Four and a half
This sucked me in but literally just missed a 5 because obviously the author is still expanding this amazing world that she has created . The Serpent is the first full length book in this extremely promising new series about immortal dealers and the decks they are entrusted with. Our heroine is Ernie, a young woman used to taking care of others but always for some reason pushing herself to go that extra mile. Ernie has always known her mum is a little eccentric but had no idea just how far involved she was with the unusual world of the arcane . Everything changes when Ernie is attacked and becomes the owner of a partial deck of cards. Trouble is the dealer wants them back and he will use every trick ( or creature ! ) in his arsenal to get them and Ernie quickly discovers that this new and frightening reality can be deadly.
I liked Ernie but her constant reminder that she’s involved in brutally, challenging Spartan races did get old very quickly. That having been said I did understand that the author was trying to convince her readers that Ernie had grit and determination which she certainly needed as the story unfolded. She does have back up from Gabe a fellow dealer who has secrets of his own but I do wish that the allies Ernie acquires were not quite so childish at times.
Overall I found it very easy to become immersed in this story with its unique take on the paranormal. I’ve tried not to include spoilers because I really think it’s worth reading without any heads up first. There is a distinct lack of actual romance but definitely possibilities as this series continues I think which I quite enjoy in urban fantasy. Some things are revealed here but there’s even more mystery to wade through and I’d definitely like to read more from this new to me author.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair