A dark and addictive fantasy read for fans of Graceling and Sarah J. Maas. The life of an orphan soldier becomes entwined with that of the mysterious heir to the throne, whose very presence draws out the secret magic living inside her: a magic that breaks every law she is duty-bound to uphold...

The room is small and dark. Row upon row of jars line the shelves, each one sealed with blood-red wax. The seal's mark is a twisted circle of briar with gleaming, gold-tipped thorns. And in each jar a flicker of forbidden magic dances... beautiful, but deadly.

Sold to the Crown in the aftermath of the Last Great War, Grace Marchant has never known her parents. Now, she trains as an elite soldier tracking down mageborn - those born with an ancient and long-outlawed magic - and destroying them if they don't surrender their power to the Crown.

The mageborn who submit are collared, then handed over to the King's cousin and heir: the elusive Bastien Larelwyn, Lord of Thorns, locked away in his shadowy workshop deep inside the castle. What becomes of them is hard to say - the Lord of Thorns keeps his secrets close.

Grace has always fought the voice inside her that questions whether the law is truly just, but when her closest friend is next on Bastien's list, Grace's loyalties are tested to the limit. Confronting Bastien - searching his strangely compelling obsidian-black eyes for answers - Grace is shocked to feel herself begin to change, to show the first signs of the wild magic she so fears.

Only the Lord of Thorns has the power to save her and the rest of the mageborn - if he doesn't destroy them all first...

Read what everyone's saying about Jessica Thorne:

'Took my heart out of my chest, stomped on it and then put it back, while whispering, 'Keep reading'... I sat and ugly cried for 15 minutes... reminds me of something Sarah J. Maas would write.' Awesome Alitza, 5 stars

'WOW WOW WOW... a gripping tale full of action, romance, strategy and finding the strength within... a fantastically written heroine and I was besotted with her and her story from the first chapter.' Esotericerlixir, 5 stars

'Oh my good lord this book was AMAZING... the world was so unique, and the plot was tantalizing... I loved it.' Goodreads reviewer

'WOW! Thorne delivers a captivating, audacious, epically written fantasy novel. I could not put this book down.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'Hands down this is one of the best books I have read in a long time... It's breath-taking and special and legitimately made me laugh and cheer out loud and yes, cry. Must read. Must buy. Must share with everyone you know.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

'Really does pack a punch... I loved every minute of it... filled with action, adventure, and romance and it will have you at the edge of your seat so many times. There were things I never saw coming and I held my breath on numerous occasions... This book has everything a fantasy reader will love... If I could give more than five stars I would. I absolutely loved it.' Amanda J Evans, 5 stars