While there was nothing inherently wrong with this book, it didn’t stand out to me as one especially captivating or memorable. I never got attached to the characters, and Soraya’s arc was one I’d seen multiple times before in some way or another, without any way to make hers stand out.

I went in expecting a sapphic romance, and while technically I did get one, it was more of an undertone than a focal point. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, as romance isn’t and doesn’t have to be central to every story. It was more of a misunderstanding on my part. I did like it, though.

Also, the antagonist? I saw that coming a mile away. Even if I didn’t guess all the details, the brunt of it was quite obvious. Nearly every fairytale I’ve come across tells you that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And beyond the reveal, it didn’t feel like any part of the story was particularly intense or any of the obstacles were truly fearsome.

Overall: good world-building, plain characters, and nothing really surprising throughout the book. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a fantasy that’s not quite so intense, or a very character-driven retelling. I do think there are people that will enjoy this book; I just ended up pretty indifferent toward it.

Representation

Some of the metaphors or symbolism was a bit heavy handed, but overall this was a really lovely story about trauma (both personal and familial), grief, healing, and acceptance. Soraya feels so real to me and I could see myself and many of my loved ones in her and the characters around her. The addition of the queer themes without the stigma of queerness as a plot point elevated her relationships to the other characters in the story and allowed it to truly blossom into a beautiful book about self-discovery. I absolutely loved it

Absolutely loved this book, I really liked the exploration of Soraya’s character and her feelings. As the book says “sometimes the princess is the monster” and I love that.

I really liked that even through Soraya gave her curse/gift up, she realized that was a mistake and she got it back and she accepted and felt comfortable in herself and with her power. I’ve seen books end too many times with the (usually female) characters having to give up their powers and I hate that troupe so I’m so glad this book did not do that and it let Soraya be powerful and dangerous.

I finished this book five days ago and am just now starting the review, which is an unusually long delay for me. But I'm having a really hard time figuring out what to say about this book. It's really, really good - set in a world based on ancient Persia, featuring a cursed princess and fascinating demons and just enough magic to be tantilizing without giving it a high fantasy feel. It was highly engaging and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

What makes it hard to write a review is that the plot on the back cover wraps up about 40% into the book. It's a rare book that can put the major twist in before the halfway point and still make the story interesting, but this book pulls it off. And also makes it hard to review, because anything I say about the last 60% is going to be a spoiler. 

This is one of those books you could easily analyze for a paper for school or discuss in a literature class. It has Important Themes of family loyalty (what do you owe your family if everything they've done has made your life worse?) and humanity versus monsterhood, centering around a cursed princess who believes her poisonous touch makes her more monster than human. But if you don't feel like digging that deep into it, you don't have to. In a surface read, it's a perfectly entertaining fantasy story with likeable characters and surprising twists. 

Since it's so hard to talk about the story contained in this book without ruining the experience, I guess I'll just say this: Experience it for yourself. It's a great fairy tale, marvelously told, set in a richly imagined world of Persian royalty and demons who haunt the woods, resplendent with myths and monsters and unexpected surprises and featuring a protagonist who is as loveable as she is relatable. It's a very, very good book and needs to be experienced to understand just how good it is.