With the irresistibly compulsive quality of Fourth Wing and the rich world-building of A Court of Thorns and Roses, Thorn Season is sharp, funny, sexy and dangerous, and packed full of irresistible twists – an unforgettable novel that marks the introduction of a major new YA voice and will be the romantasy debut of 2025.
In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders – able to exert a physical power that extends beyond her visible a shimmering tendril that can pick a lock, a gentle coil that reaches out to give a loving caress, or an inexorable rope that will kill a man before he knows it is around his neck. Feared and mistrusted for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted.
Alissa Paine – heiress of a noble lineage, daughter of a Hunter family – is also a Wielder. And as she approaches her eighteenth Season, Alissa knows she has escaped execution so far only through painful self-control, and the fragile efforts of her beloved father.
Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself trapped in a web of hidden intentions – and caught between two equally dangerous men. One is a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairytale prince, who would see her destroyed in an instant if the truth were known – and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own.
It’s Rose Season at the palace, but Alissa knows that survival will depend on being the most vicious of the thorns…
In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders – able to exert a physical power that extends beyond her visible a shimmering tendril that can pick a lock, a gentle coil that reaches out to give a loving caress, or an inexorable rope that will kill a man before he knows it is around his neck. Feared and mistrusted for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted.
Alissa Paine – heiress of a noble lineage, daughter of a Hunter family – is also a Wielder. And as she approaches her eighteenth Season, Alissa knows she has escaped execution so far only through painful self-control, and the fragile efforts of her beloved father.
Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself trapped in a web of hidden intentions – and caught between two equally dangerous men. One is a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairytale prince, who would see her destroyed in an instant if the truth were known – and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own.
It’s Rose Season at the palace, but Alissa knows that survival will depend on being the most vicious of the thorns…
Title: Thorn Season (Thorn Season #1)
Author: Kiera Azar
Publisher: Harper Collins Children
Expected Publication Dare: September 2, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Harper Collins Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I can't believe this was a debut fantasy. I enjoyed it so much! Fantastic world building, an interesting magic type system, villains, a corrupt monarch, mysterious happenings, and rebels. This was such a great mix of fun, romance, and tension!
I will say the book initially started a bit slow for me. There is a lot of build up to what happens in the second half of the book. But once the build up was over, the book moved really quickly with tons of action, chases, and high stakes to be had. I never thought to stop reading but I was waiting for it to pick up and boy did it ever!
I adored all the characters. Alissa is an amazing heroine. She's smart and sassy and has so much growth in this book. And she is vengeful with bloodlust and I loved every minute of watching her bloom and grow. She was literally a different person by the end of the book with all she learns. Kiel, oh my! I need more Kiel in my life. I'm sure he'll be a bigger part of the next book but I will say I was sad to not have him in the last 35% or so of the book. I kept wanting him to show up. Garrett left something to be desired. I'm just super angry at his character (read and you'll know why) and I'm hoping he will in some way redeem himself, if he doesn't die first. And then there's Erik, The King, who you know from the start is just full of all the evil. And he gives quite the twisty turn with the things he knows you never thought he would! Carmen, Tari, Blaire, and so many more. I really enjoyed how Azar made each and every character unique.
And I loved how Azar worked in so many surprises throughout the book. Not only to show us who the characters really were but also to show us they are not at all who we may have thought they were, as well. Scheming and plotting come at you from all sides. It's like watching a show about 15th century England! Every moment, every interaction had weight to it that was essential to the plot. Azar packs the betrayal in places where you never thought you'd see it coming. Definitely surprises around every corner in her world.
I'm really excited to see Azar go deeper into her world and help the reader explore more of the magic system. And I love that she's added additional adventure outside the initial world. It is giving me Throne of Glass vibes! If you're looking for a fantasy that doesn't rely solely on the romance and is full of twists and turns throughout, I highly recommend you give this one a try.
Author:
KIERA AZAR was born in Surrey, where she grew up acting, singing and songwriting, making her screen debut in the Netflix adaptation of Shadow And Bone. She studied biomedical science before she wrote her first book and decided to pursue her love of storytelling. Thorn Season is her first novel.
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