Welcome to Reading It All's stop on the Thorn book tour presented by Enchanted Book Promotions!
Author: Intisar Khanane
Publish Date: May 25, 2012
Synopsis: Princess Alyrra’s strength lies in silence. Scorned by her family, she avoids the court, spending her time with servants. When her marriage is unexpectedly arranged with the prince of a powerful neighboring kingdom, Alyrra feels trapped. As the court celebrates her match, dark rumors spread about the unexplained deaths of the women of her new family. Alyrra begins her journey with mounting trepidation. Betrayed while traveling, she seizes an opportunity to start a life away from court.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed the story line of this book. A girl who is being put in a position she isn't even sure she wants. Then she gets the chance to live a totally different lifestyle or be the person she is supposed to be.
I love Alyrra. She is shy and very unassuming. I love that she spends so much time with the servants. She seems very compassionate to their plight throughout the story. I also felt so happy when Alyrra gets away from her family. No matter her choice, she is the kind of person who will do great things for people.
Kestrin is a very interesting character. He is a very inquisitive guy and he is constantly looking for answers from Alyrra about who she really is. He also has a lot of secrets. I was a little upset with him at times. Sometimes he just didn't seem to do as much as he could, but in the end he makes up for that.
I love how important Falada the Horse's role is in this book. He is almost like a perfect conscious for Alyrra. He teaches her so much about the world and herself. I really enjoyed his parts. He was a fun character that added so much to the story.
The antagonists in this story were many, and they were all amazing. Intisar Khanani created so many people that were causing problems. From Alyrra's horrible brother, to Valka and the Lady, right down to the hateful goat boy. They all caused turmoil and obstacles for Alyrra, and they all had substance.
This wasn't really a typical love story. They didn't see each other and fall madly in love. Khanani did a really great job of building their relationship through out the entire book. I like that a lot. I also enjoyed that the love story is almost secondary. There is an entire conflict going on with Alyrra and Valka, plus another conflict with the Lady. I had a great time reading this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Young Adult fantasy.
Rating:
About the Author:
Intisar
Khanani grew up a nomad and traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five
different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first
remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely
recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she
was five. She now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and young
daughter. Intisar writes grants and develops projects to address community
health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which is as close as she can get
to saving the world. Her approach to writing fantasy reflects her lifelong
passion for stories from different cultures. She is currently writing a trilogy
set in the same world as Thorn. This
is her first novel.
Links
Website: http://www.thornthenovel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/booksbyintisar
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/intisar
Intisar Khanani is giving away a green fantasy cape that she made herself. Enter below for you chance to win!
Hi Melissa -
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your review! I'm so glad you enjoyed Thorn.
Best,
Intisar