Flower and Thorn | CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Volume XXX / Issue 17 - January 12 / 2024

Flower and Thorn

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Flower and Thorn

Author:

Rati Mehrotra

New York, NY: Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press (Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books), 2023

338 pp., hardcover, $28.00

ISBN:

9781250823700

Grades:

Grades 8-11

Ages:

Ages 13-16

Review by:

Review by Kim Aippersbach

Excerpt:

But the worst, the very worst thing, was the man sitting in a chair opposite the bed, chin resting on steepled fingers, eyes glittering in the darkness. His face was in shadow, but she had no doubt, even in her bleary condition, who he was: Imshan Khan, the wazir of Gujarat. Dread laid icy hands on her chest and squeezed, making it hard to breathe.

“We meet again, my duplicitous little clerk,” he rasped.
She tried to swallow and coughed instead. “I’m not—not that thing you’re calling me.”

“You’re no clerk, that is certain.” He rose and began to pace. “You dressed as a boy to get into my caravan. I thought that was amusing—and understandable, if dangerous. But you lied about who you are. You hid the deadly weapon you carried. And that is unforgivable. Because you could be anyone. A spy, even.”

Some of the fog lifted from her brain. “I’m not a spy, I swear.”

He stopped pacing and faced her. “I will need more reliable proof than your words.” His voice was grim. “What kind of poison do you tip your darts with?”

Flower and Thorn is a standalone fantasy set in a world based on India at the time of the Portuguese invasion. Irinya is a flower hunter: she seeks the rare, magical flowers that only grow in a dangerous desert. Her nomadic community, or kul, is indebted to a petty local leader and must redeem that debt with a certain quota of flowers each season.

A stranger arrives at the kul, claiming to work for a famous general. He promises to pay off their debt if Irinya gives him a spider lily that will guarantee victory over the Portuguese. When the debt is not paid off, Irena journeys to the royal city in search of the duplicitous stranger.

On the way, she falls into the power of a young, ambitious wazir who wants the spider lily to help him usurp the throne from the Sultana. Irinya and her friends from the kul must use the magic of the flowers to outwit the wazir, find the spider lily and get it to the Sultana.

Flower and Thorn is a tightly plotted adventure told through a lushly detailed fantasy world. The setting is brought to life with clear depictions of 14th century Indian architecture, food, politics and culture. Mehotra’s flower-based magic system is interwoven seamlessly into a historical context.

Characters are interestingly complex: everyone has more than one motivation, and the plot turns and twists around their unexpected actions. Irinya begins as a naïve, trusting girl but learns through her own and others’ betrayals. She becomes a canny player, herself, doing whatever it takes to save her community.

The magic of the flowers is consistent and satisfying. Each flower offers a different gift with a different commensurate cost, and the characters each have to face the consequences of their use. The wazir is defeated by his own arrogance and greed.

Romance is a minor but enjoyable part of the plot as Irinya’s relationship with her best friend develops into love. The story—and Irinya—focuses on her choices to trust or not trust and how best to use each person to accomplish her goals. The strength of her bond to her family and her people is a thematic element underpinning the whole narrative.

Readers looking for an original magic system and intelligent female characters will enjoy Flower and Thorn, a sweeping adventure.

Highly Recommended

Reviewer:

Kim Aippersbach is a writer, editor and mother of three in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Subject Headings:

Magic-Fiction

Flowers-Fiction