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Lea Doué
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The Firethorn Crown (Firethorn Chronicles Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Lea Doué (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 388
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A kingdom of shadows. A soldier sworn to protect. A princess silenced by love.

Princess Lily, the eldest of twelve sisters and reluctant heir to a mighty kingdom, struggles to live up to her inheritance … and to free herself from her mother's matchmaking attempts. While seeking refuge from an overzealous suitor, Lily stumbles into a secret underground kingdom where she meets a mysterious sorcerer-prince. When she and her sisters become entangled in his dangerous curse, she must find a way to end their nightly dances and prove herself worthy of the Firethorn Crown.

Inspired by The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Fantasy, romance, and adventure combine fairytale-style in the Firethorn Chronicles. Each book in this interconnected fantasy series is loosely inspired by one or more fairytales and can be read as a stand-alone with its own happily-ever-after. For greatest enjoyment, the series should be read in order.
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  1. Book 1 of 4
    Firethorn Chronicles
  2. Print length
    302 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    October 24, 2015
  6. File size
    3652 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lea Doue is the author of the Firethorn Chronicles, a series inspired by fairy tales and other classic stories. A native of south Georgia, Lea currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband, their two boys, and four cats. But, sadly, no dragons.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B016H66KYU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Butterwing Publishing; 1st edition (October 24, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 24, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3652 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 388

About the author

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Lea Doué

Lea Doué

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Lea is the author of The Firethorn Chronicles, a series inspired by fairy tales and other classic stories. A native of south Georgia, Lea currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her husband, their two boys, and four cats. But, sadly, no dragons.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
388 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Shantelle H.
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it! SO MUCH
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
Eeeeeee! I loved it! SO MUCH!

You all know how much I love retellings of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, right? Well, I realized I've read eight retellings of this classic fairy tale, and The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doue definitely ranks as one of my favorites. (It actually reminded me somewhat of Entwined by Heather Dixon, which is my favorite The Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling fairy tale of all time!)

Lily is the crown princess of Ituria, a land filled with dragons (big and small), overeager suitors, eleven younger sisters, and sometimes, unfortunately, ... sorcery. In hopes of evading a particularly annoying admirer, Lily and her sisters stumble into a dark trap that not only threatens their entire kingdom, but also further ensures that Lily cannot marry the secret love of her heart.

Fantasy mixed with fairy tale is perfection. Dragons and princesses? Excitement, action, and tender romance? Yes, please! ^_^ I loved the fantastical kingdom of Ituria and the twelve endearing sisters! Lily was sweet and brave and lovely ... trying to do the right thing amidst brutal circumstances. She does her best to be strong, and also realizes that oftentimes we need our family and friends to stand alongside us. All the younger sisters were interesting and humorous and cute. I just adore tales like this! One of the reasons I love The Twelve Dancing Princesses so much must be because of all those sisters! (I'm an eldest sister myself ... have four younger sisters.) So yes, I just related to Lily in some ways and loved her character!

In fact, all the characters in The Firethorn Crown were delightful! Excepting the villain and some of the overeager admirers, that is. Three young men in particular, (you'll know who they are) were completely lovable and perfect and endearing and sweet and strong and protective! *all the heart eyes* I love these big brotherly characters who care so tenderly for the twelve sisters! It simply delights my heart.

Yes, yes. Can't say enough for these lovely fictional peoples. Fantastic job, Lea Doue, in your character-creating and world building! I was swept away ... kept on the edge of my seat ... intrigued and breathless ... muchly concerned for my dear characters ... and finally, satisfied and happy! ^_^ And, I had to chuckle many a time! *grins*

There was no Christian allegory/symbolism to speak of, but Lea Doue is a Christian and I felt there weren't any elements to be concerned about in her book. Besides some edgy gowns that the sisters are forced to wear, and sorcery being wielded by the villain (who also gets a little too close to Lily—but no kissing), I have no other cautions. I would recommend to middle to older teens and adults who enjoy this type of book.

I am utterly intrigued by this tale, and can't wait to continue the FIRETHORN CHRONICLES with The Midsummer Captives!

Lea Doue, you offically have another fan! Thank you for writing such amazing fairy tale stories!
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Lisa Dawn
4.0 out of 5 stars A Standard Fairy Tale Adaptation Novel
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2018
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The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doué is the third adaptation of I've read of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" with the first being Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George and the second A Dance of Silver and Shadow by Melanie Cellier. All three books turn the mysterious underground world of glittering trees that the princesses run off to at night into a nightmarish trap that they must find a way to escape. When I first read the fairy tale as a little girl, I loved that the twelve sisters had a magical land they could escape to and find happiness that they didn't have in the real world. To me, that was the heart of the story, not trying to be free from a curse. That said, I didn't exactly dislike any of the adaptations I've read since it's always nice to see new takes on old stories.

The Firethorn Crown tells the story of Princess Lily, who is aggressively pursued by unwanted suitors. As far as princess heroines go, Lily is pretty cookie cutter. She doesn't have any particular quirks outside of being the eldest and not wanting to marry someone she doesn't love. Her sisters are not particularly memorable either outside of Neylan, who always has a baby dragon attached to her. While trying to escape Lily's most aggressive suitor, the princesses find themselves getting caught in an underground world of ballgowns, shadow dancers, and a cursed prince named Tharius, who tells them they are now cursed as well. All twelve princesses must now return to the undergarden every night, and none of them can speak about it. Because she was the first to enter, Lily is not allowed to speak at all to anyone who is not already involved in the curse.

What The FIrethorn Crown lacks in character development, it makes up for in descriptive narrations. The undergarden exists on the other side of a hidden mirror in a garden maze outside the palace through a corridor where everyone becomes temporarily invisible before their clothes transform into ballgowns. The descriptions are beautiful and magical, just like in the fairy tale, and they make you wish that you could see it for yourself. The other thing I loved about this novel is the king. The princesses' father is absent for roughly the first three-quarters of the story. Lily's narrations make it sound as if he might not be all that agreeable of a man. When he finally shows up, he turns out to be this awesome feminist who loves his daughters with all his heart and would do anything to protect them. It was a wonderful breath of fresh air from the well-meaning yet stern kings from other fairy tales who try to force their daughters into marriage.

I also found it rather interesting that the book borrowed elements from other fairy tales within the story. Tharius's curse initially sounds a lot like the curse from "Beauty and the Beast" because he needs to love someone and be loved in return in order to break it. However, curses can't force true love, so Lily refuses to trade away her heart in exchange for her and her sisters' freedom. Her inability to talk to anyone besides Tharius and her sisters is reminiscent of "The Little Mermaid." Just like the prince from that story, Lily's true love must learn to communicate with her in spite of her handicap. The Firethorn Chronicles as a series seems to be focused on more obscure stories, so Lea Doué can get away with incorporating well-known fairy tale elements into her books without coming off as redundant in future stories. The next book, The Midsummer Captives, is a retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

At this point, I think I have to say that my favorite adaptation of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" is still Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George due to having more compelling characters, but The Firethorn Crown is still a good contender. The visuals in the book are lovely, and the world is very interesting. It also had what is now my favorite king from any princess story. The romance subplot was nothing I haven't seen before, but the dragons were pretty neat. If you're a fan of the original fairy tale, this book is worth checking when you get a chance.
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Top reviews from other countries

mmd
5.0 out of 5 stars What's not to love, really
Reviewed in Canada on November 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
Make sure you have time to read this book because the 1st chapter will draw you in. It is so well written that you can feel what the character is feeling, you can see the vibrant color descriptions, when you think it is going one way, the author takes you another way. It is enjoyable reading no matter what age. What's not to love, really, princesses, princes, possible love, mystery, magic and dragons, yes, dragons. A truly enjoyable read and I hope the author is working on the second book because it is addictive.
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CC
4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Twist Of An Already Lovely, Classic Tale!!! I am hooked!!!
Reviewed in Italy on May 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
I have always loved the story of the 12 Dancing Princesses. There is one variation that I particularly loved when I read it in the library as a child; I have not been able to find it since. This story- The Firethorn Crown- is the first in a series, and is an excellent substitute for that one that evades me, filling in a load of questions I always felt were not completely detailed as I would have liked in the original story. What an amazing twist on an already lovely classic!! Another favorite to list in my "Favorite New Classics" file. There were minimal typos, and plenty of intrigue, mystery, and adventure to keep me on my toes. I could not see where the author would take this tale, which is rare and unnerving, as I can usually figure it out to some degree; and I was left anxious and anticipating along every bit of the way. I love every single sister, and the new friends Princess Lily made along the way. One of the antagonists was hard to hate, the other was super easy to dislike to an extreme. I had no complaints about the world building. The ONLY thing that I kept hoping for was the appearance of one of those flying Dragons that the dragon guards always kept an eye out for. I would have LOVED to have known more; but I loved the other little dragons that were mentioned. Maybe next time I will get my chance! There are hints to the coming stories in the series, and I look forward to every single one to come. I hope it does not take too long, because now I am hooked!!
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Ruth Elizabeth Herbert
5.0 out of 5 stars A romantic enjoyable novel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2016
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This is a delightful fairy tale based around the story of The twelve dancing princesses! If you are a fan of romance, princesses and a bit of magic thrown into the mix, then this is the book for you, (and if like me you enjoy reading all the details of beautiful ball gowns then you will love this book!!) I fully recommend the book and hope there are more to come.
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Paul murphy
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2016
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The phraseology and descriptives are wonderful. Looking forward to the next in the series.
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One Last Petal Books
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Loved
Reviewed in Canada on March 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
Wonderful retelling of the twelve dancing princesses. A villain that leaves you wondering till the end if he's all evil or has a desire to help. It's hard to write twelve different characters in this manner, but Lea pulls it off.
I read this and the rest of her books in a week. Can't wait till the next in the series comes out.
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