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“I am both the Sleeping Beauty and the enchanted castle; the princess drowses in the castle of her flesh.”
Angela Carter, Vampirella
I’ve always been interested in Persian and Middle Eastern mythology and I’m just so happy that more and more books are being published with stories revolving around these myths. Give me more!
Girl, Serpent, Thorn tells the story of a princess who is also a monster (or at least, that’s how she sees herself). A girl who was cursed to poison anyone with her touch, kept away in a palace by her family for her safety and the safety of those around her. With loneliness and the simple yearning to feel touch, comes desperation and a hunt for a way to break the curse. And a captured div, the same creature that had cursed her with the poison, ends up in the dungeons, she finds an opportunity to do just that. But actions have consequences, secrets are never good for anyone, and sometimes a curse may be the only thing keeping you safe.
“Stories always begin the same way. There was and there was not. There is a possibility in those words, the chance for hope or despair.”
I received my copy of Girl, Serpent, Thorn in the May FairyLoot box, and had picked it up with the intention to just read a few chapters as part of a readalong. I ended up finishing the book in one sitting. No regrets. It was such a magical, captivating book that I just couldn’t put it down. If you love mythology, fantasy, fairytale retellings you will love this. Also, have you looked at the cover? Yes, there is a theme with snakes being on the cover of books this 2020, but man this cover is gorgeous.
Warning: slight spoilers from here on
Soraya is the twin sister to Sorush, the current Shah of their land. While she has been cursed and must hide away from her family and subjects, her brother and mother go on about their lives. In the beginning, Soraya tries not to show her bitterness, but it comes out as Sorush is set to marry her once-friend Laleh. The resentment and loneliness builds up and when she hears that Sorush has kept a div in the dungeons, she goes against her mother’s wishes and talks with the creature, trying to find a way to lift the curse. She meets Azad, the handsome soldier who seems to have fallen in love with her story and is willing to support and help her when no one else can, and Parveneh, the div who attempted to kill her brother but seems to be the only one who has been honest with her about the truth of her curse. However while she works to lift the curse, she unknowingly releases a bigger evil, one that can tear her family – and country – apart.
Readers follow Soraya’s internal conflict with who she is, who she’s becoming, and who she wants to be. She questions her morals, and the lengths she is willing to go to to get what she wants. And when she finally appreciates herself, power and no power, we see the heroine she becomes.
While I usually have a tendency to root for the heroine ending up with the villain/anti-hero, I was very happy that Soraya ended up with someone she deserves. The romance between Soraya and Azad, two people so different and yet so alike, was someone I thought I would want, and usually I do, but Parveneh’s sarcasm and loyalty made me root for her in the end. I also picked this up not knowing that it would be a queer romance, but I was very pleasantly surprised as I sensed the chemistry between Soraya and Pravaneh from the beginning.
In the end, Soraya finds peace, acceptance, and finally feels the love of her family. She also learns to accept herself and embrace her gift. One of the more original fairytale retellings I’ve read, and one where the Princess is both the monster and the hero of her own story – and one where she gets the girl ;).
I hope Melissa Bashardoust writes more Persian inspired books. I’ll definitely be reading anything she writes.
Tami Tales 