Princess of Thorns: A Fantasy Romance Fairy Tale Retelling

Amberlyn Holland

Feb 2022 · Curse of the Dark Kingdom Book 0 · Amberlyn Holland

About this ebook

At the moment tyrannical King Aegron the Cruel was assassinated, each of his children was struck by a different dark curse. 

Five years later, the Dark Kingdom is struggling to survive. 

  

Princess Islyne's body sleeps undisturbed behind a wall of thorns. But her mind is awake and able to explore the kingdom unseen. And, within the bramble forest that's become her home, her spirit takes on a form that is almost real. For the first time in her sheltered, restricted life, Izzy knows what it's like to feel free. 

  

Duke Conall will do whatever is necessary to protect his kingdom from the damage and chaos left in the curse's wake. Even if it means rescuing the bride he never wanted. 

  

But Islyne's no longer the meek princess who barely spoke to her betrothed the only time they met. And she has no intention of living her life as nothing more than a political pawn. So when Conall mistakes her for a servant, Izzy hatches a plan to keep him far from the Palace where her body sleeps. 

  

As the danger grows, however, she realizes maybe there's more to Conall, too. She's just not sure if the gentle kindness lurking beneath the arrogant mask is enough to risk trapping herself in a loveless marriage if she's wrong. 

  

It's going to take more than a simple kiss for Islyne and Conall to find their Happily-Ever-After. 

  

This Sleeping Beauty inspired fantasy romance novella features a cursed princess, an arrogant duke, mistaken identity, and a mysterious magical cat. 

Ratings and reviews

***4.5*** This was a short novella based on the story of Sleeping Beauty. It is the prequel to a new series, and I really enjoyed the take on the story. It is about the 5 children of a cruel king who get cursed by a witch when he dies. There are 4 brothers (clearly one will the Frog Prince, one Beauty and the Beast – not sure of the others) and one sister. This is the story of the sister who is sleeping in the castle and how she wanders around in spirit and meets her betrothed who is trying to rescue her for his own purposes. The author did a great job with world building and setting the stage. It is a well written book and easy to read and follow. I liked it a lot. I just wish it had been longer as I felt the story got short shrift in setting the stage. A longer and more in-depth romance would have been nice. But overall, I liked it a lot and will be reading the rest of the series. It was a very clean book and may be considered YA. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

About the author

Amberlyn writes epic fantasy romance and re-imagined fairy tales featuring dragon-shifters, fierce princesses, magic, and happily-ever-afters.

She grew up reading her older sister’s SFF collection and her mother’s category romances so it’s only natural her storytelling leans toward magic, romance and adventure.

Amberlyn currently lives in Northern New York where her writing schedule, and life, revolve around the whims of her dog. When not catering to a demanding terrier or getting lost in books, she enjoys crafting, watching football and hockey, and hanging out with her husband.

If you want to keep up to date on new releases and special events, as well as receive exclusive content like a free digital copy of Kiss the Dragon, sign up for her newsletter at http://www.amberlynholland.com/newsletter/