"She was a Princess. She was a Monster." BOOM. SOLD. I LOVE fantasy and monsters and, sometimes, even princesses so I couldn't say no! But here's where I'm SO happy I have a rule to always give an author another chance if the first book I've read by them didn't work for me. Girls Made of Snow and Glass was NOT the read for me and I didn't even realize this was the same author until after I accepted this galley. So needless to say, I wasn't mad when the publishing date got moved from May to July because let's face it y'all - even though I have that personal rule, it still kinda made me go "hmmmm". And now... NOW, I'm kicking myself in the ass for not reading this sooner since it's been in my possession since April! Can you tell I loved this one? Does the star rating give it away?

You absolutely must read the Author's Note in this book as well. To see how she pieced together so many things to create this magical land was truly fascinating. We're talking ancient Persian Mythology mixed with fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel.... every damn character is unreliable. And she gives these characters such depth that even the ones you shouldn't be rooting for, you just DO. I felt myself gasping at certain parts, enraged at others and thrilled for Soraya for finding her way in SO many different facets of her life. Love is love and not all monsters are monsters.

If you love fantasy and fairy tales and just a fast paced story with a protagonist you'll absolutely fall in love with - put this on your TBR. Then come to me so we can discuss! I'll just say you're welcome in advance. YOU'RE WELCOME.

Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn
Author: Melissa Bashardoust
Release Date: 7.7.2020
Review Date: 7.3.2020
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.



This one was an interesting concept but overall I thought it could have been a little better. I enjoyed it enough but I was frustrated at times over miscommunication and reasons for things. I mean the whole story could have been avoided if certain people had told the truth from the beginning and the main character kept not sharing as well even though she knew she had info that needed to be shared. Overall it was a decent read but I’m glad it appears to be a standalone because I don’t think I could force myself to read a sequel. I did enjoy the mythology and the world building though I just wish the characters and story had been a little more fleshed out maybe is what I’m thinking.

I loved this gorgeous fantasy book based on fairy tales and Iran folktales. This was so good. The cover is stunning and I enjoyed the world building as well. What a lush tale.

The royal family harbors a secret. The prince’s twin sister, Soraya, is cursed with poisonous touch. With the help of the demon in the dungeon, she discovers there may be a way to end her curse. However, it comes at the price of betraying her family. Inspired by Persian mythology, Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust is an enchanting, dark tale of demons, romance, and sacrifice.

I adored Girls Made of Snow and Glass so when I heard about a new tale Melissa Bashardoust was weaving, I knew it was going to be amazing. One of the most memorable things about her previous novel is the masterful way Bashardoust writes. Her flowery, whimsical prose leads perfectly to the fairytales she unfolds. Girl, Serpent, Thorn, of course, has Bashardoust’s signature writing style that flows so fantastically.

The layers of Soraya’s character are well thought out and heartbreakingly realistic. Her ability of poisonous touch gives her power, yet of the monstrous kind. Bashardoust likens her to a sleeping serpent throughout the novel and all the images she creates makes Soraya’s character come alive. Soraya may be royalty as the current shah is her twin brother but she is royalty in name only. Due to the curse, she is kept away from the eyes of the people. Her isolation, loneliness, and silent seething over her circumstances were almost tangible.

The beautiful prologue immediately grips you into the story. It is both strong and intriguing, giving readers a taste at what's to come.

With Girls Made of Snow and Glass, she tackled Snow White, twisting the classic tale superbly. This new release, Girl, Serpent, Thorn, is inspired by Persian mythology. Bashardoust takes the original inspiration and makes it her own, creating a well-structured, strong story that is bound to enchant readers. I encourage you to read the author’s note at the end of the novel as Bashardoust discusses where her inspiration came from. There’s even further reading recommended—which I must check out now—as the tales sound so riveting.

I haven’t read a fantasy in a while that focused on an array of demons. As I usually go into books without knowing much, I was pleasantly surprised that the tale involved a gorgeous world with creatures of the night. Plus, this novel sought to confuse readers with many morally grey characters, both demon and human. The characters were entirely unpredictable, making decisions I never saw coming.

This book had my stomach in tangles. It was a wild rollercoaster that I never wanted to end. The twists and turns will most definitely have you at the edge of your seat. The pacing of Girl, Serpent, Thorn is at such a neck breaking speed that as soon as I tried to put it down, the story would pull me right back in. It's absolutely binge-worthy.

The ending just fell together so seamlessly. Every choice that Soraya has made has led to this one moment. It's high stakes and unbelievable. Bashardoust creates a nail biting ending that readers will never forget.

With gorgeous writing, morally grey characters, and a spellbinding plot, Girl, Serpent, Thorn is definitely one of the best books I've read all year.

Briskly written, Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a well done fantasy set in a world inspired by Persian myth that contains a sweet, slow blooming f/f romance along with an excellently done coming of age story, which is, (imo), rare in fantasy novels where character development often loses out to world building and quests. I liked Girl, Serpent, Thorn a lot and think it's going to do well with fantasy ya fans, LGBTQ ya fans, and readers of both ya and adult fantasy looking for a good story about finding yourself and falling in love that's done well and in a great setting. Very highly recommended.

I really loved the beginning of this book, when you get all the first meetings and all the characters have a lot of potential. There were some great quotes in the beginning, too. Unfortunately, the potential in the characters was never realized. The main character and the villain were both extremely flat, and the romance felt very forced. There was an unnecessary love triangle, too. The second half of the book picked up a bit and was far more interesting than the first half, but our main character still felt one-dimensional.

I loved the atmosphere and the darkness of Soraya's castle, and I would have loved to know more about the world. I also really loved Parvaneh, the div that Soraya encounters early on in the book. I found myself rooting for her in particular. My favorite part of the book, however, was undoubtedly how dark Soraya's potential is. She is definitely a morally-grey character and the premise of the book seems to ask "What will I become?" It is at its heart a story of power and choice.

I would not really recommend this book to many due to its poor writing, but someone looking for a dark tale who doesn't mind lesser writing skills would probably enjoy this.

Coming this Tuesday, July 7th!

Melissa Bashardoust wrote one of my favorite books of 2017, Girls Made of Snow and Glass (an awesome Snow White retelling), so when I saw Girl, Serpent, Thorn, I knew I had to pick it up. Plus I mean — LOOK AT THAT COVER.

Soraya has been cursed since she was a baby. Any living creature she touches dies almost instantly. Because of this, she has remained essentially a prisoner of her family’s palace, never interacting with people, only tending to her garden and reading to pass the time.

But when her family comes to stay for the season, they have brought along a demon they captured on their journey — and it happens to be the same kind of demon that could offer answers to Soraya about her curse — and if it’s possible to break free of it.

With the help of a new friend, Soraya has much to learn about who is telling the truth in her life, but more importantly, about what power she holds within herself. There’s so much to this story that I can’t even get into without spoiling it for you, so you’ll just have to read and see for yourself!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a super fun fantasy with twists and turns, secrets to unfold, and a love that Soraya thought she’d never have the chance to find. A deliciously poisonous read, you won’t be able to put it down without finding out what happens next!

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Purchase the book here!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Links in post are affiliate links whose proceeds go toward the maintenance of this blog.

I have been waiting for this book to come out for months. The premise seemed incredibly intriguing--the sister of a shah who has a poison touch? Based on Persian myths and the Zoroastrian religion? The promise of F/F romance? Yes, please!

While I ultimately enjoyed the world-building and the personal growth and journey of Soraya, the main character, the rest of the book fell a little flat to me. There were a lot of side characters that weren't fleshed out, and the pacing felt rushed; Bashardoust glossed over some scenes that seemed instrumental or could have used more detail. The F/F romance that the summary alluded to was also negligible, which was a shame.

Melissa Bashardoust is a magical storyteller — Girl, Serpent, Thorn is wildly fascinating and unique!

This YA fantasy standalone offers so much: an intriguing premise, captivating writing, and an interesting world. With inspiration from Persian culture and the Zoroastrian faith, the story is transportive and I was totally immersed as I read.

If you’re a fan of morally grey characters, you should enjoy this one! Girl, Serpent, Thorn has a fantastic cast of characters with a queer, cursed, antiheroic MC — Soraya — leading the way. I also really liked (as in loved to hate) the villain — the Shahmar!

The poisonous princess plot brought me to this book, but a lot more kept me reading. There are some original aspects and twists to the story that made it hard to put down. Although I really loved this book as a whole, I think it would have benefited from a bit more fleshing out in certain areas, particularly the romance. I would/could have fully supported this as a duology.

Overall, I absolutely enjoyed Girl, Serpent, Thorn and definitely recommend it! I am 2 for 2 with books by Melissa Bashardoust! To say the least, I am a fan and look forward to what will come from her next!

*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. Please note that it, in no way, had an effect on my opinion or review.

3/5 (I would recommend!!)
I'm giving it a 3/5 stars (which is a good rating for me) meaning I mostly enjoyed it and would still recommend it, but I recommend it with some caveats below. Generally for my reviews I present some things I didn't like - these are not reasons not to read the book, but if they're things that bother you in books, this may not be for you. I also present some things I liked to give you an indication of what worked really well, in case any of those elements are things you are a fan of.

This is a tricky one to rate. I read a review by Heathur that captured a lot of my thoughts on the marketing for this book. After I made my "How Book Marketing Shapes Reader Expectations" video I got a lot of great feedback of others sharing their experiences with poor book marketing - and I think sadly how this book has been pitched might harm its reception.

I think this book was hyped up for the f/f romance because I definetly had the perception going into it that that was a big part to this story (and I was super excited). I have NO idea where I got that perception, because the synopsis gives no indication, but I think I shared the same idea as many others. I want to make one thing super clear though - this is NOT the story of a f/f romance. This is NOT the story of a bi/pan mc coming to understand her sexuality. This IS the story of a young woman coming into her own, learning to accept her flaws, and paving her own path in life. She happens to be bi or pan, and there is a light f/f romance yeah, but it's not the dominant part of the storyline. So just keep that in mind if you're going to read this.

Despite some of the dissonance between what I expected and what I got, I still mostly enjoyed this book. It's not fair for me to knock it in rating for the marketing. I just think it is important for readers to keep in mind some of the aspects of this story and their relevance and frequency.

Soraya, our MC, is cursed as a baby to be untouchable - her skin is poisonous to other living things.Soraya is a member of the royal family but has been secluded her whole life out of fear that her secret will ruin her brother's ability to rule. This book is set in a world inspired by Ancient Persia (the author's note on the worldbuilding is a MUST READ, and I hope it is printed in the final version of the book). I could explain a much more complicated version of the plot, but I honestly feel like the synopsis does a decent job.

Things I liked:
-Soraya as a character - she is morally ambiguous. She has the ability to become a villain so many times and all of her choices teeter between her own selfish desires and what she perceives to be "right." I think a lot of people who read this are going to fall in love with her.
-The world-building/ Persian mythology. I loved it while reading, and then i read the author's note! It was so interesting to see how Bashardoust adapted traditional stories and merged them to fit her own unique tale.
-Character growth. Soraya coming to terms with herself and what she wants out of the world!
-The nods to classic fairy tales - the author's note confirmed that this was in part inspired by Sleeping Beauty. Not a retelling, but I liked some of the nods to the story.

Things I didn't like:
-The pacing was just a bit off. This is a standalone so the author was trying to accomplish a lot. I think she did a decent job with world-building but because she had to start and end a story in a relatively short pagespan, a lot of scenes and moments felt unrealistically quick or rush. And there were a number of moments where things tied into a bow more for the timing of finishing the novel than for the plot. I think in terms of constantly stayng on your toes, the pacing keeps you interested, but for what you get in interest, you take away from the ability to really flesh out the side characters and the world.
-The writing in it's best moments was lyrically beautiful which was about 80% of the times (so that's a plus). But the other 20% of the time it was rather simplistic - I wish there had been a little more consistency of style.

A modern and richly imagined fairy tale based on a Persian epic that parallels "Rapunzel" and draws inspiration from other classics such as "Sleeping Beauty" and Nathaniel Hawthorne's “Rappaccini’s Daughter”?

YES, please.

With my affinity for retellings, I was immediately interested to read something completely different that sounded wonderfully foreign and exciting upon learning of this novel. If you enjoy dark, fantastical vibes with demons, fairies, and a female protagonist that learns of her own powers hidden within to rise above evil, then you don't want to miss out on this compelling YA fantasy.

There was and there was not…

Soroya only dreams of living free in the large kingdom of Atashar. The 18-year old princess is forced to live secluded, stowed away from the rest of her family, and the public view since she was cursed after birth, with a touch of death. Anything she touches will wither and die. Never has she felt another's comforting embrace or a kiss. Never was she able to play like the other children, free and uninhibited of worry. Instead, she has been locked away in her private chambers and gardens, with servants and the occasional visit by her mother.

"You stole something of mine, "he said to the girl in a low growl. "And so now I will steal something of yours."
The girl thought he would take her life, but instead, the div cursed her firstborn daughter, making her poisonous, so that anyone who touched her would die."

Out on the rooftops of Golvahar, Soraya enjoys the simple luxury of seeing the gardens in the front of the palace and far beyond the gates to the edge of Atashar. On the day of the large family procession for her twin brother Sorush, the shah of Atashar, she sees him for the first time - the dashing soldier Azad - and he sees her too.

Fate and circumstance allow them to meet, and despite Soroya's warnings inside, his pretense turns out to be conflicting. During times of political unrest and the quest to lift her curse, Soroya has the opportunity to speak to the div, a captured demon who may hold the answers she seeks, but the price she has to pay to succeed could be consequential of life and death. As she navigates dangerous paths, she painfully learns who she can't trust and the secrets of her family's past.

There was and there was not…

The Creator and the Destroyer.

Who will Soroya be after all is said and done? Monster or Princess?

***

What a whirlwind of a novel. It just flowed like a braid, all twisty with one blow after another. The chain of events just kept on adding while good vs evil changed hands again and again. A really exciting read for YA fans.

What I enjoyed about this novel were the foreign aspects of it but I was also intrigued by the staggering plot twists. In the Afterword, Bashardoust describes how she drew inspiration from Zoroastrianian beliefs to create this fantastically fictionalized cosmology based in particular from the obsolete, heretical version of Zoroastrianism from the Sasanian period. This exotic backdrop added a new and welcoming flavor to the genre.

If you enjoy a bit of folklore, ill omens, and spiritual demons, give this one a try.

Enjoy :)

I received a digital copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

Excellent story. The characters were interesting. I didn't love the ending but it wrapped up nicely.

*** I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

I was immediately grasped by the idea of this book: a poisonous girl who kills everyone she touches. It was such a unique concept.

While this story had so much potential and room to explore, I think it was somewhat let down by the lack of depth. I think the story could have been so much longer than it was. I wanted to learn more about the world and history.

I would have also loved to see more depth in the relationships of the characters. I was definitely turned off by all of the insta-love in the book. Throughout the first half, I kept thinking about how creepy the relationship was. I did really enjoy the major twist in the plot and am very glad the story took a major turn. I never saw it coming. But even in that twist, I would have liked to have seen more development in the relationship. It all happened so fast. I think if this book were to have a sequel, I would definitely be interested in seeing how the characters and relationships develop.



Rating: 4.5/10

I went into this book a little nervously because I’d read some mediocre reviews, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The font on my ARC was also super small, so I worried that reading it might give me a headache.

Mainly I say all that to let you know that when I feel like I zipped through the book super quick and found it completely engrossing, you get the kind of obstacles it was up against. Ha.

First, the characters. I loved Soraya and her mom and the complicated relationship between them. The women in the cast absolutely shine, from Parvaneh and the sisterhood of pariks (winged demons) to Soraya and her mom, they were all complex and fascinating.

As far as the story, I enjoyed the story world, which is based on Persian mythology. Some of the titles are a little unfamiliar and confusing, but there is some explanation about them in the back of the book. I think a glossary would have been helpful, too. All in all, though, I as I got into the story, I was able to keep my bearings just fine.

The plot is very twisty. Less in terms of surprises (though every story has its share of surprises) and more in terms of the way things sort of loop back around, where the past connects to the present. I liked that a lot, and it gave the story a layered feel to it that I enjoyed.

One of the things that will stick with me, I think, is the way Soraya talked about making herself smaller early in the story– trying to keep others safe by shrinking herself as small as she could. I felt like that created this incredible picture of who she was at the beginning and showed such a contrast with who she became and how her courage changed her.

I feel like there are areas in our lives (especially as women) where we sometimes do that– make ourselves smaller to avoid conflict or hurt, even when it hurts us. So I loved reading this story about a young woman who comes into her own, learns to take up her space and be bold. It was both validating and freeing.

I think readers who enjoyed FOREST OF SOULS by Lori M. Lee or FORBIDDEN WISH by Jessica Khoury will enjoy this one.

*𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌*
Girl, Serpent, Thorn
By Melissa Bashardoust
4 / 5 🌟

Do you enjoy fairy tales? Or ancient folklore that intertwines myths and religion with history? Melissa Bashardoust has written a fascinating novel that was influenced by her love of a Persian epic. She envelopes you into a mystical world where sorcery is alive and well, where demons (“divs”) and other creatures roam the earth. In the palace, a princess is hidden away believed to be a cursed monster of the royal family. But there are lies more wicked that may destroy them all.

Soraya and Sorush were twins born into the royal house of Atashar. When their father died Sorush became shah under the watchful eye of their mother. Soraya, the princess, has been hidden away, for she is cursed. She has poison running through her veins - anything she touches will die.
Her brother’s throne must not be tarnished; his subjects must not know his sister belongs to the Destroyer.

Soraya learns that her twin brother, the shah, is getting married. The entire land will be celebrating. Now may be her opportunity to come out from her hiding place. She runs into a guard, Azad, who does not seem to be afraid of who or what she is, instead he appears almost captivated by her.

After an attack on the city, Soraya learns that a demon has been captured alive and is in the dungeon below. How she longs for answers of how to break this poisonous curse that is in her veins. Soraya’s mother demands that she doesn’t speak to the creature claiming they are liars, but her brother allows it. The “div” fills Soraya with doubt and more questions. The lies everyone speaks begin to slither and swirl around Soraya’s mind. Soon she doesn’t know who is telling the truth. She will have to make her own choices and decide who or what she truly is.

**Make sure you check out the author’s notes, she provides a wealth of information on the mythology and culture behind this story.

Thank you to @flatiron_books and @netgalley for this advanced copy for review.

This book will be available on July 7, 2020!

This was an interesting tale of a girl, dangerous to her people, locked away with a curse on her.

Soraya is hidden away in the palace, only really knowing the company of her queen mother, her twin brother and a couple of other people from her childhood. Sick of being locked away, she begins the journey to find not only the cure to the curse on her, but the truth as to how it fell upon her. The stories her mother always told her may not be true.

Amidst her search for the truth, she meets a creature in a dungeon cave who knows the secrets that have alluded Soraya all her life. She also comes to know a handsome man who comes to her rescue. But not everyone is who they claim to be. While some help her, others feed her more lies and allow her, in her blind search for the truth, to set things into motion that she never wanted.

This was such a fun, fantastical read with some great fairy tale vibes. I loved how the curse upon becomes something almost of a comfort to her as she grows and learns about herself. I also love the beautiful relationship that buds from a very unexpected place.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn opens up with a story within a story. The story told as the opener is actually a true story that a mother tells her firstborn daughter, Soraya. Cursed, Soraya harbors a poisonous touch that kills any living being and thus is isolated in the shadows from others. The royal family is preparing for the wedding of the young shah next month. The shah is actually Soraya's twin brother, Sorush. As twins, Sorush is known as the Creator, one born of hope, and Soraya is known as the Destroyer, one born of doubt.

As Sorush gets ready to marry childhood friend Laleh, Soraya feels even more abandoned. Soraya is desperate to find more about her curse. However, the only being she thinks can help her is someone who was captured and is held as a prisoner in the palace. Melissa Bashardoust introduces readers to a world where not only Soraya's secret is hidden behind walls but Soraya finds love with someone unexpected. With a guard's help, Soraya is able to blend within the people and is able to navigate the world.

The world-building opens up new frames of mind. There are new places among Atashar to explore and new beings to meet. The characters we meet in the Girl, Serpent, Thorn are characters you want to get to know better. Some of them, you would like to befriend. While each character may have different intentions, many want to help Soraya. However, when Soraya finds a way to extinguish her curse, she will need to decide whether it's worth it to risk others' lives. Throughout the novel, Soraya learns self-acceptance and self-worth. Things may not seem as they appear and many characters possess secrets that can be deadly. Join the journey of family, loyalty, and betrayal. Immerse yourself in a world where the divs and humans hold secrets that can literally kill.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a captivating character-driven novel where there are many unexpected twists and turns. The novel is a wonderful, unique fairytale woven with Persian elements and Zoroastrian beliefs where love interests and character's paths are not so obvious. As Soraya battles between good and evil, she paves her own path and it's up to her to decide whether to be a princess or the monster that some people see her as. She becomes somewhat of an anti-heroine in her own story. Soraya is a strong woman. She is curious. She is headstrong. And she seeks knowledge. She has a weapon that wields such power but what type of woman does Soraya want to be? Will she betray her own family so she can lift the curse? To read more about Soraya's story, pick up Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

I approached this new YA fantasy novel hesitantly, hoping I wouldn’t find the usual combination of typical YA fantasy tropes which are sometimes repetitive and overdone. I was pleasantly surprised to see that while Girl, Serpent, Thorn did use some of the classic YA tropes, it did a great job of spinning them in a creative way and giving the novel a unique angle. While so many popular fantasy novels focus on the struggle between the “good guys” and the “bad guys,” Girl, Serpent, Thorn takes those lines between good and evil and blurs them until we aren’t sure what to put our trust in. The main character, Soraya, is isolated from the world because of a curse that makes her skin lethal to any living thing. She is a hidden royal who will never experience the life she was supposed to have, all because of her curse. We follow Soraya’s roller-coaster of emotions throughout the entire book, beginning with the jealousy she feels for those who have what she can’t, and eventually the temptation to succumb to her darker instincts.

The lore and magic are explained in a bit of a rush in the beginning, and unfortunately delivered through some info-dumps. Despite the delivery, the lore creates a dark and enchanted atmosphere that I enjoyed. In Soraya’s desperation to cure her curse, she makes some questionable decisions, which is understandable based on her upbringing, but there was a bit of an “insta-love” relationship toward the beginning of the book which doesn’t always sit well with me. Later, the romance in the book redeems itself with a tension-filled and slow-burn romance, which I adored. There is also LGBTQ+ representation in the book as well.

Another detail that I thought was very unique, was the fact that Soraya was able to sympathize with the villain of the story because they had been through similar traumas. Soraya was always plagued by the idea that deep inside of her, a monster was buried and waiting to emerge. In the villain, Soraya saw a version of herself that surrendered to that monster, and it gave her a connection to the villain that sometimes lured her too close to the edge of her humanity.

Overall, I found Girl, Serpent, Thorn to be a refreshing and creative new YA fantasy with a dark atmosphere, high stakes, and a driving plot. Some of the dialogue felt a bit cliche and predictable, and the end fight scene felt a bit overly dramatic and unrealistic. However, the positive definitely outweighs the negative in this book. It beautifully examines the differences within us that can make us feel isolated from the world, and how sometimes those are the most powerful aspects of who we are.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a new YA novel inspired by ancient Persian mythology, Zoroastrianism, and it's got an f/f romance! This is Melissa Bashardoust's second book and it blew my mind! I've got to get a physical copy when it releases.

A quarter of the way through the book and it felt like it had been really heavy on the information dumping. I still liked the information as it contributed to the story, but it felt heavy at the beginning. Around the 25% mark the story really started to pick up. Whatever qualms I had in the beginning, they were completely gone by about 1/4 of the way into the book. Seriously, it got really, really good.

There is a lot of imagery and some vocabulary the reader will need to learn, but that's typical for a fantasy book. As Shadow and Bone has a quasi-Russian setting, and City of Brass has a quasi-Persian setting, both with mythical creatures, Girl, Serpent, Thorn has a similar setting with the power structure being a Shah with patrilineal inheritance and the main antagonists being divs, who are magical beings created by the Destroyer. In this world, the Creator gave human life and the Destroyer created divs, who were intended to destroy humans. The world is intricate and interesting and I had a wonderful time learning all about the world of Atashar.

Of course, Saraya is the main character and I was so happy to read a book that follows one person, rather than switching between characters every chapter. I've read so many of those and it's really in vogue right now, but man was I tired of it. This books works much better as a singular point of view and kudos to the author for this! Other characters include Saraya's brother, a few divs who make up the antagonism, and of course a big, bad villain who wants to take over Atashar and dethrone the shah. There is romance in this book, but it isn't overt or pushed on the reader, rather it is threaded just underneath the surface of the narrative and I had a great appreciation for it! I don't want to say much more because I'll get into spoiler territory, but trust me that this is a great book!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Girl, Serpent, Thorn and would encourage readers of YA who are fans of Leigh Bardugo, S. A. Chakraborty, Sabaa Tahir, Holly Black, Sarah J. Maas, and others to read this book!

This YA fantasy is a unique fairy tale surrounding Soraya, a reclusive princess who hides from the world because she has been cursed to have skin that is deadly to touch. She hides in her gardens and longs to find a way to experience the touch of another human, when a demon is captured, a demon who may have the answers that can either break Soraya’s curse and end her life of lonely exile, or reveal that she is truly the monster she thinks she is.

This book is a delightful spin on a Persian tale that also brings in other elements of Persian culture that enrich the story. The author is able to capture the lavish palaces and gardens of the Middle East, resplendent with lush scenery that transports the readers to the beauty of an ancient time.

The characters have such complexities that the reader is truly unsure of their true selves and motivations, making the story magnificently mysterious. This keeps the reader guessing throughout the entire novel and makes for a wonderful read.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is an opulent tapestry of demons, treachery, self discovery, and ultimately love, that is highly addicting. I found myself reading long into the night, caught in the intrigues and heart wrenching relationships of this distinctive new fantasy.