Garden of Thorns by Amber Mitchell is fantastic, so much so that I pre-ordered the next Book in the series. The story is kind of a historical sci-fi but not overly so as the focus is on the characters and plot rather than any technology or historical aspect, but that was my vibe.
Rose is a young woman who has been held captive and forced to perform under a tyrannical and cruel man, and becomes a political bargaining tool for him. After he has her best friend brutally murdered she plots her escape, yet finds herself in the clutches of another man and in the midst of a rebellion she wants nothing to do with. Her only goal is to free the only family she has known in the past ten years, the other girls forced into the Garden as she was.
Rayce is a born leader and was being molded to rule after his uncle. But after disagreeing with said uncle he ends up an out cast and a very compelling leader to the rebel forces. Sacrifice is nothing new to him and he will sacrifice just about anything to create a better world for his people.
When Rose’s escape puts her in the path of the rebellion she has little choice but to help if she wants to free her sisters from the Garden. And she will free them even if that means putting her trust in a man and sacrificing her heart. Because as awesome as the story is without it, the story is still a romance at heart.
I don’t think there was any real fault it this book. It was well written, there are feels, action, adventure and love. A female lead that finds her strength and refuses to back down is totally kick ass. The male lead seems to be what women, or men, dream of. The world building is spectacular and flows with the story. (I hate when world building takes over, that gets boring.) The supporting characters add depth and interest to an incredible storyline.
Amber Mitchell has come out with a strong debut with Garden of Thorns and I expect great things from this author. I have pre-ordered the second book in the series due out October 1st so be sure to look for my review on War of the Wilted soon!
I can’t help but give Garden of Thorns all five star! So, my little booklings, I’m telling you that this book is well worth the read. And just look at that cover! Gorgeous!
