About the Book:

Title: Brambles 

Author: Intisar Khanani

Publisher: Purple Monkey Press 

Release Date: December 7, 2020

Pages: 40

Genre: YA Fantasy 

Synopsis:

In the kingdom of Adania, everyone knows what Princess Alyrra did to earn the court’s contempt, her mother’s disdain, and her brother’s hatred.

She betrayed her own.

Yet, the truth hides another story, one of honor and honesty, of a princess gambling her own life for another’s. It’s a tale of courage and consequences, and a choice that can never be undone.

A short story prequel to her multi-starred fantasy, Thorn, Intisar Khanani’s “Brambles” gives Alyrra’s account of what really happened all those years ago, and how a few critical days turned her life into a daily fight for survival. 

Review:

* I received an e-arc from the author in exchange for an honest review*

Brambles is a prequel novella in the Dauntless Path series by Intisar Khanani. Fans who have read Thorn will definitely want to read this one! It gives us a look at the events that happened before the first story begins, and I really enjoyed this glimpse into Alyraa’s life. You can also read this before reading Thorn if you prefer.

A lot is packed into this short story, and we get to see Princess Alyrra’s interactions with her family, servants, and friends. Alyrra is such a compelling protagonist and it was so good to hear her point of view again. We see what her life was like in the castle, and some of the divisions between the classes. We also begin to see some of the bullying that begins with Alyrra’s brother and Valka. We also see how one act of kindness changes things between Alyrra, her mother and brother, and Valka, forever.

Be sure to read this one, which released on December 7th!

About the Author:

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. Prior to publishing her novels, Intisar worked as a public health consultant on projects relating to infant mortality and minority health, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy.

Intisar’s current projects include the re-release of her debut, Thorn, from HarperTeen (2020) and her indie
epic fantasy series, The Sunbolt Chronicles.

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