There was, and there was not….
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is many things… it is a retelling of several Persian folk tales/ fairy tales, its is a fantastical coming of age story set in a world steeped in history and rich magic, it is a story about love and learning to not only trust in the love of those around you but also love yourself. Most of all though, it is an absolutely consuming and gorgeous tale.

The story follows Soraya, a cursed Princess who has known only exile and fear of her curse her entire life. Due to the machinations of a powerful demon, Soraya is cursed to be poisonous to the touch and thus her family hides her away in their summer palace to live alone and in secret, for the public can never learn of the curse upon the ruling family and the fate of their only daughter. When her twin brother, the Shah, comes to the summer palace to get married he brings with him not only the entire court but also a secret. This secret propels Soraya down a dark and twisting path of betrayal, self discovery, trials, and impossible choices.

“She had read enough stories to know that the princess and the monster were never the same. She had been alone long enough to know which one she was.”
Bashardoust created a fully realized and deeply fantastical world in this story. The word around Soraya feels rich and sumptuous, and I found myself wanting to disappear into the story every chance I got. Going into this book I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I figured it would be something along the lines of Rapunzel, with a princess locked away in a castle only to be rescued by a prince who is able to see who she really is despite her differences. However what I got was a girl who didn’t just sit in her room locked away and waiting to be rescued, but one who did what she could to rescue herself and she didn’t always do what was right or proper. I loved that Soraya wasn’t infallible, she didn’t automatically know what path to take and always have the support of those around her. On the contrary, she often did exactly the opposite of what everyone was telling her to do, and frequently chose the wrong path. She makes mistakes, some with far reaching and long lasting negative effects, but she never breaks and gives up. Every time she realizes her mistake she continues forward, adjusting course and just doing the best she can with what she has.

I loved the way Persian mythology was woven into the story, and I particularly appreciated the ‘Author’s Note’ at the end of the book where the ways various elements in this story line up with and also diverge from their origins were explained. I have to admit I am woefully under-read when it comes to Persian myths so getting that little glimpse at the end of the stories that inspired the author lit a fire under me and I will absolutely be digging into more of those stories now!

“The daughter wants to crawl onto her mother’s lap and lay her head against her mother’s chest, but she doesn’t. She never does. It’s not just a story.”
What really sealed this book as one of my favorite reads for 2020 was the narration. Every once in a while you come across a true gem of an audiobook, one that sticks with you and truly blows me away. I had 3 audiobooks like that, ones that changed me and will forever be favorites that stick with me. I now have 4. Nikki Massoud’s narration is beyond perfect for this story. As someone who is self proclaimed painfully white, I will be the first to admit I would never be able to pronounce most of the names and places in this book if I didn’t hear them first. The passion Nikki brings to her performance does more than bring this story to life, it gives it a life of its own in a way only the best audiobooks can. Her characterizations are distinct and play into the subtle traits of each person she is portraying in a masterful way.

While there were parts of the plot that dragged a little for me, especially in the first third of the book, Nikki’s narration kept me engaged and eager for more. Once the main “meat” of the plot kicked off though, this was absolutely one book I struggled to turn off and do things like, you know… sleep.

One last thing… can we talk about that COVER?! Again, one of my favorites of 2020 so far. 4.5🌟

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a retelling of a different sort—I loved the amalgam of myths and fairy tales combined in this story. Soraya has spent her life in hiding so that no one will learn that she’s been cursed—poison runs through her veins and anyone who touches her will die, a secret the royal family can’t let anyone know for fear that the people will rebel. Soraya has accepted her fate—mostly—but she still can’t help but give into moments of resentment because she feels overlooked. When she finds out there might be a way to remove her curse, she has to decide if she’s willing to sacrifice her family to do it. There is definitely a romantic element to the story (even a bit of a triangle of sorts), but the real journey is Soraya’s toward self-acceptance and the unraveling of her life’s story, which she learns isn’t exactly as she was told. Both romances could feel a bit like instalove (especially the first), but I felt like this was understandable in Soraya’s case because she had never even experienced touch, much less romance. There were quite a few twists and turns in this story, some I saw coming but others I definitely did not. Overall, this was a fantastic listening experience!

NARRATION: Nikki Masoud is a fantastic narrator—the story is told with just the right touch of drama and flair, and I loved that many of the characters had authentic-sounding (to my ear, at least) accents.

***Disclosure: I received this audiobook from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

I loved this story and I can't wait for more stories from this author. I enjoyed the reader's voice a lot and I hope to listen to more stories that she narrates in the future.

What an amazingly enticing fantasy! I loved the idea of deives, especially as a pagan! The characters are well thought out and so in-depth. There is a wonderful balance between action and developmental scenes.

I loved the audiobook!! The narrator was amazing and I fell in love with the story from the start.

What an incredible, beautiful fantasy! I loved the characters, the world building, the magic system, and the plot! This one kept me on the edge of my seat, and even though I anticipated some of the twists, others really surprised me! Bashardoust just became an auto-buy author for me!

I received this and as an audio galley to listen to for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me access.

First off, I will say that I DID NOT LISTEN TO THE AUDIOBOOK. I love a good audiobook, but this was not that. There was something off about the sound and it made it for an unpleasant listening experience.

**UPDATE** I just listened to the sample of the Audible version and the sound was a much better quality. It could just be the NetGalley App that has some issues with audio.

Luckily, I already had the physical book.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is my new favorite binge book. Seriously, I only stopped because I was buddy reading with a friend and didn't want to leave them behind.

This story was absolutely amazing, plus F/F romance? YES PLEASE!

Each character has many different levels to them, not all of them predictable either. In fact, there were some parts that threw me off the trail completely! I really wish this wasn't a standalone!

The premise of this story really drew me in. I love fairy tale retellings, and had heard great things about this book.
The narrator for this audiobook is amazing. The plot and writing of the book were good also, but once I paused the audio, there was nothing drawing me back. If you like a character driven book, then this book is probably right up your alley. If you must have a plot driven book, you might want to try something else. If you do choose to read this book, I highly recommend the audiobook.

The Girl, Serpent, Thorn is such a dark, unexpected novel. It has a fairy tale feel to it, but so dark. Soraya was born with a curse, if anyone touches her skin, they die. Her mother told her that she was cursed by a Div, she didn't know why, why a Div would curse her only daughter but not her son, the Shah. Soraya lives a life of exile in the palace, no one outside the family knows about her. They have only heard rumors, about a mysterious girl.

It isn't your normal fairy tale, it's dark twist makes it interesting. Soraya learns to trust people, being friendly with them, learns betrayal, and love. I liked the Persian mythology since it's not something you hear about every day like you would, Greek Mythology or Norse.

A well-crafted fairy tale, Girl Serpent Thorn is loosely based on Sleeping Beauty, with Persian influences. I started with the audio but couldn’t stay engaged, so I got a copy on Kindle and finished it that way, with a few chapters back on audio when convenient. I’d recommend reading over listening, although listening will help you know how to pronounce the vocabulary. Soraya has been cursed from birth, and her efforts to free herself send her on an adventure of betrayal, love and acceptance. It’s well-paced and creative—if you like fantasy and fairy tales, give it a try!

<i>Review copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review<i>

I wanted to love this book but I just don't. I really love the overall concept with the poison and of course the gorgeous cover but I am DNFing at 40% because I hope its just a book slump. I hope to try again in the future.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved all the characters and their relationships. I also liked the f/f romance a lot but I really appreciated that it wasn’t the main point of this book. Will definitely be buying myself this book!

I really liked this story. A fairy tale for today richly told. I loved the characters and the quest and rich culture and history in the tale. I listened to the audiobook and the accent and pronunciation really helped draw me even deeper into the story. My only regret was that I couldn't listen to it in bigger chunks. Very good and I've been recommending it to everyone.

I was super excited when I heard of Girl, Serpent, Thorn, mostly because it’s a fantasy world based on Persian myths and legends. I love reading about the Persian culture, and so I just had to read it for myself! Now that NetGalley has audiobooks, I immediately requested to listen to the audiobook version of the book. I was not disappointed.
From the beginning, I was pulled into the world of Soraya, the poisonous princess who wishes for nothing but to be normal. But her wishes blind her to the real threat. The world is richly painted and the characters were all interesting. I found Soraya to be a very intriguing character.
As much as I loved the world and the writing style and the characters, I started to lose interest near the end of the book. I’m going to be honest here and say that it was because of Soraya’s relationship with Parvaneh. I didn’t expect it, and I thought it was kind of weird. I have absolutely nothing against the LGBTQ community, but I don’t really like reading books with those kinds of relationships.
I loved how I wasn’t able to guess the twists and turns of the plot, making the book unpredictable. One thing I loved about the audiobook was the way the narrator would give the characters accents and pronounce the Persian words the way they are supposed to be pronounced. I thought that was a nice touch.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is an interesting twist on ancient Persian myths and is perfect for fans of Hafsah Faizel and lovers of diverse cultures.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I could not get into this book, but it's not my normal wheelhouse so I really think it had nothing to do with the story itself. The narration is great, the writing seems to be well done and I would recommend it to readers whose usual sweet spot is fantasy. I have a feeling I'll give it another try at some point, it's just not grabbing me right now.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a captivating and unique story. Based on Persian mythology, this story weaves together various elements of folklore to tell the story of a girl in captivity - first by a curse and then by a man who has tricked her.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

This is a great title to listen to because you know that all the non-English words are belong pronounced correctly. I enjoyed the exploration of a lesser-used-in-YA culture, especially the explanations of the author's influences at the end. Sometimes I feel like weaker solutions to problems were used in order to strengthen the ties to the source material. Gorgeous cover.

I really enjoyed this Persian/Zoroastrian inspired sapphic fantasy.
It was such a unique concept, and filled with morally grey characters - literally everyone wasn't "good" or "bad", but human, and that felt really unique and real.
I really liked Soraya and Parvaneh, both of them trying to redeem themselves while also standing up for themselves. Their relationship was beautiful, complicated and realistic.
I highly recommend the audiobook, it was really interesting and well narrated.

I often don't "get" fantasy, my brain just can't comprehend what is happening in a different world. But YA fantasy is always a little easier and this was a really great, captivating book. It was worth all the hype given to it. 8/10 would recommend.

The narration in this audio book was incredibly engaging and brings the listener into the story of the book immediately.
The speed was appropriate, the dialog felt like a true conversation, and it was quick and fun listen. Perfect for your commute to work or while you want to relax.

The storyline itself was wonderfully written. The characters are all relatable and the reader finds themselves siding with the main character through each part of her struggle. Bonus that it was diverse in both culture as well as relationships.