Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Bookseller recommendation

“This gorgeous young adult fantasy is based on ancient Persian folkore and history, and this made it especially enjoyable as an audiobook because you do not have to guess at the pronunciation of words. Lush world building with romantic elements and an epic quest makes for an enthralling and hard to stop reading/listening tale. Soraya’s journey and coming of age story is filled with heartbreaking betrayals and twists that will have you rooting for her through the last page. You can’t help but feel her loneliness resulting from the curse that made the slightest contact with her skin deadly. It explores how well-intended decisions often have unintended consequences. Yearning for normalcy, acceptance, and love, Soraya’s decisions and actions result in dire consequences for her kingdom and family. However, as she faces the costs of her actions, you are left wondering if you might have ended up on the same path given the circumstances and knowledge in front of you. The story also weaves in a strong message of acceptance through queer love and showing it is never as simple as just heroes and villains or the absolutes of good and bad or right and wrong.”

— Cori • Bright Side Bookshop

Bookseller recommendation

“Not just another gratifying powerful girl story: an intensely imagined, emotionally realistic, absorbing adventure, packed with rich realizations about a woman's anger, a mother's love, a young person's desire to change the world. The author has tapped the Shanameh and Zoroastrian beliefs to build a unique fantasy world in which the main character can explore issues of power and value while testing the waters of affection. Amazing descriptions of rose gardens, hidden halls, moths, and Soraya's magical power/curse. Queer and POC positive (and not pedantic).”

— Nialle • The Haunted Bookshop