied.
4 Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel.
I'm not ashamed to admit I listened to "Light of the Seven" (Game of Thrones S6 E10) on repeat for two months. Ramin Djawadi is a genius. Carly Comando's "Everyday" is another favorite—moody and atmospheric, perfect for writing fantasy.
5 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?
Ancient Ireland! Irish mythology is peppered with female doctors, warriors, Druids, poets, and queens, women who enjoyed many of the same rights as men. Since HEART OF THORNS is a feminist fantasy, this speaks to my soul. I would miss nice hot showers and beds without fleas, but I'm willing to sacrifice those to ride a horse beside Queen Medb in the Cattle Raid of Cooley, her battle against her husband. Girl power, Celtic style.
6 What 2018 release are you most anticipating?
SEVEN DAYS OF STONE by Dana L. Davis. I just saw the cover and it is beyond stunning. A gorgeous cover for a gorgeous book!
7 If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of Heart Of Thorns
Once upon a time, in a castle carved of stone, a girl plotted murder.
That opening line is AMAZING and it fits with my initial thought that Mia Rose sort of reminds me of Sansa from Game Of Thrones. Both of them were sent off to be married and both seem to be stronger than they first appear to be. I am into it.
Heart Of Thorns releases July 31, 2018 but you can pre-order it right now from any retailer.
You can also find out more about Bree on her website, and find out more about her books on the publisher website.
Are you a fantasy fan? Does the tease of 'Graceling meets Pride and Prejudice' make you as excited as it makes me? Let me know in the comments.
Be sure to stop by tomorrow to find out the next book on my 2018 Most Anticipated List!
Woah that opening line! Very excited to read this one!
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ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Kathy! And thank you, Eileen! <3 <3
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