Love, love, loved this book! I thought it was a fantastic read, and I'd highly recommend it. I really liked the romance and adventure involved in the story.

I love literary books and this one was beautiful, dark, and suspenseful. GIRL SERPENT THORN read like a wholly original feminist fairy tale.

I started this one excited to read another fantasy with Arabian inspiration, especially since that cover is SO gorgeous, but the beginning felt very YA and predictable for a while... until the twist came. I went from kind of bored to rapt and excited as things turned in a different direction and a lot of things started happening. The villian seemed so well done and there was potential for an amazing redemption, perhaps through a romance, but then things turned around again and didn't go as I wished and I ended up finishing it feeling meh. It was still good, but the missed villain redemption opportunity there kind of bummed me out.

I've seen this book floating around the book community and when I saw that it was available for request on Netgalley, I was really excited. When I was approved I got even more excited and immediately started reading. I was immediately pulled into the book and finished it in two sittings.

Our main character is Soraya the princess that has been hidden due to the royal family not wanting the country to know that she is cursed, her curse being that she poisons every living thing she touches. Due to this Soraya has grown up isolated from any sort of human interaction. As she goes through this journey of trying to get rid of her curse, I couldn't help but empathize with how hard of a life Soraya has lived. All of her thoughts and choices are understandable even if they aren't necessarily the right choice. As the book progresses I kept rooting for Soraya because I knew eventually there would be a happy ending. Also let me just say the romance in this book is impeccable, chef's kiss.

I really enjoyed Bashardoust's writing. I think it was really pretty but still easy to read and follow along with. The pacing was good and I never felt like there was any drag in the story. I definitely want to read more of Bashardoust's writing.

The story is so adorable. It's kind of predictable but still enjoyable. There is a very clear path that the characters with one or two twists thrown in there to keep things interesting. Soraya's journey was so lovely to read about and I enjoyed every minute of it. I really loved the romance and I think it suited the book's vibes perfectly.

This is an adorable sapphic fantasy romance and I want more books like this. I want to be able to read about queer characters that have happy endings and live together in peace. I definitely recommend this if you're looking for a soft, wlw romance with touches of fantasy. This isn't a complicated book and has a light atmosphere that leaves you feeling happy and satisfied.

This was 100% a cover read and I’m so glad I picked it up. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is inspired by Persian Mythology and is a retelling, although I was not familiar with the original tale. In this book we follow Soraya, who has been hidden away from her family and kingdom, as her touch is poisonous. As her twin brother, the Shah’s, wedding day approaches and a young soldier catches her eye she begins to realize how isolated she truly is and just how desperate she is to break the curse.

While, I saw a few of the twists coming, I still really enjoyed this book. Soraya is an interesting, flawed protagonist. She doesn’t always make the right choices, she’s angry and impulsive, but courageous and loving. I loved that Melissa Bashardoust showed both sides of her and even her mother. I loved the tension between them and it felt very realistic, while still being a fantasy, to growing up. It’s about learning from your mistakes, taking responsibility for your actions and discovering your own strengths. Also, did I mention Soraya happens to be bisexual and has two great love interests in this book?! Overall I definitely recommend picking this one up.

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

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

I was lucky enough to receive both an eARC of this gorgeous book on Netgalley, and a physical ARC from a giveaway win, and can’t help but kick myself for not reading it sooner! I’m honestly not even sure what made me hesitate to pick it up. Gorgeous cover? Check. Unique and intriguing synopsis? Check. Good reviews from friends? Check. Sigh, make better choices, Erin.

Now that I have read this stunning book, I can tell all of you TO READ THIS BOOK! It was well paced, with incredible character development and was set in a rich world that I’m dying to learn more about. Plus, it is a standalone and my FairyLoot exclusive edition is only 311 pages, making it a quick and satisfying read.

The romance was a delicious sort of enemies, to tentative allies, to lovers plot line that not only had me swooning, but added to the plot instead of serving no real purpose like some romance in YA.

There were two things that really set this book apart for me, however. The villain was incredibly developed. His tale is told at the beginning of the book as a myth, and as the plot develops, so does he. Although he was the villain and I definitely wanted him to meet his untimely end, I wanted to learn more about him and kind of wish I had a book about his descent into villainy.

The other thing that I absolutely adored was Soraya’s constant struggle. She walked a constant tightrope between remaining the hero of her story and becoming the villain. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t always sure which way she would fall and that kept the book interesting. It also made her a more realistic character in my opinion.

I gave this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars, I thought it was very lovely and I think the author adequately explored the themes she introduced, but the slow pacing was a notable negative for me. Thank you for the ARC!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a story just as lush and striking as its stunning cover. A fantasy novel that brings in Persian folklore, Girl, Serpent, Thorn follows the story of Soraya, a girl born into royalty but hidden away due to being cursed with a poisonous touch. Living in her private quarters with only her garden and occasional visit from her mother to curb her loneliness. Soraya’s isolation eventually drives her to seek answers as to her condition when she learns that a div is residing in the palace dungeons.

Soraya’s journey is a compelling one, and her motivations were intriguing to me, seeing how isolation from human, physical contact can shape and change someone. It was interesting to see Soraya struggle emotionally with her condition, as feelings of overwhelming guilt and shame for her poisonous touch abound (ever since she tried to touch a butterfly as a small child only for it to drop dead) yet there are flashes of power and rage within her, times where a small yet determined part of her wishes for others to fear what she can do, to protect herself from those who frighten or intimidate her. It’s a interesting dichotomy that Soraya battles throughout the duration of the novel and makes her character compelling- she’s really neither hero nor villain, but something in between. She makes choices that are morally complex and both “good” and “bad,” yet as a reader my focus was drawn more to her growth as a character rather than judgement on the actions themselves, as they often pushed her to learn more about herself and embrace her powers.

Soraya’s story is also deeply rooted in family, specifically the tale she’s been told her entire life about how and why she’s cursed, and the implicit trust she’s put in her family’s hands her whole life to know how to best “deal” with her condition. Yet the div she meets in the dungeon, Parvaneh, starts to cause cracks in the story that Soraya’s built her life around, and begins trailing verbal breadcrumbs for Soraya to investigate the truth of her power and how it came to be. These little hints were usually dropped at the end of chapters and were just enough information to entice me, as a reader, to keep promising “one more chapter” before putting the book down for the evening. The story will constantly make readers question characters’ motives and who is to be trusted or not.

Overall: It’s challenging to elaborate further on the story without wading into spoilers, however if you’re looking for a unique, dark fairy tale type fantasy novel with a protagonist who walks the line between good and evil, shame and power, I highly recommend Girl, Serpent, Thorn!

I heard about this book relatively recently and honestly didn’t think I would get approved for it, so when I got the notification from NetGalley, I was really excited!! I’ve read a lot of contemporaries recently so I was definitely looking forward to jumping right into this dark fairy tell retelling/adaptation.

There is so much to love about this book! I don’t want to give away anything so I’ll explain in as general terms as possible. The romance in this book is not what you’d expect it to be based on the description of the book, and watching it develop was a highlight for me. Also, the plot twist around halfway through the book was so epic that I knew the ending was going to be just as awesome (and it was). I really liked Melissa Bashardoust’s writing, and the plot always kept moving, never getting stuck in description and exposition. She even included information in the back of the book about the stories and characters that this book was based on, which I thought was really cool.

You’re probably wondering why I only gave this book three stars, even with all of this stuff I liked. I honestly can’t really explain it myself. It took me way longer than it should have to finish this book - I just didn’t want to keep reading. I guess I just didn’t feel as invested in the story and the characters as I expected to, or maybe I was more in the mood for a lighter read. I’m not sure. I probably would have enjoyed Girl, Serpent, Thorn more if I’d read it another time.

Of course this is all very subjective, so if anything I said about what I liked about Girl, Serpent, Thorn sounds good to you, definitely check it out!! I do really think it’s well-written and a lot of people are going to love it. Go check it out when it comes out on July 7th : )

**4.5-stars**

‘Sometimes the princess is a monster’

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is the sophomore novel for Melissa Bashardoust; one I have been highly anticipating. Her debut, Girls Made of Snow and Glass, a wildly creative reimagining of Snow White, blew me away when I read it back in 2018. I was astounded by her vivid imagination and level of skill bringing it to the page.

This latest story is an original fairy tale following a princess, Soraya, who due to a curse put upon her before she was even born, is poisonous to the touch. Because of this, her family has kept her locked away, a secret from the rest of the kingdom.

As she grows older, watching the world move around her from high atop the castle, unseen, she begins to grow resentful. Her brother, the Shah, is set to marry a girl she once considered her best friend; who was in fact, her only friend.

When circumstances arrive that bring a captured Div, a magical demon, into the castle’s dungeons, Soraya believes they may hold the answers she seeks. The cure for her curse. Little does she know, that one bit of information could be the downfall of them all.

I enjoyed this so much. Bashardoust’s writing continues to impress. The world-building was fantastic. I loved the Persian feel of it all. Although this is an original story, I could feel the influences from many other mythologies and fairy tales. I thought it was executed beautifully. There were moments when I could see a bit of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Arabian Nights, or Rapunzel, to name a few.

Although it was a story full of magic powers and beings, the writing didn’t suffer from trying to be overly whimsical. I find with some stories, they try to up the magic so much that it ends up overshadowing the overall plot with its whimsy. That certainly wasn’t the case here!

As Soraya discovers the truth of her curse, she begins to question her entire life, what she has been told and who she can trust. There was a lot of back and forth between different characters, where as the reader, you weren’t even sure who she could trust.

There were a few deep deceptions, a lot of plotting and a lot of monsters. The stakes were high and I was definitely cheering for Soraya the whole way through. She has a great arc over the course of the story as she grew in confidence and courage.

I would highly recommend this to YA Fantasy readers. If you are looking for a diverse Fantasy, Soraya is a bi-MC and the Persian influence can be felt throughout. I think this book really has something for everyone. There is a lot more I could talk about with regards to the plot, it has plenty of depth and intricacies to explore, but I think it is best to go into the story knowing as little as possible.

You can enter this one confident you are in the hands of a skilled storyteller. Bashardoust has never let me down and I will continue to pick up anything she has published.

I would like to thank the publisher, Flatiron Books, for not only providing me with a copy of this read and review, but also including me on the blog tour for its release. It is an honor to be able to help promote Bashardoust and her beautiful stories!

A fantasy I finally could sink my teeth into!

I’ve been burned out over these last few years. Everything seemed regurgitated and recycled.

This was refreshing. I loved it.

To be honest this is not really my type of book. I am not a huge YA fan nor fantasy. I did want to read this because Anne Bogel from Modern Mrs Darcy recommended it. The writing was fine, just not a story I really care for.

"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.

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.

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.

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.