Book Review: Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

Princess of Thorns
Author:  Stacey Jay
Publisher:  Delacorte Press, 400 pages
Expected Publication Date:  December 9, 2014
*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads:
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?

Review:

I loved this book and here's why:

1.  Curses.  Both Aurora (Ror) and Niklaas are cursed.  Loved that.  If Ror kisses a guy who loves her, he basically turns into a shell, only wanting to live to make her happy.  And Niklaas is going to turn into a swan on his 18th birthday and he thinks that if he marries Aurora he can break the curse.  And of course neither one knows that the other is cursed and, in fact, Niklaas doesn't even know that Ror is Aurora. Instead, he thinks that she is her brother, which leads to…

2.  Girl pretending to be a guy.  I don't know why I love this so much because I'm always wondering what in the world the girl looks like.  She's usually fairly attractive, but somehow she's convincingly a guy.  I just shrug my shoulders and go with it.  In this book, it actually makes sense because Ror has enhanced strength so she can fight really well.  

3.  Ror and Niklaas.  Loved their relationship.  Niklaas thinks that Ror is Aurora's 14 year old brother and he wants to marry Aurora so he's helping "him."  Niklaas and Ror work together, bicker and fight, and spend every moment together.  They truly become friends and partners.  LOVED THIS.

Niklaas has some pretty old-fashioned views about girls and Ror tries to set him straight about that (without letting him know that she's really a girl).  In fact, Niklaas is pretty obnoxious at first.  He's arrogant and thinks very highly of himself, but he has such a good heart, he truly is a hero. And Ror has resigned herself to a life alone and her brother means everything to her.  I liked Ror, she's tough and feisty, and it makes sense that she doesn't trust Niklaas at first, and then when she does, she doesn't want to lose his friendship.  

4.  Traveling together to raise an army to save her brother and hopefully one day reclaim her throne that was stolen from her by an evil ogre.  Great plot filled with action and adventure.

5.  It's a stand-alone!

Thoroughly enjoyed this one, I highly recommend it.

Posted by:  Pam