Princess of Thorns

Written by Stacey Jay

Narrated by Julia Whelan

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy, yet she is cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and to free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne ten years ago.

Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise keep them from ever finding their one true love?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Dec 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781494575892

Reviews for Princess of Thorns

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There were many parts of this story that I really enjoyed. I liked the quest and the growing friendship between Aurora and Niklaas. I liked the way they bantered and hid their secret, vulnerable places. There were also things I didn't like about this story. I thought it was slow paced and I got tired of both Aurora and Niklaas constantly misunderstanding each other. I couldn't see how two supremely stubborn people could ever bend enough to have a relationship.The basic story has Princess Aurora disguising herself as a boy and attempting to rescue her younger brother Jor from his captivity. He is being held captive by the Queen of the ogres. The ogres - especially Illestros - are trying to bring about a prophecy and need briar-born and fairy-blessed Aurora to complete it. In her disguise, Ror meets Prince Niklaas who is determined to meet and marry Aurora to break the curse that dooms him to turn into a swan on his eighteenth birthday. Of course, he doesn't share this information with Ror and tries to convince Ror that his sister will be swept away by his charms. Aurora knows that her fairy curse forbids her from ever marrying. One kiss from her takes away her groom's free will and leaves a person who exists only to please her. She has her first love Thyne as the example of what happens when someone loves her. These two young people, who are falling in love with each other, are separated by the curses each carries and keeps secret.Fans of epic fantasy, adventure, and romance, and who can persist through a slow start, will enjoy this tale.

[jennybeast · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Maybe I am growing out of fairy tale retellings? There is nothing gravely wrong with this book, and there are some clever fairy tale references woven through the last part of the book. However, my socks are still firmly on.

[angelarenea-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This review is posted on Reading with AngelaRenea

The Princess of all fairy tale retelling stories! This book was astounding from cover to cover! This is everything I want in a book! Excitement, action, romance -but not too much- bravery, flaws, loyalty! I absolutely love it! Did you love Arya in Game of Thrones? How about the Alana series? Fairy tales? Then you will love this book!

The main character is a young girl who disguises as her brother in order to rescue him - and her kingdom! She teams up with Niklaas, the eleventh son of a king to help her. Stacey Jay writes a beautiful romance for them that feels so natural you can't help but love it!

I will say, I was a little bit resistant to it at first because of how much I loved their relationship as friends! Every character was beautifully written, and the story never lets up! Each new adventure follows right behind the previous!

I particularly enjoyed that this was not a typical retelling story. This was about Princess Aurora's (Sleeping Beauty) children, although that took a moment for me to figure out because in this story Sleeping Beauty's name is actually Rose. Bit confusing, but once you get that down it's fascinating.

This is a stand alone book with no sequel, and although I am disappointed because I would love to keep reading about theses wonderful characters, I thing I am actually glad. So often anymore, we have authors pumping out trilogies, and 7 book series there are very few stand alone books in fantasy anymore (or at least that I can find!). I did notice while poking around Goodreads that Stacey Jay has written about 14 books to date and one of them is called Of Beast and Beauty so I think I know what I'm looking into next!

Basically I have nothing whatsoever to complain about for this amazing piece of literature and everyone ever should pick this book up! Do it yesterday because you need to read this book!

What is your favorite retelling story?

[shiinale · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was such a disappointment. It started out so strong but the "climax" was so utterly disappointing. I came so close to dnf ing it.

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sleeping Beauty's daughter has a very different set of gifts than her mother did. Knowing that she was about to die, Sleeping Beauty passed on to her daughter Aurora her fairy gifts, but she shaped them into weapons for her daughter to use against her enemies. Rather than being sweet and lovely, Aurora is strong and fast, the perfect fairy-blessed fighter -- and she'll need all of her gifts to avenge her dead parents and take back her kingdom from the usurping ogres who seek to kill her. She'll also need the help of cursed Prince Niklaas, who is trying to find a way to escape his fate. Probably best if he doesn't know she's a girl, though, right?I enjoyed a lot of things in this story, though a few bothered me. There's the usual, but nonetheless tiresome, problem in romances -- namely, if the two characters would just talk to each other, so many problems could be avoided. However, I was impressed at how a certain plot twist was handled -- it kept me guessing.I listened to the audiobook, and found it well-narrated, with good pacing to keep the listener engaged. If you like this sort of fantasy with fairy tale elements and female warriors, this is one you might want to check out.

[jennifer35k · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful book that takes the traditional tale of Sleeping Beauty and recreates it into a knock down fairytale for the new age. The author tells the story of a young woman named Aurora, who is both enchanted and cursed by the Fae. Raised by the magical and exposed to the mystical arts, Aurora is forced to hide her true appearance when ogres invade her nation and kill her family. Her brother, kidnapped by the Ogre queen, has proclaimed that she will sacrifice one of the enchanted children. Determined to save her brother, Aurora sets out to rewrite the story of Sleeping Beauty that is well known to the average reader of today. The author brings in characters such as Prince Niklaas, who expose the old stereotypes of past fairy tales. Dogmas such as feminine weakness, frailness, beauty, and fighting ability are torn to pieces and Prince Niklass is exposed to Aurora’s abilities. Although she is disguised in appearance, it is later in the story that the true lesson of the tale is taught. It is the simple phrase, ‘you cannot judge a book by its cover’. I really enjoyed this story and I must thank both the author and Goodreads for sending it to me in a giveaway. It was a delight and I had a great time reading it. I really enjoyed it and it was a pleasant surprise. I was not expecting the story line and enjoyed how it began and ended. It was wonderful. I am excited about this book and I really am looking forward to more stories from the author! I highly recommend it to everyone.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Princess of Thorns" was a delightful story about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, and the author did a great job loosely weaving a number of classic fairytale elements throughout the book such as ogres, witches, curses, wicked queens, princes to the rescue and warrior princesses. Aurora was a fabulous heroine - stubborn, sassy, compassionate and funny, then there was Niklaas. He was wonderful and I liked the connection he and Aurora had, even when he thought she was her younger brother. They became best friends before their romance developed, which was a nice change, and I liked how they shared the narration of the story. The only point of view That didn't appeal was the ogre queen's which was a bit ho hum. However, this book had witty dialogue, great action and adventure, numerous twists and turns, and a fast paced plot making it a fun, entertaining read.

[isisunit · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I would like to thank Random House Children's & NetGalley for granting me a copy of this e-book to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.Goodreads Teaser: Game of Thrones meets the Grimm's fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne.Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne ten years ago.Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?A lovely romantic adventure with its basis firmly planted in two different fairy tales, though the tales have been co-opted for this book. They have the same names and cast of characters, but that's where the resemblances stop. Aurora has lived most of her life with the weight of the world on her shoulders, yet she manages to grow into a headstrong, intelligent, funny, and tender hearted young woman. When faced with a fire prophecy she must head back to the kingdom of her birth to rescue her brother.Niklaas is the other protagonist of this story, and like Ror he too has a fairytale for his background. Like most princes he is originally an insufferable jerk, to full of his own good opinion of himself and his sexual prowess. Luckily for him most of that is just his age talking.Watching Ror and Niklaas struggle to overcome one trial after another is entertaining, and they are well developed characters. So much so that it is well neigh unto impossible not to root for each of them. Their interactions speak volumes to everyone around them, yet they remain oblivious. Even when Ror lists all the reasons why she can't stand him it's clear that she's trying to convince herself right along with him.The pace of the story is solid, though it does tend to drag a bit before the start of the climatic ending. Otherwise the pacing and character growth are nicely tied together, keeping the characters sympathetic and relatable. Their doomed romance is heartwarming, even as it reaches its terminal condition. Can true love really conquer all, or is that simply a fairytale myth?

[anyaejo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Awesome to see a seriously tough heroine in a Sleeping Beauty retelling! It got a little slow in the middle but a great fantasy world and romance.

[flying_monkeys_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quest-filled fantasy inspired by "Sleeping Beauty" but definitely not a Disney version.Princess of Thorns was entertaining and I enjoyed its unique version of Sleeping Beauty after the famous kiss, which, as it turns out, was 20 years too early...Rose Ronces, wife of Prince Stephen and mother of Princess Aurora and Price Jor, makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect her children and her people from their inevitable deaths at the hand of Stephen's evil stepmother, the ogre queen, Ekeeta. In doing so, Rose transfers to her eldest child, Princess Aurora, fairy-gifts that make her a brave and merciful warrior. But what the little princess doesn't realize until she's much older is that all fairy-gifts and magic come at a cost, or, as most everyone including Aurora sees it: a curse.After a decade in hiding, and training to one day reclaim the throne, Aurora discovers that Queen Ekeeta has kidnapped Prince Jor and is holding him prisoner in the castle. Determined to save her brother's life, take back control of her birthright - the kingdom of Mercar - and free her people from the ogres, Aurora sets out on her mission dressed like a boy. Unfortunately, right outta the gate, she trusts the wrong people, ends up a prisoner and is quickly in need of rescuing herself.Enter Niklaas, a prince with a curse of his own. A curse he's convinced only the Princess Aurora can end by marrying him. Unfortunately for Niklaas when he rescues Aurora, he thinks he's found her brother, Jor, who only agrees to lead Niklaas to Aurora if Niklaas helps "Jor" in finding an army to rescue "a friend" from Queen Ekeeta. Adventure, danger, and (eventual) romance ensue.Sure there were some plot holes. Yes I wish there'd been more details about Rose and what exactly a briar-born child was. Perhaps the ending was a bit rushed and the whole twist with Queen Ekeeta needed more development. But, all in all, I had fun reading Princess of Thorns and I think other fans of fairy-tale inspired fantasy would too.4 starsNotes to self: There was a character called Crimsin who dressed in a red cloak and had a huge dog, Hund, as her companion/guardian. Crimsin's aunt, Gettel, had an assistant, "a gray-haired woman" she introduced as Baba. Gettel had a daughter locked away in a tower for her own good because the daughter was addicted to Elixir of Elsbeth's Rose.

[fueledbycoffee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’m all for retellings.You see it in movies, 10 Things I Hate About You in taming Shakespeare’s shrew or eye-rolling with Alicia Silverstone in Clueless, like-totally channeling Jane Austen’s Emma.You find retellings in music, from Simon and Garfunkel’s Mrs. Robinson expertly switched up by The Lemonheads or hearing Jeff Buckley’s dulcet voice and coaxing guitar in Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.However, I doubt we’d have a bit hit with 10 Clueless Things I Hate About Shrew with music by Jeff Buckley and The Lemonheads. Add the fact that Jeff Buckley died years ago? I know, just roll with it.I think there were so many stories in this conglomerate that the book fell flat, or more specifically, it was distracting for me. Sure you have ogres, a warrior princess, carnivorous trees, adventure, magic, Fey, an immortal jealous king, and a love story with bickering, fighting, and self-serving interests between them. A lot of different stories. The first couple of chapters were hard for me to get into but after seeing parallels to other fairytales, I got more distracted, “Wait, that didn’t go like that!”In any retelling, the re-teller is saying that the original was so awesome, gush, swoon, fangirl, fanboy, I have t-shirts, and as an admirer, I’m throwing down the original peppered with self-interpretation. Fanfiction does this by definition. Total compliment, right? The only problem is when you should have left the original alone. Or in this case, the originals, plural. No one bedazzles Michelangelo’s David, because, hello? He bedazzles all by himself. Have you seen him? He's a 511 year old, naked dude and he’s still got game.This is my first of Stacey Jay’s books. She’s imaginative and writes well. Perhaps dry at times. I don’t like to use the word “boring” but more like “familiar enough that it didn’t grab my attention” would be more apropos. The end was very fitting and fairytale-ish in that it wrapped up in a nice, convenient TA-DA!.Perhaps the story would be appreciated even more by a reader not so familiar with popular fairy tales. The dichotomy is that a retelling garners attention from the very audience that is familiar with those stories.Long story short, what didn’t work for me may be the very selling point for another reader. I suggest finding out for yourself.Many thanks to Random House Children's/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing my review copy.

[shayrp76 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First of all, I enjoyed this novel a lot more than I thought I would. Like most little girls I read the story of Sleeping Beauty, but I was never into princesses so it wasn't one of my favorites. This is not a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. This is a story about her children, and her daughter's quest to save their kingdom.Second, I am so glad I didn't pay attention to the negative reviews of the novel. I try to never pay attention to them, or rely on anyone's review good or bad. This story has a lot of action, and adventure. It's fast paced and the characters are well developed. Of course there is some romance, but it's of the tortured kind which is my favorite. Add a strong female protagonist and there is something for almost everyone. I strongly recommend this novel, especially for fantasy fans. It's not hardcore fantasy, but there are elements that make it an exciting read.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Gorgeous, unique retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty tale. I loved everything about this book and would highly recommend it to everyone!Opening Sentence: Having discovered the secret to eternal life, and jealous of his throne, the immortal king summoned a witch to the castle and ordered her to curse his eleven sons, ensuring none would live past their eighteenth birthday, the age at which a Kanvasol prince may become a king.The Review:Aurora may look like a normal girl, but she is anything but normal. Not only is she a princess in hiding waiting for the right time to take back her kingdom, she is also fairy blessed. She has been blessed with all the skills to be an amazing warrior, but she has also been cursed with the ability to destroy the free will of any man that kisses her. She is seventeen years old and has spent most of her life hiding from the evil ogres that stole her kingdom from her. But recently the ogres caught Aurora’s brother and the only way she has any hope of saving him is to enlist the help of Prince Niklaas. One little catch is that Niklaas thinks that she is a boy and she’s not about to tell him the truth till she gets the help she needs to save her brother.Niklaas has been cursed just like his ten brothers. He has an evil immortal father that never wanted any of his sons to come of age to take his throne from him. So his father ordered a witch to curse the boys. On their eighteenth birthday they turn into swans and live out the rest of their life as a bird. Niklaas will be eighteen in just a few weeks and he has managed to figure out a way to break the curse. The only problem is he needs to marry a princess. He plans to purpose to Princess Aurora, but he has to find her first.Aurora is a very likeable heroine and I loved her right off the bat. She is not your average princess that can’t take care of herself, which was one of my favorite things about her. I don’t mind a female character that needs rescuing but I will admit that my favorite type of heroine is one the can take care of herself. Aurora was raised to be a warrior that will lead her people to defeat the ogres and take back the kingdom that is rightfully hers. She is tough, resilient, stubborn and determined to fulfill her destiny. But at the same time she is sweet, caring, and has all the insecurities that most girls have, so she was very easy to relate to. Not only is she a character you can look up to and respect, she is also someone that you can learn from. I loved reading her story and honestly I didn’t want it to end.Niklaas is everything I could want in a hot prince. He is charming, confident, and very good looking. But he is also sweet, honest, and noble. His situation is not ideal, but he refuses to give up which I really admired. His relationship with Aurora was perfectly done and it developed at a very believable pace. Because he thinks Aurora is a boy for most of the book he is way more open with her then he normally would have been, and that made their romance so much cuter. You get to see so many different sides to him and I loved that. He is far from perfect and he proves that time and time again, but that’s what made his character so believable. I loved him from the very beginning and my affection for him just continued to grow throughout the book.Princess of Thorns is a gorgeous unique retelling of sleeping beauty. From the first moment I started this book, I honestly couldn’t put it down until I finished it. The world that Jay created was fascinating and so creative. I loved how she included all the different types of creatures in the world, it added an extra element that made the story that much more enjoyable. There were amazing characters that were so likeable and easy to relate to. The romance was adorable and developed perfectly. The entire story was full of great humor and awesome adventure. The plot was surprising and very intriguing. Pretty much this book was the whole package it had everything I want in a great high fantasy story. I loved absolutely everything about it and I know that there has been much controversy with the author on whether or not there will be a sequel, but personally I hope that there is. If there isn’t that is fine as well because the ending of this one was very satisfying and it can easily be read as a standalone. I would recommend this to anyone that loves high fantasy, retellings, or if you are just looking for a great book, pick this one up you will not be disappointed!Notable Scene:I realize what he intends to do, but before I can turn my back, his pants slide off his hips, and Niklaas, eleventh son of the immortal king, is as naked as the day he was born.I freeze—jaw dropping, blood draining from my face—unable to tear my eyes away, though I know I should. But, warrior’s clothes be damned, I’m a seventeen-year-old girl, and what seventeen-year-old girl could look away from a sight like that?Niklaas may have the face of a golden god, but he has the body of a devil, a creature sent from the Pit to tempt a girl to abandon everything she holds dear for one night, skin to skin, with a creature designed for pleasure. The sort of pleasure that, since the day I kissed Thyne, I’ve known I must forever do without.FTC Advisory: Delacorte Press/Random House provided me with a copy of Princess of Thorns. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Drawing on strong fairy-tale themes, Stacey Jay creates a new tale with Sleeping Beauty's daughter and a cursed prince as the heroes. Aurora and Niklass spare frequently in this novel, and they also deceive each other in major ways, but they also just might be falling in love with each other. All of which makes for an entertaining and engaging read.

[titania86_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Princess Aurora is a briar born child (the only one besides her brother) set to inherit the kingdom of Norvere were it not for an ogre inheriting it instead. Queen Ekeeta wasted no time after taking over to imprison Aurora's family and insinuate ogres into the castle. Freed and empowered with fairy gifts by her mother's sacrifice, Aurora and her brother Jor escape to prepare for the day they will claim back their kingdom and make it once again safe for humans. Unfortunately, close to the prophesied time, Jor is captured by the ogres and Aurora will stop at nothing to get him back. She poses as him and enlists the help of roguish Niklaas to travel and gather an army. Nothing goes as it should: her plans fall apart; allies betray her; and she finds support in unlikely places. Will Aurora reclaim her kingdom and defeat the ogres?Princess of Thorns is not what I expected from a fairy tale retelling. The first two pages are confusing with two different prologues kind of smashed together and not well explained. It took me a little while to process that Aurora is not Sleeping Beauty, but Sleeping Beauty's daughter. Having this Aurora and the classic fairy tale Aurora share a name was confusing at first. The story plays out as a retelling and continuation of the Sleeping Beauty story along with dashes of Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, The Swan Princes, and other fairy tales. Although drastically different from the original tale, Princess of Thorns retains the fairy tale elements and becomes a unique story. I loved many of these elements that were familiar, but changed for this retelling. Aurora's fairy gifts in the classic tale are benevolent and only serve to benefit her. Not so with this Aurora. While her gifts of enhanced strength, bravery, mercy, and a heart no man she loves can defy are pretty useful, they are also a curse. The strength and bravery are the most useful, but the mercy takes away her free will. She literally cannot be unmerciful even if it is essential to her goals. The last one is weird and really just a plot device, but the effects are devastating. Once she loves and kisses someone, even in a platonic manner, their entire existence is dedicated to serving her. They are a shell of their former self and lose any personality they might have had. I like this double edged sword quality of the gifts and the grisly way in which they were bestowed upon her (which was with her mother's suicide).The romance aspects are pronounced, but develop organically. Aurora and Niklaas bicker, tease, and fight on their travels and develop a real relationship. Since Aurora is disguised as her brother and she knows the devastated effects of her fairy gifts, romance is the last thing on either of their minds. I found this so refreshing after so many boring instalove teen romances. I also loved the world in general. The ogres were especially interesting with their religious fanaticism and rise to power. Aurora's stepmother was a particularly interesting character because of her doubt ad her ability to think for herself despite being commanded to the contrary. Their religion advocates the destruction of all non-ogre beings as their heaven. I really would have loved to read more about how they rose to power, the intricacies of their religion, and how the stepmother came to her conflicted feelings. A lot of this is glossed over which is a bit more interesting than reading about romance. I could definitely see this one book expanded to at least two to accommodate more of the history of the word instead of those very awkward and confusing prologues.Princess of Thorns is an enjoyable read that is filled with excitement, adventure, and chock full of fairy tales. I loved the characters, the twisting of fairy tale conventions, and the world. It could have been expanded to avoid awkwardness and show the history of the world and how it got there. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives and I look forward to other books by Stacey Jay.

[krau0098 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley and ended up enjoying it. It's more of a straight-up fantasy with some adventure and romance than a fairy tale retelling, or maybe a fairy tale extension? Anyway, if you approach this as a YA fantasy novel rather than a fairy tale retelling I think you will enjoy it more.Aurora is actually the daughter of Sleeping Beauty and has been fairy-blessed with gifts of her own. Unfortunately Aurora’s kingdom is run by some evil ogres who want to use her to bring darkness over the whole land. As a result she and her brother have been hidden away in opposite ends of the kingdom. On their yearly journey to meet, her brother is kidnapped by the ogres. Aurora flees the fairy kingdom dressed as a boy in an effort to raise an army and save her brother, but stumbles upon the conceited Prince Niklaas instead. Niklaas is looking for a royal bride to break a curse of his own. The book switches viewpoint between Aurora, Niklaas, and the ogre queen.Some parts of this book were interesting and some a bit weird. I really didn't like Niklaas much, he's pretty much a conceited asshole. I also didn't like the whole moral that because Niklaas met the right girl he was able to change. Uh yeah, I am sure this happens sometimes but mostly a man like Niklaas isn't going to change because he meets one girl dressed as a boy.I also thought the book was a bit overcomplicated and wordy at points. By that I mean there's a lot in here that is supposed to go towards world-building, kingdom politics, and lineage of characters. However, that really isn't all the necessary in a one book story and tended to drag the book down. I also thought that the world-building that was done wasn't that successful. By the end of it all I was still a bit confused about why Aurora being sacrificed by the ogres and how this was going to open some gate of darkness.There were things about the story I enjoyed too. Jay did an interesting job of extending some fairy tales and incorporating more than one fairy tale into the story. Aurora has a kiss that makes mean blind to everything but her and she is obviously tied into the whole Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Niklaas is under a curse that has turned all of his brothers into swans and he is next (The Twelve Swans). The witch they meet up with talks about her daughter who is kept in a tower because of an addiction (Rapunzel). I also ended up enjoying the romance between Aurora and Niklaas overall. Although I did get frustrated by the constant lying and deception between the two.Overall this was a decent YA fantasy that I enjoyed reading. I did think that it could have been less wordy and that the explanation behind why/how the orges were going to open a gate of darkness could have been better. I also didn’t like the whole dynamic of Niklaas being a jerk, but being able to change because of Aurora’s love. I enjoyed how the different fairy tales were entwined together in the story though. Recommended to those who enjoy YA fantasy with some fairy tale retelling elements.

[cherylk_44 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Score. Princess of Thorns is a magical, adventure that will suck readers in for a wonderful journey ride that will leave them craving more of Aurora and Niklaas! Right from the beginning, I was captivated by Aurora. She is a warrior. I like stories of women who are strong and independent. She and Niklaas were good. I can't say that they hit it off right away as Aurora was more of the leader than Niklaas. Although as the story progressed, Niklaas grew stronger as well. The romance between Aurora and Niklaas was almost non-existant, except for the last third of the book. This is because for more of the story Niklaas was under the impression he was helping Aurora's brother. I was a little sad when I finished this book. I wanted it to continue. I would love to see Aurora and Niklaas again in the future.

[kyeralynn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Princess of Thorns is a not-so-classic retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story. The main character is actually the daughter of the cursed princess, who awoke from a kiss. Her name is Aurora, like the Disney movie's princess and her mother's name is Rose. In the french version of the tale, Sleeping Beauty's daughter is named Aurore. I believe that her mother's is the shortened form of Briar Rose, like German version of her tale by the Brother's Grimm. If you are familiar with the Grimm and Perrault versions of the tale, not only the Disney one, then you will notice many similarities. In a few versions of the tale, there is an evil step-mother or mother-in-law who attempts to eat the leading lady's children.The author makes use of these characters and plots in her novel. She chooses to include the ill-fated mother, brother and sister, as well as the villainous step-mother. Although that familial tie is not explicitly stated, the King was the children's father and he married the ogre. Thus, she would be their step-mother. And you thought you had a dysfunctional family?In true fairytale fashion, there are ogres, witches, fairies, and ruffians. Not all are portrayed as you would expect. The ogres have evolved, or perhaps devolved depending upon who you ask. In the early years, the ogres were monstrous creatures that devoured souls whole. They did not control themselves, but feasted on the entire soul leaving nothing behind. As time went on, they were forced to change and limit how much they took. After a time, the ogres began to become smaller and take on much more human-like appearances. Their food source never changed and they prided themselves upon each soul they took, marking their bare skulls.The Fae seem human, although they possess extra-human traits and magic. One may not think of fairies and immediately imagine a human-like creature with great dexterity, skill in battle, and a lack of guilt -but the Fair Folk are shown this way in the novel. A fairy can bestow a gift upon a human child, like beauty, courage, eloquence, obedience, or strength. But each blessing comes with a curse, as the magic always finds a way to turn the gift into a burden. There are untold consequences to the blessings that cannot be avoided. As such, the fairies stopped giving their gifts to human children.As with most fairytales, there is an element of romance. The love story blossoms under unusual circumstances and not without its share of problems. The two characters get to know each other throughout the journey, but their are many secrets left untold. As they are discovered, the relationship is altered for good or bad. And in the end, a choice must be made.Most importantly, the novel isn't entirely predictable (although the budding romance was expected). Generally, you expect good to triumph over evil in most modern retellings of the story - unlike their Grimm counterparts. The plot's climax was frankly a little anti-climactic, but enjoyable non-the-less.I think the author showed an average amount of character development, although I usually think more would be incredibly beneficial. Certain aspects of the world were explained, but not vividly enough. The "show-don't-tell" method could have been employed here to create a richer, more immersive world. Overall, I was pleased with the author's lexicon, grammar, and spelling - which happens much less often than should reasonably be expected.I would certainly read another novel by this author as I love stories based upon fairytales. If you read Alex Flinn, I would highly recommend this novel to you just keep in mind it is slightly darker. Readers of fantasy, romance, and the like will enjoy this book and should give it a chance. It seems to target the female demographic, but males should enjoy it as well.