Thank you so much, Saga Hillbom, for sharing this ARC with me so I could review it!
Earlier this year, Hillbom shared her previous book City of Bronze, City of Silver, with me and I absolutely loved it. It was a historical fiction about a woman from Sparta and a man from Athens, falling in love despite all odds.
Princess of Thorns is another historical fiction, taking place in 1400s, England. It follows the life of real historical figure Cecily of York, one of many women in England’s history who’s frequently forgotten. This isn’t an exciting book, but that doesn’t keep it from being fascinating and heartbreaking. Cecily spends most of the book torn between loyalties, as her mother and her uncle stand on different sides, and being thrown around the country by adults looking out for nothing but their own agenda.
Cecily’s growth is staggering. In her first PoV chapter, she pouts over getting a casket covered in rubies rather than diamonds, but that spoiled princess doesn’t last for long. Through loss and hardship, she grows into a clever woman, defiant despite the restrictions others would put on her.
Yet not all schemes work, and Cecily suffers more heartbreak than victory. She loses people again and again, either to death or distance, and control of her own life is constantly wrested away from her. Many may often find it hard to properly relate to historical figures, having lived so long ago and under such different circumstances, but Hillbom makes it easy to care about Cecily. She’s imperfect, but earnest. She never quite manages to rein in her emotions like her perfect older sister. She’s a survivor, continuing despite every loss. At the core, she’s just another young woman who never truly wants anything but love and approval, yet is denied that again and again before she finds what she truly needed all along.
The story told is a quiet one, taking place behind the scenes of the major historical events and within the shadows of more powerful people. It acknowledges how women are forgotten, their names rarely spoken after their burial. Those women are given words here, a view of their life that most history books would deny, motivations beyond marriage and childbirth, and a look at the wars they waged in silence.
For a slow-burn that will still steal your attention and break your heart, Princess of Thorns is the perfect pick.
For more about Saga Hillbom and her books, you can find her site here, and all of her books are available on Amazon!
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