Genre: Fantasy Age Range: YA Star Rating: 4 stars Series: Yes - first book in companion duology to THORN
Synopsis:
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.
Synopsis taken from Goodreads. Add to your shelves here.
Review:
THE THEFT OF SUNLIGHT is the start of a companion duology to Initisar Khanani’s traditionally published debut, THORN. You probably could read it without reading THORN, as it’s about a new character (though Alyrra and Kestrin, as well as others, have large roles in the supporting cast.) However, you’ll get a deeper understanding of the world and international politics playing out.
It is about an entirely new character, Rae, who is a lot of fun. She doesn’t have the privileged upbringing of a typical fantasy heroine – no titles. She’s from a middle class family who own their own business (horse ranch) and comes to the city, where she gets tangled with royalty. She’s so tenacious, and her clubfoot is never presented as an obstacle to overcome, but just a part of her life that she sometimes needs to make adjustments for.
Her dogged determination in the investigation really helps her stand out from Alyrra as a distinct character, as Alyrra has a much quieter and less obvious form of strength. Plus this is a mystery story, and THORN isn’t – you can’t solve a mystery without pursuing leads (unless your Miss Marple and then you get an unsatisfying story.)
The plot takes elements of THORN – the child snatching in the background – and makes it into the main plot. There are layers of corruption and deceit to uncover, each one only stacking the board more and more against Rae. By forcing her to only have a small circle of people she can trust, and no way to take it into the open because of who is involved, it made for a tense story as you sympathise with Rae’s rising frustration at how it will not only be hard to find the truth but also to see justice done.
The book ends on a cliffhanger – nooo! Thank goodness the next book is in the works already and hopefully it’s not too long a wait!
Read my reviews of other books by Intisar Khanani:
The Dauntless Path (this series):
- THORN (#1)
- A DARKNESS AT THE DOOR (#3, Rae #2)
- THE DAUNTLESS PATH NOVELLAS (#0.5, #1.5, and #1.7)
The Sunbolt Chronicles:
- SUNBOLT (#1)
Sifa Elizabeth Reads 