Thorn

May 04, 2013 Olga Godim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-scifi

This novel is one of the few that have left me divided. On one hand, it’s too intense, too emotionally grueling for my taste. I wanted the heroine, Princess Alyrra (aka Thorn), to have a respite, to have something working for her, but the author wouldn’t oblige. So in my head, I argued with her. I told her that she was wrong to subject Thorn to so many indignities. I told her that the test she devised for her hero, Prince Kestrin, was unfair and unnecessary cruel. I told her that Thorn behaved f...more This novel is one of the few that have left me divided. On one hand, it’s too intense, too emotionally grueling for my taste. I wanted the heroine, Princess Alyrra (aka Thorn), to have a respite, to have something working for her, but the author wouldn’t oblige. So in my head, I argued with her. I told her that she was wrong to subject Thorn to so many indignities. I told her that the test she devised for her hero, Prince Kestrin, was unfair and unnecessary cruel. I told her that Thorn behaved foolishly. She could’ve found an easier way to deal with her problems. I told her that Alyrra’s friend, Horse Falada, is an inadequate teacher. He knows stuff but he talks in riddles and never explains anything as a teacher should.
Unable to persuade the author and the book to take a gentler road, I did it myself. In my few short breaks from reading, I imagined alternative adventures for the heroes. I gave them additional options and widened their choices. I came to love and respect the heroes too much to trap them into tight corners, as the author has done. So I pleaded with the writer to be kinder, and I raved, and I cried, but I couldn’t stop reading. The novel wouldn’t let me. I felt compelled to finish it even though I can’t say that I enjoyed it. But I can say that I will remember it.
Subjectively, I don’t like so much suffering for the heroes. I like a lighter read. Objectively, I know that this was one of the best fantasy novels I’ve read in some time. And I know that this writer is a master of her craft.
Besides my feeble squeaks fueled by compassion for the heroes, I have one serious editorial comment. There are two mysteries in the story that are revealed towards the end. They include the story of Valka’s hatred towards Alyrra and the story of the Lady’s hatred towards Kestrin. Both should’ve been explained in the beginning of the novel. The hatred of those two antagonists drives the plot, but for three quarters of the book, it doesn’t make sense, and the reader wonders where it comes from. What could humble, inoffensive Alyrra have done to deserve it?
Besides that one objection, there are only a few typos to distract the reader from this rich, soulful story. It’s powerful and cathartic; and I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy.

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Jun 10, 2012 Shy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who loves Mercedes Lackey would enjoy this

Shelves: fantasy, childrens-lit-ya

Wow. I was not expecting to be this swept up in the tale - I could not put it down and read the whole thing in one go, to the detriment of some sleep. So if this review rambles a bit, it's all because I stayed up all night reading.

I guess I should start with the unexpectedness - I found out about this book on Facebook as it was published by a high school classmate of mine. This was the only reason I went to look at in on Amazon and as soon as I saw that it was a fantasy genre I decided, why not...more Wow. I was not expecting to be this swept up in the tale - I could not put it down and read the whole thing in one go, to the detriment of some sleep. So if this review rambles a bit, it's all because I stayed up all night reading.

I guess I should start with the unexpectedness - I found out about this book on Facebook as it was published by a high school classmate of mine. This was the only reason I went to look at in on Amazon and as soon as I saw that it was a fantasy genre I decided, why not give it a go in a show of support? But that was about all the background I had to it.

I must be one of the only people not to know the fairytale story of the Goose Girl so aside from a broad archetype tale of lost heroine looking for her happy ending I really had no clues to the plot at all. It was a wonderful read for me. The only bad thing I can say about this book is that I rather dislike narrative in the present tense. I was quite disappointed at the first page when I realised it was going to be told this way, but within a couple of chapters it stopped mattering, which to me means the prose flowed well enough that I could sink into the whole tale and envision it around me as I read without being distracted by clumsy narrative or forced descriptions or anything. Yes, I'd still prefer my fantasy in the past tense, but it did not spoil the enjoyment for me at all when reading Thorn. I was in Thorn's world from beginning to end and nothing in the writing made me stop and go "oh, well that was awkwardly put..." Some people commented on wishing more explanation about the magic. It might be a place to go for future novels but I didn't feel the omission was too detrimental. Maybe it is just easy for me to suspend disbelief for novels like these but the fact that Thorn doesn't practice any herself made it ok for me to not know more details. I don't think there is anywhere in the narrative where that kind of information would have sat well, in my opinion.

I love the fact that, for a book categorised as Young Adult fiction, it deals with very serious themes. It does not hide cruelty. It does not sugarcoat people's vices. To me Thorn read very much to me now in my thirties the way my first Mercedes Lackey book read easily in my teens, with an appreciation that young people can have a lot more depth and maturity than adults frequently imagine. Books are a safe way to explore the world and question actions and consequences. I was even surprised that the "happy ending" is not quite as happy as a fairytale would be. There is sadness and regret and hesitation but also the start of something more positive and I hope to get the chance to read more novels about Alyrra and Kestrin in the future to take me back to my daydreaming days. (less)

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Sep 09, 2012 L. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Originally posted here: http://living-a-thousand-lives.tumblr...

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 th...more

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Intisar Khanani Hi L!

Thanks for this thoughtful and comprehensive review of Thorn. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I was wondering if you would consider cross-posting you...more
Sep 09, 2012 12:49pm

L. Intisar wrote: "Hi L!

Thanks for this thoughtful and comprehensive review of Thorn. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I was wondering if you would consider c...more
Sep 09, 2012 01:30pm

Intisar Khanani Thanks so much for the support!

Also, if you're interested in hearing about new releases (I have a short story I'm planning to release in October, plus...more
Sep 09, 2012 07:11pm

Feb 08, 2013 Aliaa El-Nashar rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this book whilst I was on Goodreads a few months back. It sounded very interesting and the idea intrigued me so much that I had requested the book from the author. The author then told me that I could do the book review on the day of the new cover reveal and I thought it sounded like a great idea, so here I am!
I actually liked the old cover of the book, but completely love this one. It's so catchy! The synopsis as well was very intriguing and so was the choice of title.

The author's style...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed Thorn. I usually go into a book fairly blind, and since I received Thorn so long ago, I didn't remember it was a fairy tale retelling of The Goose Girl.

I became attached to Princess Alyrra very quickly -- within the first pages -- and that's why I enjoyed the story so much. She gets betrothed to a prince from a far away land, and on the way there, her nasty companion uses magic to change places with her!

I think the twist is that Alyrra doesn't mind becoming a common, relativ...more I thoroughly enjoyed Thorn. I usually go into a book fairly blind, and since I received Thorn so long ago, I didn't remember it was a fairy tale retelling of The Goose Girl.

I became attached to Princess Alyrra very quickly -- within the first pages -- and that's why I enjoyed the story so much. She gets betrothed to a prince from a far away land, and on the way there, her nasty companion uses magic to change places with her!

I think the twist is that Alyrra doesn't mind becoming a common, relatively poor, hard-working girl. She tends the geese with a quiet and somewhat scary man. She works hard and makes friends with several people who tend the horses. She's a wonderful, strong character who always wants to do the right thing for everyone. She's caring and eventually realizes that the best way she can make a difference, is to reach her true destiny and become princess. This takes her a long time.

Meanwhile, the prince knows something is up. He keeps making contact with Alyrra (who is now known as Thorn) because he doesn't entirely believe her story. Thorn can't tell him what happened to her because of the curse, but she doesn't really want to because she's happy where she is.

I'm not a big fan of magic, but this is a fairy tale, and I'm pretty good at just going with the flow. So, there's a talking horse, and the wind speaks to Thorn, and a mean witch has cast the spell to change Alyrra's life because she wants to kill the prince. The talking horse is a bit over the top, but he's part of the original tale, so I'm OK with that. And, he's a great character, even if he is a horse. Very wise.

It's just all great fun, and I even choked up during a few parts. The writing is excellent. The only problem I had was during a few of the magical moments -- I didn't think things were explained very well. I had to read several passages a few times, and still, I thought some "leaps" were necessary, and I wasn't very good at taking those leaps.

Fans of The Goose Girl should definitely find this book. Thorn stays pretty true to the original story but is colorful and embellished nicely. Fans of any retellings will not be disappointed.(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Gerrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-romance

This is a beautifully and lyrically written book, based on the fairy tale of the Goose Girl. The heroine, Alyrra, is the princess of a small country. Her brother, heir to the throne, is a sadist and a bully, and her mother, the Queen, is at best indifferent to her. Her closest friends are the palace servants. The king of a neighboring country, far bigger and more important than Alyrra's, chooses Alyrra as the wife for his son Kestrin, the crown prince.

Alyrra's mother insists that she be accompa...more This is a beautifully and lyrically written book, based on the fairy tale of the Goose Girl. The heroine, Alyrra, is the princess of a small country. Her brother, heir to the throne, is a sadist and a bully, and her mother, the Queen, is at best indifferent to her. Her closest friends are the palace servants. The king of a neighboring country, far bigger and more important than Alyrra's, chooses Alyrra as the wife for his son Kestrin, the crown prince.

Alyrra's mother insists that she be accompanied by Valka, a disgraced noblewoman, who hates Alyrra. As they reach Alyrra's new country, Valka manages to switch bodies with Alyrra. Valka is now the princess, and Alyrra becomes a servant, and ends up tending geese.

For the first half of the book I wanted to shake Alyrra until her teeth rattled. She acquires several interesting friends, including a wise horse and a master thief. Both of them see a greatness in her and think she could make a difference in helping to address the country's problems. She just wants to be left alone, stay a servant, and do nothing to regain her position as princess. This really annoyed me, until I realized that a lot of the story was about her coming to believe in herself, her abilities, and her self worth. She couldn't fight for herself - or for others - until she changed.

There were some things about the book I didn't like so well, but that has to do more with my taste than any problem with the author. (view spoiler)

I feel that Khanani is a talented writer, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
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Dec 02, 2012 Lindsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love the "Goose Girl" story and the novels that do a spin of off this tale. When I read the description after it was recommended by one of the authors I follow I decided to give it a go. It did not disappoint. Our heroine, Thorn, has the humility and good grace that is seldom seen in this world and it makes her character extremely likeable. I found myself cheering her on when she continued to be opptimistic and hopeful in a world filled with danger and justice was a mere farce. I would have ra...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Red rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first accepted this book for review, I had never read the Grimm's "Goose Girl" tale it was based off of. So I used this magical thing we call the internet and read it before reading Thorn. I have to say, while Thorn followed the tale very closely excluding names, I enjoyed it nonetheless--so much that I couldn't put it down. This book isn't just a take on a Grimm tale, but it also covers topics not usually found in something of such a "light" nature. Physical abuse and murder were both ad...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy, young-adult, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://aurorareviews.blogspot.com/201...

For Alyrra, the idea of an arranged marriage was a dream that couldn't be anything worse than the life that she was already living. In a home where she feared her family and was disrespected at every turn, an unknown husband couldn't be any worse in her eyes. But when the King of Menaiya comes to her kingdom to bid for her hand in marriage in lieu of his son, things just don't add up for her. The king is almost too kind and wants to k...more Originally posted at: http://aurorareviews.blogspot.com/201...

For Alyrra, the idea of an arranged marriage was a dream that couldn't be anything worse than the life that she was already living. In a home where she feared her family and was disrespected at every turn, an unknown husband couldn't be any worse in her eyes. But when the King of Menaiya comes to her kingdom to bid for her hand in marriage in lieu of his son, things just don't add up for her. The king is almost too kind and wants to know her as more than just someone to be bargained and traded for. Can Alyrra trust this mystery man or will he just turn out to be like everyone else in her life? When she escapes the prying eyes of everyone around to talk to the Wind, her troubles seem lighter knowing that her wind will follow her to this distant land. But tragedy strikes and Alyrra is lost in the body of someone else after a witch tricks her and her riding mate as a way to get back at the King. Will this cruel trick be a way out of everything for Alyrra or will she have to fight for everything that she wants to make the witch break the curse?

Kestrin, Prince of Menaiya, has dreamed of Alyrra since he first caught a glimpse of her from far away. Bidding for her hand when it came time for him to marry seemed like the best thing. But the woman that comes to him does not seem like the Alyrra he knew. Will Kestrin be able to figure out the mystery or has he been duped into a marriage of inconvenience? Witch craft could be the only thing that can aid Kestrin in finding the real Alyrra, and it's up to him to decide just how hard he's willing to fight for the girl from his memories. With the help of the King, his guards, and some amazing hostlers, Kestrin may just be able to get the girl of his dreams while defeating a wicked witch all at the same time.

While this story was a completely different genre than what I'm used to reading, and at times seemed a bit cumbersome in the otherwordliness, in the end I really enjoyed it. The growth of Alyrra was something many can relate to, but most specifically the younger generation looking for a character of substance and strength. I recommend this book to older teens due to some adult topics, i.e. murder, hangings, rape etc. However, this books isn't only something I'd recommend for teens; this book would be good for anyone of any age looking to get into the fantasy world of reading or simply wanting something unique and well written to read.(less)

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Jul 07, 2012 Majanka rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, read-2012, retold-fairytale, romance, young-adult

“Wow” is a good term to describe Thorn, debut YA fantasy novel by author Intisar Khanani. This book certainly left me in awe. That said, head over to Amazon now and get your free copy of Thorn. The free action is only from June 25th to June 28th, so get your copy now, because you don’t want to miss out on this one.

Thorn tells the story of the Goose Girl, a well-known fairytale I read a couple of times when I was a kid but never enjoyed that much. I mean, it was enjoyable, but I had other fairyta...more “Wow” is a good term to describe Thorn, debut YA fantasy novel by author Intisar Khanani. This book certainly left me in awe. That said, head over to Amazon now and get your free copy of Thorn. The free action is only from June 25th to June 28th, so get your copy now, because you don’t want to miss out on this one.

Thorn tells the story of the Goose Girl, a well-known fairytale I read a couple of times when I was a kid but never enjoyed that much. I mean, it was enjoyable, but I had other fairytales I enjoyed a lot more back then. However, this adapted version of Goose Girl is a spectacular novel that pulled me in from the first page and refused to let me go till I turned the last page. I had to take a short break due to studying between, else I would’ve read it in one sitting. It is, really, that good.

Princess Alyrra doesn’t have the life every fairytale princess dreams of. Her brother likes to torment her for no reason in particular besides his own twisted enjoyment, her dad passed away and her mom hasn’t said a kind word to her in years. She is forced to marry a prince she doesn’t know because her mother is convinced it will be a good decision for the Kingdom. Alyrra sets off to journey to the prince’s kingdom, until a woman mysteriously called The Lady switches her appearance with that of her lady-in-waiting, Valka. When Alyrra eventually arrives at the castle, the Prince makes her the new Goose Girl, and everyone starts calling her Thorn. What’s surprising is that Thorn isn’t exactly that appaled by her new status in life. She quite enjoys being a goose girl, and is reluctant to face her own destiny, and do what she needs to do to save the Kingdom. Shy and scared at first, she slowly grows into the person, the princess, she’s meant to be. With help from the famous horse Falada, who’s not actually a horse and miraculously enough can talk, she grows to accept the possibility of herself ruling a kingdom, and she grows into the new role she’s destined to play. When Alyrra’s feelings for the prince start to grow as well, she has no choice but to stand up for herself and what she believes in. And it’s about time.

Thorn’s character growth is amazing. She goes through an entire process, and not once does it grow to be unbelievable, do things happen to fast, etc. No, instead, her personality seems to grow almost like a plant, organically, without being pressured by anything except the circumstances of her life. That’s only a small sample of author Intisar Khanani’s skills: not only does she create characters I would love to cheer for, she also creates a solid, realistic fantasy world. I was truly impressed by her world-building skills, the easy flowing prose and the intriguing characters.

I liked how the villains, namely Valka and The Lady, aren’t one-dimensional either. Valka is a well-rounded character who goes through her own character growth: from being a nobody to being a somebody but realizing being a princess isn’t as good as it seems either. The prince is an interesting character as well. I loved how he realized something was wrong with Valka and Alyrra, but couldn’t quite pu this hinger on it. I loved his name as well. Kestrin. Gorgeous name. All right, so I may be a bit biased because of the character’s name, but don’t you just love that name?

I know a lot of people who easily skim past self-published books. Don’t. In this case you’ll really miss out on something. This story has so many twist and turns, such likeable characters, intriguing storylines and impressive world building that you need to read it. Like, now. What are you still doing here?(less)

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Jun 29, 2012 Marissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was really a fantastic read! The story itself was enchanting, magical. I have not read a Fantasy story in a while, so this was pretty refreshing. Princess Alyrra is around fifteen, and she is different from what a Princess should be. She keeps to her self, does not get along well with her Mother, especially her brother, whom is pretty mean to her (we get hints on his actions towards her). She spends some of her time in the outdoors, or with the servants. But...then a King from a nearby King...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first started this book I was immediately worried. The narration was hard to sink into and I felt having it told in first person/present tense was often very jarring. It annoyed me and I was having a really hard time enjoying it. It felt like the story wasn't flowing and I expected it wouldn't be long before I gave up on it out of irritation.

But I couldn't. I tried and I couldn't. Despite having a hard time getting into the writing, the story itself kept me glued. I absolutely positively...more

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May 04, 2012 Eustacia Tan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, blog-tour

This is the first time I'm participating in a blog tour and I'm so excited! There's a guest post by the author (Intisar Khanani) to come in a few days, but today, I just want to share my review of Thorn.

Thorn is a retelling of the Goose Girl fairytale. You know, the one with the talking horse called Falada? Well, before Thorn, the only other retelling I read was The Goose Girl by Shanon Hale. Well, both of this stories are different, but similar in the sense that they are both excellent reads.

T...more This is the first time I'm participating in a blog tour and I'm so excited! There's a guest post by the author (Intisar Khanani) to come in a few days, but today, I just want to share my review of Thorn.

Thorn is a retelling of the Goose Girl fairytale. You know, the one with the talking horse called Falada? Well, before Thorn, the only other retelling I read was The Goose Girl by Shanon Hale. Well, both of this stories are different, but similar in the sense that they are both excellent reads.

Thorn follows the story of The Goose Girl, but with a few changes. For one, Thorn (although she has another name, I shall just go by what she calls herself for the majority of the novel) has a darker past. She has suffered things like abuse and she wasn't loved much. The prince and the king are definitely scarier and probably have a callous streak in them too. The tone of this tale is also much darker, with the mysterious Lady responsible for Thorn's plight.

Much of the story, on the other hand, remains the same. There is Falada, the talking horse who becomes Thorn's advisor. There is the treacherous lady-in-waiting. There is the stove. Basically, it's easy to recognise the story as a retelling, which allowed me to appreciate the details instead of wondering about the plot.

But after reading the book, I get the sense that it was a good thing for Thorn to go through what she did. While she was always a likable character, she certainly became stronger because of her trials. And of course, if she was always the princess, she wouldn't have found her own place in this new land. I have the feeling that being in court from the beginning would have stifled her.

And despite all she goes through, Thorn has a good heart. I could see this very clearly by the end of the book, when she talks about Justice (one of the heavier themes). She talks about the harshness of justice and regrets not tempering it with mercy. And the event she referred to took place a long time ago, while she was a child. In fact, I didn't see much wrong with how she handled matters then. In fact, I would probably have done the same.

Basically, this book takes the original tale turns it into a rather deep, reflective novel. Thorn explores ideas like that of justice, of social equality, of fitting in and growing up and such others. The reading may get heavy at times, but the book manages to steer away from being a message. It is, at heart, an excellent retelling of the story of the Goose Girl.

First posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile (less)

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Feb 14, 2013 Brittney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the most rambley reviews I've written, apologies for the sporadic thoughts.

This book surprised me with how good it really was. I wasn't too sure about it at the start, but as I read along I found myself getting more and more swept up in the tale.

I'd never read the story of the Goose Girl, so this was new territory for me, (though I did look up the Grimm's version on Google) and I greatly enjoyed this version of it. It was well thought out and elaborated, and the two main character...more

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Aug 24, 2012 PaulineMRoss rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-fantasy, price-free, self-pub, 5-star

I loved this book, absolutely loved it. It’s an object lesson for me, actually, in not pre-judging a book, because this one ticks so many of my ‘no’ boxes: it’s YA, it’s a fairy-tale retelling, it’s first person present tense (“I back away...”, “I gaze at him”), it’s more or less a romance, it’s about a princess who doesn’t quite fit in, it has villains with no redeeming characteristics. Had I known all that beforehand, I would never have touched it and I would have missed a lovely, lovely story...more I loved this book, absolutely loved it. It’s an object lesson for me, actually, in not pre-judging a book, because this one ticks so many of my ‘no’ boxes: it’s YA, it’s a fairy-tale retelling, it’s first person present tense (“I back away...”, “I gaze at him”), it’s more or less a romance, it’s about a princess who doesn’t quite fit in, it has villains with no redeeming characteristics. Had I known all that beforehand, I would never have touched it and I would have missed a lovely, lovely story. As it was, it popped up on a list of free books, I started reading the sample and just kept reading, couldn’t put it down, in fact.

For those who know their fairy tales, this is a reworking of the Goose Girl story. I didn’t know anything about it, so maybe I missed a few subtleties, but I felt it worked perfectly well without any prior knowledge, and apart from a few oddities (like the talking Horse!) there was nothing in there that couldn't be found in conventional fantasy. One of the great strengths of this book is that the characters all feel truly rounded, so even though they are fulfilling traditional roles (the princess, the prince, the witch and so on) they have great depth and believable personalities. The villains seem at first glance to be simplistically cruel and evil, but they all have enough backstory to make them credible, if not exactly sympathetic.

The magic in the book is quite powerful, but the fundamentals are explained clearly enough to be believable, even the talking Horse. The author has thought everything out very carefully, and it works so well that when the heroine is rescued by magical means, it makes perfect sense. Not that she has to be rescued very often, mostly she is perfectly resilient and self-sufficient, and manages to get herself out of trouble and help others as well. I liked, too, that the magic is simply an integral part of life, everyone accepts it and it’s properly regulated. Interestingly, there is also religion, never explained or central to the plot, but just there, as a natural and perfectly normal thing. There are also social customs which are alluded to without full explanations, like a system of debt between people (if someone helps you out, you owe them a debt of comparable value). At one point there’s a discussion of a gift, and whether it incurs an obligation (a debt) or whether it’s just a gift, freely given, and a decision is reached without any attempt to explain the ‘rules’ of such an arrangement to the reader. I rather like this relaxed attitude towards world-building. Some things just are, and don’t need to be elaborated.

The character of Alyssa, the princess, is central to the story, naturally, and the first person narration makes it imperative that she is both likeable and believable. I feel the author pulls this off magnificently. Of course Alyssa makes mistakes sometimes, but she copes well with the strange events which overtake her, and is strong-minded, caring and intelligent without ever turning into the tedious type of kickass female protagonist so often depicted in fantasy these days. On the contrary, she often feels overwhelmed and suffers a great deal, but she always tries to do the right thing, as far as she can. There is a certain amount of angsting, but it's actually understandable, given Alyssa's predicament.

The plot rattles along very nicely, with some unexpected twists and turns. There are villains, of course, so bad things happen, but there are also friends who help out from time to time, just as in real life. Also realistic is that physical encounters have physical effects - if you roll down a cliff, for instance, or get beaten up, there will be cuts and bruises, maybe even broken bones, and time needed to recover. The climax is a bit of a show-stopper, a wonderful outbreak of magical manipulation with everything at stake, and no real certainty of how things will go. And the author neatly side-steps the clichéd ending. It's a fairy story, so of course good triumphs over evil, but the way that is achieved is refreshingly different. And there's not the obvious happy ever after, either. Rather, there's an acknowledgement that a lot has happened and there are bound to be scars, and a tentative sense of moving forward.

This book surprised me. It may be YA, but it addresses some very profound issues, like the nature of justice, the corroding effect of revenge, questions of loyalty and trust and honesty, and the inner goodness (or not) of people, regardless of what they look like, or their rank. The romance element follows a traditional path but with great originality and commendable restraint. The writing style is eloquently literate, and I barely noticed the use of first person present tense. I had a very few minor quibbles - there were a few places early on where I wasn't clear about relationships or what exactly was happening - but nothing major enough to spoil my enjoyment. A terrific read. Five stars.
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Aug 16, 2012 Karla V rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Princess Alyrra is not sure why the King from a much bigger Kingdom has arrived to her family's castle. She's much too busy most of the time, what with trying to escape from her brother's violence and avoiding her mother's coldness and pretty much any other member of the court, all of which seem to hate her. So she simply assumed the King was there for some political reason. And, as she quickly finds out, he technically is... but it involves her. She is to marry his son, a man she has never seen...more Princess Alyrra is not sure why the King from a much bigger Kingdom has arrived to her family's castle. She's much too busy most of the time, what with trying to escape from her brother's violence and avoiding her mother's coldness and pretty much any other member of the court, all of which seem to hate her. So she simply assumed the King was there for some political reason. And, as she quickly finds out, he technically is... but it involves her. She is to marry his son, a man she has never seen before, and is said to be cold and mean. But Alyrra has little choice in the matter. And, really, how worse can her life be from the one she already has?

Alyrra is sad to part with her beloved horse, Fleet Wind, and the servants of the palace, the only ones who treated her like a friend. She will also miss her invisible friend, the one who has always been there to listen and comfort her, ever since she was but a child. Her friend, The Wind.

Shortly before leaving, Alyrra receives a strange visit in her room. A man appears out of the shadows, wanting to speak to her and warn her of the incoming trip. Before he can say much more, a scary woman, a witch, breaks into her room, too. She calls herself The Lady, and seems to have evil plans concerning both Alyrra and the strange man. The intruders disappear as quickly as they have come, and Alyrra is left alone, confused by it all. When she tell her mother about it, she crafts a blood spell, binding Alyrra's strength to it, suposedly to protect her from The Lady. Her mother also tells her that a companion will travel with her, a noblewoman, Valka, who hates Alyrra. Her brother gifts her with a beautiful white horse, seemly unbreakable and untamable, most likely in the hope that she tries to ride it and hurts herself while doing it, she muses.

On the trip to the new Kingdom, Alyrra tries to free the white horse, speaking softly to it while doing so. Valka tricks Alyrra into drinking from a lake, and The Lady surges out of the water and overpowers the princess. She uses the spell Alyrra's mother made (and warned her to carry around with her) to make an even bigger spell. The Lady transfers Alyrra's soul into Valka's body and vice versa. The witch also puts a magic choker around the princess/Valka's throat, to keep her form speaking about the exchange to anyone.

Now the princess is imprisoned inside Valka's body, and at the mercy of the power the woman inside her old body now holds. Alyrra, who could not stand being called Valka, names herself Thorn and starts to accept the situation as an oportunity to start a new life, away from court. She becomes a goose girl. WIth the help of the magic white horse, Falada, who returns after being freed, Thorn will make powerful friends and just as powerful enemies, all who will be very important characters in this fantastic tale, filled with pain, betrayal, trust and magic.

This book is a retelling of the fairytale "Goose Girl", one I wasn't familiar with, but that Wikipedia quickly explained. I found Thorn to be incredibly faithful to the original story.

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. It was very engrossing, and I read it very quickly. Alyrra was an interesting character, and so were the -many- other secondary ones. Intisar Khanani has a very good way with words and a very fertile imagination, LOL. So fertile that this book was almost too much. It had a lot to the plot. A lot. The book mentions too much and explains too little. It made the story quite unpredictable, because I was never sure what would be introduced next... and there was so much to cover, that the ending was very... dull. We don't see how Alyrra makes her family regret mistreating her. We don't see how she changes the laws to stop those terrible crimes from going unpunished. We don't even see her grow very much. She continues to be as she was when the book started: easily swayed and almost incapable of making decisions by herself. She makes some good choices, sure, but only after being driven into making those decisions. That was a bit of a let down.

Also, I don't see how or when exactly she fell for the prince. I mean, I see how he fell for her, but nothing pointed towards the existence of her feelings for him. I was expecting her to fall for pretty much anyone. The lead Thief. One of the stable boys. The chief of the Prince's Guard. But not for the prince... but then again, the focus of this book is adventure and fantasy, not really romance. I also wasn't expecting so many deaths in a YA book...but they did fit in very well.

Anyway, even with the small things that did bother me, it was still a very enjoyable read! One that I recommend. ;) It was an excellent first book, and I'll be sure to look out for the next ones by this new author.

* I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.*(less)

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Jul 31, 2012 Book Him Danno rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-sent-by-author-publisher-for, 2012

I never know what to expect from a CreateSpace book…it is a crap shoot to be sure. Well I have to say I was shocked when I picked up this book just to give it a few pages(I like to do this with new books to see what they are about and so forth) and didn’t put it down until I finished it. I wanted to know what would happen to Thorn and the princess and the kingdom and the curse and the ….. Wow I was shocked at how this book pulled me in completely and I couldn’t let it go without knowing what ha...more I never know what to expect from a CreateSpace book…it is a crap shoot to be sure. Well I have to say I was shocked when I picked up this book just to give it a few pages(I like to do this with new books to see what they are about and so forth) and didn’t put it down until I finished it. I wanted to know what would happen to Thorn and the princess and the kingdom and the curse and the ….. Wow I was shocked at how this book pulled me in completely and I couldn’t let it go without knowing what happened. I stayed up way too late finishing it and I loved it. Fantasy is not one of my favorite genres, but this book was fantastic. It reminded me a bit of Amanda Hocking….hummm another self-published author who is fantastic and therefore no longer self-published.

Thorn is a character you will come to love and yet still want her to do more. The life that is thrust upon her makes her take a double take and choose the easier route and yet is it really easier? The prince confuses Thorn and yet in the end you find out why. Valka is someone to hate, a good book needs someone to hate and she is dreadful. Thorns brother and mother are a piece of work. The other characters that fill the pages are interesting and multi-faceted. A few deaths will cause you to tear up and wonder Why? But they all play apart in this book and in making Thorn who she becomes.

Thorn may at times come off as too good to be true, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to think that people really could be that nice? I have met a few that make me think it’s possible. You will fall in love with her and understand why so many others in the story have fallen likewise. This is a fairy tale like the Goose Girl and yet I can tell you I’m not that familiar with that tale and still found this book a page turner. I rarely stay up past my bedtime and yet I just couldn’t put the book down until I was finished.

If you love fantasy you will love this book, but even if you don’t you should give it a try. I really can’t say enough good things about this book. Nothing keeps me up at night(early to work) and yet last night I didn’t turn off the light until after midnight, way too late for me. I loved this book and the characters and I hope to see more from this author. She should have a mainstream publisher soon, this is a good story, well edited, fast paced and interesting to boot.

Give this book a try – it is great for any age and I know you won’t be disappointed.
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Jun 27, 2012 Vidya-BooksAreMagic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, blog-tour, fantasy, young-adult, fairy-tales

Princess Alyrra is a kind, honest and polite girl, but without the knowledge and courage to become a Queen. When the King of a larger country comes to seek friendship with their country by marrying the Princess to his son, Alyrra is forced to do her cruel mother's and brother's wishes. On her way to her betrothed’s kingdom, an evil sorceress, who is an enemy to the King, switches her life with her a traitor girl called Valka. Valka have always been jealous of Alyrra. Now, she gets the chance of...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Bukcrz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-ebooks-i-can-loan

Wow, and again wow!
Though the book description sounds like this book will be your run of the mill Prince meets Princess, golden-heart Princess saves the Prince, and they live happily ever after. Not even close. It sounds that way at the start but soon, the twists and turns in the story will caught you off guard with its depths and truths.
The heroine’s (Princess) appeal and strength lies both on her lack/flaws (depends on who you ask) and her desire for a new path in life as she displays very uni...more

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Dec 03, 2012 T.L. Shreffler rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! It is confidently narrated, easy to read, well paced and downright beautifully written. Vivid descriptions and a kingdom you can get lost in. It's based off of a fairytale and, while the characters are deep and 3-dimensional, the story itself retains a bit of that fairytale feeling, which is perfect! I felt like I was watching a written version of "Ever After" (Drew Berrymore, anyone?)

The main character, Alyrra, is a flawed and imperfect princess. She is cursed to...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this retelling of the goose girl. It was well written and pretty well edited. The prose flowed nicely as well as the story. The main character, Alyrra, I found to be a realistic character. She has her flaws but grows through the book and learns to be stronger. The reader sees Alyrra work to correct her faults; she identifies them and the solution for next time. By the end of the book she is still not perfect but the reader can see a visible difference in her character. Most of t...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Noor Jahangir rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Thorn is a about a young princess coming to terms with the reality of an arranged married. She has realised that she is nothing more than a bargaining chip for her mother, but understands that it is her duty to do what she can to ensure the safety and well-being of her countrymen, even if that means accepting the hand of a prince that she has never met and the unknown life that awaits her in the far off capital city of a powerful king. But there are forces in play that she doesn't understand and...more

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May 26, 2012 Carlye rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, first-reads

I was lucky enough to win Thorn as a First Reads Book through Goodreads. The story is about Princess Alyrra, who is being forced to marry a prince from the larger neighboring country. She meets The Lady, an enemy of the prince, who uses her magical powers to switch Alyrra’s appearance with that of her evil lady-in-waiting. When Alyrra arrives to the palace, the king makes her the Goose Girl. She comes to be known as Thorn. By her side is Falada, who is from a race of ancient beings that look lik...more I was lucky enough to win Thorn as a First Reads Book through Goodreads. The story is about Princess Alyrra, who is being forced to marry a prince from the larger neighboring country. She meets The Lady, an enemy of the prince, who uses her magical powers to switch Alyrra’s appearance with that of her evil lady-in-waiting. When Alyrra arrives to the palace, the king makes her the Goose Girl. She comes to be known as Thorn. By her side is Falada, who is from a race of ancient beings that look like horses, but are talking and intelligent beings. She also becomes good friends with some of the other servants. Throughout the story, Thorn must face opposition from the new princess, her growing feelings for the prince, and terrible losses. She must ultimately make certain choices about justice and survival.

I have to start by saying I really liked this story, so much so that I read it in one day. I’m all for the swashbuckling heroes, but I really the reluctant hero types. Thorn was actually quite happy to let the new princess take over and to become the Goose Girl. Yet circumstances forced her to see she would have to take charge and save the day. I loved seeing her progress from the shy, unassuming servant girl to the brave and confident woman. Thorn has had to make many hard decisions in her life and has learned from each of them. Throughout the book, Falada urges Thorn to see that she could be a great princess is she just took back what was stolen from her. While Thorn was unable to see it herself, to the reader, it is obvious that she would make the best ruler for any kingdom.

The only drawback to the story I saw was that I expected to see more about The Lady, but as the book went on, I saw that the story wasn’t really about Alyrra’s transformation into her lady in waiting, but her transformation from Alyrra, the princess, to Thorn, the brave Goose Girl. Intisar Khanami has created a world with interesting characters and a thought-provoking plot. Why a publisher hasn’t snapped this up yet, I don’t know (Luna, Tor, I’m looking at you here.)
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Jan 08, 2013 Katja aka Tink rated it 3 of 5 stars

After the first couple of chapters of Thorn I wondered why I had only stumbled across this book on one other blogger site. Thanks to that blogger - sadly I can't remember who it was! - I bought this for my kindle several months ago.

The opening pulled me into the story immediately and I was interested to see how it would develop, especially as the book is based on the Grimm's tale The Goose Girl.

The author's writing is really smooth and easy to read, and I would have given this a higher rating if...more

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May 28, 2012 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fairy tale lovers, high fantasy lovers

Shelves: first-reads, fantasy, favorite-authors

**Note: I received this book free through a GoodReads give-away. This means it was from the author, publisher, or official representative of the book.**

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Just to get that out there. I picked it up and then had a hard time doing anything else. I wasn't sure at first about what seemed like one of the easiest ways to move a plot along the way you want it but can't figure out how to make your characters do it - the talking animal companion who know so much more than the primary char...more **Note: I received this book free through a GoodReads give-away. This means it was from the author, publisher, or official representative of the book.**

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Just to get that out there. I picked it up and then had a hard time doing anything else. I wasn't sure at first about what seemed like one of the easiest ways to move a plot along the way you want it but can't figure out how to make your characters do it - the talking animal companion who know so much more than the primary character. But the first update I made as I was reading, I followed a link to an interview with Intisar Khanani, curious about her background. Then I remembered that the story is built around the Grimm Fairy Tale of 'The Goose Girl', which I then looked up. *headdesk* Talking horse, check. I think Thorn's version of Falada actually herds the goose girl a bit less than the original.

That said, there is so much more to Thorn than just the original fairy tale. The story has many different pieces happening that come together, briefly and lightly, at the end (as often happens). The characters are shown to be people, even the 'heroes', with good characteristics and bad characteristics. There are whole additional storylines that I absolutely hope we see more of in the next trilogy because, although the book wrapped up at the end and didn't leave you hanging on anything, there's definitely an impression of a social momentum started that had the potential to go a few different ways in Thorn (and the actions and reactions of people during the changes she starts in the city outside the palace were absolutely believable to me, although with certain bits - a particular character, specifically - stylized to the fairy tale framework). I am also convinced the last segment that provides the climax is from a fairy tale (not the Goose Girl), but my brain is stubbornly refusing to provide it.

My only complaint is that there are a couple of places where I either completely miss something (view spoiler) or get very confused (view spoiler), although I think the latter may have been partially intended, at least, as Thorn is the narrator, and I imagine she was a bit confused and disoriented as well. The exchange between Thorn and the Lady at the end (view spoiler) felt a bit simplistic as well, somewhat along the same lines as the early Falada. Everyone was being way too polite and reasonable for something that emotionally charged. (Although if it's structured from a fairy tale I can't place, that makes sense.)

But those were only a couple of spots and the information easily inferred from the rest of the text. The overall story, the depth of the character interactions (except the few constrained by the original fairy tale, although those were nicely bent to the narrative), the narrative style different than anything else I've read, I think - This book is absolutely worth picking up and reading. I am so glad I got the opportunity to get this through the First Reads program, because I might not have heard about it otherwise, which would have been a shame, because I've now got a new author to keep an eye on for future books!(less)

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May 15, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r-complete, read-2012, favourites-2012

(I was given this book for free on a read-to-review basis as part of the ‘Thorn’ Blog tour.)

Check out my blog for 'Thorn' giveaways!

I have to start this review by saying that this book really surprised me, mostly because the blurb is actually a terrible description of this book, and the actual story is totally different to what you expect having read the blurb!

Alyrra is a 15-year-old princess. Her father is dead, her mother is unkind to her, and her brother basically tortures her for fun.

One day...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Pragya rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: lovers of historical fiction, Kimberly

Shelves: 2012, historical-fiction, review-request, favorites, own-kindle

4.5 stars

This is a kind of book that will help you settle in comfortably and when you have, it will pull the rug under your feet. Yes, it’s like that. Unpredictable and tossing-turning. I like that!

I love the setting of the story (you must be knowing by now, how I go ga-ga over historical fiction). I fell in love with the character of Princess Alyrra. And the twists that the story throws are ah-mazing. Personally I am not much of a lover of fantasy and magic but they are just a part in this book...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Jodie Cooper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone

I loved this book!!

Great book with high fantasy, romance, danger, & adventure.

The romance between Alyrra & Prince Kestrin was not over the top. It's actually much more subtle than I normally read. I would've liked a little more romance. I don't mean sex scenes, I mean romance. There was plenty of build up, but (for me) it didn't go quite far enough.

Great character development and flowing story line.

I read the book in one day. I also cried like a baby. Before I purchased the book, I read...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Mindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dream-reader-dreamer2229-blo

I love reformulated fairy tales, especially this one. I have read several different versions of “The Goose Girl” which is the tale this novel is based on. The author has taken this simple tale and turned it into a complex, moving novel. I am awed with how a writer can take something and make it so much better.

Alyrra is raised in a seriously dysfunctional household. Her brother physically abuses her, often leaving bruises or cuts. When the king from a neighboring kingdom comes to negotiate for a...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Cindy Lyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This novel was part of a group read in my Goodreads group. I was provided with a free copy for this review.

I would like to start off by saying that this was a wonderfully written fairy tale! Although I’m not familiar with the original that Thorn is based on (The Goose Girl), I found it had all the elements required for a great tale. I was especially happy with ending because it was not your typical “Happy Ending”.. Things do turn out well in the end but it was far from the perfect princess marri...more

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