4.25 ⭐️ thank you saga press for sending me an ARC of this book. This was EXACTLY what I’ve been wanting ALL YEAR for romantasy. This finally scratched that itch. Thus deserves all the hype it’s been getting

The Serpent and the Wolf was a surprisingly interesting read. I felt like the world, economy, different cultures, and magic systems were all really well developed. The characters themselves were so unique and had complex emotions and backstories.

The story itself explores what it takes to lead, how scary it can be to both feel like you have no place you belong but also the anxiety of having a place you belong and fearing losing it, the fear of falling in love because it may lead to heartbreak, and making your own family.

The two main characters, Vaasa and Reid, were lovable and completely different from one another in a way that complimented each other, building a stronger unit when they are together. However, I did feel like there was a lacking of longing between them for the romance. I wanted them to want each other so much it hurt, but it mostly just felt like Vaasa was ignoring her physical desire to touch him. Don't get me wrong, the romance was by no means bad, but it could have been more.

The only other critique I have is that the main evil guy, Vaasa's brother, felt like he was cartoonishly evil with no real reason other than he was raised that way, which felt like there was a lack of depth.

Amazing debut! I wish I could give this more than 5 stars! The angst…character development…the end of chapters 26 & 28….!

Thank you Saga Press for granting me an ARC! I can’t wait for the sequel to be released!

This book was so much fun to read!! Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas; specifically, for fans of her Throne of Glass series. While "The Serpent and the Wolf" may have quite a few similarities with Maas's series (spoilers ahead for the Throne of Glass series and Robinson's book!!!!), such as demon-summoning magic, seemingly-corrupt ruling families, a sick witch crew, an FMC discovering her magic, and the political processes of becoming a person in power with the odds stacked against them, and yet I feel Robinson did a great job creating a story that's entirely her own! I thought the characters were well-written and the enemies-to-lovers trope was *chef's kiss.* My only qualm was when Vaasa was described to be wearing leggings at one point. I have no idea why, but it took me out of the setting since it's not exactly an urban fantasy book. Otherwise, I thought it was scrumptious. I can't wait for the sequel!

4.5 stars

I loved this book. The vibes are pretty similar to A Promise of Fire but tells a completely different story. You also will love this book if you enjoy:

Witches
Arranged marriage
Found family
Enemies to lovers
Forbidden magic
Political intrigue
SLOW burn

This is a book that for once in my life I am so upset I read early because that means I have to wait that much longer for the sequel. The characters are well developed, excellent pacing, and the plot is very well executed. This should definitely be on your radar in November when it’s released!

The story jumped right into the action from the very first page and held my interest throughout. I could not put the book down. I loved the chemistry between Vaasa and Reid from the very first. The world building and magic system is very well thought out. I cannot wait for the next book!

4.5 ⭐️ a literal masterpiece
I cannot say how amazing of a Romantasy this book was. Enemies to lovers fan? Check! Twists you might not see coming? Double check!! A CRAZY CLIFFHANGER??? Yes and I’m dying over it.

Now for all honesty, I did not give it a 5 just because towards 3/4 of the book, it kind of dragged on for me a little. It was a lot of info and not so much going on. It was necessary for the plot (like important stuff was happening, but I knew something big was coming so I just kept wanting to get to that part if that makes sense….) but I just felt like I wasn’t as drawn to it as I was throughout the first half. But then the end picks UP and omg did I get dragged right back into loving this book. The ending? Honestly don’t think I can say I ever would have saw it coming and I’m still a little in shock.

I loved the world building (a map would be sooo cool though 👀) and honestly the whole set up is amazing. For me, the world was unique and described enough that I had a good image of it, but not SO much that I had no room for imagination or got bored with the details of world building.

I definitely recommend this book! Do you like romantasy, fantasy kingdoms and politics (ish), enemies to lovers, arranged marriage (but like I promise it’s AMAZING guys), found family, “that’s my wife” vibes, and an FMC that fights for what she wants? Because if so like you need this book NOW!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!

Vaasa, sister of an empress, has no intention of being married off to Reid of Mireh. But she quickly becomes enshrined in the politics of their countries, while navigating their connection.

This book had so many amazing layers to it - political intrigue, a magic sisterhood of women and epic romance. I couldn't put it down and would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the politics of Game of Thrones, the romance of Fourth Wing or who loves strong women coming together. This is one of the best books of the fall of 2024.

This was exactly what my female rage heart needed.

Short Synopsis:
Vaasa is the last remaining family member to the her brothers crown. So in order to get rid of her, he marries her off to Reid, an enemy ruler. Vaasa does what she can to escape the marriage and find her freedom. And strikes a deal with her enemy husband.

My Thoughts:
This was exactly the book I needed when I picked it up. It was filled with a strong female character, some rage and horrible men, but also a tender love story and a fight for what’s right.

I love how down bad Reid was for Vaasa. The found family was beautiful and I just really enjoyed this one. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a slow burn Romantasy or a female rage read.

What You’ll Find:
🖤Enemies to lovers
❤️‍🔥Female rage
🥰Nicknames
💞Arranged marriage
🛏️Only one bed
💍“My wife”

This book didn’t blow me away but overall, I liked it. It was hard to get into the plot at first but by the 20% mark I started to get into it. It hit a lull around 70% but the ending made me interested in reading book 2.

This had a lot more political intrigue than romance which was fine for me. The politics were a little confusing but hopefully it gets more fleshed out in book 2. What little romance we got was a slow burn throughout. I was more interested in the secondary characters than the main characters.

Thank you to Saga Press for the ARC!

This debut has ALLLLL of the tropes, along with a lot of angst, bitterness, grief, magic, witches, betrayals, lies, secrets and more!

Vaasa (FMC) and Reid (MMC) are forced into an arranged marriage between two nations. The political scheme turns advantageous for them both: Vaasa will learn how to use the new dark magic flowing through her veins, and Reid will win an election with his wife by his side.

Vaasa and Reid’s banter and dynamic was absolutely immaculate, and they 100% give black cat/golden retriever energy.

I absolutely devoured the first half, but the second half lost me with all the world-building, including a lot of political intrigue/machination and an intricate yet confusing magic system. I hope that this book is just the foundation and we will get to see an expansion of all of these elements in the future.

Overall, this is an intriguing debut with a lot of potential for the sequel (ESPECIALLY with that ending)! AND you won’t have to wait long to read because this book comes out November 19th!

And finally - thank you so much to NetGalley and Saga Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was an amazing book. It wasn't exactly an enemies to lovers scenario but definently a slow burn. The characters in this story had to of been very thought out. Reid the mmc- hearing the rumors of him and how he truly is made the storyline thst much more interesting. Vaasa the fmc- being extremely cunning and just every detail about her character was perfect. It was a good twist with her brother as a villain and an unexpected ally aiding him. Overall this was a great book and I look forward to more from this author and I strongly recommend this, especially considering it Includes witches. And after reading Sarah j maas and the thirteen I cant get enough of witches!

The Serpent and the Wolf is one of the best political machination books I’ve read in a very long time. There’s action and adventure as well, but the bulk of the tension in this story comes from political scheming and intrigue. Vaasa is such a relatable character in that all she wants is the freedom to live her life as she chooses; however, others have different plans for her. I’m also obsessed with Vaasa being the shadow wielder. Robinson also had great world building as well as a unique and interesting magic system. The friendship between Vaasa and Amalie was one of the best relationships to come out of this book. I am all for women supporting other women, and the friendship they develop is heartwarming. The other great relationship is that between Vaasa and Reid. I love the slow burn, reluctant allies to friends to lovers progression. It was natural and well executed for how their relationship started out and what Vaasa thought she knew of Reid. The change in Vaasa’s magic manifestation is such a great representation of their relationship development. This is one of the few times I was completely blindsided by a betrayal. I did not see the way the ending would unfold, and I’m still processing everything that happened. Quite simply, this book is a must read.

3.0 / 5.0

The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson is an enemies to lovers Romantasy set in a world of myth, magic, and surprisingly complex politics. The FMC is strong but spoiled, the MMC is ambitious but short-sighted, and the overall world is fleshed out but has significant plot holes, specifically surrounding the magic. The writing is good but messy at times, getting caught in the nuanced details and losing the overall effect of a scene or conversation. A lot happens off-page and the characters, story, and world would benefit having that information developed within the readers’ view. I am not usually one for politics and vast world building in that space (Game of Thrones or Wheel of Time are slogs for me), but there is a significant amount of that in this book and it didn’t diminish my enjoyment.

Overall, it was fine. I was neither so engrossed I want to rave to everyone about it or so dissatisfied I want to drag it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

“𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐭.”

I LOVED this book. I read it slowly, over the course of a week or so just because last week was so…yikes.

I loved Vaasa from the very first chapter. She’s strong, independent, stubborn, a little stabby, and can take care of herself. She is also deeply lonely, and her character development throughout the book is ✨amazing✨.

Reid is top tier MMC material. He is the perfect balance of protective, calm, and kind while also being willing to burn the world for Vaasa. He lets her work through her barriers and work around her boundaries at her own pace, which I adore.

The plot is amazing, heavy on the political fantasy with romance, banter, and lovable side characters. The writing is also amazing and I will be impatiently waiting for the sequel, as the ending left me shocked.

The Serpent and the Wolf releases on 11/19 and I highly recommend it!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read The Serpent and The Wolf.
If you like fake marriages, political intrigue, world building, This is the book for you.
I devoured it, couldn't stop thinking about it.

I received an ARC of this book but that doesn't impact my opinion of the book.

I may not be the most objective reviewer here because the story of a couple learning how to succeed together when they didn't choose each other is one of my favorite tropes. I blame Georgette Heyer for that, in all the best ways. So this was one of the ARCs I have been looking most forward to reviewing the last few months, and it didn't disappoint.

First the PROs. It's very important that I like the characters. That doesn't mean they have to be likable, and there are certainly times when Vaasa isn't likable, but you get why. I feed feral cats so maybe I have an affinity for the creature who reacts to your kindness with spit and claw. And the thing is, Vaasa tries. And that gets you rooting for her every time.

Reid- idk.i like that he gets angry and that he works with her, realizing that she doesn't need to be domesticated but that she's not a cute, fluffy overlord and therefore can't be a feral cat forever. He's not all-knowing and missteps, but he's so good.

There's a lot of other people in this book, which goes towards one of the cons I'll mention later, but for now I feel like there are a lot of stories still to be told, and I want to read them.

For a debut novel, there feels like there's a lot of maturity here. The world-building is interesting and well done, the characters feel real, and the story is compelling. There's actual substance here, not the kind of book where you feel it's just reality with a few creatures.

It's not perfect, and if I could, I would have given it 4.5 stars, but it was good enough to round up rather than down. There are a few two many characters, especially at the denouement, and I occasionally had trouble keeping count. It also got a bit too convoluted at the end for me, but that may also be too much work and too little sleep. And most of all, I hadn't realized this was the first in a series until the end and it ended in a place that will make waiting for the next book very painful. That said, I'm waiting to preorder that next book as soon as I can, and I can't wait!

Great premise! Slow world building that came off a little choppy. Enemies to loves, arranged marriage, my wife, and slow burn story.

Great foundation and ready for the sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for this earc

Let’s me tell you something. It’s been a while since I had this much fun reading a romantasy.

First, before you get mad at me, this book is not perfect. For one, the whole set up two chapters and it was more definitely wasn’t enough. It’s hard to believe Reid was a bad guy based on one chapter. And him finding Vaasa in one chapter was way too fast.

Now. I know this is promoted as “enemies to lovers” but because the enemies part wasn’t really developed in the beginning, I would say this is more “arranged marriage” to “friends to lovers”. Because these two were pretty much forced into marrying each other but once they were together I felt like they took their time into learning if they can actually trust each other. Which in my book, exactly how friendships happen.

But once we get past a very quick set up, this was so much fun. I loved the found “coven”. I loved the slow burn. I loved the promise of bigger world in book 2. I just hope the author can deliver on all the promises. Can’t wait.

**NO SPOILERS!**
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Spice: 🌶️.5/5, open door, explicit, 2ish scenes
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Feelings after turning the last page: I need book 2 and book 1 isn’t even out yet 😅
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10-second synopsis: Vaasa has a terrible brother who views her as a threat to his crown, so he marries her off to Reid, a foreign ruler. Girlfriend is not pleased about this, and makes a deal with her new husband that could benefit them both. Everything in her tells her not to trust Reid, but what can she do when he promises everything she’s ever wanted??
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Review: I was very excited to read this one, and it did not disappoint! TSatW is full of politics and scheming, allies and enemies, and romantic banter and tension. Vaasa was raised to be sharp as a blade, and I fell in love with her grumpy but soft personality. Reid is a swoony, confident MMC with a heart of gold. The forced proximity was ✨delicious✨!! The emphasis in this story is definitely on the politics, which were unique and fun to read! The cliffhanger was hanging sooooooo I’m ready for book 2! I am hopeful that the final version of this book includes a map because it would be very helpful. Definitely recommend for fantasy readers who love political magic systems!
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Thank you to the author, Saga Press, and NetGalley for the chance to read this prior to release on 11/19!