13. Thorn by Intisar Khanani

#1 Dauntless Path

listened via Libby/Library
narrated by Shiromi Arserio
Unabridged audio (14:30)
2020
512 pgs.
YA Fantasy
Finished 2/11/21
Goodreads rating: 4.02 - 7933 ratings
My rating: 4.5

First line/s: " 'Try not to embarrass us,' my brother says, 'If you can.' "

My comments: A clever piece of YA fantasy that flew by and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.  Whimsical with touches of magic, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.  The protagonist was particularly "good" and the antagonist was particularly "bad."  If there is a continuation of the story, it would be nice to see what Thorn will do to help make her new kingdom a better place for the poor people whom she has come to know and care about.

Goodreads synopsis:  A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own

          Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.
          When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.
          But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl 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.