Heart of Thorns

May 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-In Mia's world, only women have magic, and all women are feared because inside any one of them could live a Gwyrach: a half-woman, half-god monster that can kill with a single touch. Since her mother's death, Mia has been training as a Hunter to find the Gwyrach that killed her mother and exact revenge; but to save her sister from a loveless marriage, Mia agrees to marry the cold Prince Quin at her father's behest. On the eve of her wedding, she plans to escape the palace, but her plans go awry when she discovers, to her horror, that she has magic. Now, Mia must evade the very Hunters that she worked so hard to join and learn the truth about herself. If she wants to survive, she has to master the magic she so despises, and that means learning to trust her heart. Barton weaves a girl-powered tale of love, family, and self-acceptance, and readers who appreciate fast paced, high-stakes fantasy such as Traci Chee's The Reader or Elly Blake's Frostblood, will be ensnared by Mia's adventures. Those looking for rich world-building will also find much to love. As the story twists and turns, traditional fantasy tropes, such as the political marriage, are upended. Teens will be clamoring for a sequel, if only to spend a little more time with the characters in this world. VERDICT A must-buy for any library where fantasy is popular.-Mimi Powell, Library Systems and Services, Kissimmee, FL

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2018
A high-fantasy adventure with a spiritedly feminist point of view.Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose unsuccessfully plots an escape from her arranged royal wedding, craving the freedom to hunt down her mother's murderer (Wynna was killed by a hateful Gwyrach, a half-god, half-human female demon who "could manipulate flesh, bone, breath, and blood"). Instead she ends up on the run with her betrothed, the now lethally injured Prince Quin. The desperate scrabble across dangerous terrain is well-written, but while Barton's feminist perspective is refreshing, it makes for some awkward romantic exchanges. In one non-ironic scene, Mia's love interest observes, "You're beautiful when you lie," and recovers with, "Not to diminish you or suggest that beauty is an indicator of your worth." A male character's bisexuality is handled well, however. The elaborate worldbuilding evinces a traditional patriarchal feudalism; women are feared for their potential magic, and a utopian village is inhabited only by women, children, and men determined to be safe. Most tellingly, the Gwyrach can "unblood" a man--deflate an engorged phallus--which comes in handy in a would-be rape scene. This is a diverting tale, but the sisterhood is distracting rather than uplifting, and the denouement is easily guessed. Mia and Quin are white.This winsome debut novel goes down like a vegan, gluten-free cupcake: sweet and good for you but entirely lacking in satisfying decadence. (Fantasy. 13-16)

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July 16, 2018
In debut author Barton’s evocative, epic ode to feminism, magic, and the wonder of fairy tales, 17-year-old Mia is a motherless young woman living under the oppressive regime of the river kingdom (one of four lands whose creation myths differ). Betrothed against her will to Prince Quin, science-minded Mia plots her escape. Her one wish is to be a Huntress, joining the small elite circle of those who hunt Gwyrach (the kingdom’s name for women who practice magic), particularly since her mother was killed by a Gwyrach. Mia’s perspective is shattered and reformed in the span of a very short time as she and Quin flee for their lives after an assassination attempt at the wedding. Aided by her mother’s journal, she and the prince make their way to a place only whispered about, Refúj, where the answers to all of Mia’s questions lie. A gripping, complex narrative balances emotion and logic in this trilogy opener, while vividly crafted characters and cinematic details create a world readers will want to get lost in. Ages 13–up.

May 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 In the kingdom of Glas Ddir, only women can possess magic, and those women are feared, reviled, and persecuted. But not all women have magic; only the Gwyrach, mixed-race mortals who are also descended from gods, have such powers. All her life, 17-year-old Mia Rose has been trained to hate, distrust, hunt, and kill the Gwyrach. Now, on the eve of a politically arranged marriage to the cold but handsome Prince Quin, Mia finds out that she herself is a Gwyrach. So begins her odyssey throughout the kingdom to confront her mother's murderer and come to grips with her newfound heritage. The feminist backstory features sympathetic portrayals of LGBTQ characters; the main plot, meanwhile, relies heavily on standard romance conventions. Overall, Barton's short chapters, inventive landscapes, swift pacing, and use of comfortably familiar fairy tale elements all combine for a compulsively readable fantasy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)