Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Soraya, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch, has lived hidden away from her family, safe only in her gardens. As her twin brother's wedding approaches, she must decide whether to step out of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon, a captured demon holds the knowledge she craves, the answer to her freedom, and above is a young man who is not afraid of her.

When her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, Soraya begins to question who she is becoming: human or demon, princess or monster.

Melissa Bashardoust's standalone young adult fantasy, published by Flatiron Books in 2020, weaves Persian language and tales, particularly the Shahnameh, with European fairy tales and Zoroastrian mythology.