The Firethorn Crown

Firethorn Chronicles #1

by Lea Doué

Princess Lily, the eldest of twelve sisters and heir to a mighty kingdom, desperately seeks a break from her mother's matchmaking. Tradition forbids marriage with the man Lily loves, so she would rather rule alone than marry someone who only wants the crown.

Fleeing an overzealous suitor, Lily stumbles into a secret underground kingdom where she and her sisters encounter a mysterious sorcerer-prince and become entangled in a curse that threatens the safety of her family and her people. Lily can free them, but the price for freedom may be more than she's willing to pay.

The Firethorn Crown, a re-imagining of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," is the first in the Firethorn Chronicles, a series of stand-alone novels inspired by fairy tales and other stories. Follow the sisters on their adventures in a land where sorcery is feared, women can rule, and dragons fly.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Fairy Tale Retellings, Magic

300 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2015

About the author

A native of south Georgia, Lea currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her husband, their two boys, and four cats. But, sadly, no dragons.

Reviews

[Shantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eeeeeee! I loved it! SO MUCH!

You all know how much I love retellings of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, right? Well, I realized I've read eight retellings of this classic fairy tale, and The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doue definitely ranks as one of my favorites. (It actually reminded me somewhat of Entwined by Heather Dixon, which is my favorite The Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling fairy tale of all time!)

Lily is the crown princess of Ituria, a land filled with dragons (big and small), overeager suitors, eleven younger sisters, and sometimes, unfortunately, ... sorcery. In hopes of evading a particularly annoying admirer, Lily and her sisters stumble into a dark trap that not only threatens their entire kingdom, but also further ensures that Lily cannot marry the secret love of her heart.

Fantasy mixed with fairy tale is perfection. Dragons and princesses? Excitement, action, and tender romance? Yes, please! ^_^ I loved the fantastical kingdom of Ituria and the twelve endearing sisters! Lily was sweet and brave and lovely ... trying to do the right thing amidst brutal circumstances. She does her best to be strong, and also realizes that oftentimes we need our family and friends to stand alongside us. All the younger sisters were interesting and humorous and cute. I just adore tales like this! One of the reasons I love The Twelve Dancing Princesses so much must be because of all those sisters! (I'm an eldest sister myself ... have four younger sisters.) So yes, I just related to Lily in some ways and loved her character!

In fact, all the characters in The Firethorn Crown were delightful! Excepting the villain and some of the overeager admirers, that is. Three young men in particular, (you'll know who they are) were completely lovable and perfect and endearing and sweet and strong and protective! *all the heart eyes* I love these big brotherly characters who care so tenderly for the twelve sisters! It simply delights my heart.

Yes, yes. Can't say enough for these lovely fictional peoples. Fantastic job, Lea Doue, in your character-creating and world building! I was swept away ... kept on the edge of my seat ... intrigued and breathless ... muchly concerned for my dear characters ... and finally, satisfied and happy! ^_^ And, I had to chuckle many a time! *grins*

There was no Christian allegory/symbolism to speak of, but Lea Doue is a Christian and I felt there weren't any elements to be concerned about in her book. Besides some edgy gowns that the sisters are forced to wear, and sorcery being wielded by the villain (who also gets a little too close to Lily—but no kissing), I have no other cautions. I would recommend to middle to older teens and adults who enjoy this type of book.

I am utterly intrigued by this tale, and can't wait to continue the FIRETHORN CHRONICLES with The Midsummer Captives!

Lea Doue, you offically have another fan! Thank you for writing such amazing fairy tale stories!

[Kristen Kooistra · Rating 5 out of 5]

For years Princess of the Midnight Ball has been my favorite retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses. This weekend, that book finally met its equal. I say equal because it's impossible for me to decide which is better. So they're tied for my favorite retelling of this tale.

This story is simply amazing and I could probably gush about it, but I was up too late reading it!!! And now I won't be my most eloquent self.

I loved, loved, loved this story. The characters were amazing, the plot felt new even though it was a retelling. The descriptions . . . hoooly frogfish. I mean, Doué knocked them out of the park. I don't know if I've ever seen such beautiful descriptions. So vivid that I'm actually upset that I can't buy paintings of her world. I'd cover my walls in pictures of this place.

Love the connection between the sisters and how there's more than just one male character. I like that there's was a new take on the oldest sister, her parents, and the love interest. I liked that there were a couple of decent men that I could imagine having their own stories in the future as well as several of the princesses.

I know, I'm just saying I love everything and that's not helpful. But if you've ever read my reviews, you know I'm never so lost as to just skip around going Love, love, love, and have no words for why. So hopefully the fact that I can't even begin to describe in detail what I liked about this says how much I like it.

I'm buying myself the paperback for Christmas. And when book 2 comes out, I'm buying the paperback of that without reading the ebook first . . . so there.

If you love retellings or fantasy, or deep stories with a rich cast of characters READ THIS!!! Read it, love it, don't read it if you don't have time to read it in one sitting, because you will miss whatever important thing you had to do to finish this. I should know. I missed out on half a night of sleep on two nights surrounding a party I was hosting(so already dead tired) because I couldn't put this down.

[☆ serethiel ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Well, this book is ridiculously and utterly spectacular. <3

I can't wait to start The Midsummer Captives!

[Tricia Mingerink · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really inventive, very loose retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale with a few other fairy tales mixed in for good measure. It was somewhat darker and creepier than I was expecting, but in a good way. The fairy tale definitely has room for a little creepiness, and this book pulled it off really well.

Eben and Lily were awesome together. I adored them and was cheering them on through all the obstacles in the way.

Lily's father was just the best. In the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale, the father is kind of harsh/oblivious/not a good parent. This one switches some of that role to the mother while giving a believable and heart-wrenching reason for why she is doing the things that she does.

I listened to this book on audiobook, and the narrator does a really good job. I can't wait to listen to or read the next book!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/22/2019)! 🎁

[deborah o'carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten Thoughts on The Firethorn Crown
(read for February 2017 bookclub read in the Fellowship of Fantasy book club)

1. THE COVER. It is awesome. Excuse me while I stare at it forever.

2. TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES! I’m totally here for a retelling of my favorite fairytale. (Which may mean I was pickier about how I wanted the book to be than I should have been, but oh well.) It was so fun to read this retelling and I greatly enjoyed seeing how it was done. :)

3. Eben the guard was awesome and my favorite. :D I wish we’d gotten more of him and/or some of his POV. He was epic! That is all.

4. The princesses, as usual, were a little hard to sort at first, but I did get used to which were which eventually. My favorite was Neylan (with her mini dragons!). And the princes (some of them pairing off with princesses) WERE SO FUN. Orin the goose prince, Holic the red-head prince… So funny, loyal, and helpful. :D

5. DRAGONS. I might have liked more details about them and to see more of them, but it was really neat that there were all different kinds/sizes, as natural wildlife. The butterwings (kind of like butterfly dragons, mini ones who hang around in the flowers) were my favorites. I wish they’d been outright stated and described instead of implied, though, because sometimes it took me awhile to figure out that honeysucklers, woolies, etc. were kinds of dragons. But dragons! Looking forward to seeing more of them in the later books!

6. It took a break from other retellings in which the princesses’ king dad is a grumpy semi-antagonist for some of the story; instead, he’s away most of the book, so their mom fills in that role. XD

7. I don’t know how I feel about the villain. There seems to be a longstanding twelve-dancing-princesses-retelling tradition in which we have a mysterious character that we don’t know if he’s good or not but I kind of WANT him to be good, but… he’s not. Or is he? Eh. I have complex feels about this character and don’t know what I think. I DON’T KNOW. MUCH CONFUSING FEELS.

8. I really enjoyed this book—a lot—but I didn’t love it for some reason, and I can’t put my finger on why. Maybe because of how attached I am to the fairytale it’s retelling, so I’m pickier? Maybe the way it constantly hinted at things but never stated stuff, as if the writing was shy of the forbidden “telling” versus showing? (But taking it too far?) Maybe I was conflicted over a certain character? Maybe there were a lot of things I wished had happened that didn’t? Anyways, there was something a little bit off which prevented it becoming an absolute favorite, BUT I did enjoy it a lot and it was overall a quite good book. :)

9. I quite liked the world—it was colorful and interesting. I look forward to seeing more of it! (Especially the dragons. Ahem.)

10. Overall, it was great fun reading this retelling and I can’t wait to continue the series! There are characters I’m excited to see more of, and mysteries left vaguely hanging (like True the goose. WHAT is the deal with True the goose??). If you enjoy good clean fun books and fairytale retellings, I recommend giving this one a try. :)

(Note: I won a copy of this book from the author in a giveaway. This in no way influenced my opinions, which are entirely my own.)

Review originally posted on The Page Dreamer: https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/...

[H.L. Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like a good romantic fairy tale retelling and this one provided just enough new to the story while keeping aspects I like (I'm a sucker for the wounded warrior hero, for instance). There are a lot of characters in this and for the most part they remain distinct. Yeah, sometimes it is hard to keep track of all 12 princesses, but the ones who carry the plot definitely stand out and I think that's what matters. I'm glad it didn't get busy trying to give them equal "screen time."
Minor complaints: "okay" in fantasy novels is a pet peeve of mine, and this uses it a lot. I think that's just me, though. Overall, a satisfying read.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a part of me that wants to give this book a more positive rating. There were some aspects of it that I did enjoy. In particular, I appreciate that the author was trying to give all of the princesses a more active role in this story and trying to have a story with strong female agency, but ultimately the story was not satisfying in those areas and was very frustrating to read for a number of reasons.

Let me list the positives first:

The author takes pains to make each sister distinct from the others. Not all twelve of them get so much character development that they become actually memorable (it was probably a good decision that the author narrowed it down and focused on some in particular and gave them more characterization than the others), but even through the little touches of detail given to the more minor-character sisters, one does get the sense that these are all individual persons, with their own personalities and so on.

I also liked that the characters—all of the sisters, and also some of the men who were interested in them—worked together to try to solve the curse that the sisters were under. There was a great sense of camaraderie among the sisters, and the way the all cooperated together and helped each other was a breath of fresh air because—the author is right—people do need each other.

And I did like the two princes who were interested in two of the other princesses besides Lily. The one was interested in the sister that he was interested in because of seeing her portrait which had been drawn by an orphan in an orphanage where she was teaching the children art, and I find that his showing an interest in her interest (the orphanage) being something that makes her feel positive towards him a very realistic thing. And it was charming to see the princess that he liked gradually setting aside her determination that she was going to marry an heir because she was falling in love with this man instead. But I particularly liked the goose-keeper prince; he seemed very down-to-earth and a generally nice person.

Finally, the treatment of the villain at the end of the story seemed to me to strike a good balance between recognizing that the hellish circumstances in which he was raised probably had something to do with making him a psychotic murderer while still recognizing that he is a dangerous criminal and not white-washing that or getting so caught up in pity for him that the atrocities he committed were glossed over.

So here are the negatives:

Lily as a character is extremely wishy-washy, and other than her occasional ability to corral all eleven of her sisters and make them stand still and listen (which, admittedly, is a bit impressive), there is no evidence whatsoever that, as one of the other sisters says to her at the end of the book, she is the strongest of them all. She doesn’t clearly say “no” to Lord Runson (the man she hates) until it’s too late, leaving open the opportunity for him to press his suit with the support of her mother.

Also, Lily does not love Eben.

She has a crush on Eben.

When given the choice either of confessing her love to Eben, who has given some pretty good indications that he feels the same way towards her, and breaking the curse on herself and all of her sisters by doing so, or to marry a dangerous psychotic man and live underground all her life (sacrificing herself and freeing her sisters), her reaction is more or less, “Hmm, let me think about that. Confess my love to the person that I love and hope that he returns my feelings, or spend the rest of my life with a dangerous and mentally unbalanced man, unable to ever see the light of day or my loved ones again. That’s a tough one, but I’m gonna have to go with ‘marry the dangerous psychotic.’” This is despite the fact that she’s given some pretty decent indications by Eben himself that he has feelings for her and has been told outright by her father, “It is totally okay to marry a soldier.” (The fact that Eben is a mere soldier is advanced as a reason why Lily thinks she can’t marry him, but given that the kingdom was founded by a soldier, readers can easily see through to the end that it is going to be okay for a princess to marry a soldier, making it extremely unconvincing that Lily does not realize the same thing.) Anyways, this is not how someone truly in love acts. Love makes people bold. Love believes in the beloved. Love hopes. Lily’s being so worried that Eben might not love her in return that she is unable to confess her feelings to him is the action of someone who is merely infatuated, and even she herself admits at some point that her inability to do this is not truly motivated out of concern for her sisters but purely out of fear of the embarrassment of telling someone she loves him and maybe finding out that he doesn’t return her feelings. In other words, it’s just cowardice. Yet, she gets away with this cowardice, and everything still turns out all right in the end despite the princess failing to step up and do this one brave thing she has been asked to do.

Next, there’s Eben himself. Although I do like the two princes, I cannot see what there is about Eben that Lily likes. We’re told that they are close friends who grew up together, but we readers don’t actually see that friendship developed, or hardly even touched on, so it’s something that’s told to us rather than shown. During the book itself, Eben is usually being broody and uncommunicative over some thing or another, like when Lily isn’t speaking (before he realizes that she can’t) or she spends time with another man (making Lily’s inability to pick up on Eben’s feelings for her all the more unrealistic).

There is also the princesses’ mother. Oh, the mother. I am really not sure what the author is trying to do with this character. At times, it seems like the author is trying to present the queen as someone who in normal circumstances is a good and caring mother but who right now happens to be stressed out because of her husband’s absence, which is causing her to be overbearing and make some incredibly poor decisions, like trying to force her eldest daughter to marry a man whom she hates. It’s hard to imagine a mother who has the good moments that she has been described as having, and who really does care about her daughters, doing such a horrible thing, and during the book we mostly see the mother being overbearing and horrible, so she comes across as horrible mother overall; the characterization is very inconsistent, though.

I have touched on this already when discussing Lily as a character, but despite the author’s obvious attempts to give women in this fairy tale a more active role than they originally had, there are a couple of very key ways in which female agency ultimately is lacking. One of these is that when the princesses’ father the king is away, things are gradually falling apart, and despite everyone’s efforts they need a man (the king) to come back and straighten things out. This is particularly true of the fiasco of the queen trying to force Lily to marry. This is a mess caused by the queen which her husband has to fix, and which he does fix quite simply by asking Lily to indicate (without speaking) whether she wants to marry Runson, dismissing Runson’s suit when she indicates that she does not, and telling her it is fine to marry a soldier. Also, despite the fact that Lily is given one act of courage that she must do in order to break the curse, she is unable to do even that. The fact that the story resolves without her having to take a simple step of courage to tell her feelings to someone seems to me a horrible cop-out and was immensely frustrating.

Lastly, there was the repeated use of the word “boys” to refer to young men.

I wanted this book to be better than it was because of the things that I genuinely did enjoy, like the goose-herding prince, the fact that the princesses were all given personalities, and the attempt to give the princesses a more active role in the story. But unfortunately, due to the above problems, it is a highly-flawed retelling.

[Jemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twas pretty good :) I quite enjoyed it.

The story and plot were very interesting, and they had good characters to move them along. Most of the major characters were fairly well fleshed out.

The writing was also pretty good, there were a couple of moments were the logic didn't follow, and the climax was a little odd, but overall not to bad.

Very fun :)

[Coralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh, and I have stumbled across another 12 Dancing Princesses! Score!

Okay, first my complaints: the world-building. I feel like the setting and world-building had so much potential! I mean, this could have been GREAT! But, for me, it was just good. I loved the ideas presented: the dragons--apparently there are different kinds--the history of the kingdoms with the Dragon War, which we still know practically nothing about by the end of the book; the tension in the society between the people and sorcerers; the significance of the Soldier-king and of the firethorn crown? These are all questions I had and loose ends that I didn't feel were even attempted to be tied off. Maybe it'll be cleared up in the subsequent novels? I'll certainly keep reading, but the presentation was hard to swallow. I was thrust into the deep-end of the pool, not in the good way. It was just so much that it was hard to grasp and it even hindered my reading in the beginning of the story. I wanted to know what all of the terms meant, the special kinds of trees and dragons and other things, but I finally had to accept that I wouldn't understand and just move on.

The good: everything else! The characters were sweet, though in the classical 12 Dancing fashion, a little difficult to keep up with all of the sisters. That said, they were the only characters I struggled to keep up with and only some of them at that. The rest of the cast were all a brilliant pop of color on the story's canvas and I look forward to seeing more of them in the second and third books. The plot was very well done. I really enjoy this fairy tale anyway, but I've seen it done well and I've seen it done not-so-well. Doué did it well. I loved how she captured the darkness of the underground realm and of the curse, but without making it despairing or hopeless to the reader. I also really enjoyed the necklaces. Not gonna say more than that, other than that I thought that was...well-done. From their physical formation to what they represented and how they operated throughout the story. That was a piece I truly admired. (Though, to be perfectly honest, I was a little disappointed in the way that ended. It had such a great build up and then felt almost like a cop out. Borderline.) I liked the interpretation on the tale and how some of the classic elements, such as invisibility, the underground realm, the slippers, the boy, and the mystery were handled. It was paced pretty well, not exactly a page-turner, but it didn't drag by any means.

This was a dynamic piece. It was a good read, truly, but I do feel that it just...fell a little short at times and had the potential to be epic.

Subtle romance, no swearing, mild violence. Some mild thematic material, though, involving a kind of disturbed character and a little sorcery, though nothing explicit. Totally clean. Personally, I'd probably recommend high school and up.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent retelling of one of my favorite fairytales! The Firethorn Crown can't top Entwined (literally my favorite fairytale retelling ever), but I still very much enjoyed it! I like the sisters and their love interests, and Thurian and his Undergarden were properly creepy. (Not sure what else to think about Thurian; part of me says "ooh, fascinating" and part of me says "dude, you're a creepy spoiled brat.") Also, there's dragons. Like, so many types of dragons. Like butterwing dragons that sit in certain people's hair. (I want to be Neylan, by the way. She's fabulous.) And big dangerous dragons, and . . . actually, I can't remember if the other types show up in this book or not. Anyway.

Only three things kept this from being a full five-star book for me. For one, I didn't feel like I connected that well with any of the characters? I liked them all quite a lot, but I didn't connect. For another, the princesses' mother bothered me quite a bit. I know we're not necessarily supposed to like her, but still . . . her portrayal didn't sit right with me. Finally, I'm still not entirely sure how certain parts of the ending worked? Most of it I'm clear on; just bits confused me. That' might be because I read it in the car, though.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book, and would heartily recommend it to others seeking good retellings of the 12 Dancing Princesses fairy tale!

[Elise Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. A great read.

A few details surrounding the curse and the sorcerer confused me a bit.

Fair play to the author for making many of the 12 main characters stand out as individuals. I thought that was done extremely well.

[J.M. Stengl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, filled with action, adventure, and romance.
The villain was particularly interesting, and I look forward to reading about several of the sisters and their princes.

[Samantha B · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were many, many things to love about this book! As you all know, I am, after all, a sucker for Twelve Dancing Princesses stories. Unfortunately, there were also some large nitpicks that I have to nitpick. (I thought about reviewing this on my blog, but two TDP retelling reviews in a row would be a bit much, I think. XD)

Things I loved:
-Lily, and her love for her sisters, and the responsibility she feels for the kingdom
-EBEN straight up love the kid
-The main romantic relationship was very sweet and based on friendship, and I approve. *emphatic nod*
-All of the sisters! One of the reasons I love TDP retellings is because of the huge families of siblings, and that did not fail here. (Although the inevitable confusion about which siblings are which ages in which order did not fail, either.)
-Former nursemaid-slash-bodyguard!!! SO COOL!
-The way the maze worked, and that was cool!
-The thing with the sorcerer and how the spell worked, and how it developed!
-The hints of other fairytales, like The Goose Girl and that one about the seven brothers that get turned into swans, too.
-The worldbuilding! Mini dragons! Festivals with massive balls! And stuff! Yay!

Things I didn't like as much:
-Inconsistencies in character. With Tharius, AND their mom, there was some seriously confusing confusingness when it came to character.
-Speaking of serious confusingness, the thing about the sorcerer and his parents? That was confusing.
-The rules for when the princesses could & couldn't talk about and when were inconsistent.
-There were a few tiny instances of telling-not-showing.
-Also, look, the ending was...fine. But seriously? It's kind of Frozen-ish. Like, in a fairly obvious way. So. That was a little irritating.

I think I'd give this one three stars.

[J.M.]

What a fun read this book is! I've never before read a retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses in which the author effectively gave distinct personalities to each princess. Some of the characters in this book are more distinct than others, of course, but I really viewed each girl as a separate person. And the hero and the princes are likable and distinct too. None of the characters are deeply drawn except the heroine, but I didn't mind that.
The mystery was intriguing, the magical world both thrilling and creepy, and the romance quite satisfying. There was more than one "bad guy," and each had solid reasons behind his villainy.
I could have wished the heroine had a bit more sense and courage when it came to breaking the curse, yet at the same time I understood her confusion--the situation was twisted and confusing for her.
All in all, I enjoyed this book and intend to continue reading the series!

[Mary Emma Sivils · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fairytale about the twelve dancing princesses was always an interesting story to me when I was little, so even though fairytale retellings aren't always my favorite thing, I decided to give this one a try. Some parts of it I enjoyed, other parts not as much. The relationships of the sisters were very sweet, but it's probably not surprising when I say that with 12 of them, it was hard to keep track of who was who. I liked the ones I could remember, though. 😁 There were some other fun characters, too, and the creepy atmosphere of the Undergarden was well done.
The main point I struggled with was the plot. There didn't seem to be much of one, really, especially since the main character spent most of the time not knowing what to do. The few choices she did make were ones I couldn't relate to.
Again, fairytale retellings aren't my first choice, so for someone who loves them, this could be a great read!

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this take on the retelling of the 12 dancing princesses. Not that i'd heard about the story before, but Lea Douè captured me with every word. Can't wait to buy the next book from her!

[anjuli · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
It just wasn't for me. I tried. But, I got a little bored and haven't had a chance to get back to it.

[Claire Banschbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This started out kind of slow for me. My tiny brain got really confused with all the names of the twelve princesses and the occasional servant being thrown around with abandon. But then I started to recognize names or just stopped trying to remember everyone. Either way I got completely sucked into the story.

Twelve Dancing Princesses has always been an interesting fairy tale to me and I enjoy retellings of it. This one had the added bonus of spells and curses and a groups of guys who get together and decide they're going to help the princesses because they're good guys (and also crushing on some of the princesses :) ). I loved all the team ups. The bits of romance were adorable. The bad guy was a little weird, but he had been underground all of his life, so what do you expect? The other lord who was chasing Lily was so smug and annoying. I loved it. I also loved the sisters' scheming to try and avoid him.

Loved the little twist at the end regarding the curse! And I loved how the king basically was shipping his daughter with one of the guys! :)

I read the rest of the book pretty much in one sitting. Like I said, completely sucked into the story. I loved the world where there's tiny dragons flying around, mazes in the garden, secret passages underground, a prince tending the geese, and freaking awesome girl characters. I loved all of the girls (even though I had difficulty sorting all of them and their different hobbies through the entire book - that's pretty much what the half star was knocked off for).

The romance was fantastic. I loved how both characters obviously liked each other but were actually going to do their duty and not say anything to the other because it wouldn't be proper or whatever. But it all works out.

I'll stop going on and on, but to recap - I loved this book. I laughed, I was on the edge of my seat, I was about ready to strangle some characters, and pretty much got the second book right away. Highly recommended for anyone who loves fairy tales, awesome characters, fast paced stories, and awesome plots!

[Kelsey Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I truly enjoyed this fast-paced read. I think this was my first Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling. As is typical, it was hard (especially at the beginning) to keep the sisters all straight, and I still don't have their birth order memorized. But I could tell each sister was supposed to have a unique personality, which is better than lumping them all together, which is what often happens with stories about lots of siblings. I also liked the male side characters; the good guys were depicted in just the right way to make female readers love them. :)

My main drawback was how I often felt I needed more explanation to understand what was going on. Even how everything panned out in the ending was unclear to me, and I feel like I had to guess some of what happened. There's a fine line between too much explanation and too little, and this book often fell on the side of too little. I also wished for more world-building because I like fantasy with a rich history and culture. However, there's something refreshing about the uncluttered prose. The sensory detail was lovely---colors, smells, etc.

Definitely a worthwhile read for lovers of fairy-tale retellings!

[C.P. Cabaniss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable read. I haven't read many adaptations of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, if any, but I really like how this was done. The fantasy elements through the Prince's sorcery gave it an extra spark.

One of the best things about this was the relationship between the sisters. Lily, the oldest, is the main character, but every sister has a vital role. And they all loved each other so much. Keeping track of 12 of them was a bit tough, but the author distinguished them beautifully.

The romantic aspect of the story was cute. Lily doesn't want to marry someone who just wants the crown, but she also doesn't think she can have the man she wants. Things are complicated further when she stumbles upon the dangerous prince Tharius.

The downside of this for me was Lily. While I enjoyed her character, I didn't see as much growth from her as I would have liked. She thought herself weak and in some ways she was. I just wish she had taken a few more risks. Though I did enjoy her reliance on her sisters which showed all of their devotion to one another.

[E. Writes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Firethorn Crown brings a uniquely nuanced take to the classic problem of who opens the door into which the Twelve Dancing Princesses troop, and become enmeshed in the problem that wears out their shoes.

As the story follows the eldest sister in first person point of view, the other girls all add a delightful mix of characters to the tale, but the truly most compelling persona here is the prince trapped in a web he grew up in, and how that has warped his perspective on life; and how it will continue to play out across his life from the instant the webs are finally snapped, is the most fascinating question this delightful tale presents.

An introduction to the series that continues with tales of the other sisters (a tempting morsel for any author to undertake! ;-) ) Lea Pike Doue has a compelling premise on her hands for many books to come. Her world building is fun and fantastical without relying too heavy-handedly on the dragon-y elements to do any real problem solving, she manages to harmonize a complex and completely different fairytale world with character driven plots that call for princesses to rescue themselves if they hope to find true love… or let it find them, as the case may be.

I do hope this author will continue her efforts in giving all the girls a tale, because they were each warm and real in a way that made me want to get to know them better. Particularly Ivy, even though she was only briefly featured here and not at all featured in the second book, Midsummer Captives, or the third, Red Dragon Girl. Ivy particularly stole my heart, and I hope that by the time Lea reaches her tale she captures the sorrow tinged girl with a great head on her shoulders and terrific judge of character with the complexity Ivy’s tale is certain to deserve.

In fact, if I could advise the author at all, I’d request for more sisters to show up in each other’s books, because although fewer characters makes it easier to follow for both writer and readers, I feel a grave lack when the warmth of their happy, loving relationships are not included in a prominent way.

[S.G. Willoughby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. I loved the characters (or hated them, depends on the one XD). The author did a great job with a huge cast. Each one was easy to follow and I didn't get confused. (And that's saying something.) I did feel like I was missing a bit of the history behind the soldier-king and the firethorn crown, but perhaps I just need to reread the beginning again now that I have my footing (and more mental clarity). My favorite characters were Orin and Holic. So chivalrous and... I agree with Lily: adorable. XD I like Eben too, but Orin and Holic were great. And I also loved Lily's father in the little part he was in. For a book about twelve dancing princesses, there sure were a ton of well-developed male characters. The princesses themselves were also great. :) Most of them didn't feel quite as deep as I'd have liked, and the focus seemed to be more on the plot than character depth. Like.... the characters were developed, but none were super deep. If that makes sense.

Content: Excessive (and sometimes gross) "physical affection" (for lack of better word) from some of the suitors. (But the book only contained... 2 kisses. And idk if one even counted.) There are also quite a few mentions of immodest clothing. And one of the suitors, though did not succeed in doing anything really -- kinda creeped me out and "threatened" some of the girls. Ugh.

[The Captain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ahoy there mateys! This be a twelve dancing princess retelling.  I really wanted to like this one.  The main highlight of this book is that all twelve sisters are unique and have personalities.  It was clear that they loved each other.  I also loved that they worked together to help beat the curse.  I enjoyed two of the princes too - the goose prince and the one who liked art.  The maze and the enchanted world were fun.  How the villain's past is resolved at the end worked.  What didn't work was the plot and the main character.  This be one of those stories where Lily, the main character, was kinda an idiot.  She is supposed to be strong and talented and the best to run the kingdom.  Plus she is the oldest.  I found her to be whiny and a bit ridiculous.  There is a love interest that stalks her and she could have taken care of it long before it got out of hand by saying no and not letting him assume that she cared.  Later the curse could have been cured by her using her head and telling the truth.  She is a coward and self-absorbed.  I think many of the sisters could run the kingdom better.  I didn't like how the curse was ultimately resolved or how the king had to come back to fix everything.  I didn't like the mother or the actual love interest.  And the dragons were awesome but there weren't enough of them! Arrrr!

[Leah Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily and her eleven sisters aren't your ordinary, fairy-tale princesses. They go for morning runs, help at the orphanage, are regulars in the kitchen, learned self-defense from their governess, and love playing cat and mouse in a huge maze. It's during one such game of cat and mouse that Lily's attempt to escape an overbearing suitor causes all twelve girls to stumble into a kingdom beneath their castle.

Tangled in a curse, the girls must return to the underground kingdom each night. Only Lily can save them, but her decision seems impossible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The content is squeaky clean, the focus remains on the action, and the true love story is one of long-term friendship and devotion. The two not-true-love dudes in the book are pretty creepy, but they're dealt with appropriately in the end.

I'm intrigued to read book two which, instead of retelling a fairy tale, retells a Shakespearean play.

[Laurie Lucking · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! I think I finished it in three days, when I really didn't have time to read it that quickly... Who needs sleep anyway, right? :) Lily is an easy heroine to relate to as she deals with the pressures of being the oldest sister and a society that wants her to hurry up and choose a husband, when the guy she wants doesn't seem to be one of her options. The interactions between Lily and her younger sisters were fun and sweet. Even when their different personalities clashed, it was clear how much they cared about each other and how far they would go to protect one another. It wasn't always easy to keep them all straight, but I was pleasantly surprised how many of the twelve sisters stood out in my mind by the end. I'm looking forward to getting to know them all better in future books in the series! Prince Tharius was such a fascinating character - I vacillated right along with Lily on whether to regard him with empathy or to not trust a word he said. His complexity added a lot of twists to the plot, which kept me guessing and turning pages. And the romance was lovely *sigh*. It got a little frustrating when miscommunications kept building up, but that just made the resolution that much more satisfying :) I love the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale, and I think this may be my new favorite retelling!

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in a giveaway*

[Helena Š. George · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly can't remember how I got my hands on this book, but I originally was a little hesitant to read it. In fact, I was prepared to stop reading it if anything I didn't like popped up.

That did not happen. Nope. Not in the least.

I was drawn into a world of dresses, mazes, and tiny dragons. I fell in love with the Princes, and danced all night with the Princesses. And I scratched my head as I tried to figure out how in the world Lily was going to save herself and her sisters.

There /was/ magic in this story, and admittedly, this was one of the reasons I was prepared to stop reading. I've never felt completely comfortable with magic. However, the magic was shown in a bad light in The Firethorn Crown. Those who practice it are put in a bad light.

This is a retelling of the Dancing Princess, and honestly, I just fell in love with it! Hopefully the next books in the Firethorn Chronicles will not let me down after this one!

Overall, fairly clean. Some occasional battles, but not graphic; a little bit of kissing, but nothing indecent; some magic, but not overpowering; wonderful characters, with all sorts of talents and personalities (which never confused me); and lots of humor.

Plus, Prince Orin is a wonderful character - a Prince who loves tending Geese?? Do I sense some Goose Girl themes? But Lily was a great heroine. I loved her, and rooted for her so much!

[Bess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is my second attempt at reading this. This attempt was far more successful.
I liked the story. Although it was hard to keep track of all the sisters, even having read their descriptions prior to beginning the book again.
I agree with some of the other readers, Lily is likable if not a bit uncertain of herself. She knew her feelings but struggled with Eben's. Thank goodness her sisters took it upon themselves to help her out! Bam! Curse broken. That was a bit of a twist. Who knew someone else could explain your feelings to someone and it breaks the curse instead of having Lily say it?! Nice touch!
I liked all of the princesses and the 2 princes and Eben. I didn't care for the sorcerer. I can't say I felt his plight at all. He was too far gone in my opinion for any sympathy. The queen wasn't likable but the king and the other sorcerer were. I wouldn't call this a "light" read. It had some seriously dark undertones but it was enjoyable.
No profanities, indiscretions, or gore. Mild violence. And lots of deception. Fantasy in a word!

[Laurel Garver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming story of sisterhood and magical misadventures. A really enjoyable read. Despite the large cast of characters, I didn't feel overwhelmed, simply caught up in the wonderful chaos of a big, loving family that has the kind of sibling chemistry I love in Madeleine L'Engle's stories.

There are plenty of wonderful details, from the tiny dragons that flutter about like insects, to the delicious descriptions of royal clothing, that make you want to linger in this fantasy world. The plot moved along at a nice pace, and though the dialogue felt a bit too contemporary in places, there's some great repartee that had me laughing.

As a parent, I think this fairy tale retelling would be great for preteens as well as teens (and adults too).

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars for an imaginative fantasy loosely based on the fairy tale "The 12 Dancing Princesses." The 12 sisters were wonderfully drawn, though it took a while for me to keep them straight. The setting feels real, and I love the dragons of all sizes, though we only "hear" about the big scary ones. The plot had as many twists and turns as the maze featured in the story, and once I neared the climax, I could NOT put this book down. If you like fairy tales, fantasy with suspense, romance, and dragons, I recommend this clean read for ages 12 and up!