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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
this is one of the most comforting books i’ve ever read. i’ve never read a book like this — i’ve never read with such a peace of mind. it made me feel like i was surrounded by blankets and my favorite fruits while i was reading. i adore this book.
there’s not much main characters that are my favorite characters but alyrra/thorn stole my heart with her kindness and empathy and compassion and authenticity and —
oops. (ALTHOUGH: the red hawk is #2. i would’ve loved to see more of him and explore his backstory, but i’m content with the significant scenes we had with him. also, lowkey shipped him and thorn at some points BUT.)
i know some people might complain that the main conflict was solved too quickly, but i’m not complaining. this reminded me of my favorite cartoon, steven universe, where steven frequently befriends beings that want to do him/ people he care about harm. if it weren’t for thorn’s kindness, i don’t think i would’ve been as okay with how it’s been solved as i would’ve normally been. but i’m good with how it was solved because not a lot of stories do what this story does. (if you want specifics, many stories involve solving the conflict through combat and butting heads. this story convinced the main protagonist and antagonist to confront each other’s side and why they’re doing what they’re doing. by showing each other their side, that opened the door for compassion, and that’s what ultimately saves the day. not swords or a big battle. and that’s one of the many reasons why i adore this book so much.)
i REALLY wish there was a sequel because i would love to see more of these wonderful characters and their relationships and how they’re faring, but there’s a companion novel coming out with rae (i read her short story “the bone knife” and i already ADORE her) so i’m not complaining :)
i would love to reread this book in the future & i’m sure this is one of my favorite books i’ve ever read.
there’s not much main characters that are my favorite characters but alyrra/thorn stole my heart with her kindness and empathy and compassion and authenticity and —
oops. (ALTHOUGH: the red hawk is #2. i would’ve loved to see more of him and explore his backstory, but i’m content with the significant scenes we had with him. also, lowkey shipped him and thorn at some points BUT.)
i know some people might complain that the main conflict was solved too quickly, but i’m not complaining. this reminded me of my favorite cartoon, steven universe, where steven frequently befriends beings that want to do him/ people he care about harm. if it weren’t for thorn’s kindness, i don’t think i would’ve been as okay with how it’s been solved as i would’ve normally been. but i’m good with how it was solved because not a lot of stories do what this story does. (if you want specifics, many stories involve solving the conflict through combat and butting heads. this story convinced the main protagonist and antagonist to confront each other’s side and why they’re doing what they’re doing. by showing each other their side, that opened the door for compassion, and that’s what ultimately saves the day. not swords or a big battle. and that’s one of the many reasons why i adore this book so much.)
i REALLY wish there was a sequel because i would love to see more of these wonderful characters and their relationships and how they’re faring, but there’s a companion novel coming out with rae (i read her short story “the bone knife” and i already ADORE her) so i’m not complaining :)
i would love to reread this book in the future & i’m sure this is one of my favorite books i’ve ever read.
Mar 2021: reread in preparation of [b:The Theft of Sunlight|17317376|The Theft of Sunlight (Dauntless Path, #2)|Intisar Khanani|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592799670l/17317376._SY75_.jpg|23985987]. i really liked this unique retelling of the goose girl fairytale and the themes of silence, strength and courage, and the dangers of being a woman in a patriarchal/misogynistic world. i'm always so sad when falada dies in these retellings
A retelling of one of the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales, "The Goose Girl" Khanani provides a darker retelling that is at times cruel and hopeful for readers, with a main character that at times splits between being a girl who can barley stand up for herself, to a girl who utilizes her kindness and intelligence as a weapon to help her best the odds.
Thorn is the story of the Princess Alyrra who is selected to become the bride of the prince of a distant kingdom. However, before she can arrive an act of magic has her switch places with the girl who was sent to serve her, causing her to swap places with the serving girl, in turn becoming a goose girl in the royal palace of the prince. From there Alyrra settles into her new life, becoming accustomed to the new freedom that she has. However, in turn, Alyrra realizes that her duty to the her friends and the subjects of the kingdom prevent her from fully escaping her former life.
I appreciated that for this retelling, Khanani was not afraid to go for some dark elements in this debut, and I appreciated the ethereal writing style that set the tone and pace of the novel. While I did have some issues with Alyrra as a main character and her lack of consistent character growth, I also wished that the author had been more concrete in building her cast of supporting characters and fleshed out the kingdom and the subjects as well. Since this is the first book in the series, I am interested going forward in seeing how the book and the characters will play out.
Thorn is the story of the Princess Alyrra who is selected to become the bride of the prince of a distant kingdom. However, before she can arrive an act of magic has her switch places with the girl who was sent to serve her, causing her to swap places with the serving girl, in turn becoming a goose girl in the royal palace of the prince. From there Alyrra settles into her new life, becoming accustomed to the new freedom that she has. However, in turn, Alyrra realizes that her duty to the her friends and the subjects of the kingdom prevent her from fully escaping her former life.
I appreciated that for this retelling, Khanani was not afraid to go for some dark elements in this debut, and I appreciated the ethereal writing style that set the tone and pace of the novel. While I did have some issues with Alyrra as a main character and her lack of consistent character growth, I also wished that the author had been more concrete in building her cast of supporting characters and fleshed out the kingdom and the subjects as well. Since this is the first book in the series, I am interested going forward in seeing how the book and the characters will play out.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can tell it’s not my kind of story and I’m not going to be invested enough to read it all
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
I received an advance review copy from publisher via NetGalley. A HUGE thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this opportunity to read and review. My opinions are unbiased.
Khanani has a beautiful language through which she tells this story. I found myself easily drawn into the narrative. The setting and characters were vivid. There was a nice variety of characters and social classes which lent to the overall story arc. I would enjoy reading another book by Khanani.
I really liked the growth of Alyrra. She has lived with an emotionally and physically abusive family. It’s a slow process to learn to stand up and speak up for yourself. When she comes to live with the hostler family, Alyrra finds it difficult to trust, but through them she finds acceptance and love which helps her accept the past and gives her hope for the future. In this sense, while I can understand Alyrra's motivations for not wanting to return to life at court, many times I was also frustrated by it. It would have been nice to see her finding the inner strength to act as a champion to the people much sooner. Instead there were multiple chapters of her wringing her hands over things. She knows what she should do for the good of others, but she is constantly in a state of indecision. I felt her endless excuses and hiding from her responsibilities tiring. And the banter between Alyrra and the prince became tedious.
I definitely would have liked the confrontation between Alyrra and the Lady to happen sooner. I loved the last few chapters when they both explored concepts of innocence versus justice. This challenging of each character’s long-held beliefs was sensitively and maturely handled. This story explores how individuals with differing states of power deal with the awful things that happen in life, and it does so in an honest, heartfelt manner.
While "Thorn" had a few issues with dragging its feet a bit too long, it was a well-crafted retelling of a Grimm fairytale. Alyrra is an intelligent girl who grows in strength and confidence. She is respectful and also witty. She is observant and kind hearted. Thus, she's an excellent main character for young female readers. There were some good surprises in the story (which I felt were held back a bit too long, as previously said), but Khanani has some good things in store for her readers. All in all, I found this a worthwhile read and would recommend it.
Khanani has a beautiful language through which she tells this story. I found myself easily drawn into the narrative. The setting and characters were vivid. There was a nice variety of characters and social classes which lent to the overall story arc. I would enjoy reading another book by Khanani.
I really liked the growth of Alyrra. She has lived with an emotionally and physically abusive family. It’s a slow process to learn to stand up and speak up for yourself. When she comes to live with the hostler family, Alyrra finds it difficult to trust, but through them she finds acceptance and love which helps her accept the past and gives her hope for the future. In this sense, while I can understand Alyrra's motivations for not wanting to return to life at court, many times I was also frustrated by it. It would have been nice to see her finding the inner strength to act as a champion to the people much sooner. Instead there were multiple chapters of her wringing her hands over things. She knows what she should do for the good of others, but she is constantly in a state of indecision. I felt her endless excuses and hiding from her responsibilities tiring. And the banter between Alyrra and the prince became tedious.
I definitely would have liked the confrontation between Alyrra and the Lady to happen sooner. I loved the last few chapters when they both explored concepts of innocence versus justice. This challenging of each character’s long-held beliefs was sensitively and maturely handled.
Spoiler
The two clearly had ways to heal each other’s past hurts, and this provided a great climax to the driving force of the story.While "Thorn" had a few issues with dragging its feet a bit too long, it was a well-crafted retelling of a Grimm fairytale. Alyrra is an intelligent girl who grows in strength and confidence. She is respectful and also witty. She is observant and kind hearted. Thus, she's an excellent main character for young female readers. There were some good surprises in the story (which I felt were held back a bit too long, as previously said), but Khanani has some good things in store for her readers. All in all, I found this a worthwhile read and would recommend it.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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