The story of the Shah’s twin sister came to the people of Atashar as most rumors do, as a drifting set of jokes and have-you-heards that combined and recombined themselves slowly into a single tale: a poisonous girl with the blood of a div moving in her veins, a burden to her family, living in the shadows, cursed and reviled.

But unlike most rumors, this one is true.


Soraya knows fear in the shape of her own face. She felt it in her poisonous blood, an iron weight she had borne for so long. But it was a familiar feeling: the nagging sense that she was teetering on a knife’s edge, and all it would take was one push in the wrong direction and she would surrender to the deepest pull of the darkness that prowled inside her.

For years, Soraya has walked the edges of her curse, looking for a crack, but it held on. Until Azad, a handsome young soldier captures a female div named Parvaneh, and all the hope Soraya had shut out comes roaring back in. Parvaneh might be the only one who can show Soraya the gaps between the bars of her curse, but to escape her life, Soraya might have to tear a hole in her family’s.

Aren’t you made for death?


The premise promises a story that bears the indentations of a dark and twisted fairytale with all the rich density of horror, a tale that gathers Persian mythology into an exhilarating antiheroic slant, a world where the truth of who is right or wrong is as cold and unreachable as the stars—and the potential is definitely there.

The novel is heavy on the foreshadowing: the story often feels like a clock winding tighter as the ending draws near, and the world—though only delicately sketched since the author does not explain or engage with every aspect of its nature—is sharpened with urgency. There’s a suggestion of a trapdoor waiting under every page, and the possibilities bristled in my thoughts.

Soraya is an interesting protagonist. She was shot through with that dark, smoky core of poison, and it sung in her. It bloomed power in her blood, and made her something more than human. It made her unstoppable. A kind of awful pleasure sliced through Soraya at the realization that she’s far more powerful than she’s ever given herself credit for, a question winding around her like a rope: “What would she allow herself to become?” The helpless girl, locked away and withering on the vine of life? The quiescent serpent, ignoring the coiled thing inside her, that gathering of something hard and unyielding? Or the girl made of thorns as long as spears and as sharp as needs, with a sting like fire?

When the tilted emptiness that has settled inside Soraya begins to fade, replaced by stubborn determination, I wanted—abruptly and with an absurd intensity—for her to kindle it, to shield and nurture that flame until it takes far more than a single breath to blow it out. And for a while, I thought the story would balloon in that direction. But the narrative often retreats into a flimsy plot populated with characters that could have been more substantially fleshed out, and culminating eventually into a big reveal that’s obvious from the book’s earliest pages—and one that isn’t all that gripping in the first place.

Ultimately, that’s my biggest quibble with the story—that it cries out for a more challenging, better developed execution of a really involved and interesting premise. Still that’s not enough to put a permanent dent in the novel’s spell. As the story powers forward, and Soraya is forced to brush with her moral code, the novel probes, painstakingly, at Soraya’s desire to be just, to somehow behave well despite the contradictory desires of the heart. The author also affectingly articulates the ways that humanizing and dehumanizing those we love can be flip sides of the same coin. Here, I wish the novel had dwelled longer on the sapphic romance that blossoms between Soraya and Parvaneh who, amid the swirling chaos, have looked at each other and found a possibility of something.

I had fairly high expectations for this book, the blurb drew me in and there was a lot of hype from the early reviews. And although I did like this book, unfortunately it didn't meet my expectations. This is going to be a mini review as I don't really have much to say about this book.

I didn't really feel any attachment to the characters and felt like none of them really had any development individually. I did however really like the Sapphic romance in this, it wasn't rushed and thinking on the book, it was the only part I was really invested in reading more about. There wasn't much worldbuilding, this is supposed to be based on Persian mythology and as someone who doesn't know anything about Persian mythology, I was really looking forward to getting some insight to it and after reading this book, I still don't really know anything about Persian mythology. I wanted to know more about the divs and pariks but we didn't really get much background on either of them.

A Persian-inspired, fairytale retelling with a bisexual character, dark, unexpected and a plot that will keep you hooked with constant surprises, it was nothing like I was anticipating. I love fairytale retellings and Girl, Serpent, Thorn was certainly one of the most surprising ones I've read so far.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review: Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a Persian fantasy which captured my heart immediately.

Right off the bat, I loved the amount of morally grey characters in this story. Our main character, Soraya has struggled her whole life as she is cursed to kill all that she touches. Seeing her conflicting feelings and how she finds power in her curse was thrilling to read while our villain is given a compelling backstory and our love interest has a dark past.

Another thing that intrigued me immensely was the romance in this book, the love triangle aspect was beautifully done and I thoroughly enjoyed every second.

I also appreciated that at the end the author was sure to inform about Persian culture and explain the origins of the story which I thought was a beautiful touch! 5/5 from me!

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

Girl, Serpent, Thorn was a nice surprise.

In the beginning I was almost ready to give up - I assumed it would be a typical love-at-first-sight story, but thankfully it was anything but.

The Persian influence was fascinating, giving stories that were slightly familiar to me a fresh feel, the writing flowed, and while the plot wavered a little at times, it was overall paced very well. And a bisexual main character who makes mistakes, who sees the darkness in herself, and accepts it? It was refreshing, and fun to read.

As a standalone fantasy, this book is good, and as a YA standalone fantasy, it's great.

The premise to Gir, Serpent, Thorn is an intriguing one; a girl cursed and can kill anyone she touches? As a girl growing up obsessed with Rogue from X-Men, I was definitely all for this.

Was it as great as I had hoped? No.
Did I still very much enjoy it anyway? Yes.

Our main character, Soraya was definitely one of the most interesting characters I've read recently - desperate for human touch, human contact, Soraya explores a depth of morality not often seen. The darkness that lives beneath surface whether we have literal poison running through us or not. Seeing her explore the true chasms of herself and accepting the good and the bad, the dark and the light.

Whilst Soraya was a highlight, our main big bad - who I won't name for spoilers - was for my personal taste, pretty predictable and, although I enjoyed their journey together, it all read obvious to me and really pulled me out of the book at times.
The same applies to most of the supporting cast, with the exception of Parvaneh, (who by the way, can we get a whole book on her and the Parik's please?!). We were never given a real chance to get to know them; a brief introduction, a few words and then for the most part - mentioned in passing, and worst case - completely forgotten about. But whilst I did find that a tad frustrating, Soraya was strong enough as a main character to power the story through.

I'd definitely read more from this author! Their story-telling is gripping and the world-building had me imagining both beautiful and the dark places with ease, truly immersing me.
I'm thoroughly excited to see what tales we get told next.

I really enjoyed reading this book, i thought that it was beautifully written and it being the first book ive read by this author i felt it was easy to read and understand her writing and story. I really enjoyed that it was a standalone fantasy as we got to see the whole event in the book even though as i was reading and getting closer to the end of the book i couldnt see how it was gonna end and was worried it was gonna be a rushed ending however Melissa did it really well and gave us a satisfying ending. Our main character Soraya was very interesting and i really liked her. I enjoyed reading story through he point of view and seeing her deal with her struggles and feelings that she faced in the book. I dont know much about Persian mythlology but i found it fascinating and fitted the book really well and made me interested in other books with persian mythology. I really enjoyed the f/f romance and how it showed that differnces can be accepted if they stick for what the believe in.

One of the most beautiful standalone fantasy novels I’ve read in years. Bonus points for authentic LGBTQ representation!

DNF @39%

Princess Soraya lives an isolated life, removed from the rest of the royal court, even apart from her twin, the ruler, and their mother, for most of the year.
Soraya's touch is deadly, so she is hidden away, most of her people unaware of her existence.
Soraya gains an ally in a young man who isn't afraid to be near her and who wants to help her.
Soraya was cursed by a div, so when one is captured and locked in the dungeon she decides to talk to the div and find out if there is a way to get rid of the curse.
Soraya's quest to be free of the curse will strain her relationships with her family and may put Soraya on a path more suited to a monster than a princess . . .

Having heard good things about this book, and being intrigued by the Persian elements, I was looking forward to reading Girl, Serpent, Thorn. However, it unfortunately ended up not being for me.
Soraya was a protagonist who it should have been easy for me to sympathise with, given the way she was treated, but the more I read the less I liked her. I ended up finding Soraya rather frustrating and I couldn't connect with her at all. I actually felt more sorry for her brother, who was busy trying to rule, than I did for Soraya.
In the 39% of the book that I did read, barely anything happened and I struggled to stay interested in the little that did happen.
The writing style wasn't one of my favourites and I feel like it would have been easier for me to relate and connect with Soraya if the novel had been written in first person instead of third person.
In the end, I decided to stop reading because I wasn't enjoying the novel and I was frustrated by Soraya's actions.
This is a novel where the concept was intriguing, but the execution didn't work for me.

Unfortunately, this wasn't for me.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is an enjoyable YA fantasy book. It gives you Arabian nights feelings but it is so much more. story line is very exciting and you don't want to put it down. There are really good twists and turns which keep you reading. I loved that it is a standalone, too.

I just knew I was going to love this book. From beginning to end. I was hooked. The story was so interesting with lots of twists and turns. This is one of my favourites of 2020. I will definatley re read this book aswell.
The characters were brilliant my fave character was the soraya.
Please if you get chance then read this book.

I found this book to be extremely underwhelming. There wasn’t much going on and everything that was going on was extremely predictable, which kind of took away from the story. I would have thorougly enjoyed this story had the premise been exucutated in a way that wasn’t easy to guess at every corner.

I wrote a full spoiler-filled review at https://ratingmyreads.wordpress.com/2020/09/22/girl-serpent-thorn-melissa-bashardoust/

It took me a long time to get around to reading this but once i picked it up, I couldn't put it down!
The plot and characters were mesmerising and the world building was fantastic.

My favourite thing about this was the fact that it was Persian, we need more rep in modern books!

Hidden away her whole life, Soraya was cursed to be poisonous to touch. The princess lived out her life, confined to her room and garden, only able to watch the city from the roof and move about the castle through secret passages. Her twin brother, the Shah, returns to the palace with their mother, his bride-to-be, and his entourage to prepare for his upcoming wedding. Soraya, with the help of a new palace solider, steps outside the confines of her room to speak with a captured demon and break her curse. Once out in the world, she learns there's much more to her own story and consequences to her actions.

This book beautifully created a new, dark fairy tale. I haven't read many Persian fairy tales, but this one draws inspiration from "Rappaccini's Daughter" and combines it with "Sleeping Beauty." Bashardoust also includes little tidbits at the end of the book about her inspirations from Persian culture, which was fascinating. I've said it before, and I'll likely say it again and again until I'm blue in the face, but I love reading about other cultures, myths, and fairy tales. I love retellings as well, so combining it all in one book is a huge win for me! The writing of this book was beautiful. I loved the world building and all the little details. It truly felt like I was immersed in ancient Persia.

Soraya was a great protagonist. Throughout the entire book, she's battling with the question of who she is and how to learn to love herself. The curse pushed so much away from her, she is so desperate to break it, and when she does, she feels as though she's lost a huge part of herself. She had such splendid development and growth in just becoming herself that it was an absolute pleasure to read. And having a bisexual female lead was really cool to read!

As for side characters, I feel like they were a little lacking. Azad, who helps her at the start of their journey, is interesting enough until the latter half of the book. Parvenah, our demon lady love interest, was there to guide Soraya a bit, give her a "quest," and be a love interest. And brother, mother, future brother- and sister-in-law didn't have a lot going for them. I suppose if the story was about Soraya accepting who she is, that's okay, but I would have appreciated some stronger side characters and more about our budding romance.

I was engaged in the story the whole time. This book was nearly the whole package for me. It only missed by a hair though. It was magical and beautiful and I want to get lost in another story like this one. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for some queer representation, fairy tale retelling, mystical goodness! 4 stars from me!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn captivated me from the first page to the last. Before I started reading, I hadn’t realised that it was inspired by Persian myth, but Melissa Bashardoust’s writing has a magical feel that instantly put me in mind of folkloric tales handed down over many generations.

As a tactile person living through lockdown, I can understand Soraya’s need for human contact and the feel of soft textures more acutely than I think I would have before. Touch is something that we have always taken for granted, and yet it is something I have found myself craving over recent months. At least we have the hope that the situation won’t be permanent, but for poor Soraya there is no way out that she can see, and I can quite understand why she would be desperate enough to try whatever it took to break free of her curse.

Each character is beautifully developed, and each has their own flaws and secrets (some more than others). I practically felt my heart crack at times, as the depths of betrayals were revealed and Soraya slowly learnt who she could and couldn’t trust and rely on.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a story of learning to be comfortable in your own skin – something I think we could probably all do with being a bit better at.

I wasn’t to sure about this one at first. After I read the description it sounded like a typical YA story line, which it was, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A princess cursed from birth with the touch of death. She must make the decision To leave her dark safe space and enter the real world. A great dark fairy tale. It was captivating and gripping. I couldn't put it down. It was an easy read.
The ending was brilliant I wouldn’t have wanted it to end any other way.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

This was a beautifully written fantasy with such an in depth well built world that blew me away.

The plot was so good, so twisty and had a perfect mix of intrigue with slow reveals, but the only problem I had with the book overall was Soraya herself - I felt she was a bit bland and lacked some feistiness for me.

I look forward to anything this author will write in the future!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I'm a sucker for fairy tales so was bound to like Girl, Serpent, Thorn, but I was surprised by how much. It was refreshing to read a story based so much on non-Western mythology, and the characters were really well-developed so that by the end I really cared what happened to them. The message of empowerment and embracing who you are without trying to change was also very welcome. A great read.

I've been wanting to read this for so, so long. and I feel like it's a classic case of having expectations that were too high. It was well written, and I loved the Persian mythology behind the story, but I just didn't love it. I found Soraya to be a bit infuriating, and the bad guys just not quite bad enough. It was a quick, fun read though!