Spoiler-Free Review: The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith

July 8, 2026

Overall Rating: 🔮🔮🔮🔮

Vibes: Dark fae fantasy • Court intrigue • Political manipulation • Emotional character growth

Action: Moderate, with more focus on politics and consequences

Spice: 🌶️ Mild

Age Group: YA / New Adult crossover

⚠️ Warnings:

Manipulation • Betrayal • Emotional distress • Fantasy violence • Toxic family dynamics

Generated image: A pirate's desk in Neverland

Generated image: A pirate's desk in NeverlandGenerated image: A pirate's desk in Neverland

Here’s a mockup with a darker, atmospheric Peter Pan vibe—perfect for your aesthetic and content 👀

If you want to refine it further, I can:

Make it more witchy (add potion bottles, darker tones)

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Or recreate it in vertical TikTok framing (9:16) so you can post directly

Just tell me the vibe you want and I’ll tweak it exactly to your brand.

Change the image so this is the book it's a actual photo of the book

Generated image: A legacy of Neverland treasures

Can you make this image up for the picture on my blog. I'd like it to have the same look and feel of the others. Sitting on a wooden table with hints to the story in the items around it.

Generated image: Vintage mystery and romance still life

Can you change this image to use on my review and make the background look like it's on a desk filled with items that are revelant to the story

Generated image: Shadow of the fox book vignette

📖 Spoiler-Free Review: The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith

Overall Rating: 🔮🔮🔮🔮

Vibes: Dark fae fantasy • Court intrigue • Political manipulation • Emotional character growth

Action: Moderate, with more focus on politics and consequences

Spice: 🌶️ Mild

Age Group: YA / New Adult crossover

⚠️ Warnings:

Manipulation • Betrayal • Emotional distress • Fantasy violence • Toxic family dynamics

My Thoughts:

The Thorn Queen takes everything established in The Rose Bargain and pushes it in a much darker direction.

Following the events of the first book, Ivy is left trying to navigate the fallout of countless decisions—many of which were made for her rather than by her. The story shifts focus away from Bram and instead centers primarily on Ivy, Emmert, and Lydia. Bram is still present when the story calls for him, but this sequel gives the other characters much more room to grow and develop.

What I appreciated most was seeing Ivy forced to confront the consequences of both her choices and the choices others made on her behalf. The fate of two worlds rests heavily on her shoulders, and throughout the novel she struggles with whether the relationships most important to her—particularly with Emmert and her sister Lydia—can ever truly be repaired.

One thing readers should know going in: if you're picking up this book primarily for the love triangle introduced in the first novel, don't expect that to remain the central focus. The story quickly moves beyond it.

Instead, the real strength of this sequel lies in its exploration of power, manipulation, loyalty, and truth.

The first book hinted that something darker was hiding beneath the glittering fae bargains. Here, those secrets are fully exposed. The rose-colored lens is gone, replaced by a much harsher understanding of the fae and the world they inhabit.

The court politics and manipulation that were present in The Rose Bargain feel even stronger here because the stakes are so much higher. Every conversation feels like a move in a larger game.

By the time I neared the end, I genuinely found myself wondering if there would be a third book because there was still so much happening. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how complete the ending felt. Rather than dragging the story out unnecessarily, Sasha Peyton Smith provides satisfying conclusions for the major characters and answers many of the lingering questions introduced in the first book.

There are plenty of twists, revelations, and emotional moments along the way, making this a strong conclusion to the duology.

Final Take:

If The Rose Bargain was about wishes, bargains, and possibility, The Thorn Queen is about consequences. Darker, more emotionally driven, and packed with political intrigue, it provides a satisfying ending that ties up loose ends without overstaying its welcome.

Book Hangover:

I kept expecting another book because there was so much story left to tell—but by the end, everything felt complete.