Click here to return to homepage
or 
Home > Categories > Books > Fantasy > Thornspell review
Sick of adverts? Click here to join up for free and be rid of them.
Prince Sigismund has grown up hearing fantastical stories about enchantments and faie spells, basilisks and dragons, knights errant and heroic quests. He'd love for them to be true - he's been sheltered in a country castle for most of his life and longs for adventure - but they are just stories. Or are they?
From the day that a mysterious lady in a fine carriage speaks to him through the castle gates, Sigismund's world starts to shift. He begins to dream of a girl wrapped, trapped, in thorns. He dreams of a palace, utterly still, waiting. He dreams of a man in red armour, riding a red horse - and then suddenly that man arrives at the castle!
Sigismund is about to learn that sometimes dreams are true. That the world is both more magical and more dangerous than he imagined. And that the heroic quest he imagined for himself as a boy... begins now.
Product reviews...
Review by: anistasya
Dated: 9th of August, 2010
The tale of Sleeping Beauty is usually about a baby princess who is cursed to die by an evil witch because her parents 'forgot' to invite the nasty old lady to the babe's christening. Fortunately, her good fairy godmother twists the spell to a 'sleep of a hundred years' rather than death, and just for good measure, she throws in a clause about 'only waking when kissed by the chosen prince'. No one ever wondered how the prince felt about this whole arrangement.
Now, finally, we get to read Prince Sigismund's side of the story. Having finished the book, I am left wondering how the original story could ever have been told from the princess' point of view, as she spends most of the story asleep!
In all seriousness, however, Thornspell is a great fantasy. Targeted at children and young adult, author Helen Lowe keeps her story true to the fairy tale while incorporating likeable characters, old English myth and a vivid setting full of magic. For a story I thought I knew, Thornspell still managed to pleasantly surprise.
Guest comments...
There are currently no comments on file. Will you click here and be the first?
Random listing from 'Books'...
Penny is a lonely little girl who gazes out of her window at night and pretends that the stars are her friends. Then, one night, a shooting star lands in her garden.
Together, they chase the quietness away, and fill the night with giggle and bounce. They even share a secret or two.Before too long, Little Star has to return to the sky - with Pennyâ ®s help.
Charming, gently humorous and beautifully illustrated.
All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of KIWIreviews.co.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, under the assumption that they are the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.
"Forgive your enemies but never forget their names."
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)
