Thorn of the Night Blossoms

This audiobook is short. Like, 2hrs 51mins short. I’m a big fan of epic, expansive fantasy novels with page after page of content that deeply develops characters and plots within an enthralling backdrop, so I was a little worried when I saw the short runtime for Thorn of the Night Blossoms. Now though, as well as providing me with a thoroughly entertaining listen/read, this book has completely shattered the paradigm by which I fashion my first impressions, so in this case, I shouldn’t judge a book by its thickness.

Thorn of the Night Blossoms follows our protagonist, Jie, a half-elf geisha/spy facing the unfortunate reality that her clan may have more use for her on her back in the pillows than on her feet with a blade. This snapshot into historical Asian culture—where prostitution is a dignified and often almost revered profession—was a wonderful breath of fresh air from the usual seedy underworld perspective that ladies of the night are portrayed in from a western perspective. As too was the book’s entire portrayal of Asian culture in general. Most of the fantasy I ingest is nothing but flashy knights and—if I’m lucky—original takes on western themes and lore. This glimpse into not just the lives of the Night Blossoms but also the entire culture within which they exist was as intriguing and interesting as it was entertaining. Too often the exhibition of other cultures in fantasy can be a trope-tastic mess that merely hopes to add a little spice to what can all too often be the overused pallet of western fantasy staples. Here though we are treated to a lovingly crafted meal where what would usually be used as exotic flavourings in more traditional fantasy instead forms the base upon which this fast-paced and entertaining story is left to simmer.

The story itself follows Jie as she tries to investigate an attempt upon her life and quickly evolves into a labyrinth of intrigue and sharp blades, with the duality of her outward profession as a Night Blossom waring with her secret nature as a deadly spy. The conflict between her true face and that which she must wear in public is a brilliant plot device. We know full well that, should Jie wish it, she need not take any of the berating and backstabbing heaped upon her by her competitors and superiors in her life as a provider of pleasure, but her need to protect her own and her clan sisters’ anonymity as spies constrains her actions in what is a deliciously infuriating manner for us listeners. The characters that the book has time to portray in detail are expanded into living, breathing people, and the story is full of enough action to keep me listening and enough twists to keep me enthralled.

Now, I’m big on universe building, and simply put, this book does not have the time to go too deep into the lands and lore much beyond the Floating World where Jie and her sisters practice their arts. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the limited information that is provided is done well. There are a couple of exposition-heavy knowledge dumps at the beginning, but then we simply do not have the time for extensive ‘show, don’t tell’ lore expansion. Once the ground rules are set, we are then drip-fed enough additional information about the wider world that I was left gagging to listen to the rest of the series to see this vibrant land in greater detail.  

All in all, I enjoyed this book a great deal. The pacing was great, the description was beautiful, the story was well written and at times hard hitting, and the writing style and cultural perspective was different enough from my usual fantasy bread-and-butter to keep me glued to my headphones without losing me in a sea of new concepts. This is a good book.

As for narration, Natalie Naudus did a great performance. There wasn’t a huge roster of characters for her to sink her teeth into, but those that she did have were done wonderfully. In particular, her portrayal of some of the back-and-forth between rival Night Blossoms gave a succulent level of spite that was a joy to listen to.

Personal Score: 4.5 stars

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