Flower and Thorn by Rati Mehrotra—An Enchanting Tale of Power and Betrayal

If you aren’t already aware, I’m a huge fan of Rati Mehrotra’s books. With this book, I daresay she’s become one of my favourite authors. There’s something in her stories that’s just so addictive and makes you want to read on and on. Maybe it’s the fantasy element or the characters or the suspense of the plot, it remains a mystery. Flower and Thorn was one such book and keep reading to find out more about it (and why you’ll love it)!

synopsis

One girl. One boy.
A promise broken.
A magic stolen.

Irinya has wanted to be a flower hunter ever since her mother disappeared into the mysterious mist of the Rann salt flats one night. Now seventeen, Irinya uses her knowledge of magical flowers to help her caravan survive in the harsh desert. When her handsome hunting partner and childhood friend finds a priceless silver spider lily—said to be able to tear down kingdoms and defeat an entire army—Irinya knows this is their chance for a better life.

Until Irinya is tricked by an attractive imposter.

Irinya’s fight to recover the priceless flower and to fix what she’s done takes her on a dangerous journey, one she’s not sure she’ll survive. She has no choice but to endure it if she hopes to return home and mend the broken heart of the boy she’s left behind.

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review

Rating – 4.5 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for presenting me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. Quotes mentioned in this post are from an advanced copy and are subjected to change.

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But sometimes people didn’t want to be saved. Sometimes they walked into the night and never returned, not because they’d lost their way, but because they’d found it.

Last August, I had the privilege of reading Rati Mehrotra’s Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove and to say that I loved it would be such an understatement. So of course, I was over the moon when the publisher reached out to me to review an early copy of Flower and Thorn, her upcoming novel. Last year, in my interview with the author, upon asking for a little information about any new projects, I was answered with “A girl who finds herself caught up in the politics of the Sultanate against the backdrop of the Portuguese invasion. There is magic, betrayal, adventure, and a touch of romance.” So of course, I was seated for this.

“The flowers choose who they choose,” said Fardan softly, echoing his own words.

Flower and Thorn is different from Night of the Raven in many different ways, but it is safe to say that if you enjoyed the latter, surely this will appeal to you! Irinya is a flower hunter who lives with her kul that never stays in one place for too long. Flower hunting is their prime source of income and their only hope to repay the baniya’s debts. So when a complete outsider comes and introduces them to the shiny world of Ahmedabad and a lifetime where the flower hunters can set their prices, surely things should change for the better…right?

But things take a drastic turn when Irinya’s best friend finds a precious flower and now the merchant is nowhere to be seen, coincidentally aligning with the disappearance of the flower. So, Irinya takes it upon herself to travel all the way to Ahmedabad and finds herself caught amid the Sultanate’s politics and somehow discovers dangerous secrets that are best kept under wraps along the way.

A flock of pink flamingos flew overhead, their wings gleaming in the early morning light. She stood and watched as they descended into a lake in the distance. How majestic they were. Like everything else in the Rann, they had a place, and they knew it. Humans were the only ones who didn’t know their place, didn’t keep to the boundaries.

The title of the novel is beautiful and perfectly encapsulates the theme of the novel. The lore of the flowers was admittedly very refreshing to read, especially the underlying question that’s ever-present throughout the pages—what if we had magic to combat the colonizers? Iriniya sets out to retrieve one stolen magical flower, but her journey in the Sultanate is one you can’t miss. Packed with suspense and page-turning chapters, you’re definitely gonna fly through this book.

So what exactly do flowers do? Well for starters, it can do little things like heal your wounds and find lost things. But if you’re adventurous and ambitious like certain characters, there’s the black chrysanthemum to open strange doors and spider lilies for winning impossible wars. It’s all so delightful, really. I know I’ve said this a lot of times but just trust me and go into a Rati Mehrotra book blind and you will not be disappointed! Just try it once is all I’m saying.

about the author

Rati Mehrotra is an Indo-Canadian SFF writer. She is the author of the Asiana duology: Markswoman and Mahimata. Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove is her first YA Fantasy novel. Her stories have been shortlisted for The Sunburst Award, nominated for The Aurora Award, and appeared in multiple venues including The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed Magazine, and Uncanny Magazine.

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THANK YOU FOR READING!