Thorn of the Night Blossoms

Children of the Black Lotus

By: JC Kang

Narrated by: Natalie Naudus

Length: 2 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

If Memoirs of a Geisha had ninjas....

In the legendary Floating World, wars are waged with wit, the strongest soldier can be bound with threads of silk, and flesh is the currency by which life, death, and freedom can all be purchased.

Half-elf Jie doesn’t mind her temporary assignment as a Night Blossom in the most sought-after house. It’s perfect cover for her real work as an assassin in the emperor’s service, and keeps her close to one who matters most. Her life belongs to her clan, but her heart lies with clan junior, Lilian.

Lilian’s talents trade stealth for sensuality, poison for poetry. With looks as sharp as any blade, she can coax information from any man, and still leave him paying for the pleasure. She’s enthralled many a noble, none more important than the warlord who can calm a brewing insurrection. Only her sweet whispers can secure his obedience to the throne.

But now, his increasing abuse has Jie seeking a new assignment for Lilian - even if it means their separation. When killers target clan sisters, and the seeds of rebellion find fertile soil in the Floating World, Jie must choose between loyalty and love.

©2019 Dragonstone Press, LLC (P)2019 Dragonstone Press

Thorn of the Night Blossoms

Thorn of the Night Blossoms: Children of the Black Lotus

Epilogue Thorn of the Night Blossoms: Children of the Black Lotus

It started out slow
but half way through picked up
It is interesting so far

Beautiful prose and well-written tale

Kang paints a beautiful picture. Though the content is borderline... Kang finds a way of making it so beautiful. I’ve said beautiful a lot, but it’s the word that comes to mind.

This is short, but very worth it. Naudus performed it with elegance and grace.

Snag it and thank me later.

Courtesans, duplicity, spies, and deadly assassins

Jie was my favourite character from the authors other series, “The Dragon Songs Saga” and this story has further cemented her place. I loved how the descriptions and characters draw you in from the beginning and how it shows a different, yet related, world to the stories in the prior series. This book tells of Jie’s younger years, her place in the ninja-like Black Lotus Clan and her apprenticeship as a courtesan in the Floating World (which is fascinating in itself). The author creates an intriguing, beautifully rich world of courtesans, duplicity, spies, and deadly assassins. The narrator does an excellent job of making you feel the emotions in this story and makes the characters easily recognisable by voice. It is a captivating read full of action, surprises, intrigue, betrayal and friendship. The author brings the Floating World to life, showing both the beauty and the depravity, the rivalry, and the bonds. I love how Jie’s youth and naivety shows in this story, while still keeping sight of the older, more mature Jie we know from the other series. You can also see how Jie’s time in the Floating World helped shape her in the future. My heart ached for both Lilian and Jie and the consequences of the decisions they both made. This is a great story with heart wrenching moments, thrilling fights, surprising twists and characters that have depth. I look forward to the next book in this series.

I'll be reading the next book

This is my first intro to Kang's work, although I own several of his books I just haven't gotten that far through my TBR pile. When I saw this short was available I figured this would be a good time to check it out.

I'm not quite sure why I had such a disconnect with the story in the beginning, maybe it was the narrator who just didn't work for me for some reason (although she seems to be very popular) or it could be the setting of the story. Things picked up around the 60% mark for me.

I found myself cringing at the situations in the story, repeatedly, but that made me appreciate how things wrapped up at the end even more. I'll definitely be going the kindle route for the next book and see how that goes.

Complex and Intriguing!

This was my first JC Kang's book. Thorn of the Night Blossoms is the first book in the Scions of Black Lotus Series. This novella is a great introduction to the Series. The world building is original, complex, and intriguing. The characters are great, but I had difficulties to connect with them. Natalie Naudus did a great job with the narration. Looking forward to listen to the second book in the Series, White Sheep of the Family, to know what happens next. #AudiobookUnleashed

background

this listen gives some background into Jie past. Worth listening and/or reading to get more insight into Jie's life.

Thorn of the Night Blossoms

Assassins and spies are hiding in plain sight. Just be careful who you trust... The background is presented and the stage is set for what is sure to be a great series with a strong female lead.

JC Kang did a fantastic job with world building and introducing the characters. Plenty of action!

Natalie Naudus brought the story to life. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

What Lies Beneath the Surface

Jump right into this beautifully rich and intriguing world of deadly courtesans and assassins. For a short work, JC Kang deftly creates a real depth of the characters jumps out and is perfectly shaped with Natalie Naudis' narration. You can feel the need to fit in and break out of the restrictive barriers of the society as a whole while understanding why traditions exist.

Sharpen your blades and your wits during this romp through the palace intrigue.

fast paced

took me a minute to catch up on what the heck was going on. I can't say I connect with the characters, but the plot is interesting. I am not sure if I am a fan of the writing style. It's not bad, details, a little bit of who's who introduction to each character, world building, but it's lacking feeling. More this is so and so, this is what they do, and action.

I recieved this book for an honest review.

Enjoyable!

I didn't know what to expect going in, however once the story gets going it grabbed my attention and I ended up loving it. The narrator was great and the story intriguing, with a final twist I didn't saw coming.

I would definitely recommend it.