PRINCESS OF THORNS by Stacey Jay

Rating: B
Release Date: 12/9/14
Synopsis:
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?

My thoughts on the book:
Princess of Thorns is a captivating and lovely fantasy novel. I wasn't blown away by the writing or characters at first, but I was still curious enough about the plot to see things through, and I'm so glad that I did. I was never bored, and I fully intended on finishing the novel; I just didn't think that it'd grab me the way that it did in the end. There is enough action to keep anyone interested, and I obviously wasn't rooting for evil to win, but Aurora and Niklaas were really frustrating at times. When I finished this book, I was left with a happy feeling. I'm really glad I read it. 

Aurora is stubborn and obsessed with freeing her brother. I get it. I mean I'm an only child, but if my mom, dad, cat, or best friend were trapped by an evil ogre, you'd better believe I'd be obsessed with saving them. I hope that I wouldn't be as stupid and reckless with it as Aurora is, though. Also, her inability to trust anyone really grated on my nerves. I'm not a big truster myself, but communication is key to success in anything. When people don't know what they're up against or the gender of the person they're traveling with, you can't expect your quest to go well. And how stupid is Niklaas? "Ror" refuses to bathe with him, has a high pitched voice, doesn't have any face hair, carries on and on about women's rights, and stares at Niklaas like a creeper from time to time. How did he not know Aurora was female until 60% in? That just seemed too convenient and a bit forced, in my opinion. It was my main pet peeve with the story. Also, Niklaas is terribly stubborn to the point of stupidity, too. I spent a lot of time wanting to slap some sense into him and Aurora. However, they are flawed and real characters, and they grow throughout the story. I can appreciate that. 

The plot is action-packed and full of adventure. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and dying to know what happens next. Yea, Niklaas not knowing Aurora is female is a bit of a stretch, but the rest of the plot (except the ending) is believable and extremely intriguing. I really didn't know if they'd make it in time to save Jor or not. The ending works out a little too well - at least part of it does, but some of the lines at the end are just beautiful and really grabbed at my heart. Some of the lines even made me tear up a bit. I also enjoyed seeing how everything comes together and how Aurora changes to adapt to her different situations. Furthermore, the alternating points of view are decently written. Aurora and Niklaas sound a bit alike, and since they speak different dialects, I wish their voices had more differences, but Ekeeta was very well-written, I thought. I liked getting different points of view in this novel, and normally I don't. However, it adds some depth and allowed me to trust the story more. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book for anyone who loves fairy tale retellings and fantasy novels. It's a bit different, and there are nods to different fairy tales throughout the novel, which I enjoyed. Check this one out. You won't be sorry. 

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