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Thorn Season #1
Thorn Season
Shadow and Bone meets The Selection in this first book in Kiera Azar's sharp, sexy, and twisty debut YA romantasy trilogy!
In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders, in possession of a magical Spectre–a shimmering thread that can extend beyond their visible body to give a loving caress, pick a lock . . . even kill. Feared for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted.
Alissa Paine, heiress and daughter of a Hunter family . . . is also a Wielder. At eighteen, Alissa knows she’s escaped execution thus far only due to painful self-control and the efforts of her beloved father.
Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and betrayal—and caught between two equally dangerous one a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairy-tale prince, who would destroy her if he knew the truth—and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own.
With the threat of discovery lurking around every corner—and romance becoming an increasingly dangerous temptation—Alissa will find that she has more to lose than her secrets. It’s Rose Season at the palace, but to survive she’ll need to become the most vicious of thorns. . . .
In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders, in possession of a magical Spectre–a shimmering thread that can extend beyond their visible body to give a loving caress, pick a lock . . . even kill. Feared for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted.
Alissa Paine, heiress and daughter of a Hunter family . . . is also a Wielder. At eighteen, Alissa knows she’s escaped execution thus far only due to painful self-control and the efforts of her beloved father.
Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and betrayal—and caught between two equally dangerous one a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairy-tale prince, who would destroy her if he knew the truth—and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own.
With the threat of discovery lurking around every corner—and romance becoming an increasingly dangerous temptation—Alissa will find that she has more to lose than her secrets. It’s Rose Season at the palace, but to survive she’ll need to become the most vicious of thorns. . . .
464 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 11, 2025
117 people are currently reading
22652 people want to read
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August 16, 2025𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (8/16/2025): I'm starting this now! The book's been menacingly staring me down on my Kindle, begging me to read it since I downloaded the ePUB file, so now we're here!🥀🩷 It's been a crazy week for me (if you know, you know), so I'm hoping to catch up on a LOT of reading this weekend, and hopefully catch up a little more on reviews tomorrow!💖
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (3/6/2025): I told myself to stop requesting ARCs on NetGalley because I have like, 40 books to read and review (obviously all spread out throughout the year but still a crazy long backlog). This eARC that's now in my possession is what happens when I look at the “Read Now” section. A debut YA fantasy by a BIPOC author with pretty cover art and it's pitched as Shadow and Bone meets The Selection and Bridgerton?! Sign me up.
I’ll be reading this a little closer to the publishing date but for now, I hope I put this book on more people’s radars and TBRs! This is also available to request and read immediately on NetGalley! Support BIPOC authors and debut authors!
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Storytide for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thorn Season will be officially published on September 2nd, 2025!
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (3/6/2025): I told myself to stop requesting ARCs on NetGalley because I have like, 40 books to read and review (obviously all spread out throughout the year but still a crazy long backlog). This eARC that's now in my possession is what happens when I look at the “Read Now” section. A debut YA fantasy by a BIPOC author with pretty cover art and it's pitched as Shadow and Bone meets The Selection and Bridgerton?! Sign me up.
I’ll be reading this a little closer to the publishing date but for now, I hope I put this book on more people’s radars and TBRs! This is also available to request and read immediately on NetGalley! Support BIPOC authors and debut authors!
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Storytide for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thorn Season will be officially published on September 2nd, 2025!
August 22, 2025
What a debut! I can honestly say a YA has not hit like this for me in a long time! This is a definite recommend if you enjoy the writing style and vibes of Suzanne Collins. I find that typically I have a harder time consuming YA or even upper YA novels because the FMCs can feel 1 dimensional and flat. This was not the case! Set in a royal court during debutante season, this was a tale of persecution of Wielders, the minority “magic” users of the world. Hunters are the executioners tasked to destroy any with Wielder abilities. Our main character Alissa is an heiress to a Hunter family AND a Wielder herself! This was rife with court intrigue, corruption, allies with questionable morals, hidden side character motivations, well done slow reveal world building, and it left me guessing and shocked and alarmed at backstabbings and surprise allies! This power system is unique and interesting to watch develop as the story unfolds. Our FMC starts off relatively naive, however she undergoes a truly well done character arc and development, which I loved cheering her through! This book had a great mystery aspect as well, with sleuthing that I legitimately enjoyed unraveling with our FMC. This book had zero spice, but I did not miss it at all as the YEARNING was top notch! The banter was spot on, and sweet moments were done well without being overly cloying or age inappropriate. There are dark sequences dealing with death and torture however, so upper YA would be my recommendation for teen readers. However I think this is enjoyable for adult readers as well! My only complaint - I had no idea this wasn’t a stand alone, and now have to wait for book 2!! Thank you to Kiera Azar, NetGalley and Harper Collins for this eARC!
August 27, 2025
3.5 stars
June 30, 2025
4.0 ★ — File this under one of those books I know pre-teen and teen me would have really loved. As an adult, I did like it, but felt it was a tiny bit too derivative and predictable for me to absolutely love. Still, as a YA release, I think this is a great read.
When I started, I immediately felt this was very much a throwback to titles like The Selection, Red Queen, and other 2010s releases. Its familiarity was quite evident, but not in a bad way. Fantasy romance only has so many variations when it comes to stories, tropes, and settings. It isn’t the most original, but the author executes her vision well and puts her own spin on some classic elements.
In the kingdom of Daronda, the FMC, Alissa Paine, is a noblewoman born a Wielder — someone with telekinetic-like abilities — in a world that actively hunts and seeks to eradicate every Wielder. Ironically, her family bloodline also belongs to the Hunters, a group dedicated to killing Wielders. So, she hides her powers, living in constant fear of being found. Now that she’s eighteen, she must participate in her Rose Season, where she’s presented at court and swears fealty to King Erik, the icy, vicious regent, who forms a strong interest in her.
Like I said, these story elements are all very well-trodden ground. Wielders are hunted and forced into hiding, though there are kingdoms where some still live freely. The setting is a gritty high fantasy world — dark enough to feel dangerous without tipping into full-on grimdark.
On the worldbuilding front, I’d say it felt a bit generic for a fantasy romance setting. Not bad, just serviceable. It didn’t blow me away with uniqueness, but it did enough to support the story and the dark atmosphere, which was well done! The constant paranoia and tension felt genuine, especially in how Alissa had to conceal her true nature at every turn. Her fear was almost palpable.
That said, my biggest issue was the with three prominent male characters, who were all framed as romantic options for the FMC, and how they were incorporated into the story.
These were: Garrett, the estranged childhood best friend who clearly still cares; Keil, the mysterious Wielder who helps her understand her powers; and Erik, the cold and ruthless king of Daronda.
I just found this constellation… boring. It was obvious early on who the true viable option was, so having all three share romantic moments with her felt a lot like reading a formulaic romance manhwa/manga — you know who the endgame is, and the others just feel like filler or distractions.
This book really shines when it focuses on Alissa scheming, playing “the game,” and involving herself in political intrigue. Watching her transform from a sheltered noble daughter into someone who literally learns to wield power was genuinely satisfying. Her time at court hit all the notes I love: fancy dresses, balls, balcony drama, gossipy courtiers — all the good stuff!
I also really liked the variety of female characters, who were mostly layered and nuanced. The one exception was Tari, Alissa’s best friend, who felt clumsily inserted and underdeveloped. She came across more like a cardboard cutout with the “FMC’s BFF” label slapped on than a fully realized character.
As the book drew to a close, the last few chapters really built to a crescendo, with lots of twisted, thrilling elements. A few emotional moments landed especially well, helping me connect with Alissa more deeply.
Overall, following her arc was genuinely entertaining, and her slow hardening was well portrayed.
It all ends on a compelling, intriguing note that sets up the next book perfectly — and yes, I’m definitely reading the sequel when it comes out!
__________________________________________________
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
When I started, I immediately felt this was very much a throwback to titles like The Selection, Red Queen, and other 2010s releases. Its familiarity was quite evident, but not in a bad way. Fantasy romance only has so many variations when it comes to stories, tropes, and settings. It isn’t the most original, but the author executes her vision well and puts her own spin on some classic elements.
In the kingdom of Daronda, the FMC, Alissa Paine, is a noblewoman born a Wielder — someone with telekinetic-like abilities — in a world that actively hunts and seeks to eradicate every Wielder. Ironically, her family bloodline also belongs to the Hunters, a group dedicated to killing Wielders. So, she hides her powers, living in constant fear of being found. Now that she’s eighteen, she must participate in her Rose Season, where she’s presented at court and swears fealty to King Erik, the icy, vicious regent, who forms a strong interest in her.
Like I said, these story elements are all very well-trodden ground. Wielders are hunted and forced into hiding, though there are kingdoms where some still live freely. The setting is a gritty high fantasy world — dark enough to feel dangerous without tipping into full-on grimdark.
On the worldbuilding front, I’d say it felt a bit generic for a fantasy romance setting. Not bad, just serviceable. It didn’t blow me away with uniqueness, but it did enough to support the story and the dark atmosphere, which was well done! The constant paranoia and tension felt genuine, especially in how Alissa had to conceal her true nature at every turn. Her fear was almost palpable.
That said, my biggest issue was the with three prominent male characters, who were all framed as romantic options for the FMC, and how they were incorporated into the story.
These were: Garrett, the estranged childhood best friend who clearly still cares; Keil, the mysterious Wielder who helps her understand her powers; and Erik, the cold and ruthless king of Daronda.
I just found this constellation… boring. It was obvious early on who the true viable option was, so having all three share romantic moments with her felt a lot like reading a formulaic romance manhwa/manga — you know who the endgame is, and the others just feel like filler or distractions.
This book really shines when it focuses on Alissa scheming, playing “the game,” and involving herself in political intrigue. Watching her transform from a sheltered noble daughter into someone who literally learns to wield power was genuinely satisfying. Her time at court hit all the notes I love: fancy dresses, balls, balcony drama, gossipy courtiers — all the good stuff!
I also really liked the variety of female characters, who were mostly layered and nuanced. The one exception was Tari, Alissa’s best friend, who felt clumsily inserted and underdeveloped. She came across more like a cardboard cutout with the “FMC’s BFF” label slapped on than a fully realized character.
As the book drew to a close, the last few chapters really built to a crescendo, with lots of twisted, thrilling elements. A few emotional moments landed especially well, helping me connect with Alissa more deeply.
Overall, following her arc was genuinely entertaining, and her slow hardening was well portrayed.
It all ends on a compelling, intriguing note that sets up the next book perfectly — and yes, I’m definitely reading the sequel when it comes out!
__________________________________________________
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
March 11, 2025
What did they lace this book with?! I had to physically restrain myself from staying up all night to finish it—stupid real job getting in the way of my reading time! Thorn Season, mark my words, is going to be the BookTok girlies’ obsession this fall. It hits every single beat that makes romantasy so addictive (minus the spice), and I absolutely did not want to put it down.
The courtly intrigue, the betrayals, the endless hidden agendas—I was getting whiplash from all the jaw-dropping reveals! Kiera Azar masterfully crafts complex characters, and holy hell, does she know how to write pure evil. (Was it weird that I found myself slightly attracted to said evil? I blame it on the name and hair color resembling my favorite TV vampire—mild spoilers there.)
And that ending? Absolutely agonizing in the best way—I need the next book yesterday. I’m already planning my reread before the sequel drops, and I cannot wait to devour everything else Kiera Azar writes.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books | Storytide for the advance eARC—this was an incredible read!
The courtly intrigue, the betrayals, the endless hidden agendas—I was getting whiplash from all the jaw-dropping reveals! Kiera Azar masterfully crafts complex characters, and holy hell, does she know how to write pure evil. (Was it weird that I found myself slightly attracted to said evil? I blame it on the name and hair color resembling my favorite TV vampire—mild spoilers there.)
And that ending? Absolutely agonizing in the best way—I need the next book yesterday. I’m already planning my reread before the sequel drops, and I cannot wait to devour everything else Kiera Azar writes.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books | Storytide for the advance eARC—this was an incredible read!
August 19, 2025
3.75 stars: Following Alissa as she joins the court for her eighteenth season with a mission to find a stolen compass, The Thorn Season is an enjoyable YA fantasy that kept me entertained but isn’t necessarily groundbreaking.
What I liked:
- The beginning was very strong; the character introductions were great, there was action right away, and the pacing was quick.
- About 60% through there was a plot development, and I won’t give away any spoilers, but it was handled really well and made the last part of the book have a lot of momentum/made me want to keep reading all the way to the end.
- The ending was gripping— great action, great pacing, well written, everything you want in an ending.
- Generally, the book was well written. There were a lot of characters and a lot of world building nuances, but I thought the author did a good job of helping guide us through everything.
What I didn’t love:
- The middle lost some momentum. The plot turns to focus a lot more on the romance, which I found fairly bland. Particularly, the love interest is pretty two dimensional and boring.
- Alissa’s character became muddled in the middle portion of the book. She seemed to be going back and forth about whether she wanted to protect Wielders without any new developments happening to change her mind.
- You can tell the author purposefully is withholding information in order to have a “twist” moment, which makes the twists seem kind of forced. My favorite kinds of twists are the ones when you don’t even know there’s going to be a twist, but it’s a dead giveaway when the author purposefully holds back information that that thing will be significant later on.
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this book, and I would recommend it to others who are interested!
What I liked:
- The beginning was very strong; the character introductions were great, there was action right away, and the pacing was quick.
- About 60% through there was a plot development, and I won’t give away any spoilers, but it was handled really well and made the last part of the book have a lot of momentum/made me want to keep reading all the way to the end.
- The ending was gripping— great action, great pacing, well written, everything you want in an ending.
- Generally, the book was well written. There were a lot of characters and a lot of world building nuances, but I thought the author did a good job of helping guide us through everything.
What I didn’t love:
- The middle lost some momentum. The plot turns to focus a lot more on the romance, which I found fairly bland. Particularly, the love interest is pretty two dimensional and boring.
- Alissa’s character became muddled in the middle portion of the book. She seemed to be going back and forth about whether she wanted to protect Wielders without any new developments happening to change her mind.
- You can tell the author purposefully is withholding information in order to have a “twist” moment, which makes the twists seem kind of forced. My favorite kinds of twists are the ones when you don’t even know there’s going to be a twist, but it’s a dead giveaway when the author purposefully holds back information that that thing will be significant later on.
Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this book, and I would recommend it to others who are interested!
August 1, 2025
Okay, so… I was not ready for how obsessed I’d be with this book. I went in blind, and wow... my brain was not prepared. I was hooked from the very beginning and could not put it down!
First of all, Alissa is absolutely fabulous. She's clever, strong, a little cynical, and so real it almost hurts. She’s not perfect, which makes her feel all the more human. She stumbles, she fights back, and I was rooting for her like crazy the whole time. Obsessed is an understatement.
The plot is absolutely gripping. Everyone’s scheming, no one can be trusted, and the twists had me gasping. Every secret, betrayal, and shocking reveal hit at just the right time. It was all so well done. The political intrigue alone had me glued to the page, and the little bit of romance sprinkled in? Chef’s kiss. But honestly, even without it, this story would’ve still slapped.
This is the kind of fantasy I’ve been searching for, and I’m so glad I finally found it. I seriously can’t recommend it enough. I’ll be keeping my eye on everything Kiera writes next.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
❤️🔥 Court Intrigue
❤️🔥 Forbidden Magic
❤️🔥 Rivals to Lovers
❤️🔥 A Scheming Heroine
First of all, Alissa is absolutely fabulous. She's clever, strong, a little cynical, and so real it almost hurts. She’s not perfect, which makes her feel all the more human. She stumbles, she fights back, and I was rooting for her like crazy the whole time. Obsessed is an understatement.
The plot is absolutely gripping. Everyone’s scheming, no one can be trusted, and the twists had me gasping. Every secret, betrayal, and shocking reveal hit at just the right time. It was all so well done. The political intrigue alone had me glued to the page, and the little bit of romance sprinkled in? Chef’s kiss. But honestly, even without it, this story would’ve still slapped.
This is the kind of fantasy I’ve been searching for, and I’m so glad I finally found it. I seriously can’t recommend it enough. I’ll be keeping my eye on everything Kiera writes next.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:
❤️🔥 Court Intrigue
❤️🔥 Forbidden Magic
❤️🔥 Rivals to Lovers
❤️🔥 A Scheming Heroine
August 28, 2025
3.75 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Storytide, and HarperCollins Children's Books for this advanced copy. You can pick up Thorn Season on September 2, 2025.
This book feels impossible to rate because my thoughts on it fluctuated so much from beginning to end. While the beginning presents an interesting premise (a world with Wielders of magic and Wholeborns without magic, where Wielders are persecuted), I was barely invested in the stakes emotionally. At least to start.
We meet our FMC, Alissa, who is a Wielder in hiding. She goes to court for her 18th birthday to swear fealty to the king, catches his eye, and must endure several weeks under his scrutiny along with the other 18-year-old nobles hoping to marry him. While there, she meets an ambassador from a country that celebrates Wielders, and runs into her childhood friend turned enemy, Garrett, who has joined the secret police (also known as Hunters) that hunt down her kind.
The main plot line seems to revolve around finding a magical compass that points out Wielders, with everyone and their mothers looking for it. But honestly, this conflict didn't motivate me to continue picking up the book, and we spent most of our time with Alissa avoiding the king's advances and bantering with the ambassador. Until we reach about the 60% mark.
I point out this number because there is a HUGE shift in the story in terms of tone, character motivations, and plot momentum from this point on. Suddenly everything is darker, grittier, more psychological, and more thrilling??? Like, where was this energy for the first half of the book? Why am I suddenly captivated? I won't give specific spoilers, but SO MUCH happens in this brief chunk that it almost feels like a different book. Hence why this is so hard to rate.
I find myself wanting to pick up the sequel, but I also wonder how the pacing will be in that book. Is it just because we had to set up this world and these characters that the first 60% dragged? Are we going to introduce new factors that make this a more compelling read throughout? I honestly couldn't tell you, but I guess I would say that if you enjoy court politics (like, seriously, heavy emphasis on nothing but court politics at the beginning), and then maybe some darker fantasy towards the end, you should pick up this book.
This book feels impossible to rate because my thoughts on it fluctuated so much from beginning to end. While the beginning presents an interesting premise (a world with Wielders of magic and Wholeborns without magic, where Wielders are persecuted), I was barely invested in the stakes emotionally. At least to start.
We meet our FMC, Alissa, who is a Wielder in hiding. She goes to court for her 18th birthday to swear fealty to the king, catches his eye, and must endure several weeks under his scrutiny along with the other 18-year-old nobles hoping to marry him. While there, she meets an ambassador from a country that celebrates Wielders, and runs into her childhood friend turned enemy, Garrett, who has joined the secret police (also known as Hunters) that hunt down her kind.
The main plot line seems to revolve around finding a magical compass that points out Wielders, with everyone and their mothers looking for it. But honestly, this conflict didn't motivate me to continue picking up the book, and we spent most of our time with Alissa avoiding the king's advances and bantering with the ambassador. Until we reach about the 60% mark.
I point out this number because there is a HUGE shift in the story in terms of tone, character motivations, and plot momentum from this point on. Suddenly everything is darker, grittier, more psychological, and more thrilling??? Like, where was this energy for the first half of the book? Why am I suddenly captivated? I won't give specific spoilers, but SO MUCH happens in this brief chunk that it almost feels like a different book. Hence why this is so hard to rate.
I find myself wanting to pick up the sequel, but I also wonder how the pacing will be in that book. Is it just because we had to set up this world and these characters that the first 60% dragged? Are we going to introduce new factors that make this a more compelling read throughout? I honestly couldn't tell you, but I guess I would say that if you enjoy court politics (like, seriously, heavy emphasis on nothing but court politics at the beginning), and then maybe some darker fantasy towards the end, you should pick up this book.
August 5, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up!
I am completely and utterly obsessed. What a stunning debut.
Thorn Season captures everything I want in a book: richly described characters with tense emotional dynamics, excellent political intrigue and court drama, and of course, magic. I stayed up until 3 in the morning (which I never do). I just could not put this down.
Setting, World Building, & Plot
The world building is straightforward, maybe even a bit generic, but it's the author's vivid imagery and clever way with words that transported me into the story.
The plot twists and betrayals scattered throughout kept me reading and added genuine tension between characters. By the end, I was a nervous wreck waiting for all the shoes to drop.
My main gripe is that the early chapters are very info-dumpy. It made the story much more interesting, but this is definitely not a "brain off" book!
Characters
Our FMC Alissa is the FMC I've been waiting for. She's witty, competent, and self-aware. Alissa knows she is spared from the Hunters because of her family and position at court. It's that understanding and sense of indebtedness that pushes her to sacrifice herself again and again to protect those she loves. Having this perspective on Alissa makes her reckless moments more understandable and believable as a reader. I felt myself rooting for her!
All the side characters have their own distinct personalities and hidden agendas at court. The relationships between some of them made my heart ache in the best way. By far, my favorite side character is Alissa's lovable best friend Tari. She brings levity to tense moments in the book and is Alissa's number 1 supporter.
I mean 😭❤️ If she's not in the next book, I'll riot.
Romance
The romance definitely took a backseat in this book and it has no spice, but gosh, does the author know how to write tension and banter. I'm not a "smiling and kicking my feet" kind of girl, but Alissa had even me in a chokehold with her clever quips with all the male love interests.
I can't say much more without spoiling, but this book is probably one of my all-time favorite examples of great banter. Also, a love square??? I can't wait to see where this goes.
Overall
I highly, highly recommend this book. I still can't believe this is a debut novel. Pick this up if you want an addictive and unputdownable read that'll keep you guessing from the very first chapter!
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Storytide for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read more of my reviews on Burner Kindle Book Blog
I am completely and utterly obsessed. What a stunning debut.
Thorn Season captures everything I want in a book: richly described characters with tense emotional dynamics, excellent political intrigue and court drama, and of course, magic. I stayed up until 3 in the morning (which I never do). I just could not put this down.
Setting, World Building, & Plot
The world building is straightforward, maybe even a bit generic, but it's the author's vivid imagery and clever way with words that transported me into the story.
The plot twists and betrayals scattered throughout kept me reading and added genuine tension between characters. By the end, I was a nervous wreck waiting for all the shoes to drop.
My main gripe is that the early chapters are very info-dumpy. It made the story much more interesting, but this is definitely not a "brain off" book!
Characters
Our FMC Alissa is the FMC I've been waiting for. She's witty, competent, and self-aware. Alissa knows she is spared from the Hunters because of her family and position at court. It's that understanding and sense of indebtedness that pushes her to sacrifice herself again and again to protect those she loves. Having this perspective on Alissa makes her reckless moments more understandable and believable as a reader. I felt myself rooting for her!
All the side characters have their own distinct personalities and hidden agendas at court. The relationships between some of them made my heart ache in the best way. By far, my favorite side character is Alissa's lovable best friend Tari. She brings levity to tense moments in the book and is Alissa's number 1 supporter.
"I don't agree with the path you're choosing...But I'll walk beside you, every step. Even if that means watching you tie yourself to a ship on fire."
I mean 😭❤️ If she's not in the next book, I'll riot.
Romance
The romance definitely took a backseat in this book and it has no spice, but gosh, does the author know how to write tension and banter. I'm not a "smiling and kicking my feet" kind of girl, but Alissa had even me in a chokehold with her clever quips with all the male love interests.
I can't say much more without spoiling, but this book is probably one of my all-time favorite examples of great banter. Also, a love square??? I can't wait to see where this goes.
Overall
I highly, highly recommend this book. I still can't believe this is a debut novel. Pick this up if you want an addictive and unputdownable read that'll keep you guessing from the very first chapter!
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Storytide for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read more of my reviews on Burner Kindle Book Blog
September 1, 2025
Tohle je young adult romantasy a pojďme to ocenit, protože teď je všechno spicy a pokud to nečtete, nebo na to nemáte náladu, moc knih na výběr není.
Celé se to odehrává v zemi Daradon, jejíž provincie ovládá šlechta a v čele stojí mladý, ale nelítostný král. A také je to země, která loví a zabíjí čaromocné. A proto musí hlavní hrdinka Alissa, dědička jednoho z vládnoucích rodů, skrývat své schopnosti. Stejně jako ostatní čaromocní oplývá přízrakem, pomocí kterého umí jak odemknout zámek, tak třeba i uškrtit člověka.
Být nenápadná se jí celkem dařilo, dokud ji v osmnácti nedoběhla povinnost zúčastnit se Období růží na královském dvoře. A co hůř, padne do oka krutému králi, který kdyby zjistil, kým je, na místě ji zabije. A aby toho nebylo málo, začínají se prohlubovat její city k čaromocnému velvyslanci (jejich seznámení nebylo úplně idylické, protože než se potkali na dvoře, tak on ji unesl a vyměnil za kupku vězňů ze své země).
Romantika je tady teprve načatá a rozkvete až v dalších dílech, což je super, aspoň se všechno nevyřeší hned, a pak se nezačne jen nudně komplikovat (to mě moc neba, nemám se pak na co těšit). Užívala jsem si i lehce mysteriózní zápletku, kdy se spousta lidí snaží najít ztracený kompas, který identifikuje čaromocné, motá se do toho králova sestra, Alissin přítel (který je lovcem čaromocných), prostě se to strašně komplikuje a zaplétá. Největší zdrojem napětí ale nakonec bylo nebezpečí, které pramení z královy přízně. On je takový šarmantní slizoun, krutý, zákeřný. Je tam třeba scéna, kdy s Alissou „žertuje“ o tom, že zastřelí její sokyni a přitom společně s ní natahuje luk a míří na ni. A vy cítíte, že by klidně vystřelil a zabil nevinnou holku uprostřed zábavného programu na dvoře.
Celé se to odehrává v zemi Daradon, jejíž provincie ovládá šlechta a v čele stojí mladý, ale nelítostný král. A také je to země, která loví a zabíjí čaromocné. A proto musí hlavní hrdinka Alissa, dědička jednoho z vládnoucích rodů, skrývat své schopnosti. Stejně jako ostatní čaromocní oplývá přízrakem, pomocí kterého umí jak odemknout zámek, tak třeba i uškrtit člověka.
Být nenápadná se jí celkem dařilo, dokud ji v osmnácti nedoběhla povinnost zúčastnit se Období růží na královském dvoře. A co hůř, padne do oka krutému králi, který kdyby zjistil, kým je, na místě ji zabije. A aby toho nebylo málo, začínají se prohlubovat její city k čaromocnému velvyslanci (jejich seznámení nebylo úplně idylické, protože než se potkali na dvoře, tak on ji unesl a vyměnil za kupku vězňů ze své země).
Romantika je tady teprve načatá a rozkvete až v dalších dílech, což je super, aspoň se všechno nevyřeší hned, a pak se nezačne jen nudně komplikovat (to mě moc neba, nemám se pak na co těšit). Užívala jsem si i lehce mysteriózní zápletku, kdy se spousta lidí snaží najít ztracený kompas, který identifikuje čaromocné, motá se do toho králova sestra, Alissin přítel (který je lovcem čaromocných), prostě se to strašně komplikuje a zaplétá. Největší zdrojem napětí ale nakonec bylo nebezpečí, které pramení z královy přízně. On je takový šarmantní slizoun, krutý, zákeřný. Je tam třeba scéna, kdy s Alissou „žertuje“ o tom, že zastřelí její sokyni a přitom společně s ní natahuje luk a míří na ni. A vy cítíte, že by klidně vystřelil a zabil nevinnou holku uprostřed zábavného programu na dvoře.
September 1, 2025
Thorn Season. Thorn Season. Thorn Season. Hoping if I say it three times I’ll get a bit of a reverse Beetlejuice and find myself immersed in the incredibly crafted world of this fantasy. This book works on every single level. I have met so many new favorites this year, but this is part of an even more special selection. The ones that feel more than just a favorite. They’re the ones embedded in my mind, soul, and heart. The next level favorites. The top tiers. Thorn Season is a top tier favorite.
And you’re telling me this is a debut novel?! Outstanding! In awe! Count me first in line at every future release of Kiera Azar!
Our heroine Alissa lives in the Kingdom of Daradon, where Hunters, like her family, hunt for “Wielders.” Wielders are those who possess a specter power, in which they control an invisible force, whether to pick locks, trip people, or truly incite violence. Alissa may be from a hunter's lineage, but she is also secretly a Wielder. And the King, who wants to eradicate all Wielders, has set his sights on Alissa as his future bride. Getting close to the King is the last thing Alissa wants, but doing so may help her gain a fiercely sought item she desires to find first…
I loved our heroine Alissa so much. One thing I found is how easily I adopted her feelings and beliefs. If she cast doubt on another, I did the same. If others questioned her accusations I wanted to lash out the same as her. I felt her grief, her doubt, her conflict, and her resolve. Kiera Azar did a phenomenal job in making Alissa complex, layered, and highly relatable. Her strength is her heart, but it also becomes a vulnerability as it is filled with grief and rage. She may misstep, but she recovers. She may make wrong judgments, but it doesn’t lessen her intelligence and cleverness.
Then there’s her romance! Baaah! Ok this is me trying to swoon whilst being vague to not spoil the primary love interest. I loved him from the very first and messy encounter with Alissa. He is intriguing, enigmatic, and oh so alluring. His every appearance fed me yet left me hungry for more of those biting and chemistry-filled interactions with Alissa. Now something I really appreciated the author did is not make him a constant rescuer of Alissa. Many things happen to her over the course of the narrative and I anticipated his perfect timing onto the scene. Instead, his timing is almost never perfect. If there is any timing at all. Alissa more than anything must extricate herself out of those situations. But at the moment she most needs cover…well, timing might just line up perfectly.
The romance is a slow, slow burn, it leaves you with a constant thirst for more. Theirs is a story just beginning. It’s a slow burn whose resolution we will have to wait for, but I sit with fingers crossed, candles lit, and prayers whispered…hoping they can find a happy ending in this high stakes journey. For there are no guarantees.
This is a high-stakes narrative packed with twists, turns, and revelations that will have you either dropping your jaw to the floor or raising your fist in the air to the exclamation of "I knew it!” It’s a narrative that will arouse feelings of grief, suspicion, anticipation, swoons, dread, and excitement. Your heat beat may skip or rattle, you’ll be gripping that edge of the seat you’re hanging off of, but I promise the ride is so worth it all. This is a book that will shake you to its core.
So get ready!
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this advanced complimentary eARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
_____
original post-read thoughts
✨OBSESSED✨
Contender for book of the year right here! LOVED IT!
And you’re telling me this is a debut novel?! Outstanding! In awe! Count me first in line at every future release of Kiera Azar!
Our heroine Alissa lives in the Kingdom of Daradon, where Hunters, like her family, hunt for “Wielders.” Wielders are those who possess a specter power, in which they control an invisible force, whether to pick locks, trip people, or truly incite violence. Alissa may be from a hunter's lineage, but she is also secretly a Wielder. And the King, who wants to eradicate all Wielders, has set his sights on Alissa as his future bride. Getting close to the King is the last thing Alissa wants, but doing so may help her gain a fiercely sought item she desires to find first…
I loved our heroine Alissa so much. One thing I found is how easily I adopted her feelings and beliefs. If she cast doubt on another, I did the same. If others questioned her accusations I wanted to lash out the same as her. I felt her grief, her doubt, her conflict, and her resolve. Kiera Azar did a phenomenal job in making Alissa complex, layered, and highly relatable. Her strength is her heart, but it also becomes a vulnerability as it is filled with grief and rage. She may misstep, but she recovers. She may make wrong judgments, but it doesn’t lessen her intelligence and cleverness.
Then there’s her romance! Baaah! Ok this is me trying to swoon whilst being vague to not spoil the primary love interest. I loved him from the very first and messy encounter with Alissa. He is intriguing, enigmatic, and oh so alluring. His every appearance fed me yet left me hungry for more of those biting and chemistry-filled interactions with Alissa. Now something I really appreciated the author did is not make him a constant rescuer of Alissa. Many things happen to her over the course of the narrative and I anticipated his perfect timing onto the scene. Instead, his timing is almost never perfect. If there is any timing at all. Alissa more than anything must extricate herself out of those situations. But at the moment she most needs cover…well, timing might just line up perfectly.
The romance is a slow, slow burn, it leaves you with a constant thirst for more. Theirs is a story just beginning. It’s a slow burn whose resolution we will have to wait for, but I sit with fingers crossed, candles lit, and prayers whispered…hoping they can find a happy ending in this high stakes journey. For there are no guarantees.
This is a high-stakes narrative packed with twists, turns, and revelations that will have you either dropping your jaw to the floor or raising your fist in the air to the exclamation of "I knew it!” It’s a narrative that will arouse feelings of grief, suspicion, anticipation, swoons, dread, and excitement. Your heat beat may skip or rattle, you’ll be gripping that edge of the seat you’re hanging off of, but I promise the ride is so worth it all. This is a book that will shake you to its core.
So get ready!
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this advanced complimentary eARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
_____
original post-read thoughts
✨OBSESSED✨
Contender for book of the year right here! LOVED IT!
July 23, 2025
a court of love triangles and dress descriptions
readability: varies
enjoyability: meh
craft: above average
Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ok, Thorn Season compliment sandwich time. First of all, what a pretty cover! I really appreciate the hustle of doing a foil cover for your ARCs.
Speaking of hustle, billing a book as "the next ACOTAR" is one thing, but billing it as the next ACOTAR while it's got "thorn" in the title and is steeped in rose imagery is uh. Certainly a bold strategy.Remember how one of ACOTAR's main selling points was that it had sex scenes?
In Thorn Season, protagonist Alissa is a noble from one of your standard Fantasy Europe-style kingdoms who must hide her true identity as a magic-user ("Wielder") due to her country's genocidal crackdown on magic users. To do this, she must infiltrate the court and track down a magical MacGuffin while juggling the attentions of three guys: her angsty former childhood best friend who's been forced to turn his back on her and join the Anti-Magic Hunters, the generically hot new ambassador from We're Cool With Magic Land, and the sadistic king who is obsessed with her for... actually he ends up having good reasons for being obsessed with her, kudos for that. Along the way, Alissa must go to many balls wearing many tricked out ballgowns. In other words, we're hitting all the hallmarks of the romantasy genre like we're working from a checklist.
The thing about Thorn Season is that it's an interesting contrast of opposites. The writing is overall fairly deft on a sentence level, with some cool turns of phrase here and there. The characters, on the other hand, are cardboard cutouts that feel like they were written by spinning a wheel of tropes and archetypes. The plot eventually ratchets up to some fascinating twists and turns. The world building, on the other hand, is weak-to-nonexistent, and what little we get is often clumsily deployed via backfilling ("By the way, I'm an expert on identifying jewels. Here's a paragraph telling the audience how I learned that skill. This will never come up again.") Another example: there's a bi/pan supporting character who seems like she'll be important in future books, and I have no idea if her sexuality is considered taboo, avant garde, or totally normal in this society. I'm not saying every YA romantasy needs to be the Silmarillion, but for a book of this length, I expect more than patchily sketched "they like roses and hate magic" -level world building!
Then there's the romance. I'm not really the target audience for this sort of love triangle, so I can't weigh in too much re: the quality or the execution here. All I can say is that a good romance usually starts with good characters, and that part is lacking. I wish they didn't, but the words "painfully generic" come to mind.
The book underwent an abrupt, dramatic change for the better at about the 75% mark—suddenly I was way more engaged, no longer half-heartedly turning pages—and I realized it was in large part because Keil (the hot ambassador) the action was no longer screeching to a halt every few pages to wax poetic about his muscles or dimples or scent or what have you. I personally found Option B, Alissa's childhood ex-friend Garret, much more interesting to read about, but your mileage may vary. Hell, I found the mustache-twirlingly, card-carryingly evil king more interesting to read about!
Now there was a cool dynamic that was handled with sharp intensity. If you make it through the first 75% of the book, you'll be rewarded with a twisty and compelling final act. It's just a bit of a shame that this carefully crafted plot isn't happening to more interesting characters. The author clearly has a lot of skill, and I can see her next books improving upon this one. Here's hoping they devote more page time to characterization and world building.
original impressions:
0%: Ok, I'm going in. My expectations are looooow so if this book can manage to hold my attention without enraging me I will give it a tender kiss on the forehead
100%: Hmmmm. Well. If I hadn't been Between Books I think I would have DNFed this around 25%, but the last 25% picked up and was decently interesting, so. Maybe not a tender kiss on the forehead, but this book gets the perfunctory air kiss on the cheek I might offer to a vaguely remembered great aunt
readability: varies
enjoyability: meh
craft: above average
Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Ok, Thorn Season compliment sandwich time. First of all, what a pretty cover! I really appreciate the hustle of doing a foil cover for your ARCs.
Speaking of hustle, billing a book as "the next ACOTAR" is one thing, but billing it as the next ACOTAR while it's got "thorn" in the title and is steeped in rose imagery is uh. Certainly a bold strategy.
In Thorn Season, protagonist Alissa is a noble from one of your standard Fantasy Europe-style kingdoms who must hide her true identity as a magic-user ("Wielder") due to her country's genocidal crackdown on magic users. To do this, she must infiltrate the court and track down a magical MacGuffin while juggling the attentions of three guys: her angsty former childhood best friend who's been forced to turn his back on her and join the Anti-Magic Hunters, the generically hot new ambassador from We're Cool With Magic Land, and the sadistic king who is obsessed with her for... actually he ends up having good reasons for being obsessed with her, kudos for that. Along the way, Alissa must go to many balls wearing many tricked out ballgowns. In other words, we're hitting all the hallmarks of the romantasy genre like we're working from a checklist.
The thing about Thorn Season is that it's an interesting contrast of opposites. The writing is overall fairly deft on a sentence level, with some cool turns of phrase here and there. The characters, on the other hand, are cardboard cutouts that feel like they were written by spinning a wheel of tropes and archetypes. The plot eventually ratchets up to some fascinating twists and turns. The world building, on the other hand, is weak-to-nonexistent, and what little we get is often clumsily deployed via backfilling ("By the way, I'm an expert on identifying jewels. Here's a paragraph telling the audience how I learned that skill. This will never come up again.") Another example: there's a bi/pan supporting character who seems like she'll be important in future books, and I have no idea if her sexuality is considered taboo, avant garde, or totally normal in this society. I'm not saying every YA romantasy needs to be the Silmarillion, but for a book of this length, I expect more than patchily sketched "they like roses and hate magic" -level world building!
Then there's the romance. I'm not really the target audience for this sort of love triangle, so I can't weigh in too much re: the quality or the execution here. All I can say is that a good romance usually starts with good characters, and that part is lacking. I wish they didn't, but the words "painfully generic" come to mind.
The book underwent an abrupt, dramatic change for the better at about the 75% mark—suddenly I was way more engaged, no longer half-heartedly turning pages—and I realized it was in large part because Keil (the hot ambassador) the action was no longer screeching to a halt every few pages to wax poetic about his muscles or dimples or scent or what have you. I personally found Option B, Alissa's childhood ex-friend Garret, much more interesting to read about, but your mileage may vary. Hell, I found the mustache-twirlingly, card-carryingly evil king more interesting to read about!
Now there was a cool dynamic that was handled with sharp intensity. If you make it through the first 75% of the book, you'll be rewarded with a twisty and compelling final act. It's just a bit of a shame that this carefully crafted plot isn't happening to more interesting characters. The author clearly has a lot of skill, and I can see her next books improving upon this one. Here's hoping they devote more page time to characterization and world building.
original impressions:
0%: Ok, I'm going in. My expectations are looooow so if this book can manage to hold my attention without enraging me I will give it a tender kiss on the forehead
100%: Hmmmm. Well. If I hadn't been Between Books I think I would have DNFed this around 25%, but the last 25% picked up and was decently interesting, so. Maybe not a tender kiss on the forehead, but this book gets the perfunctory air kiss on the cheek I might offer to a vaguely remembered great aunt
August 19, 2025
Now this was definitely a slower start to the book but man when it picked up I couldn’t stop!!!!! And man oh man Keil is such a fun character and loved the banter between him and Alissa. I think this book did a great job rounding out the characters and in my opinion Alissa was a likable fmc. Also the ending I did not see coming!!! Super curious to see where this goes and for a YA book the writing was really good and kept you entertained throughout. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for giving me the chance to read this early!!!! 4.3 rating :)
Read
August 31, 2025DNF @ 32%.
slow paced and felt flat to me. sighhh
i was looking forward to this book and the first printing special ed is so cute! unfortunately i was disappointed while reading— it did not interest me at all and i found myself wanting to pick something else up but i was forcing myself to make progress into the book so i can get a review out as i have the ARC. after a week of not reading it i decided it was time to dnf and let me tell u, I FEEL MUCH BETTER.
slow paced and felt flat to me. sighhh
i was looking forward to this book and the first printing special ed is so cute! unfortunately i was disappointed while reading— it did not interest me at all and i found myself wanting to pick something else up but i was forcing myself to make progress into the book so i can get a review out as i have the ARC. after a week of not reading it i decided it was time to dnf and let me tell u, I FEEL MUCH BETTER.
March 21, 2025
Uhhhh not me staying up until 4 am to finish this… review to come
Update: rounding from 4.5!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kiera Azar and HarperCollins for this eARC 🫶🏻
Wow! I was so absolutely unexpectedly blown away by this one! I was a little unsure how I was going to feel going into it. YA is always a mixed bag as an adult. Sometimes I get so frustrated by the characters or it feels obtuse - again as an adult hehe - that I have to put the book down because I’m very much not the target audience. I didn’t feel that way for this one, so if that is a concern you have I would say you don’t need to be worried :) sometimes the characters did frustrate me a little but I don’t think it was an age thing.
Okay! On to the things I loved:
- the plot!! The book blurb both tells you exactly what to expect but also leaves so much out I was pleasantly surprised by the trajectory of the plot. I don’t know if plot twist is the right word, but I wasn’t fully sure where the story was going to end up, which was a feeling I loved. I stayed up until 4 am reading this (as mentioned above) because I was in fact so invested in what was going to happen next. There were times I literally had to put it down cause I was reacting so strongly to things happening on page.
- the magic?? So unique!!! I don’t think I’ve read anything like it before and I was super intrigued
- the main character Alissa. I am obsessed with this icon. I don’t want to say too much, but she’s strong and clever without feeling infallible, is independent without being hyper independent, and quite honestly was just really multi faceted. I don’t know how to explain it but she felt so real and unique to me. Like I don’t want to say she’s morally grey necessarily, but she’s cynical and kinda scrappy in a way that felt very fresh and new.
- something about the relationships in this book hurt in all the best ways and I will leave it at that lol 🫡
My only real complaint is that there was some weird scenes of info dumping in the first few chapters, due to unnatural dialogue. Like one character would be explaining one thing to another and I remember being like “wouldn’t they already know this?”, but all in all that’s not too egregious an offense because the info dumping wasn’t super intense.
This is not really a good or a bad thing but this book was not what I was expecting given the blurb, especially the beginning few chapters which took me some adjusting to but I was not mad about it.
The ending was excellent, not entirely predictably in the best way (something not a lot of authors are good at) and I’m really excited for what the follow up will entail and the new situations it’ll put the characters in!!
All in all, I really enjoyed this read. I’m excited to see what else this author does, both with this series and with other works!! Add this to your TBR!!
Update: rounding from 4.5!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kiera Azar and HarperCollins for this eARC 🫶🏻
Wow! I was so absolutely unexpectedly blown away by this one! I was a little unsure how I was going to feel going into it. YA is always a mixed bag as an adult. Sometimes I get so frustrated by the characters or it feels obtuse - again as an adult hehe - that I have to put the book down because I’m very much not the target audience. I didn’t feel that way for this one, so if that is a concern you have I would say you don’t need to be worried :) sometimes the characters did frustrate me a little but I don’t think it was an age thing.
Okay! On to the things I loved:
- the plot!! The book blurb both tells you exactly what to expect but also leaves so much out I was pleasantly surprised by the trajectory of the plot. I don’t know if plot twist is the right word, but I wasn’t fully sure where the story was going to end up, which was a feeling I loved. I stayed up until 4 am reading this (as mentioned above) because I was in fact so invested in what was going to happen next. There were times I literally had to put it down cause I was reacting so strongly to things happening on page.
- the magic?? So unique!!! I don’t think I’ve read anything like it before and I was super intrigued
- the main character Alissa. I am obsessed with this icon. I don’t want to say too much, but she’s strong and clever without feeling infallible, is independent without being hyper independent, and quite honestly was just really multi faceted. I don’t know how to explain it but she felt so real and unique to me. Like I don’t want to say she’s morally grey necessarily, but she’s cynical and kinda scrappy in a way that felt very fresh and new.
- something about the relationships in this book hurt in all the best ways and I will leave it at that lol 🫡
My only real complaint is that there was some weird scenes of info dumping in the first few chapters, due to unnatural dialogue. Like one character would be explaining one thing to another and I remember being like “wouldn’t they already know this?”, but all in all that’s not too egregious an offense because the info dumping wasn’t super intense.
This is not really a good or a bad thing but this book was not what I was expecting given the blurb, especially the beginning few chapters which took me some adjusting to but I was not mad about it.
The ending was excellent, not entirely predictably in the best way (something not a lot of authors are good at) and I’m really excited for what the follow up will entail and the new situations it’ll put the characters in!!
All in all, I really enjoyed this read. I’m excited to see what else this author does, both with this series and with other works!! Add this to your TBR!!
August 1, 2025
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer (athenafreyag on Instagram)
MY BRAIN CELLS ARE SCATTERED INTO THE VOID, AND ONLY KEIL'S SPECTRE CAN BRING THEM BACK!! SERIOUSLY, THIS IS PHENOMENAL!!! NOBODY SHOULD LET 2025 GO BY WITHOUT HAVING READ THORN SEASON. HOLY MOLY, I DEVOURED THIS!!!!!!
Initial thoughts: I was instantly intrigued by the premise! Persecuted Wielders of Spectres that are like threads used for various purposes from lock picking to killing! A young woman born into a Hunter family but being a Wielder herself! I was immediately sold!
What I liked 🤩: I loved everything. It should be criminal for a book to be this good. I am a fast reader, but I haven't read this fast in a loooong while. I just couldn't put it down. I just HAD TO READ everything and see what happens. THORN SEASON IS ONE OF MY TOP READS OF THE RECENT YEARS, not just 2025. It literally scattered my brain cells and I couldn't function for hours after finishing it because HOLY MOLY WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!
Alissa is the pov we follow, and she is absolutely glorious. I loved how she gets things done. She thinks and controls and manipulates and schemes and PLANS!! She lies because she has to. She protects because she wants to, but what I loved the most about her was how self-aware she was and aware, in general. She saw both sides of the coin. She understood the motive even though she couldn't understand how some people did certain bad things. She got several things right, and others wrong. In my opinion, it was the perfect balance of being a smart, competent mc and of delivering plot twists.
Keil is the beacon of light here. He is good like purely and irrevocably good. He risks his life to protect others, people he doesn't even know. Despite his power, he is so soft. I just want to hug him and keep him in my pocket.
The romance is delicious. The banter is out of this world and had me laughing, giggling, smirking, and smiling the entire time. Alissa and Keil push and pull, give and take, and every exchange is sizzling and delightful. This is a YA, but the characters are over 18, which is why I call it sizzling.
The rest of the characters were fabulously crafted and developed. The illustrious king. The best friend. The rival competitor. The charming queer Princess. Keil's "entourage". The rest of the court. Everyone is unique, and has a purpose. No one is there for decorative purposes lmao
I loved the worldbuilding and the plot!! Some plot twists I had seen coming, but most of them I was screaming over. I was left reeling and screaming for most of the book. Lovely experience, I assure you. I just love a plot that I cannot predict, a plot that leaves me breathless and unable to find brain power in order to predict. And Thorn Season delivers that! The worldbuilding was also refreshing. I've never read about anything remotely similar to a Spectre, a thread that you can do maaaaany things with.
I also enjoyed how the author conveyed oppression and rebellion. Alissa had a pessimistic view, believing that nobody in her country cared for Wielders and nobody would ever protect them much less take their side and stand up to tyranny. Keil saw the good in people. He saw the demonstrations, the small and ah hidden acts of compassion, and believed that there was hope. No spoilers here, but I loved the contrast of their views and how the author expressed it all.
EVERYTHING about this book is PERFECTION. I NEED BOOK 2 NOW 😭😭😭😭😭😭HOW CAN I COPE NOW WITHOUT THEM???
What I didn’t like 🙃: ARE YOU KIDDING? THIS BOOK HAS BEEN ENGRAVED ON MY BONES.
Overall: Kiera Azar is Wielder of Sharp and Sexy Storytelling, and she has already become an autobuy author for me. If you love Crimson Moth/Heartless Hunter, well, Thorn Season is the sister of that story, in my opinion. Shadow and Bone meets The Selection is also accurate, but it just reminded me of Crimson Moth in the best way. Thorn Season is the YA fantasy of the year, a book impossible to put down. It catapulted itself to my top 5 YA fantasy of all time and top 10 reads of all time. Thorn Season is NOT to be missed.
SE info: This is the fairyloot October YA pick, and I am sooo grateful!! I am renewing with passion and joy! The first US edition has sprayed edges, and there is a magnificent exclusive Waterstones edition, too.
MY BRAIN CELLS ARE SCATTERED INTO THE VOID, AND ONLY KEIL'S SPECTRE CAN BRING THEM BACK!! SERIOUSLY, THIS IS PHENOMENAL!!! NOBODY SHOULD LET 2025 GO BY WITHOUT HAVING READ THORN SEASON. HOLY MOLY, I DEVOURED THIS!!!!!!
Initial thoughts: I was instantly intrigued by the premise! Persecuted Wielders of Spectres that are like threads used for various purposes from lock picking to killing! A young woman born into a Hunter family but being a Wielder herself! I was immediately sold!
What I liked 🤩: I loved everything. It should be criminal for a book to be this good. I am a fast reader, but I haven't read this fast in a loooong while. I just couldn't put it down. I just HAD TO READ everything and see what happens. THORN SEASON IS ONE OF MY TOP READS OF THE RECENT YEARS, not just 2025. It literally scattered my brain cells and I couldn't function for hours after finishing it because HOLY MOLY WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!
Alissa is the pov we follow, and she is absolutely glorious. I loved how she gets things done. She thinks and controls and manipulates and schemes and PLANS!! She lies because she has to. She protects because she wants to, but what I loved the most about her was how self-aware she was and aware, in general. She saw both sides of the coin. She understood the motive even though she couldn't understand how some people did certain bad things. She got several things right, and others wrong. In my opinion, it was the perfect balance of being a smart, competent mc and of delivering plot twists.
Keil is the beacon of light here. He is good like purely and irrevocably good. He risks his life to protect others, people he doesn't even know. Despite his power, he is so soft. I just want to hug him and keep him in my pocket.
The romance is delicious. The banter is out of this world and had me laughing, giggling, smirking, and smiling the entire time. Alissa and Keil push and pull, give and take, and every exchange is sizzling and delightful. This is a YA, but the characters are over 18, which is why I call it sizzling.
The rest of the characters were fabulously crafted and developed. The illustrious king. The best friend. The rival competitor. The charming queer Princess. Keil's "entourage". The rest of the court. Everyone is unique, and has a purpose. No one is there for decorative purposes lmao
I loved the worldbuilding and the plot!! Some plot twists I had seen coming, but most of them I was screaming over. I was left reeling and screaming for most of the book. Lovely experience, I assure you. I just love a plot that I cannot predict, a plot that leaves me breathless and unable to find brain power in order to predict. And Thorn Season delivers that! The worldbuilding was also refreshing. I've never read about anything remotely similar to a Spectre, a thread that you can do maaaaany things with.
I also enjoyed how the author conveyed oppression and rebellion. Alissa had a pessimistic view, believing that nobody in her country cared for Wielders and nobody would ever protect them much less take their side and stand up to tyranny. Keil saw the good in people. He saw the demonstrations, the small and ah hidden acts of compassion, and believed that there was hope. No spoilers here, but I loved the contrast of their views and how the author expressed it all.
EVERYTHING about this book is PERFECTION. I NEED BOOK 2 NOW 😭😭😭😭😭😭HOW CAN I COPE NOW WITHOUT THEM???
What I didn’t like 🙃: ARE YOU KIDDING? THIS BOOK HAS BEEN ENGRAVED ON MY BONES.
Overall: Kiera Azar is Wielder of Sharp and Sexy Storytelling, and she has already become an autobuy author for me. If you love Crimson Moth/Heartless Hunter, well, Thorn Season is the sister of that story, in my opinion. Shadow and Bone meets The Selection is also accurate, but it just reminded me of Crimson Moth in the best way. Thorn Season is the YA fantasy of the year, a book impossible to put down. It catapulted itself to my top 5 YA fantasy of all time and top 10 reads of all time. Thorn Season is NOT to be missed.
SE info: This is the fairyloot October YA pick, and I am sooo grateful!! I am renewing with passion and joy! The first US edition has sprayed edges, and there is a magnificent exclusive Waterstones edition, too.
August 28, 2025
This book exceeded every expectation I had.
A few things were a bit cliche (do we always have to have a flirty training scene?) but the plot twists well made up for them in my humble (though incredibly correct) opinion.
It is very YA, so you get the adventure and excitement, but not the sex. There was some gore and torture scenes that seemed a bit much for YA. Ye be warned.
A few things were a bit cliche (do we always have to have a flirty training scene?) but the plot twists well made up for them in my humble (though incredibly correct) opinion.
It is very YA, so you get the adventure and excitement, but not the sex. There was some gore and torture scenes that seemed a bit much for YA. Ye be warned.
July 29, 2025
Lovedddd this book, her writing style reminds me of Sarah J Maas, good world building with a fantasy style that actually made sense, there are a few plot holes but this does seem like the first book of many. Was needing the yearning that this book gave. I thought I knew what was going on the whole time, turns out I was wrong and boy does she know how to write the last 100 pages of a book. Disappointed this book isn’t even released yet and I need three more asap. Everyone say thank you lucy for lending me this book!
June 23, 2025
Thank you SO MUCH to HarperCollins Children’s Books | Storytide and to the author, Kiera Azar, for an eARC of Thorn Season!
I made a commitment to myself that I was not going to request any more ARCs on Netgalley because my percentage was SCARY looking, but then @Baileyreadsthings on Instagram posted about this book being available… long story short, I am not good at keeping commitments to myself. I am SO SO SO SOSOSOS glad I requested this book because I am OBSESSED! This book, the suspense, the mystery, the r-o-m-a-n-c-e, WHEW!
In Daradon, Wielders are hunted and persecuted by Hunters for being different - for holding magic. Alissa Paine is born into a wealthy, Hunter family; however, Alissa is a Wielder herself. Alissa is required to attend this year's Rose Season since she is officially 18-years old, and search for a missing object to help those around her she cares about and to hopefully help the future of Wielders. Alissa finds herself in close contact with the King who despises Wielders and with an Ambassador from a foreign kingdom.
This book made me feel like I was reading a classic novel (in the best way possible!) with the setting of the story to the extravagant Thorn Season balls. I devoured this book from the first chapter to the last. The ending of this book left me craving more of this world! Kiera Azar - What did you put in this book?! When is the next coming? AHHH I was telling everyone around me to preorder and read this book when it comes out (September 2, 2025!!) so we can talk about it!
PREODER THIS BOOK NOW
I made a commitment to myself that I was not going to request any more ARCs on Netgalley because my percentage was SCARY looking, but then @Baileyreadsthings on Instagram posted about this book being available… long story short, I am not good at keeping commitments to myself. I am SO SO SO SOSOSOS glad I requested this book because I am OBSESSED! This book, the suspense, the mystery, the r-o-m-a-n-c-e, WHEW!
In Daradon, Wielders are hunted and persecuted by Hunters for being different - for holding magic. Alissa Paine is born into a wealthy, Hunter family; however, Alissa is a Wielder herself. Alissa is required to attend this year's Rose Season since she is officially 18-years old, and search for a missing object to help those around her she cares about and to hopefully help the future of Wielders. Alissa finds herself in close contact with the King who despises Wielders and with an Ambassador from a foreign kingdom.
This book made me feel like I was reading a classic novel (in the best way possible!) with the setting of the story to the extravagant Thorn Season balls. I devoured this book from the first chapter to the last. The ending of this book left me craving more of this world! Kiera Azar - What did you put in this book?! When is the next coming? AHHH I was telling everyone around me to preorder and read this book when it comes out (September 2, 2025!!) so we can talk about it!
PREODER THIS BOOK NOW
April 5, 2025
This book is 100% a new favorite of mine!
It has been such a long time since a book has had such a hold on me that I couldn’t physically put it down!
It has everything I want in a Romantasy book and more. There is an alluring magic system that is so unique and I LOVED the banter between Alissa and the MMC! I also felt pretty connected to Alissa early on, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for their next read and I am so excited to see where this series goes next!
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins/ Epic Reads for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It has been such a long time since a book has had such a hold on me that I couldn’t physically put it down!
It has everything I want in a Romantasy book and more. There is an alluring magic system that is so unique and I LOVED the banter between Alissa and the MMC! I also felt pretty connected to Alissa early on, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story.
I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for their next read and I am so excited to see where this series goes next!
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins/ Epic Reads for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2025
Thank you Harper Collins and NetGalley for an advanced copy. I loved this book. I really was able to get into the world and into each of the characters. I really liked Alissa's story and the court drama mixed in with magic and danger. It was not predictable like some books and I really liked the development! The end though!!! I need book 2 now!
September 1, 2025
I don’t have a whole lot to say about Thorn Season, except that it completely blew me away. The pacing was flawless; the plot never slowed, and I found myself glued to every page. The action scenes were sharp and perfectly executed, and the twists kept me on my toes, I truly never saw them coming.
This is easily one of the best romance fantasies I’ve read in a long time. If you’re a fan of Throne of Glass or The Plated Prisoner series, this will be right up your alley. The FMC was perfection from beginning to end: layered, compelling, and absolutely unforgettable. No notes, no critiques—just a desperate need for more.
This is easily one of the best romance fantasies I’ve read in a long time. If you’re a fan of Throne of Glass or The Plated Prisoner series, this will be right up your alley. The FMC was perfection from beginning to end: layered, compelling, and absolutely unforgettable. No notes, no critiques—just a desperate need for more.
August 10, 2025
I’ve recently finished Thorn Season and let me tell you, you all need to add it to your TBR! It’s fantastic, I devoured it so fast: the characters are so rich, the plot was plotting and the court/political intrigue was seriously intriguing! Alissa is such a fierce protagonist, I really love her determination and perseverance! I do adore characters that would burn the world to save the ones they love!
The plot pace was beautiful. It kept me so engaged and eager to read the next page. I was literally sweating and panicking as we approached the end of the book because there was not enough pages to fix all the issues and the cliff hanger was seriously delicious! Some of the twists I was suspicious about - Erik - and others took me completely by surprise! In fact, I am usually all in for the good boys, but damn Erik did had something to him - he, as a character was so organic and complex.
Thorn Season if for fans of The Rose Bargain, Heir of Storms, The Darkness Beneath Us and the upcoming The Weaver Bride. If you like Regency/Historical Fantasy with royals, balls, forbidden magic, dangerous characters, then this book is for you!
Not sure what Kiera put in this book but I was - and still am - pretty addicted to it! Of course, this book was a 5⭐️ read for me… and I need the next one tomorrow; please and thanks!
The plot pace was beautiful. It kept me so engaged and eager to read the next page. I was literally sweating and panicking as we approached the end of the book because there was not enough pages to fix all the issues and the cliff hanger was seriously delicious! Some of the twists I was suspicious about - Erik - and others took me completely by surprise! In fact, I am usually all in for the good boys, but damn Erik did had something to him - he, as a character was so organic and complex.
Thorn Season if for fans of The Rose Bargain, Heir of Storms, The Darkness Beneath Us and the upcoming The Weaver Bride. If you like Regency/Historical Fantasy with royals, balls, forbidden magic, dangerous characters, then this book is for you!
Not sure what Kiera put in this book but I was - and still am - pretty addicted to it! Of course, this book was a 5⭐️ read for me… and I need the next one tomorrow; please and thanks!
August 10, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.
4.5
"To cleave a person's heart was the greatest crime against nature."
And thats exactly how I felt after finishing this book.
I love love loved this book. The story. The characters. The plot twists and turns. The ending and epilogue!!!
There was many layers to this story. Lots of different sub plot story lines that kept me guessing where the book was going. When I thought I had things figured out I realized I was wrong.
I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us. Please please please let it be all Keil!
This is my honest review in exchange for a free copy of this book.
4.5
"To cleave a person's heart was the greatest crime against nature."
And thats exactly how I felt after finishing this book.
I love love loved this book. The story. The characters. The plot twists and turns. The ending and epilogue!!!
There was many layers to this story. Lots of different sub plot story lines that kept me guessing where the book was going. When I thought I had things figured out I realized I was wrong.
I cannot wait to see where the next book takes us. Please please please let it be all Keil!
This is my honest review in exchange for a free copy of this book.
March 23, 2025
I want to start by thanking Netgalley and HarperCollins for allowing me an eARC to read this book early.
I enjoyed this book. The magic system was interesting and the political intrigue was definitely there. In this world to be born a wielder is to be born with a death sentence and seeing how Alissa navigates her life as a member high in the court system while knowing that if anyone found out her secret she would be killed was very captivating and kept me hooked. There were plenty of twists and turns in this book to keep you hooked. The idea of the compass that can be used to find wielders reminded me a lot of the Gilbert watch from The Vampire Diaries. I would have liked to see more of our main character with the potential love interest than I felt like we did and to have seen more of that potential relationship in this book but we will have to see what the next book holds for our characters. Preordering this book so I have a copy when it is released!
I enjoyed this book. The magic system was interesting and the political intrigue was definitely there. In this world to be born a wielder is to be born with a death sentence and seeing how Alissa navigates her life as a member high in the court system while knowing that if anyone found out her secret she would be killed was very captivating and kept me hooked. There were plenty of twists and turns in this book to keep you hooked. The idea of the compass that can be used to find wielders reminded me a lot of the Gilbert watch from The Vampire Diaries. I would have liked to see more of our main character with the potential love interest than I felt like we did and to have seen more of that potential relationship in this book but we will have to see what the next book holds for our characters. Preordering this book so I have a copy when it is released!
March 21, 2025
Thank you very much Epic Reads for inviting me to read Thorn Season, Kiera Azar's YA Romantasy debut!
I have to be honest... I had never heard of Thorn Season until Epic Reads sent me an email with an invite to read and review it early. I'm now sad I did not know about this book sooner because it would have been on my radar instantly.
✨️A glimpse inside:
political / court intrigue
unique magic system
rivals to questionable lovers romance
secretssss and betrayal
Thorn Season, at the heart of it all, is a fantasy with a great mystery and many plot twists that kept coming even when I thought the reveals were already revealed. At first, it took me a little while to connect with the characters and find the flow of the story, but once it was found, I was absolutely hooked. Alissa is a strong female character I'd follow anywhere. I really liked her strength, her deduction skills, and when she wasn't taking any sh*t from no one. I found her to be a refreshing character in the YA Romantasy genre, similar to how I felt when I met Rune Winters in Heartless Hunter.
The unique magic system and the world-building are well-developed. I enjoyed learning about the magic Wielders use with the scepters. Alissa is a powerful Wielder who has to hide her identity, like many Wielders, to survive. She is pulled into the court intrigue during what is called the Rose Season, when a King is looking for a bride. To solve an ongoing mystery, Alissa moves herself closer to the king in order to find a dangerous item called the Compass, which locates hidden Wielders for the Hunters to kidnap and execute them.
There are many players on the chess board, including Kiel, an Ambassador from a neighboring country and a not-so-secret Wielder. Alissa and Kiel have a great dynamic. All of their scenes together were filled with chemistry, tension, and yearning. I enjoyed their back and forth banter and the 'will-they-won't-they' build-up.
Epic Reads is putting out a first-run deluxe edition of Thorn Season, which is so stunning. The edges and the endpapers are gorgeous! I think if you adore Heartless Hunter and fierce and cunning female characters, you will fall for Thorn Season.
4.75 star
I have to be honest... I had never heard of Thorn Season until Epic Reads sent me an email with an invite to read and review it early. I'm now sad I did not know about this book sooner because it would have been on my radar instantly.
✨️A glimpse inside:
political / court intrigue
unique magic system
rivals to questionable lovers romance
secretssss and betrayal
Thorn Season, at the heart of it all, is a fantasy with a great mystery and many plot twists that kept coming even when I thought the reveals were already revealed. At first, it took me a little while to connect with the characters and find the flow of the story, but once it was found, I was absolutely hooked. Alissa is a strong female character I'd follow anywhere. I really liked her strength, her deduction skills, and when she wasn't taking any sh*t from no one. I found her to be a refreshing character in the YA Romantasy genre, similar to how I felt when I met Rune Winters in Heartless Hunter.
The unique magic system and the world-building are well-developed. I enjoyed learning about the magic Wielders use with the scepters. Alissa is a powerful Wielder who has to hide her identity, like many Wielders, to survive. She is pulled into the court intrigue during what is called the Rose Season, when a King is looking for a bride. To solve an ongoing mystery, Alissa moves herself closer to the king in order to find a dangerous item called the Compass, which locates hidden Wielders for the Hunters to kidnap and execute them.
There are many players on the chess board, including Kiel, an Ambassador from a neighboring country and a not-so-secret Wielder. Alissa and Kiel have a great dynamic. All of their scenes together were filled with chemistry, tension, and yearning. I enjoyed their back and forth banter and the 'will-they-won't-they' build-up.
Epic Reads is putting out a first-run deluxe edition of Thorn Season, which is so stunning. The edges and the endpapers are gorgeous! I think if you adore Heartless Hunter and fierce and cunning female characters, you will fall for Thorn Season.
4.75 star
April 7, 2025
I don’t think I could find one thing I would change in this book. The pacing was fantastic , the magic was easy to understand and visualize, the FMC relatable and emotionally raw. The last 10% of the book I had to set my kindle down because of the STRESS.
Over all 5 stars
Over all 5 stars
July 22, 2025
You wanna know the worst thing about reading ARCs? THE FACT YOU HAVE TO WAIT EVEN LONGER FOR THE NEXT ONE!
Thank You NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for this ARC
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Execution ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
FMC ⭐️⭐️⭐️
MMC ⭐️⭐️
Spice🫑 no spice (2 kisses)
Supporting characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes
-bad ass FMC
-forbidden magic
-secret society of sorts
-betrayal
-forbidden love????
Spoilers ahead
Overview
Ok so our FMC Alissa is a wielder. She has magic of some sort. She is also the only daughter to a Lord. The kingdom and the other noble don’t like the wielder or the magic they have. There is this group of hunters that do just that, hunt the wielder. Long story short, a bunch of people are getting killed and there is this compass that points to wielder and Alissa wants to find it so that she can be safe.
Since she is a Lords son she’s gets invited to Rose season (basically a very debutante Ball or court). At firsts she isn’t going to go but then she realizes she needs to find the compass so she decides to go.
There is this ambassador, who is also a wielder, who is invited to join the season. During this part of the book we meet a few characters that are important but I won’t spoil the entire book for you.
As the season goes on Alissa captures the eye of the king but also that of the ambassador. The Kinf plans to marry Alissa and she has decided to accept in order to gain more power…but why?
Because her father was murdered.
By who you ask?
By the bad guys! Briar (I think)
Now Alissa is in her revenge era and is determined to find her father’s murder and find the compass.
Miss girl doesn’t trust anyone and a lot of stuff happens.
Hot ambassador gets sent home after he does something bad (Alissa actually did it) and he begs Alissa to go with him but she’s says no…they kinda make out and he leaves.
Stuff goes down and Alissa gets kidnapped by her fiancée/the king. Shocker he is the one who had the compass this entire time! And he knew she was a wielder too! But don’t worry he still wants to marry her.
One of her ex friends turn enemies turn back to friends breaks her out of her cell and basically gives her a chance at freedom, sets her up and everything.
But no.
She has to run BACK into the castle 🙄
Stuff happens Erik and her fight, she almost kills him, but she makes it out.
The end.
My thoughts,
Ok now that we got that out of the way, my thoughts.
First half
-The magic system was kinda confusing. I’m still not a hundred percent sure what the specters are or how they work but i know it’s the source of their power.
-the pace is really good for the first half, everything is explained really well and super easy to follow all besides the magic system.
Second half
-up until the part where her father dies, I enjoyed. I think most of it she’s either extremely childish or very hard about things. I really liked Kiel I thought he was a great character and honestly (imo) did not deserve the hate she gave him.
-her fathers death did shock me. And I understand why it was done…HOWEVER how she acted after was not my favorite. I understand grieving and everything but she turned against the people like her and who wanted to help her? I just didn’t make sense to me. Another thing was like she went from being 18 (?) and acting like it, to acting like she 24 in a span of a few chapters.
The ending
-I liked it. I would for sure have Stockholm syndrome 🫣 sorry! The way he treated her while she was locked up. I would have fallen for it!
-I won’t say much other than the fact that I need the next book.
Other things
I did see somewhere that this was supposed to be a love triangle, but to be honest I don’t feel the romance connection with either of the MMCs. This story is very fantasy heavy and the romance takes a back seat. Which I really enjoyed. I’m not a massive YA reader, but this didn’t need any of the spice or tension that you get from adult fantasy. I think people who are fans of Powerless, Red Queen, Bridgerton (but want murder mystery) will really like this. You can feel elements and vibes of those books but at the same time it’s completely its own story.
The FMC wasn’t my favorite but I can understand why she did some of the things she did. I wish we had a little back story of her relationship with some of the side characters.
Over all I really enjoyed this book and I need the next one stat!
Some of my favorite quotes completely out of context 🤭
“Of all the treasonous acts I’d ever committed, this shouldn’t have been the one to get me caught.”
“Don’t be absurd. I’ve done far more foolish things. Besides, it’s not blackmail. It’s an agreement.”
“You’re inviting me to stab you?” “I’m inviting you to try.” I couldn’t resist the challenge
“So, was there a point to your little lesson?” I crossed my arms. “Or was it an excuse to show me up?” “Of course not, my lady. That wouldn’t be gentlemanly.” “A gentleman would’ve let me stab him,”
But would his diplomatic immunity then allow for our romance?” I barked a laugh. “Your romance?” “Hypothetical, of course. There’s something tragically beautiful about the forbidden.” “Public urination is forbidden. Is that tragically beautiful?”
Again Thank You NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for this ARC
Thank You NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for this ARC
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Execution ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
FMC ⭐️⭐️⭐️
MMC ⭐️⭐️
Spice🫑 no spice (2 kisses)
Supporting characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes
-bad ass FMC
-forbidden magic
-secret society of sorts
-betrayal
-forbidden love????
Spoilers ahead
Overview
Ok so our FMC Alissa is a wielder. She has magic of some sort. She is also the only daughter to a Lord. The kingdom and the other noble don’t like the wielder or the magic they have. There is this group of hunters that do just that, hunt the wielder. Long story short, a bunch of people are getting killed and there is this compass that points to wielder and Alissa wants to find it so that she can be safe.
Since she is a Lords son she’s gets invited to Rose season (basically a very debutante Ball or court). At firsts she isn’t going to go but then she realizes she needs to find the compass so she decides to go.
There is this ambassador, who is also a wielder, who is invited to join the season. During this part of the book we meet a few characters that are important but I won’t spoil the entire book for you.
As the season goes on Alissa captures the eye of the king but also that of the ambassador. The Kinf plans to marry Alissa and she has decided to accept in order to gain more power…but why?
Because her father was murdered.
By who you ask?
By the bad guys! Briar (I think)
Now Alissa is in her revenge era and is determined to find her father’s murder and find the compass.
Miss girl doesn’t trust anyone and a lot of stuff happens.
Hot ambassador gets sent home after he does something bad (Alissa actually did it) and he begs Alissa to go with him but she’s says no…they kinda make out and he leaves.
Stuff goes down and Alissa gets kidnapped by her fiancée/the king. Shocker he is the one who had the compass this entire time! And he knew she was a wielder too! But don’t worry he still wants to marry her.
One of her ex friends turn enemies turn back to friends breaks her out of her cell and basically gives her a chance at freedom, sets her up and everything.
But no.
She has to run BACK into the castle 🙄
Stuff happens Erik and her fight, she almost kills him, but she makes it out.
The end.
My thoughts,
Ok now that we got that out of the way, my thoughts.
First half
-The magic system was kinda confusing. I’m still not a hundred percent sure what the specters are or how they work but i know it’s the source of their power.
-the pace is really good for the first half, everything is explained really well and super easy to follow all besides the magic system.
Second half
-up until the part where her father dies, I enjoyed. I think most of it she’s either extremely childish or very hard about things. I really liked Kiel I thought he was a great character and honestly (imo) did not deserve the hate she gave him.
-her fathers death did shock me. And I understand why it was done…HOWEVER how she acted after was not my favorite. I understand grieving and everything but she turned against the people like her and who wanted to help her? I just didn’t make sense to me. Another thing was like she went from being 18 (?) and acting like it, to acting like she 24 in a span of a few chapters.
The ending
-I liked it. I would for sure have Stockholm syndrome 🫣 sorry! The way he treated her while she was locked up. I would have fallen for it!
-I won’t say much other than the fact that I need the next book.
Other things
I did see somewhere that this was supposed to be a love triangle, but to be honest I don’t feel the romance connection with either of the MMCs. This story is very fantasy heavy and the romance takes a back seat. Which I really enjoyed. I’m not a massive YA reader, but this didn’t need any of the spice or tension that you get from adult fantasy. I think people who are fans of Powerless, Red Queen, Bridgerton (but want murder mystery) will really like this. You can feel elements and vibes of those books but at the same time it’s completely its own story.
The FMC wasn’t my favorite but I can understand why she did some of the things she did. I wish we had a little back story of her relationship with some of the side characters.
Over all I really enjoyed this book and I need the next one stat!
Some of my favorite quotes completely out of context 🤭
“Of all the treasonous acts I’d ever committed, this shouldn’t have been the one to get me caught.”
“Don’t be absurd. I’ve done far more foolish things. Besides, it’s not blackmail. It’s an agreement.”
“You’re inviting me to stab you?” “I’m inviting you to try.” I couldn’t resist the challenge
“So, was there a point to your little lesson?” I crossed my arms. “Or was it an excuse to show me up?” “Of course not, my lady. That wouldn’t be gentlemanly.” “A gentleman would’ve let me stab him,”
But would his diplomatic immunity then allow for our romance?” I barked a laugh. “Your romance?” “Hypothetical, of course. There’s something tragically beautiful about the forbidden.” “Public urination is forbidden. Is that tragically beautiful?”
Again Thank You NetGalley and HarperCollins publishing for this ARC
July 26, 2025
I was absolutely obsessed with this book. Thorn Season has everything I love in YA fantasy - political intrigue, strategy and schemes, power plays, time at court, and a morally gray, strong willed, determined female main character who will stop at short of nothing to shape her own destiny.
Alissa, a heiress, is living a secret life. She's a Wielder, someone who is in possession of magic, and also a community that has always been hunted for their abilities. Due to the efforts of her father and some self-control, she's remained hidden from the Hunters, the group who's mission is to eradicate every Wielder in the kingdom. Now that she is being summoned to the court for her debutante season, Alissa is surrounded by the very people who would kill her if they discovered her true identity. Once at court, Alissa finds herself caught between admirers--the brutal King renowned for his violence against Wielders, a foreign ambassador with questionable motives, and an old childhood friend responsible for her first heartbreak. Will she be able to keep her identity hidden while navigating all the sudden interest in her? She has more to lose than she initially realizes, and the cost of survival may be more than she's willing to pay.
This book was addicting. I thought the characters and world building were fantastic, and appreciated the well-developed, thoughtful plot. There were times when I could see where the plot was going and expected a reveal, but also times the plot twist caught me by complete surprise and had me shocked. Pretty much from the first page, I was invested in what happened next. I also loved Alissa, characters like her are why I love YA fantasy books. She was angsty, strong, ambitious and knew the importance of fighting for what you believe is right. As a 27 year old, I find inspiration in her strength, and I wish this book would have been around when I was a teenager so that a younger, more insecure version of myself could have taken something away from her too. Her love interests were also part of what made the story so engaging. I feel like normally when I read books with multiple love interests, it's pretty clear who the heroine favors and by default, the author. That was not the case here! At her core, Alissa chooses herself over and over. It is never clear what action that choice is going to lead her to take, which kept the romantic subplot fresh and engaging. I think this may be the first time I've ever read a "love triangle/square" book where I haven't had a standout favorite who I want the main character to end up with. I almost wish I hadn't read an advanced copy of this book, because now I have to wait even longer for the sequel. I highly recommend Thorn Season to lovers of YA fantasy, court politics, forbidden magic, betrayal and strategy, and strong, morally gray female characters. A huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Expected publication is September 2, 2025.
Alissa, a heiress, is living a secret life. She's a Wielder, someone who is in possession of magic, and also a community that has always been hunted for their abilities. Due to the efforts of her father and some self-control, she's remained hidden from the Hunters, the group who's mission is to eradicate every Wielder in the kingdom. Now that she is being summoned to the court for her debutante season, Alissa is surrounded by the very people who would kill her if they discovered her true identity. Once at court, Alissa finds herself caught between admirers--the brutal King renowned for his violence against Wielders, a foreign ambassador with questionable motives, and an old childhood friend responsible for her first heartbreak. Will she be able to keep her identity hidden while navigating all the sudden interest in her? She has more to lose than she initially realizes, and the cost of survival may be more than she's willing to pay.
This book was addicting. I thought the characters and world building were fantastic, and appreciated the well-developed, thoughtful plot. There were times when I could see where the plot was going and expected a reveal, but also times the plot twist caught me by complete surprise and had me shocked. Pretty much from the first page, I was invested in what happened next. I also loved Alissa, characters like her are why I love YA fantasy books. She was angsty, strong, ambitious and knew the importance of fighting for what you believe is right. As a 27 year old, I find inspiration in her strength, and I wish this book would have been around when I was a teenager so that a younger, more insecure version of myself could have taken something away from her too. Her love interests were also part of what made the story so engaging. I feel like normally when I read books with multiple love interests, it's pretty clear who the heroine favors and by default, the author. That was not the case here! At her core, Alissa chooses herself over and over. It is never clear what action that choice is going to lead her to take, which kept the romantic subplot fresh and engaging. I think this may be the first time I've ever read a "love triangle/square" book where I haven't had a standout favorite who I want the main character to end up with. I almost wish I hadn't read an advanced copy of this book, because now I have to wait even longer for the sequel. I highly recommend Thorn Season to lovers of YA fantasy, court politics, forbidden magic, betrayal and strategy, and strong, morally gray female characters. A huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! Expected publication is September 2, 2025.
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