The Theft of Sunlight
Written by Intisar Khanani
Narrated by Shiromi Arserio
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Sorcery of Thorns, this exhilarating, page-turning fantasy will pull readers into a lush and stunning world where nothing—and no one—can be trusted.
I did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away from it.
Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend’s sister is snatched, Rae knows she can’t look away any longer—even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.
Yet the court holds its share of surprises. There she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. Armed with the princess’s support, Rae seeks answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges street thief with secrets of his own.
But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself.
Praise for Intisar Khanani’s Thorn:
“Set in a dark and dangerous world. Well-written and dramatically told, teens will find much to love in a novel in which the princess grows to become a force to be reckoned with.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
“Khanani beautifully crafts Alyrra’s quiet but clear journey of self-definition."" —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)
Editor's Note
Smash-hit followup…
Intisar Khanani has gone from self-published darling to traditionally published YA smash-hit. “The Theft of Sunlight” is set in the same world as Khanani’s beloved “Thorn,” a retelling of “The Goose Girl,” but follows a new main character, Amraeya. Rae (as she’s known by her friends) is increasingly concerned about the number of children being snatched and disappearing in Menaiya. When Rae takes her concerns to court, Princess Alyrra enlists Rae’s help. It’s wonderful to see Rae take on this important task and work through her physical disability.
Intisar Khanani
Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. Intisar is also the author of Thorn. To find out what she is working on next and connect with her online, visit www.booksbyintisar.com.
More audiobooks from Intisar Khanani
The Alchemy of Sorrow: A Fantasy & Sci-Fi Anthology of Grief & Hope Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
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Thorn Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Theft of Sunlight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for The Theft of Sunlight
50 ratings8 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be an amazing series with masterful crafting and beautiful writing style. The world building is rich and the pace is fast. The characters are deep and the palace intrigue keeps readers hooked. They can't wait for the next book by Intisar Khanani."
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I could not stop listening! I can't wait for the next book of Intisar Khanani!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing series, masterfully crafted and beautifully read. Thank you! Absolute gem.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Like the first, it was impossible to put down! Perfectly paced. Palace intrigue, the complicated motives and depth of characters is what stuck me about the first novel. This one certainly carries that forward.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great sequel to Thorn. Rich world building, fast paced and beautiful writing style.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unlike Thorn, this book is not a close riff on a known fairy tale but explorations of the non-fairytale aspects of the world built for Thorn. Children have been disappearing for around 30 years and the few who are found require a Blessing which removes recent memory in order not to succumb to the Darkness, so investigations have discovered little. Amraeya ni Ansarim, known as Rae, goes to help a cousin who has married "up" into the court to see if she can encourage those more powerful to increase investigations. Rae herself, has a vital secret to protect and with a misinformed foot and plain looks, knows she will be disadvantaged in the court settings. What she doesn't expect is that she also has advantages which will propel her near the highest and most dangerous levels of court.
Well told and moving well, this clearly becomes the first half of a larger story when the stakes are upped enormously too far into the story for any satisfactory resolution, and indeed, we are left hanging from a cliff. Significant ding for introduction of unneeded somewhat jarring romance elements. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Thorn (book 1 in Dauntless Path) was excellently plotted and the main character (Aylrra) was such a splendid protagonist, so I was predisposed for the chief protagonist in book 2, Rae, to follow on as a well-imagined MC, just as she was in the author's prequel novella, The Bone Knife. Twas not to be.
The Theft Of Sunlight started well-enough and Rae's escapades as one of the Princess' attendants were intriguing for the first two-thirds of the story, even though some hair-raising actions increased the suspense and added quite edgy situations. Up to this point, the novel was a 3.5-not-yet-4 rating. Then the continuity in keeping with the characterizations of Rae and to some extent, supporting characters, fell apart.
Unusual for me, I figured out who the main villain was a lot sooner than the story revealed. While that didn't detract from the adventure, it was the author's clumsy handling of the last quarter of the story that I rate as about a 2-star. From this point on, the ending was predictable and the actions that brought Rae to such a pass entirely contrived. The plotting could have been handled much more adroitly, keeping Rae a sensible, smart, and aware actor instead of presenting the reader with an easily deluded girl, then throwing the story over to an abrupt cut at the end. Such a writing fail was not enticing for seeking out book 3.
Whatever readers decide about book 2, I do highly recommend The Bone Knife as a prequel novella before reading the second book in Dauntless Path series. Readers will then be better connected to the people and understand some of the events in The Theft Of Sunlight . - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I read "Thorn" last year and really loved it. So I was excited to get to the sequel and I loved it just as much. It's main character is different but the princess is a side character & it was interesting to see her through other eyes. The only complaints I have are that it was only towards the end that I realised the story was not completing here (but luckily the 3rd is out this July 2022) and it was pretty obvious to me who the "bad guy" was as soon as they appeared. But tbh that doesn't matter to the story.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rae has no desire to travel to the royal city, much less become one of the new princess's attendants. Her plain appearance, clubfoot, and commoner status will only invite ridicule at court, she is sure. However, when her best friend's little sister is taken by the Snatchers, slavers with peculiar powers of secrecy, Rae is determined to do whatever she can to get answers, even if that means bringing the issue before the royal family.
This sequel to Thorn centers a new protagonist, but many familiar characters feature in the new story. Though this book moves away from the fairy tale retelling aspect of the first book, it takes place in the same richly imagined fantasy world. (I did wonder if there's a touch of "The Pied Piper" with the disappearing children, but I wouldn't call it a retelling of that tale.) I recommend reading not only Thorn, but also the short story "The Bone Knife," before diving into this book. Readers beware: there's a cliffhanger ending, so you'll want to have the next book at the ready!