The Serpent and the Wolf

The Serpent and the Wolf is the first instalment of a romantasy duology and is the debut novel of author Rebecca Robinson.
This book follows Vaasalina Kozár, heiress to the Asteryan empire, married off to the foreman of Mireh: Reid Cazden. Mere weeks after her mother’s death, a black curse that promises death follows closely behind her and Vaasa must use whatever means necessary to find out how to cure the affliction that plagues her. Even making a deal with her now-husband.
I absolutely loved this book. I am such a big fan of romance with a plot and The Serpent and the Wolf certainly delivered. Vaasa is a deeply compelling and complicated character, and her struggles feel so real it’s very easy to empathise, despite it being a character in a book. The author spoke about how she created Vaasa when she was feeling similar turmoil, so the writing is authentic and so real. Her story arc was very well done.
I know the book is marketed as a romantasy, but it didn’t really feel like one. I expected a lot more of the traditional magic/creatures/other-worldly elements rather than a primarily human story with a few paranormal features. This did start to change towards the end, so perhaps the sequel will continue on the trajectory.
I really enjoyed the political intrigue; the worldbuilding was done at a comfortable pace and it was refreshing to read about a democratic system rather than the commonly used kingdom/royalty. It opened up a lot of avenues of exploration and the politics were just as good as the romance. The set-up of the foremen and councillors were a bit hard to keep up with at times, it took a while for me to make sense of their system.
The romance: *chefs kiss*. I love a slow burn. Love it. This was a slow burn done right. Other authors should read this book and emulate how to write a slow burn. It felt really genuine. The found family aspect was also wonderful.
I demolished this novel in two days and I can’t wait for the sequel.