Thorn

By: Hollan L. McCarthy

Narrated by: Naomi Rose-Mock

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

The mysterious village of Brell isn't found on any map and has the habit of fading in and out of the surrounding river mists. In spite of this, the ordinary villagers living there don''t like anything strange. Or anyone.

Althea Morgan is odd and small and doesn't fit in. Growing up, she hopes to leave Brell behind. Perhaps even go to Moor, the capitol city, and study at the famous university there. But it isn't to be.

One day, a dangerous stranger appears, and before she knows it, Thea has stumbled into the extraordinary world of Thornwold, where animals talk, secrets lurk, and those in power have been forming plans for Thea since the day she was born. A dangerous prophecy and powerful legacy await her if she wants it. But does she?

Thea must decide what she truly wants before it is too late.

©2020 Hollan L. McCarthy (P)2022 Hollan L. McCarthy

Charming YA fantasy quest/journey

I liked this story and am glad that I listened to the audiobook. I enjoyed the heroine - friendly and kind-hearted, while dealing with challenges associated with growing up (e.g., independence vs. duty). There was some romance, but it was appropriate to a YA audience. I also liked the diverse cast of companions in the story; they weren't all cookie-cutter heroes.

There were two reasons why I gave the story four stars instead of five. First, I think I would have enjoyed it more if it was written in third-person omniscient rather than first-person present tense. This is my subjective opinion, but I've noticed that I don't enjoy stories as much when they're written in first-person or in present tense (so this was a double whammy, because it was written in both). I would need some time to think about why this is a personal preference for me, but I suspect it has to do with my enjoyment of engaging with a story as an observer in the audience rather than from the ground-level in-the-moment perspective of a teenage girl. Having said that, the main audience for this story is over 30 years younger than I am, and if I were a teenager myself I might be perfectly fine with first-person present-tense perspective. The second reason for not giving a full five stars is because there was a lot of stuff happening at the end of the story that got sort of jammed into the final chapter, which (I think) would have been much more interesting if it were fully expanded into multiple chapters. Again, here's where I believe first-person narratives fall short. The protagonist relates what happened to other characters during the final battle, for example, almost like it was second-hand, off-hand gossip. I was curious about all of those other major and minor characters/groups, and would have enjoyed learning more about their actions and emotions while the final showdown between the protagonist and antagonist was occurring.

This was a standalone story, but I think the author has a TON of material here to build a series around this book (prequel, sequels, back-stories or follow-ups of pretty much every single character). Heck, even a companion book of short stories would be worthwhile to read. The author did such a good job with world-building and characters, it would be a shame to say goodbye to them all at the end of this book.
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The narrator was great, no complaints at all. I sped up the playback speed to suit my personal preferences and would have zero qualms about listening to other audiobooks with this narrator.

I was provided this book upon my request and have voluntarily left this review.

An exciting magical journey

Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Hollan created a very fascinating world and I've enjoyed every moment it. A magical story with memorable characters that I still think about even after finishing the story. The main character is relatable and I've cried and laughed while following her journey. Overall a fun read, with interesting character backstories that adds on to the charm of the magical world. Shoutout to the narrator, Naomi Rose-Mock who did an excellent job in bringing out the magical elements of the story, as well as enhancing the characteristics of the different characters, making me fall even more deeply in love with each of them. She brought me through this journey perfectly and I have enjoyed it thoroughly.

Refreshing!

Beautifully written story! Fresh, new characters that can be celebrated. The reader brings the characters to life with her soothing, pleasant voice. Thea is such a wonderful heroine, so smart and brave. Mallious is pure evil, the perfect antagonist. The supporting characters are just the icing on the cake. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. You won’t regret buying!

What a great fantasy book!

I enjoyed this book from start to finish! I love that it really brings you in and you want to know what happens. Definitely grabbed my attention!