This unfortunately did not work for me. I have been having trouble with YA books for a couple years now, and this one also fell into that same pitfall for me. DNF@27 %

Sisters of the Snake by Sasha Nanua, Sarena Nanua is a thrilling fantasy adventure that will captivate readers who crave stories about strong, complex female protagonists, magical worlds, and the intricate bonds of family and identity, making it a perfect fit for fans of fantasy and young adult fiction.

I wanted to love this novel. I truly, truly did. What did I like about it? Well, first off, great Indian-inspired story with a diverse cast of characters. This is a huge win and a really unique perspective. It’s written by twin sisters which really gives the twins in the book their very own distinct voices. Plus there’s tons of delicious food throughout. Your mouth will be watering all the way along. There really is a lot going for this book.

Why didn’t I like it? I hate to say it, but I just didn’t think the writing was all that good. All the respect in the world for anyone who sits down to write a book–I’m a writer myself so I understand how difficult it is. But I really think this book needed more time to bake before it was pulled out of the oven. A stronger edit, or more time revising the writing…something…It felt unfinished, or missing some oomph. I couldn’t get into the story and it took my way too long to read. It just didn’t hold my attention. I would read a chapter, then put it down. Then pick it up the next day and repeat. Maybe the writing just wasn’t for me. It unfortunately felt very lacking to me.

Still, it’s getting some good reviews, so anyone who’s looking for the next magical YA featuring some kickass Indian princesses, this is the one for you.

4.25 Stars

Ria is a street urchin with quick fingers. She steals what she needs to survive, with her best friend Amir. But, when Ria's name shows up on a conscription notice for the dreaded Charts, Amir and Ria decide to do one last impossible job in order to escape. Meanwhile, Princess Rani is sick of being a captive of the palace. Her father keeps her locked in a gilded cage, and asks her to watch the brutal murder of her former teacher. She wants to see the world, to travel, to meet new people, and to escape her engagement to Saeed. So, when she stumbles on a girl who looks exactly like her, and they learn they are twins, they decide to swap places. Rani needs to leave, to fulfil her dreams and to accomplish her dying teacher's last request, find the gem that will save their Kingdom from an impending war.

This is a powerhouse fantasy book with two unforgettable twins heading the cast of characters. The book reminded me of Aladdin, if Jasmine was given much more plot. There is tons of political intrigue, a tyrannical Raja who is conscripting children to fight in the coming war with an old enemy. But, there is also magic and a cutthroat advisor that maybe has more to do with all the goings on than anyone could have imagined. I found that the dark elements of the book, and it got quite dark throughout, really leant to the stories depth and had me interested in the magic and how each of the powers work.

The romances were fun and did not detract from the overall story of these powerful young women. Two fish out of water girls meet their opposites and fall for them, sparks flying every which way. This was my favourite kind of romance, because it was not instant, it was a slow burn love moment for both Ria and Rani. They had to grow and develop as characters before they could fully appreciate the affections they had for these two men. Rani had a hard time adapting to the street urchin persona she had to wear, Amir was suspicious of her from the beginning and somehow could feel that his friend had changed. Meanwhile, Saeed found Ria's speaking up for herself and her people to be more appealing than he had ever felt for Rani before. He believe Rani to finally be coming in to her own voice, to be finding a worthy cause (but it is Ria). Both Rani and Ria shine in their new roles, while also keeping their personalities in tact and developing a strong understanding of who they are and what they are willing to fight for.

I also enjoyed that the bad guy, the advisor to the court, was Saeed's mother. It really made for a compulsive read, especially when her motives begin to come in to focus, and the true depth of her devotion to her cause is revealed. Some of the darkest moments involved her cunning, her daring, her absolute disregard for anyone else, even her son.

I loved loved loved the use of snakes. That Rani and Ria's magic is the ability to communicate with snakes and use them for guidance, strength, etc. It was different, and while in most books snakes are depicted as evil, in this novel the snake adapts to the person who they are linked to. The snake may turn out to be bad, but the snake can also be good (as seen with Ria and Rani's snake familiar Shima, who was such a sassy animal familiar, I loved her!). It was a nice change to have snakes be a little redeemed.

The storyline had lots of magical elements. From Old Gods banished, to the users of certain magics having died out (but maybe not) and the only ones left are the line of Raja's, who are snake speakers. There was a magical agreement made that war would stop for 100 years, but that times is coming to an end and Rani and Ria's country is about to go to war with their enemies. Hence the Charts, the Raja's trained guard who appear to be soulless automatons who simply do the bidding of the Raja and his advisor (Ria was meant to be one, and they are now conscripting children). But, Rani wants to stop the war, wants to find a gem in which you are granted one wish, wants to figure out why magic left or why it seems that magic exists but is being hidden. Wants to know why her father is so cruel. Lots going on, but all of it added to to the story and made for an exciting adventure.

I am thrilled to be able to jump into the second book in the duology, Daughters of the Dawn.

This was a really fun fantasy with delicious romance. I loved the characters and the adventure Sasha and Sarena took the readers on.

Ria and Rani have drastically different lives, one is a thief the other a princess. When they meet accidentally meet one night they decide to trade places and will change their futures forever. Sisters of the Snake explores family ties and the concept of nature vs nurture. Both quests are interesting and add to the overall plot but the two sisters are very similar and can be at times hard to distinguish. I often found they could have been one person and didn't have strong defining qualities.

This was a really fun and cute story. There are some scenes that feel rushed but overall enjoyable. The romance does take up a lot of the book but it brings a heart into the story.

UPDATE AS OF 08/11/2023: Okay, this definitely deserves the 3 stars after finally giving it a fair chance. It wasn't bad at all, but some bits of it just seemed a little too forced (as though the author was trying to make this turn into the next big YA series).

However, with that being said, I do want to give the second book a try to see how things end up. It seemed like things were a little too neat and tidy at the end of this one.

DNF @ 38%. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this book so far except for the fact it’s not holding my interest. Normally I love a good prince(ss) and the pauper story, especially one that has snake magic, but for some reason nothing was keeping my attention on this book. I wasn’t excited to keep reading, even though the writing is good, the plot is there, and it has interesting characters.

I hope it catches someone else’s attention and that they love it, because the cover is BEAUTIFUL.

I’ve read quite a few fantasy books lately that I absolutely love so this one fell a little bit short for me. I guess I’d say this book was pretty good overall though. Entertaining and intriguing. I definitely recommend to teen readers who are looking for a fun YA fantasy book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Sisters of the Snake is a fantastic young adult fantasy that so many will love. It's full of adventure and magic and is one that keeps you turning the page. I love the premise, the characters and the writing. I'm looking forward to picking up the sequel!

A fast-paced Own Voices fantasy that showcased Indian culture in a beautiful and authentic way. The twist at the end took me by surprise and made me desperate for the second book in the duology to come out! I can’t wait to read it and continue with Ria and Rani’s story.

I DNFed it 1/4th of the way through. I just couldn't get through the book, and I'm not sure why. I think a lot of other people would definitely enjoy it, and should give it a chance though!

Sisters of the Snake is a fun sister swapping YA fantasy. One sister is princess and the other is a street urchin, both desperate to escape their own lives, so they switch places. The story is a fast-paced, action-packed story about sisterhood set in India. The world-building is outstanding. The romance is sweet. Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Sisters of the Snake today.

Sisters of the Snake is retelling of The Prince and the Pauper. I found it to be an interesting take on the classic tale. The two sisters could not be more alike and come from different circumstances. However, they eventually form a close bond. I also was enthralled by the world-building. I thought the world of ancient India had come alive. Therefore, this novel is a story about family, sisterhood, and romance! I recommend this for fans of Toads and Diamonds, A Crown of Wishes, and Star Daughter!

This book was fun in that it read a lot like a Disney tale. The characters were a little naive and said and did things as they pleased without thinking of many consequences. I wish they had been a bit more developed, even though they are young in age. The magic system as well could probably have been explored in a little bit more depth because I found gaps in the knowledge I needed to understand the power of snakes truly. I enjoyed the relationships both friendships and sisterhood that formed over the course of the book and was the string that kept things sort of together. All in all, I don't think this book was for me, but I love supporting my South Asian authors and would still recommend anyone interested to check it out for themselves.

I loved the dichotomy of following the two sisters and I can’t wait to see more! It was also a really great look at a teen fantasy with a different setting

Behind this stunning cover are many wonderful things to discover in this novel like:
- A twin switch (and the chaos that ensues): I really do love a good swap-plot. And in this case both characters are really thrown in for a loop when they step into each other's shoes.
- A lush world :The world building is incredible.
- Adventure and court antics: Politics are messy and with some very questionable characters running some of the show you just know that there is a ton of drama to be had
- Sassy snakes - self-explanatory really
- Intriguing magic systems: Whenever these catch my fancy, I know a book is going to be good.

I do wish the book was a little shorter, I felt like there was so much book but not much going on at some points. And while I do love a romance, I wasn't fully convinced with these ships, though that may change over time.

Overall, this book is fun and light and all around an enjoyable read! I look forward to a sequel which will hopefully answer some very BIG QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE AFTER THAT ENDING.

5/5⭐ to Sisters of the Snake by Sarena and Sasha Nanua! Many thanks to the HCC Frenzy team for an ARC to review! This is an absolutely wonderful debut YA fantasy set in a South Asian kingdom. It actually had pieces of the plot that reminded me of Prince and the Pauper which definitely piqued my interest since I love that story and many of the adaptations. The writing had such a beautiful, storytelling quality about it which really transported me into this new world. From the get-go, we are introduced to our protagonists Rani and Ria in alternating perspectives (my fave!! IYKYK). The way we get to know each of the girls along with the action grabbed my attention right away and got me invested in the story. What also helped was that this world held its own against other YA fantasy settings as did the magic system. Full of intrigue, the magic both formed the foundation and history of the world while also flowing skillfully through the plot to push the story forward. We got quite a classic villain ruler type character which worked perfectly for the story. Also, there is a very dynamic and loveable supporting cast of characters which I personally loved getting to know as well! Sisters of the Snake took me on such an entertaining journey alongside Rani and Ria as they get to know each other and do their best to save the kingdom from evil. I hope to see even more love for this book as we get closer to the sequel (Daughters of the Dawn)! As soon as I finished the book, I knew I had to get myself a physical copy, and I anticipate this happening again with Sarena and Sasha's next installment!

I just loved this book so much. The story was so well developed and I fell in love with Ria and Rani immediately. I love a sibling story and this one delivered and more. my favorite aspect was the culture and magic – it brought the best of South Asian mythology to life and i can't wait for the second!