From the author of Girls Made of Snow and Glass, comes an original fairytale steeped in Persian mythology. Bashardoust brings us to a gorgeous setting with some ambitious characters. And yet, I felt Girl, Serpent, Thorn was a little lacking in the story overall.


The Setting

Something that drew me to this book – apart from the obviously stunning cover – was the idea of a Persian-style fairytale. And this was something that did not disappoint.

The descriptions of the world, the palace, the clothing – all of it – is something that was gorgeously written. I quickly felt transported into a story that felt both new and shiny, yet timely and mythological.

The world-building meshed seamlessly with the story itself. A story of a girl – maybe monster – wanting to break her curse set on her mother’s firstborn daughter? It was meant to be told in a setting of culture and mythology.


The Characters

Don’t get me wrong – I liked the characters. But Soraya, our main character, was not the stand out for me. Perhaps it was because I feel like I have heard the story of a cursed girl before. Or perhaps it is partially just Bashardoust’s main characters.

Many of my feelings from Girls Made of Snow and Glass were repeated with the writing of this story. When it comes to the main character – the idea and the way the character is written and developed is something I enjoyed in a critical sense. But when I consider any emotion toward the character, she just feels a bit flat and underwhelming.

However, I did really enjoy the characters of Azad and Parvenah.

Azad is the citizen-turned-soldier who becomes Soraya’s companion on her journey to break her curse. While I wasn’t a fan of his portrayal at the beginning of the story, this is a character with fantastic development, both in plot and character.

Parvenah, a div (pronounced DEEV, a demon-type character) who offers Soraya a way to break her curse, was by far my favourite character. The character development within Parvenah was one of my favourite things in this story, something that I think truly outdid the main storyline.


The Plot

I want to preface by saying that I knew nothing of Persian mythology prior to this book. And thus, the way in which Girl, Serpent, Thorn acts as an inspiring story or retelling is not something that I can, or will, comment on.

I enjoyed the way this story played out, I truly did. But, similar to Girls Made of Snow and Glass, I think the pacing is the key thing that pulled away from the story for me.

In a general sense, I am not a reader who enjoys slower-paced books. This particularly applies to fantasy stories. And while there are exceptions to this rule, it tends to be because there is another component of the story that is just SO GREAT that makes the pacing bearable to me.

But in Girl, Serpent, Thorn so much of the story – the plot, the pacing, the characters – felt just okay. Even in the parts that I enjoyed, they were never enjoyed in an intense way that distracted me from how the story seemed to drag to me.


The Audio

I enjoyed the audio for Girl, Serpent, Thorn. But I really don’t have much else to say on that.

It was good but it didn’t blow me away. I think the audio made the pacing in this book a little better for me, but it also didn’t turn into a fast-paced, engaging read.

I think the narrator did what she could with this story and did a fine job.


Overall, I think Girl, Serpent, Thorn was a great book that told an interesting story with some gorgeous world-building. If you like slower-paced fantasy or stories steeped in mythological backdrops, this might be the book for you.

But personally, I think I have decided that Bashardoust’s writing just isn’t for me.

A poisonous girl threatens the people closest to her, if anyone were to touch her they will die. Soraya suffers from loneliness, is exiled from her family, her city, living in the shadows because poison flows through her veins and she can kill somebody anytime. But a mysterious boy gets intrigued by Soraya and he doesn’t seem scared of her.

Her family travels every summer and she is left behind, only able to watch them return each fall from her tower where she is hidden away. After their return one season she sees a new face, among her brothers guard and looks to the tower and sees her as well. His name is Azad and he is a commoner that has become a royal guard because he saved the Shah when a div attacked him. Div’s are from Mount Arzur.

Soraya learns that the div that attacked her brother was caught and now resides in the dungeon. She believes that the div might have the answer to reversing her curse. Soraya uses the tunnels in the castle to sneak down and speak to the div. she meets Azad who helps her and she finds information that may help her.

Inspired by Persian mythology, has a morally grey bi main character who is spending the book walking on the edge of being villainous , monster girlfriends, lyrical writing that drags you directly into the world and with so many many twists and turns it will keep you turning the pages.

There were so many people I wanted Soraya to touch sometimes, I couldn’t imagine having that power in a split decision the worst out come is you kill someone and thats terrifying. I wish Soraya was little bit stronger of a character at time she was a little gullible and when paid attention she was easily distracted.

Overall I really enjoyed this read, a tale very well twisted and the writing was good, the world was well built and I would be interested in reading from this author again.

While the premise of Girl, Serpent Thorn is very unique and interesting and I was super excited to get to read this beautiful book, the execution couldn't completely convince me.

The characters in this story felt a little flat and I had problems connecting properly with anything. This is one of the few times I think a story should have been longer and fleshed out more. The romance plot was so underdeveloped, I think it should have been left out completely.

Still, this story isn't like any I read before and I would still recommend checking it out to anyone who's interested in it.

Ever since I saw the cover I wanted to read this book. The description peaked my interest even more. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me an e ARC in exchange of an honest review.
It was an engaging read. It's about a girl Soraya, who was cursed as a child to have a poisonous touch. She has been hidden by her family. The only person who sees her for who she is and wants to help her get rid of the curse is Azad. He encourages her to do so and is not afraid of her.
Soraya was accepting of herself and took what she wanted instead of being a damsel in distress and waiting to be saved.
Soraya grows as a person despite her flaws and I couldn't help liking her. A true feminist fairytale.

The plot was beautiful and was woven with Persian Mythology and folklore. I didn't expect the twists and turns. The writing was culturally lush, lyrical and engrossing.
The world building was good. I liked the different representation too like the morally grey characters, the Bi representation, Sorayas complicated family. The power of self acceptance, touch starvation (yes its real) the portrayal of loneliness..
It had many Persian words (the mythology part) but it was all touched upon in the end. The last few pages explained the lore. Very fairytale-esque.
Bad decisions, betrayals, twists and turns makes it a page turner. It was simply brilliant. I can't recommend it enough. Get your copy, you won't be disappointed.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn was an amazing read. What stood out to me most was the setting and the characters. I loved the castle with its secret passageways and hidden stories to tell. I could not get enough of our main character and the Bi-sexual rep in this came as a total pleasant surprise. The plot was exciting and kept me hooked from the very beginning. I was worried that this may feel very similar to Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series as that also follows a main protagonist who can not touch any other living things but I was thrilled that this felt totally different and not like anything I had read before. I loved the complicated and complex relationships formed throughout this book and honestly just wish there was more from this world that I could jump right into. I would highly recommend this one.
4 out of 5 stars.

This book is one of my absolute favourite books that I have read for the longest time. There is so much depth to this YA fantasy novel. The plot is twisted between fantasy and fairytale. There are many different obstacles that are fought throughout this book, with much adventure. The plot details a girl who is poisonous to the touch, a concept I have personally not come across before! I would have loved to see more books in this world, but to my understanding this book is a standalone novel. There is aspects of powerful female roles in this book and I absolutely loved it, self rescue! That is something I haven;t read in a long time. The lead characters Soraya and her twin Sorush are fabulous, they cannot touch any other living creature without causing them to die. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hodderscape for this advanced readers copy. All opinions are my own.

I think this was a truly intricate and interesting fantasy novel. I liked a lot of the elements of the world and the story, my issues were deeply rooted in myself and my own issues with how I didn’t understand a lot of going on, I had trouble keeping focus and had to keep rereading parts of the story to keep up and it ended up taking me more time that it should have.

Again, I really liked the characters, I didn’t feel they felt particularly new to me or anything but they were solid and well thought out characters.

Overall, I’d recommend this book it just wasn’t exactly for me.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I don't usually read a lot of fantasy, but I saw everyone talking about this book, so I requested it and I'm glad I did!

Soraya is such a powerful character, I loved how she ended up embracing her true self instead of fighting it - it's really a lesson to all of us to stop fighting our flaws but start embracing them with kindness and compassion.

I ADORED the relationship between Soraya and Parvaneh: F/F enemies to friends to lovers?? Sign me up!!

I honestly didn't see the first plot twist coming and it completely threw me off on my expectations on how the story was supposed to go, so kudos to the author!!

The writing style was fluid and it kept me hooked, so I definitely recommend it to any fantasy lovers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy!

Enter a world of poison, lies and secrets, filled with morally grey characters who blur the lines between hero and villain. A fairytale where no one is what they seem, and victory might mean surrender.

This YA fantasy is phenomenal. It has a cinematic quality and would make a brilliant film.

The setting was stunning. I loved the secret passage ways, Soroya's garden and even the darker locations like the dakhmeh.

Soroya is a character who will stick with me. She teeters so close to darkness I was never sure whether this was going to be a villain narrative or a heroic one, which made Girl, Serpent, Thorn all the more exciting to read.

Over the course of the novel, Soroya becomes caught in a tangle of family secrets and regret, with hidden motivations and a plot fuelled by misunderstanding and manipulation. Tension runs high throughout and it is very hard to put this novel down!

At its heart, however, this novel also contains a beautiful, LGBTQ romance which will leave readers swooning. It also explores the dangers of toxic relationships and manipulation.

This is also a story about learning to accept yourself, to reach your full potential, and not being afraid to embrace your true character. It is about isolation and feeling as though you don't fit in, but also finding your place in your family, even if it's not the one you expect.

In short, this is a beautiful, thrilling fantasy I will be recommending to everyone!

I loved this book! I rarely like standalone fantasy due to the fact I always find that there is something crucial missing that always impacts on my enjoyment. This is not the case for Girl Serpent Thorn. I feel like it was perfect as a standalone and love that the author recognised this and did not drag it out unnecessarily.

Despite the fact there was not a lot of world building I found that I somehow already knew the world and the logistics behind it. It was like reading an old fairytale with a twist, a fairytale that I was already familiar with so really there did not seem to be a need for any extra world building.

I absolutely love the characters in this book! I loved watching Soraya's development throughout the book, so much uncertainty to begin with, but the change and the development that she has been through during the course of this book is fantastic and so wonderful to see. What I particularly enjoyed about her is the pull between being a dark and light character, I loved watching that happen and seeing her overcome it to the best of her ability. I loved the romance aspect to this. I really liked the exploration of Soraya's sexuality and the openness she has for it.

I loved getting to know the evil in this world. The Divs were so interesting, as well as the overall villain. I don't want to give more detail because of spoilers. But I did love this dynamic and I loved getting to know it in all of the depths that we are given by the author.

Overall I loved this book and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

This is a fantasy standalone which is one of the aspects that definitely intrigued me when I first stumbled upon this novel. I was curious to see how such a complex story could be wrapped up in a single book. I must say the author did a pretty good job and I was mostly happy with the resolutions at the end of the novel.
I did think that some things were resolved way too quickly and also too easily. Let's just say that the thing that is supposed to be quite difficult to obtain, is actually not so hard to find.

Soraya is a very complex character, who makes some debatable choices throughout the story. Her power is quite unique and it was definitely interesting to read about.

In my opinion the story could have been fleshed out a little better, especially in some parts. Also, I wasn't the biggest fan of the writing, it didn't hold my attention and I didn't find it as gripping as the story would have demanded.

If you're looking for a fantasy story with a gray main character with unique abilities, you might want to check this out!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn follows Soraya, who was cursed as a baby to be poisonous to any living thing. The story she has known her entire life is that her mother crossed a div as a child, and was told that her first born daughter would be cursed, and since Soraya's birth, and the death of her nursemaid, she has been kept separate and isolated. Every year, the royal court arrive home to spend spring in Golvahar, and that is the only time she sees anyone but the servants who leave her food outside her rooms. This year, her twin brother, Sorush, the shah of Atashar, is planning on marrying, and even though she is a princess, she's not invited. One of the new recruits in the royal guard, Azad, seems to be the only one who sees Soraya, and helps her to discover how to remove her curse, and actively encourages her to do so. In the dungeons, a parik named Parvaneh needs her help, and once Soraya is betrayed, and captured by the evil Shahmar, finds that though she may have removed the poison from herself that made her a monster, the monstrous parts might remain.

From start to finish this book was lyrically beautiful! The plot and aspects taken from Persian mythology were woven into a tale that I was wholly engaged with. Soraya, as a main character, was not without her flaws, and that made her so much better than an ordinary princess. Someone who has questioned her sexuality from a young age, knowing that her feelings for her best friend will come to nothing, not with the curse, or Laleh marrying Sorush, but once Azad appears, and shows true interest and affection, she finds herself starting to fall. I did like them two together, but the snark and chemistry between Soraya and Parvaneh was perfect! Soraya taking her fate into her own hands, even if it did lead to her and her family's imprisonment, showed her growth, and I was rooting for her always. This book definitely wasn't one where the heroine was a damsel in distress. No, she took what she wanted, and through accepting herself for who she was, was able to triumph!

Firstly, thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book! I love fantasy set in a Middle-Eastern world and this one includes Persian Mythology.

The world building was very good and I couldn't help but love the main character!

There were a few twists in this book that I didn't see coming which kept me on my toes!

Overall a very enjoyable book and I will be reading more from this author!

3.5

One of the most unique and interesting stories I've read so far. Very rich in Persian mythology and culture, which is not something you see every day and it is definitely overlooked, so i can say with certainty that it was appreciated here. The writing contains many words derived from Persian and they are all touched upon at the end of the book, as is the mythology part. Reading those last pages that explained the lore and the background research were a very nice touch for me personally because i definitely wanted to know more.

Now as for the book itself. It was alright, I feel like a lot of the times the things that were happening in the story seemed too convenient in my opinion and also this story took so many different turns that it ended up being like nothing i expected it to be. At least that made it unpredictable. I did enjoy it but it lacked a certain something for me that i can't quite put my finger on. It didn't have that special spark and i think this is more of a me problem than a book problem. So with this in mind i would say that if this interests you and if you are into Persian mythology and folklore then give this a go.

Lastly i wanted to touch upon the characters a bit. My favorite character is hands down Parvaneh. But apart from her i didn't especially like anyone else, though i can recognize that many characters go through much development and we get to see many sides of the characters, especially the flawed parts. As for the MC, there is more than meets the eye to Soraya and even though i found her to be naive in the beginning of the story, she grows as a person and becomes lovable despite her flaws. I've grown quite fond of her by the end.

4.5 stars!

A 'feminist fairytale' according to Kirkus Reviews, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch, and the potential for a monstrous heroine who has to embark upon a quest to discover who and what she truly is... written by the author of Girls Made of Snow and Glass, which I really enjoyed when I read it back in 2018 because of how it felt like a gorgeous, clever retelling of an old fable. All of this combines to make a book that little fairytale-loving, feminist me was powerless to resist!

At first when I started reading Girl, Serpent, Thorn, I wasn't too sure about it. I enjoyed the rich Persian setting, the vaguely ageless, ethereal feel of the world (the prologue explaining Soraya's curse from a certain point of view was perfect in that regard, like a folktale within a folktale), and I sympathised with Soraya, a lonely princess kept apart from her family and a secret from her people due to the poison in her veins - but I wasn't gripped. Until, that is, we hit a plot twist that threw me for a loop (I love those moments in books where you're wide-eyed and asking, "Author, did you really just do that???"), and then I had to keep reading until I'd finished the rest in a day. While I had an idea of what was going to happen, as is typical with fairytales, I was still kept guessing throughout!

Something I've appreciated about Bashardoust's writing since Girls Made of Snow and Glass is that her heroines all feel like three-dimensional people rather than mere archetypes. Happy endings come to them through the power of self-acceptance - a kind of magic of its own - once they learn to love themselves as they are, 'dark' parts and all. In her worlds, heroes are fallible and villains are pitiable, and characters are all coloured in shades of grey as opposed to a strict binary of black and white.

An added bonus is that all of this lushness, depth, and character growth is packed into a standalone! I do like a good series - although I am growing weary of getting invested in books that seem like they're going to be standalones or duologies and then surprise! they're trilogies or more - but it's often even more impressive when an author can accomplish all of this in a single novel.

I saw one reviewer saying that this book reminded them of Uprooted, one of my all-time-favourites, and I can certainly see why, but I also think fans of The Star-Touched Queen would like this one, too. As for me, I'll most likely be adding a physical copy to my groaning bookshelves soon enough!

It's been a while since I read a fantasy novel as atmospheric and stylistically rich as GIRL, SERPENT, THORN. From the characters to the story to the setting to the language to the structure -- I felt like I was reading a fairy tale, or a fable than had been told over and over. In the author's note, Barshardoust does speak about how much she drew from Persian mythology, history, and language; and this really shines through to the novel's strength.

I love stories that are set in mostly one location, however they can sometimes suffer when it comes to world building -- but I didn't find that to be the case here. Bashardoust managed to immerse us in the insular, sometimes claustrophobic, setting of the palace; whilst also building a luscious wider world and culture. She does in one book what some authors don't manage in a trilogy. I will say there was a pretty basic and obvious three act structure, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing: there's a reason it's so widely used.

The romance was delicious, a great twist on a love triangle. I loved all the reveals, the twists and turns, the exploration of morality and moral greyness. The way it spoke to wider discussions of feminism, power structures, and emotional abuse. That, of course someone who has been in near-solitary confinement for their entire life is going to fall for the first person to show interest in them, or to make them feel special. That this would change her approach to romance, her approach to conversation, and to touch. The exploration of Soraya's bisexuality was subtle but important, and her messy past (and present) of crushes was too real!

I loved how exactly and specifically it portrayed loneliness, and touch starvation. The complicated family dynamics, and that the narrative doesn't entirely forgive them or punish them for their complicity. The metaphors surround the roses and thorns in Soraya's garden, and how these manifest themselves in the end. The journey that Soraya goes on that doesn't force her to become the 'hero" of the "villain", but is all about accepting herself, and realising that she is a person worthy of love and existing in society. An excellent and exact novel, I loved it!

A princess cursed to be poisonous to touch. Isolated and hidden away from the world, Soraya's constantly accompanied only by her loneliness. In a quest to find the truth about her curse she unleashes a series of events that only she can put an end to. Can a girl who's been protected and hidden away her entire life find it in herself to face both the world and her own flaws? Can she forgive those who have harmed her and most importantly can she accept herself for who she is?

This is a fairy-tale retelling and a coming of age story.

It was a fabulous story with enough twists and turns to warrant a one-sitting read. It had a whimsical, traditional fairy-tale kind of a narration which I adored. The characters are memorable, the story is excellent and it is backed up with some solid writing.
The representations are great too -
* Bi-sexual representation,
* Representation of people with body-image issues,
* Pre-Islamic Persian cultural representation which frankly is quite under-represented.

The only thing I found lacking in this book was the description, especially when it came to matters of attire or appearance. Half of the time I was left wondering "How does she look?" or "What kind of dress was she wearing?". It was hard to imagine without some pointers from the Author on that front.

Other than that, I absolutely have no complaints about this book. It was near perfection. A story very well told.

The highlight of this book is the Author's note where she lists down the cultural inspirations for this story. I was fascinated by that. The Zurvanism/Zoroastrianism references have tickled my curiosity to check out more on the subject of ancient Persian mythology. The Author's note was as good as the story if not more.

Recommend this fairytale-esque novel. It won't disappoint you.

Characterization: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

#NetGalley #GirlSerpentThorn #MelissaBashardoust #YAFantasy #4.5StarReads #InvestGrade

There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. Soraya has been hidden away from the world, safe only when she is in her gardens tending to her roses. She is not allowed outside her room, but has become accustomed to sneaking out anyway. When a demon is caught who may hold the answers to breaking her curse.

content warning: imprisonment, death

rep: bi brown m/c, persian inspired setting

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a Persian inspired fairy tale about a princess who was cursed to be poisonous to the touch. It is a story brimming with intrigue, lies, betrayal, power, and monsters. It features a slow-burn f/f romance between two morally grey characters. It was actually a book that finally dragged me out of a months long reading slump.

There were so many great things about Girl, Serpent, Thorn and it is a book easy to praise. If you enjoy novels full of secrets and betrayals then this is the book for you. There is plot twist after plot twist, and reveals that you never see coming.

One of the best aspects of Girl, Serpent, Thorn though was Soraya and her character arc and the development she goes through. Her story, ultimately, is one about power and about her curse. At the start of the novel, Soraya, who is cursed to be deadly to the touch, sees her curse as just that – a curse that stops her living her life to her true potentional. It is horrible, cruel, and makes her a monster.

But what I truly loved about this story was how she becomes to question what this curse actually is to her because it actually gives her one thing she strives for – power. Power to protect herself, power to make people fear her, power to get what she wants, power to make her own choices. I loved this internal conflict she had – did that want for power make her a monster? One thing I love, is morally ambiguous characters!! In the end, what made her most powerful was the power of choice, which I loved.

There is also a brillaint f/f romance between two morally gray characters, our main character Soraya, and a demon – both characters feel like they need to atone for their sins. But what I loved most about the two was how they made each other feel safe and unashamed to be who they truly are: ‘What she needed tonight was another monster’.

Overall, another brilliant sapphic fantasy that you need on your tbr pile.

I really enjoyed this story, it was full of twists and turns, and I couldn't predict what would happen next. The relationships throughout the book were extremely complex and I really enjoyed seeing certain relationships grow - particularly between Soraya and her love interest later in the book. The ending was extremely satisfying, it was everything I'd hoped for.

I really enjoyed this story, the atmosphere was really well done and i liked the queer aspect in this setting. The plot line was entertaining and it was well written. I just struggled to pick the book up, but when I did I was having a good time. It was good but I don't know if it will be memorable.