Book Title: Thorn
Author: Intisar Khanani
Series: The Dauntless Path #1
Date Started: November 26th 2024
Date Completed: December 12th 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Star
Final Rating: Four Stars
Review:
◆ Thank you to NetGalley for this ebook for review ◆
I really enjoyed Thorn, though it did lose its momentum towards the end. Because I loved a lot of the creative choices, I've given it four stars but I would say the last section was probably three for me. With that being said, Khanani has put together a beautiful retelling of the Goose Girl fairy tale, and I adored the new elements and world-building she's added.
The complex morality is really the heart of the story, and its strength is clear. This book is about much more than just the exciting romantasy and tricksy politics, and it feels fresh because of it. Khanani went back to the heart of fairy tales that were always supposed to help their audiences cope with situations they felt powerless in. Thorn as a character goes through that cycle herself and the resolution really came out as a nuanced and meaningful finale.
Overall, I found this to be a fun story overall with some really moving set pieces. It felt well-balanced and grounded for a YA fantasy adventure - though I will say, for a book supposedly under 300 pages (I was reading an ARC so approximately), it felt significantly longer. I think there are more retellings in this world but in self-contained stories - which I love! I'm all for stand-alone novels that finish their stories, but continue to explore a promising story world with lots more to offer than a single book offers.
The complex morality is really the heart of the story, and its strength is clear. This book is about much more than just the exciting romantasy and tricksy politics, and it feels fresh because of it. Khanani went back to the heart of fairy tales that were always supposed to help their audiences cope with situations they felt powerless in. Thorn as a character goes through that cycle herself and the resolution really came out as a nuanced and meaningful finale.
Overall, I found this to be a fun story overall with some really moving set pieces. It felt well-balanced and grounded for a YA fantasy adventure - though I will say, for a book supposedly under 300 pages (I was reading an ARC so approximately), it felt significantly longer. I think there are more retellings in this world but in self-contained stories - which I love! I'm all for stand-alone novels that finish their stories, but continue to explore a promising story world with lots more to offer than a single book offers.
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