Dauntless Path

In the kingdom of Adania, everyone knows what Princess Alyrra did to earn the court's contempt, her mother's disdain, and her brother's hatred.She betrayed her own.Yet, the truth hides another story, one of honor and honesty, of a princess gambling her own life for another's. It's a tale of courage and consequences, and a choice that can never be undone.A short story prequel to her multi-starred fantasy, Thorn, Intisar Khanani's "Brambles" gives Alyrra's account of what really happened all those years ago, and how a few critical days turned her life into a daily fight for survival. Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters.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. Intisar's next two projects include a companion trilogy to Thorn, following the heroine introduced in her short story The Bone Knife, and a novella series set in a fiction world of eleven kingdoms all controlled by a corrupt Council of Mages. Thorn is her first novel. The Dauntless Path novels feature stories set in the land of Menaiya, and include "Thorn" and "The Theft of Sunlight."

Sometimes even fire-breathing apex predators need a helping hand. Whether it's rescuing strays or feeding a furry friend in need, Bean knows animals deserve friendship just as much as humans. (Possibly more.) So, when a troop of visiting soldiers plans to use a baby dragon as bait to kill its mother, Bean knows it's up to her to stop them. But facing a squad of fighters and the mage leading them is bigger than Bean's usual rescues. Good thing she has a squad of her own: her fierce and practical older sister Rae, and Niya, her middle sister with a secret magical talent up her sleeve. A totally mighty team, so long as her big sisters understand this is Bean's mission, one she won't give up even if it's dangerous. Even if the plan goes wrong. And if she actually frees the hatchling? Maybe her siblings will finally notice what Bean's been trying to show them for ages: their little sister isn't so little anymore.

Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Sorcery of Thorns, this exhilarating, page-turning fantasy will pull readers into a lush and stunning world where nothing-and no one-can be trusted. I did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away from it. Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend's sister is snatched, Rae knows she can't look away any longer-even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule. Yet the court holds its share of surprises. There she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. Armed with the princess's support, Rae seeks answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges street thief with secrets of his own.  But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself. Praise for Intisar Khanani's Thorn: "Set in a dark and dangerous world. Well-written and dramatically told, teens will find much to love in a novel in which the princess grows to become a force to be reckoned with."  -School Library Journal (starred review) "Khanani beautifully crafts Alyrra's quiet but clear journey of self-definition." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Hunted meets The Wrath and the Dawn in this bold fairytale retelling-where court intrigue, false identities, and dark secrets will thrill fans of classic and contemporary fantasy alike. Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life, but when her mother betroths her to a powerful prince in a distant kingdom, she has little hope for a better future. Until Alyrra arrives at her new kingdom, where a mysterious sorceress robs her of both her identity and her role as princess-and Alyrra seizes on the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.  But as Alyrra uncovers dangerous secrets about her new world, including a threat to the prince himself, she knows she can't remain silent 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. Originally self-published as an ebook and now brought to life with completely revised text, Thorn also features an additional short story set in-world, The Bone Knife.