Thornspell
Winner of the 2009 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Young Adult Novel. Storylines Childrens' Literature Trust Notable Book 2009.
Cover art by Antonio Javier Caparo.
Helen Lowe reimagines the Sleeping Beauty story from the point of view of the prince who is destined to wake the enchanted princess in this lush, romantic fantasy-adventure.
Prince Sigismund has grown up hearing fantastical stories about enchantments and faie spells, basilisks and dragons, knights-errant and heroic quests. He'd love for them to be true — he's been sheltered in a country castle for most of his life and longs for adventure — but they are just stories. Or are they?
From the day that a mysterious lady in a fine carriage speaks to him through the castle gates, Sigismund's world starts to shift. He begins to dream of a girl wrapped, trapped, in thorns. He dreams of a palace, utterly still, waiting. He dreams of a man in red armor, riding a red horse — and then suddenly that man arrives at the castle!
Sigismund is about to learn that sometimes dreams are true, that the world is both more magical and more dangerous than he imagined, and that the heroic quest he imagined for himself as a boy... begins now.
Helen Lowe
Helen Lowe is a New Zealand-based author whose literary works transport readers to worlds where complex characters and intricate plots thrive, often set against the backdrop of high fantasy and epic adventure. With a career that spans both writing and personal pursuits, Lowe’s distinctive voice and depth of storytelling have earned her a special place in the hearts of fantasy readers worldwide.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Lowe’s literary path began with a love for both the written word and a diverse range of interests. From an early age, her fascination with the intersection of history, mythology, and the human experience shaped her narratives. She pursued an academic path that combined a passion for English with geography, which, in turn, would fuel her affinity for creating expansive, detailed worlds in her novels.
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