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davastewart 's review for:
Thorn
by Intisar Khanani
I really liked this story. It's gentle, but also powerful. It is told from the viewpoint of Princess Alyrrah, a flawed, but worthy heroine.
It begins in her home, where her cold mother, the Queen, and her violent, terrible brother, as well as their small country's court, is greeting the ruler from another, larger, and far more powerful country. Although the Princess does her best to stay out of the way and not draw attention to herself, she eventually learns the King is there to discuss the the betrothal of his son to the quiet princess.
Everyone thinks it's odd: there are "better matches" to be had in several other, neighboring countries. The Queen accepts because she is greedy, and Alyrrah because she does what she is told to do. She leaves her home with the companion of her mother's choosing, a girl named Valka. Valka hates Alyrrah, as the two have known each other since childhood and Valka believes that Alyrrah betrayed her at one point.
Besides intriguing characters, this story has some magical elements, but the magic and the fantasy world don't take over. In fact, I didn't really notice them -- they were simply a piece of the story. The characters and the plot are the heavyweights, rather than the fantasy and the magic.
My favorite thing is that the author managed to tell the story in a quiet voice. There is not a ton of action, and there is not a whole lot of dialog. A great deal of the story happens in the Princess' head. She thinks a lot. But, it's not at all boring. Intisar Khanani has gained a fan!
It begins in her home, where her cold mother, the Queen, and her violent, terrible brother, as well as their small country's court, is greeting the ruler from another, larger, and far more powerful country. Although the Princess does her best to stay out of the way and not draw attention to herself, she eventually learns the King is there to discuss the the betrothal of his son to the quiet princess.
Everyone thinks it's odd: there are "better matches" to be had in several other, neighboring countries. The Queen accepts because she is greedy, and Alyrrah because she does what she is told to do. She leaves her home with the companion of her mother's choosing, a girl named Valka. Valka hates Alyrrah, as the two have known each other since childhood and Valka believes that Alyrrah betrayed her at one point.
Besides intriguing characters, this story has some magical elements, but the magic and the fantasy world don't take over. In fact, I didn't really notice them -- they were simply a piece of the story. The characters and the plot are the heavyweights, rather than the fantasy and the magic.
My favorite thing is that the author managed to tell the story in a quiet voice. There is not a ton of action, and there is not a whole lot of dialog. A great deal of the story happens in the Princess' head. She thinks a lot. But, it's not at all boring. Intisar Khanani has gained a fan!