Thank you to Wednesday books and Goodreads for a physical copy of the Advance Reader book (giveaways are fun!).

This is the 2nd book from Rati Mehorta and this was very well done. I loved Irinya and the rest of her kul (nomadic group). The book leans heavily into the history of India and features several real people from the 1600's which is when this takes place, with a couple of minor tweaks about the magical flowers and the Rann (wasn't formed until after an earthquake in the 1800's). The Rann and the Banni come to life and I can picture the salt marsh and the grasslands. I was fascinated with the lore and meanings behind the different magical flowers.

The story is a little slower paced than I normally read, but the world and character development are fantastic. Romance is almost non-existent and is not a plot line that Rati takes.

4 out of 5 stars, fantastic for historical fiction with a dash of fantasy lovers.

great book and loved the mystery through out the book. I loved the characters and how they grew through all of their adventures. I enjoyed this book and this author and will check them out again add them to my reading pile.

This book is in no way your next great fall read, because it’s simply too full of blooming life and arid heat to be a fall book, but I’ll tell you what–I promise you it’s a fantastic YA romantasy. I absolutely adored every page of this epic historical fantasy that takes place in India during the 16th century (when the Portuguese came to colonize India).

Magical flowers grow on the Rann of India, which is located in West India just south of the border of Pakistan. In real life the Rann is full of salt flats during the arid part of the year and that salt is mined by nomadic tribes moving through the area. During monsoon season most of the area fills up with water and some of it becomes swamp. The nomadic tribes remain at their ancestral home during the monsoon season and then move back out when monsoon season passes so their livestock can graze. In Flower and Thorn, our protagonist, Irinyah, belongs to a tribe that not only deals in livestock but also in the hunting and selling of the Rann’s magical flowers. Each flower has a different power to it, along with a scarcity level. As it goes with all magic, they each also have a price. It’s too bad most people looking for easy fixes and power don’t really care about what it’s going to cost them.

Irinya is a rare female flower hunter. It’s usually a job reserved for males (like most jobs outside the home), but her mother was a flower hunter and ever since her mother disappeared when she was a child Irinyah has taken up her mantle. She inoculates herself against the poison in the thorns by pricking herself a little bit repetitively, like one would build tolerance against venom. She also shapes the poisonous flower thorns into little darts for the blow pipe that once belonged to her mother.

This whole book is about broken promises, broken families, pride, the importance of home, oppression, misogyny, and colonization. These themes are all things I love reading about and will almost always love reading about. There’s also a little bit about conservation and sustainability, but that theme isn’t explored as fully as the others (likely because it would’ve taken the plot off onto a tangent that couldn’t have been threaded back in smoothly).

The book has some points to make about war and women leaders and whether or not they’re fit to rule or be taken seriously as a ruler. While I appreciate a great feminist narrative, this book does take this book to some extremes with men and women: the women in this book all seem to lack genuine duplicity or violence and the men in power are all portrayed as lecherous and violent in nature. I don’t buy this as an entirely realistic portrayal, but seeing as this is a tried-and-true YA romantasy that has a serious point to make I think it’s probably for the best the waters here didn’t get very muddied with grey morality. It’s pure escapism here, us getting whisked away to the Indian subcontinent to a time when war is on the doorstep and it’s an opportunity for the colonization of India to be stopped. I think it’s okay to just let it be that.

It’s a lovely fantasy read with a cool magic system and great world building. The romantic dynamic is complicated and sweet. I highly recommend it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Epic Fantasy/Fantasy/Romantasy/Historical Fantasy/Standalone Novel/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy/YA Fiction

A beautiful cover to go with a beautiful story! I was fully immersed in the world, the rich history and the magic system, which was a magic system based on rare magical flowers.

What didn’t work for me: Was I a fan of Irinya, our main flower hunter? Not really. I found it hard to root for her. Also, the story dragged in some places especially at the end but this was my second book by this author ( I read Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove) and I love her writing and I’m a fan!

I DNFed this book about 20% into it. I just didn’t love it and it felt like it was going to be so predictable.

Flower and Thorn by Rati Mehrotra is such a beautifully told tale of power and greed. I felt fully immersed in this world that differed from mine. The descriptions are vivid and entirely create a sensory experience.


The pacing is medium to fast as Irinya sets out on her dangerous quest to reclaim a potent and rare flower she gave away. This flower could evict the Portuguese from India, maybe not once and for all, but at least for a long while. But if the Portuguese get it, all will be lost.


The magic system is based on flowers and the magic each contains. I found that very interesting and loved the abilities of some of the flowers - the black chrysanthemum in particular. Not all flowers hold magic, just certain ones found in the Rann salt flats, which is a dangerous place for people who do not have specific inherent abilities.


There Is a romance that is a prolonged burn and feels wholly authentic. It’s a case of not seeing what’s been right before you your whole life. I just loved the pair individually and as a couple. Character development was exceptional as I could believe that each character would make the choices that they do. They each hold an element of the hero and the villain.


This is such a beautifully told tale, and the only thing that I wish had been discussed in the afterword or another area is whether it’s based on folklore and historical facts or whether it’s a world made up solely to entertain the reader.

***ARC received from Wednesday Books and NetGalley in exchange for honest review, opinions are all my own. Thank you!***

Flower and Thorn is a new stand alone book by Rati Mehrotra and the synopsis does not fully do justice to what this book is really about. Unique magic system and court intrigue that the writer does so well. How magic can heal and corrupt a country from within while enemies attack from out side.

Irinya is an interesting character, shes very headstrong and tends speak back when she should hold her tongue in situations that should get her in trouble save for being the main characters. Despite that I still really liked her as a main lead. She is trusting and a bit naive we gets her in trouble but she is still incredibly brave to venture outside her small world to protect the people she helped put in harms way. One interaction she had was absolutely perfect and I truly laughed at the moment, I loved it so much. I do wish she had been a little more assertive when it came to her interactions with Fardan, she has no problem pushing back on other characters but for some reason with him she becomes with wishy washy naive girl again despite the growth she should have from what she experienced. I liked having a morally grey villain to play counter to our naive heroine and he was a fascinating character.

I didn’t really root for the romance since I found I hated Fardan most of the time he was on page as the story progressed. Like I didn’t mind him at the beginning but when he shows up again he has no respect for Irinya agency and puts her in a horrible situation. He also feels incredibly juvenile in those moments like its all some game despite the repeated warning Irinya give him. It also doesn’t help that hes gone for long stretches of the book and doesn’t feel like he has much chemistry with her when he is there. Or that Irinya and Imshan’s dynamic is far more interesting that Irinya and Fardan, much more push and pull. Thankfully its not romantic in the slightest but its so fascinating as a pairing to read.

The magic system in this world with the flowers is so unique. I loved how each flower has a main purpose not just on its own but to counter the other flowers. I just wish that the book had explored more about how they are found and used, what makes the lily so powerful, the jasmine a healing flower. There is a price to pay for each one and we see some of it throughout the book but I would have liked to have seen it explored a little more as it was one of the more interesting magic systems I have read about in awhile.

The writing is really good, the plot moves alone really well and there is fun court intrigue sprinkled in. I found it got a little muddled before the final confrontation which was really good. Unfortunately it slipped a little at the very end but overall it was a fun read that I did really enjoy.

3.5

This has one of the most interesting and unique magic systems I've come across in a book. Using flowers and giving them each their own magical ability was really interesting, and I wanted to learn more about each one. I do wish the book had gone more in depth about this, though I can see why the author probably chose not to. Adding more info on the flower magic probably would have required a second book and may have ruined a bit of the myth associated with the flowers, though I think this being a duology also could have worked well with a little reworking of the story.

I really enjoyed the setting and story for the most part. This takes place in 16th century India, which is not a common period for novels. I liked exploring something new, with the different locations in India, the descriptions of clothes and food and life in that time. The characters were mostly well written, though I did struggle with Irinya for the first half of the book. She is extremely gullible, and the whole reason her village is in the trouble it's in. She at first places all the blame on Deven, and while he definitely shoulders some of it, she is not blameless either. However, she eventually realizes this more and tries to fix it, though some of her choices are still frustrating. I liked many of the side characters and wish a few of them had been more present. The story itself can be rather predictable at times and drags in others, but all in all it is a decent standalone fantasy.

Man, this one was beautiful. The pacing was perfect, the descriptions delicious, and the writing so engaging. I recommend this one to everyone and absolutely loved it!

[ Rounded Up: 4.5 stars ] "Flower and Thorn" is a thrilling YA historical fantasy about a young flower hunter’s life-or-death journey to atone for her mistakes and save her people by recovering a magical flower that could change everything for better or worse.

"Flower and Thorn" takes place during the Portuguese invasion of India during the early 16th century. I felt fully immersed in the setting thanks to the author's vivid descriptions and helpful glossaries. The addition of magical flowers to the world-building blended seamlessly with this historical period.

I love flowers so the idea of magical ones drew me to this story where flowers have special properties and are highly coveted. Currently, magical flowers have become scarcer due to over-harvesting and eliminating pollinators. There are rules (or myths) regarding them, such as that they can’t be used by the person who harvests them. It’s a simple, creative magic system, making for a mesmerizing story.

Irinya, our compassionate and determined main character, wants to be the best flower hunter like her presumed, long-deceased mother despite how dangerous it is. But she does it to help her kul, a nomadic group of families, who have been in debt to the local baniya for generations. When an opportunity that seems too good to be true arises, Irinya sees it as the best way to not only free her kul from debt but also save India from the Portuguese. Something worth breaking a promise to her closest childhood friend, Fardan.

Unfortunately, that misplaced trust/hope in a stranger leads to tragedy. Irinya feels guilty for putting her kul in more danger and debt, betraying Fardan, and being deceived into giving a stranger a very rare and powerful flower that has the power to turn the tides of war. To make things right, Irinya leaves her kul on her own to get back the silver spider lily and the money needed to alleviate the kul’s debt before the season ends.

What I love most about Irinya’s character is that she bravely does what she can to make up for her mistakes. As her hunt takes her farther than she’s ever traveled, she adjusts when new situations/obstacles arise. Whether it’s acclimating to the city, getting mixed up in inter-court battles for the throne, or becoming employed to the power-hungry great-nephew of current, ailing sultan, every selfless action Irinya takes is for the betterment of everyone. I also liked that flowers “speak” to her as it enriched her character and influenced pivotal plot points.

The pacing does drag a little here and there because I really wanted to know what would happen next - that’s how much I was enjoying the story. Some of the longer chapters maybe could’ve been broken up, but the story was still engaging.

"Flower and Thorn" was a great standalone novel full of action and suspense. We got to focus solely on Irinya for the majority of the story, which helped the reader get to her fully and for Irinya to learn more about herself. Everything unfolded in captivating ways. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read.

Thanks again Wednesday Books NetGalley for the e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review!

This was a captivating read. It pulled me in and I let myself get lost in its world. The world building was handled with care and detail. The descriptions of the salt desert were immersive. The magic of the flowers allowed for a unique and interesting magic system.
The characters were memorable. My heart broke for Fardan a couple of times in his tale. Irinya is a strong female lead, although a bit naive. She doesn’t always make the right decision, but she works hard to correct her mistakes. The friends turned to to lovers is very slow-burn, but satisfying by the end. I really liked the antagonist, Imshan Kahn, he definitely fits the bill of a charming morally grey character. And to be honest, you actually go back and forth thinking on where he actually stands - and you keep hoping….
I really enjoyed the revisionist take on 16th century India. The plot was truly well thought out and incorporated history well. I found myself compelled to look more into the history after reading this book.
This is a beautiful read and very well paced to keep those pages turning.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press (Wednesday books) for an e-arc of this book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own

A big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A decent read, and a nice refresh on the fantasy genre.

FLower and Thorn by Rati Mehrota is a YA fantasy novel about Irinya, who has wanted to be a flower hunter ever since her mother disappeared into the mysterious mist of the Rann salt flats one night. Now seventeen, Irinya uses her knowledge of magical flowers to help her caravan survive in the harsh desert. When her handsome hunting partner and childhood friend finds a priceless silver spider lily—said to be able to tear down kingdoms and defeat entire armies—Irinya knows this is their chance for a better life. Until Irinya is tricked by an attractive impostor. Irinya's fight to recover the priceless flower and fix what she's done takes her on a dangerous journey, one she's not sure she'll survive. She has no choice but to endure it if she hopes to return home and mend the broken heart of the boy she's left behind.

I don't know why but this book made me think of We Hunt the Flame crossed with Girl Serpent Thorn, don't ask me why it's just how my brain works. But overall, this was solid read. Not my favorite, but an adequate one for the genre it belongs to.

Irinya is a flower hunter, like her mother before her. She uses her knowledge to hunt down magical flowers on the Raan salt flats to sell and make money for her people. One day her flower hunting partner and childhood friend shows her to a silver spider lily, a flower said to be able to tear down kingdoms and armies, and makes her promise not to harvest it. But Irinya is swayed by a handsome impostor promising riches, enough to free her people from their debt, so she breaks the promise. Irinya quickly realizes her mistake and sets off on an impossible journey to recover the spider lily and take it to the sultan and his heir, the sultana. For war has come to their lands and only the magic of the lily can save them if she wishes to return home.

Having previously read Night of the Raven by RM I was excited and intrigued to be able to get my hands on this book. And again the world woven is beautifully immersive and I was sucked in. The idea of the magic plants was intriguing but I was kinda disappointed we never really found out what the spider lily actually did. But I guess those secrets die with the flower hunters. Irinya was a great character to follow. She was stubborn and courageous, and whilst a bit naive I am glad she made things right in the end. I look forward to reading more books from Rati.

Rating 3.5 stars
*I received a review copy from NetGalley for my voluntary and honest review

Flower and Thorn is a unique historical fantasy with an immersive setting, great protagonists, and a fascinating magic system. Set in 16th-century India, it’s a fascinating world where flowers are rare and have magical properties. Healing, manipulations, and more, all flowers are rare and coveted, and flower hunter Irinya and her friend find one of the rarest and most precious flowers of all. However, when a stranger visits, and the flower goes missing, jeopardizing the future of her people, a guilty Irinya decides to go after the person who took it.

I thought the setting was so immersive and vivid, and I liked how the author transported me into a fictionalized 16th-century India. With political unrest, threats to her people, and more, the setting is as deadly as it is beautiful. From dry, desolate, and sandy terrain to lush and extravagant palaces and bustling cities, the settings contrasted each other well and highlighted the social and economic differences among the classes.

Irinya was another strength of the story. She’s such an interesting and relatable protagonist, and she grows so much throughout her journey. Irinya is very naïve, and she makes a lot of mistakes, which I totally understood. An orphan following in her flower-hunter mother’s footsteps, Irinya takes on a lot of responsibility and puts a lot of pressure on herself. She also doesn’t always think before acting or speaking, which causes her a lot of problems. I always enjoy books like this, where the main character goes on a physical journey as well as an emotional one, and she does just that.

There is a bit of a love story, though it is not the focus of the book. As much as I generally like a swoon-worthy romance, I like that it took a backseat in this story. This is more about Irinya’s journey and growth, not her romantic life. Also, it did seem like there was a love triangle, but it was pretty subtle and obvious who Irinya cared for. I feel like these relationships further highlighted Irinya’s growth and change over the course of the story, as she acknowledges her mistakes and becomes very aware of her true feelings.

This is an interesting and immersive standalone novel. There’s intrigue, adventure, court politics, magic, a sweet friends-to-lovers romance, and several unexpected allies. There are some characters that I wished were fleshed out a bit more, as well as some parts of the plot, but overall it was an enjoyable read. Special thanks to Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

DNF

This is the second book I have read by this author. I actually didn't realize this was the same author until after I had requested. Both times I have liked the world-building that this author creates but I can never connect with the characters which makes it really hard to get into the story. Although this had a great premise I just didn't see the pay off as the plot twists were a bit predictable. I did really like what I read about the magic. Overall, I just have so many books to read at the moment that I don't want to continue reading something that doesn't grasp me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.

An interesting fantasy with a unique magic system based in flowers. I really enjoyed their book and the author’s use of Indian mythology/folklore. The slow burn, childhood friends to lovers romance could have been more intense, but the adventures the main character has kept me interested despite the somewhat slow progress of the story. Would recommend to all fantasy readers and those who like a tiny bit of romance with their fantasy.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

What if you found a flower that could change anything for you and your community, would you take the flower? Now what if I was to tell you that when you use the flower for not the good of the world or just good in general that it can, and will some why kill you? Would you still take a chance using it?

I found this book to be fun, easy to read and at a great pace. I found the plot to be interesting, the characters were likable and easy to connect with, and that magic system was something new and I loved it. I loved the lessons in this book that you will be taught, and I think anyone at any age can come to love and see the greatness that this author has made to help all ages understand the mistakes you might have made or might make, you can still change them and learn from them. I think it helped me to connect with the characters more in this book when you look at it from an “oh no, I just messed up, but I am going to work on getting us out of this” and you see them trying to make a mistake, right.

As for the characters, I enjoyed getting to know Irinya more and more throughout the book and seeing how she grows to love and accept the life that she was given, but you still want more for her family and the community of flower hunters she lives with. You will see that this young woman will do anything to protect her country, but to do so she had a lot of growth to work, and you watch her continue to grow throughout the book until the end. I can understand being young and naïve, so for her to think she is doing the right thing but turns out that she isn’t and watching her try to fix her wrongs was a great adventure. I found that I really enjoyed this friend to lover’s trope, I normally do not like this trope that much, but it was not a slow burn, but it was slowly in the making and something that came from a place of understanding and forgiveness.

I loved the magic system in this book though and the world that the author brought to life was something. The magic was lush, beautiful and something new. The world of India goes back in history and seeing how the flower hunters lived in the desert and how they understood the rules of the Rann and respected them.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes YA, Fantasy, romance, and a great magical system.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for this eARC.

Sadly I had to DNF this book but due to the fact I made it about half way through I will be still leaving review for those who may be interested.

The writing style is pretty good but not a match for me. It is very detailed in the world building and my own personal mind can't process these due to system overload and leads to me speed reading instead of enjoying.

It had a good plot idea of flowers being sources of magic and hard to come by (and some other things) so the main character does just about anything to change the course of one mistake she made with a specific known powerful flower.

I would recommend this for people who enjoy detailed worlds with a unique magic system and a female lead willing to risk it all to change the fate of those she loves

I thought this was a fun standalone young adult fantasy novel. I enjoyed the general premise of flowers being magical and revising history as if India avoided colonization by Portugal (Set in 1600s). The desert was a fascinating setting, and I loved the magic system of the flowers. I'd love to see this come to life onscreen in some way!

Irinya was young, naive, and a bit wide-eyed. However, I don't think that makes her a horrible FMC. I think it makes her a human one ;) There is a bit of romance in this, but I enjoyed the found family the most. Irinya is a nomad, and is a flower hunter. I never imagined flower hunting as dangerous, and I enjoyed how Mehrotra framed this. When Irinya and her best friend Fardan find an extremely rare flower (silver spider lily), they have the chance to really help their group to get out of debt. However, it comes at a price and thus starts her quest! This definitely had me hooked in the beginning!

Though I did feel some of the plot and especially the middle (from about 30-60%) was a bit disjointed and unfocused, this was a quick, fascinating read. This wasn't my favorite standalone fantasy, but it was fun enough so I'd definitely read from from Mehrotra again in the future!

cw: gore, violence, war

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I found this an enjoyable, easy read. I wish there was a map, and to be honest, it took me a little bit to realize this was historical fantasy as there is no stated year of these events (unless you do some Googling?). I found myself really liking Irinya and Fardan. They seem (and are!) so young it makes all of their mistakes even that much more believable. But their hearts truly lie with their family. This book very much contains the childhood-friends-to-lovers trope and I thought I wouldn't like it was it was something I detected right away, but in the end, I found their very small, so slowly budding romance to be very adorable. I was a little sad at the ending, regarding the other three flower hunters in Irinya's kul. Their "plan" was very shoddy and poorly put together and I knew it wouldn't go well in the long run.

I enjoyed the premise of this book, with the magical flowers and flower hunters. I enjoyed following Irinya into the luxuriousness of the palace and the political intrigue and court politics of the governors, wazir, and even the sultana.