Review – Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.**

Title Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Author Melissa Bashardoust

Description from Amazon

There 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, 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.

Release Date July 7, 2020

Initial Thoughts

I saw physical ARCs of this book floating around at YALLFEST last year and I was trying to grab one. I was not lucky that day but I actually won a contest online for which the prize was an e-ARC of this book. As much as I love a physical book, an e-ARC on NetGalley was actually better.

Some Things I Liked

• Persian mythology and inspiration. This was a unique element that really haven’t seen in many, if any, books.
• Morally grey main character. Soraya was morally grey at the absolute best. She was actually kind of a bad person at times. I thought she had great character growth throughout the story.
• Plot twists. The twists and deception in this story were insane! I really didn’t see some of them coming. I loved that this story kept me on my toes and I never really knew who to trust.
• Beauty and the Beast elements. This is by no means a retelling of Beauty and the Beast but I really liked that elements of that story were woven into this one.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

• The story was not paced very well. It was very slow in the beginning and took me a while to get into it. Then, the ending felt rushed. I thought the pace could have been better.

Series Value

This book felt like a standalone. However, I liked the world Melissa Bashardoust created. I’d like to revisit it in the form of spin-offs.

Final Thoughts

I liked this book. I’m glad I was able to get my hands on an ARC. I’m not sure if I would have picked it up on my own if I hadn’t won the ARC because the synopsis didn’t grab me right away. This story had a lot of character growth and some really interesting morally grey characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas – if you enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast elements as well as the morally grey characters and secrets, try this series.
• Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim – if you liked the mythological elements as well as the idea of demons, check out this duology by Elizabeth Lim.