The Disability Book Archive

[ID: A book cover. The title “The Theft of Sunlight” is written in the lower centre half of the cover in large white capitals. A curvy orange line is on either side of “of”. The author’s name “Intisar Khanani” is written below the title in small orange capitals. Text reading “Author of Thorn” is directly below this in very small white capitals. The background is red, with intricate patterning along the border and upper corners. The art forms a pale red arch in the centre. In the arch, art of a woman that stretches the length of the cover. She has brown skin and dark, striped black hair. Her back is turned to the audience. She is wearing a long purple cloak that covers her entire body, except her head. It flares out at the bottom, covering the lower half of the cover. /end]

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Content Warning:

• Ableism
• Violence
• Trafficking
• Slavery
• Child Abuse
• Emotional Abuse
• Sexual Violence
• Animal Death
• Rape
• Kidnapping
• Imprisonment
• Blood
• Death
• Injury
• Injury Detail

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Summary:

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.

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Notes:

This is the second book in the Dauntless Path series. It is also the first part in a companion duology to Thorn. A note from Khanani on the book’s goodreads page says that:

“While it can absolutely be read on its own, it will be best appreciated if you pick up Thorn first.”

-Khanani, Intisar (Source: Goodreads)

There is an audiobook.

There is an ebook. There is a kindle edition.

Here is a link to the author’s website.

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Archivist Comments:

Thorn was apparently a retelling of the fairy tale The Goose Girl. While I have seen this book marked as being a fairy tale retelling in some places, I can’t actually find any evidence to suggest it is. However, someone placed a good case for it potentially being a retelling of the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. 

I’ve gathered from the reviews that the ‘romance’ element of this book is more or less implied, i.e. the characters are friends, but their relationship seems to be teetering on/heading towards romance.

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