“She had read enough stories to know the princess and the monster were never the same. She had been alone long enough to know which one she was.”
I thought I had figured out exactly where Melissa Bashardoust’s Girl, Serpent, Thorn was going while I was reading the first few chapters. And then it went where I thought I would go… and there was still half the book left!
Soraya, twin sister of the shah of Atashar, was cursed at birth to be poisonous to the touch. She’s lived her life in seclusion, with only occasional visits from her mother, brother and childhood best friend Laleh. Her only constant companions are her garden (the plants do not die at her touch as humans do) and the secret passages that run through the castle in which she is hidden.
But with her brother Sorush’s wedding to Laleh on the horizon, they travel to Soraya’s home for the wedding, bringing with them a captured div (demon), the same type of div that cursed Soraya as a child. Seeing a chance for an escape and a cure, Soraya sneaks into the dungeons to meet with them.
Her mother warned her never to trust a div, and the consequences of Soraya’s actions will go far beyond anything she could imagine, with the fate of Atashar hanging in the balance.
Meanwhile, the soldier who captured the div and saved Sorush’s life does not fear Soraya, giving her the first chance in a long time to make a connection with another person.
Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a beautifully written coming of age story that mixes Sleeping Beauty with Persian mythology and Bashardoust’s prose is flowing yet cutting at just the right moments, with beautiful imagery that never detracts from the fast pacing driving the plot forward.
This book will probably go down as one of my favorite reads of 2020. It’s got flower imagery, romantic moments in the woods, f/f romance and a wonderful tale of self discovery and acceptance.
Soraya’s personal journey is so complex and well written, with a conclusion that is different from the norm in the best of ways. The family dynamics are some of the best I’ve read in recent years, and Soraya’s relationships with those around her are complex and heart string pulling.
My only complaint about the book is that I wish some of the smaller supporting characters had a little more growth. Laleh and Sorush in particular felt a little shallow, which struck me as odd given their place in the story and their importance to Soraya’s narrative. However, all the other supporting characters, particularly Soraya’s mother, are wonderfully complex and compelling.
If you’re a fan of fairytale retellings or even just well written fantasy, Girl, Serpent, Thorn is a book you will very much enjoy. Honestly, I would recommend this book to a stranger, cold, knowing nothing about their reading habits or preferences.
serenaspeaking.com 