This book was given to me for Christmas by one of my brothers. The reason he heard about the book is because it was blurbed by Kristin Cashore, who is one of his (and my) favorite authors. I'm really glad that it was brought to his and then my attention, because I enjoyed it a lot.
Serpentine is YA fantasy/horror that takes place in a universe inspired by the Xia Dynasty. The main character is Skybright, who is a handmaiden to Zhen Ni. The two girls are very close friends, but there is also a fundamental inequality to their friendship. Skybright was left on the doorstep of Zhen Ni's family's home when she was a baby, and they took her in as a servant. The focus of the book quickly expands beyond the domestic when Skybright discovers that she is a serpent demon, an awakening that takes place just as a battle between the unborn and the monks erupts.
I loved this universe. It was so nice to read a fantasy world written by a Chinese-American author that explored Ancient China rather than the standard pseudo-European setting that's so common in fantasy. The friendship between Skybright and Zhen Ni is central to the book, as are blossoming romances for each of them. One of the main subplots of the book focuses on a romantic relationship between two women, which was a lovely surprise. Skybright's POV and character voice is very strong, and the writing is precise and has a beautiful flow.
The only drawback to this book was that I didn't realize when I started it that it was the first in a series; there will be at least two sequels, and possibly more. This made the end of this book feel incredibly abrupt and much more negative than I was expecting. The cliffhanger isn't too terrible, but it left me feeling frustrated, which is a shame since I enjoyed the rest of the narrative so much. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series, but I do wish it had been a standalone (or that I had known going into that it was the start of a series). I am not going to let that momentary disappointment affect the grade I'm assigning it, however, because I do think it lived up to its potential overall.
Grade: A
Serpentine is YA fantasy/horror that takes place in a universe inspired by the Xia Dynasty. The main character is Skybright, who is a handmaiden to Zhen Ni. The two girls are very close friends, but there is also a fundamental inequality to their friendship. Skybright was left on the doorstep of Zhen Ni's family's home when she was a baby, and they took her in as a servant. The focus of the book quickly expands beyond the domestic when Skybright discovers that she is a serpent demon, an awakening that takes place just as a battle between the unborn and the monks erupts.
I loved this universe. It was so nice to read a fantasy world written by a Chinese-American author that explored Ancient China rather than the standard pseudo-European setting that's so common in fantasy. The friendship between Skybright and Zhen Ni is central to the book, as are blossoming romances for each of them. One of the main subplots of the book focuses on a romantic relationship between two women, which was a lovely surprise. Skybright's POV and character voice is very strong, and the writing is precise and has a beautiful flow.
The only drawback to this book was that I didn't realize when I started it that it was the first in a series; there will be at least two sequels, and possibly more. This made the end of this book feel incredibly abrupt and much more negative than I was expecting. The cliffhanger isn't too terrible, but it left me feeling frustrated, which is a shame since I enjoyed the rest of the narrative so much. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series, but I do wish it had been a standalone (or that I had known going into that it was the start of a series). I am not going to let that momentary disappointment affect the grade I'm assigning it, however, because I do think it lived up to its potential overall.
Grade: A
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