Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

We've added Thornlight to our library collection - it's a solid middle grade addition, and I enjoyed the cover art as well!

I read the earlier book in this series and thought I knew what kind of book to expect, but I felt like this one really upped the ante on violence and death? I wasn't really expecting that and I didn't enjoy it much.

I will admit that I didn't read the first novel in this series, but it wasn't detrimental to my enjoyment of this gem of a novel. It had some of my favorite characters: unicorns, griffins, witches, cursed royalty, twins who trade places, monsters, and weird weather patterns (not exactly a character, I know). The cover is gorgeous and the story within reflects its light.

Brier and Thorn Skystone are twins: Brier is beloved by all for her skill with capturing lightening and her beauty as she strides through town on the back of her proud and sassy unicorn. Thorn stays out of the spotlight and works as street sweeper. She collects trash she finds and turns it into beautiful art. Her loyal companion is a baby griffin. They couldn't be more different despite being twins. When Brier is injured, Thorn takes her place and embarks on a quest that will test her mind and her heart. Will she be enough to take on a centuries old curse? Is she the right twin for the task? Can witches and humans and monsters be friends? Read on to find out!

Cub is my favorite character and he's the perfect metaphor for life.

*Yes, I will be reading book 1 now***

This dark fantasy follows four points of view, two sisters, a misunderstood monster and a young queen. I enjoyed the delve into darkness and the exploration of what is right from each point of view. Seeing Quicksilver and Sly Boots was fun and bittersweet. The plot was paced in such a way as to keep my interest flowing evenly. I love Legrand's authorial voice!

"Thornlight" is a pleasant fantasy that keeps the reader engaged throughout. It's the story of an unlikely female hero who rids a kingdom of a curse of its own making. The story is filled with witches, unicorns and monstrous creatures. Characters are well defined. The mystery that holds this story together unravels slowly to build suspense. It's a fun and enjoyable summer read..

I’ll be honest, I haven’t yet read Foxheart, but I have read the Empirium trilogy and Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand, and I just absolutely adore her writing so much! This was no exception. Her world building is amazing, and I cannot wait to get my hands on Foxheart soon to get more of this amazing world! Highly recommended!

This was so lovely and warm and almost...old fashioned feeling? In a good way. Very found family with queer representation without pandering.

“It is no small thing, to have a gentle heart."

Thornlight is a heart(warm/break)ing story about magic and sisters and witches and curses and emotions and mistakes and consequences and bravery, and it was excellent.

I went in knowing this book is billed as a stand-alone companion novel to Foxheart, but I was still a bit worried that I wouldn’t know what was what, but the world building and character development were both so well-done that it absolutely works on its own.

Bonus excellence:

* Complex girl characters: Briar + Thorn + Queen Celestyna + Zaf are all unique and multi-layered and I loved them (even when they were being terrible)

* Magical creatures: Noro the snarky unicorn (he reminded me of Swift Wind from She-Ra) wa the best + Mazby the baby grifflet sounded super adorable

Thornlight is the first book I’ve read by Claire Legrand and definitely won’t be the last.

Highly recommended for fantasy-loving middle grade kids - perfect for 10+.

Thornlight was a darker book than I expected. The importance of family and believing in yourself helped to carry it along. The ending is powerful and well worth the read.

This is a real treasure of a book! It is a beautifully written and engaging story. Thornlight is filled with adventure and unicorns and brave girls. However, I think it is marketed to a slightly younger audience than it should be. I began reading Thornlight to my 8 and 10 year-olds. My 10 year-old loves this fantasy adventure as much as I do, but it is too dark for my 8 year-old. I would guess that the right age range is from 10 to about 13. I teach middle school and I will be recommending this to my students who love adventure, fantasy and strong female characters. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Claire has beautifully expanded this world (and magic system) into something even more fantastical than I could have imagined. I adored every single one of the characters and cameos from the old - yes, Quicksilver, Sly Boots, and Ari are back! I cherished the hints at romance between Thorn and Zaf (wlw!), so completely, beautifully innocent and wondrous. But most of all, I loved the lessons in self esteem, courage, and empathy, as each fought their own unseen battles. Thornlight is a testament to the different kinds of strength we each possess, especially those that are often disregarded as weakness. This is a story that's equally heartwarming and heartbreaking (though the kind of heartbreak that pushes you to keep fighting), the sum of its parts undeniably magical. Oh, and did I mention the unicorns??? And Mazby the Grifflet?

Okay. I must first be transparent. My child found the Foxheart book in my E-arc pile first. He loved it. I kept saying I was getting to it but he just went on and on about it. I broke down skipped over some books to read and I fell in love with it. When I saw Thornlight pop up, I knew I had to request it. I was not wrong. I am now a fangirl of everything Claire Legrand. If you haven't read this series you have to start now!!! Plus, read her other books, it will be well worth the time spent. Foxheart and Thornlight make me feel like a child again when magic and possibilities were endless. I love the characters and the heart of the stories. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review these novels!