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narwhal23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, and Violence
commedesenfants's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted here: http://living-a-thousand-lives.tumblr.com/post/31118277275/thorn-by-intisar-khanani
The Cover
I'm torn with this cover. On the one hand I think the background is pretty it kind of reminds me of a surrealist painting with the two different landscapes fading into eachother and the somewhat creepy eyes at the top. On the other hand there is a pretty girl at the front. You know how I feel about (real) people on covers. For a selfpublished book, the cover looks pretty professional though.
The Story
Thorn is based on the Brothers Grimm's fairytale "The Goose Girl". Alyrra, later called Thorn, is the Princess of a small kingdom. Her family and the court either ignore or scorn her. That is until the powerful king of the neighbouring kingdom comes to Alyrra's kingdom and she is suddenly betrothed to his son. Alyrra is afraid but soon realizes that nothing that awaits her in the foreign kingdom could be worse than what she has to endure at home and she also realizes that the life of the prince lies in her hand. On the journey to her new home Alyrra is betrayed by one of her travel companions but she sees this as an opportunity to reinvent herself and live a free life, even if her freedom would mean the death of the prince. Alyrra has to make a difficult decision.
The Protagonist
At first I thought Alyrra would be this doormat character who is meek and lets everyone walk all over her. But soon I realized that her silence was the only way she could protect herself. I feel so terribly bad for her because what a horrible life it must be if you can't even feel save in your own home? Alyrra is not weak, she might be a but timid but that is to be expected by the way everyone at court disrespects her and made her feel worthless. As the story is told from her POV, however, the reader very soon realizes that she is very intelligent and caring, she is good at heart and actually really brave in so far that she would protect others when they need it. She is courageous and has a great sense of justice. Alyrra is not your typical spoiled princess but she is willing to work hard and doesn't mind getting dirty. I admire Alyrra that she never gives up, she doesn't let the people who treat her badly get her down.
The Heart Rate
We first meet Prince Kestrin in a rather unusual way that definitely left a powerful impression. He's rather mysterious and for the longest time neither Alyrra nor the reader knows if he can be trusted and what his motives are. He's very perceptive and eloquent, and it always seems as if he has an ulterior motive. I wouldn't describe him as a "bad boy" but he definitely has that alluring and mysterious vibe about him, and it doesn't hurt that he's a prince.
What I really like about Alyrra's and Kestrin's relationship is that it progressed slowly, no insta-love, hallelujah. They were both wary of eachother in the beginning but slowly they started to trust and respect one another and became friends. There won't be any mushy love proclamations while fighting for their lives.
People must think I'm so unromantic because it seems like I hate love confessions. I don't, I'm a romantic. I just don't like it when it gets cheesy or when those love confessions are out of place or said too early on in a relationship (hearing people who know eachother for a whole of a week or two tell eachother how they love eachother makes me cringe so much, it's the worst).
The Good
- Retelling: As I said, this is a retelling of "The Goose Girl" and the author did a great job. The main storyline is the same as the Grimm fairytale but what happens inbetween is entirely Intisar Khanani's work. What I also like is that this is not a case of what I like to call as "disney-ficaion" (don't get me wrong, I love love love Disney animated movies), i.e. this is much closer to the original tale when it comes to violence and the like. However, it is never gratuitous or only there for shockvalue but is always there for a reason. Don't worry, this is not a gory book but I'd say realistic (as realistic as it can be with magic and being a fairytale and all...).
- Sensitive topics: There is violence in this book but it also deals with the topic of violence. Alyrra is clearly physically abused by her brother and emotionally abused by everyone else at court (except for the servants).
There is also the question of "justice". What is justice and who makes the law? If the king is the law but does nothing to enforce it, then is it better to just sit there passively or actively acting out your own law?
- Falada: For those who read or know the original story, you know that Falada is Alyrra's white horse who can speak. In this story Falada becomes Alyrra's best friend, confidant and mentor in one. Their friendship is wonderful and Falada gives Alyrra great advice (which she doesn't always follow to my dismay), he is always urging her on to stand up for herself and helps her realizing her full potential. He would do anything for her and vice versa. So long story short: Falada is awesome.
- The Hostler Family: When Alyrra is assigned the job as goose girl in the foreign kingdom, she meets fellow workers of the court, the hostlers, they are a tight knit family who readily embrace her into their midst and accept her as their own. They were an amazing family who really cared for eachother and they cared for Alyrra even though she was a lady, they never judged her by her title and vice versa.
The Bad
Unresolved story: Don't worry, there is no cliffhanger here, the story at large wraps up neatly. But there are just some issues that are never really resolved. Like Alyrra's abusive brother who is one day going to be king. He never had to take responsibility for his abuse. While Kestrin and his father know about it, the only thing they did was to rescue Alyrra from her brother's clutches, which is great but they can't do that for everyone and I thought it would've been great if Alyrra and Kestrin had exposed her brother. Also there is another issue that has to do with why Kestrin was in mortal danger in the first place that was not fully resolved or rather I'd like to know how the story ends for that particular person. (I can't say more because that would be spoilery).
The Rating
★★★★☆
I'm usually a bit wary when it comes to self-published books. There are hidden gems but there is also a lot of mediocre stuff out there. "Thorn" is one of those rare hidden gems and it would be great to see it being picked up by a publisher so it can get more recognition. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which was much better than a lot of books that got six figure publishing deals in my opinion (the world can be so unfair, especially the publishing world), and thought Intisar Khanani did a great job, the writing was good and the story engaging.
The Cover
I'm torn with this cover. On the one hand I think the background is pretty it kind of reminds me of a surrealist painting with the two different landscapes fading into eachother and the somewhat creepy eyes at the top. On the other hand there is a pretty girl at the front. You know how I feel about (real) people on covers. For a selfpublished book, the cover looks pretty professional though.
The Story
Thorn is based on the Brothers Grimm's fairytale "The Goose Girl". Alyrra, later called Thorn, is the Princess of a small kingdom. Her family and the court either ignore or scorn her. That is until the powerful king of the neighbouring kingdom comes to Alyrra's kingdom and she is suddenly betrothed to his son. Alyrra is afraid but soon realizes that nothing that awaits her in the foreign kingdom could be worse than what she has to endure at home and she also realizes that the life of the prince lies in her hand. On the journey to her new home Alyrra is betrayed by one of her travel companions but she sees this as an opportunity to reinvent herself and live a free life, even if her freedom would mean the death of the prince. Alyrra has to make a difficult decision.
The Protagonist
At first I thought Alyrra would be this doormat character who is meek and lets everyone walk all over her. But soon I realized that her silence was the only way she could protect herself. I feel so terribly bad for her because what a horrible life it must be if you can't even feel save in your own home? Alyrra is not weak, she might be a but timid but that is to be expected by the way everyone at court disrespects her and made her feel worthless. As the story is told from her POV, however, the reader very soon realizes that she is very intelligent and caring, she is good at heart and actually really brave in so far that she would protect others when they need it. She is courageous and has a great sense of justice. Alyrra is not your typical spoiled princess but she is willing to work hard and doesn't mind getting dirty. I admire Alyrra that she never gives up, she doesn't let the people who treat her badly get her down.
The Heart Rate
We first meet Prince Kestrin in a rather unusual way that definitely left a powerful impression. He's rather mysterious and for the longest time neither Alyrra nor the reader knows if he can be trusted and what his motives are. He's very perceptive and eloquent, and it always seems as if he has an ulterior motive. I wouldn't describe him as a "bad boy" but he definitely has that alluring and mysterious vibe about him, and it doesn't hurt that he's a prince.
What I really like about Alyrra's and Kestrin's relationship is that it progressed slowly, no insta-love, hallelujah. They were both wary of eachother in the beginning but slowly they started to trust and respect one another and became friends. There won't be any mushy love proclamations while fighting for their lives.
People must think I'm so unromantic because it seems like I hate love confessions. I don't, I'm a romantic. I just don't like it when it gets cheesy or when those love confessions are out of place or said too early on in a relationship (hearing people who know eachother for a whole of a week or two tell eachother how they love eachother makes me cringe so much, it's the worst).
The Good
- Retelling: As I said, this is a retelling of "The Goose Girl" and the author did a great job. The main storyline is the same as the Grimm fairytale but what happens inbetween is entirely Intisar Khanani's work. What I also like is that this is not a case of what I like to call as "disney-ficaion" (don't get me wrong, I love love love Disney animated movies), i.e. this is much closer to the original tale when it comes to violence and the like. However, it is never gratuitous or only there for shockvalue but is always there for a reason. Don't worry, this is not a gory book but I'd say realistic (as realistic as it can be with magic and being a fairytale and all...).
- Sensitive topics: There is violence in this book but it also deals with the topic of violence. Alyrra is clearly physically abused by her brother and emotionally abused by everyone else at court (except for the servants).
There is also the question of "justice". What is justice and who makes the law? If the king is the law but does nothing to enforce it, then is it better to just sit there passively or actively acting out your own law?
- Falada: For those who read or know the original story, you know that Falada is Alyrra's white horse who can speak. In this story Falada becomes Alyrra's best friend, confidant and mentor in one. Their friendship is wonderful and Falada gives Alyrra great advice (which she doesn't always follow to my dismay), he is always urging her on to stand up for herself and helps her realizing her full potential. He would do anything for her and vice versa. So long story short: Falada is awesome.
- The Hostler Family: When Alyrra is assigned the job as goose girl in the foreign kingdom, she meets fellow workers of the court, the hostlers, they are a tight knit family who readily embrace her into their midst and accept her as their own. They were an amazing family who really cared for eachother and they cared for Alyrra even though she was a lady, they never judged her by her title and vice versa.
The Bad
Unresolved story: Don't worry, there is no cliffhanger here, the story at large wraps up neatly. But there are just some issues that are never really resolved. Like Alyrra's abusive brother who is one day going to be king. He never had to take responsibility for his abuse. While Kestrin and his father know about it, the only thing they did was to rescue Alyrra from her brother's clutches, which is great but they can't do that for everyone and I thought it would've been great if Alyrra and Kestrin had exposed her brother. Also there is another issue that has to do with why Kestrin was in mortal danger in the first place that was not fully resolved or rather I'd like to know how the story ends for that particular person. (I can't say more because that would be spoilery).
The Rating
★★★★☆
I'm usually a bit wary when it comes to self-published books. There are hidden gems but there is also a lot of mediocre stuff out there. "Thorn" is one of those rare hidden gems and it would be great to see it being picked up by a publisher so it can get more recognition. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which was much better than a lot of books that got six figure publishing deals in my opinion (the world can be so unfair, especially the publishing world), and thought Intisar Khanani did a great job, the writing was good and the story engaging.
mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
5.0
After reading a couple duds, I was so happy to finally pick up this gem. A retelling that's not just good, but great can be hard to come by. But, this book exceeded all my expectations.
It's rife with intrigue and delves into how peoples' experiences shape their lives without demonizing how traumatised people cope even when it's not the best thing for them. It addresses how difficult it can be tp choose to the right thing against your own self-interest. This isn't something I often see in YA books because it's really hard to properly write meaningful character arcs. Don't get me wrong, a lot of people write characters well, but making it realistic while not alienating the reader because the character is burying their head in the sand is a thin line to walk.
It's also not afraid of making the hard decisions when it comes to the narrative. There were times that I actually cried because of the injustice in this book, but the story was only stronger for it. Alyrra was a character with flaws all the way until the end, but the author was able to make her fully realized so that while I could be frustrated with her I empathized with her more than anything. She felt like a real person whose decisions were organic not just pushed by the needs of the plot.
The only downside I'd say is that not all of the characters are as well rounded. Alyrra shines the brightest and there's clearly a lot of care put into her thought process, but her supporting cast is fairly one note. It's not so bad that I don't care about anybody, but it would have been beneficial to differentiate them more. Her friends are nice but not really distinguishable in personality. Her love interest is more layered and there was a twist to it that made it interesting, however, I would have appreciated more time with him.
I think the world building has a great foundation and I look forward to seeing Khanani build on it in future installments.
It's a very good standalone, and I was excited to see there's going to be a sequel (though the next one will feature a new main character it looks like, I have my faith in this author full stop) instead of my usual reaction of disappointment that I'd accidentally fallen into a series. Intisar Khanani will be an author I watch from now on.
It's rife with intrigue and delves into how peoples' experiences shape their lives without demonizing how traumatised people cope even when it's not the best thing for them. It addresses how difficult it can be tp choose to the right thing against your own self-interest. This isn't something I often see in YA books because it's really hard to properly write meaningful character arcs. Don't get me wrong, a lot of people write characters well, but making it realistic while not alienating the reader because the character is burying their head in the sand is a thin line to walk.
It's also not afraid of making the hard decisions when it comes to the narrative. There were times that I actually cried because of the injustice in this book, but the story was only stronger for it. Alyrra was a character with flaws all the way until the end, but the author was able to make her fully realized so that while I could be frustrated with her I empathized with her more than anything. She felt like a real person whose decisions were organic not just pushed by the needs of the plot.
The only downside I'd say is that not all of the characters are as well rounded. Alyrra shines the brightest and there's clearly a lot of care put into her thought process, but her supporting cast is fairly one note. It's not so bad that I don't care about anybody, but it would have been beneficial to differentiate them more. Her friends are nice but not really distinguishable in personality. Her love interest is more layered and there was a twist to it that made it interesting, however, I would have appreciated more time with him.
I think the world building has a great foundation and I look forward to seeing Khanani build on it in future installments.
It's a very good standalone, and I was excited to see there's going to be a sequel (though the next one will feature a new main character it looks like, I have my faith in this author full stop) instead of my usual reaction of disappointment that I'd accidentally fallen into a series. Intisar Khanani will be an author I watch from now on.
mannis's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cardanrry's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Murder, and Sexual violence
pequodable's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
A retelling of the Goose Girl fairy tale. I was not really familiar with this story before reading this, but the magic and wonder seeps through. I've reread this many times, each time caught up in the emotions and lessons anew.
willow's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mweir710's review against another edition
4.0
This was everything I was expecting it to be as a retelling of one of my favorite stories, the Goose Girl. Alyrra is unassuming and didn’t immediately pull me in, but I think that’s what I ended up loving about her character. She is strong in silence and also in finding her own voice without being the commonly written “badass” of typical YA novels. I was pleasantly surprised by the way this book pulled me in slowly and made me care for each of the characters in a way that was personal. There are definitely a few heart-wrenching moments held within these pages.
shadeslayer327's review against another edition
4.0
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale was one of my favorite books growing up, so it was interesting to see a different twist on the fairytale. I loved the magic aspect of it, and I thought the retelling was very well done!
newlillith's review against another edition
5.0
Stunning.
I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book. I tried to start it a few mos ago and put it down. The language is simple, simpler than I expected. But this story is so achingly beautiful. What a gift. Thank you to the author for writing this book.
I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book. I tried to start it a few mos ago and put it down. The language is simple, simpler than I expected. But this story is so achingly beautiful. What a gift. Thank you to the author for writing this book.