Tower of Thorns

Blackthorn & Grim, Book 2

By: Juliet Marillier

Narrated by: Nick Sullivan, Natalie Gold, Susannah Jones

Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

Award-winning author Juliet Marillier's "lavishly detailed" (Publishers Weekly) Blackthorn & Grim series continues as a mysterious creature holds an enchanted and imperiled ancient Ireland in thrall.

Disillusioned healer Blackthorn and her companion, Grim, have settled in Dalriada to wait out the seven years of Blackthorn's bond to her fey mentor, hoping to avoid any dire challenges. But trouble has a way of seeking out Blackthorn and Grim.

Lady Geiléis, a noblewoman from the northern border, has asked for the prince of Dalriada's help in expelling a howling creature from an old tower on her land - one surrounded by an impenetrable hedge of thorns. Casting a blight over the entire district, and impossible to drive out by ordinary means, it threatens both the safety and the sanity of all who live nearby.

With no ready solutions to offer, the prince consults Blackthorn and Grim. As Blackthorn and Grim begin to put the pieces of this puzzle together, it's apparent that a powerful adversary is working behind the scenes. Their quest is about to become a life-and-death struggle - a conflict in which even the closest of friends can find themselves on opposite sides.

©2015 Juliet Marillier (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Much, much better than the first in the series.

The first in this series was good, but jumped the shark. This? Marillier figured it out with this book. Desperately awaiting more installments in the series (though I am happy to wait a long time if that's what's needed to make another gem like this one)

Enchanting characters that will win you over.

A medieval mystery series, Blackthorn and Grim are two dispossessed souls trying to do go in a world they no longer believe in. Blackthorn because of a deal made with the Fae, and Grim because he'd follow her anywhere. I have enjoyed the mysteries, though at time I felt they could move on a bit faster. Nonetheless, I enjoy the language and the characters enough to be content.

I'd listened to the first Blackthorn and Grim book by Marillier a while back. It is done with a full cast and when I heard Grim for the first time (though the voice actor is delightful) I cringed. I didn't think I'd like him enough to stand a whole book with him. But thanks to Marillier, by the time I was done with that book, I liked Grim. And a third of the way through this one, I loved him. The relationship between stubborn Blackthorn and her "lump of a man" is something you find yourself rooting for, though her obtuseness about his feelings at the end was a bit unbelievable. After all, she is supposed to be wise.

Nonetheless, I am looking forward to the next installment to see what trouble they can get up to now. If you like fantasy and a bit of romance, you'll love these books.

Another winner from Marillier

I am loving the journey as Marrilier explores Blackthorn and Grim--a departure from her usually very young heroines and heroes. They are made all the more interesting for their world-weariness and baggage that they must overcome. I can't wait for the next one.

Awesome Narration, Decent Story

As with the first book, the casting for Blackthorn and Grim were spot on. I didn't care one way or the other for the other narrator. I found myself missing the voice of the prince in the first novel, but I get it. He's not in this book.

As far as the story goes, it was good. It's been a while since I've read the first book so I can't say which I liked better.

There were a few storytelling devices that bothered me, for example I felt like the author was being too stingy with sharing information. There were a lot of passages,especially from the antagonist PoV, where the author tried to talk about what was happening in the story beyond the experiences of the protagonists without actually giving the reader and information. This made the voice seem unnatural. They served no purpose that I could see were therefore a waste of time. I think the book would have been better without that PoV at all.

Nevertheless, overall it was still an enjoyable listen, and I don't regret the purchase. I can overlook a few annoying scenes if the rest of the book is still enjoyable. We learn a lot more about Grim's backstory which I like, and the characters were less predictable than in the first novel. I will continue listening to this series because I like the characters.

I enjoyed it but...

I really liked the story and the characters of Blackthorn and Grim. However, I got real tired Blackthorn’s treatment of Grim and her ridiculous dedication to vengeance at the cost of everything else. Time to get over it please!

Excellent

Tower of Thorns, second book in the Blackthorn series, is as captivating as the first.

As in the first novel, character development is outstanding. The author's technique is very unique and consistent. The characters of Blackthorn and Grim present simplistically, but with significant depth. This writing engages the reader quickly, and holds the readers attention until the end.

The author tries a little too hard to summarize the first book's storyline, but it doesn't take away from this fantasy's overall success.

If you are a fantasy reader and have stayed away from adult fairytales like I have done, you might want to test drive this series. I will definitely be checking out other books written by this author.

A Fantastic New Installment!

What made the experience of listening to Tower of Thorns the most enjoyable?

I love that they use multiple narrators for this series and the fantastic job they do melding together so that the listener isn't jolted by the change.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Tower of Thorns?

The climax of the story threw me for a loop with the twist Marillier threw in. I loved it.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Nick Sullivan's Grimm is my favorite voice for this series. He makes Grimm sound exactly as I would imagine if I were reading the book rather than listening to it.

Any additional comments?

This was even better than 'Dreamer's Pool'. I loved the building of the relationship between Blackthorn and Grimm and this adventure put me in mind of a twisted version of the Rapunzel tale, with a curse and some fae involvement. Highly enjoyable and I will be waiting anxiously for book 3!

Enjoyable! Mysteries and Twists

I didn't want to stop listening to it. It was delightful. when is the next one coming out?

Incredibly sad but beautiful tale

I couldn't stop listening to this book. Juliet is my favorite author but this is my first time listening to an audiobook of one of her works. The performers truly bring the book to life and her poetic prose lends itself well to the audible format. It was sometimes hard to tell when characters were speaking versus thinking to themselves, but I imagine that's with most books. A very pleasant experience.

Engaging Story

I enjoyed this 2nd Grim and Blackthorn novel. The writing and plot lines are interesting. The narrators are engaging. This is an easy book to listen to.

This author captures my attention

As always never disappointed ..blackthorn and grimm find adventure and danger ,hope ,loyalty love and friendship ...i can never wait to see what this author brings to pass with her tales..this book gave me much pleasure must read or listen to here

Beautifully written

It's such a sinister story that's got me on the edge of my seat shouting at my phone.

Totally enthralling

I read the first book in the series, so it took me a while to get used to voices that weren't as I imagined them, but I did a lot of chores that would not otherwise have been done just to have an excuse to keep listening! Juliet Marillier's writing is beautiful and evocative, the characters are gripping, and the slow reveal of backstories is done in a totally masterful way. You could step straight in at book 2 in the series, but book 1 will give you a lot more understanding of the why's of this tale.