WOW
This was such a refreshing story of a poisonous princess, ashamed of her power. The world Melissa Bashardoust creates is a fantastical place full of traditions and stories of mystical creatures. I fell in love with the world-building and really felt immersed in it.
I listened to the audiobook and let me tell you, it was a great choice. The narrator's voice was suiting and it made me enjoy the experience so much more.
At some points, Soraya's self-pity was a bit pedant, but I do think it was realistic, giving her circumstances.
I really liked the ending, it wasn't the easy choice for the author to write and I appreciated that.

I'd like to say a big thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an audiobook to review. All opinions are my own.

I listened to this on audio on NetGalley as an advanced listener copy. I really liked the story, a wonderful take on a Persian fairytale. My only issue with the audio is that when the narrator was reading the spoken parts of the characters, her volume was so low that I had to turn up the volume and then was blown away when the normal narration began again.

Otherwise, I found the story delightful to listen too!

First up I listened to this via @netgalley new app for audiobooks. The only issue that deterred me from being fully engulfed in the story is the echo from the narrator. I sure this is an app issue as i listen to many audiobooks so i hoping the next one will be less echoing. This is the tale of Soraya a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch and is hidden away from the world and her family as a result. This is a tale steeped in a few different stories from Persia and the author does a wonderful job of laying out all her research about where she came up with her inspiration at the end of the story. I rated this a 3 as it felt like a standard fairy tale, someone is cursed, she needs to find some magical object to life the curse, their a betrayal or two from someone they love and some sort of lesson is found along the way. I not sure i was expecting more then that from the story. I think what most drew me to the story is that it steeped in Persian mythology which is new to many and that what makes it different. So if your looking for a tale that takes one you know a bit about (sleeping beauty) and adds a twist to it then your in for a treat.

This is a creative and unique retelling based on the tale of sleeping beauty and Persian mythology. I was enthralled with the idea of a princess who’s touch is poisonous. Soraya is a character who you immediately feel for in her want for connection and love. She’s been locked away her entire life to keep people safe but as her brother has fallen in love and is about to be married Soraya’s isolation has never felt like more of a burden. When Soraya learns that there may be a way to live a life where she doesn’t have poison coursing through her veins she is taken on a journey filled with danger, betrayal, and choices that will determine whether she is truly the monster she appears to be.

I was pulled into this book and absolutely loved the beginning. It felt original and familiar all at once but in the middle I found my interest dwindling. I understood Soraya’s confusion and questioning other characters motives but for some reason her confusion made me feel less connected to the story. Eventually, the pace and my interest picked up again and I really enjoyed the ending. I thought the audiobook narrator did a great job with this and overall Ifound the story interesting but it just wasn’t quite what I expected..

Melissa Bashardoust certainly doesn't disappoint with this work of fairytale fantasy based on Persian folklore and mythology. I really enjoyed Bashardoust's debut, Girls Made of Snow and Glass, and this book felt just as magical even though the stories themselves are quite different. The writing is especially poetic and really weaves complex characters and story together beautifully and at a quick pace. This audiobook was extremely engaging and entertaining, and the narration added depth to an already special story.

I listened to this audiobook through Netgalley.

I absolutely loved this book! Bashardoust crafted such interesting characters who struggle through their own guilt, shame, ambition, and need to belong. We need more characters like this, especially female ones! I loved our MC and felt she was a perfect balance of vulnerable, good, flawed, and brave. Her development over the book was beautiful to behold and felt believable.

I also enjoyed the setting and mythology used for the story, which the author explains in a separate section. I didn't feel lost or confused at any point and would love to look more into Persian myths and legends now.

The writing helped endear me to the characters and the narration suited the story perfectly. I would like to re-read this story at some point in print so I can better appreciate the writing.

Without spoiling anything, I enjoyed the romances in the book and the representation in it. I thought the ending was perfect and am happy to find a standalone novel that didn't seem rushed.

I received an audiobook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Loved this so much!!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a fairytale-esque story influenced heavily by the Persian Shahnameh epic. Soraya is the twin to the Shah, but has grown up with the dangerous curse of being poisonous to the touch. She's been hidden away all her life, but as her brother's wedding day approaches, Soraya must decide if she wants to step out of the shadows. There's a div (demon) in the dungeons that might have the answers she seeks, and a guard who is determined to win her friendship and more.

I loved Soraya's complex relationship with herself. At times she felt dangerous and powerful, but she also was afraid of those qualities. Throughout this journey, she has to learn to love everything that is monstrous about herself. It was a really profound experience of self-discovery and reclaiming herself in a way that wasn't defined by anyone else's definitions.

There's a small love triangle in this, with Soraya displaying attraction to multiple genders, though it's never specified. I loved seeing Soraya flourish with both of her interests, but I was far more invested with her relationship with Parvenah from the start. I was so curious about Parvenah's back story and loved getting to know more about her and her family.

The Persian mythology in this was nothing I am familiar with, but all the same I absolutely loved it. I want to reread this so I can relive all the fantastical creatures. The amount of betrayal in this story was wild, but I was living for every double crossing and twist. The ending was equal parts devastating and thrilling. Bashardoust is on my auto-read author list from now until forever.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn was a different genre for me to read. However, I did enjoy listening to this audiobook. I would recommend this book to young girl readers. It has strong women lead character that would leave a good impression on a young reader.

I was gifted this audiobook for an honest review.
Now I have to say I absolutely loved the voice actor for this audiobook. But as thrilling as the book in the Star was the ending really lost it for me. I will still rate this 4/5 starts just because the story was very well done but I am 100% honest I am not usually one who likes LGBTQ books. Just because I can’t relate. But I hope all those looking for a LGBTQ+ fantasy will love this book as it is an amazing plot one and story!

I enjoy fairy tales that are different than the ones I expect to read. Cinderella, Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast are great stories, but I love when a fairy tale helps bring me into an entirely new world. This book did that. I loved Soraya. As the main character, she was wonderfully dark and complex. I found the overall story engaging and look forward to reading more from this author. As an audiobook, the narrator fit the story well and did a great job of keeping me engaged. Her voice helped set the scene for me. All in all, I had a great time with this story!

Girl, Serpent, Dove was such an engaging and twisty story that will definitely keep readers on their feet.
I loved that this book was inspired by Persian mythology, which is an area that I did not know much about beforehand. The world-building was incredible and I immediately loved the morally grey main character, Soraya. Soraya's character arc was so fantastic and listening to her story alone is enough to make this a great book. Add in the romance and fantastical elements and it's just the icing on the cake.
I loved the narrator for the novel and had a great experience getting to listen to this on the audiobook format!

I really enjoyed the story in and of itself but I did not like the audiobook for this one. The "accents" attempted during narration were so outlandish that they really pull you from the story and make it so you can't focus. I love this twist on a fairytale and highly encourage readers to seek out the print version of this one.

The story itself is a fun magical fairy tale. If you like stories of princesses trapped in a castle then you'll probably like this. Except the princess saves herself and "prince charming" is a girl.. its a sapphic romance. The trope in this story is the "don't lie to people because always makes the situation turn out worse" which honestly isn't my favorite trope but I still really liked the book.

I'm going to have to say I don't recommend the audio book for this one. This is supposed to be a Persian fairy tale but the narrator swaps between a generic American accent and something that sounds like a bad Russian impression. I'm not sure what she was going for but it doesn't work. I recommend reading this one with your eyeballs.

This was fun! I didn't have super high expectations going in because YA fantasy isn't typically my favorite genre, but this was pretty fun to read. It wasn't a perfect story, and I do think that A LOT of the conflicts had very convenient and easy solutions, but overall this was a fun time and I'm happy that I spent the last few days in between these pages. I did end up listening to this one as an audiobook while reading along in the physical book and I think that added to the experience for me. I liked the narrator and listening to this really made it feel more like getting told a fairy tale and I am not mad about it. Definitely recommend if you want to read a fairy tale-esque queer fantasy!

I loved the idea of this one and thoroughly enjoyed the backstory of a noble who is cursed at a young age is can’t physically touch something without killing it. However, I just could not connect with any of the characters. They were written in such a way that they appeared very flat to me. The number one rule of writing is “show, don’t tell” and I felt like this author just sat down and told me the story.

I also was very distracted by the strange names, and specifically, the character’s first name “Soraya” (pronounced Sor-rah-yah). The whole book was narrated third person, so it quickly became annoying.

I received a free audio copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Soraya has been cloistered away from her family, her servants, and her kingdom for all of her life. Cursed before birth, she is poisonous to anyone who touches her. When her mother, brother(the Shah), and his future bride return to the city where Soraya lives, they bring with them a demon who tried to kill her brother, and the young, handsome, charming soldier who fought the demon to protect his king. When Soraya meets the soldier, she is enamored with the fact that he doesn't shy away from him, but then, in turn, is attracted to the knowledge and truth that the demon shares.
While the story itself was interesting, I found myself struggling to enjoy it because the narrator was so stilted with her delivery. During narration, she was almost bored-little to no emotion or change in her voice. Only when she was voicing characters did I find myself being interested.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this ARC.

I was looking forward to listening to this audiobook, but Negalley was having issues with the new release of the app and audiobooks downloading to it. I reached out to Netgalley to ask for help with this issue and they told me that they would let me know when it was resolved. Unfortunately, I discovered that this audiobook was archived as not downloaded, even though I was waiting for Netgalley to address the issue of the audiobooks not being accessible on the iOS app. I reached out again to Netgalley, and they told me sorry, but the book was archived and I was unable to download it, even though the issue was fixed. Sadly, I was not able to experience this book.

Great story, characters, and a pretty awesome low-key romance. The world was dynamic, built on tales of lore that may or may not be history. The main protagonist Soraya is a delight to read, complicated, real, and stuck between tamping down her fury, and just letting it fly, no matter the cost...

I love the narrators voice! She did a great job bringing this YA fantasy to life. I found this story extremely easy to listen to and follow along. I loved all the twists and turns. The quotes in this story were amazing as well.

I had high hopes for <em>Girl, Serpent, Thorn </em>by Melissa Mashardoust when I started it. I'm kind of fascinated with this <em>poisonous to the touch</em> premise that I've seen around and it kind of kills me that every time I've read a book with it, I'm always disappointed. See, on the surface, this seems like such an incredible premise and I just <em>know</em> that it could take me to some amazing places with brilliantly woven stories of intrigue and emotional trauma. I'm still waiting for the story that will actually bring me on that much-anticipated journey.

<b>So, what's wrong with this one?</b>

I feel like <em>Girl, Serpent, Thorn</em> had all the right ideas and none of the execution. This book started of brilliantly, I'll be honest. The set-up of the world was expertly done, especially with all the research that ultimately ended up inspiring much of the tale. I <em>loved</em> the dichotomy we were presented with and was especially fond of the relationship structures at the start. With the first few chapters, you genuinely felt that everything was building up for this to be a pretty exceptional novel.

And then we started to get to know the main character.

Then the events of the book started moving forward.

And suddenly it all fell apart.

<b>I'm not sure if it was the characters or the writing.</b>

Honestly, it was probably a mixture of both.

There's a sense with this book that Bashardoust had a lot of <em>brilliant</em> ideas, but couldn't quite bring them out in a way that felt organic. While she knew, surface level, that the characters would feel certain things and act in specific ways, the writing never fully was able to capture that. Soraya, as a character, never really made me believe she was someone who had spent her whole life deprived of love and affection. Despite Bashardoust recognizing that there was bound to be emotional trauma involved in living one's life that way, she did a pretty poor job of portraying her character with that affliction.

Soraya's motivation is there, sure, but it never felt genuine to me.

And I feel like this was the problem with literally every character in the novel. Minus, perhaps, the exception of Soraya's mother. But even then, much of it was surface level as with all the other characters. The impact of her motivation, decisions, and actions were muddled as a result of their portrayal. Even Parvaneh was like this.

It's amazing to me, really, that all of these characters can have such incredible backstories, brilliant setups to motivate them, and then somehow constantly fall flat within the portrayal of their emotions. It made connecting with them and their story incredibly difficult time and time again. And this went on until I felt like I was hearing a story secondhand from a poor storyteller who knew nothing about how to make you feel or care about anything. I felt like a bystander in a fuzzy documentary, unable to truly experience anything with the characters.

<b>Who's annoying?</b>

Everyone. Literally everyone. If they're not annoying simply for how they act within the story, they become annoying when they have excellent motivations and somehow can't show the necessary emotions that would come from them.

Of all the characters, I hated Soraya and Azad the most. They were both irritating, cringe-worthy, eye-roll-inducing idiots. And they were like this for 99% of the novel. Any emotion they showed felt surface level and fabricated. The way they acted was ridiculously immature, especially when it came to Azad. Given his history, I expected better. I expected more than some sort of child-like rendition of someone I was supposed to feel for and, at times, fear.

Parvaneh and Soraya's mother irritated me as well, but largely because they had such <em>amazing</em> histories and I never felt like I was hit with the full emotional punch from them. I'm fairly certain this was a fault of the writing, though. When you spend so much time with your exposition, you lose a lot. For this story, that meant losing any connection I possibly could have had with characters who, for all intents and purposes, could have been exceptional.

<b>That writing, though.</b>

And I think this is where my biggest complaint about <em>Girl, Serpent, Thorn</em> comes in. I <em>hated</em> the writing. For as much as Bashardoust had all these incredible plots and impressive character backstories, the writing flattened all of it. Nearly everything is shrouded in this sense that the author just didn't know how to connect all the major points of her story together.

Also, that bit where she goes on her journey with Azad to figure out how to get the feather? That was some of the laziest "get from my introduction to a place where things actually start happening" adventure writing I have ever seen in my life. It's the sort of thing I expect from a writer who needs a deus ex machina but can't quite commit and still has no idea how to get to the action they really wanted to write in the first place.

Truly, I had thought that this would be an <em>amazing</em> book. Yet, despite its length, so much was rushed. So much was glossed over with the characters and the plots and <em>way</em> too much of this book was given in an expositional way rather than presented as something we could experience with the characters. The useless boring stuff? Yeah, sure...let's go on a pointless deus ex machina-esque adventure with Azad and Soraya that really only serves to get us from point A to point B. The incredibly important pieces? Eh, I'll have a character explain it to the other character and we're good.

<b>Close your eyes and listen.</b>

I'll be honest, I didn't really care for the audiobook narrator on this one. I'm not quite sure <em>what</em> it was that I didn't like since I can't determine if it was the voice or if it was simply that I found the main character so annoying and began to associate the voice with her and the feeling she evoked in me. Whatever it was, I can't think back to the names from this book without feeling annoyed at how the narrator said them. I don't think it was her voice, I'm pretty sure it was the book.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>