A Riddle of Thorns

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91nO1irSmDL
Publisher
Age Range
14+
Release Date
October 14, 2025
ISBN
978-0823460427
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A Riddle of Thorns is a twisty Dark Academia mystery—glittering, elegant, unsettling, and perfect for fans of Divine Rivals and The Inheritance Games.

Sana Gupta has waited years to return to her ancestral home in Paris, with its labyrinthine halls and overgrown gardens. Sent away as a child when her mother disappeared, Sana has long puzzled over whether her mother's departure was just another of her famously unsolvable riddles.

Now eighteen and ready to claim her inheritance, Sana arrives at the dark and dilapidated estate to find three strangers awaiting her: Fox, an eccentric prodigy who models himself after Sherlock Holmes; Isabelle, a seemingly innocent girl who shares an icy history with Sana; and Minho, a handsome young genius always wearing half a smirk. Per her mother’s will, they’ve each received a cryptic invitation to compete in a contest of riddles for the deed to Razorthorn Manor—and the rumored treasure hidden within: a flower created by the gods themselves, able to grant any wish.

Feeling betrayed by her mother, Sana sets out to uncover the truth of where her mother really went, what links the competitors together, and what secrets the crumbling and disquieting house conceals. But her task won’t be easy—for her competitors will do anything to win this twisted game . . . Set in a darkly shimmering Edwardian Paris where worship of the Roman gods never ended, A Riddle of Thorns drips with Gothic atmosphere, sizzles with romantic tension, and confounds with intricate puzzles and long-buried mysteries.

Editor review

1 review
Twisting tales
(Updated: June 04, 2026)
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
Set in a darkly shimmering Edwardian Paris where worship of the Roman gods never ended, A Riddle of Thorns drips with Gothic atmosphere, sizzles with romantic tension, and confounds with intricate puzzles and long-buried mysteries. When Sana Gupta turns 18, she heads back to her childhood home, thinking she will be claiming her inheritance, only to discover she must compete against three competitors who all have dark reasons for being there. If you like puzzles, riddles, and a murder mystery or disappearance wrapped up in your fantasy story, this book will be perfect. This book has a diverse cast of characters and the different connections to the razorthorn flower. I like this alternate version of Victorian Paris with some gods and mythology tossed in.
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User reviews

1 review
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0(1)
Characters
 
5.0(1)
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5.0(1)
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5.0(1)
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felt like stepping into a fever dream
(Updated: June 04, 2026)
Overall rating
 
5.0
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
5.0
A Riddle of Thorns by Sarena and Sasha Nanua felt like stepping into a fever dream of riddles, rivalry, and ruinous secrets and I loved every second of it!

From the moment Sana Gupta walked into the decaying Razorthorn Manor, I could practically smell the dust and feel the chill of the vines crawling through the halls. She’s been waiting years to come back home to Paris, but what she finds isn’t closure. It's a cryptic competition straight out of her mother’s twisted imagination.

I adored Sana. She’s sharp, angry, and heartbreakingly human torn between wanting to win her mother’s game and wanting to burn the whole thing down. The three other competitors are perfectly untrustworthy: Fox, with his Sherlock obsession and too-clever smirk; Isabelle, who’s soft and suspicious in equal measure; and Minho, charming enough to make you forget he’s probably plotting three steps ahead. It’s like Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games but wrapped in lush, mythic Parisian gothic.

What surprised me most was how emotional it got. Beneath the riddles and eerie atmosphere, this is a story about grief, legacy, and the maddening ways we chase the ghosts of those who left us behind. Every clue peels back a layer of betrayal or love or both, and by the end, I was equal parts awed and gutted.

Overall, it's deliciously mysterious, gorgeously written, and just the right amount of unsettling.
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1 thought on “A Riddle of Thorns”

  1. xxxandheri says:

    Nice Story

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