Crown of Thorns

Description

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The person who was locked away inside the thorn-covered tower was not a princess, but a witch who employed the powers of darkness.

A brave young hero came searching for the tower in order to kill the witch.

– Light would force the darkness to recede, and grant it eternal rest

The witch wished.

That things would end with, ‘and the hero lived happily ever after killing the witch,’ like in the fairy tales.

And so, she had devised everything to happen in accordance to her wishes.

But the boy, who had grown up in but no time at all, would make the unfamiliar face of man’s from time to time.

“You want me to kill you? ……Do you really think I’ll let you go?”

Reality was very different from the fairy tales.

“The people don’t know of the precious treasure locked away in the tower.

I won’t let anyone else have this god given treasure, this crown of god surrounded by thorns that no one else could recognize.”

The hero gave the witch a slow and deep kiss.

“I am the true victor, and no one else.”

Associated Names
One entry per line
CoT
가시왕관
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Why Are You Doing This, Duke? (2)
I Suddenly Became a Mother (1)
The Novel’s Villain (1)
My Fiance is in Love with My Little Sister (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Overcoming trauma
  2. Underrated Masterpiece (KR)
  3. to the stars .*+.*. +
  4. Yandere Men (GxB)
  5. Witches!!!

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18 Reviews sorted by


FuwaFuwa
FuwaFuwa rated it
August 2, 2020
Status: v1c9
Shut up, I'm not crying! You're crying! Gosh dang it, where's the ninja that's cutting onions.

Ahem, although I was slightly confused as to the events that was happening, I still got what was happening and the ending kinda made me tear up a bit. I was not expecting for things to happen the way it did.
Spoiler

I did not expect the first warrior to just die off like that and just when I was getting attached too. Since the first warrior died, he's most likely not the hero mentioned in description above, so it might be warrior 2, warrior 1's brother.

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If you don't mind that the male lead isn't clear from the start and that the 'witch' is pretty tragic, give the novel a try, although I still have no idea why a bunch gave this a one star considering there's only like 9-10 chapters so far.
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Trololokoko
Trololokoko rated it
August 16, 2020
Status: v22
This is absolutely the best! This novel has a deep reflection about prejudice and irracional behaviors, like blaming others for your own unhappiness or the world's intrinsic suffering! After so many biased novels this one really stands out for bringing a really important reflection! Super worth it!
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shanderiasan
shanderiasan rated it
August 16, 2020
Status: c22
I don't know why people give this novel such a low rating. The story is quite confusing at first, but after the witch's dream you can start to grasp the plot better. Also, the writing is very beautiful, it makes my heart ached for the witch's suffering and the warrior's situation. I can't wait to see what will happen next!
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tinkerbel99xmn
tinkerbel99xmn rated it
November 5, 2020
Status: c63
First and foremost, Kudos to the translator of this novel.

The reason it's low rate is because the story all thoughout was just a repetition of past events. The author seems to want to extend their novel so they keep on adding a lot of fillers like that which is actually kinda boring. Imagine reading the same exact words and happenings from ch1-17. Man, that's fucc up. The plot is good but the story delivery is so mehhhh it can improve in a lot of ways. I don't suggest this to... more>> people who don't like overly dramatic sh*t or going through depressive phase cuz it can trigger a lot of scenes. THE STORY HAS NO POSITIVE VIBES EVER. BEWARE. Wherein the protagonists were like " oh look at me I suffered from these asdfgh, I'm so pitiful. Pity me." <<less
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moon-bunnies
moon-bunnies rated it
June 8, 2021
Status: c83
If you're hesitant to read this novel because of the 'tragedy' tag or the occasional commenter talking about how it's a sad ending, please don't be stopped. This novel is a happy ending, and that's the hill I'll die on.

I guess a pessimistic interpretation would be that it ends on a bitter-sweet note but there are so many nausea-inducingly fluffy stories slapped with sweet and unrealistic "happy endings" out there already, do we really need another victim?

Story/plot:
... more>>
Spoiler

As others note, there's some awkward and confusing transitions between the past/present/future. I'm not sure if that's intentional by the author or not, and I can argue both ways. A key theme to note though, is that the female lead explicitly states she is disorientated and has trouble distinguishing between the three due to her extraordinarily long life, divination dreams that pops her into the future, and her memories of the past.

Personally, I like it because the flashes to the future adds an element of suspense that makes you wonder if their present timeline really will follow what she sees.

Which brings me to my next point, mystery is actually a big component in this novel and consciously layered. As a reader, we're constantly left with questions that are answered by more questions. As of chapter 83, we're finally getting the answers to many of those questions.


Though I have to admit, the world-building is a bit weak. If the author properly set it up like a novel, she'd have an international best-seller.
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Characters:

The emotional torment of the female lead who is plagued by immortality was heart-wrenching to read, but the burn felt so good lmao. The love she has for the male lead is beautifully unconditional and the novel takes its time exploring the intricate elements of their relationship. There is so much chemistry between them.

Also I'm almost convinced that the author watched Revolutionary Girl Utena, and based a portion of this story off it. The story's moral outlook certainly resembles many of Utena's themes, and the female lead is a more romantic and less existential version of Anthy.

Either way, tl;dr, this the real good shit. I stayed up until 7 am reading it because it hit all my romance novel kinks. <<less
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chalsseu
chalsseu rated it
September 9, 2020
Status: c41
This novel is a fun and a bit of a philosophical read and it really makes you think really deep about the human society, because here it explains the dark complexity of humans that sometimes even us don't understand. Where People hate each other for no reason, and even if there is a nonsensical reason it's because other people hate them so they will hate them as well, not even grasping the situation of both sides. And the people who instigated the hate don't even have a proof or a... more>> reliable foundation to start a bandwagon of hatred other than them not liking the differences of each other. It also makes you question the meaning behind the words 'right' and 'wrong' because the novel makes you think deep, deep enough to know that the word 'truth' is something we made and it can only become a truth when majority agrees. Here the characters were shunned due to the 'truth' that the villagers enforced into them, the truth that they are monsters that needed to be annihilated, though that's just from the perspective of the villagers, to the ones that are being ostracized in their own perspective they think that they're the one being wronged. That's why perspective is the only truth, and in this novel it really emphasizes on that, where the majority creates the truth and minority will always be in the wrong. Being philosophical is not the only reason this novel is a great read. It also map out and navigate through the characters psyche how they became their present selves and how their existence affected each other so that's why if you want a novel that touches the realities of our world and also explore the depravity of human mind while also not depriving you of the wonders that love can do to a lost and tortured soul this novel is really great for you. This novel is still not finish thouughh hahahahahaha injust made this because I really loved it and also because I don't get the low ratings hered <<less
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geoditez
geoditez rated it
February 25, 2021
Status: v3c79
Literally made an account on novelupdates, JUST so I can write a review for this novel. The translation is well done and makes reading much more immersive and worth paying for advance chapters.

Crown of Thorns takes all of your favorite tropes and writes them in a way that isn't typical for these historical "villainess" romances. The characters feel realistic in terms of how in character they are in relation to their life experiences- especially the Witch herself. The misunderstandings aren't all that infuriating either, knowing that this novel is written... more>> only from the Witch's one sided point of view.

I quite like both the FL and ML in terms of their personalities, especially with
Spoiler

the unexpected twist for the ML's true yandere nature (although that isn't everyone's cup of tea). It fits in well with his character, knowing that he had no one left but the Witch from a very young age.

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The pacing may be a bit slow for some, but I personally prefer the slow burn and progression. Be warned though, the way the author writes about key plot points can be misleading and confusing
Spoiler

(ex: the Witch's dreams, abrupt mentions of the Empire and its political climate, etc).

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Additionally, this story is less focused on romance and more so on the society they live in, the leads' individual psyches, and politics.

Regardless, this is a beautiful, reflective, and somewhat tragic story that is worth a read! <<less
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Iamnrdypat
Iamnrdypat rated it
November 26, 2020
Status: v1 prologue
The translation and the story itself is what makes it so beautiful. Its perfect in a sense that the author is making another author inside the story without being awkward with the characters. The romantic development is slow and not force which is what I like. Its basically a story that you know you never gonna get a happy ending but you’ll still read it hoping for one 😭
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josie24
josie24 rated it
October 13, 2020
Status: c54
READ, JUST SIMPLY READ IT..

it's such a beautiful heartbreaking story with so many messages in it to reflect upon. I love the way the author tells the story and how we see the witch evolve.. Seriously so beautiful and worth more than five stars!
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Kieukieu
Kieukieu rated it
September 13, 2020
Status: c44
Probably one of the best translation and story telling I've read on NU, got pretty choked up several times so that's saying alot for me.
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ayn_7
ayn_7 rated it
September 7, 2020
Status: c40
I have never write a review before but this story is so beautiful you can feel the emotion of the witch and the warrior.

It has at the some cute some sad some happy moments but the relation between the two is just amasing and quite sad if you have time read it it is awesome.
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
rn_flac
rn_flac rated it
September 7, 2020
Status: c39
This novel is so beautifully written! It was written on Nyx's (MC) POV, who was branded as a witch even tho she never really did anything wrong.

Her monologue was so painful, gosh dang it I dunno how many times I cried.

Her character development from a witch who lost all hope to a girl who slowly regained her emotions as she interacted with the ML is so beautifully heart clenching.

... more>> They're so strong *cries*

The spacing of the story is just right for me. The story can be a bit confusing for some tho but you'll get it at some point.

Totally recommended to those who wanted to read something new. <<less
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Loni4ever
Loni4ever rated it
August 31, 2020
Status: c35
So far, it's very interesting. The atmosphere the author creates and the way the MC's experiences, thoughts and emotions are narrated is quite sth. I've only read up to the currently translated chapters but so far, I'd very much recommend it.

I'm enjoying the interactions between the MC and ML. The plot is intriguing as well. It's a quite touching story. My hearteu feels for them...

I can't say much because I don't wanna spoiler but if you're interested and on the fence, I'd really recommend checking it out :)
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
TeaPlease1717
TeaPlease1717 rated it
September 27, 2021
Status: c83
This is absolutely amazing! One of the first Korean WN I read and still one of my top, top favorites. The writing is phenomenal, very beautifully written. The language is almost poetic. And Big Kudos to the translators! They did a fantastic job making the novel read smoothly.

For the story, the angst, suffering and longing portrayed between the FL and ML is so heart wrenching. I don't usually cry, but I was definitely tearing up at some parts. This story seriously pulls at all my heart strings.

... more>>
Spoiler

Hundreds of years before the start of the story, the FL lived in love and peace with her family. But then darkness began to approach upon the world, and society labeled the FL as a scapegoat to all their suffering. Calling her an evil witch, humans beat and abused the FL for hundreds of years, until the FL came to believe society's cruel words and locked herself in an isolated tower. But unable to die, the FL slowly loses all hope of ever being released from her cruel fate becoming more and more depressed as she waits and waits for a hero to come to kill her, like they do in fairytales.

Her hero does come, but he realizes he can't kill her. As an orphan hated by society, himself, he falls in love with the witch who is the only one who watches over him and loves him.

Both the FL's character development from a woman who has lost all hope to regaining her feelings and love of life by interacting with the ML and the ML's slow dissent into obsession just make me want to cry.

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Honestly, I don't know how this will have a happy ending but the story is just so good I can't stop myself from reading more.

If you don't mind heartache, I HIGHLY recommend this story! <<less
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GojoSatorusStudent
GojoSatorusStudent rated it
March 29, 2021
Status: currentlyc70
⚠️SO U GUYS!✨⚠️

March 29, 2021

12:28 pm

... more>> If you're not a fan of so much heartache then I suggest u to not read or stop reading this so f*cking beautiful story.

I myself, am not a fan of heartaches, tragedies and betrayals but I'm still reading cuz I'm a hypocrite although I just recently spoiled myself and now knows the ending.

(Truly a heartbreaking but somewhat okay ending, but if u would ask me I'd rather have another ending for them: ()

Stories like this are so rare, it's just so good and heartbreaking most of the time since it deals with the sufferings of both the female and male leads.

Most of the time while reading this story you might just want to smack their heads together and just want them to confess what they truly want but the story is much deeper and more complicated than that.

Plus there's an ongoing world issue which is contradicting with the past and present clashing together.

So many things are going on but it is all explained in full details (not all tho)

Idk if I'm gonna drop this story NOT because it's getting boring but like most people I wanna save myself from more heartaches because my poor self has a fragile heart 😭 I feel like this is why we stick to smut more Lmao.

But yea idk if I'm gonna drop this or not but if you're still reading this then goodluck and I hope u learned something valuable from this story! :) <<less
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Fulminata
Fulminata
February 14, 2021
Status: c46
Ok, so supposedly, I am currently 3 volumes in.

It's really hard to rate this story properly. The translation is terrific and is very smooth, so 5 stars for that. As for other parts.... I guess I'll give it 3 stars.

The problem lies in... the pacing and world building. Alright, hear me out. This story is told in 1st person pov, namely, the MC. The MC's sense of time and space is definitely warped, and it's really hard to tell which time is the "present", " future", or past. Time progression... more>> is weird, with people who supposedly witness ancient event still exist until now, especially when they're all human and that it was repeatedly mentioned that human die fast. The story presents itself like we're reading from someone's diary, one whose owner throwing in some unexplained facts that was shallowly explained and then presume that the readers have already understood it, then take it for granted and use this vague facts to explain everything. Also, 3 volumes in and nothing have really happened. The pacing was oh-so-slow with repeated flashback scenes, then suddenly, a weird progression happened that make me incredulously grinded my teeth in the manner of "ack where the hell did this coming from?", but in a negative way.

Secondly, the setting a.k.a world building. When reading the first to second volume, it feels like I'm looking through a telescope. Everything looks magnified and focused on one thing, and other knowledge that are not the MC, ML, and the MC's room seems to be neglected and skewed in a weird way. Tldr; the world building is super vague, and very limited. When the story branch out to a more wider and (probably intended to be a more) political setting, this problem becomes more noticeable. Characters and setting which actually held a great importance was mentioned in a sentence, and that's it. Hell, I didn't know that the setting was somewhere tropical except for one sentence where acharacter mentioned that they have never seen snow before.

Spoiler

For example, the first book takes place in a "witch tower". But instead of a " Tower", every events only focused in one room, the same old witch's room. There are mentions of one or two other places, but they are really... vague. Also, it was told that the world is engulfed in "darkness". But... the sun still shines, the stars still shines, and I really don't get it. The story seems to constructed that witches are already dead/disappear from the world, but just how big is the world is, we'll never know.

In the second book, it was described with only one sentence that apparently, the setting happened in a tropical country, because the ML have never seen any snow. Now, the MC and ML teleported somewhere far away to a place with snow. But again, the description of that place is literally, only "Snow". I can't exactly grasp the distance except probably really far, and that place was never named although the MC apparently have a world map in her room. And that map, surprisingly, has not rot. Weird, because it was at odds with the description of that witch's room.

In the third book, the MC try to get her hand into politics. It was weird. Really weird. Suddenly, the " Witch's room" zoomed into a kingdom that was never really described clearly before. I couldn't care for many new characters that suddenly popped up from no where. Some longstanding facts, such as the 'emperor", was mentioned off-handedly with only a paragraph or two when he is apparently, an important character. The pathetic witch suddenly goes full dark lord mode when there was a lack of character's progression from the previous volumes. And it begs into question, if she has this kind of power, why didn't she do this from a long time ago? It's very weirdd.

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All in all, I have to admit that I'm less than impressed by the story, but translation is super, super good. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea. On a side note, this story reminds me of that "let's meet at the witches gathering vibe". <<less
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Jpamatmat
Jpamatmat rated it
June 20, 2021
Status: c83
It is an intresting concept with beautiful language and a poetic read. The story got along with my taste and the ideas are conveyed in a flowery language that make you care about the characters. Although there are many positive takes about the writing, it is pretty melodramatic and has a lot of repetition between the characters.

... more>>
Spoiler

For example, the self doubt the MC has and how she is the "Darkness" while the ML is the "Light" can get pretty repetitive. The MC herself is a good character who doesn't see the good things about her, but the execution and the over exgatrated tone slows the pacing of the story.

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Now, the pacing of the story is a little slow. There are fillers in between and some how the MC keeps repeating something that keeps bugging me. Some plot elements also get pretty confusing if one doesn't pay attention.

Spoiler

you don't understand if she is in a dream or if shes telling the future. There are also random moments that happen where you are confused like very confused. Some chapters end and the next chapter, you are in a totally different scene and you wonder what in the world has happened

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Any way, its an overall pretty good book, but you need to be able to focus on it. <<less
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Icaa
Icaa
February 9, 2021
Status: c3
No way.. Am I the only one who cried through the first chapter?

Maybe this not eveyone cup of tea but I really like this one. The story was potrayed beautifully. Even though in the earlier chapter, the story is confusing but I feel the sad in it. I mean they don't really talk, but I feel some connection between their relationship.

You will got the plot after a dozen chapter a head. But! Since this story is so beautifully written, don't hesitate to start it!

P.s big thanks for the translator
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