Tags
author, book, book reviews, books, characters, Fairies, Fairy tale retelling, fantasy, fiction, literature, novel, plot, Princess of Thorns, Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay, read, reader, review, Stacey Jay, stories, story, write, writer, writing, YA, young adult
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Fairies, Witches, Fairy tale Retelling
Pages: 400
Point of View: First (Aurora, Niklaas, Ekeeta)
Released: Dec 9, 2014
Series: Standalone
Predictability: 4 out of 5 (Where 1 is George RR Martin (If the characters make a plan or think about the future I know it isn’t going to go that way.) And 5 is Cinder (where I guessed what was going to happen long before it did, but it was still a great book.)
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 7/10 Stars
My Summary:
Briar Rose wishes something very different for her daughter Aurora than the beauty and grace she was given, but strength and courage. To reclaim their castle from the ogres she will need it. Raised by the fey Aurora trained her whole life to become a warrior.
Niklaas is the Eleventh son of the immortal king. The king had all of his sons cursed by a witch so that they turn into swans on their eighteenth birthday. But Niklaas has found a loophole, he only has to find the princess Aurora and get her to marry him. He has only three weeks left, but he’s a good looking guy and has no doubt he can convince Aurora to marry him, all he has to do is meet her. Unfortunately his magical charm led him to her ‘brother’ instead.
Aurora’s brother has been captured by the ogre queen and she needs an army to rescue him. When she’s saved by a prince who believes she’s her brother she tells him she will only introduce him to her ‘sister’ if he aids her in getting an army.
My Review:
Princess of Thorns starts with back story and prophecy, (I was totally confused and had to read it twice) but it made sense later on. This is actually the only part of the story that is related to a fairy tale.
The Good:
For most of the book the main characters are traveling (I knew this ahead of time and I think it helped me to enjoy it.) but I was never bored. There was enough happening and enough action to keep it interesting.
The world building was solid, if simple. I particularly liked what we saw of the fairy’s culture and the ogres who could suck out human souls. The ogre queen narrated sometimes too and she refereed to herself as we and our, which was a nice touch.
Aurora (Ror) is a unique heroine in that she isn’t described as being beautiful, but rather plain and she can easily pass for a boy. (Okay later she might be described as pretty but I think that’s just because he was falling for her) The mistaken identity was fun and it was handled well. I was afraid that the author would let me down in how he found out she was a girl, but it was perfect! (I may have giggled)
The personalities of the two main characters are fairly standard fantasy. She’s the stubborn rash princess who kicks butt and he’s the arrogant beautiful womanizer, but there’s more to them than that and the author manages to make them likable. (If occasionally annoying) They both have problems of their own and they don’t change once they start falling for each other. (It’s good they didn’t suddenly start being nice to each other, because that would be just weird)
Their relationship was the best part of the book. I loved their banter! Though sometimes they bickered a bit too much. We’d be told about how they’d been getting along for four days and then get to hear their entire argument. But they’re both strong stubborn characters, so it was inevitable that they were going to butt heads.
Though the entire book takes place over the course of three weeks the romance doesn’t feel rushed. If anything it seems like too many obstacles were placed in their path. (I may have mentally shouted at the characters. A bit.)
The Bad: (The part in which I may rant and start a discussion on endings)
The ending. (I’m not saying whether it was happy or not and I’m not talking about loose strings.) The ending was too convenient, too fast, too neat and it was the worst part of the book.
I can’t explain without spoilers so I’m going to give a false example. (Clears throat) The heroes are falling off a mountain that they’ve spent most of the story climbing only to be saved at the last instant by a bird that was barely mentioned before. Where did that come from? Why did they bother climbing the mountain if the bird was there all along? That doesn’t make sense! It was too easy! That was what I was feeling at the end of this book.
Maybe it needed to be a duology instead of a standalone or have another viewpoint, because it felt like the author cheated. I think that the characters should have to do something to earn their ending. It felt handed to them.
Don’t get me wrong it was still a good book, at times a great book, but that’s why I was upset at the ending. I expected more.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. Will I read more by this author? Probably.
How do you feel about endings, do you like to be blindsided or to see it coming? Do you agree with me that there has to be some sort of foresight or something the main characters did to earn the ending?
Woven Magic Books 
Can’t wait for this!! I loved her other fairytale retelling. Im glad you liked it and great review 🙂
Thank you! This is the only one I’ve read, but I’m interested in the other, so I’m glad it’s good. 🙂
I hate endings that are complete blindsides. I always try to figure out the ending and I often do, but I also like to be surprised, but it still has to make sense. I read a crime book once where we get the serial killer’s POV, but still don’t know his identity, only to later find out the killer is a woman with multiple personalities and is also the long lost sister of the cop working the case. What?
I agree, being surprised is totally different from being blindsided. I’d rather have a predictable ending than one that comes out of nowhere. Yeah, that’s not a good murder mystery. A good mystery is supposed to be hard to figure out, not impossible. Thanks for debating with me. 🙂
I love fairy tales, so this sounds really interesting!
Me too! This isn’t really a retelling, but it still feels like a fairy tale. 🙂
I don’t mind a surprise ending — in fact, I quite like them — but only if I can go back and see that all the clues were there all along. If it’s done well, I will totally give the author props. If the ending comes out of nowhere, in a deus ex machina sort of way that seems lazy or convenient, it’ll probably taint my view of the whole book.
Yeah, it’s so fun to reread a book with a surprise ending and find all the things I missed. I agree, this book was really good and then that ending just felt lazy.
Ok, it seems the author just wanted an ending and just threw something in perhaps…
Yeah that’s really how it felt. ‘I need en ending here since this is a stand alone book, so I’ll just do this.’
Hmm, this is one retelling I did not enjoy at all…I mean, really not
The romance, world-building, characters didn’t please me. However, I am going to give this author another chance with ”Of Beauty and Beast” ^^ Great review though!!
Yeah, I was scared after I read your review, but I think knowing they were traveling the whole time helped and I really enjoyed this book, except for that ending. I hope her Beauty and the Beast is better. Thank you! 🙂
It’s great when the locale is constantly changing in a book, you just know that there’s not going to be a dull moment. Such a shame about the lackluster ending though. I had such high hopes for this one too. Bummer!
Carmel @ Rabid Reads.
I had high hopes for it too, and most of the story is really good. I like seeing different locations, here it was mostly nondescript villages, but I still enjoyed it. I just wish it had ended better. ‘You did nothing to earn this or contribute to it, but here’s everything you need.’ Yeah… it could’ve been better.
Oh it’s too bad about the ending but in a whole it sounds good too. I heard nice things about it but I haven’t read it yet. Maybe one day. I would be curious to compare our feelings. thanks for the review!
I love comparing thoughts on books! 🙂 Yes, it was a good book, but I think it just needed more at the end. Thanks!
I don’t like abrupt endings, especially when I’m enjoying the book. Looks like it’s the main pitfall of the book, huh. 🙂
Yeah me neither. I was wondering how everything was going to be wrapped up in so few pages, and it was wrapped up, but I can’t say I’m satisfied with it, which is a shame because the rest of the book was good.
Oh dear, it’s such a shame to hear that the ending is not so ideal, and is rushed! I really hate it, because it’s the last impression you have on the book, too.
Thanks for the helpful review, Molly! <33
Yeah it was really a shame about the ending since I so enjoyed the rest of the book. It was one of those I wish I could rewrite it endings. Thanks! 🙂
Great review! It sounds good and fun, though the ending could be a downer
Since it’s the last thing you read it can really ruin your enjoyment of a book! I don’t like rushed and easy endings like that either, but I think I will (eventually, as there are already quite a few books on my TBR) check it out 🙂
Thank you! It was a good and fun book. Yeah, it’s always sad when the ending isn’t as good as it should be. I don’t like it when the characters are handed things, they should have to do something to contribute. I’m glad you’re still willing to give this book a shot. I look forward to discussing it with you.
Great to hear your thoughts on this one. The ending sounds disappointing, but I am glad the rest of the story was interesting and well done. Thanks for letting us know we may need to read the legend a couple of times. 🙂
Thanks, I’m glad. 🙂 Yeah the ending was disappointing, especially since the rest of the book was good. No problem, sometimes there’s just so much information in there that it takes a couple of reads to get it all absorbed into my brain.
This really does sound good and I really think I would like it. Wonderful review Molly!!
I hope you have a nice quiet weekend. 🙂
Thank you! Most of it was really good and I hope you enjoy it. Have a lovely holiday weekend yourself. (or rather I hope you had)
I don’t like travel books but this does sounds interesting.
I don’t normally like travel books either, but most of the traveling part is glanced over and it is just about the characters getting to know one another and there are enough interruptions in the traveling to keep it interesting.
I’m really excited for this book and glad you mostly loved it, but yes, I agree the characters have to do something to earn their ending. I hate endings that are too simple, where everything just sorta magically works out, it feels like it’s the readers that get cheated in that kind of ending.
I also don’t love books that have a lot to do with traveling(in a fantasy setting) but I think I’d still pick this one up. Great review!
Yes! That’s exactly how it felt, magically everything worked out! I was excited for it too and I’m glad you’re still going to read it, because it was good. Whenever a book is good but the ending is lacking I always mentally rewrite it to make it better, but I think this one would’ve needed another 100 pages to do so.
I normally am bothered by the traveling thing, but it was well done here and not boring at all. Mostly just character growth with action interspersed. (With mild complaining about riding horses for so long)
I cannot take endings like that seriously, and it infuriates me. I feel like that is the fake ending that you tell a 4 year old so they don’t have nightmares or something, because anyone over that age is going to realize that it is ridiculous.
Also, THANK YOU for not telling us your complete thoughts on the ending! Some idiot on Goodreads spoiled (ANOTHER) book I was reading by saying “that ending was SO sad”. Seriously dude? I now know exactly what happens, great job. (Sorry, rant over. But thanks for being a responsible reviewer, for real!)
This book didn’t really catch my eye until now. I mean, I had seen it around but honestly, the cover is weird. It looks like she is flying. Is she flying? Because I don’t want that. But… I don’t know. I do like travel. Meh, I am on the fence about this one. And to be honest, I haven’t read much good- either really bad, or like yours, with some positives and some negatives. Either way, it was a great review 🙂
I completely agree! The author ran out of pages to tell the story so she slapped something together quick. (or so it felt)
You’re welcome! 😀 Yes I hate spoilers too! Rant away, I don’t mind. I feel the same way!
Nope, not flying. Maybe leaping? She does that a lot. Most of the book was good and the only real negative I had was the ending.
Thanks! 🙂
A bad ending can ruin the whole book for me, Molly, so I think you were very good at still remembering all the things you did enjoy.
And I love how you use different star-ratings for different things. The predictability one is awesome.
Have a great weekend.
Yeah same here, it taints my entire relationship with the book. This one just felt like the author cheated, but it didn’t completely ruin it, I just wasn’t satisfied. Thanks! 🙂 Predictability is so hard to discuss without spoilers. I hope you had a nice weekend too. 🙂
My first Stacey Jay book was ‘Dead on the Delta.’ I loved it. No surprise there – it’s uf and the protag likes to drink…I then tried ‘Of Beast and Beauty.’ It also had a really confusing prologue/premise that I had to read twice. Sadly, I didn’t finish it; the protag kept licking her lips – I know..I’m strange.
This sounds like her first high fantasy. Lol at that ending. Like with LOTR, where they get saved at the end by flying creatures and I thought to myself,”Why didn’t they just fly on those things to get to Mordor?”
But back onto your review..I love banter; it’s my fuel. So based on that alone, I think I’ll read it 🙂 As long as she’s not too haughty…
This was my first book by Stacey Jay. Must be her writing style to start a bit confusing. No I understand, we all have little things that bug us. I have a few pet peeves myself.
lol I hadn’t even thought of Lord of the Rings when I wrote that comparison, I just wanted something that would illustrate my point without having anything to do with the ending. It’s like the author was stuck so just inserted something to make it work even if it made no sense whatsoever.
I’m a big fan of banter too! Sometimes it was more bickering here, but I still enjoyed it. I didn’t think she was haughty. I hope you like it! 🙂
Sounds like a good read still but yeah I agree convenient endings can kill things for me overall.
Yes it was good, all except for that ending. I don’t see why she couldn’t have made it longer or a duology or something. *shrugs* It didn’t ruin it for me, but it definitely tainted how I think of the book.
Hmm…this is a really interesting discussion question! For me personally, I think the type of ending should be determined by what type of story the author is trying to tell. As long as it makes sense with the message (s)he is trying to send and is relatively realistic, then that works for me. However, like you, I’m not a huge fan of endings that are absolutely perfect and tied up with a bow. Sure, there can be closure and happiness, but it has to be realistic.
Based on what you’ve said, I’m definitely going to consider giving this a try – thanks for the warning about the ending though! 😉 Fabulous review! ❤
Thanks! I completely agree. Tied up with a bow is only a little annoying, but here I was mostly bothered because it was just too convenient. I’m glad you’re going to read this too! I look forward to discussing it with you. Thank you! 🙂
I’VE BEEN DYING FOR A REVIEW OF THIS ONE. THANK YOU!
I like the sound of this banter and I do love an arrogant prince. I can’t help it. There’s just something about arrogance (gah, my friends have been trying to knock some sense into me for a long while now hahaha) BUT CONVENIENT ENDINGS ARE ONES WHERE I JUST RAGE. I don’t want convenience. I want endings that are natural, that are worked for. HMMMMMM, I’ve got a lot to think about now.
Fantastic review, Molly! x
You’re welcome! 🙂
I’m a fan of banter too. I usually don’t like the whole arrogant prince thing, but hearing his perspective really helped make him a lovable arrogant prince.
Yeah, convenient endings are annoying. I’ve read a couple of other reviews of this book and no one else mentioned that though, so must be it didn’t bother them.
I think it’s still worth a read, because the rest of the book was so good. Thank you! 🙂