A Riddle of Thorns

Teens vie for wealth and access to magic in this jam-packed fantasy from the Nanua sisters (the Ria & Rani series). After “famous aerial artist” Tara Gupta disappears into the Seine River in 1906 and is declared dead, her 11-year-old daughter, Sana, goes to live with relatives in Canada. Seven years later, Sana—newly 18—returns to her mother’s Parisian estate, Razorthorn Manor, in response to a letter from her estranged aunt. Sana assumes she’s there to celebrate her birthday and collect her inheritance. Instead, she learns that, in accordance with her puzzle-loving mother’s will, she and three other teens—Fox, Isabelle, and Minho—have been summoned to Razorthorn to compete in an elaborately constructed game of riddles. The victor wins not only the house but the seed for a long-extinct flower that can purportedly bestow “godly abilities.” As the contest unfolds, friendships form and attraction sparks, but trust proves dangerous in this high-stakes game. Despite underdeveloped worldbuilding, the soapy melodrama of the interpersonal conflict plus a barrage of increasingly mystifying plot twists, depicted via passionate first-person narration, keep the pages turning. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agents: Pete Knapp and Stuti Telidevara, Park & Fine Literary. (Oct.)