I am completely and utterly obsessed. What a stunning debut novel.

Thorn Season captures everything I want in a book: richly described characters with tense emotional dynamics, excellent political intrigue and court drama, and of course, magic. I stayed up until 3 in the morning (which I never do). I just could not put this down.

Setting, World Building, & Plot
The world building is straightforward, maybe even a bit generic, but it's the author's vivid imagery and clever way with words that transported me into the story.

The plot twists and betrayals scattered throughout kept me reading and added genuine tension between characters. By the end, I was a nervous wreck waiting for all the shoes to drop.

My main gripe is that the early chapters are very info-dumpy. It made the story much more interesting, but this is definitely not a "brain off" book!

Characters
Our FMC Alissa is the morally gray heroine I've been waiting for -- witty, competent, and self-aware. Alissa knows she is spared from the Hunters because of her family and position at court. It's that understanding and sense of indebtedness that pushes her to sacrifice herself again and again to protect those she loves. Having this perspective on Alissa makes her reckless moments more understandable and believable as a reader. I felt myself rooting for her!

All the side characters have their own distinct personalities and hidden agendas at court. The relationships between some of them made my heart ache in the best way. By far, my favorite side character is Alissa's lovable best friend Tari. She brings levity to tense moments in the book and is Alissa's number 1 supporter.
"I don't agree with the path you're choosing...But I'll walk beside you, every step. Even if that means watching you tie yourself to a ship on fire."

I mean 😭❤️ If she's not in the next book, I'll riot.

Romance
The romance definitely took a backseat in this book and it has no spice, but gosh, does the author know how to write tension and banter. I'm not a "smiling and kicking my feet" kind of girl, but Alissa had even me in a chokehold with her clever quips with all the male love interests.

I can't say much more without spoiling, but this book is probably one of my all-time favorite examples of great banter. Also, a love square??? I can't wait to see where this goes.

Overall
I highly, highly recommend this book. I still can't believe this is a debut novel. Pick this up if you want an addictive and unputdownable read that'll keep you guessing from the very first chapter!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Storytide for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like most fantasy... it took a while to get into this one. I picked it up and put it down several times.... Starts out feeling like a candyland inspired fantasy, which was kind of a turn off... I feel like it should have stayed more on theme, dressing up as roses, describing more flowery items. There were a lot of characters and descriptions, that I'm still a little confused by. At maybe 40%, it does start to pick up.... main character energy does go through annoying bursts... slow burn was nice pace... I saw some mention it was predictable... but I was shocked... It didn't seem like she really left clues for you to figure out, you are working it out at the same time so you learn new info... unable to guess where the story is going. By half way, I didn't want to put it down. YA age appropriate if okay with some graphic violence. Book ends with wanting more.

I was initially really drawn in by the idea of court politics and hiding power that could get one killed - Crimson Moth-esque - but though this book was a twisty and fun read, it was also a bit disappointing in some aspects.

✔ Alissa growing into herself by scheming, plotting, and blackmailing her way to her goals was amazing and I wish this story was more of that. Alissa is almost a morally gray heroine and I loved reading from her perspective. She was ruthless, clever, but also scared. A lot was at stake and you could feel the pressure even in more innocuous moments of the story.
✔ The magic system was very interesting and I especially appreciated how Alissa is explicitly said to have somewhat minimal practice in using it as she has spent her life hiding said magic and it very much shows, even at the end of the story, that she/the plot don’t rely on it entirely to get her out of trouble. Sometimes, it feels like FMCs like Alissa suddenly become a powerful fighter/magic user without training and I’m very glad that this story did not shortcut her growth in that way. Even in fights, Alissa has to be clever and use her magic in limited ways due to her lack of practice.
✔ The commentary on Wielders and sympathizers, bystanders vs activists, was really enjoyable and I was glad to see the story touch on it, particularly in a nuanced way. Not every Wielder wanted to fight the status quo, some sympathizers were willing to risk their safety (others less so), and some privileged nobles acted to save Wielders. There was a lot of variety across characters in the story of various social standings and it was compelling to see how gray things were, as opposed to setting up a more generic “Wielders are the oppressed good guys and everyone else is evil” scenario.

✖ Of the three love interests, only one of them is even remotely an option as we progress throughout the story and I think creating those moments with all of them didn’t always progress the plot or Alissa’s character development. In fact, one particular love interest was a bit annoying to the point I almost wish he was written out of the plot or remained only a friend. It felt as if a lot of the romance was there to create drama or tension - the political intrigue/fear of being caught already did a lot to create tension so I found a lot of the “romance” a bit boring and unromantic given Alissa was disgusted by two of the three men.
✖ Tari had so much potential and got some room to shine at the end but it felt like she was often a cardboard cutout for sidekick/best friend so that Alissa could have a maid on her side. I wish Tari was more fleshed out and got more utilization in Alissa’s scheming.
✖ Pacing wise, the story did drag at times which made it difficult to get through the first half, but later picked up near the end. It wasn’t too bad but it was noticeable. Some of the drag came from info dumps which I think could have been more evenly distributed to avoid lulls.

3.5/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Storytide for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i struggled to feel vconnected tothe characters and the plot. it was also a tad confusing, I did not feel like the world was exlplained and all the characters were not uique enough for me to feel connected to them. I also struggled to feel like understood the world and the book had some pacing isues as welll

I loved it, though the romance feels more towards Garret and Keil than king Erik considering the heroine feels disgust towards the king. Will that change in the sequel. Anyway, this trilogy has me hooked!

Thorn Season is a twisty tale set in a world where Wholeborn (nonmagical people) persecute and execute Wielders (magical people). The main character, Alissa, poses as a Wholeborn noble but is secretly a Wielder. Unfortunately, her entire family is composed of "Hunters"--the very folks whose job it is to find Wielders and get rid of them. Because Alissa is turning 18 (aka her 18th season), she is expected to partake in the upcoming Rose Season to swear fealty to King Erik (the guy who basically sanctions huntings as law).

Initially against joining, Alissa partakes in the Rose Season, and all sorts of scheming and conniving ensue. Alissa's main objective is to find a compass which can identify Wielders, though it has been missing for numerous years. She believes that finding it and keeping it can protect Wielders from future huntings and the "Copycats" who have started to join in the hunt for Wielders as well. She firmly decides that getting into the palace and interacting with noble society will get her there. Eventually, she sets her sights on using King Erik's power to achieve her goal. Unfortunately, she's not the only one looking for the compass, nor is she the only one with clever secrets, and things get complicated very fast.

Overall thoughts? I thought this was a good start to the series. I admittedly found it pretty tedious from the 20ish to the 50ish percent mark, and again in the last 15 percent or so. There are a lot of court politics that happen during that middle portion, not to mention scenes of an odd love "square" featuring Alissa and three potential suitors. The politics and sneaking around are supposed to be high stakes, but I thought they felt juvenile at times as I questioned Alissa's choices. This could be deliberate; Alissa is 18, so she is written accurately. The climax is meant to be fast-paced, but there are so many secrets and details layered onto one another, that I sometimes got distracted from the intense ending scenes because I was trying to figure out who said what way earlier in the book.

If there was something that detracted from the book, it was probably the pacing and the way that the author occasionally sprinkles little plot-twisty, hedging-like clues amidst some intense scenes. Everything is told through Alissa's perspective, so it makes sense to hear her thoughts and suspicions in real time, but again, I found all these little "ah-ha!" tidbits and clues difficult to keep track of. Though a little convoluted, this book does have a satisfying ending that will segue well into the next book.

I am excited to read more about Alissa's adventures in the next book and am grateful to have been able to read this book early!

You wanna know the worst thing about reading ARCs? THE FACT YOU HAVE TO WAIT EVEN LONGER FOR THE NEXT ONE!

Thank You NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for this ARC

Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Execution ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
FMC ⭐️⭐️⭐️
MMC ⭐️⭐️
Spice🫑 no spice (2 kisses)
Supporting characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tropes
-bad ass FMC
-forbidden magic
-secret society of sorts
-betrayal
-forbidden love????

Spoilers ahead

Overview
Ok so our FMC Alissa is a wielder. She has magic of some sort. She is also the only daughter to a Lord. The kingdom and the other noble don’t like the wielder or the magic they have. There is this group of hunters that do just that, hunt the wielder. Long story short, a bunch of people are getting killed and there is this compass that points to wielder and Alissa wants to find it so that she can be safe.

Since she is a Lords son she’s gets invited to Rose season (basically a very debutante Ball or court). At firsts she isn’t going to go but then she realizes she needs to find the compass so she decides to go.

There is this ambassador, who is also a wielder, who is invited to join the season. During this part of the book we meet a few characters that are important but I won’t spoil the entire book for you.

As the season goes on Alissa captures the eye of the king but also that of the ambassador. The Kinf plans to marry Alissa and she has decided to accept in order to gain more power…but why?

Because her father was murdered.

By who you ask?

By the bad guys! Briar (I think)

Now Alissa is in her revenge era and is determined to find her father’s murder and find the compass.

Miss girl doesn’t trust anyone and a lot of stuff happens.

Hot ambassador gets sent home after he does something bad (Alissa actually did it) and he begs Alissa to go with him but she’s says no…they kinda make out and he leaves.

Stuff goes down and Alissa gets kidnapped by her fiancée/the king. Shocker he is the one who had the compass this entire time! And he knew she was a wielder too! But don’t worry he still wants to marry her.

One of her ex friends turn enemies turn back to friends breaks her out of her cell and basically gives her a chance at freedom, sets her up and everything.

But no.

She has to run BACK into the castle 🙄

Stuff happens Erik and her fight, she almost kills him, but she makes it out.

The end.

My thoughts,

Ok now that we got that out of the way, my thoughts.

First half
-The magic system was kinda confusing. I’m still not a hundred percent sure what the specters are or how they work but i know it’s the source of their power.
-the pace is really good for the first half, everything is explained really well and super easy to follow all besides the magic system.

Second half
-up until the part where her father dies, I enjoyed. I think most of it she’s either extremely childish or very hard about things. I really liked Kiel I thought he was a great character and honestly (imo) did not deserve the hate she gave him.
-her fathers death did shock me. And I understand why it was done…HOWEVER how she acted after was not my favorite. I understand grieving and everything but she turned against the people like her and who wanted to help her? I just didn’t make sense to me. Another thing was like she went from being 18 (?) and acting like it, to acting like she 24 in a span of a few chapters.

The ending
-I liked it. I would for sure have Stockholm syndrome 🫣 sorry! The way he treated her while she was locked up. I would have fallen for it!
-I won’t say much other than the fact that I need the next book.

Other things
I did see somewhere that this was supposed to be a love triangle, but to be honest I don’t feel the romance connection with either of the MMCs. This story is very fantasy heavy and the romance takes a back seat. Which I really enjoyed. I’m not a massive YA reader, but this didn’t need any of the spice or tension that you get from adult fantasy. I think people who are fans of Powerless, Red Queen, Bridgerton (but want murder mystery) will really like this. You can feel elements and vibes of those books but at the same time it’s completely its own story.

The FMC wasn’t my favorite but I can understand why she did some of the things she did. I wish we had a little back story of her relationship with some of the side characters.

Over all I really enjoyed this book and I need the next one stat!

Some of my favorite quotes completely out of context 🤭

“Of all the treasonous acts I’d ever committed, this shouldn’t have been the one to get me caught.”

“Don’t be absurd. I’ve done far more foolish things. Besides, it’s not blackmail. It’s an agreement.”

“You’re inviting me to stab you?” “I’m inviting you to try.” I couldn’t resist the challenge

“So, was there a point to your little lesson?” I crossed my arms. “Or was it an excuse to show me up?” “Of course not, my lady. That wouldn’t be gentlemanly.” “A gentleman would’ve let me stab him,”

But would his diplomatic immunity then allow for our romance?” I barked a laugh. “Your romance?” “Hypothetical, of course. There’s something tragically beautiful about the forbidden.” “Public urination is forbidden. Is that tragically beautiful?”

Again Thank You NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for this ARC

Alissa is a Wielder hidden in the the royal courts of the Wholeborns who are hunting her kind. Alissa is looking for a compass that helps the Hunters track and locate Wielders so she joins the royal court for debutante season and draws the unwanted attention of the King Erik. If he found out what she really was, she'd be hunted and executed.

Then enters Keil, a Wielder, also attending Rose Season at the palace - but Alissa needs to find the compass before he does. Not to mention Garret, her long time friend who has plans of his own for the compass if he can find it first.

The blurb I read said "dark and sexy" and while there were a few moments of romantic tension, this is not what I would call dark and sexy. It's a slow burn with no actual spicy scenes. Th is YA so it makes sense.

It does deliver on the intrigue and betrayal with the pace ramping up after the halfway mark. The magic in this book was mentioned (specters that can move objects around) but not sure what the actual power a Wielder has except that the Wholeborns didn't want them around so they want to eradicate them altogether.

This does end on a cliffhanger.

This was a surprising and interesting YA fantasy debut. Lots of twists and political intrigue. The magic system is unique as well. This world has normal humans and "Wielders," whose power manifests physically as a part of them that they can extend beyond themselves (called "specters"), basically like telekinesis. There were also Spellbinders who used the physical manifestation - specters - to create magical objects. In the kingdom where our main character lives, Alissa, she has been keeping her power secret along with every other Wielder because in her kingdom it's a death sentence to be one. She is also the daughter of a nobleman who is connected to the family that makes up the Hunters who spend their time finding and slaughtering Wielders. She thinks it's the Hunters that have been escalating the violence and killings in the kingdom, but it turns out that there are "copycats" using a magical compass to track and kill Wielders. Alissa agrees to go to Court to attempt to learn who it is that is responsible for these murders and try to recover the compass. At the same time, she is facing the advances of the cruel King Erik who would kill her if he knew what she really was, and an ambassador, Keil, from a neighboring kingdom where Wielders and normies live in peace who is himself a Wielder and has ulterior motives of his own.

There are a lot of plot twists, and that kept everything interesting. It was fun to watch our main character sort of go off the rails when the stakes are raised and she just doesn't know who to trust. I had fun reading this one!

Netgalley and Harper Collins provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect with the book being marketed as Shadow and Bone x The Selection, but it did not disappoint. While I didn’t find the Shadow and Bone connection quite as strong, I did see elements of Kiss of Iron (being at court with an ulterior motive) and The Crimson Moth (hiding powers in an attempt to help others that are vulnerable).

In this book, Alissa is the daughter of one of the noble families, but also has a secret that she is desperate to keep, especially because distant members of her family are responsible for hunting and killing those like her. In an attempt to find a missing tool that is used in these huntings, Alissa decides to stay at court for the upcoming Rose Season. Here, she must skillfully navigate and try and find the missing tool without giving herself away in the process.

While there are three potential love interests, one of them is clearly stronger than the others. To me, one of them seemed more of a friend, while another was more so a pawn to be used in her own agenda.

There were times that the world building came off as a bit of an info dump, rather than being woven into the story, but overall it was easy to understand and didn’t detract too much from the main plot line. I would have liked to see a bit more explanation of what exactly Specter is, and the various ways it could be used.

Overall, this book was a fun read, and there was a lot of set up for the rest of the series. I’m looking forward to reading the second installment when it is released.

I absolutely adored Thorn Season by Kiera Azar! What a breathtaking debut! The world feels vivid and lived in, full of tense court intrigue, breathtaking betrayals, and a magic system that pulses with danger and beauty. Alissa is a fiercely resilient heroine caught in a web of political schemes and forbidden power. Her journey had me completely invested from the first page. The romance simmers just beneath the surface, tangled and charged in the best possible way as loyalties shift and secrets unravel. I can’t wait for the next in the series!

I absolutely loved this book! It was so fun and fast paced with so many twists! I feel like something was always happening and it made me never want to put the book down.

I will say I am still confused about Wielder’s and Alissa’s specter. I feel like they weren’t explained very well and I am confused if there is a difference between the two.

I loved Alissa and Keil together! While she had great chemistry with all the men, her and Keil were so much fun to read. I am so sad we didn’t get more of Keil and I really hope we get to see more of him.

Overall I had so much fun reading this and can’t wait to see what happens next!

“Court is filled with charming vipers. But we are vipers all the same.”

To say I loved this book would be an understatement. Everything from the plot, the world building, the romance, and the characters blew me away. I already know Thorn Season is going to blow up in popularity as soon as it is released because it is simply that amazing. If you don’t already have this book on your radar, stop what you’re doing right now and add it to your tbr.

I loved the high stakes and unique magic system and the way Kiera intertwined everything. Kiera’s writing is absolutely superb, especially for a debut! I read A LOT of romantasy books and let me tell you book is up there for me with some of the best!

“Oh, I think I’d enjoy making an enemy of you, Lady Alissa. What an interesting dance that would be.” 😏

Tell me why Alissa had chemistry with every single guy she interacted with! Like I’m definitely team Keil but her scenes with Erik and Garret had me questioning it sometimes. I don’t even think this was meant to be a full on love triangle/square (for obvious reasons which you will know once you read it) but the writing definitely makes you consider the possibility! Also, Alissa is such a strong and smart FMC. She reminded me a lot of Aelin from Throne of Glass!

The ending was intense and full of action. The cliff hanger wasn’t too unbearable but I am still desperate for the next book! I think things are set up nicely for the next installment and I will be counting down the days until I can get it in my hands!

If you want a high stakes YA romantasy full of plot twists, forbidden magic, and court intrigue, then be sure to check out Thorn Season. Thank you so much to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the advanced copy! Thorn Season releases on September 2! 💗

I found the pacing of this book to be so awful, it made me round down a star instead of up.
Overall, this book is a fairly standard Romantasy, filled with characters you’ve met before, and twists you will see coming.

And if I have to read the phrase “My Spectre“ one more time…..

I was so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the world building and the characters. I loved all of the twists and turns of the plot! I was convinced I knew how it was going to end and then there was another twist. A great first book and I can’t wait to see read the rest of the series

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

I loved the writing style of this book as it was very easy to get absorbed into this world. However, I found the magic of Wielding to not be explained very in-depth. It seemed to be similar to telekinesis and I wish that the limits of it were addressed. I also found the idea of a specter to be quite confusing and there weren't any descriptions as to what it actually looked like or was. I also found Alissa to be a quite reckless and annoying character as she freely Wields in public despite knowing that someone could catch her doing so. It's actually unrealistic in my opinion that she wasn't caught sooner being a Wielder since a lot of people seem to know she's a Wielder and she doesn't seem to do much to hide it. Not only that, but when she gets kidnapped by a group of Wielders, she's tempted to tell them that she's a Wielder instead of escaping.

I thought that all three love interests were unlikeable and I frankly couldn't see their obsession with Alissa. Alissa didn't seem to be all that interesting of a character and it was giving insta-love to have not one but three love-interests. She's also judgy and unappreciative of the people who go to great lengths to keep her from being discovered.

The Rose season element is underdeveloped and underexplained. I wasn't exactly sure what the whole purpose is as there doesn't seem to be any traditions or events specific to the Rose season minus having a bunch of 18-year-old nobles in the palace for no reason. However, the book does get significantly more interesting at the end which is why I rated it so highly although the beginning and middle is such a slog.

Altogether, I think this matched my expectations of a romantasy novel. It nails the vibes and the writing style very well although I didn't like the main character and I wish the world-building was better. However, I am planning on reading the next book!

Thorn Season is an imaginative and richly built fantasy debut that immediately caught my attention with its intriguing premise and unique setting. The world feels full of history and hidden corners, and I really appreciated the author's ambition in crafting something that feels both expansive and distinct. The plot kept me hooked from beginning to end, with a great mix of tension, mystery, and magic. I especially enjoyed the full cast of characters—each one felt like they had their own motivations and depth, and I found myself genuinely invested in their stories.

That said, I do wish the magic system had been explained a bit more clearly. While the potential is definitely there, I often found myself wanting to understand the rules and structure behind it to feel more grounded in the world. I also felt that at times the book leaned a little too heavily into exposition. Some of the information could’ve been revealed more organically through dialogue or action rather than through large info dumps.

One other aspect that pulled me out of the story was the use of the word "devices"—it felt a bit too modern for the tone and atmosphere of the world that had been built. Additionally, while I liked the dynamic between Alissa and the love interest, I would’ve loved to see more meaningful, in-depth interactions between them to fully believe in their relationship’s development.

Despite these critiques, Thorn Season shows a lot of promise. The creativity behind the worldbuilding, the strength of the plot, and the memorable characters make it a compelling read. I'm definitely looking forward to Book 2 and hope to be even more immersed in the world next time around.

Thorn Season is such an addictive read, the plot just kept coming at me with new surprises and it really kept me going. The beginning was a little confusing and I still don’t fully understand what Wholeborn are, but the story as a whole is a really fun experience. The three male characters are all interesting and I am completely unsure which one of them could end up as the main love interest. Super fun YA romantasy read!

Little did I know when I woke up this morning I would find a book that I would think about constantly after finishing but here we are. Thorne Season has an interesting and different magic system. And in this world the people who are Weilders are hunted and put to death. Alissa is from a noble ruling family. She is the daughter of a hunter family and an heiress. On her 18th year she is to be presented to the court for a debutante season. Which her father originally doesn’t really want her to do…because she is also a Weilder.
This has political intrigue, court politics, one horrible king who has his sights set on our FMC and will leave you glued to the page until you finish it. I couldn’t put it down! And now all I want is the next book.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books/Storytide for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh holy longing. The tension and build up of her relationships with the men in her life is a slow and sweet torture. It makes your heart ache with both grief and hope.

Excellent pacing, it kept me up all night reading "just one more chapter." The secrets and plot twists just keep coming, there's always another layer to uncover.

The magic system is interesting and multifacted. I love that you get to know it from various perspectives through each character.

I am eagerly awaiting the sequel!