Vaasa is the older sister of a king married to a neighbouring leader. She had been raised by her father to be a useful tool but to her brother she is a threat as her husband can claim his throne. She trusts no one but makes a deal with her husband Reid that she will help him secure his position for three years and then she can leave. He will introduce her to people who can help her control the magic she has but does not understand.

I would definitely say this is for the fantasy reader who likes romance as part of the story. Lots of political intrigue and detailed world building. Some unique features in the magic system. Good depth to the story. Cliffhanger ending. Will definitely be looking for the next book in the series!

I really enjoyed the story in this one. I loved that it strayed away from a lot of the classic tropes we have been seeing overused. I loved that she was grumpy and he was the sunshine. I loved the politics at play. And I loved aspects of her magic, specifically how it was passed down. But I wish we had a better understanding of the magic and how it worked, not just that it was innate. I also wish the side characters were more developed. The two love interests are really the only characters we really get a full picture off. Everyone else are just lines on the page. But I still really enjoyed this. I flew through it in about a day. And for a debut I really see the potential. Can't wait for the sequel!

The Serpent and the Wolf is an enemies to lovers capital-R Romantasy, with a side of arranged marriage, political intrigue and an interesting magic system.

It was fun, even with some obvious holes. The main character was honestly a bit annoying. She spent the vast majority of the book convinced she was awful and horrible, even though her brother and father were objectively horrible *to* her, with no evidence to support this theory. Rather than giving 'brainwashed' it gave 'she's kinda dumb' instead. Additionally, this was also true with the 'barbarian culture' she marries into - she's been told this her whole life, but there's no actual evidence of this, so the fact that she continues to believe it for way longer than she should was obnoxious at best. Also the 'brute' she marries is more gentlemanly than literally any man to ever exist.

That being said, I loved how the relationship progressed from enemies to friends and they sat in friends for a very long time. They were definitely friends who thought the other was attractive, but didn't act on it until she was ready for it to progress, and that was lovely. And the grand declaration was simply one of feeling, not of 'I would wait 500 years for you" or some other hyperbolic statement. Sometimes the bravest thing you can say is simply the vulnerability of admission.

3.5/5 stars.

I flew through this book!
I love Vaasa and Reid and that first scene had me hooked. The found family element was great too. While I loved elements of the story the world building and politics made no sense, I found myself speed-reading through large chunks. It was very similar to Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen.

For anyone who loves enemies to lovers as much as I do, you'll love jumping into this book to read a new thrilling fantasy with the perfect amount of enemy as there is to lovers. I flew through this book and enjoyed every second of it as I was reading.

The beginning of it starts a little slow but the pacing get significantly better by 40% of the way through the book. This is a great first book into what I cannot wait for more books from this author and of this storyline. This was a fantastic slowburn type of enemies to lovers that had me gripping my seat to see what would happen next!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

What a solid romantasy debut from this author & I’m excited to read more from her!

The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves a blend of fantasy, romance, and political intrigue. Right from the start, this book pulls you in with its unique feminist magic system and high-stakes court politics. The protagonist, Vaasa, is sharp, cunning, and fully capable of holding her own in a world filled with witches, royalty, and ruthless enemies. And Reid, the supposed "ruthless ruler," is actually a protective cinnamon roll who makes the romance in this slow-burn relationship even more swoon-worthy.

One of the story’s strongest elements is its development of the matriarchal type magic system and the relationships within the coven. I loved the focus on healing, found family, sisterhood through Vaasa’s connection with her coven. Though the world-building isn’t overly intricate, the compelling magic and sisterhood dynamics give it depth. The themes of healing and recovery add emotional layers that make you root for the characters even more.

That said, the pacing dips a little in the middle as Vaasa tries to uncover more about her magic, but the ending is worth every second of build-up. There’s a twist you won’t see coming, and trust me, it will leave you desperate for the next book.

I’m undecided if this leans more to a 3.75✨ or is a solid 4✨but either way it’s rounded up for goodreads


Thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Vaasa has spent her entire life balancing on the edge of a blade - first under her father's rule and then with the magic that will kill her. When she is married to a neighboring kingdom, she flees her new husband only to be returned to him. Reid is kinder than his reputation and they bargain: if she can spend 3 years playing happy marriage, he will secure his territory and she will learn to control her magic; at the end of the term, they will part and Vaasa can be in control of her life. But she never expected to find a home in Mireh.

I loved this book. The pacing was excellent. Vaasa is wonderfully complicated. Reid was almost too good to be true. There's a nice balance of political intrigue and magical secrets. I can't wait to read the next one.

Arranged marriage
One horse
One bed
Who did this to you
Enemies to lovers

The beginning felt a little too rushed and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I felt the beginning lacked a bit of the tension I was anticipating.

This new romantasy series is definitely going to be big. World building, politics, and slow burn steam!

🐍enemies to lovers
🐍"my wife"
🐍deadly magic
🐍slow burn
🐍twists and politics
🐍arranged marriage/fake dating
🐍found family
🐍"who did this to you"

I loved the MMC and FMC - Reid is a cinnamon roll and Vaasa is so strong and stubborn. The side characters are just as interesting and Im interested to see if we get a Koen love story 🥹. World building and magic were awesome, and I was impressed with the political plot lines. I can't wait for this book to come out so I can talk about it with everyone!