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Thorn Season
- Author
- Kiera Azar
- Narrator
- Jessica Hayles
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 11 September 2025
- Run Time
- 15 hours 56 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
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What to expect
With an irresistible cast of characters, an incredible high fantasy world, and a unique, dangerous magic system, THORN SEASON is an epic court romantasy – perfect YA for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse.
'Destined to be a romantasy sensation' – Katherine Webber
'Sexy, hilarious and completely addictive. I need more!' – S. F. Williamson
ONLY THE SHARPEST WILL SURVIVE
“Court is filled with charming vipers,” I said, chin lifted.
“But charming or not, we are vipers all the same.”
In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders – able to exert a physical power that extends beyond their visible body: 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…
WIELD YOUR POWER. GUARD YOUR SECRET. SURVIVE THE HUNT.
Sharp, funny, sexy and dangerous, and packed full of irresistible twists, Thorn Season is an unforgettable novel that marks the introduction of a major new YA voice.
Critics Review
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'A glittering, gorgeous book full of intrigue, intricate world building, and thrilling romance. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait for the sequel. Thorn Season is destined to be a romantasy sensation.' – Katherine Webber, bestselling author of Twin Crowns
'Evocative writing laced with romance, rebellion and rose petals. Sexy, hilarious and completely addictive. I need more!' – S. F. Williamson, #1 Sunday Times and New York Times-bestselling author of A Language of Dragons
'With its sizzling romance, dangerous court intrigue and twisting-turning plot, Thorn Season is a dazzling romantasy debut that had me desperate to turn the next page. I’m obsessed!' – Lauryn Hamilton Murray, author of Heir of Storms
'Sharply-written and utterly gripping, Thorn Season ensnares with its tangled vines of political schemes, its breathtakingly alluring yet dangerous romances, and fiercely clever protagonist who is in turns charming and prickly like the titular thorn. Azar is one to watch in the YA fantasy landscape; readers won’t want to put this one down.' – Amelie Wen Zhao, New York Times-bestselling author of The Scorpion and the Night Blossom
'Thorn Season is a heady mix of propulsive plot, decadent court intrigue, deadly mystery and thrilling romance. I devoured it and cannot wait to see where Azar takes it next. Sure to be the romantasy debut of the year.' – Rachel Greenlaw, Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells
'Dark, sexy, and completely addictive, romantasy lovers will devour Azar’s Thorn Season. With epic betrayals, shocking twists, and delicious tension, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. An absolute thrill of a novel.' – Rachel Griffin, NYT bestselling author of The Nature of Witches
'An opulent romantasy debut for fans of the queen of the genre, Sarah J Maas' – The Observer
User Reviews
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Details
- Author
- Kiera Azar
- Narrator
- Jessica Hayles
- Duration
- 15 hours 56 minutes
- Release Date
- 11 September 2025
- ISBN
- 9780008721848
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage fiction: Fantasy romance, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Epic fantasy / heroic fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Romance and love stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Thrillers / suspense, Fantasy romance / Romantic fantasy, Romance: fantasy and paranormal
Synopsis
With an irresistible cast of characters, an incredible high fantasy world, and a unique, dangerous magic system, THORN SEASON is an epic court romantasy – perfect YA for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. 'Destined to be a romantasy sensation' – Katherine Webber 'Sexy, hilarious and completely addictive. I need more!' – S. F. Williamson ONLY THE SHARPEST WILL SURVIVE “Court is filled with charming vipers,” I said, chin lifted. “But charming or not, we are vipers all the same.” In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders – able to exert a physical power that extends beyond their visible body: 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… WIELD YOUR POWER. GUARD YOUR SECRET. SURVIVE THE HUNT. Sharp, funny, sexy and dangerous, and packed full of irresistible twists, Thorn Season is an unforgettable novel that marks the introduction of a major new YA voice.
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