The world building is fantastic. The imagery often leaps from the pages.

Twisting Indian history with magic is an interesting plot line.

The rest of the story didn't capture my attention. I found myself skimming page after page seeking something but never finding it.

Overall, this is a good book, and I can see the appeal for many readers of fantasy and YA.


Thank you for NetGalley and publisher for the eARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

This YA Fantasy intrigued me with it's beautiful cover, and the fact that it is stand-alone!

Young- Adult Fantasy/ Romantasy.

3.75 stars

I am such a bad reviewer (a retired one lol). I had gotten an eArc of this but didn't get to it until now so I read it on a physical copy.

I've read the author's Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove and had an enjoyable experience so I thought why not pick up her newest release? As like the previous book it took me about two or three chapters to be fully engaged with the story and then after that I was hooked. The author has such rich prose with lovely sentences spilling over the pages. She does not employ the popular short, staccato style of prose which is prevalent in books recently. In essence, this means that while the plot and pacing is not slow, the abundant depth of world building, descriptions, and character development might feel slow to some readers.

The concept of flowers possessing magical powers to cure is awesome. I love this idea and it's one of the things that'll get me to pick up a book. Not to mention that these flowers are sentient and can choose who they want to give their powers to is another nice touch. Also, having a historical fantasy where India is fighting off the invaders and colonizers that are trying to claim their land is a storyline I totally root for.

I wish there had been more scenes with Irinya and her love interest as I wasn't fully convinced by them at the end. Sure, their friendship is very well established and I loved their interactions but that transition from friends to feelings needed a bit more space in the story. In fact, I think Irinya had more scenes with another male character than our main love interest.

Give this a thumbs up for sure.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC! I will be reviewing and/or showcasing this book on my social media accounts when I can. Thanks again very much appreciated and looking forward to this book!

Rati Mehrotra had my heart in her Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove so I was so happy to hear about her coming out with another standalone fantasy! I can attest once again to her exceptional talent for worldbuilding. In Flower And Thorn, her mastery shines through, as the world she creates feels immersive and thoroughly realized, just as it did in her previous work. This book is set in an alternate history resembling India during Portugal's invasion, where rare, magical flowers possess life-altering capabilities. AND THE FRIENDS TO LOVERS SUBPLOT. I SCREECHHHH. Friends to lovers is actually really growing on me recently. Enemies to lovers who??

I will admit, it was the cover that really sucked me into this book, but the writing and characters kept me engaged, and I ended up enjoying it a lot! So far I've really liked everything I've read by Mehrotra, and I'm excited for whatever they will come out with next.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I got about halfway through the book, but it really just was not my thing. It sounded great in theory and the description was pretty interesting, but I couldn't bring myself to get invested in the story, as I did not love the writing style or the main character.

When a book opens with a description of a rotting corpse and continues with an unlikeable protagonist, I don't think it can be saved.

A lush fantasy set in the deserts of India. Irinya is a flower hunter, one who braves the deadly Rann in search of the magical flowers whose proceeds help to keep her people afloat. They are nomads in a dangerous desert, dealing with unscrupulous lenders, and now they also have to worry about India's precarious situation with the Portuguese. When Irinya's hunting partner, Fardan, finds a rare flower that could turn the tide of the war, Irinya makes a choice which will change the course of her life. Along her journey, she will experience betrayal, leave her kul for the first time, meet royalty, and maybe change the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. A desert isn't typically what I would consider the most beautiful of settings, but this one definitely fits the criteria. It's magical and deadly. I love the idea of rare magical flowers, only able to be found by a select group of people. Great worldbuilding. I know little about India's history, so this fantasy rendition was quite interesting. Irinya is a strong female protagonist, but she also makes mistakes and has to learn from them. I enjoyed the romantic subplot and the political intrigue as well. This was a lovely standalone fantasy, though I wouldn't be upset if we ever hear from any of these characters again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another book I read by this author, Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove, was an easy five stars for me. When I was offered the NetGalley widget for her newest release, I immediately downloaded it.

This novel takes place in the Gujarat Sultanate in early sixteenth century India at the time of the Portuguese invasion. The author blends aspect of this history with the immersive fantasy world she created. A flower-based magical system is an original concept for me. Flowers possess certain powers including healing, persuasion, hearing across vast distances, and poison among others. But my favorite was the black chrysanthemum that opens doors to other times and places.

When a handsome stranger arrives at Irinya’s caravan and offers ways to make their lives better and to buy their debt, some members are overjoyed. Others are skeptical. He persuades Irinya to give him a rare and priceless spider lily he says will win the war against the Portuguese. As you can guess, he disappears with the flower. Determined to set things right, Irinya goes after him and finds herself in places and dangerous situations she never imagined. The current sultan is on his deathbed, and two relatives are in line for succession – one for power, the other for the good of the people. Whoever possesses the spider lily will have the advantage.

This novel features the opposite of insta-love – a refreshing change for me. This sweet romance is more of a slow burn – seeing someone you’ve known your whole life in a different way. Characterization is strong, and Irinya’s family and found family caravan members feel authentic, warts and all. Pacing is a little uneven in places, but the ending moves as a brisk pace. I couldn’t look away.

This author is on my watchlist, and I’ll absolutely pick up her next release. Recommended for fans of unique magical systems, exciting adventure, and found family sprinkled with a little romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Due to St. Martins Press refusal to address the remarks made by their employee regarding Palestine, I will not be reviewing this book.

This in no way has anything to do with the author. But I refuse to support anything from SMP because of their refusal to address a major issue at hand.

What an amazing read! Flower and Thorn by Rati Mehrotra is a standalone YA historical fantasy that asks the question: “What if India had magic when the Portuguese invaded during the 16th century?” I am a sucker for books like this that are full of history but rewritten to include other things. For this one, it’s magical flowers that turn the tide of an invasion. It is both beautiful and haunting.

Irinya is a flower hunter for her nomadic kul, inspired by her mother who was also a flower hunter before she disappeared into the Rann salt flats. Only seventeen, she uses her knowledge of flowers, and their thorns, to keep her family and friends safe. When her hunting partner Fardan finds the mythical and rare silver spider lily, Irinya knows it is the key to saving not just their kul, but their country as well.

This story took me off guard. At first, I didn’t like Irinya, and with the entire story told from her POV, that makes it hard to connect. However, I quickly found myself in love with her and rooting for her to succeed. She makes several questionable decisions, first giving the silver spider lily to a stranger who makes grand promises to running away from her kul and leaving all she knows and loves behind to save them. She goes on an epic adventure, and the story follows her through it all.

If you are expecting a romance, set that expectation aside. Yes, there is a touch of romance, but I’d classify it more as teenage longing and hope than true romance. Irinya is more concerned about setting right her wrongs then pursuing love. This plot focuses more on her adventure, the magic of the flowers, the danger she is in, the invading Portuguese, and the unrest in the sultanate. And y’all, I could not have asked for a better story than what this book delivers!

Overall, I really enjoyed Flower and Thorn. The magic system Mehrotra develops is seamlessly integrated into the history of the time period. I love seeing and learning about it through Irinya’s perspective. The story itself reminds me of one you’d find in One Thousand and One Nights or being told out loud by Scheherazade herself. It is lush in its imagery, evoking a sense of wonder as you read. Highly recommend for fans of fantasy!

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher.*

This is the second book I've read (and enjoyed) by this author. The story was unique, and I liked the characters. At times, the writing felt slightly juvenile, particularly the dialogue; however, it wasn't a problem that persisted throughout the entire book.

I like magical stories that have balance, where magic isn’t necessarily free but has some type of cost. In this book, use of the magical flowers comes with an associated risk or price equal to that of the benefit the flower provides. It was interesting, and it was actually pretty believable as far as magic goes.

Unfortunately, I never felt like I got a very clear picture of most characters in my head. Irinya (17) and Fardan (also 17?) were not as vivid as I would have liked them to be. They were skilled flower hunters and had obviously been close friends for a long time, with Irinya oblivious to the feelings Fardan had developed for her. The character I found most interesting was Imshan Kahn, whose motivations were never entirely clear and who seemed to straddle the line between kindness and selfishness the whole book.

Even though this book fell a little short for me, I look forward to whatever this author writes in the future. She has creative ideas that are different from a lot of what is flooding the YA market right now, and she doesn’t resort to filling her books with swearing, graphic violence, or sex.

Note: It is implied that the sultana and her handmaiden have a relationship.

This book really delighted me! Mehrotra's best book yet! The world was immersive, surprising, and real. We follow Irinya as she struggles to right her mistake, and re-claim a magic flower that has fallen into the wrong hands. She comes from a nomadic and hard pressed people, and at her core, she goes on this adventure for them and for her family and her memory of her mother. In that sense, while being a flashy and funny adventure book with a brash female lead, this book is also sweet, powerful, and moving. The support cast is also rich, fleshed out, and entertaining, I found myself smiling while reading Irinya's interactions with people outside her village on more than one occasion. I would absolutely recommend this book to a friend!

Overall a good book but drags a ton for me. I loved the little snippets of desi life that were accurate but it felt rushed in certain parts then dragged on forever in others. I couldn't really understand the motivation for helping the current queen at all?

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Flower and Thorn has a medium to medium fast pace.

POV: Flower and Thorn is told from Irinya’s 3rd person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: Flower and Thorn have trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Gore
Violence
War and War Themes
Classism
Poverty
Sexism
Indentured Servitude
Drugging
Dead Bodies
Death of a Parent
Grief & Loss Depiction
Captivity & Confinement
Knife & Sword Violence
Murder & Attempted Murder
Physical Assualt
Sexual Content: There is no on-page sexual content in Flower and Thorn.

Language: Flower and Thorn had no swearing or offensive language in it.

Setting: Flower and Thorn is set in 16th-century India.

Age Range: I recommend Flower and Thorn to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Since her mother disappeared when she was five, Iriniya wants to be a flower hunter. Flowers in India are magical, and because of that, they are increasingly rare. So, when her best friend shows Irinya where he found one of the rarest flowers, a silver spider lily, she promises to him to let it be. But, when Iriniya meets a handsome young man who claims to be working for the general fighting the war against the Portuguese, she feels compelled to tell him about the flower and get it for him. Soon, she discovers his promises are lies, and she has shattered the trust of her kul and best friend. Determined to win back their trust and set things right, Irinya starts a journey from the salt flats of Rann to the capital city of Ahmedabad. But, along the way, she attracts the attention of the Grand Wizer, Ishman Khan, and becomes embroiled in palace intrigue. Can Iriniya right the wrong she did?

Main Characters

Iriniya: I liked Iriniya. She made some pretty big mistakes at the beginning of the book (trusting the wrong guy, destroying the trust her best friend and kul had in her) that had tragic consequences. I agreed when she decided to right the wrongs against herself and her kul. Iriniya had some tremendous character growth throughout the book. The Iriniya portrayed at the end of the book was not the Iriniya at the beginning. I also liked how she handled adversity. She could think on her feet and anticipate what was asked of her. I only saw her hesitate when she had to leave the camel (her uncle’s prize possession). But, even then, she talked the time he could stay in the stable up from what the wizer initially said.

My review:

I have been looking forward to Flower and Thorn since I saw several blogs post early reviews. Not only were the reviews excellent, but I loved the cover. So, I was thrilled when St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books sent me a widget. Then, life happened, and I got behind on my reviews. Flower and Thorn kept getting pushed back on my schedule until this month (way past the publication date). I don’t want that to happen, but it does. Usually, my desire to read the book has faded by that point, but in this case, it didn’t. I was excited to read Flower and Thorn, and this book exceeded my expectations.

The main storyline in Flower and Thorn is centered around Iriniya and her quest to find the silver spider lily. The storyline was well-written and kept me on my feet reading it. I had no problem focusing on her adventures, even with all the background noise (the war with the Portuguese and the power play in the palace). The focus stayed on Iriniya and her quest for the entire book. The secondary storylines outlined in the book added to her storyline.

I loved the use of the flowers in Flower and Thorn. The author took everyday things we take for granted and added a mystical feel to them. Adding that these flowers are becoming an endangered breed and that levies were placed on flower hunters just added to the story. The flower’s uses were just as intriguing. They are

White Jasmine—cure sickness
Bloodread Hibiscus–mind-control
Sunflower—to find things
Bluestar—a cure for the hibiscus
Green Rose—used for communication
Silver Spider Lily—used to win wars
Chrysanthemum (Chrys in the book)—used to open strange doors (aka not real ones)
Sacred Lotus—Unknown (never really said in the book)
Almost all of the flowers (except the sunflower) were used in the book. Again, this was fascinating and frightening. The lengths that people were willing to do whatever (including murder) to get the last three flowers was scary.

I liked the bit of romance that the author threw in. Iriniya’s love interest wasn’t clear (at first, I thought she didn’t like girls or guys). But that wasn’t the case. It was more of her being so single-minded that she blocked anything romantic out. I won’t say who she ends up with at the end of the book, but I will say that I wasn’t surprised.

The end of Flower and Thorn was interesting. I liked that Iriniya’s backstory was almost fully explained (I did have some questions about who her father was). The author did leave enough of the storylines open for me to wonder if there will be another book. I would love to know more about certain storylines and people.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and Rati Mehrotra for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Flower and Thorn. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

I loved this book, it gave me everything I wanted as a reader and more. I am a sucker for a cover and fell in love with the storyline and characters. Well written and kept me engaged :)

4.5 stars!

Having enjoyed Rati Mehrotra's Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove last year, I had my eye on her future releases. You can imagine, then, how honored I felt to receive an email from St. Martin's Press offering a free, advanced ebook copy of Flower and Thorn!

What was even better was the story within!

For one, I had a few small qualms with Mehrotra's previous book (mainly slower pacing, flat characters, and a predictable plot), so I was extra aware of whether these issues would repeat themselves in Flower and Thorn. And oh, how happy I was to be worried for nothing!

The characters were easy to connect to, intriguing, and sympathetic! Imshan especially had me captivated - What were his plans? What did he really think of Irinya? Would he keep his promises? A perfectly ambiguous, secretive character!

The plot had a few turns I wasn't expecting, keeping me engaged and wondering how everything would play out. And the pacing, while slower at the beginning, picked up in all the right places to keep me reading.

Beyond that, I loved the concept: Medieval India, on the cusp on being overrun by the Portuguese, has a secret - small groups of flower hunters scour the magical salt flats for mythical and powerful flowers. What a delight to read something so unique!

Mehrotra also has a special talent of making her historical fantasy sparkle with all the extra details that only someone deeply in love with a culture could include - the clothing, the food, the place names, the honorifics, the almost-tangible descriptions. Between the bleached grasslands on the edge of salty desert, to the dark green jungles full of hidden tigers, to the sculpted marble palace of a dying sultan, Mehrotra draws an exquisite picture of 1600s India.

As an extra treat, there's a sweet romance that slowly, slowly develops.

In all, Flower and Thorn is simply a top tier historical fantasy - fun, magical and unique, rich in detail and care, and sparking the desire to research more about this time period in India. Oh, and a great standalone, too!

I have read Rati Mehrotra’s work before and was really thrilled to get into this one! I do find myself enjoying this one a bit more than the first book and was surprised to see this one as a standalone, but overall, it had an engaging magic system we don’t see often

I really enjoyed Mehrotra's last book, but I just couldn't get into this one. The premise was cool and I thought the way it approached colonialism was very good, but the characters and their actions ended up annoying me rather than endearing me to them. I also thought the plot points were a bit easy to predict and not super engaging, even though the setting and worldbuilding was really nice. I think this book would definitely work for other readers, but I wasn't the right person for this book.