I want to preface this review by saying that the South Asian rep was great, and as a South Asian I am really excited to see more books with our stories. That being said, I do not think this book was for me. There were so many plot holes and the main characters (the sister) were so annoying. The princess, Rani, was stuck up and her character development from spoiled brat to street rat was so rushed. The swap itself logically made no sense because how did nobody in the entire castle know the sisters switched places? Ria, the "orphaned" sister , started out somewhat likable, but as she spent more time in the castle she became so clueless and ditzy. I was able to figure out what was going to happen next before BOTH sisters because the plot was so predictable. If you're looking to read South Asian fantasy, this book is an option, but you're going to have to read it with no critical thinking. I think I just turned by brain off and read, this could've been more enjoyable. During the last half, I tried to not be bothering by the gaping inconsistencies, but just couldn't do it. Sorry, I'm gonna have to pass on this one.

Full Review on Instagram- uponthebooktower
Age rating -13+
Genre - fantasy , young adult
Sisters of the snake was such a fun read which was fast paced and gull off diversity

4.5 stars

I don't think I have ever read a novel written by two authors before. I was worried that the story wouldn't be as cohesive, but it is incredible. I am reading more YA novels this year, and this will be hard to beat. Identical twins separated at birth, both with wonderful friends surrounding them and a connection that stands as strong as it would have if they had spent their entire lives together- what's not to love?! The additional fantasy elements of magic and animal familiars gave the storyline a unique element. Thank you to HarperCollings for an advanced electronic copy of the book.

Really unique world-building that offers a fresh take on YA fantasy, but also makes me nostalgic for the YA fantasies that made me love reading. A very strong debut - Sasha and Sarena are authors to keep your eyes on!

Thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for the early copy. Sadly, I had to DNF this at 30%. My rating is 3.25 but again, I didn't finish the book, so it's perfectly fine to ignore my review since it's not covering the entire book!

Sisters of the Snake follow two girls who lead very different lives and would love to escape their individual pressures, even just for a little bit. They run into each other and find out they're twins! They decide to keep up a charade where they switch lives and discover the truth about the kingdom they live in as well as how the other sister lives.

The descriptions of various things in the background are great! It's even better to get to read a YA fantasy book that's not so eurocentric.

The book really relies too much on YA tropes for it to be interesting to me in the long run. It's also hard to like anyone beyond the main protagonists since they're all pretty flat. I thought I would at least like the snake sidekick but the snake is pretty mean. :'(

Perhaps the magic system is more fleshed out later in the book but when I got into it, it wasn't really as expanded on as I would've liked. How come the other sister never 'bonded' with a snake, like her sister did? (Probably explained later on in the book) Snake magic is cool AF though.

Twin sisters Rani and Ria have no idea they're twins, until Ria tries to rob the palace and instead finds the princess: her mirror image. After they decide to switch places, they uncover a dark plot to send their country to war and discover truths about themselves, their powers, and their surroundings. Perfect for fans of The Tiger at Midnight. My only complaint: I am already ready for the sequel. This felt like the perfect mix of fantasy, Indian history, and the power of sisterhood. Just a couple chapters in and I was hooked, rooting for both sisters and - somehow, despite not liking snakes - rooting for a snake! Can't wait for the sequel!!

I really wanted to love this book. The cover is absolutely beautiful and the premise sounded so fun. Even though this book didn't meet my expectations, I don't want to discourage readers who are interested in it. I'm still so impressed that the authors started writing this book in high school. I'm excited to see their writing grow and improve.

Sadly, Sisters of the Snake read like a Disney Channel movie. So many aspects of the story were just not believable from the sister switch to how the magic in the world works. What's more is that the characters I originally cared for seemed to lose their personality over the course of the book. For example, I was drawn to Ria, whose life as a thief gave her a no-nonsense attitude towards the world, contrasting her sheltered twin's life as a princess. Yet, by the end of the book, I could hardly differentiate the two perspectives. The authors seemed to want to show that they had both "grown and changed." But both Ria and Rani ended up suffering from a savior complex that just left me annoyed.

I will say I got to buddy read this book with some of my South Asian friends, and overall it was a fun experience. We all got a laugh out of the author's naming the future queen Rani, which means queen. We ended up calling her Rani Rani. If you want a fast paced book that lets you turn your mind off, you might enjoy this.

To start, I will say that I really appreciated the representation of South Asian culture through the mentions of food, language, honorifics, festivals of significance, clothing, etc. For this alone, I think this book is definitely an important source of South Asian representation. I also generally really liked the style of the authors' writing - they had really beautiful phrasing and I made note of several quotes simply because they flowed in a lovely way. And this cover is quite spectacular.

I had significant issues with some plot points and the pacing, where I was honestly overwhelmed by the multiple "mysteries" that were raised in each chapter. That said, some parts of the book were well done (eg: the atmospheric vibes and plot revelations in Chapter 35 were especially noteworthy to me). I felt some of the relationships were not explored as well as they could have been - Rani and Tutor/Samar's connection, for instance, was something I wanted to see, especially as Rani explicitly states multiple times that Tutor is the only true father figure she has ever had in her life. And I wish the world-building was stronger and more of the magic system was explained, but hopefully, this is explored more in the sequel. I just wish the authors would have stuck to a few solid plot points and seen them through properly, instead of introducing so many plotholes that I was left with so many questions if I was reading the book with a close eye on the storyline and characters.

However, I did enjoy the concept of magic, and the main antagonist, diabolical as they were, was fascinating to me, and I'm quite keen to see how that character's story evolves. Overall, an entertaining read, but maybe not if you want a clean plot without any holes in it.

3.5 stars

3 stars.

I will admit this was a buddy read with a few of my other Desi friends. Did we love the rep? yes. did it feel authentic to us? yes.

However, this book reads like a first draft of fanfiction. At 14 I would have killed for this, at 23, all I can see are the plot holes. We actually ended up making a google doc titled "I Have Many Questions Sasha and Sarena ". Some of the highlights are below.

How were Aditi and Ria in the orphanage at the same time when they have such a huge age gap?
Why couldn’t Ria tell the king that she was the twin?
How do the servants bathing Ria not notice that she isn’t Rani?
Why does Amir not know anything about his best friend (to the point where he isn't able to see that its a DIFFERENT person)?
Shouldn’t Rani be taller, fairer, bigger, and healthier due to her life of luxury?
How did Rani get back to the palace in a few hours when it took her a week to go from the palace to the river?
Why does the snake not tell them A DUDE IS LIVING IN THE PIT if they knew all along??

Anyways, we found this book highly enjoyable, but if you're looking for a sound, plot hole less book, this isn't it. Head empty, no think, just enjoy this book.

This book is perfect for lovers of YA fantasy. The magic system in the book reminds somewhat of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The book features all Desi characters making the book an amazing source of representation. All of the little references to clothing, food, honorifics fits well with the story and does not seem forced. It is fantastic to see Desi culture written so well.
I have never read a book centered around twins, let alone magical twins. Through the book, we can see both Ria and Rani develop so much as characters. Although there was not much interaction between the twins, seeing their connection together. The book alternates between Ria and Rani, allowing glimpses into their own journeys. I liked the two perspectives because it allowed us to get to know both twins the same amount.
The only critique I have about the book is that I did not feel like the relationship between Rani and Tutor was well developed. Tutor was meant to be seen as father figure for Rani, but the story did not give me that idea unless it was explicitly stated.
Overall, I think the book is fantastic and a must read!

Lemme just start off with saying that the Desi rep here is beyond amazing. The food, the clothing, the honorifics. All of it amazing and oh so desperately needed. Very rarely does Desi rep get the spotlight in the fantasy’s genre so I was beyond excited to read this!

I love the story. I love the characters. I loved the magic. I don’t ever think you can go wrong with an identical twin swap. My little cousin is definitely getting a copy of this book for her birthday because I think it’s phenomenal.

I only have 2 critiques. First, the emotion. Certain emotions of the characters were not clear to me at all. I thought Shima and Ria had a weak but good relationship until around 49% when Ria says “Whatever Shima and I have, it’s definitely not friendship”. The connection between Tutor and Rani is also weak and he does not seem like the father figure Rani says he is to her at all. There are many instances of this occurring and it left me very confused at times.

Secondly, from a practical standpoint, it makes no sense that Rani knew Saeed for these many years and didn’t know about his or his mothers back story. Same for Ria and Amir. I know this happens because their swap is sudden and it’s something that’s easily redeemable.

But all that aside, I definitely recommend this book! Especially to younger desi girls!

This was wonderful read! From the very first chapter, I was hooked on this story. It sucks you in immediately, and I became obsessed very quickly. I loved this take on the retelling, and I don't think I've ever read a YA book with identical twins before. Honestly, Ria and Rani's bond was my favorite part of the book! I always get really excited when there's strong family relationships, and theirs's was wonderful, despite that fact that they were separated at birth.

The story is extremely well developed, and we see incredible character growth throughout, not just from the main twins, but also from the side characters. I loved seeing each twin have their respective friend groups and watching the stories merge at the end was wonderful!

The magic system was very interesting! I always really like the concept of having an animal companion (especially when they've got the mind bond thing going), so I enjoyed Shima's presence. Even though snakes terrify me, I think the explanation of the magic was done very well. My only criticism is while the snake magic was thoroughly explored, I wanted more from the other types of Masters' magic, as well as a touch more world building. Hopefully, it'll be explored in the next book!

I received an e-arc of this title from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'll start this off by saying this is not the most original YA fantasy I've read. It's main selling point is the fact that it's set in India and written by twins. Otherwise, it's fairly predictable and has a lot of elements you can find in other. That being said, it was still a fun read.

Sisters of the Snake is pretty much a fantasy version of The Princess and the Pauper set in an Indian-inspired setting. It has hints of Aladdin (with a naan-stealing thief, a princess in a gilded cage, and a Raja with a serpent scepter) and a dash of The Parent Trap/Sister, Sister/one of the Mary-Kate and Ashley movies where they're estranged twins or whatever other 90's twin-switching story you can think of, so yes, it's a little cheesy. But it's like the book-version of your favorite childhood blanket: nostalgic, well-worn, and comforting.

To keep the warm fuzzies going, we'll start with the good and end with the bad. The setting is lovely, though the descriptions of food made me so hungry I had to go steal (legally purchased) garlic naan from the kitchen before I could keep going. Having a book inspired by Indian/Punjabi culture is such a refreshing change from the countless YA fantasies set in a generic medieval European country. While I wish the worldbuilding were a little more developed, the Nanua twins still took me over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride through Abai.

The story was just fun. Do I secretly wish Sasha and Sarena had done something crazy and thrown in a giant plot twist or two? Yes, but they set out to create "a world where people who look like us....could be front and center" with "twins who are incredibly different yet undeniably linked," and I think they did that. It was ridiculously predictable but still enjoyable. And honestly, with all the craziness that is real life, sometimes you just want a little predictability.

Now, for the not-so-good news. The writing is a little simplistic. I'll spare you my rant about alternating POVs, but I forgot this was a cowritten work for most of the book. I'm assuming one twin wrote one POV, but the two essentially sounded the same. Maybe it's an incorrect assumption, maybe it's the twin connection? Either way, I wish the two voices didn't feel so interchangeable. The only distinguishing factor for me was that I was less engaged with Rani's storyline and sometimes tempted to skip every other chapter, other than that, the two girls sounded the same.

I also think the overall storytelling could be stronger. The story was littered with plot holes to the point that the effort needed to suspend disbelief becomes distracting. A lot of these are little things like the impulsive decision to switch without any real planning or discussion can easily be fixed with a little tweaking. The story also suffers from some awkward pacing. I spent a good portion of the book thinking it was a standalone based on the plot's trajectory, and then as we approached the climax, I thought it was part of a series, but THEN things seemed to be wrapping up nicely until I hit the end and realized, there was actually going to be a sequel. I feel like this is an ongoing problem in YA fiction, but authors tend to take their sweet time with a meandering plot in the first two acts before packing all the action into the final act of the book. It just makes the overall story feel unbalanced and incomplete. One last, very minor complaint, is that descriptions of the murderous, flesh-eating snakes are a little...much. (I also hate snakes, so...)

Despite some misses, this was still an entertaining read. If you go into this with the right expectations, you might just be surprised or, in the words of Sasha and Sarena, come for the Disney vibes, stay for the loaf of bread...or naan.

This was a twin story I had been looking for. At first I was like no why is there not more interaction between the two MC's. That comes in time and is necessary to the plot. While the characters are apart you get to see them not only as being similar but also the differences in their personality traits. I really enjoyed how this was done. As a twin you are always seen as being a replica of the other. It takes time to individualize yourself to others. I think the authors really nailed this aspect. The story was so intriguing and I am scared of snakes but also find them intriguing. I liked how the different characters had unique feelings about the snakes. This is one lush fantasy with many things to contemplate and digest and is one I highly recommend.

I'm reviewing this even though it was a DNF at about 35% for me. Mostly because:

This book is not for snake lovers. While I'm more of a snake appreciator than lover, the way they were describing snake behavior was inconsistent with my knowledge of snakes (to be fair, I'm a massive dork who took Herpetology in undergrad, so what I know about snakes isn't a lot, but it's more than most). It took me out of the story every time.

The other thing that made it a DNF for me was the suspension of disbelief required to swallow the prince and the pauper situation. I love that trope, but these two girls like saw each other in the hallway once and were like "wanna switch, sure" and that the extent of knowledge transfer/planning. They would have been caught immediately and the fact that no one noticed was intensely frustrating and hard to read.

That said, I think fantasy loving teens will like it. I'll recommend it to the right person.

A great new young adult fantasy that is full of diversity and culture. Students who enjoyed 'Mirage' and 'A Song of Wraiths and Ruin' will enjoy this rich fantasy. Full of world building and intrigue this is the perfect fantasy for students who enjoy great characters and fast paced plot. Students looking for fantasy with sibling relationships will enjoy this!

Any fantasy that has Indian elements is always gonna shoot straight up in my favorites list. There is so much of my own culture being included in the story and I was so happy to read that. The mythology and the world-building of Sisters of the Snake is incredible. I found the magic system unique and amazing. I just can't stop thinking.

All the characters are just incredible; each of them are so different from each other and are equally complex. Ria and Rani, our two main leads, they're my favorite characters out of all. Both of them are twins, separated by dark events in their pasts but tied together by an incident that leads to them switching places. So Rani the princess becomes Ria the thief and vice-versa. Their storylines diverge from that point, giving us a look into two separate worlds, one within the palace and one outside it. Having more than one point of view can be off-putting, but I really enjoyed reading Rani and Ria's POVs. They were done really well and I felt for them both, the more I read their stories.

This is a book I will be recommending to anyone and everyone.

Disclaimer: I got this book in exchange for an honest review.

A lost princess and a dark puppet master strike a deal to save their home. THIS HAS INCREDIBLE SOUTH ASIAN REP and as a South Asian I adored this book!! It's perfect for fans of The Star-Touched Queen and The Crown's Game. This was such an interesting combination of characters and I feel so honored to be one of the early reviewers for this highly anticipated release!! There wasn't anything I didn't like and I'll be doing a review of this on my blog closer to the release date. Link in my profile.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. This is exactly the type of fantasy story that I enjoy reading the most! All the twists and turns kept me hooked, and I could not put the book down. I appreciate that the script is clean and not graphically violent. This strikes me as an exciting read, but doesn't have as many universal themes to use in book club discussion, except for poverty and the humane treatment of people. I love reading fantasy that isn't typical, and the Indian culture really shows through. I can't wait for the sequel, although this ending will suffice for now. Thank you for a happy ending!

Any book comping Star Touched Queen is an instant read for me! This story didn't disappoint. Lush worldbuilding and beautiful writing hooked me from the start. I loved how the girls' worlds slowly overlapped and tangled. It did feel like the plot was fairly predictable and I'm not sure if that was intentional or not, but it did take away a little bit of thef fun for me. However I did fly through this and I felt like it got me out of my YA fantasy slump. Authors to watch.