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A Riddle of Thorns
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.
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.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2025
10 people are currently reading
4737 people want to read
About the author
Sarena Nanua
8 books131 followersSarena is the co-author of Sisters of the Snake/Daughters of the Dawn with her twin sister, Sasha Nanua. She loves to read and write YA and MG novels. She graduated from UofT with an HBA.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 20, 2025
i wrote it
they-told-me-to-read-it
May 17, 2025“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.”
Umm, this sounds amazing. Need. Now.
Umm, this sounds amazing. Need. Now.
August 29, 2025
Read: August 5th - August 26th
Format: E-book
Rating: 2.5 stars rounded down
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
This books is a super easy read, and it has some interesting plot things going on, but overall, it was a miss for me. I probably would have DNF-ed if not for the easiness of the read. None of the puzzle solutions felt earned. The characters just ended up knowing most of the answers. And while I guess the twists were set up, they also felt pretty meh.
I think that sums up my feelings pretty well. Everything just came across as meh to me. None of the character relations felt as deep as they were trying to be, the narration felt juvenile (it being YA is not an excuse), and I just overall didn't care. Which is unfortunate because, even if I didn't get the random inclusion of the Roman gods still existing and being known to the world, I did enjoy the idea behind the plot. Well, the initial plot. Sorta rolled my eyes as the end result came about.
Others could probably enjoy this more, but unfortunately, it isn't for me.
Format: E-book
Rating: 2.5 stars rounded down
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review
This books is a super easy read, and it has some interesting plot things going on, but overall, it was a miss for me. I probably would have DNF-ed if not for the easiness of the read. None of the puzzle solutions felt earned. The characters just ended up knowing most of the answers. And while I guess the twists were set up, they also felt pretty meh.
I think that sums up my feelings pretty well. Everything just came across as meh to me. None of the character relations felt as deep as they were trying to be, the narration felt juvenile (it being YA is not an excuse), and I just overall didn't care. Which is unfortunate because, even if I didn't get the random inclusion of the Roman gods still existing and being known to the world, I did enjoy the idea behind the plot. Well, the initial plot. Sorta rolled my eyes as the end result came about.
Others could probably enjoy this more, but unfortunately, it isn't for me.
October 29, 2025
⋆.˚✮ 3 stars ✮˚.⋆
Want to read
May 14, 2025dark academia with riddles or puzzles is so intriguing
September 10, 2025
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.
Want to read
May 14, 2025dark academia for fans of Divine Rivals and The Inheritance Games
yes please
yes please
November 3, 2025
I will read anything by these authors. Another great read. Thoroughly enjoyed
December 12, 2025
1.5 stars rounded down
This book had so much potential, and failed so hard to reach it.
The half star is for the writing—because on a line level, these two authors can actually write well. But that’s one of the only positive takeaways I got from this book.
I was going to round up my rating, but the ending was so terribly executed in my opinion. All it did was leave me wondering why the heck this game even took place at all. (I explain more in the spoiler section.)
The plot was all over the place (especially the ending), and the main reason I kept reading (to find out what happened to Sana’s mother) did not make up for it. The characters were all able to figure out the answers to the puzzles so easily, like the solutions just came to them out of the blue.
Then there were the characters, who were one-dimensional cut outs for the most part. Both protagonists and antagonists were so surface level, and it was such a disappointment. One thing that annoyed me in particular was that the other players were hiding secrets from Sana (which I liked), only for them to reveal those secrets randomly later in the book without any prompting (which I hated). Like, all of a sudden they’d be like “hey Sana, I need to tell you about this secret that I didn’t mention before” for absolutely no reason. It was so frustratingly bad!
I don’t know if I can read another book by these authors. Maybe I will, since their line-level writing is good. But if there ends up being a sequel for this book like the epilogue alluded to, you can count me out.
NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:
This book had so much potential, and failed so hard to reach it.
The half star is for the writing—because on a line level, these two authors can actually write well. But that’s one of the only positive takeaways I got from this book.
I was going to round up my rating, but the ending was so terribly executed in my opinion. All it did was leave me wondering why the heck this game even took place at all. (I explain more in the spoiler section.)
The plot was all over the place (especially the ending), and the main reason I kept reading (to find out what happened to Sana’s mother) did not make up for it. The characters were all able to figure out the answers to the puzzles so easily, like the solutions just came to them out of the blue.
Then there were the characters, who were one-dimensional cut outs for the most part. Both protagonists and antagonists were so surface level, and it was such a disappointment. One thing that annoyed me in particular was that the other players were hiding secrets from Sana (which I liked), only for them to reveal those secrets randomly later in the book without any prompting (which I hated). Like, all of a sudden they’d be like “hey Sana, I need to tell you about this secret that I didn’t mention before” for absolutely no reason. It was so frustratingly bad!
I don’t know if I can read another book by these authors. Maybe I will, since their line-level writing is good. But if there ends up being a sequel for this book like the epilogue alluded to, you can count me out.
NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:
August 26, 2025
A fun, spooky read. Perfect for fans of Crimson Peak and classic gothic fiction (Edgar Allan Poe, Frankenstein etc.) I loved the diverse cast of characters and the different dynamics. It was like a gothic escape room. The mythology behind this alternate version of Victorian Paris was also a fascinating twist.
A wonderful smorgasbord of creepy and enticing genre blending. A must read for this spooky season!!!
A wonderful smorgasbord of creepy and enticing genre blending. A must read for this spooky season!!!
August 15, 2025
Super readable and a page turner. The game is afoot when Sana returns home to a gothic manor, meets four other teens and gets caught in a high stakes game of riddles, put forth by her dead mother. So many twists and turns as the secrets come pouring out. Nice set up for a sequel.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
November 26, 2025
I was absolutely fascinated and consumed by reading A Riddle of Thorns. A very intense page turner, you are immediately engrossed in the life of Sana Gupta who has returned home to celebrate her eighteenth birthday only for events to turn into a rivalry for her birthright that molts into a who-done-it. Authors and twin sisters Sarena Nanua and Sasha Nanua do an exceptional job at captivating readers – never giving away any possible clues as to the story’s outcome. Pick up this book and prepare for an afternoon on the couch without a moment of pause for breath.
Sana Gupta’s mother Tara disappeared when she was a young girl, so she was sent away to Canada. Tara was known for her love of botany and being a fan of puzzles/ciphers. With so much mystery surrounding her mother’s departure, Sana has always wondered if her mom is still alive. Close to her eighteenth birthday Sana receives a note inviting her back to Paris to the home she grew up in, making her think it’s time for her to claim her inheritance. What she finds upon arrival, besides her home now rundown, is her former Nanny Marta has invited three others to take part in a contest of riddles per Tara’s will. They have each received a cryptic invitation to participate in a contest of riddles where one winner earns the deed to the manor. Here we meet Isabelle, a former family friend, Fox, who has modeled and molded himself after Sherlock Holmes, and Minho, a handsome and smart young man who could be Sana’s undoing. None of this can be a coincidence so Sana tasks herself with not only winning the game but uncovering the long held secrets of her home. Each clue leads the quartet into a darker world and one step closer to their true prize – a flower that has long been told to hold the ability to grant any wish thanks to the goddess Flora.
Both Nanua sisters do an outstanding job of crafting this tale to where you don’t know where one author starts and the other begins. Certainly, you never know who to trust along the way as it changes from page to page. Readers will dive headfirst into trying to unravel how all of the players fit into this puzzle adventure that Tara has created. Puzzles, clues, mysteries and madness abound so you never know who to root for as each seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to make themselves the winner. Be prepared to desperately hope for Sana’s success while simultaneously being confounded at every twist and turn yet loving every moment of it.
Sir Walter Scott's poem “Marmion” reads, "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive," and boy, does A Riddle of Thorns personify that adage. For those who find puzzles fascinating, messy family histories intriguing, gods/goddesses powers to be captivating and so much, do yourself a favor and read this perfectly designed page turner that will have you eager to solve it all if not for Sana’s sake but your own.
Sana Gupta’s mother Tara disappeared when she was a young girl, so she was sent away to Canada. Tara was known for her love of botany and being a fan of puzzles/ciphers. With so much mystery surrounding her mother’s departure, Sana has always wondered if her mom is still alive. Close to her eighteenth birthday Sana receives a note inviting her back to Paris to the home she grew up in, making her think it’s time for her to claim her inheritance. What she finds upon arrival, besides her home now rundown, is her former Nanny Marta has invited three others to take part in a contest of riddles per Tara’s will. They have each received a cryptic invitation to participate in a contest of riddles where one winner earns the deed to the manor. Here we meet Isabelle, a former family friend, Fox, who has modeled and molded himself after Sherlock Holmes, and Minho, a handsome and smart young man who could be Sana’s undoing. None of this can be a coincidence so Sana tasks herself with not only winning the game but uncovering the long held secrets of her home. Each clue leads the quartet into a darker world and one step closer to their true prize – a flower that has long been told to hold the ability to grant any wish thanks to the goddess Flora.
Both Nanua sisters do an outstanding job of crafting this tale to where you don’t know where one author starts and the other begins. Certainly, you never know who to trust along the way as it changes from page to page. Readers will dive headfirst into trying to unravel how all of the players fit into this puzzle adventure that Tara has created. Puzzles, clues, mysteries and madness abound so you never know who to root for as each seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to make themselves the winner. Be prepared to desperately hope for Sana’s success while simultaneously being confounded at every twist and turn yet loving every moment of it.
Sir Walter Scott's poem “Marmion” reads, "Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive," and boy, does A Riddle of Thorns personify that adage. For those who find puzzles fascinating, messy family histories intriguing, gods/goddesses powers to be captivating and so much, do yourself a favor and read this perfectly designed page turner that will have you eager to solve it all if not for Sana’s sake but your own.
October 28, 2025
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.
⚡️Thank you, Holiday House, Sarena, and Sasha Nanua, for sharing this book with me!
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.
⚡️Thank you, Holiday House, Sarena, and Sasha Nanua, for sharing this book with me!
October 17, 2025
I received a free copy from the publisher for review.
This brand new young adult release is an intriguing blend of fantasy, history, and mystery. It has been pitched as The Inheritance Games meets Divine Rivals and I thought that comparison was accurate. It definitely brings the puzzle solving wrapped up in an inheritance competition and the setting was reminiscent of DV with gods and magic mixed into a real world 1913 setting.
I am a big fan of riddles, puzzle solving, and escape rooms and so when those aspects were woven in from very early on it definitely got me excited! This felt like the perfect read for fall time with the mystery and magic and the fact that it was fall time for the characters as well!
There is a great diverse cast of characters. It wasn’t too many to keep track of but enough to make things feel complicated and flesh things out. There is also a gardening/flower aspect throughout that added a neat element and made it feel extra atmospheric.
Some things with the wrap up and world building didn’t completely land with me but overall a strong book.
Trigger/content notes: light gore. Spice level is passionate kissing.
This brand new young adult release is an intriguing blend of fantasy, history, and mystery. It has been pitched as The Inheritance Games meets Divine Rivals and I thought that comparison was accurate. It definitely brings the puzzle solving wrapped up in an inheritance competition and the setting was reminiscent of DV with gods and magic mixed into a real world 1913 setting.
I am a big fan of riddles, puzzle solving, and escape rooms and so when those aspects were woven in from very early on it definitely got me excited! This felt like the perfect read for fall time with the mystery and magic and the fact that it was fall time for the characters as well!
There is a great diverse cast of characters. It wasn’t too many to keep track of but enough to make things feel complicated and flesh things out. There is also a gardening/flower aspect throughout that added a neat element and made it feel extra atmospheric.
Some things with the wrap up and world building didn’t completely land with me but overall a strong book.
Trigger/content notes: light gore. Spice level is passionate kissing.
August 21, 2025
ARC was given by Netgalley and Holiday House in exchange for an honest review.
Sana Gupta believes that she is due to inherit her mother's fortune and manor upon her eighteenth birthday. However, she's dismayed to discover when she returns home that 3 strangers have been invited to compete in a game of riddles, not just for the estate and the inheritance, but for a flower created by the gods that can grant any wish. Sana sets out to discover the truth about her mother's apparent death, her connection to these strangers, and how she can be the overall winner of this twisted game.
The first half of this book was a bit of a struggle for me, and I did find it to be surprisingly boring. The second half was quicker-paced and held my attention. Sana was grating on my nerves in the first half, which did not help, but she improved tremendously as a character by the end of the story. Overall, not a bad story.
Sana Gupta believes that she is due to inherit her mother's fortune and manor upon her eighteenth birthday. However, she's dismayed to discover when she returns home that 3 strangers have been invited to compete in a game of riddles, not just for the estate and the inheritance, but for a flower created by the gods that can grant any wish. Sana sets out to discover the truth about her mother's apparent death, her connection to these strangers, and how she can be the overall winner of this twisted game.
The first half of this book was a bit of a struggle for me, and I did find it to be surprisingly boring. The second half was quicker-paced and held my attention. Sana was grating on my nerves in the first half, which did not help, but she improved tremendously as a character by the end of the story. Overall, not a bad story.
December 30, 2025
4.5/5
Honestly one of the most exciting murder mysterious I’ve read this month because it FELT like a murder mystery but also had amazing soft fantasy lore. It was so great, but towards the end it got a little.. hectic? It was hard to follow what exactly was going on but the ending was so good!
Honestly one of the most exciting murder mysterious I’ve read this month because it FELT like a murder mystery but also had amazing soft fantasy lore. It was so great, but towards the end it got a little.. hectic? It was hard to follow what exactly was going on but the ending was so good!
September 22, 2025
ooooo girrrl!!! I NEED BOOK TWO NOWWW PLEASE!!! Everything was so dang good from beginning to end. The mysteries, the romance everything was just *chef kiss* perfect! 10/10 recommend!
November 7, 2025
I really love your book, but at the end the book was a gibberish
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews