THE THORN QUEEN

As the new queen of England, Ivy attempts to repair her life, which has been torn apart by her evil husband.

This follow-up to The Rose Bargain (2025) begins about four months after 18-year-old Ivy Benton’s wedding to Bram. Upon gaining power from their union, he arrested his mother, Queen Mor, and seized control of both the human world and the faeries’ Otherworld. Ivy appears to placate her devious husband while secretly planning to locate and rescue her sister, Lydia, and Prince Emmett De Vere, both of whom she believes to be somewhere in the Otherworld. Soon, her plans take her there, and she’s pitted against Lydia in another competition for King Bram’s hand, this time for the title of queen of the Otherworld, while Emmett observes from the sidelines. While Ivy wonders what’s happened to the sister she no longer recognizes and the boy she first met in a carriage in London, she’ll need to engage in deceptive political maneuvering to survive. Danger lurks both inside and outside the castle walls, and Ivy must draw upon inner strength to save Emmett, Lydia, and herself. The revelation of carefully held secrets creates unexpected and enjoyable plot twists. Smith’s vivid worldbuilding introduces a dreamy faerie kingdom where much is concealed. Although the competition to become queen feels repetitive, this satisfying duology closer answers questions left open by the cliffhanger ending of the first book. Central characters present white.

Fans will appreciate this fulfilling sequel that centers on a familiar premise.