This book has left me breathless. The depth in which it was written is fantastic. Not only did I feel as if I was dropped into a vast, beautiful India at the height of the early 1500s, but I was enthralled with the creativity and awe-inspiring Magic system based around the rarity of magic flowers.

I loved that none of the characters could trust each other and that there was always some plot happening. The development of Irinya from a naive girl into a woman that fought for what she believed was very well crafted.

There’s a ton of lessons to be learned and the consequences that come from human folly. And the author beautifully demonstrated this many times over.

I loved this book so much at halfway through I went and preordered it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, and of course the amazing author Rati Mehrotra. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

the world-building is always brilliant and immersive, but i just couldn’t get into this as much as i would’ve like. the plot and twists were too predictable and i found myself skimming at times because the descriptions and what one character was doing went on for too long. there was more tell than show. but i appreciated the wlw representation and how the author did not shy away from stating how brown the characters were.

thank you to the publisher for providing me with an arc!

Irinya is a flower hunter, spending her time in the dangerous Rann, searching for the magical blooms that can help pull her Kul out of the debt that shadows them. But when she is tricked by a visiting nobleman, she embarks on a journey to save her family .

This was such a magnificent fantasy, with rich world building and excellent characters. I absolutely couldn't get enough - Rati Mehrotra is a masterful storyteller!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Flowers are rare and possess magic that makes them highly sought after; a broken promise between flower hunters regarding a practically mythic flower leads to a great many changes in their lives in Rati Mehrotra’s Flower and Thorn.
Like her mother before her who disappeared in the dangerous mists of the salt flats when she was a child Iriyna wants to be a flower hunter, and she spends her days searching the salt flats with her friend Fardan, using her knowledge of the flowers to help her kul survive against the debt they’ve incurred while also collecting thorns to use as blowdarts and slowly inuring herself against the thorns poisons. One day, Fardan shows Irinya a particularly rare flower he found, a silver spider lily, making her promise to not pluck it, even though this flower could mean freedom for her people. When a stranger arrives and sows the idea of forming a collective to remove their debtor from their lives and help them get a fair price for the flowers they harvest, Irinya is drawn to his charms and impulsively gives him the lily as a means to help India against the Portuguese invaders wreaking havoc as the sides war against each other but soon wonders if he’s tricked her. Determined to get the payment they’re owed or recover the spider lily Irinya leaves her kul in search of the stranger, where along the way she falls in with the wazir’s company and catches his attention. As Irinya seeks to right wrongs while aiming to survive the journey she’s on she begins to better understand betrayals, the cost of using the flowers, and where her heart truly lies.
From a dangerous job to a dangerous journey, the engaging story of one young woman’s endeavor to do the most good for her people, both of her immediate kul and of India more broadly, where their future is of their devising instead of at the mercy of someone else’s plans is presented through lush descriptions of the surroundings, easily creating an atmosphere to envision. In contrasting the lavish and patriarchal mindset prevalent in the cities with the more simplistic and matriarchal structure of the nomadic kul that shapes Irinya’s perspective, there’s commentary regarding the societal structures and ways of living present without being heavy-handed in presentation. The magic of the flowers was intriguing and presented in poetic bits and pieces as the story progressed with the grand demonstrations, good and bad, of the true cost of using the flowers and how the person using them influences their effects; though many questions about the flowers connection with both Irinya and her mother through the memories that slowly resurfaced in Irinya’s mind, there remains a sense of haze obscuring further details that could more satisfyingly answer the unresolved questions of the flowers’ magic.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've read several fantasies inspired by the Desi culture, but this is the first that wasn't based in a fictional world!

Yes, the author probably took liberties, but there was no denying the landscape was set in India, and I loved how Mehrotra incorporated nomadic tribal culture into the primary story.

Granted, a portion of the story takes place within various settlements/cities, but my favorite parts were in the Kutch and the journey along the way.

I was sad when I finished the book, simply because Irinya's story was over and nothing else.

thank you to netgalley, st martin’s press and wednesday books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

this is a historical fantasy standalone set in 16th century india in a world where special flowers hold magical properties and great currency; as such they are coveted by many. we also see how this coincided with the very real portuguese invasion of india that was happening at the time in real life.

i adored the fantasy elements in this book: the lore of the flowers and the dangerous job of the flower hunters.

this is my second book of rati mehrotra, and once again her greatest strength is her worldbuilding. what stood out the most for me in “night of the raven, dawn of the dove” was the atmosphere, and flower and thorn is no different. the world feels so full and enriched.

both times the stories have managed to engage me from start to finish. i love that reading a rati mehrotra standalone will leave you feeling fulfilled by the time you finish —a complete story contained in one book

Thank you Wednesday book for my early copy on netgalley!

I absolutely enjoyed this from start to finish it was a fast paced high stakes YA read.

It gave me Mulan meets 16th century India with many many plot twist

Irinya and Fardan went flower hunting in the Rann every morning till dawn to retrieve magical flowers to pay there debt off. Till one day a man came in tho there Kul and promised the world to them.

The magic of of flowers had cures and powers that every man wanted to get there hands on. Unfortunately the wrong man got his hands on the Silver Spider lily!!!

Irinya was admirable with the strength she had to save her kul from all the evil that resided in India.

Irinya had to hunghim down but finding him let to many devious and dangers plans ahead. She ran away and wouldn’t come back till she figured everything out.

She needed to get the spider lily back to save her kul and all of India from the Portuguese that were breathing down there necks on the shores

Will she figure out how to save her country of will she fall like the petals of a dead flower

I don’t want to give to much away just that you should read this immediately and i guarantee you won’t see anything coming your way!!

Flower And Thorn is a standalone fantasy novel with the story taking place in the grasslands and salt flats of India. Seventeen year old Irinya is a flower hunter. The flowers she and her friends hunt are not ordinary flowers. The flowers are magic and are only found in the salt flats of the Rann. Hunting them is dangerous work, but it's necessary to help their caravan survive as they are in debt to a ruthless baniya. When her best friend, Fardan, finds a priceless silver spider lily there is a chance to change their lives. But it comes at a price. Irinya is tricked into breaking a promise and she must go on a journey to retrieve the flower.

The writing in Flower And Thorn is very.descriptive. I found myself immersed in the setting.which is a beautiful place even when it's deadly. I love the magic flowers. The details of where they grow and their magical uses is very interesting. The whole magic system based on flowers is unique and fun. There is a lovely poem at the beginning of the book, and is also recited later, that gives us an idea of the power of the flowers.

Irinya is very brave. There are other brave characters as well that play a role later. All of the characters have depth, including the ones that may be villains. There is a lot of humor throughout which helps to lighten the mood at times. The story is refreshingly light on romance. It feels realistic.

I wasn't sure where the story was headed at first. Neither did Irinya. She just sets off and finds herself in the middle of palace politics with war around the corner. There are a lot of tense moments and that's before you even get to anything too bloody. I found the story thoroughly entertaining.

I feel there are some unanswered questions regarding Irinya's mother and Irinya's connection to the flowers. I also would have liked a little more clarity on Imshan Khan's character and personality. He is confusing at times but I do appreciate his layers.

Flower And Thorn is unlike other fantasy novels I have read. It is a standalone but I wouldn't mind returning to the Rann! I'll miss the characters and seeing what they're up to when no one is reading.

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

I liked elements of the world building in this but unfortunately I just didn't particularly care for the characters.

Irinya is an orphan. Her mother was a flower hunter and was lost to the desert. Now she dreams of the same glory, but what will it cost her? She and her best friend come upon a rare flower and he begs her not to pick it. She goes back on her promise hoping to save their community from poverty and the country from the onslaught of the Portuguese. But, her trust is misplaced and she wants more than anything to make things right. She goes on a dangerous quest across India on her own to right the wrongs.

This was one of those fantasies where I was immersed from page one. I could see the harsh desert, feel the community of Irinya’s caravan and the intensity of desire for these magical flowers. Mehrotra’s world building was perfect - readers are balanced between 16th century India under the siege of the Portuguese and this magical world where finding one flower can change it all. I loved Irinya’s pure heart and ethical innocence. She learned a lot about the politics of the real world as she risked everything she loved to save the fate of India.

If you pick up one fantasy this year, it should be this one! I can’t wait to have a copy on my shelves! Check this one out if you enjoyed The Spice Road or The Daevabad Trilogy.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

Mehrota’s latest book reimagines India with flower magic in this cozy read that refreshingly twists many old tropes. Indirya is a flower hunter as her mother was before her, braving the dangerous desert to find the magical flowers to pay toward the kul’s debt to cruel middlemen. The arrival of a charming court denizen inspires her to betray a friend’s confidence and give away an especially rare flower, setting off a cascade of consequences that endangers the whole tribe. She takes responsibility and sets off to make things right.

I really enjoyed how the book surprised me throughout, especially with how the romance delivered. The use of Indian history was fantastic—we need more of this! The flower magic was fun, too, though I would have liked an even deeper dive into that.

In Flower and Thorn, we follow Irinya, a flower hunter in a world where flowers grown in a specific region of India have buds with magical properties and poisonous thorns. I really liked this unique magic system and the associated world building. The idea of magical flowers that are now super rare because humans destroyed the ecosystem limiting their growth was a nice tie in for the impact humans have on the climate. I thought it was a nice piece of reality in the fantasy world.

With the great world-building and magic system, I was disappointed with the rest of the book. I found the plot to be a little all over the place and disjointed. It felt like it wasn’t fully outlined and the author just kept adding pieces on and throwing “twists” the change it up. This left me feeling like the book was dragging on because it was difficult to get fully invested. Plus I had questions that I felt were never fully answered. Like why could Irinya hear the flowers and the camel? And why could the flowers predict the future?

In terms of the characters, I found Irinya difficult to root for. She made a lot of, in my opinion, dumb decisions and seemed to contradict each other. She makes a promise one day, then breaks the promise the next because someone shares a sad story about his parents dying. She then goes to retrieve the flower and seems to trust everyone, despite recognizing she should not trust anyone. She didn’t seem to make better decisions as the book went on, either. So there was not a lot of character development. I will say, I liked her realization that she had feelings for her best friend all along and how she had difficulty pinpointing when those feelings started. There was something that seemed really genuine about their relationship.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this read and felt like it could have been so much more. 2 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Flower and Thorn by Rati Mehrotra is an amazing action packed story.

The author does a stellar job creating such a compelling story and the world building is so creative while also keeping the plot forward moving.
I enjoyed how unpredictable the plot was.
It was so intriguing and kept me gripped all the way through the pacing was good and I thought the entire building of the story was absolutely fantastic.
Flower and Thorn was super intriguing and had me invested in the characters so quickly.
Irinya is a strong main character, the development of her journey was really well thought out.
The setting is unique and fairly well-developed. It's so detailed and lovingly rendered.

There's magic, court politics, conspiracy, interesting monsters/spirits, unlikely alliances. I love Katyani who's so fierce and loyal

I can’t wait to read more from this author

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

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book, this cover. The story was great, this is my first Rati Mehrotra book, but it is certainly not my last. I thouroughly enjoyed this book the characters and their journey was great.

Enjoyed this book very much. The world building characters were my favorite, the plot was good and engaging. And the historical and magic aspect was superb! A well done stand alone fantasy that you'll devour.

An intense, gripping read. The world-building was vivid, and in turns marvellous and ominous; as for the plot, it was just familiar enough to carry me along, but unpredictable enough that the suspense was maintained to the end.

Thematically-speaking, I loved that the novel focused on a struggling, oppressed community, and that it took time to reflect on the economic structures of oppression, on the kind of solutions available, and on their difficulties. As for the plot, it had an excellent antagonist, a character who felt deeply flawed, but convincing at the same time; human, but without excuses. It made for a complex relationship with the heroine, one that kept me wondering to the end how it would all finish.

It usually bothers me a little when fantasy characters seem to come up with modern systems of thought all by themselves in a mediaeval setting. However, in this case, although the protagonist seems to reason and react very much like a modern, feminist young woman, it didn't feel out of place: instead, her convictions seem to have sprung naturally from her personal experience and circumstances, as a woman forced into gruelling labour in order to help her community survive. This reinforced the sympathy I felt for her. I also really liked the fact that her struggles were real: she screws up more than once in the novel, with dire consequences, for herself and others; and for all her cleverness, she never sounds like she understands more about the world than everybody else's.

A great read on the whole.

Flower and Thorn is a young adult fantasy staged in India where the right flower might win a throne. Irinya is a flower hunter where rare magical flowers can heal, force obedience, or win victories for those who consume them. Irinya‘S people are nomads indebted to moneylenders that force quotas on the flower harvest. When a stranger shows up promising enough wealth to save her people, Irinya breaks a promise to her best friend and gives him one of the rarest of flowers to save India from invaders. Disguising herself as a man, Irinya sets up to find why promises were broken and gets a round to saving her country in wild, exciting adventure full of danger and the hint of romance. Flower and Thorn is an entertaining, magical tale where the heroine saves the day. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

Flower and Thorn adds magic to the historical context of India during the time of its invasion by the Portugese in the 1500s. Irinya is part of a nomadic group that travels the grasslands on the edge of a large salt flat called the Rann. Irinya and other young people in her kul go into the Rann to hunt for magical flowers, each of which possess unique properties. When one of the flower hunters finds an especially rare flower that grants considerable power, it sets in motion of chain of events which sends Irinya far from her home to try to save her kul and all of India.

I enjoyed this book, not just because it is an engaging story, but also because I learned more about a time and place I was not very familiar with. There is a fun cast of characters and a well-paced plot. This was my second Rati Mehrotra book and I look forward to reading more!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I absolutely adored being immersed in Irinya's adventure, it was so unique and colorful, and I was invested the whole time. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for more books from Ms. Mehrotra! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

4.5 stars

If Rati Mehrotra writes it, I'm definitely going to be reading it, so here I am—and I absolutely loved this book! The lore of magical flowers to court intrigue to Irinya and Fardan's moments, this was everything you could ask for. Full review to come soon!

Thank you to Publisher for reaching out via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.