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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Give me more books about jewelcrafting and magical jewelry! This was a fun, fast paced romantasy book with elements of different genres mixed together and it all worked fantastically together. Also, if a book has a little magical sidekick/familiar, I just know I'm going to love it and this one was perfect! Grimney is so adorable. It's been a while since I have read and actually enjoyed a YA romantasy book and this one hits the spot.
Also? This cover is stunning!
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Also? This cover is stunning!
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
"Embrace the Serpent" by Sunya Mara is a fantasy romance set in a world of magical beings and humans; those enthralled by the Empire's djinn and others simply trying to get by.
When jewelsmith "assistant" and runaway Imperial Ward, Saphira, meets the huntsman of the mysterious Serpent King, her world is upended. What follows is an incredible story that balances romantic love with love of one's people and unchecked power with that of a devoted ruler. The love that develops between Saphira and Rane is so honest. AND I absolutely loved Grimney, Saphira's sweet and sassy golem.
This standalone fantasy romance was such a refreshing read. I feel like this genre has been inundated with series lately & it is so nice for a story to be explored and completed in less than 400 pages! I look forward to reading Sunya Mara's previous & future works. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the eARC.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
This was a lovely YA romantasy and I had a great time reading it. I really liked the magic system and the jewelsmithing. The yearning tension and slow build were exactly what I like in a romantasy. It is firmly YA so there is not any spice. There was a bit of a slow down in the middle where I was hoping it would pick up but then the rest was a better place. It seems to be a stand alone but I would read another book in this universe.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was given this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!
-------------------------------
"Sometimes it happens that a wee little voice in your heart says this is right."
Saphira is a jewelers apprentice who is invisible and would like to keep it that way. When the Serpent King comes to the city to find a bride, one little secret slips and changes her whole life. A marriage of convenience to a notoriously vicious king is anything but invisible and everything she thought she knew is about to change.
I loved this book.
It was such a great fantasy world that felt built enough that I walked away with more answers than I had questions. I think this would be a great intro to fantasy. It isn't an overly intense world to adjust to and understand. The magic isn't complicated and doesn't play into everything that happens. There is a great balance of learning about the world and the magic along with getting to know and understand the characters in a meaningful way. The pacing was really great. It wasn't too fast and didn't miss any elements of the plot that I wanted more information on. There weren't any moments that felt like they lulled and I needed the plot to move faster. I really think this was perfectly paced,
Saphira, while a little immature at times, grew so much through the course of this book. You got to see more and more of who she truly was shine through as she surrounded herself with people that didn't just take from her. I loved the duality of the Serpent King and I think that seeing both sides of who he was, one through the eyes o those that that have never met him, and through they eyes of Saphira was a lot of fun. I also think seeing him through the eyes of his people and family just added to that depth of his character.
This is the easiest book that I have read in a while. I lost myself in the world and the characters and it was so much fun to read!!
-------------------------------
"Sometimes it happens that a wee little voice in your heart says this is right."
Saphira is a jewelers apprentice who is invisible and would like to keep it that way. When the Serpent King comes to the city to find a bride, one little secret slips and changes her whole life. A marriage of convenience to a notoriously vicious king is anything but invisible and everything she thought she knew is about to change.
I loved this book.
It was such a great fantasy world that felt built enough that I walked away with more answers than I had questions. I think this would be a great intro to fantasy. It isn't an overly intense world to adjust to and understand. The magic isn't complicated and doesn't play into everything that happens. There is a great balance of learning about the world and the magic along with getting to know and understand the characters in a meaningful way. The pacing was really great. It wasn't too fast and didn't miss any elements of the plot that I wanted more information on. There weren't any moments that felt like they lulled and I needed the plot to move faster. I really think this was perfectly paced,
Saphira, while a little immature at times, grew so much through the course of this book. You got to see more and more of who she truly was shine through as she surrounded herself with people that didn't just take from her. I loved the duality of the Serpent King and I think that seeing both sides of who he was, one through the eyes o those that that have never met him, and through they eyes of Saphira was a lot of fun. I also think seeing him through the eyes of his people and family just added to that depth of his character.
This is the easiest book that I have read in a while. I lost myself in the world and the characters and it was so much fun to read!!
Embrace the Serpent is a fast paced YA fantasy about a young woman with a natural gift for jewelsmithing. She hides her real identity while working for a flamboyant man who claims her accomplishments for his own. When her work draws the attention of a king from a far away kingdom she has to step into the limelight to claim the life she truly wants instead of continuing to hide in the shadows. Did I mention that the king is a Serpent King with scales and fangs?
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3.5⭐️.
I thought this book was a fast paced and fun YA fantasy with a good balance of romance and adventure. Around 60-65% of the way into the book the brakes come off and events happen at such a rapid pace that I flew through the rest of the book without stopping! I really appreciated the author keeping this book as a standalone-no drug out filler and fluff here. One of my absolute favorite parts of this book was the side character Grimsley, he was such a lovable little companion! I will absolutely be posting about this book on my social media (TikTok and YouTube) about this book closer to its release date as I think this was a fun diversion and will make a good summer read for teens.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3.5⭐️.
I thought this book was a fast paced and fun YA fantasy with a good balance of romance and adventure. Around 60-65% of the way into the book the brakes come off and events happen at such a rapid pace that I flew through the rest of the book without stopping! I really appreciated the author keeping this book as a standalone-no drug out filler and fluff here. One of my absolute favorite parts of this book was the side character Grimsley, he was such a lovable little companion! I will absolutely be posting about this book on my social media (TikTok and YouTube) about this book closer to its release date as I think this was a fun diversion and will make a good summer read for teens.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This folklore-inspired romantic fantasy was such a quick and enjoyable read! It gave me One Dark Window vibes but make it YA and a fast read. The magic system surrounding jewels was super unique, and while I do wish it had been fleshed out a bit more, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. This book is successful as is but I also could see it being expanded into a much longer and more immersive duology. I definitely will read more by Sunya Mara in the future, and this cozy fantasy, marriage of convenience YA book deserves a spot on and YA fan’s shelf. Grateful to Harper Collins Children’s for the ARC!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This might be the easiest 5 stars I’ve ever given a book.
It was so charming and funny and the romance was perfect and I just loved it.
Saphira was an incredible narrator and MC, she is so awkward and blunt and unintentionally hilarious, she genuinely made me laugh out loud.
Her romance with Rane was so wholesome and he is such a charming, lovable LI, and his banter with Saphira, going back and forth with her blunt honesty with little wholesome inside jokes was so good!
I loved seeing Saphira learn to be confident and sure of herself, and learn how to be brave enough to fight for something (even if she’s still working on the bravery thing). I also enjoyed her taking ownership of her jewelsmithing as something she loves and something that she can do to make a positive impact.
This was just so good. Highly, highly recommend!
This might be the easiest 5 stars I’ve ever given a book.
It was so charming and funny and the romance was perfect and I just loved it.
Saphira was an incredible narrator and MC, she is so awkward and blunt and unintentionally hilarious, she genuinely made me laugh out loud.
Her romance with Rane was so wholesome and he is such a charming, lovable LI, and his banter with Saphira, going back and forth with her blunt honesty with little wholesome inside jokes was so good!
I loved seeing Saphira learn to be confident and sure of herself, and learn how to be brave enough to fight for something (even if she’s still working on the bravery thing). I also enjoyed her taking ownership of her jewelsmithing as something she loves and something that she can do to make a positive impact.
This was just so good. Highly, highly recommend!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Embrace the Serpent
3.75 Stars
Pros:
The plot was interesting and the jewelsmithing was a fun concept. I liked how the gems were able to give jewelry abilities for the owners. The characters were well done and didn’t drive me crazy like some YA main characters. The beginning was very good. The ending was decent.
Cons:
The middle of this novel. It just dragged. I’m not sure if it’s me or not but I dislike the running from the enemy plot. It just seems to go so slow and adds nothing of value to the story. I wish instead they would have spent more time in the Serpent Kingdom. The main MMC reveal was pretty predictable. The ending was just okay, surprise! The bad guy wasn’t really the bad guy and the heroine saved the day. Normally I’d be all about it but it just seemed easy. I was actually really hoping this would be a series. There was great potential to add on, make a journey to find a djinn’s lamp, etc etc.
All in all this was a quick fun read. The world building was fun and I would definitely recommend this to someone who enjoys a good YA fantasy.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
3.75 Stars
Pros:
The plot was interesting and the jewelsmithing was a fun concept. I liked how the gems were able to give jewelry abilities for the owners. The characters were well done and didn’t drive me crazy like some YA main characters. The beginning was very good. The ending was decent.
Cons:
The middle of this novel. It just dragged. I’m not sure if it’s me or not but I dislike the running from the enemy plot. It just seems to go so slow and adds nothing of value to the story. I wish instead they would have spent more time in the Serpent Kingdom. The main MMC reveal was pretty predictable. The ending was just okay, surprise! The bad guy wasn’t really the bad guy and the heroine saved the day. Normally I’d be all about it but it just seemed easy. I was actually really hoping this would be a series. There was great potential to add on, make a journey to find a djinn’s lamp, etc etc.
All in all this was a quick fun read. The world building was fun and I would definitely recommend this to someone who enjoys a good YA fantasy.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.