Thorn: Book Review & Giveaway

This is a book review tour of Thorn, a YA fantasy novel by new author Intisar Khanani. Read on to know more about the book and the giveaways!

About the Book

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.

Thorn is FREE on Amazon for the whole week of this tour! Get it now! :)

I have to say I was first drawn to this book because I was curious about the author, and there are so many fantasy books coming out these days that I didn’t know what to expect. I am always interested to know though about the different fantasy worlds and stories that authors come up with, so I was pretty open to reading it.

I went into this book without any real expectations and it totally took me by surprise. I read through Thorn quickly. I don’t know if I was just in the right mood or if I simply chose the right moment to start reading, but I could not put the book down. I liked the simple yet descriptive writing. I also liked the development of the characters, especially the main character Alyrra. I think the author did very well with this quietly strong and admirable female character and I think that was what made the book a great read for me. The elements of the story were not new and there were some moments when I wanted the pace to pick up, but for me the smooth flow of the writing and the careful attention to the character made this debut novel a pretty enjoyable read. I find myself looking forward to Intisar’s succeeding books.

I received a review copy of this book with no obligations. All opinions and views expressed here are my own.

Giveaway

Intisar will award an autographed bookmark at every stop, and a $15 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Earn extra entries by following her on Facebook. Check out the rest of the tour stops HERE for more chances of winning.

Author Bio

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. Connect with the author on her website, on GoodReads, Facebook, and Smashwords.

Read an excerpt

I reach to scoop up more water from the river and then pause, staring. There is something odd about my reflection but I cannot make out what, for the water does not run smoothly but in ripples and eddies. I dip my fingers in, breaking the image. But it does not break.

A hand reaches up and closes around my wrist. I choke on a cry of terror, jerking away, but it pulls down—hard—and I lose my footing on the muddy bank, falling headfirst into the rushing waters. The world is strange, blunted, beneath water. I twist, striking out, but cannot quite find my attacker. The hand still holds my wrist in an iron grip. I kick, desperately trying to tear myself away, push my way to the surface. The air burns in my lungs, spots dancing before my eyes. Something touches my throat—a knife? I flail away from it, feel a slicing pain, and abruptly I am released. I find myself on my hands and knees, coughing up water, gentle waves lapping around my chest.

I look up in terror, my hair sending an arc of droplets flying over the quiet waters. The river runs clear. But the birds are silent.