Review: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Hi bookish friends!

Sorry I haven’t posted in a couple of days – I haven’t had as much time to read as Days 1-3 because we’ve been super busy getting ready to move house next week!

That being said, I have managed to read a few chapters a day of Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust in between all the paperwork, and I read the final three chapters this morning.

Title: Girl, Serpent, Thorn (The Storygraph; Goodreads)
 Author: Melissa Bashardoust (website)
 Genre: Fantasy; YA
 Length: 336 pages
 Available Formats: Hardback (currently £12.05 from Hive.co.uk*); eBook (£4.49 from Hive.co.uk*)
 Own voices representation? Yes (sapphic/bisexual, Persian)
 Content warnings: forced captivity, intrusive thoughts, panic/anxiety, blood/gore

*These are affiliate links. I earn a small amount of commission from any books purchased through these links; any money made through this will be added to my book budget!

Blurb:

Sometimes the princess is the monster.
 From the author of Girls Made of Snow and Glass, this captivating and utterly original Persian-inspired fairy tale about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch is perfect for fans of Natasha Ngan and Naomi Novik. ‘Monstrously beautiful and enchanting’ Tasha Suri, author of Empire of SandThere was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch.
 But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away from everyone, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story. As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time.
 Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison. Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming . . . human or demon. Princess or monster.

I bought my hardback copy of this book about a week ago, and started reading it on Wednesday (Day 3 of The Reading Rush). I’d heard so many good things about it that I was worried my expectations were too high, but I enjoyed it right from the start. It only gets better as the characters and plot develop.

The main character is Soraya, the firstborn daughter of the Shah and his wife who was cursed by a div (pronounced deev) to be poisonous to the touch. Her twin brother, Sorush (who at the time the story is set has taken over as Shah), was not cursed. Soraya has spent her life so far hidden away in the shadows of one of the palaces to protect her family’s reputation while Sorush lives out in the open and travels the country with their mother; but when Sorush returns to Golvahar one Spring, he brings with him a young man who is not afraid of Soraya, and a div who may have the answers she needs to understand her curse.

There is an author’s note (from page 313 in my hardback copy) where Bashardoust explains all of her influences and the ways she chose to use different aspects of the Shahnameh, zoroastrianism, and Persian languages (from ancient to modern day) in her work. I’m really glad that she included this section; it was very educational and led to me appreciating the book even more!

As well as being a beautifully told YA fantasy inspired by Persian culture, folklore, history, and mythology? With complex characters who have strong motivations and undergo excellent development? This story is sapphic in such a gorgeous way (and not in order to create shock, angst, or tension!)

In case it wasn’t clear, I gave Girl, Serpent, Thorn 5 stars and highly recommend reading it.

If you’ve read it already, let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did.

If you haven’t, let me know what makes you want to read it! For me, the deciding factor was seeing so many sapphic readers praising it. This queer woman loves to read about queer women, after all!

Happy reading,

Maisie Rose x

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