Cover Reveal: Thorn by Intisar Khanani, plus giveaway!

Today we get an advanced look at Intisar Khanani's upcoming young adult fantasy, Thorn. How exciting to participate in this cover reveal!

Welcome to Writing in the Modern Age, Intisar!

Happy to be here! Today I'm revealing the new cover of my book and offering a giveaway.

Wow, that's great! It's such a cool cover. ;)

Thanks! Thorn is also on pre-order, so get your copy today!

 

Nice! Let's have a glimpse of this book...

 

Title:  Thorn (Standalone in the 'Dauntless Path' world)

 

Author:  Intisar Khanani

 

Genre:  Young Adult, Fantasy

 

Cover Designer:  Jenny Zemanek

 

Release Date:  March 24, 2020

 

Publisher:  HarperTeen

 

 

Here is the blurb.

A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own.

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.

When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever.

With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.

-Includes The Bone Knife, a bonus short story set in the world of Thorn.


Here is an excerpt.   

I lead the king down to the back entrance to the gardens, and we walk along between plots of dill, thyme, and chives. I wait, knowing he will speak when he is ready.

“How much does your mother confide in you?” he asks as we near the middle of the gardens.

I slide a look at him from the corner of my eye. “Enough. My lord.”

His lips quirk, the first true smile I have seen from him. “Is that honest?”

I pause beside a bed of borage. “How much do I need to know, my lord? You are here seeking a wife for your son.”

“I am,” he agrees. “How often do you participate in the discussions between your mother and the council?”

“I don’t, my lord. You should know I am not...” I hesitate, aware that I have no place telling this king what he should or should not know. Or jeopardizing such an alliance for my land.

“Not what?”

I struggle to find an appropriate way to finish. “Not—it is not thought my place to attend such meetings.”

“You would never inherit the throne?”

I could inherit, it is true, but I doubt the council would allow it given my history—and certainly not now that I might marry into another royal family, one that would be happy to add our lands to their own. Either way, should my brother die, the council would certainly pass over me in favor of our nearest cousin. “It is unlikely,” I say finally.

“I doubt that,” the king says. “It has been my experience that even young men die. What you mean to say is your council would not accept you should your brother die without issue and you were yet unwed. Why?”

If he knows all the answers, why is he asking? I look him in the eye and quip, “Perhaps I am too honest, my lord.”

He laughs. “And too straightforward. You will have to learn to play with your words more.” He reaches out, his fingertips brushing my arm where my brother held me. I flinch back reflexively, as if the bruises have already darkened—as if he could see them through my sleeve. He watches me, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. “Once you are Menaiya’s,” he says, “your brother will never hurt you again.”

 

So, what are advance readers saying about this book?

“Thorn is a lovely atmospheric fairytale fantasy about a girl and her found family. I loved it!” - Gail Carriger, New York Times-bestselling author of the Parasol Protectorate series

“Intisar Khanani is in my top five favorite authors writing today. A stunningly talented storyteller whose lyrical writing just blows my socks off every time I read her.” – Grace Draven, USA Today bestselling author Eidolon

Purchase links:

Universal Book Link (All Stores): http://books2read.com/thorn

Goodreads: https://smarturl.it/thorngr

So, tell us how Thorn came to be…

Thorn was initially published as an indie novel in 2012, and lived a rich and full life before being discovered by my agent, Emmanuelle Morgen during a sale. She reached out to me to see if I was interested in traditional publishing in general, which I was. At a lunch with an editor at HarperTeen to discuss other books, she mentioned how happy she was to have signed me. After lunch, the editor went home, looked me up, bought her own copy of Thorn, and read it for herself. The rest, as they say, is history.

The story ran in Publisher’s Weekly here.

Fascinating!

Now, for the fun prize…

 

In celebration of the cover reveal, I'll be giving away a Thorn-inspired prize pack including a great snowy owl enamel pin, a gorgeous "quill" style calligraphy pen set, a hand-painted watercolor feather on a page from Thorn, and a "fairy dust" candle. The prize pack plus a $25 Gift Card will be awarded to one US winner. 

I am also offering a $25 Gift Card to one non-US winner. 

 
Winners will be randomly selected through Rafflecopter. Click the link below to enter. 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Awesome! Thanks so much, Intisar!

Happy reading, everyone! And don't forget to pre-order your copy now! The book comes out on March 24th!

Let's also give kudos to Intisar's sponsor, Xpresso Book Tours, for giving us a look at this young adult fantasy!

We'd love to have you visit again, Intisar! Thank you so much for coming by the blog! :)


About the Author
  Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. She has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, 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. She is the author of The Sunbolt Chronicles and Thorn (HarperTeen 2020). 

Author Links:


Website:  http://booksbyintisar.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/booksbyintisar
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/booksbyintisar
Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Intisar-Khanani/e/B00869D4L4/
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5780445.Intisar_Khanani Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/booksbyintisar/  
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/booksbyintisar/

 
Books:

Coming in March 2020:

Available Now: