Book Review - Thorn - Intisar Khanane

Title: Thorn

Author:  IntisarKhanani

Review :  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.

  

Publisher: Published May 30th 2012 by CreateSpace

ISBN: 9781470181338

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 237
Quick Review: 5 stars out of 5 

Where I Obtained the Book: Sent by the author for review. 

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.

Walking away from a prince whom she doesn’t know should have been easy. But from the moment she sets eyes on him, Alyrra realizes that her freedom could cost him his life. Without any magical defense of her own, she is plunged into a lethal game of sorcery and deceit. Now Alyrra must decide whom she can trust and what she’s willing to fight for—before her silence proves fatal.

 

Author Biography:  Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world 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.

Other Reviews: 
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FYI:  The first 3 chapters can be read here.