As I closed the last page of The book of thorns, I felt a deep sense of wonder and awe lingering within me. The story of Cornelia and Lijsbeth, two sisters bound together by a secret language of flowers, has left an indelible mark on my heart. I am in awe of the author's masterful weaving of historical fiction, magical realism, and sisterly love, creating a tale that is at once epic and intimate.

I found myself completely immersed in the world of Napoleon's army and the Battle of Waterloo, yet it was the quiet moments of introspection and connection between the sisters that truly stole my breath. The way their mother's legacy and the language of flowers became a lifeline, connecting them across time and space, moved me to tears.

This book is more than just a historical fiction novel - it's a testament to the resilience of love, the power of family, and the ways in which our stories can transcend time and circumstance. I felt a deep kinship with Cornelia and Lijsbeth, their struggles and triumphs resonating with me on a personal level.

Hester’s Fox prose is evocative and lyrical, painting vivid scenes that transported me to the battlefields and gardens of the past. I slowed down my reading pace to savor the language and the emotions it evoked.

This book has enriched my soul and reminded me of the beauty and strength that can be found in the connections we make with others. It's a reminder that even in the darkest moments, hope and love can bloom, just like the flowers that Cornelia and Lijsbeth cherish. I will carry this story with me for a long time, and I can't wait to share it with others.

Thank you Netgalley and Graydon house for my ARC in exchange for an honest review ♥️

I really enjoyed the use of the Gothic genre and the use of the Napoleonic Wars, it had a great concept and was everything that I was hoping for from the genre. The characters worked in this time-period and enjoyed the mystery elements to this book. The sisters worked well overall in this world and I enjoyed the rest of the characters. Hester Fox wrote a great story and characters that left me wanting to read more.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

This is my second Hester Fox book. I love her concepts - magical realism combined with historical fiction. A little gothic, a little romance. For some reason though with this book I wanted more. More backstory. More sympathy for the main characters. More explanation of the Napoleanic wars (perhaps in a historical note - I found it kind of confusing as I am not super familiar with this part of history).

In this book we are introduced to two women who have a magical, mysterious relationship with flowers. They can make them bloom; they can hear them talk. The women are orphans and lead somewhat solitary lives filled with sadness, unwanted and sometimes violent advances from men, and little hope for their futures. They endure lost loves and war and accusations of witchcraft. They ultimately find each other and discover the truth of their lineage. This was a quick read for me and not unenjoyable - I just wanted it developed a little further.

Three stars.

I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but add flowers and I'm in! This was just as beautiful as her other titles. Lost sisters, a bit of magic and war made for a wonderful combination. I couldn't put it down!

I went into this one expecting more Gothic botanical fantasy and less wartime women’s fiction, instead I got a wartime romance with a side of flower power magic. Unexpected, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Most of what didn’t work for me was that I think the whole book was too short to do all the things I think it could have done so well. The romance(s) were a bit too instalove. The wartime history was both too long (as not my fave genre) and too abrupt. The sisters story was more surprise reveal than story. And, finally, the botanical magic, which could have been so glorious, was an allusion followed by a plot device and never fleshed out to be a system. (And it would have made an amazing one. Seriously. I’m so in for this.)

Everything the author was doing here was good, but it could have been great with more pages for growth (tried so hard to work some more gardening puns in here, ah well, maybe next time).

Despite my laundry list of complaints above, what won me over in the was the just-right depth of feminist commentary, the gorgeous prose, and the richness of the atmosphere.

The Book of Thorns
🌕🌕🌕🌕/5
“The world is still a cruel place, but if I let myself only see the thorns, then I will miss the sweetness of the rose.”

This was an emotional, heartbreaking story set in 1815 during the height of the Napoleon war and the famed era of Floriography (the language of flowers) that was used by many to convey secret messages to loved ones.
It follows two estranged sisters (Cornelia and Lijsbeth), and their stories are set on opposing sides of the war. One sister a mute, overlooked servant and lower class, the other a privileged woman who is an independent, intelligent naturalist. They both hold a secret power within them, a magical ability to commune with flowers. As their powers grow so does their relationship to find one another and their lost mother.

Triggers: War, miscarriage, rape, death.
Tropes: History, Polyamory, Magic, Gothic
Mood: Emotional, Inspiring
What I Liked:
🌹It was beautifully written. There are many references to flowers and their meanings that foreshadowed each chapter.
🌹 The main female characters are well developed and their experiences allowed them to further their growth and self discovery.
🌹 The historical narrative was accurate and well executed. The world building is strong.
🌹 The use of earth magic was imaginative and mysterious.

What Could Have Been Improved
🌹 The forced proximity between Henri and Sophie. Cornelia could have been more mindful of the situation.
🌹 There should have been more time investigating the matter of their missing mother. That plot line seemed to have lost its importance.

Final Thoughts:
I definitely recommend the book. It is one of my favourites this author has written. It will stay in your heart forever.
Thank you for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

During the Regency era, young Cornelia lives an isolated life with her abusive uncle. When he forces a marriage on her that will certainly kill her, she runs away to France. Her special ability to draw flowers and explain their meaning has allowed her to earn a living in a French newspaper. Once there, her life takes an unexpected turn. She becomes aligned with Napoleon’s army. This is an evocative story embracing the best in gothic storytelling with the adde complexity of her being more attracted to women than to men. Cornelia believes she is incapable of goodness. But when she meets a young servant who has the same gift with flowers, she recognizes what goodness could be like. An entrancing story which I hope has a sequel. I wanted more.

I love Hester Fox! I have never been disappointed by any of their books, The Book of Thorns may be my favorite yet! Following two wonderful women, a maid and a runaway wealthy girl, we learn they both speak the language of floweres. They seem so connected yet have very different lives. Set during the Naponeonic wars, the women must learn to survive and keep the essence of their souls alive.

This was nothing like I expected, but not in a good way. I read Hester Fox's last book and it was quite good but this felt very different. While it was a quick read, I found that nothing really happened until 70+% of the way through then it kinda just... ended. Like a lot of the other reviews I've read, you would think this be a nice story about long lost sisters and their shared magics with the flowers but it was more of a muddle of 2D love stories that just happened to have long lost sisters.

Not my favourite, and while I'm grateful to have gotten and ARC for this I'm also glad I didn't put too much weight into needing to read it.

Thank you for this ARC!

Hester Fox is hands down one of my absolute favorite writers, so I wasn’t at all surprised when I loved this one too! It felt like a slight step away from her previous books, less gothic but still carrying her usual beautiful writing and really strong sense of place and characters. I love the way that the historical setting and the magical elements were intertwined — something Fox always nails — as well as the intimate look at the dynamic between the two sisters.

I absolutely adore Hester Fox's writing and The Book of Thorns was no exception. A bit of a change of pace from her usual gothic novels, The Book of Thorns follows two sisters separated at birth, the secret language (and magic) of flowers, and their romances set in the Napoleonic Wars. Heart achingly beautiful, this is a story of love, heartbreak, feminine power, and compassion for one's self. Intermingled with history and the meaning of flowers, this is a tale told through lovely prose that sucks you in and makes you want to stay between the pages within it's world. As with all of Hester Fox's novels, the characters are relatable and make realistic decisions (be they good or bad).

Overall, The Book of Thorns continued to cement Hester Fox as one of my favourite authors.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC copy.

I read Hester Fox's The Last Heir to the Blackwood Library earlier this year, really enjoyed it's gothic vibes, and gave it 4 stars. When I saw a new book of hers offered on NetGalley, I jumped to request it. Unfortunately, I didn't like this one quite as much and felt like it was a step down from Blackwood Library. That's not to say I hated it or anything, but I felt disappointed it wasn't as gripping as Blackwood, and I missed the gothic feel. I was hopeful this would be more focused on the sisters and their flower magic, but it's really more of a love/Napoleonic war story. As far as the war story goes, it was bad timing that I read this not long after I read Katherine Arden's excellent The Warm Hands of Ghosts, a book which sketched WWI so realistically it was hard to put from my mind, and consequently, the war descriptions in this book suffered in comparison.

As far as the plot, while the sisters' magic and sisterly bond is a factor, it's not nearly as much of the story as the love stories are. The love stories felt fairly abrupt as in most cases the characters simply meet and are instantly "drawn to each other." ***Spoilers to follow - one main character has a polyamorous relationship which, to me, felt more like she essentially pressured her other two partners into it. The plot conveniently positions the other two as former lovers to make the situation more palatable to them, but I never got the sense that the other 2 partners truly wanted each other. They both just seemed to be there for the main character, who herself even comments on her selfishness in forcing this choice onto her partners and that the two of them don't love each other like she loves them. Then, when she loses one of them, she claims she will never love again while the remaining partner that she also allegedly loves is standing right next to her. The character's attitude toward the whole situation just rubbed me the wrong way. *** End spoilers

I did enjoy the language of flowers and the sisters' parallel journeys, their similarities and differences, and how they served as foils to each other. Those issues just weren't the bulk of the story. I'd like to read more by this author, but this one wasn't my favorite.

“In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars and the rise of the floriography craze in Europe, two sisters separated at birth are bound together by a secret language of flowers passed down to them by the mother they never knew. When Cornelia leaves her cruel uncle’s home to join Napoleon’s army as a traveling naturalist, her ability to heal any wound and bring soldiers back from the brink of death earns her praise—and exposes her to those who would exploit her powers for themselves.

Meanwhile, Lijsbeth lives in indentured servitude, her only respite her time spent flower arranging. When she meets a young English soldier and falls in love, Lisjbeth must decide whether to flee the clashing of two great armies at Waterloo or risk everything by staying. As the English and French armies collide in Waterloo, the sisters finally cross paths on opposite sides of the war.

With the sisters reunited on the battlefield, they must work together to solve the mystery of their mother’s death, while surviving the war raging around them.”

You know what this description doesn’t say? That this whole book is about a thruple. I really wish publishers would be more transparent about stuff like this. Thought I was reading a totally standard historical fiction/magical realism tale of two sisters and instead I pick up triad-normalizing weirdness. It was not for me, to say the least.

I keep hearing about Hester Fox's books, and I'm not sure why I haven't read one before now. After thoroughly enjoying THE BOOK OF THORNS, I will definitely be digging into her backlist.

This book is smartly plotted and expertly written. I love how both sisters need to embrace their destiny in order to escape a tragic fate. Ultimately, this is a story about identity that will be relatable to so many readers.

The dual. perspective structure works incredibly well.

The historical context and magical elements combine for a fascinating and at times suspenseful story. The pacing keeps the reader turning pages -- so important in these days of Netflix and other streaming platforms vying for our attention.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with a digital e-galley; all opinions in this review are 100% my own.

This was the first book I had read by Hester Fox but she is definitely on my TBR list now.
A sweeping story of two sisters in different countries during Napoleons war to take Belgium. Overflowing with love, magic and heartbreak this story will rock you to your very core.

The Book of Thorns is a magical realism story about the secret language of flowers and the power to bloom where you are planted.

Cornelia is an independent young woman who has a special ability to communicate with flowers. When she can longer handle the abuse from her uncle, she flees England and ends up recruited by Napoleon's army as a naturalist. Forced to keep her ability hidden from the army, Cornelia will learn how to keep her budding powers under control while her heart begins to open up to possibilities she could never have dreamed.

In Brussels, Lijsbeth works as a maid and has a special talent for flower arranging. When she is loaned out to an aristocratic family who wish to employ her for her floral arrangements, Lijsbeth begins to notice that her connection to flowers is deeper than she thought, just as a love interest begins to take notice of her.

Cornelia and Lijsbeth's lives will cross a flowery path with thorns from the past pricking and prodding each sister to the truth of who they are. They will both need to fully embrace their connection to flowers in order to escape a heartbreaking fate.

This was a nice story about the power of love to root, grow, and blossom within the hearts of those willing to embrace who they are. Cornelia and Lijsbeth's special relationship to flowers mirrored their own journey of becoming, by following their hearts. I liked the dual perspective of the story and how each woman's life became intertwined like climbing vines by the end of the story. The magic was charming and its juxtaposition with the Napoleonic war backdrop created tension, drama, and a dark beauty that permeated the story. Hester Fox's writing about love and its thorny and spellbinding power added just the right amount of enchantment to the story.

There have been many books written about the Victorian language of flowers, but this book explored how and where those ideas may have began, such as in the hearts of those utterly bewitched by the power of emotion to bloom into something that words cannot always express.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

This one took me awhile to get into unlike her other book The Orphan of Cemetery Hill, but I did like it , and I still have 2 more of her booms to read , .

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I have read and enjoyed all the other books written by this author, but unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me. I had a harder time getting into it. With that being said, I look forward to see what she comes up with next.

I think I went into this book with the wrong expectations. I expected more of a focus on the magic, and the two sisters. Instead, I found most of the first two thirds of the book taken up by romance plots that I found thin and under-characterized, and very little else. I did enjoy the dynamic of the sisters, but it took up a much smaller portion of the book than I would have thought.

I wouldn’t exactly call this book a straight forward romance, as there is too much hardship and pain for it to fit the conventions of the genre. I would mostly class it with women’s war fiction.

Overall, if you’re looking for historical romance (high on atmosphere and angst, low on deep characterization or plot) this might be for you, but it wasn’t for me.

eArc provided by harlequin publishing and NETGALLEY in exchange for my honest review

"The Book of Thorns" by Hester Fox is a historical fiction novel that weaves together the stories of two sisters separated at birth but joined by mysterious abilities. The narrative unfolds against the backdrop of Napoleon's battlefield.

Cornelia, leaving her cruel uncle's home, joins Napoleon's army as a traveling naturalist. Her unique ability to heal any wound and bring soldiers back from the brink of death attracts praise but also exposes her to those who seek to exploit her powers.

On the other side, Lijsbeth lives in indentured servitude, finding solace in flower arranging. Her life takes a turn when she falls in love with a young English soldier. As the clash between the English and French armies occurs at Waterloo, Lijsbeth faces the choice of fleeing the battlefield or risking everything by staying.

The two sisters, separated by circumstances, finally cross paths on opposite sides of the war. Together, they must unravel the mystery of their mother's death while navigating the chaos of the war that surrounds them.

"Combining history, the occult, human greed, and a touch of feminism, this is a fine addition to the gothic genre," as noted by ALA's Booklist in its review of Hester Fox's previous work, "The Last Heir to Blackwood Library."