The Thorn and the Blossom by World Fantasy Award winning author Theodora Goss, is a romance that transcends time, and a unique book that binds star-crossed lovers in an unusaul way.
Here is the write up from Quirk Books:
One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.
When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself…
Book collectors and lovers of the unusual will appreciate this book for the simple reason that it is uniquely crafted. Reading from one side of the book presents Brendan’s story exclusively from his point of view. The other is dedicated to Evelyn’s point of view. Readers can choose whose story to start with, and when finished keep going through the next. The accordian folding enables the continuous flow, but be forewarned this book will require two hands or a hard flat surface, or the reader runs the risk of damaging it.
The story of star-crossed lovers is as old as time and that is exactly what The Thorn and the Blossom is. Goss has woven the modern story of Evelyn and Brendan with the medieval tale of The Green Knight, in which Gawan (Cornish spelling) and Elowen are madly, deeply, and truly in love but cursed to be apart for a thousand years. The modern lovers’ paths cross twice in this novella and give the impression that they are destined to meet again, over and over, until the time of the original curse has run its course.
Evelyn’s story is elegantly written with bits of elemental magic bursting through, adding a darkly ethereal feel to the story. Brendan’s view is a bit more pragmatic, but no less heartbreaking. Goss makes sure to include background stories for both characters making them more complete, as well as what happened in between their first and second meeting. Goss has written a complete tragic love story and done so in 82 pages, the amount for each character to tell his and her tale.
TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY, THAT IS THE QUESTION. If you are a book collector this is a great buy for your collection. It is unique in its design and construction. If you enjoy a tragic romance, then this is an excellent novel to buy. It is a quick read, and well worth reading twice in order to better piece their stories together.