In The Serpent and the Wolf I appreciated the way Robinson examines how we can be made into a weapon. And the ways we can take our own power back. It’s very much a swoony fantasy, but also a story about self-discovery and power. Keep reading this book review of The Serpent and the Wolf for my full thoughts.
Summary
All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.
After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.
But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.
This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
In The Serpent and the Wolf we have an arranged marriage with an explosive meet cute and battles of wills. There’s stubborn, strong headed, and whatever Vaasa and Reid are. One of my favorite elements in The Serpent and the Wolf were the coven and the magic. I loved how Vaasa finds friends and support. She comes into her own. At the same time, Vaasa has to figure out how she can control her own magic. Throughout her journey, Vaasa has to learn that dismissing our emotions, our fear, our anger and our pain doesn’t make them go away. They just grow in darkened shadows.
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In The Serpent and the Wolf we see the extent to which people would go to keep power. And, if we have power, do we have a responsibility to use it? We can want to escape, to avoid the rave and competition for power – but how does any change happen? One of my favorite elements, obviously, had to be the relationship they have. While I wish we had more images of him teaching her to see the depth of their relationship, I am fully sat for book two!
We can see the universal questions about whether is an excuse for others to have power over us or whether it strengthens us. It’s a whole series of bargains and deals which rear their heads. Find The Serpent and the Wolf on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.