I had a lot of fun with this book! Fast paced. Slow ish burn. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC.

I'm not gonna lie, my expectations for most romantasy range from neutral to expecting the worst. This managed to surprised me in good ways, despite some writing flaws. The romance was actually nice to read about. It's not enemies to lovers like advertised, Reid was super into Vaasa the moment she tied him up at knifepoint and left on their wedding night. It seems like a trend in romantasy to have a dark romance with a guy that's misoginistic in every interaction, with borderline rape in some books, and not everything forewarn it, unfortunately. So it's super satisfying to have a love interest who checks with the fmc before initiating anything, constantly letting her know he's there for her but gives her the time and space to process her traumatic past on her terms. Another great thing is how the romance is not the only focus; Vaasa joins a coven to learn more about the curse she inherited from her mother, and she forms a strong bond with each of the women. There's nothing more disappointing than to get a book that pits the women against each other, so the heroine's gets to be "not like the other girls". The worldbuilding is interesting, I enjoyed the political intrigue, but I feel like it dropped us into the world very suddenly. You start right away on Vaasa's wedding night that she immediately ditches. I kinda wanted more before that to give a sense of what she was expecting and why. Especially where Reid is involved, he comes across as a decent guy from the start, so I didn't understand where she got the idea that he would be a barbarian. Otherwise, this is a pretty good debut, and I can't wait for the sequel.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7330931917

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/13c3794f-6961-4294-8b45-10d2ff736222

Check out this review of The Serpent and the Wolf on Fable. https://fable.co/review/a89494d5-3fcd-4b7d-8fd1-b2890e6a9dd9/share

My thoughts on The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson, which I rate a 5/5 star read. This book is a fantastic blend of dark magic, political intrigue, and a slow-burn romance that kept me hooked from start to finish.

The story centers on Vaasa, a fierce and smart protagonist dealing with some serious family drama and mysterious magic. She's forced into a political marriage with Reid, who starts off as cold and calculating. But as they team up to tackle their challenges, their chemistry becomes undeniable. I’ll be honest—the story starts off a bit slow as the world and characters are introduced, but once things pick up, it’s impossible to put down. The buildup is worth it and their slow-burn romance is full of tension, witty banter, and some genuinely sweet moments.

The world-building is rich, especially when it comes to the magic system. That said, I feel like there are still a lot of things to learn about this world and its politics, but I truly believe those gaps will be filled in the next installment. The foundation has been laid, and I can’t wait to see how it all expands. The plot is packed with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Plus, the supporting characters add depth and a sense of found family that I absolutely loved.

If you're into romantasy with strong characters, intricate plots, and a romance that makes you swoon, definitely give The Serpent and the Wolf a read. I can't wait to see where Rebecca Robinson takes this series next!

***Thank you Saga Press/Simon & Schuster and Rebecca Robinson for gifting me an ARC in return for my honest review.***

I innitially did dnf this book but wanted to give it another try. Unfortunately this was just not for me. I couldnt connect to any of the characters and with the writing being very choppy it just never drew me in. For being a debut though, it did have some good qualities. I loved the woman supporting woman theme in this. The over all premise was very appealing, along with a stunning cover making me drawn to it in the first place. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this EArc!

This book drew me in right from the beginning! An interesting magic system but definitely more fantasy than romance. I'm interested to see where the series goes!

Thank you so much to Saga Press and Netgalley for sending me copies of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I've discussed it several times on my channel but honestly, this book GRIPPED me. The enemies to lovers, political romantasy, where he fell first and she has to learn to control magic from his MOM?! I loved it so much and I can't wait for book two.

I'll definitely be picking up the sequel (even though there was a cliffhanger and we all know how I feel about those lol).

This book was incredible. Had me hooked from the first page. The FMC is tough and witty and the MMC is the perfect balance of tough and tender. Great plot. I can't wait for the rest of the series.

I wanted to live The Serpent and the Wolf but I just could not get into the writing style. I loved the premise but this was a DNF for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a lot of fun! I found the plot to be quick-paced and the world-building to be superb and succinct. I wasn't tired of fighting by the end, but there was just enough action to keep the reader interested. That first chapter truly captured my attention, and I adored how the reader is thrust directly into the narrative. The romance in this book is slow-burning but well worth it, and the politics and magical system are heavily featured.

Oh goodness, I can't stand that I have to WAIT to know the ending of this story! And what a story! Reid and Vaasa are great together... he's "happy nonchalance -it's ok to put a knife to my throat" to her "everyone's out to kill me" vibe is the best combination. I like the amount of tension, spice, world building, political intrigue and family drama. Can't wait to see their story unfold in the next book!

Thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free copy for review.

Y’all, this was a really great debut novel! Lots of political intrigue, witches, magic systems, slow burn, marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, and a great pair of main characters.

The Serpent and the Wolf follows Vaasa, a princess to the Asteryan Empire, who is newly in possession of a terrifying magic, as her brother weds her to their political rival, Reid of Mireh. The night of their wedding, Vaasa ties Reid up and escapes to a sodality where she tries to learn what is plaguing her. Reid finds her, though, and offers her a deal: stay married to him for three years while he tries to become the leader of Icraria, and learn how to control her magic from a teacher, and then after, go free with a divorce. Vaasa agrees, and the political machinations commence. The only problem? Vaasa’s brother wants her and Reid dead.

Without giving too much away, I enjoyed the world building and really loved the scenes where Vaasa’s coldness slowly melts away as she deals with the scars of her past. The coven scenes were some of my favorites, and I loved those ladies so much! I was a little confused with all of the different parts of Icruria (lots of moving parts) but had it figured out by the end. Also, I was a mess and need book two, like now.

I’m excited to see where this series goes and think it has a lot of potential!

Slow burn enemies to lovers with political and dark magic themes. Vaasa has had dark magic start to come in life within her and has no idea that to do about it. Especially since her mother died trying to keep the dark magic at bay.

Vaasa’s life is also threatened by her brother who is hoping to keep the throne from her. He has married her off to a ruler from a different land. She finds herself in a deal with her new husband, Reid, and helps him win political power to take over and in exchange he will teach her how to use the dark magic.

Vaasa has no one to trust, and is alone in a new setting trying to survive and fight for her life and freedom.

A base level, nothing to intricate or crazy magic system that allowed for this to be an easy read to flow through.


Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“You don’t hate me, and I certainly don’t hate you.”
She tossed her arms into the air. “I almost killed you on our wedding night.”
“As I told you, you underestimate how much I enjoyed that.”
“You’re sick.”


I love political intrigue and “she thinks they’re enemies to lovers but he was never her enemy”. Is that a trope? If not it should be

The dynamic between the two characters is fantastic. They have great banter and angst, and the slow burn is perfectly drawn out.

The middle was a bit slower paced as there was political scheming and maneuvering happening, which I actually enjoy so I was still happy with it.

And then the ending was crazy and explosive, I NEED the next book!

This is a great pick for lovers of fantasy, political scheming, enemies to lovers, and slow burn angst.

This was one of my favorite reads of 2024.
Pros:
- Arranged Marriage
- Found family
- Magic is scary
- MFC is a Stabby black cat
- MMC is just happy go lucky
- Slower Burn
- With a purpose MFC
- Trauma to Healing

The story gets spicer as it goes. This is a story over smut book.
It was beyond expectations. I even bought the physical copy!

The Serpent and the Wolf - Rebecca Robinson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🐍 Political shenanigans with a side of SPICE

Listen up besties, because I'm about to put you onto your next book obsession! Buckle those seatbelts and hide your TBR pile because this debut is about to wreck your entire reading schedule. Rebecca Robinson said "I'm new here" and then proceeded to serve EVERYTHING.

Picture this: our girl Vaasa is basically a human weapon with scary magic who's like "thanks, but no thanks" to dying for her brother's political games. Then BAM - enter Reid, who's giving major golden retriever energy while also being calculating and HOT. The chemistry? EXPLOSIVE.

Let's break down this serotonin fest:
🗡️ Stabby girl meets sunshine boy
💫 Magic that's actually terrifying
👑 Political schemes that'll make you GASP
🔥 Sexual tension you could cut with a knife
🤝 Marriage of convenience but make it SPICY
💭 Trauma healing that hits different

Listen, I got NO WORK done while reading this because I literally couldn't put it down. The politics are *chef's kiss* perfectly digestible, the romance had me SCREAMING into my pillow, and that ENDING? Ma'am, I'm gonna need book 2 immediately or we're gonna have problems.

If you love your fantasy with a side of "oh no, he's hot" and enough political intrigue to keep you guessing, this is YOUR BOOK. Just don't blame me when you're up at 3 AM yelling "JUST KISS ALREADY!"

TL;DR: It's giving everything it needs to give. My only complaint is that it ended. Excuse me while I go reread it immediately.

This book had a way of just dragging me in with that first chapter. I love this world and especially Reid and Vaasa's dynamic relationship between each other. Vaasa is forced by her brother who wants her killed is an arranged marriage to the enemy of the kingdom Reid. The book opens up on Vaasa and Reid's wedding night and Vaasa is trying to find out about her past from her husband Reid who in return needs Vaasa's help to gain rise in power. I think the world building with the magic needs more info for me to understand it better. It felt a bit choppy on that note. But when Reid and Vaasa were together I just loved those scenes. This does end on a cliffy so I have to be back to find out what happens next.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I loved the audiobook, which is read by Jesse Vilinsky, she did a phenomenal job and I highly recommend that version!

This is a rather classic romantasy book, with a unique magic system.

Our main character, Vaasa, has just been married to Reid, a ruler of an enemy nation. This marriage was arranged by her deceased mother. But the mysterious illness that killed her mother, has also infected Vaasa, and she hopes to use the resources in this foreign nation to find a way to cure herself before she meets the same fate of her mother.

This is a story about love, trust, self acceptance and betrayal. There is a slow burn romance, but it isn't the main focus of the story. This book does end on a cliff hanger and I'm excited for the next book in this series.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic World building and slow burn romance. This was such an interesting book so read. I do think the marketing might be a little off, especially in this climate of readers who see romantasy and think "oh this will be have a lot of romance" This was more fantasy with romantic aspects. Which I enjoyed, I hope the marketing for the next book in the series, is a little more accurate.

This was a good slow burn, enemies to lovers romantasy read. Great tension, but also interesting politics and twists that I didn’t see coming. The cliffhanger ending left me interested enough in continuing on with the series!

i really liked this one! the world-building was solid, and the mix of dark magic, politics, and slow-burn romance kept me hooked. vassa and reid had such a good dynamic, and their tension was so well done. a little slow in parts, but overall, a great read. solid 4 stars!