Thorn Season by Kiera Azar

When I first picked up Thorn Season, I was expecting a classic debutante season story, something along the lines of Rose Bargain. But this book quickly proved to be much more than your typical YA "competition for the prince" narrative. Instead, we’re thrown into a richly layered world of political intrigue, where Hunters track down and eliminate Wielders—those born with dangerous magical abilities. The twist, however, is that our protagonist, Alissa, is the heir to a powerful Hunter family, but she’s secretly a Wielder herself.

As the first book in a trilogy, Thorn Season delivers an impressive amount of complex worldbuilding, especially for a debut. While it isn’t centered on a debutante competition, there’s still plenty of courtly drama, elegant attire, and subtle social maneuvering, which is all wrapped up in a plot driven by secrets and the uncovering of deep political corruption. There’s also a romantic subplot and while there are a few red herrings suggesting a possible love triangle, it’s fairly clear from early on who the true love interest will be. This is being marketed as a "romantasy" but it is a book with some romantic tension and a bit of kissing (no spice) so it fits much better into the category of YA fantasy.

The ending had twists that set up the next book well and I am fully interested in continuing this series. They mystery was cleared up satisfactorily and it’s pretty clear to where will be traveling in the next book. I am hopefully that the romance parts stay as side plots and that the world building continues to be a priority for Azar. I prefer more politics, intrigue, and betrayals and that we continue to keep the romantic interludes on the more chaste side.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the advanced e-arc.