Smartly written and brimming with court intrigue, artifice, and deceit, Thorn Season had me gripped from the very first page. Though heavily plot driven, it was fascinating from a character study perspective to see the motivations of Alissa evolve throughout the story, particularly through her unflinching willingness to show a cruel hand when and where needed. I firmly believe that to truly understand a character, you have to see their thorns. And boy, there were brambles.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the E-arc!

This book will grip you from the first chapter and have you at the edge of your seat the entire time!

Thorn Season – Kiera Azar
A dark, atmospheric novel that blends folklore with contemporary themes of resilience and survival. Azar’s writing is lyrical yet haunting, crafting a tale that feels both timeless and urgent. A must-read for those who love stories of strong-willed characters facing impossible odds.

Overall: 5/5
Spice: 0/5
Tropes/Themes: Forbidden power & hidden heritage, court intrigue & political schemes, unique magic system, secrets & betrayals, complex characters

"After all, power was only deemed dangerous when it couldn’t be commandeered by those in authority."

From the very first chapter, I knew this book was going to be something special. You know that feeling when you start a book and you feel that spark and you just can't stop reading? Yeah, well that was me with this one. I haven't felt that way about a fantasy novel in a while, probably not since Fourth Wing or Spark of the Everflame. It was sooo addicting!

This story follows Alissa Paine, a girl who has been hiding a secret for the past 18 years, she’s a wielder. In this world, wielders are hunted down and killed. Ironically, Alissa comes from a family of hunters. When girls turn 18, they enter society to participate in a courtly event called the Rose Season. Thrust into this dangerous environment, Alissa must learn to survive by becoming the sharpest thorn.

I absolutely loved Alissa as the main character. She was cunning, brash, and unafraid to stand her ground. She went through so much! King Erik was fascinating, so many layers to uncover! And ugh, Keil 🤌. I loved how every character had purpose and contributed to the plot in meaningful ways. The plot twists! Wow! I didn't expect any of them lol

If you're looking for your next book, this one NEEDS to be on your radar!! If you liked The Red Queen or even The Selection, you’ll definitely enjoy this. The world-building and writing were phenomenal. I can’t stop thinking about it. I need book two. Now. I’m completely obsessed with these characters!

When I saw all my friends and mutuals receiving a manuscript to what is told to be the next best romantasy, I knew that I needed to get my hands on this immediately. ‘Thorn Season’ by Kiera Azar is a phenomenal, twisty ride that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish!

We meet Alissa Paine's, our main character, whose journey as a Wielder is quite intense, and the world-building in Daradon is both brutal and dazzling. I couldn't get enough of the court intrigue, the political tension, and the romance that had my heart racing like CRAZY. Everything about this book was so complex. It was a story filled with dangerous secrets and two beautiful men just vying for her attention. And I’m no love triangle girly….but gosh this ate up and is exactly what I’m looking for when it comes to a love triangle.

The stakes in this book were incredibly high, and deadly, and the secrets unravel in the most unexpected ways that you don’t even see it coming. I was hooked from the very beginning and the edge of toes. I can’t believe this is only book 1 of a TRILOGY. The fact that I have to wait is diabolical because now I’m desperate for the next book.

This book sharp, sexy, and absolutely unputdownable. A 5-star read for sure and I need everyone to pick this up immediately👏

Thorn Season, the story of Alissa--a girl who is born with forbidden powers--sucked me in from the very beginning. This is book one of the trilogy, and I can't wait for the rest of the series. I'm not usually a fantasy fan, but I loved this one! Alissa is a wielder in a world where being a wielder is punishable by death. She and her father have hidden her powers from the nobility, but once Alissa reaches her 18th season, she finds herself in the middle of court being wooed by King Erik, a ruthless hunter of wielders. There are so many twists and turns that I stayed engaged the entire time. Highly recommend for YA Fantasy lovers!

this is like…amazing??? I don’t even know what to say. This book is what I desperately wanted from The Rose Bargain but couldn’t get. It had all the stakes of the crimson moth, with a really fierce protagonist. To be fair, I’ll read anything that is compared to the selection, but this dare I say was better than it? I loved the plot, I loved Alissa as a character, I loved that she had her flaws and her downfalls, but also is just so resilient. She went through so much in this book and i just want her to be happy and get everything she’s ever wanted.

The last few chapters of this book really had me gasping for air. Every betrayal and revelation and secret brought to light had my head spinning. But it all made sense, it felt right and it felt well timed. The action in this book was great, the hints of romance we got were amazing, and I love that the book would still have stood great without it. This is what I’ve been searching for and craving from fantasy. I’ve been chasing this high and I’m so glad I finally found it. I can’t recommend this book enough, I’ll be watching patiently for what else Kiera puts out. Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this arc. I think y’all have a hit on your hands.

I want to start by thanking Netgalley and HarperCollins for allowing me an eARC to read this book early.
I enjoyed this book. The magic system was interesting and the political intrigue was definitely there. In this world to be born a wielder is to be born with a death sentence and seeing how Alissa navigates her life as a member high in the court system while knowing that if anyone found out her secret she would be killed was very captivating and kept me hooked. There were plenty of twists and turns in this book to keep you hooked. The idea of the compass that can be used to find wielders reminded me a lot of the Gilbert watch from The Vampire Diaries. I would have liked to see more of our main character with the potential love interest than I felt like we did and to have seen more of that potential relationship in this book but we will have to see what the next book holds for our characters. Preordering this book so I have a copy when it is released!

Thank you to Harper’s Collin’s children’s books and NetGalley for this arc!

Thorn Season was great! It has such a unique magic system and I loved it. I found myself reading a little bit too late into the evening hours to finish it!

Wow! It has been a while since the first chapter, even the first sentence of a book has hooked me so quickly!

This book felt unique, and caught me by surprise! Sometimes YA can fill a bit predictable or formulaic, and that is NOT the case here.

Quick Blurb:
Wielders have always been Hunted, and Alissa Paine has kept her Wielding a secret locked away through painful self control and with help from her father. We follow Alissa as she enters her 18th season and is summoned to the royal court to participate in Rose Season. There, she finds herself faced with hiding in plain sight while maneuvering all the scheming of court-- and she is caught between the attentions of two opposite, but equally dangerous men.

Thorn Season is filled with:

-a cunning and clever FMC (If you liked Rune Winters in Heartless Hunter/Crimson Moth, you will like Alissa)
-court intrigue and political scheming
-unique magic
-secrets, twists, and betrayals around every corner

I was constantly wondering who I could trust or who I was rooting for, and this story also left me swooning from the shameless flirtation from our male characters, as well as a good "Who did this to you?" moment.

Congratulations to Kiera Azar on a fantastic debut novel and thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this eARC. All opinions given are my own.

*Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This book was SO GOOD! I thought the author did an amazing job of fleshing out the main characters and Alissa was so well-developed. In the past, I've always felt like a powerful MC but suppressing their power has always been poorly written, but Kiera did really well of not pushing for the "woe is me, I'm so weak because I can't use my full powers" MC.

The ending was also insane and I need the next book asap.

Absolutely amazing!
Thorn Season by Kiera Azar completely swept me off my feet! From the very first chapter, I was hooked by the rich world-building and the way Azar effortlessly weaves magic, mystery, and emotional depth into every page. The characters are so well-developed, I found myself rooting for them through every twist and turn. I absolutely loved how the story balances moments of intense action with heartwarming, intimate connections. The pacing kept me eagerly turning pages, and by the end, I was left with that perfect, satisfied feeling that only a truly amazing book can provide. If you’re a fan of fantasy with layers of emotion and complex characters, Thorn Season is one you won’t want to miss!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

If you are a fan of The Selection and political intrigue with some great romance this book is for you!
I really enjoyed this new world Azar created. These Wielders and the way their magic works is new and creative. The land itself is well done and easily navigated.
The romance! Swoon. The banter, y’all the banter! Soo good. I wish it was through the entire book so I did miss it when it wasn’t there.
The only thing I disliked is that sometimes the sentences were a little confusing and I had to reread. Things were said in a way that didn’t make sense sometimes, but I’m hoping that it’ll be fixed when it’s fully published.
I really liked the characters in this book. Even the villain I was like hmm…why do I like you? Haha.

Alissa Paine is secretly a wielder. A person who can manipulate magic and is hunted by those that are her family. When an old friend tells her of a mission that would save wielders Alissa throws herself into the fray; Landing directly in front of King Erik the horrible monarch who kills her kind. While at court she gains a new ally who can also wield. Can Alissa complete her mission and save her kind?

I will be impatiently waiting for the sequel!

Thank you to Storytide, HarperCollins Childrens and NetGalley.

Thank you very much Epic Reads for inviting me to read Thorn Season, Kiera Azar's YA Romantasy debut!

I have be honest... I had never heard of Thorn Season until Epic Reads sent me an email with an invite to read and review it early. I'm now sad I did not know about this book sooner because it would have been on my radar instantly.

✨️A glimpse inside:
political / court intrigue
unique magic system
rivals to questionable lovers romance
secretssss and betrayal

Thorn Season, at the heart of it all, is a fantasy with a great mystery and many plot twists that kept coming even when I thought the reveals were already revealed. At first it took me a little while to connect with the characters and find the flow of the story but once it was found I was absolutely hooked. Alissa is a strong female character I'd follow anywhere. I really liked her strength, her deduction skills, and when she wasn't taking any sh*t from no one. I found her to be a refreshing character in the YA Romantasy genre, similar to how I felt when I met Rune Winters in Heartless Hunter.

The unique magic system and the world-building are well-developed. I enjoyed learning about the magic Wielders use with the scepters. Alissa is a powerful Wielder who has to hide her identity, like many Wielders, to survive. She is pulled into the court intrigue during what is called the Rose Season, when a King is looking for a bride. To solve an ongoing mystery, Alissa moves herself closer to the King in order to find a dangerous item called the Compass, which locates hidden Wielders for the Hunters to kidnap and execute them.

There are many players on the chess board including Kiel, an Ambassador from a neighboring country and a not-so-secret Wielder. Alissa and Kiel have a great dynamic. All of their scenes together were filled with chemistry, tension, and yearning. I enjoyed their back and forth banter, and the 'will-they-won't-they' build-up.

Epic Reads is putting out a first-run deluxe edition of Thorn Season, which is so stunning. The edges and the endpapers are gorgeous! I think if you adore Heartless Hunter and fierce and cunning female characters, you will fall for Thorn Season.

4.75 stars

3.75 stars for me rounded up. This started off fairly strong, but it got a little lost in the second half.

In the kingdom of Daradon, aristocrat Alissa is coming upon her 18th year, and hiding a secret that could get her killed. She’s a Wielder, someone who is able to wield a specter of force, and someone who is hunted by the Capewell family (and her own cousins), aptly called the Hunters. She’s been able to keep her secret for years, with few knowing about it at all. The customary Rose Season is about to begin, where all members of court in their 18th year swear fealty to King Erik. But this year is different - there are more and more hunts occurring, and this year the court is joined by an Ansoran ambassador Keil, who isn’t who he seems. As the season carries on, Alissa is unraveling a plot that goes deeper than she ever thought, and will have to play her part at court to get the answers she needs.

Court intrigue • Enemies to lovers • Unique magic • Cunning FMC

I really liked the beginning half of this book. Alissa’s relationship with her father, her friendship with Tari, and her experience at court all had me very intrigued. Without any spoilers, I loved the way we meet Keil and watching the tension build between them, even in front of Erik knowing his intentions. The additional side characters are all vital to the story, and it was really interesting watching how each of them played a part.

However, the last 30% of the book or so were harder for me to get through. I started to get really frustrated with Alissa as a character, despite knowing she was grieving. I think she was making a lot of rash decisions and treating people cruelly when she didn’t need to, refusing to ask anyone for help, even people she trusts. I think Alissa’s plan in particular in the latter part of the story got a bit too twisty and complicated, but I do want to know what happens next (if only for some answers about Keil).

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thorn Season is deliciously addicting. Reserve yourself a full day to read, you will not want to put this book down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kiera Azar and HarperCollins for this eARC 🫶🏻

Wow! I was so absolutely unexpectedly blown away by this one! I was a little unsure how I was going to feel going into it. YA is always a mixed bag as an adult. Sometimes I get so frustrated by the characters or it feels obtuse - again as an adult hehe - that I have to put the book down because I’m very much not the target audience. I didn’t feel that way for this one, so if that is a concern you have I would say you don’t need to be worried :) sometimes the characters did frustrate me a little but I don’t think it was an age thing.

Okay! On to the things I loved:

- the plot!! The book blurb both tells you exactly what to expect but also leaves so much out I was pleasantly surprised by the trajectory of the plot. I don’t know if plot twist is the right word, but I wasn’t fully sure where the story was going to end up, which was a feeling I loved. I stayed up until 4 am reading this (as mentioned above) because I was in fact so invested in what was going to happen next. There were times I literally had to put it down cause I was reacting so strongly to things happening on page.

- the magic?? So unique!!! I don’t think I’ve read anything like it before and I was super intrigued

- the main character Alissa. I am obsessed with this icon. I don’t want to say too much, but she’s strong and clever without feeling infallible, is independent without being hyper independent, and quite honestly was just really multi faceted. I don’t know how to explain it but she felt so real and unique to me. Like I don’t want to say she’s morally grey necessarily, but she’s cynical and kinda scrappy in a way that felt very fresh and new.

- something about the relationships in this book hurt in all the best ways and I will leave it at that lol 🫡

My only real complaint is that there was some weird scenes of info dumping in the first few chapters, due to unnatural dialogue. Like one character would be explaining one thing to another and I remember being like “wouldn’t they already know this?”, but all in all that’s not too egregious an offense because the info dumping wasn’t super intense.

This is not really a good or a bad thing but this book was not what I was expecting given the blurb, especially the beginning few chapters which took me some adjusting to but I was not mad about it.

The ending was excellent, not entirely predictably in the best way (something not a lot of authors are good at) and I’m really excited for what the follow up will entail and the new situations it’ll put the characters in!!

All in all, I really enjoyed this read. I’m excited to see what else this author does, both with this series and with other works!! Add this to your TBR!!

This book surprised me and I enjoyed it. I love a good story of political intrigue that always keeps you guessing. The writing overall is pretty good and engaging. The pacing struggles at times with telling rather than showing. There were moments where I was a bit bored but I kept reading. The ending is a highlight and makes me excited for more.

The characters are engaging, especially a FMC with my name :) I felt her growth while she went through all the twists and turns in the story. Alissa truly had to figure it out on her own and find her own way to survive. She's literally up against the wall finding her way out. I can't wait to see her continue to grow in the next book!

The ending is also noteworthy! I definitely wanted more. Can't wait for this book to be out and have more people read a wonderful story.

Thank you to Harper Collins Childrens and Netgalley for the eARC of this book! It's awesome!

Thorn Season was absolutely fantastic! The author wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

I really enjoyed this book and everyone in it. I was not expecting to get as swept up in the story as I was, I did not want to put this book down for anything, not even to go to sleep. Thorn Season was a gripping story from start to finish. Kiera Azar has a way with characters, everyone was complex, but so well written that their motivation made sense. This was a fantastic first book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of the series! Great for fans of Bridgerton or These Hollow Vows.