Thorn

Dauntless Path, Book 1

By: Intisar Khanani

Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio

Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Hunted meets The Wrath and the Dawn in this bold fairy-tale retelling - where court intrigue, false identities, and dark secrets will thrill fans of classic and contemporary fantasy alike.

Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life, but when her mother betroths her to a powerful prince in a distant kingdom, she has little hope for a better future.

Until Alyrra arrives at her new kingdom, where a mysterious sorceress robs her of both her identity and her role as princess - and Alyrra seizes on the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But as Alyrra uncovers dangerous secrets about her new world, including a threat to the prince himself, she knows she can’t remain silent forever. With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds, and ultimately must decide who she is and what she stands for.

Originally self-published as an ebook and now brought to life with completely revised text, Thorn also features an additional short story set in-world, "The Bone Knife".

©2020 Intisar Khanani (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Great reader

The reader did a great job with this take on the story of the goose girl. The ending of the story felt a little rough and unfinished to me. I was also a little let down that the heroine couldn't give the hero a little more of herself. After everything he did to prove himself, she was still stilted with him. I feel like there needs to be a sequel or just more there. With all of the relationships. That all said, the story is different and mostly interesting.

A heroine for our hearts, immensely compelling

This is an immensely satisfying and compelling book, far more more than a retelling of the traditional goose girl fairy tale. Despite some really grim developments and hard to take brutalities and cruelties, the book is extremely well-written and nothing is gratuitous. I love the heroine and how she grew and dealt with the blows of life. It was a really amazing book, and I couldn't step away from it long at all. The author is so talented! The audible recording is beautifully narrated. How I know it was so great? Well, when I discovered I had been distracted, I would tell Alexa to rewind five minutes, or however much I might have glossed over. And I never once considered speeding up the narration. I am thrilled to bits with the strikingly awesome traditional fairy tale re-writings. I have read many such reimagined fairy tales over the past two decades or so. Everyone I have loved has been written by a talented woman author, with the kind of insight into how a (usually young) woman deals with the preposterous hardships of fairy tales (and they no longer feel preposterous in their talented hands). Thank you to the author for such a perfect gem of a novel.

A Goose Girl with a violent past

I wasn’t sure about this book because I absolutely LOVE Shannon Hale’s book Goose Girl. Thorn is excellent in its own right. Thorn has had a violent and sad past, but remains a kind and compassionate character with courage. This book is unique and interesting.

Powerful Book, Beautiful Narration

The narrator does such a good job bringing to life this amazing book! She captures such heartache and beauty with her voice and does justice to this well-crafted story.

Read or listen - for reals

Hot oh-my-gods. This book takes me for a ducking spin. Plot twists giving me anxiety 😦 Balling my eyeballs out. On edge over every critical moment. Forget about sleep - book bender on hand. Sweet baby kittens… text messages to my sister and wine for baby Yoda’s sake!
Read or listen. Bro. For reals.

I couldn't stop listening!

Thank God, I started this book on a day off from work, because I just couldn't stop listening. I finished it in a day and a half. The fantasy world is so unique, and doesn't have overused fantasy tropes. I would highly recommend this book.

Epic book

The book was a great book that had me clinging on to the whole way through.it is a fantastic book I think you should read/listen to it!

Immensely Satisfying Retelling

I have read several versions of the classic Goose Girl fairy tale, and I keep coming back to this version as my favorite. This story is rich with dimensional characters, and real stakes. Intisar Khanani has crafted something so special, that I never tire of the twists and turns Thorn takes to it's satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to read something featuring a strong lady lead, particularly known for her integrity in the face of anguish. I would like to note that this is not a light and feathery piece of fiction devoid of struggle - several very serious topics are touched on throughout the narrative, but all is addressed and resolved with the gravity it deserves. Definitely give Thorn a try and you will be swept away in its magic.

Excellent YA

If you enjoy a princess story but would like to see some of the tropes subverted wonderfully, read this book.

Amazing retelling of the Goose Girl Fairytale

I loved this! The story was amazing, and I really enjoyed the narrator. A unique and interesting retelling of the classic fairytale.