Hey y’all! I’ve done a few of these posts before, and they’ve been pretty fun! At one point, I commented on how “Crow” was the hot animal for YA fantasy titles. Now I’m thinking Serpent might have taken over the mantle as crow/raven books become more scarce.
5. The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
Top 5 genre tags for this title:
fantasy, romance, young adult, historical fiction, lgbtq
2 Sentence Summary:
Book two in a story about a quirky group of treasure hunters in France (or something like that). They probably succeeded the first time and are ready to get back to it!
Have I heard of / read this before?
I have heard of this one before! Unfortunately that’s because I tried to read the first one and it was extremely boring and not for me at all. I abandoned the first one pretty early on, maybe 25% – 30% in at most.
Do I like the cover?
It’s fine, but it’s also pretty generic now because we’ve had a lot of books with covers like this (vines on gate framing a thing but especially a castle) in the past few years.
Will I read it?
Almost certainly not. I couldn’t even stand the first one — historical France bores me, and the quirky cast of characters was not for me. Sorry about my lackluster summary above… can you tell my drab impression of it colored that? 😅
4. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Top 5 genre tags for this title:
historical, fiction, literary, romance, gothic
2 Sentence Summary:
From Goodreads: “Moving between Essex and London, myth and modernity, Cora Seaborne’s spirited search for the Essex Serpent encourages all around her to test their allegiance to faith or reason in an age of rapid scientific advancement. At the same time, the novel explores the boundaries of love and friendship and the allegiances that we have to one another.”
So I have no idea.
Have I heard of / read this before?
Nope, this is a new one!
Do I like the cover?
It’s a little too busy for me.
Will I read it?
Probably not, because that blurb gave me NOTHING to work on, so I would have to go in to this book blind and confused. Not really feeling that right now.
3. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust
Top 5 genre tags for this title:
fant
2 Sentence Summary:
A cursed, poisonous girl has to decide what she’s willing to risk in order to decide her own fate. Her newest enemy might be the one person who seems to finally understand and accept her.
Have I heard of / read this before?
I’ve read this one! It wasn’t what I expected, and I actually liked it a good bit more than I thought I would.
Do I like the cover?
Yes, very much so!
Will I read it?
Already did 🙂
2. The Serpent’s Shadow by Rick Riordan
Top 5 genre tags for this title:
fantasy, mythology, middle grade, children’s, adventure
2 Sentence Summary:
The third book in a series, the main characters face their shadow-snake nemesis once again. Only this time, it’s kill or be killed — but how do you kill a creature of chaos and darkness?
Have I heard of / read this before?
I haven’t heard of this, but I’ve heard of Rick Riordan for sure.
Do I like the cover?
Not really. For a book called “Serpent’s Shadow” I sort of expected a.. serpent. I guess there are kind of shadowy hints of it in the clouds, but the focus is on a big white tower which threw me a bit.
Will I read it?
Probably not. I might eventually read another Rick Riordan series, but this is certainly not high on the list (and it’s a third book in the series, so I would really need to commit!)
1. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Top 5 genre tags for this title:
fantasy, romance, young adult, witches, magic
2 Sentence Summary:
There’s a fated witch, and there’s a fanatical witch-hunter. And now they happen to find themselves married and mortal enemies.
Have I heard of / read this before?
I have heard of this one, and read it before!
Do I like the cover?
Black and gold with a snake? It’s effortlessly gorgeous!
Will I read it?
I already have! I was actually pretty underwhelmed by it and never continued the series, but I am 100% not surprised that this is currently the most popular book on Goodreads with the word Serpent in it. xD As often happens, YA paranormal fantasy (plus some romance) tends to reign supreme.
My Book Joy 
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