How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (The Thorne Chronicles, #1) by K. Eason

Synopsis (via Goodreads): First in a duology that reimagines fairy tale tropes within a space opera—The Princess Bride meets Princess Leia.

Rory Thorne is a princess with thirteen fairy blessings, the most important of which is to see through flattery and platitudes. As the eldest daughter, she always imagined she’d inherit her father’s throne and govern the interplanetary Thorne Consortium.

Then her father is assassinated, her mother gives birth to a son, and Rory is betrothed to the prince of a distant world.

When Rory arrives in her new home, she uncovers a treacherous plot to unseat her newly betrothed and usurp his throne. An unscrupulous minister has conspired to name himself Regent to the minor (and somewhat foolish) prince. With only her wits and a small team of allies, Rory must outmaneuver the Regent and rescue the prince.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is a feminist reimagining of familiar fairytale tropes and a story of resistance and self-determination—how small acts of rebellion can lead a princess to not just save herself, but change the course of history.

𑁋

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

To be fair, How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse fell somewhere between three and four stars, but I don't normally do half-star ratings. It all boiled down to this: Would I read it again? No, I wouldn't. However, I really enjoyed the experience of reading it once, and I'm happy it happened. I thought the story was very unique and told with an interesting perspective. 

Unfortunately for me, I was oftentimes lost within the technical jargon of the book. We're introduced to new planets, moons, solar systems, etc. In addition to the setting, we're told about the intricacies of arithmancy and alchemy, how the two originated, and so on and so forth. I thought the arithmancy was interesting, but it was also a little confusing. Could anyone choose to be an Arithmancer, or was it similar to magic? Was magic real in this book? The addition of the faeries and their gifts made me think so. It was fascinating to see how the author integrated both the fantastical and the factual. It was just a smidge boring at times, especially when the lessons occurred at the start of chapters and didn't really tie into what was currently happening. 

Rory is a remarkable character, and I enjoyed seeing her navigate the political minefield she was thrust into. She's away from her planet, her family, and everything she's known since birth, yet she manages to thrive and find a way to survive. Her fairy gifts help, but also her training with the Vizier and Grytt. She was a well-rounded person, very thoughtful, and sincere even as a teenager. Yes, she was prone to tantrums and the like befitting her age, but she typically handled herself well when it mattered. She was clever and cared more about others than herself. She's also wicked smart and tended to outthink most of the people around her, which was really beneficial when she was surrounded by enemies. 

There's not much of a romance in this one, but it does play a role in the story. I wasn't a fan of how quickly the L word was used (they hadn't known each other long enough, or spent a significant amount of time with one another), but the feelings were there. I would have thought the two of them were too busy trying to stay alive and thwart a war to even consider the possibility of a relationship (other than a political one forced on them). I wish that had been left out, and the two of them had established a respectful, meaningful friendship instead (which I think does happen, but is overshadowed by the L word confession). 

The plot was discovered pretty early on, but it takes most of the book before Rory can act on the information she's accumulated. She actually stumbles across The Big Secret almost as soon as she gets to her new home, but the facts aren't confirmed until later on. It was quite the secret, too.

Overall, I'm very happy I took a chance on How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse. It didn't remind me of The Princess Bride or Princess Leia, but simply a space story with some fairytale references tossed in. I'm also not 100% sure when this book takes place, but there are references that make me think it's the distant future. I wish the time period had been more clear. I might read the second book when it comes out, because I'm curious how Rory will handle the new situation she's found herself in, but I'll probably wait until my library has a copy.