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chroniclesofabookmum's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book! I rarely like standalone fantasy due to the fact I always find that there is something crucial missing that always impacts on my enjoyment. This is not the case for Girl Serpent Thorn. I feel like it was perfect as a standalone and love that the author recognised this and did not drag it out unnecessarily.
Despite the fact there was not a lot of world building I found that I somehow already knew the world and the logistics behind it. It was like reading an old fairytale with a twist, a fairytale that I was already familiar with so really there did not seem to be a need for any extra world building.
I absolutely love the characters in this book! I loved watching Soraya's development throughout the book, so much uncertainty to begin with, but the change and the development that she has been through during the course of this book is fantastic and so wonderful to see. What I particularly enjoyed about her is the pull between being a dark and light character, I loved watching that happen and seeing her overcome it to the best of her ability. I loved the romance aspect to this. I really liked the exploration of Soraya's sexuality and the openness she has for it.
I loved getting to know the evil in this world. The Divs were so interesting, as well as the overall villain. I don't want to give more detail because of spoilers. But I did love this dynamic and I loved getting to know it in all of the depths that we are given by the author.
Despite the fact there was not a lot of world building I found that I somehow already knew the world and the logistics behind it. It was like reading an old fairytale with a twist, a fairytale that I was already familiar with so really there did not seem to be a need for any extra world building.
I absolutely love the characters in this book! I loved watching Soraya's development throughout the book, so much uncertainty to begin with, but the change and the development that she has been through during the course of this book is fantastic and so wonderful to see. What I particularly enjoyed about her is the pull between being a dark and light character, I loved watching that happen and seeing her overcome it to the best of her ability. I loved the romance aspect to this. I really liked the exploration of Soraya's sexuality and the openness she has for it.
I loved getting to know the evil in this world. The Divs were so interesting, as well as the overall villain. I don't want to give more detail because of spoilers. But I did love this dynamic and I loved getting to know it in all of the depths that we are given by the author.
drizzleandhurricanebooks's review against another edition
4.0
An overall entertaining tale! I loved the main character and her growth and really liked the mythological inspirations, too :)
Full review coming soon! :)
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influenced my thoughts and rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bloglovin'
Full review coming soon! :)
Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influenced my thoughts and rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bloglovin'
mischiefmanaged_98's review against another edition
3.0
Questo libro ha del potenziale, una storia che poteva essere diversa dal solito, basata su tradizioni e una cultura molto interessante, che però non è stato sfruttato appieno.
La scrittura non è malvagia, sicuramente la seconda metà del libro è migliore, meno noiosa della parte introduttiva in cui comunque viene spiegato tutto e niente.
Sono 3 lo cose che non mi hanno convinta del tutto, l’ambientazione e il tempo, sembra che sia tutto a 5 min a piedi e allo stesso tempo a giorni di cammino, alcuni personaggi che non mi hanno convinta, tra cui Ramin e Laleh, che dovrebbero essere importanti ma sono quasi marginali ai fini della storia, e poi le relazioni tra di loro, tutte troppo veloci, dopo 3 minuti sono tutti innamorati a quanto pare. Per non parlare di come agiscono, azioni senza senso (parlo con te Soraya) lontane anni luce dal loro personaggio, e ovviamente i personaggi traditi sanno già tutto e sono pronti al perdono senza nemmeno chiedere delle scuse.
Un peccato davvero.
La scrittura non è malvagia, sicuramente la seconda metà del libro è migliore, meno noiosa della parte introduttiva in cui comunque viene spiegato tutto e niente.
Sono 3 lo cose che non mi hanno convinta del tutto, l’ambientazione e il tempo, sembra che sia tutto a 5 min a piedi e allo stesso tempo a giorni di cammino, alcuni personaggi che non mi hanno convinta, tra cui Ramin e Laleh, che dovrebbero essere importanti ma sono quasi marginali ai fini della storia, e poi le relazioni tra di loro, tutte troppo veloci, dopo 3 minuti sono tutti innamorati a quanto pare. Per non parlare di come agiscono, azioni senza senso (parlo con te Soraya) lontane anni luce dal loro personaggio, e ovviamente i personaggi traditi sanno già tutto e sono pronti al perdono senza nemmeno chiedere delle scuse.
Un peccato davvero.
hdcamp's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I am always getting this mixed up with "Serpent & Dove" by Shelby Mahurin, just because of the word "serpent." The two books are really not very similar (even in appearance). I didn't realize I'd mixed them up again until I was surprised by the lesbian romance that appeared as soon as Azad became markedly undesirable.
I struggled through this one. It was a lot of things I don't want in a book - mostly "strong" female protagonists choosing the wrong and calling it feminism, and a lesbian romance - all told in a way that just wasn't engaging to me. It wasn't terrible, and there were interesting moments, but on the whole I wasn't a fan.
It had a very DarklingXAlina-esque dynamic, but I didn't feel it was executed as successfully. I read the "Shadow and Bone" series last year, and had a lot of thoughts about the Darkling (you can check out my other reviews if you feel so inclined, but they're probably weird so be warned). Azad was like Dollar Store Darkling. I didn't see the Darkling as something akin to human until the second book, and even then it was made abundantly clear that he was beyond the point where Alina could "save" him; the characters explicitly discuss this, so it's obvious that its off the table in their minds, but the question of his humanity and the reasons why he is drawn to Alina are perhaps more human than any of them realize. Azad, in comparison, showed recurring signs of lingering humanity all the way to the book's conclusion, and I was never entirely convinced that he was very evil. Sure, he'd done some murder in his past, and that's objectionable, but I was having trouble finding things in the present moment that were really so bad. Obviously the biggest issue was wanting to kill her entire family and thinking she'd be supportive of it. Supposedly he manipulated her into making poor choices, but I didn't really see that; weirdly that was presented as almost more of a red flag than him wanting to kill multiple people. He had flashes where he reminded me of Killgrave (from Jessica Jones), and that could have been his scariest aspect, but that was sacrificed for the sake of the "Soraya's a bad-ass danger to herself and others" plotline that I was also unconvinced by.
The book is dedicated to "anyone who has ever felt dangerous or poisonous or bristling with thorns." This book wants to be about righteous anger without any connection to righteousness. By the end of the book,Soraya has embraced her poison and become "more fully herself" by accepting the thorns that were always supposed to grow out of her skin. She finds she can control the poison now, and muses that if she'd given in to it sooner, she would have been able to enjoy greater contact with her family. This idea of embracing sin to become "who you were meant to be" is a problem on many levels, but as far as this book is concerned, I think it just adds to my confusion about the villain. Soraya is not a strong, justified woman. She's a hypocrite. She blames the Shahmar for all of her bad decisions, and then thinks herself beautiful when she embraces those actions as her own. Why does he deserve to die? His salvation was a possibility.
Mostly this left a bad taste in my brain. The mythology was very cool, and the worldbuilding was somewhat interesting. I think the author's note in the back was my favorite part of the book. 🤔
I struggled through this one. It was a lot of things I don't want in a book - mostly "strong" female protagonists choosing the wrong and calling it feminism, and a lesbian romance - all told in a way that just wasn't engaging to me. It wasn't terrible, and there were interesting moments, but on the whole I wasn't a fan.
It had a very DarklingXAlina-esque dynamic, but I didn't feel it was executed as successfully. I read the "Shadow and Bone" series last year, and had a lot of thoughts about the Darkling (you can check out my other reviews if you feel so inclined, but they're probably weird so be warned). Azad was like Dollar Store Darkling. I didn't see the Darkling as something akin to human until the second book, and even then it was made abundantly clear that he was beyond the point where Alina could "save" him; the characters explicitly discuss this, so it's obvious that its off the table in their minds, but the question of his humanity and the reasons why he is drawn to Alina are perhaps more human than any of them realize. Azad, in comparison, showed recurring signs of lingering humanity all the way to the book's conclusion, and I was never entirely convinced that he was very evil. Sure, he'd done some murder in his past, and that's objectionable, but I was having trouble finding things in the present moment that were really so bad. Obviously the biggest issue was wanting to kill her entire family and thinking she'd be supportive of it. Supposedly he manipulated her into making poor choices, but I didn't really see that; weirdly that was presented as almost more of a red flag than him wanting to kill multiple people. He had flashes where he reminded me of Killgrave (from Jessica Jones), and that could have been his scariest aspect, but that was sacrificed for the sake of the "Soraya's a bad-ass danger to herself and others" plotline that I was also unconvinced by.
The book is dedicated to "anyone who has ever felt dangerous or poisonous or bristling with thorns." This book wants to be about righteous anger without any connection to righteousness. By the end of the book,
Mostly this left a bad taste in my brain. The mythology was very cool, and the worldbuilding was somewhat interesting. I think the author's note in the back was my favorite part of the book. 🤔
danistormborn's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
taylor_broek's review against another edition
3.0
3.75 ⭐️
Yeki bood, yeki nabood 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. Sorayas entire life has existed in shadows since she was cursed with Div blood running through her veins a baby making her deadly to the touch and a shame on her royal family, while her twin brother Sorush is about to become the next Shah and marry their long time friend Laleh, living life as Soraya has always dreamed. As his wedding approaches Sorayas desire to find a cure for her curse so she can leave the palace walls, be seen and touched and have a chance at romance intensifies.
When a chance arrives to find answers about her curse that her mother will not allow she takes matters into her own hands for the first time with the assistance of a handsome guard Azad. She meets Parvaneh a parik in the palace dungeon and finds out that a simorgh’s feather is the key to her cure but obtaining it will cost the protection ‘spell’ over her family to fall. She has to decide what she wants to do and who she wants to be. What mistakes are forgivable on your journey to self discovery and what choices show you who you really are. Is there anyway to turn a curse into a gift.
There were some questions i still had by the end of the book and some logistical details i had a hard time with, like the esfand fires burning constantly to keep the Pariks from transforming and Soraya not bathing for a week, how would Azad not smell that distinct smell on her in the mountain?
I really enjoyed the Persian fairytale vibes and had never read a similar story, i especially enjoyed all of the folktale elements plus a sapphic romance plot. It was really everything i enjoy in books all wrapped into one! There was just some character and story line development and pacing things that i felt like could have elevated the book to more stars or making it longer! I wish i would have read all of the information in the back before starting the book to jumpstart my understandings of ancient Persian lore and language. The ending was swiftly and expectedly wrapped up. I did enjoy that there was no homophobia even though there were no other queer characters or stories in the book.
Influenced by the Shahnameh completed in the early 11th century CE a mythical history book of the Persian empire.
Yeki bood, yeki nabood 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. Sorayas entire life has existed in shadows since she was cursed with Div blood running through her veins a baby making her deadly to the touch and a shame on her royal family, while her twin brother Sorush is about to become the next Shah and marry their long time friend Laleh, living life as Soraya has always dreamed. As his wedding approaches Sorayas desire to find a cure for her curse so she can leave the palace walls, be seen and touched and have a chance at romance intensifies.
When a chance arrives to find answers about her curse that her mother will not allow she takes matters into her own hands for the first time with the assistance of a handsome guard Azad. She meets Parvaneh a parik in the palace dungeon and finds out that a simorgh’s feather is the key to her cure but obtaining it will cost the protection ‘spell’ over her family to fall. She has to decide what she wants to do and who she wants to be. What mistakes are forgivable on your journey to self discovery and what choices show you who you really are. Is there anyway to turn a curse into a gift.
There were some questions i still had by the end of the book and some logistical details i had a hard time with, like the esfand fires burning constantly to keep the Pariks from transforming and Soraya not bathing for a week, how would Azad not smell that distinct smell on her in the mountain?
I really enjoyed the Persian fairytale vibes and had never read a similar story, i especially enjoyed all of the folktale elements plus a sapphic romance plot. It was really everything i enjoy in books all wrapped into one! There was just some character and story line development and pacing things that i felt like could have elevated the book to more stars or making it longer! I wish i would have read all of the information in the back before starting the book to jumpstart my understandings of ancient Persian lore and language. The ending was swiftly and expectedly wrapped up. I did enjoy that there was no homophobia even though there were no other queer characters or stories in the book.
Influenced by the Shahnameh completed in the early 11th century CE a mythical history book of the Persian empire.
gaelicpearl's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved how much this felt like a fairy tale, even to the characters, where things happen and you just don't question too closely why that is.
heartscontent's review against another edition
4.0
*Received an ARC from publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!*
RTC!
RTC!
aduffy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75