The first book in this series presented the reader with an interesting world and a society apparently ruled by personal merit and not by wealth or influence. Of course, soon we learn that such a concept, Meritocracy, is not as simple as it sounds. Wealth and influence always play a role, a very important role, in the life of a person. So, even if Conrad, the hero, at first appears to embody the concept of “those who deserve it will get it regardless,” this second book soon shows us that nothing matters as much as having power and wealth and influence, because when you have those three things, you make the rules.

Full disclosure, this book was not exactly my cup of tea (so take my review with a grain of salt and consider that I may be harsher because of that fact). Also, importantly, I’m not the target audience, which goes a long way in explaining why this book was not exactly my cup of tea.

Among the things I found good, I liked the world. This vertical division and the mystery of the black bellow is certainly original. The beasts and the magic/science that has turned them from the planet’s regular fauna into monstrous weapons is a very compelling background for a story where violence and survival are at the core of everything.

Yet, often, I found the battles and fights interrupting the flow of the narrative more than adding to it. Soon, the sequence started to feel repetitive. A tiny bit of character development, a tiny bit of advancing the plot, a lot of fighting for survival either against a monster of the giant armored kind, or a more human one, then repeat.

And that’s why I think I could not really get into the story, because the parts where I wanted to sink my teeth into and enjoy were not meaty enough.

I suppose, those who like military sci-fi and fantasy, and those who love fast paced epic fights won’t have the same problem as me, because there’s lots of good stuff on that side of this story, it’s just that I would have like to have more of the other side the side where emotions are not just mentioned but shown to have a reason, where pain and happiness are integral to a character’s reactions and not just the background of them.

I’m sure I would be in the minority with my opinion. I can see why a lot of people will enjoy this book very, very much, I’m just not one of them.

Among Serpents is a strong follow-up to Sky's End. It's action packed (pop some popcorn folks - you will not want to put it down) and establishes the setting for the third book well. I love that this series reads upper YA/NA, and is entirely enjoyable for readers that generally read adult fantasy (me). The world-building is detailed and intriguing without being cumbersome.
I have no idea what is going to happen next and can't wait to find out in book 3.

This book was ok. I like the world building expansion. I think this book have second book syndrome and is just trying to setup for the final book. I still enjoyed the book in overall.

This still manages to scratch that dystopian itch I've been craving. I will say this sequel didn't pull me in quite as much as the first book, what with politics taking a larger roll and some characters getting a bit annoying. But I still enjoyed the overall vibes of the story and appreciated the expansion of world building. I hope the third book really amps things up and gets us back to the excitement of the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree for providing me with an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, “Among Serpents” was a classic example of “second book in a trilogy”— it was just trying to set up for the final book and final confrontation to the detriment of *this* book. It was definitely not as good as the first one. It also felt like it did a lot for shock value, which felt inauthentic compared to the legitimate drama of “Sky’s End.” It was like they were trying to keep the tension ramped up, but added things that weren’t strictly necessary to the story in order to achieve that. It was kind of disappointing to be honest. Also, there were a lot of internal exclamations (eg. “Oh hell!”) that really took me out of the story every single time they came up.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley!! I loved the first book and the next installment is just as good. More giant monsters, violence, and flying ships that fight giant monsters. Little bit of romance and a lot of feels. It does feel a bit like the second book in a three part series though. More like a bridge until we get to the end game.

I don't think I've ever hated a sixteen-year-old boy more than I hate Sebastian ... my commitment to my beef with a fictional teenager is probably concerning, to be honest.

Among Serpents is the thrilling sequel to Sky's End, and I still think it totally matches the vibes of the Ascendance trilogy. While this book takes on a more political focus, the worldbuilding is expanded immensely, and the stakes are higher than ever.
Conrad is now the Prince of the Skylands, but he's still the Captain of the Gladian as he is sent on a mission to find a secret weapon to save the Skylands. Once again, the story was incredibly fast-paced, and there were a ton of twists and betrayals. I called most of the twists, but I was still pleased with them. I really enjoyed the high stakes and the action scenes, and the ending of the book leaves me excited for book three.
The cast of characters has expanded as well, and I think it definitely worked in the book's favor. I really liked seeing Conrad's character arc and his internal conflicts. Bryce's backstory was interesting, and I like her as a character, but I hope she gets more page time in the next book. Roderick and Keeton are my favorites (I'm praying for a happy ending), but I also really like Pound and his arc. Ella, Arika, and Yez were interesting, but they're not my favorites. Sebastian can die in a hole. Or, better yet, we can feed him to the gigataun.
The stakes are raised in this second installation to the Above the Black series, Among Serpents.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4.25/5

Review: An awesome follow up novel to Sky's End. The author writes for the Brat-pack but this attempt at YA is strangely palatable. Most of the characters behave reasonably well within the context of the story line. No odd crushing coupled with erratic behavior. Just straight "I like you, you like me" directness. The author could not help himself throwing in some lesbians. Standard fare if you want to push sales across a broad audience.

A slight downer from the previous novel is Prince d-bags development. It has steadily trended into the mundane world of whining and constantly caring too much about others that he is often hurt when these sacrifices occur. YAWN. "My new Famwy needs me! I will never let them down!" over and over and.......... This trend is relentless in presentation. The always questioning of "self" does not a confident character make. Perhaps that is the point that stabs relentlessly into your back.

There is a solid continuance of progression coupled with great movement and world building. This novel has it all, and if you are not into YA (like me) you may still enjoy the ride.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

3.6/5

This series is so freaking thrilling. It is such a wonderful fantasy, and it's dystopian edge brings everything to another level. It doesn't fear going big, in throwing itself headfirst into battle after battle, and continuously offering new beasts to fight.