Embrace the Serpent is a fast paced YA fantasy about a young woman with a natural gift for jewelsmithing. She hides her real identity while working for a flamboyant man who claims her accomplishments for his own. When her work draws the attention of a king from a far away kingdom she has to step into the limelight to claim the life she truly wants instead of continuing to hide in the shadows. Did I mention that the king is a Serpent King with scales and fangs?
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3.5⭐️.
I thought this book was a fast paced and fun YA fantasy with a good balance of romance and adventure. Around 60-65% of the way into the book the brakes come off and events happen at such a rapid pace that I flew through the rest of the book without stopping! I really appreciated the author keeping this book as a standalone-no drug out filler and fluff here. One of my absolute favorite parts of this book was the side character Grimsley, he was such a lovable little companion! I will absolutely be posting about this book on my social media (TikTok and YouTube) about this book closer to its release date as I think this was a fun diversion and will make a good summer read for teens.

This folklore-inspired romantic fantasy was such a quick and enjoyable read! It gave me One Dark Window vibes but make it YA and a fast read. The magic system surrounding jewels was super unique, and while I do wish it had been fleshed out a bit more, it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. This book is successful as is but I also could see it being expanded into a much longer and more immersive duology. I definitely will read more by Sunya Mara in the future, and this cozy fantasy, marriage of convenience YA book deserves a spot on and YA fan’s shelf. Grateful to Harper Collins Children’s for the ARC!

the writing style was phenomenal, the author did a wonderful job of transporting you into that world. Saphira seemed a bit immature at times, all in all i really liked it and i would read more works by this author.

Saphira is a talented jewelsmith who hides her talents by "assisting" an established jewelsmith. Eventually, her talent comes to light and draws the attention of those in power in her kingdom and even the Serpent King. Saphira must decide if she wants to stay anonymous or lean into her talent. There is so much going on in this book--action, adventure, romance, mystery, suspense. I was immediately drawn into the story and rooted for Saphira from the start. I think this is a strong addition in YA Fantasy.

Add this to your TBR list! I loved The Darkening, and this book did not disappoint. From the start the story grips you. It’s fast paced and has a lot of action and intrigue. Rane is very endearing. Scenes between Saphira and Rane are romantic. I would’ve like to know Rane’s family better. War scenes could’ve been more detailed. But great plot. I wish there’s a follow up book on Mirandel’s story.

Sunya Mara’s EMBRACE THE SERPENT is engaging and easy to fall in love with. The plot moves at the perfect pace, while Saphira may be one of my favorite protagonists of the year. I loved it — and you will too!

I devoured this book with speed. The characters were interesting. The magic system was wild. And the plot was captivating

Saphira is a jewelsmith: she can create beautiful pieces of jewelry that hone the abilities the stones provide for the user. But she’s also in hiding from a horrid past. When she accepts an offer to help The Serpent King of a different realm, her world is thrown into chaos. Can she complete the task that’s asked of her? Can she get over her prejudice against the Serpent King? And can she ignore the connection she feels to his guard?

I love a good stand alone fantasy romance. All too often books are made into 5, 6, or 7 book series, and I don’t always have the time or dedication for that. This kept the story moving, kept the characters interesting, and kept the tensions high.

3.75 ⭐️ This book starts off so gripping, with such a fascinating magic system and a well-built world. The first half-ish pass by but the last part slows down and feels a bit predictable. I really wished it had more depth, but I can’t deny it kept me hooked as it was. Still, it was an enjoyable read, and I’d recommend it 💖

This was a beautifully written book, with such a fantastically written main character. I loved the story, and it was such a compelling plot, mixed into a short-ish standalone!! I love Sunya Mara so much!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This might be the easiest 5 stars I’ve ever given a book.

It was so charming and funny and the romance was perfect and I just loved it.

Saphira was an incredible narrator and MC, she is so awkward and blunt and unintentionally hilarious, she genuinely made me laugh out loud.

Her romance with Rane was so wholesome and he is such a charming, lovable LI, and his banter with Saphira, going back and forth with her blunt honesty with little wholesome inside jokes was so good!

I loved seeing Saphira learn to be confident and sure of herself, and learn how to be brave enough to fight for something (even if she’s still working on the bravery thing). I also enjoyed her taking ownership of her jewelsmithing as something she loves and something that she can do to make a positive impact.

This was just so good. Highly, highly recommend!

This book was just okay. The pacing was a little slow for me. It felt like it would just start to get somewhere and then slow down again. I also was confused because Mirandel loses the necklace and then it doesn’t explain how she got it back unless I missed that part. I did overall like the characters and story though. All thoughts and opinions stated are my own. Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

A quick, fun read! Reminiscent of Gail Carson Levine’s work, which I loved as a kid. The middle drags a bit but the opening was *so* strong. I love how unique it feels despite following a standard fairy-tale-esque formula.

This story is as beautiful as its cover! I had such a great time with this story and I need more! I look forward to what I hope is a super long career for this author!

okay okay. she sounded GREAT by the blurb and this is a gorgeous cover so i thought: why not check it out? and to be honest she ended up being a pretty entertaining fantasy book, if not a little predictable. i had a good time but there were a few pacing issues and i DO wish there was clearer(?) world building.

This is a perfect standalone YA book that actually reads like it's written for teens. ETS is an Asian inspired world and does a good job of blending several elements without being overwhelming. The jewelsmithing was super cool. But the best part were its characters, from Saphira the main heroine to Mirandel, the Serpent King and the cute little golem, Grimney. I'd DIE for Grimney so thank you for introducing me to him, Sunya Mara!

4⭐️

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

❗️spoilers ahead❗️
Embrace the Serpent was such a beautiful, magical read. I loved the main character, and her love interest. The story was so much fun to read about, and parts of the world reminded me of The Cruel Prince series.

I was also a huge fan of Saphira having a little sidekick throughout the book, a rock golem, named Grimney. Oh my goodness he was adorable, but I had the most fun reading about him during the beginning. One thing about him though that kept confusing me, was his size. I could never tell if he was small enough to fit in Saphira’s pocket, or bigger like a toddler. There were just too many descriptions of him that seemed to contradict each other.

Now, I loved the plot, but who the main villain was got confusing. There was the main one we heard about basically the entire book, but in the end we find the emperor was the true villain. He was pretty much never mentioned until the last few chapters, and even then he hardly seemed like a formidable opponent. The last battle was anti-climactic, since beating him was way too easy.

The epilogue was pretty great. The characters having a happy ending and seeing our main character fall in love while still being able to pursue her original dream, Leaving this stand-alone story on a great note.

In conclusion this was truly a fun read, and I am happy to recommend it to fellow readers.

One of my favorite books of 2025! The love the sacrifice and world is truly imamculate! Chefs kiss! Our main character lives such a simple life and later we learn she has run away from childhood trauma. Catching up with her when she least expects it she is summoned to the palace with the Jewelmaster she has made famous as not even an apprentice but his loyal assistant. However everything is not as it seems. While the jewelmasters revels and boasts, Saphira stands quietly as she as always done in shadow and blends i to the backround. The Master has been commissioned to make a very special piece and so Saphira gets dillogently to work. After some time she figures out how it must be done and it comes out flawlessly. Earning the master much more praise. Things then take an interesting turn as she strikes an unusual deal with one of his henchman. Almost right after that chaos ensues along with a hasty marriage and a journey to a farwaway kingdom. Saphira and the King almost do not make it They do however and they grow closer. A true story of love and bonds formed under the most unusual circumstances and I will be sure to recommend!

I was a fan of the author's first book The Darkening (I mean, THAT ending! How dare she?!?!) but the second was kind of a let down. This one had similar vibes-- couldn't quite get into it. Was confused a bit by what was going on.
Do I feel the author has promise though? Yes, and I will still be on a lookout for her other books. Unfortunately this one is a pass for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and HarperCollins for the ARC. I unfortunately did not like the writing style or characters making this book a hard one to enjoy.

After her mother was murdered in her childhood home because she couldn’t stop her cries, all Saphira wants is to stay under the radar. When she can’t do that in the orphanage her mother’s murderers put her in, she sneaks out and finds a place in the town—at a jewel-smithery where she can ‘apprentice’ with great skill. But when she and her skills are discovered by those in need and old enemies alike, Saphira can’t hide anymore. She needs to choose a side and help them in this traveling tale.

Embrace the Serpent has a lot going on. Perhaps too much. There is Saphira and her mysterious past (with her mom, her former friend, and her talents), the mystery and possible danger surrounding the serpent king, the present danger by the empire…There’s a lot happening.

Embrace the Serpent has a lot of fun characters, but too much in it’s plot to be a cohesive, satisfying tale.