This is my first foray into reviewing a full (or as-published) series, but I’m hoping it will not be my last because boy howdy do I love a series! I picked up a copy of Thorn from the local authors table at Downbound Books, and I was hooked on this duo.
Thorn and Theft follow the stories of two girls from two completely different worlds, who are swept up into the politics and secrets of the city of Tarinon. I cannot rave about this series enough, I needed the third book before I even finished the second one, and I’m now making it my mission to get other people hooked on this series too. The characters are so well-defined, with unique voices and stories, that even people who think they know what will happen in this fairy tale retelling will be pleasantly surprised.
As I mention in my review of Thorn, I waited until I read both of these books before sitting down to write a review. While I do think that either could stand alone, as companion books, they’re a delight to read together— with more robust world building, Easter egg-type character cameos, and continuing character development that makes reading both more worth it in the end.
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Thorn
by Intisar Khanani
🌟: 4/ 5
📚: Princess Alyrra is about to marry a prince that she’s never met, but when a sorceress steals her identity and gives her the opportunity to live a new life, she’ll have to choose which life she wants to lead.
💭: As a general rule, I’m a little wary of retelling. They’re always a little too predictable or the characters fall so flat that I don’t get invested, but Thorn was a pleasant surprise that I ended up truly loving by the end of it. Yes, while some bits seemed predictable and a few characters fell victim to being one-sided, this book was a delightful reimagining of The Goose Girl that felt truly original in its own right.
Alyrra’s coming of age from a shy and abused princess to a headstrong, compassionate heroine is a character arc that is going to stick with me for a long time. On the surface many of the conflicts are black and white, good against evil, but as the book goes on, many of the cut and dry choices that Alyrra has to make get harder and more complicated.
I do think that this is a book that a middle school or early teen version of myself would have absolutely loved, and it completely brought me back to my joy of reading fantasy when I was that age. While there are a lot of grown-up elements (including assault, animal death, and capital punishment), there are also so many great young adult themes in it too (making hard choices, being selfless, compassion). I definitely think that this book handles that combination well, without feeling like it’s juggling too many audiences at once.
I waited to write this review until after I had read both of the Dauntless Path books because they build on each other so well. On its own, there were characters, conflicts, and world building that felt abandoned after being introduced; however, they're only really an issue if you plan to read Thorn as a standalone book (to avoid spoilers as much as possible, if something feels like a plot hole, be on the lookout for it in the next book). As a pair, Thorn is almost a 500 page prologue to The Theft of Sunlight because of how well it develops the world of the story, and it is absolutely worth the read for that purpose alone.
Also one of the characters is a talking horse (that is my other complaint).
The Theft of Sunlight
By Intisar Khanani
🌟: 5 / 5
📚: When her friend’s sister is kidnapped, Rae decides she will stop at nothing to help missing children, including forming a friendship with a princess and an alliance with a gang of thieves.
💭: Excuse me while I become a one woman fan club for this book because WOW. I need the next book right now! I’m so glad that I saw this series on the “Local Authors” table at Downbound Books because I loved it so much!
Theft is a companion novel to Thorn that follows the characters introduced in The Bone Knife (the epilogue/short story following Thorn), and is the older sibling of the series for sure. I love seeing authors come into their own over the course of a series, and Khanani really stepped it up on this one (again, wow).
Set in the same world as Thorn, The Theft of Sunlight returns to pick up where Alyrra’s story left off, picking up on all of the darker themes that the first book introduced. This book is gripping and dramatic on its own, but features little winks and crossovers with the first book that makes it a delight. It has the magic and secrecy of Thorn, but has a more mature edge of action and mystery that sets it apart.
I think the most unique aspect of this book is the tone it’s written in. Rae often interjects her own thoughts into the storyline. Her experience as a disabled character, reactions to drama, and frustrated thoughts about boys ground her as a realistic and witty teen in the fantasy world that she lives in. There were an equal number of times where my heart hurt for her as there were times when I laughed out loud. She is possibly one of the best written protagonists I’ve read in a long time.
As a bit of a content warning, this book is based upon the very real problem of human trafficking, and it plays a very large role in the story. There is a level of violence and abuse that goes with that and it happens to children in most cases.