Princess Aurora lost her mother and her kingdom in the same day. Years later, with her brother captured, she is on a mission to save him and the throne. Disguised as a boy, Aurora is found by Prince Niklaas, a young man determined to find Aurora and marry her to break his own curse. As the two journey together to save a kingdom ruled by ogres, they discover a surprising friendship and a heartbreaking need to own up to the secrets they've kept buried that could tear them apart.

Stacey Jay delivers another mesmerizing fairy tale reimagining with PRINCESS OF THORNS. Full of secrets, royalty, magic, and fighting, Aurora and Niklaas face an epic journey of sacrifice and self-discovery. The fast pacing and snappy dialogue make this a quick read, while the incredible characterization make the story unforgettable.

One of the most powerful parts of this story is Niklaas's growth. With several recent fairy tale retellings aiming to shake things up with tearing apart the traditional gender stereotypes and roles (and wonderfully so), Niklaas stands out as a love interest who starts off being deep in sexist ideology. His clear transformation from categorizing women into only two possible roles to learning that women, and humans in general, are far more complex than labels would make them out to be makes this book ideal for sparking important discussions.

With superb story-telling and a fierce, passionate romance, PRINCESS OF THORNS is one to read as soon as possible for YA fantasy lovers. Stacey Jay will wow readers with this latest novel as she delivers characters and a story you won't soon forget.