The Silvered Serpents

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Manufacturer: Roshani Chokshi
Brand: Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fantasy Fiction
Brew: Paperback
Steeping Time: 416 pages
Tea Service: Personal Choice
Strength:

Synopsis: Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost ― one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God.

Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.

As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.

A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.

The Silvered Serpents hits the ground running, and I’m here for it.

Before we dive into this review, if you haven’t read The Gilded Wolves, I wouldn’t read this review just yet. I might spoil some things for you and I would hate to do that! Also, if you haven’t read my review for The Gilded Wolves, you can check that out here.

Ok, back to the review!

With the long setup of The Gilded Wolves, The Silvered Serpents has the distinct advantage of simply being able to begin. Starting this book was like slipping back into a comfortable pair of shoes. They’re already worn in and ready for walking.

I really liked the storyline of this book. We follow our band of misfits to the cold wilds of Russia as they search for the elusive base camp of the Fallen House, as well as The Divine Lyrics, the book that Laila needs in order to survive. The Silvered Serpents still had a heavy ensemble cast vibe, but I feel like we got so much more of the gals this go-around. We learn more about Laila and Zofia, and I loved every minute of it. Zofia was one of my favorite characters from The Gilded Wolves, and I liked that we got to see more of her history.

Another female character that we got tons more of in The Silvered Serpents is the matriarch of House Kore. Learning more about her rounds out so much of the story that’s unfolding. Her past gives insight into Séverin’s past as well, and it brings a lot of interesting things to light.

I found the pace of The Silvered Serpents consistent and engaging.

The introduction of new characters was laid out very nicely, and I thought they were interesting and intriguing. For the most part, the plot wasn’t incredibly predictable. I did have some suspicions confirmed, but not exactly how I imagined, which I’m glad for because I was far more interested in the things that actually played out in the pages than what my mind had guessed. I had some surprises that really got me!

The character arcs for The Silvered Serpents were mostly satisfying for me as well. Séverin starts this book in such a different place than in The Gilded Wolves, and it’s interesting to see his thinking throughout this volume. Unfortunately, I felt that Hypnos got left behind a little. His character development felt stagnant and I feel like he generally remained the same as far as arc goes. I’m hoping we’ll get more of him in the next installment, seeing as how he was my favorite from The Gilded Wolves.

I did find the vital piece of information at the beginning of The Silvered Serpents rather convenient.

This particular bit of information is the key that kicks off the entire book, so it’s necessary for sure, but it seemed conveniently inserted because of plot needs rather than developed into the story. Things worked very well from that second forward as far as story building, but I wish the beginning wouldn’t have felt so transparent.

When I finished reading The Silvered Serpents, I was so incredibly bummed to find out that the paperback version of The Bronzed Beasts doesn’t release until AUGUST 2022!! I don’t want to wait another five months! I was so ready to jump right into it, which I think speaks volumes for the series. The kindle version is currently available, as is the hardback, but it kills me not to have a matching set. So I’ll bide my time and wait for the paperback. *SIGH*

Have you read The Silvered Serpents? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought about it! Want to read it for yourself? Click here to get a copy of your own. Want to start with The Gilded Wolves? Grab a copy here.
Cheers,
Lydia