Thorn
Author: Intisar Khanani
Published: May 30, 2012
Publisher: Create Space
Blurb:
Princess Alyrra’s strength lies in silence. Scorned by her family, she avoids the court, spending her time with servants. When her marriage is unexpectedly arranged with the prince of a powerful neighboring kingdom, Alyrra feels trapped. As the court celebrates her match, dark rumors spread about the unexplained deaths of the women of her new family. Alyrra begins her journey with mounting trepidation; betrayed while traveling, she seizes an opportunity to start a life away from court.
Walking away from a prince whom she doesn’t know should have been easy. But from the moment she sets eyes on him, Alyrra realizes that her freedom could cost him his life. Without any magical defense of her own, she is plunged into a lethal game of sorcery and deceit. Now Alyrra must decide whom she can trust and what she’s willing to fight for—before her silence proves fatal.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I started it, but I'm sure glad I picked it up! I immediately connect with the main character Alyrra and I couldn't wait to find out what happened to her next! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy!
Alyrra is an awesome heroine. I really appreciate how Intisar showcased her imperfection and how she must deal with the consequences of these flaws and work to overcome them. No one is perfect, so I always enjoy imperfect main characters. On the flip side, she has a lot of redeeming qualities that make her likeable and easy to relate to.
One of the major themes for me was human cruelty. Through the book, Alyrra witnesses a lot of cruelty. For this reason, I would not recommend this book for younger readers (perhaps 14+). This one also comes with a mild 'tear-warning' (as in, I got pretty teary-eyed at a couple points). As well, because it is set in a time where social classes were more distinct, it also makes an interesting argument on social inequalities.
The only thing I would change is that I wish Intisar had given a bit more explanation about magic in her story. While it wasn't a hugely important part for most of the story, there were definitely parts when I was curious about how spells could be cast and that sort of thing.
On the Cover:
I wasn't super thrilled by this cover. I like the eyes at the top, but the rest feels a little bland to me.
Rating: 5 hearts
Where to Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle
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Hi Megan -
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your review of Thorn. I am so glad you enjoyed reading it. I'm working on a trilogy focusing on a different main character but set shortly after Thorn ends--it's good to know you'd like to know more about how magic works. That's definitely something for me to think about building in!
All the best,
Intisar