Princess of Thorns

Reviewed by: Mariah Machado - Davis Memorial Library, Limington, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: March 9, 2015

Review

Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay is not a re-imagined fairytale so much as it is a story set in a fairytale world. It has influences, and references several tales, but it is a new story. Princess Aurora (no, not that one) and her brother Jor have been raised by fairies after their mother dies in the dungeons of the evil troll queen that is now ruling their land (and who, incidentally, is her stepmother-in-law). There is a troll prophecy that involves Jor and Aurora, so when Jor is held prisoner at the castle Aurora disguises herself as a boy warrior and sets out to raise an army to help free him.

Prince Niklaas is from a neighboring kingdom, and has been cursed by his father. To break the curse, and save himself, he needs to marry a princess in line to inherit a throne, so that he will no longer be his father's heir. His quest leads him to Aurora, whom he mistakes for her younger brother Jor. He promises to help her on her quest in exchange for, well, for being introduced to her. Aurora accepts, but tries to dissuade him from courting her "sister" along the way. The two become good friends, at least, until Aurora's secret is revealed.

The book is both an adventure and a romance, and it gets points for the lack of "insta-love". They fall in love with each other by getting to know each other, which is very refreshing to find in YA. The adventure might be a little slow moving for some, and there are some convenient changes of heart from characters throughout, most notably at the books climax. Overall this is a fun story, and the characters have actual growth as they progress. If you are looking for warrior princesses and an actual love story then this would be a book for you. Recommended for readers who enjoyed Stacey Jay's Of Beast and Beauty.

Overall Book Score: good