I loved reading these books! I was a bit nervous to reread Tess of the Road, because I love it, don't get me wrong, but it's a hard story, and it's more introspective. I had to reread it before reading In the Serpent's Wake, because my memory is so poor, and i's been almost 4 years since I read it, so I had to reread it!

Tess is in a tough head space. Her sisters have lives going on, and she doesn't really belong. Going on this adventure, she really has a chance to find who she is. Given that her mom and her religion basically taught her to hate her body, she has a lot of lessons to learn on self-love and acceptance.

And then oh, In the Serpent's Wake, I loved exploring this part of the world! It definitely raised questions about colonialism, about claiming land for your country, but someone else already lives there-and you treat them as lesser. It was infuriating, but an important one.

There were a lot of emotional moments, from all the different ways that Tess is being pulled at on the ship, to Spira, who because of the way they were born, have an illness that affects their body, as well as makes them more susceptible to emotions. And some new characters, with all the complicated politics and history of these various islands and peoples. That ending worked well for this book, but I hope this isn't the last we see of the Southlands world!

Loved reading these two, and I can't wait to read more by Rachel Hartman!

Loved the first book so was unsure how the second would hold up but it exceeded my expectations. Hoping there’s even more in this series!

If Rachel Hartman could write her books a little faster that would be amazing because I want more from her after reading this!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Mind of the world, open your eyes.

What an utterly, utterly breathtaking book. I want to throw it (hard) at anyone who suggests YA fantasy is lesser or derivative. I felt similarly about TESS OF THE ROAD, so when I noticed Rachel Hartman had written a sequel, I leaped at the chance to read -- and gah, did SERPENT'S WAKE ever live up to my expectations.

This is a book about an expedition. But beyond that, it is a book about unravelling all the tropes we've come to expect with fantasy expeditions, interrogating and pushing back against assumptions that come with making a journey beyond our home culture. Like TESS, Hartman's newest book is slow-paced and philosophical, flitting between a variety of characters: from a sword-toting countess to a bitter, lovelorn dragon. Tess herself is just one brilliant, complicated part of a larger wheel, but all the parts fit together SO WELL.

It isn't an easy read. Genocide, rape, racism, and murder are only a few of the topics dealt with in SERPENT'S WAKE, but I felt all of these topics were handled in a very well-nuanced way. Hartman's writing is beautiful and evocative and handles the darkness deftly. This book also provides one of the most organic explorations of language, gender, and pronouns I've come across *ever.* It's ... phenomenal.

Read it. That's all I can say. Give yourself time, open your heart, and venture into the WorldMind.