Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Bonded by Thorns reimagines Beauty and the Beast with four cursed princes instead of one beast. How effectively did this reverse-harem element expand on the original fairy tale’s themes of looking beyond appearances and finding humanity in the monstrous?

2. This story shares some common ground with other popular romantasy retellings of classic fairy tales, like Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses and To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo. If you’ve read other books in this subgenre, how did this one compare?

3. Analyze the balance between the high-stakes fantasy plot involving the curse and the multiple romantic threads. Did you find that one element overshadowed the other, or were they well-integrated? Explain your answer.

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Rosalina feels trapped in her life in Orca Cove, where her identity is defined by her father’s reputation. Is there a moment in your own life when you felt confined by judgments or opinions of those around you? How did you react?

2. Each of the four princes has a different temperament: the icy Keldarion, the stoic Ezryn, the flirtatious Dayton, and the gentle Farron. Which of the princes is the most like you?

3. Rosalina comes to see Castletree, the site of her imprisonment, as her true home. In what setting do you feel the deepest sense of belonging?

4. Fated mates are a central trope of traditional romance. Have you ever experienced or witnessed a romance that felt fated? What set it apart from other romantic relationships?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does the novel use the realistic setting of Rosalina’s small town to create a sense of psychological entrapment that rivals her later physical captivity in the fae realm?

2. Lucas Poussin’s possessiveness includes verbal and physical abuse of Rosalina. How does the novel contrast this form of real-world toxic masculinity with the more fantastical, rule-bound power the fae princes exert over her? How does the novel’s exploration of power and desire underscore contemporary conversations about healthy versus unhealthy romantic relationships?

3. Given that Bonded by Thorns gained its initial popularity on TikTok, what elements of the story are particularly suited for discussion and promotion on social media platforms?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the significance of the constantly evolving briars and thorns motif? What literary techniques does Helen use to emphasize its evolution from a symbol of Caspian’s encroaching evil into a representation of Rosalina’s own latent power?

2. How did seeing the events through the alternating points of view of Dayton, Farron, Ezryn, and Rosalina change your perception of the princes as Rosalina’s captors?

3. Rosalina’s arc is defined by the theme of Forging Identity Through Confrontation and Crisis. How does her literal imprisonment in Castletree paradoxically provide her with more agency than she had in her “free” life in Orca Cove?

4. Castletree’s architecture, with its four distinct seasonal wings, serves as a physical extension of the princes’ personalities. How did the descriptions of the icy Winter wing or the warm Summer hot springs deepen your understanding of Keldarion and Dayton’s characters?

5. How does the novel’s reverse-harem dynamic, which replaces the singular “beast” with four princes, allow for a more nuanced exploration of the original “Beauty and the Beast” story?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. At the end of the book, Rosalina is trapped in the human world while Keldarion is stuck in his beast form. Outline the first chapter of the sequel. Which character’s perspective would you choose to open with, and what would their immediate struggle be?

2. The Enchantress cursed the princes for specific failings: being a traitor, a coward, a fool, and a vigilante. Design a series of tasks to help each prince overcome his specific flaw. What would each prince have to do?