This story is beautifully told, and will intrigue you long after you finish the last sentence. Melissa Bashardoust has certainly woven some magic here, with charmingly frustrating characters, some serious romantic tension, and so much danger.

The Persian mythology this is based off of is something I’m not very familiar with, but it was fascinating to learn about. It was a quick book and it did kind of leave me wanting something more, but at the same time I could enjoy it for what it was. This story was certainly thrilling, but also deeply mysterious. I am desperate to find out what’s going to happen next, especially because we were left on such a cliffhanger! Add this to your TBR, because if you love magical stories with a historical fantasy vibe to it, then this is definitely one that you won’t soon forget....

Honestly, there’s nothing that I didn’t like about this story. It’s beautifully written, and each character has their own memorable personality. This would be a great book for younger fantasy readers or people just starting to dip their toes into fantasy.

3.5 Stars

Have you ever been totally in love with the concept of a book but not its execution? That captures my feeling of Girl, Serpent, Thorn, a novel with elements of Persian folklore that is inspired by a blend of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, Rappacini's Daughter and the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty/Briar Rose. I've long been fascinated by Rappacini's Daughter and even own the 1980 film starring Kathleen Beller. There are fundamental questions about why a daughter would become or be made poisonous and whether that essential part of her nature should be accepted or changed that make for rich exploration. Combine that with the thorny princess tale and add in tribes of divs (Persian demons) and you have the makings of a rich story. Soraya, twin sister of the young Shah Sorush, was cursed at birth (or so she's been told) by a div to be poisonous to the touch. A lifetime of living hidden away, wearing gloves, lacking for affection even from Tamineh, her mother, has left her lonely and fighting a growing sense of bitterness. Her brother is marrying her childhood friend Laleh, who Soraya has seen less and less of in recent times. Her mother looks at Laleh as if she's the daughter she wished she had, so far as Soraya is concerned. And so, when a div is captured and brought back to the palace, Soraya wants desperately to question the div to find out if it is possible to break the curse that separates Soraya from the world. When a handsome young soldier, Azad, offers to help Soraya, she makes her way to the dungeon and finds the beautiful parik named Parvaneh, a winged beauty. Drawn to both Azad and Parvaneh, Soraya finds her whole life shifts its axis. Can a poisonous girl have a good heart? It might take finding the mythical simorgh bird to find her answers.

This has the makings of such a fabulous story and yet I honestly felt as if the quality of the writing was not a match for this great idea. I suppose it may be that my recent forays into fantasy have been with authors writing lush and lyrical worlds. Bashardoust's story is bold and creative and merges fairy tales and folklore in an original way. I wish her writing style had more polish to it and a better flow. I'll still pick up whatever she writes next and want to take a look at her first novel, Girls Made of Snow and Glass.

Updated 07/15/2020: I had occasion to listen to the audiobook edition of the novel and have bumped the novel to 4 stars with the 3.5 rating. The narration by Nikki Massoud adds a more lively dimensionality to the story.

I received a digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.