Book Review: Thorn

Thorn ​is a retelling of Grimm’s The Goose Girl. The original is a strange story with a lot of elements that I wasn’t sure a new telling could make sense of. But Khanani surprised me. More on that in our upcoming book club discussion. I hadn’t seen this tale done before, so that was refreshing as well.

Alyrra is a princess in a small kingdom. She is not happy in her royal life, and when she gets betrothed to the greater neighboring kingdom’s prince, she fears her life will get worse rather than better. I would warn a trigger for physical abuse. Not very many described, but much in the emotional aftermath and state of mind. Alyrra understandably does not trust men, especially those in power. So when circumstances, magical as they may be, give her the opportunity to live out life as a mere goose girl instead, Alyrra struggles with that desire for freedom conflicted with any responsibility for duty that she might have. 

Alyrra has to learn a new way of life, in a new city and country, where she doesn’t speak the language. I really felt for Alyrra’s character, and enjoyed watching her growth as she learned to care and trust for others. The book deals with differences in caste, and what is justice. The ending was well done and satisfying. This is the first in the Dauntless Path series, but it is a standalone. The subsequent books are a spinoff featuring a new character. I definitely recommend this, both as a Goose Girl retelling and as a fantasy.