Brambles: A Thorn Short Story, Intisar Khanani [popular ebook readers .txt] 📗

mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl 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.

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Also by Intisar:

The winding streets and narrow alleys of Karolene hide many secrets, and Hitomi is one of them. Orphaned at a young age, Hitomi has learned to hide her magical aptitude and who her parents really were. Most of all, she must conceal her role in the Shadow League, an underground movement working to undermine the powerful and corrupt Arch Mage Wilhelm Blackflame.

When the League gets word that Blackflame intends to detain—and execute—a leading political family, Hitomi volunteers to help the family escape. But there are more secrets at play than Hitomi’s, and much worse fates than execution. When Hitomi finds herself captured along with her charges, it will take everything she can summon to escape with her life.

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This story would never have come into existence without the interest and support of my editor at Hot Key, Fliss Alexander. Thank you so much for believing in Alyrra, and for asking for a story about her preceding the events of Thorn. I’ve known the gist of this story for years and it was such a treat (bittersweet though the tale may be) to get to write it. Many thanks also to the whole team over at Hot Key, including Talya Baker and Anna Bowles, for all your work to help bring this story into the world. I am so grateful to you all!

Thanks also to my agent Emmanuelle Morgen, for being my champion and support, in all things big and small. Thorn, and this story, would not have reached so many readers without your faith and hard work. Thank you.

This story owes much of its early growth to the beta readers who heroically returned comments within a very tight timeframe. Rachel Dugdale, Shy Eager, Marielle Kaifer, Tia Michaud, Annemieke Oosterling, and Sara Umer thank you for being the first line of defense and helping me to kick this story into shape! Thanks also to authors Anela Deen, W.R. Gingell, and A.C. Spahn, for your invaluable input. And finally, thanks to Laurel Garver for her careful line edit at the eleventh hour to help put the final polish on this story.

As always, I am grateful to my family—my husband, my wonderful girls, my parents, my brother and his wife—for their support as I continue this amazing adventure that is writing.

And finally, I am grateful to God for granting me these stories to write, the opportunity to share them, and such an amazing cadre of people to support me.

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveller. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different US states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters.

Prior to publishing her novels, Intisar worked as a public health consultant on projects relating to infant mortality and minority health, 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.

To keep up with what Intisar is working on next, join her monthly newsletter at booksbyintisar.com/newsletter. You can also follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @booksbyintisar.