When I read the blurb and saw the cover of this title, I was really excited and enthused about what could maybe be a LGBT, people of colour, fantasy adventure novel. However, I could not get into this book at all. It was extremely, almost excruciatingly slow at the start and, by the time the action did pick up, it was too late - I had lost interest and moved on to something else. I found the main character whiny, I guessed the "twist" as soon as that character was introduced and altogether I was not impressed with the way the characters came across. I appreciate that this was a proof copy, but I also found myself getting frustrated with the constant misspellings of simple words such as off and effort - basically anything with a double ff was wrong - highly annoying.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to read this incredible book in advance.

She was and she was not. I feel that this is the best way to start my review of this amazing story.
Shazadeh Soraya, is deadly but not bad. Is beautiful yet dangerous. She is part of the royal family, but nobody knows her. She is a story, a legend, a myth people keep on telling from one generation to another. But she is also real.

Soraya is made up of flesh and poison. Nobody can touch her; nobody can be near her. She is dangerous to any living organism, except for the roses she breeds. She has spent all her life in Golvahar, isolated within the walls of one of the palaces of the kingdom. Solitude, sadness, and resentment being most of the time her companions. Until she meets Azad, and everything changes.

Inspired by Persian mythology, author Melissa Bashardoust brings us this beautiful tale about love and self-acceptance. This book introduces us to new lands, new perspectives, and of course, to new traditions and divinities from a culture we do not heard that much of. I enjoyed it from beginning to end.

I am not so fond of instant romances, but the way this topic is brought up here, and considering all the peculiarities of Soraya’s situation, this is something that only made the story better. I was at the edge of the seat during almost all the first half of the book, got really attached to it. Personally, I would have liked the ending better if Soraya had stayed on her own. Not alone, but also not involved romantically with anyone. That is just my personal opinion.

One curious thing is that when I was first introduced to Azad, I felt that he was going to be like Frozen’s prince Hans. In the end, that was not entirely the case, but still I am amazed by mi detective skills? My sixth sense? However you like to call it, but now I know that I must trust my instincts.

Myths, fairytales, romance, love, and self-acceptance are the pillars of this marvellous story, in which a fierce queer protagonist will lead us to uncover the best kept secret of the royal family.

Unique and magical, 'Girl, Serpent, Thorn' is a novel that will surely captured the hearts of its readers.

The Persian inspired story was such a nice read! Lately I’ve been reading a ton of YA fantasy and I’ve found that most of them have been to character-centered rather than action-packed.
This book, however, moved quickly and was a constant entertainment that I thoroughly enjoyed during quarantine.

There was an element of insta love, which is unfortunate but it comes with the territory of a fast-paced plot.

I love Fairy Tales especially Fairy Tale retelling. This book is based on Persian Fary Tale and is a loose Rapunzel retelling it follows Sorya twin sister of the ruler of her country Sorya was cursed with poison as a baby so anything she touches person or buttery dies when she touches it then she finds out and meets Div who has been captured who could tell her more and she meets Azad with a secret of his own. I loves the writing the twists and turns I wanted to keep reading and not put the novel down I shipped Sorya and Azad up to the point when we find out who he really is I love twists and then the relationship between Soyra and Parvneh had me emotional at points . This book deserves all the hype a great read deffiantly recomend to read this year. The Author is now on my list of Authors I want to read from. Thankyou so much to Netgalley The Publisher and the Author for accepting me to read this wonderful breathtaling and emotional fairy tale with all the twists and turns deffiantly one to add to your TBR 5 out of 5

I am a huge reader of YA high fantasy and I am always down for discovering a new author.

In this book we are following a young women who cannot touch anyone, she is poisonous and kill every living creature she is touching. Sadly she is the sister of the king and she is the secret of her family. She met someone and following that she wants to find a solution about her malediction and with that she discovers the truth about her past and maybe the lie she has been told.

To be truthfull I have mix feeling about this book. The world building surrounding this book is great. It is inspired by persian culture and it was so nice to discover this whole univers. The magic systeme, the creature in this book are great and fun to read. But the thing with one shot in high fantasy and short book even more it seems sometimes a bit rush.

In this book, I find eveything to happens so quickly, We don't have time to understand and feel for the main character. Her emotion seems flat as a result. The action is also a bit rush to me. The book has clearly two part and it could have been two books easily. Overall, even 100 hundred more page would have been nice to give the reader the time to understand everything that happens and most importantly the action of Soraya.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.
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So Girl, Serpent, Thorn sounded rather interesting despite the fact I’ve gone off YA a bit recently or maybe I've become a bit more picky about what I want to read when I don't have nearly as much time to read as I used to. What piqued my interest in this book was it was clear that it was set in a slightly different world to most of the young adult fantasy settings that are usually a riff on Western European countries. I haven’t come across many Persian inspired settings before, so I was looking forward to seeing a Persian inspired story by an own voices author.

The story follows Soraya who is essentially a Princess, the sister of the Shah. Soraya’s touch is fatal to all living things (except plants) so she is unable to touch anyone, (think Rogue from the X-Men) which is understandably a tad problematic for her. As a result of her curse Soraya lives apart from her family and society as a whole and roams the secret passages of the palace and tends her rose garden. However, an encounter with a mysterious prisoner inspires her to find a way break her curse.

As this is a YA book suffice to say there is romance element as well. I felt like there was a little bit of insta-love going on here. This perhaps this makes sense considering the circumstances in which Soraya lives and perhaps someone who has never been able to touch someone else would be more likely to fall hard for the first person who shows them any kind of positive romantic attention so I’ll let it slide.

Probably my favourite aspect of the book was the references to Persian culture and Zoroastrian beliefs and practices for example the Dakhmen towers correlation to the real-life Towers of Silence. I also really liked the different demons, even though they were called “divs” which in the British vernacular means “idiots” basically which I couldn’t help finding a little amusing. The more humanlike Pariks were also pretty cool. There’s also LGBTQ representation.

Another thing I really liked was how pace-y the book was. It really was a rollercoaster of a plot without feeling like the plot was being lost. There were numerous times Soraya was in genuine peril and had to use her quick wits to find a way out. It felt quite tense at times and there was a real sense of stress and peril but in a good way, not in a way that made the book difficult to read.

Some criticisms I might have would be that the other characters perhaps felt a little underdeveloped and one dimensional. I felt Soraya was a really strong character but some of the others just felt a bit…well boring really. I also saw the main twist coming from a mile away but it didn’t detract anything for me.

I would say that I was really surprised by this book. I don’t usually mention covers in my reviews, but the cover for this one is really cool; I know snakes are having their moment lately, but this cover stands out as particularly stunning.

This novel was a little bit different, the way the story developed and the relationships that Soraya has with the different characters were all written really well, and the eventual outcome felt fresh and interesting. The Persian inspired setting and the fairy tale influences all came together to elevate it above the usual YA fare. A fairy tale with bite!

I was so excited to get approved for an e-ARC of Girl, Serpent, Thorn, so thank you Netgalley for letting me review this book.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is set to be one of my favourite books of the year. Although I was excited about this book and story I was a little panicked at the thought that we might be on track for another Shatter Me experience and I just wasn’t up for that. Well what we got instead was a beautifully written story full of culture and beautiful characters, believable romance and a young girl finding out what it means to be yourself. I think the way this book presented itself meant that the pacing was brilliantly done and I loved the drama and the conflict. I think overall the best thing about this book was just how natural it all felt and nothing felt forced. It was really well done.

Ahh, I cannot wait to tell you how much I loved the characters in Girl, Serpent, Thorn. The best character was definitely Soraya, watching this young girl work out who she was and face the world alone was impressive, I don’t usually enjoy characters who are angsty but with her, it felt natural. I think it had a great set up with the story and watching her struggle with natural urges and wanting to touch and be touched but not sure how to deal with everything that comes along with that. It was beautifully done and one of my favourite parts of the story. My other favourite character would have to be Parvenah and the part that she had to play in the entire drama and I just loved her as a character. It was an interesting dynamic to watch and I thought that the romance that she is involved in developed so well and was so well written.

I don’t even know if I can condense my best bits of Girl, Serpent, Thorn down. This book surprised me. I knew it was something I would like, hence requesting it but boy did it blow me away in a way that I never expected. The world that this is based in is so beautifully written and the culture is stunning. I loved not only seeing all the characters grow and develop I also loved watching and learning about the mythology and the various mythical creatures. It was such a well-constructed book, and I don’t think I can pinpoint the best bits without spoiling the actual plot. But the arc in this book was so well done, and I was so pleased with how this all ended.

No worst bits for me. Nothing, absolutely nothing. I adored this book from start to finish and I can’t believe how enthralled it had me.

Recommending Girl, Serpent, Thorn to everyone! This book was phenomenal and I loved reading it and learning about everyone and the culture and the loves of everyone. I kinda wish that this was a series so I could love on it for a little longer.

I loved this book so much! Devoured it in a day! So well written, and i enjoyed reading about the Persian references at the end too.
One of those books where you think you know what will happen, but you're wrong! I couldn't put it down. So glad I have the fairyloot edition coming, so I can keep this on my favourites shelf!

This is, and is not, a fairy tale retelling. Drawing inspiration from the myths and legend of Bashardoust's culture (yet forming an compelling and original story), this story was as twisting as that snake on the cover, full of complex characters in a highly atmospheric setting recalling ancient Persia.

As the synopsis suggests, terrible mistakes are made, with suitably terrible consequences. These catastrophic errors are not only those of Soraya, our protagonist - almost everyone in this novel is blundering around, entangling themselves ever deeper into nets of their own chaos and regret. There were plenty of unexpected revelations... Everyone is trapped in their own way, but impressively they all retain their agency. This made for a whole host of incredibly complex characters, particularly Soraya and the villain, and I absolutely loved the will-she-won't-she dynamic as Soraya teeters on the needle of her moral compass. Soraya's mother, Tahmineh, is especially fascinating, as is her relationship to her daughter. We already know from the very beginning that Tahmineh is a pivotal figure.

All the female bonds in this book were great to read - not least the sapphic romance. I wasn't even expecting to, but I shipped it so much; it was just so tenderly written yet no less intense for it, and I loved how it developed. There was and there was not a love triangle. For fear of spoilers, that's all I'm going to say about that - just know that as someone who hates love triangles with a passion, the dilemma in this novel was pretty understandable. (Strong Darklina vibes at times.) I also enjoyed the lack of girl-on-girl hate! It would have been so easy to fall into that, but it didn't happen and I'm thankful. Bashardoust's characterisation and narrative is too layered to make drama out of something so superficial!

The world of this novel, Atashar, is full of magic, tradition, deities and demons - my first encounter with Persian mythology! I highly recommend taking the time to read the Author's Notes at the back. Of course, I didn't need the extra information to understand the story, as Bashardoust's skill with exposition and use of context meant the world took form around me almost seamlessly, without the need for info-dumping. Whenever explanations were given to Soraya, it's believable that she doesn't know this, so it didn't come across as spoon-fed information. Needless to say that after reading 'Girl, Serpent, Thorn, the archaeologist in me is dying to learn more about Persian history! I'm certainly going to check out Bashardoust's other novel as well, 'Girls Made of Snow and Glass'.

Soraya lives a solitary existence. Her very touch can kill and her family keep her a hidden secret, ensconced in elegant rooms designed to appeal to her every want and whim. But there is one her padded cell can't assuage, and the long-buried part of her that longs for human connection is growing as she ages. When those around her experience loves and lives of their that own she can never have a part in or experience for herself, her rebellious spirit wars with her fear of the destruction her fingertips can hold, and it is only a matter of time before one wins out over the other.

I would frame this cover and hang it on my walls for all eternity and I hoped the story inside was just as captivating. Whilst I did enjoy it and remained intrigue throughout, it wasn't wholly the book for me. Soraya's infliction was an interesting one and I imagined discovering the reason behind her cursed state would form the majority of the book's focus. The truth was revealed in a tumultuous second quarter, however, where all that was previously held as the truth was flipped on its head. This 100 pages were a breathless, wild ride and I was hooked on its many revealed twists.

Despite this early adoration, the latter half of the novel felt a little lack-lustre and my interest slowly waned after so many grand reveals and surprises. There was still much I enjoyed and one certain character whom I grew to love almost as much as our protagonist did, but I don't think this was entirely the fantasy book for me when no deep understanding for and explanations of the mythological elements were as continually as forthcoming as I would have liked.

'Because isn't that what you do, shahzadeh? Aren't you made for death?

This cover and synopsis is absolutely beautiful and the story did not disappoint. I loved the relationship between Soraya and Parvaneh. They are so cute together. I also love that Soraya is bisexual and that that gets represented in the book. The story is just so rich. The characters and world building is done phenomenally well.

This is a very fairytalesque read but in no way does that take away from the fantasy element in this book. Melissa combines the two flawlessly.

The thing I loved most about this book apart from the relationship between Soraya and Parvaneh was the story inside a story aspect. Everything about this book is beautiful.

'She was a monster.'

Excellent story that had me hooked. I read this in a day and found it reminiscent of Naomi Novik's Uprooted. This story is based loosely on Perisan folklore and mythology and there is a fascinating little section at the end which gives some information on the author's influences and inspiration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review this book. A full review will be available on my blog soon.

What first attracted to me this book was the gorgeous cover, and it's only outdone by the wonderful world and characters that the author has created. Taking inspiration from Persian Mythology, Melissa Bashardoust weaves the tale of Soraya a princess that has been locked away all her life due to a curse that makes her poisonous to touch. The summary speaks of consequences and I was worried that Soraya would end up becoming yet another one-sided character filled with bitterness. I was pleasantly surprised to find that she and all the characters are so much more fleshed out, and nothing is as straight forward as it seems.

I would say that Girl, Serpent, Thorn is more akin to traditional fairytales (nowhere near as dark, however) in the sense that there is no good or bad. It's much more reminiscent of real-life where actions have consequences for everyone, and people make mistakes even if they mean well. This is certainly not a Disney story.

The strength of this novel is in the rich description and the strength of characters (it was very much appreciated to have an LGBTQ+ relationship included and not have anyone comment on it as if it was something abnormal or shameful), not so much in the story. While I found it an enjoyable tale, I personally found it a little too easy to follow. There were no major shocks, twists or turns which is what makes me hesitate to give this a rating of 4 stars. It was a very enjoyable book, and one I would recommend, just for me I need the story not to be so obvious.

I do need to mention a TRIGGER WARNING though for people who have been in an emotional abusive and/or a coercive relationship. I have been and have PTSD as a result, and while it didn't trigger me I'd be remiss in not mentioning it. I will add that it has been handled in a positive way and this may open up some people's eyes to the reality of coercive behaviour.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book if I'm honest. The first few chapters had me thinking it could be a did not finish as the setting is different to what I would usually read, I believe it's set with a Persian twist to it so was unsure of whether I would understand what some things we're. But this ended up being okay, you get the gist of it as you go throughout the story.

The story is about a young girl who is ’cursed’ to the touch, and anything she touches dies. All the girl wants is to be rid of the curse so that she can live a happy, normal human life, like the rest of her family. She feels like an outcast and is locked away to ensure peoples safety. Little does she know that her curse is what is actually keeping her safe... The story definitely has some Sleeping Beauty/Rapunzel/fairytale type feels to it, with a curse and being locked away from humanity. But I did enjoy this book, maybe not as much as I thought I would, as fantasy is one of my favourite genres but it was a good read.

It was a little slow in the beginning, then it spead up pace in the middle, and slowed again. It was very predictable what was to happen in the end. It was still a fun read though, I wouldn't say it's a bad book at all! The writing style was easy to follow, and it is a good story, just not 100% my cup of tea but as I said it wasn’t a book I would usually pick up and I liked being able to try something different!

Girl, Serpent, Thorn asks: What if? in a lot of different ways.
What if the girl is the monster?
What if accepting yourself is more important than slaying the bad guy?
What if the enemy isn't the enemy? But what if he should be?

Soraya is poison: everyone who touches her bare skin will die. Hidden away by her family, she lives in the palace's shadows as her twin brother and her mother rule the kingdom. scared of her own power. But when she meets Azad, a royal soldier, he is not afraid of her--he admires her strength, and makes her see herself in a different light. Together, they search for a way to lift Soraya's curse, But when that search leads to horrifying consequences, Soraya needs to decide what she wants--and where her loyalties lie.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn is such an interesting book! It completely flips your expectations upside down, looks at YA and fantasy clicheès and asks: what would happen if we did the exact opposite?
Initially, the plot feels familiar, almost Sleeping-Beauty-like: "Who could learn to love a beast?" But as the plot moves on, the focus shifts from Soraya's search of approval from others, and towards her own acceptance of herself. It was such a fantastic plot point, and such a great spin on the familiar story. I could talk about the finer plot points for a long time, but as this book is full of twists and turns, it is very hard to talk about them without spoiling some of the plot twists. So I will just say: This book almost never does what you expect it to, and manages to catch you by surprise a lot!

I really liked the characters in this book: all of them many-layered and three-dimensional, and develop so much over the course of the book! Especially Soraya had such an interesting character ark, and I really felt along with her, wanting her to succeed!

This book is perfect for fans of Wicked Saints or A Curse So Dark and Lonely, or for anyone who would like to see a different spin on the traditional fantasy and fairy tale tropes!

I really liked it! The main characters were relatable and I cared for them. The world building could have been better though. I would have liked to see more of the world to be fully immersed.

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust is a brilliant fantasy fairytale. It is very well written and full of enchanting characters and beauty.

Be still my heart!
I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t holding out much hope after reading the first chapter as the various titles (satraps, shah, divs etc..) took me awhile to grasp but I’m so happy I continued!
Soraya Is a princess who has lived her life hidden away. Cursed with a poisonous touch as a child she’s lonely and the story begins as her family returns to the palace with news of her twin brothers wedding.
I really enjoyed the writing styles and fell in love with the main characters. I like how the story came together and the ending was perfect 👌
I’d Love a second book!

“There was and there was not”

… a girl who was cursed. Soraya lives her life in the shadows, knowing she is poison to everyone around her, including her mother, Tahmineh, and her twin brother, Sorush, the shah of Atashar.

“She had read enough stories to know that the princess and the monster were never the same. She had been alone long enough to know which one she was.”

Hidden from the world, Soraya spends most of her time in her golestan (a walled rose garden) or navigating the passages hidden within the palace walls. She longs to belong but can only catch distant glimpses of the life that could have been hers. She would do anything to break her curse.

Soraya wasn’t as easy for me to love as Mina and Lynet from ‘Girls Made of Snow and Glass’. This seemed fitting to me as it can sometimes feel like we’re approaching a caged animal when someone is hurting like Soraya is. We tend to push people away when we see ourselves as unloveable, making it difficult to accept (or even recognise) when someone is trying to reach out to us.

When we feel like we exude poison into the world we either burrow deep inside of ourselves or lash out at others, opposites with the same intent. Hurt them before they hurt you. Don’t allow yourself to get too close to them because they’ll leave you in the end anyway. Don’t get your hopes up for someone to love you for who you truly are because, frankly, who in their right mind would?!

“Anger and shame fought for control within her, and so she forced her body into the position of shame, because it was safer.”

As I spent more time with Soraya I began to love her because of, not despite, her pain. The pain of not belonging is amplified when it’s your own family that declares you an outcast, through their actions if not their words. I yearned for Soraya to find acceptance.

I grew to love Parvaneh, a parik, almost as much as I adore her name, which is Persian for “moth or butterfly”. I wish I could have gotten to know the other pariks better and wanted the opportunity to learn more about their history and culture. I also wanted to find out more about the other divs, the drujes and the kastars; I don’t know nearly enough about them.

I loved the way Persian mythology was woven into the story, and I particularly appreciated the ‘Author’s Note’ at the end of the book where the ways various elements in this story line up with and also diverge from their origins were explained.

I’ve seen parts of myself in all of Melissa’s girls so far and I quickly become immersed in the worlds she creates. I can’t wait to see what world she’ll invite me to explore next.

“It’s time for you to become who you were meant to be.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 4.5 stars.