Review : Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Princess of Thorns
Author : Stacey Jay
Publication Date : December 9th 2014
Publisher : Delacorte Books
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

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?

Personal Thoughts

Stacey Jay's Of Beast and Beauty last year was a huge winner for me. It was lusciously written, with wonderful world building and gorgeous characters that settled in my heart. I was thrilled to hear that she would also be writing a book based on the Sleeping Beauty. While not as strong as Of Beast and Beauty, Stacey Jay's Princess of Thorns was an entertaining and utterly delightful read.

First, you have to know that this is NOT a Sleeping Beauty retelling. There are mentions of Sleeping Beauty here and there and other than the main character's name being Aurora, there are absolutely no links between the two stories. If you're expecting a retelling, you will be sorely disappointed, so it is better to go in without that kind of expectation. Aurora as a character was a delight! She was pretending to be a boy (one of my favorite tropes) throughout the book. Aurora wasn't your usual heroine. She was no damsel-in-distress and she knew how to wield weapons and fight as well as any other male character. I loved how brave she was. To me, her most attractive quality was her determination and her loyalty to her brother. Even though we see very little of her brother because of his kidnapping, the love Aurora had for him really shined through the book. The whole plot revolved around this love and it was well-written. Fighting alongside Aurora on her quest to save her brother, we had Niklaas. Oh this boy! I had my doubts about him at first, but that's because I view every character in fantasy books as suspicious, but he stole my heart. He was fighting his own battles, mainly in the form of a curse his father had put on him that would turn him into a swan on his 18th birthday unless he married into royalty. Niklaas may have his own selfish reasons for wanting to help Aurora, who he believes is Jor, her brother, but he was still respectful and protective of her.

The dynamics between Aurora and Niklaas was a lot of fun. Sure, it takes a while for it to turn romantic, particularly on Niklaas' side because he wasn't aware of her identity, but the banter they shared was hilarious. They kept each other on their toes and I just loved watching them interact together. Then, when the revelation was finally made, I loved how their relationship slowly turned romantic. There were some very swoony moments that gave me butterflies in my stomach. The romance, I thought, was well-done. Not only was it filled with playful banter between the two (and trust me, the banter is amazing because of how stubborn they both are), but there were some sweet moments when they bonded that made my heart soar. The romance in Princess of Thorns was perfect for me. The plot was pretty simple. As I mentioned earlier, it's basically an adventure to save Aurora's brother and save the kingdom from the ogres and all the obstacles they face on their journey. It wasn't unique in any sense, but it was thrilling and all-kinds of entertaining. I do, however, have some laments about the world building. It wasn't as rich and complex as the one in Of Beast and Beauty. I also thought the villains were not as three-dimensional as they could have been. I never got a true handle of their characters unfortunately. Regardless, Stacey Jay's writing is absolutely majestic. She weaves words together to create beautiful sentences that had me in awe throughout. This author can certainly write.

Princess of Thorns was a captivating story with an admirable heroine who knew how to stand up to herself, an engrossing romance that will have you sighing in happiness and a wicked fun adventure. This is a must-read!

Rating

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

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