Rick Riordan presents in YA is the best thing to happen! This is definitely more YA and less middle grade. Sexual assualt and patriarchal abuse of power are central themes, blended with the abuses of imperialism, what power can look like, and the thin line between monster and hero based on who tells the story.

I got behind on my reading and have been reading a LOT of RRP at the moment. This is one of my favorites and needs to make it into a lot of adolescent hands.

I am so torn about this story. On one hand I loved Manisha & Pratyush’s stories. I loved the Madusa retelling in an Indian Mythology world. The world build was fairly decent for this authors first dip into YA fantasy. What keeps me from loving this story though is the amount of violence against women that happens. It was too much and got to be eye-rolling by the end, and really took away from what should have been a really important theme. The overall violence was a bit unbalanced for YA as well. With that said, I am looking forward to reading Eshani’s story in the next installment!

Please do check CW before reading this book!!

This book is not only a retelling of a classic but also a big bowl of what goes around comes around with a dash of opposites attract. The general got his karma in stone and I hope other's get theirs as well in the next book... that I cannot wait to read!!!!

A Drop of Venom is a fabulous entry into the Rick Riordan Present universe, blending Greek and Hindu mythology into superb and delightfully entertaining novel. Manisha is the youngest child in her family, sent secretly to dubious safety in lands of the country that conquered her own; Pratyush is the son of a slayer, recruited by the king who - unknown to Pratyush, a mere 8 year old at the time - murdered his father, so that he could be trained to slay monsters in his father's place. Each is isolated from their remaining family, and trained to absolute obedience, Manisha in a floating temple as an apsara, a priestess, and Pratyush as an adjunct to the military that supports him on his monster-killing quests. Both are surrounded by people whom they dare not trust, and encounter each other occasionally when Pratyush's religious observances bring him to the temple where Manisha lives.

Told by each character in an alternating fashion, this volume follows each one as their lives slowly converge, providing each with the opportunity to become the person they were meant to be, rather than the person those around them tries to turn them into. Drawing on the mythology of both Greece and India, and yet creating characters who, while familiar, and still completely new, A Drop of Venom draws the reader into its world, presenting a complete and compelling story that leaves the reader wanting more - and an epilogue that suggests a sequel is planned. Hopefully, a sequel truly is planned, and will be available soon. Recommended for teens and adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first book in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint targeted at the YA audience. This is a very dark, very violent retelling of the Medusa myth intertwined with an Indian mythology inspired fantasy world. I liked this story and thought it had an important message to tell, but I also had some issues with it.

Manisha is a very strong main character who encounters difficulties during her adventures. She starts off a little bit meek, but grows into a confident young woman who will protect herself and others from the violence around them. I really liked her relationship with Noni, a giant snake that accompanies her on her journey. It is this relationship that helps her develop into a stronger character.

Pratyush was also a very strong and interesting main character. He has a very strong moral center, which was interesting considering that he killed ‘monsters’ for a living. I liked him alot and felt sorry for him at times as he struggled with his own desires for how he wanted to live his life and how he was treated by the people around him. The relationship between him and Manisha was an interesting one and at times a bit one sided. I did like how they supported each other at the end after they worked through their misunderstandings about each other.

The biggest issue I had with the story was how incredibly violent it was. I know that is part of the message that the author wanted to convey, but there was so much violence that it almost desensitized me to that message by the end of the story. There is a lot of rape and physical abuse of women and even men. There is also a lot of violence occuring to the soldiers from the monsters they are hunting or even trying to avoid. It seemed a bit much for a book targeted at 14 to 18 year olds, especially the younger end of the spectrum. I certainly hope that there are strong warnings associated with this book, as I fear that when people see the Rick Riordan Presents logo they will assume it is a safe book for their child to read.

I also had some issues with the writing style. At times it was written like a high fantasy book should, with lots of descriptive prose and an atmosphere of an ancient culture. But then the characters talked and that dialogue often had a very modern feel to it. It made for very stilted conversations between the characters. The pacing was also off in a lot of places, and the story felt very dragged out.

I am very glad that the Rick Riordan Presents imprint is venturing out into the YA market. I hope that they somehow make it easy to differentiate between the two levels though. Especially if the other books that will be aimed at the YA audience are similar to this one. This is the first book in I think a duology, but I don’t think I will read the next book. There is enough violence in real life, I don’t particularly want so much of it in my fiction.

oh oH OH. I love when ancient mythology is twisted to give agency to the women and the Medusa myth is probably the most famous.

I love everything about this from the Indian mythology to the little bits of the Greek myth mixed and the way our leads come together. But mostly, I just love when women are given a chance to take revenge on those who harmed them because we see so little actual justice being done on rapists and other sexual abusers.

thank you to Rick Riordan Presents and Netgalley for the eGalley!

Years ago, Manisha was hidden at the floating temple by her family to save her from being killed by their enemies. Pratyush is a monster slayer indentured to the King. He visits the temple often, and eventually asks Manisha to marry him. He leaves to ask the King for permission to web her, but while he is gone Manisha is sexually assaulted and thrown off the floating island. When she lands, she is bitten by hundreds of snakes and her wounds miraculously heal. She goes in search of her family. She discovers more abilities along the way, and unfortunately a rumor begins about a serpent woman turning people to stone. The slayer is sent to kill the woman he loves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for this DRC.
Manisha is of the Naga people. War forces her family to hide her in plain site in a holy temple in the sky. When she is seventeen, Pratyush, a monster Slayer, visits and immediately is attracted to her. While his attraction is kind and true, others are not so. Manisha is sexual assaulted and pushed off the mountain. Waking in a viper pit with hundreds of snake bites, Manisha finds a way to persevere and protect other women from the men wreaking havoc on their lives. Her interference catches the ear of the King who sends his monster Slayer after her.

This is definitely a YA book, tackling dark and unsettling topics in a straightforward way. It made it hard to read at times, as it was so easy to have empathy for both Manisha and Prayush, and the many other women in the book. I enjoyed the mythology, and, well, I like snakes.

#ADropofVenom #NetGalley

Wow. Absolutely AMAZING. I devoured this book in one sitting! There are so many raw, rich, and eye-opening moments throughout this book that gripped me by the heart and kept me engrossed till the very end. The main character in this story is so empowering in all that she does and shows us that, when we are facing dark times, we can always persevere in the end by not giving up. The magic in this book was also top tier. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who loves fantasy and a strong, butt-kicking female protagonist!

If it's Medusa, it's for me! In this case, you can absolutely judge a book by it's cover, because the story is just as awesome as the art on the front of this book. I loved the mesh of mythology. This book made me feel so much. If you're ready to cry, I HIGHLY recommend!!

The cover was breathtaking. Who would have thought the book would be just as beautiful? This is a stunning new take on the legends of Medusa and the Naga snake people. Manisha is young and full of life at home in the rich vast jungles with her loving family until she is forced to hide in the kingdom by a war on her people. She strives to fit in but is treated with disdain and animosity except for by Pratyush a boy who slays monsters for the king. He has lost his entire family and all hope until he meets beguiling Manisha and falls hopelessly in love with her. But the king, the temple Manisha serves, and the cruel men of this world have other plans for them. Can a monster slayer and a monster have a future together? Will Manisha ever see her family again? All of these haunting questions and a beautiful golden serpent make for a very thrilling and achingly haunting tale that stays with you long after the final page. The characters are wonderful and the emotions as potent as venom from a cobra. Great book.

It's been a while since I was excited for a RRP title, but I'm glad I took a chance on this one. While it wasn't the horror story it was pitched to be, it was captivating and enlightening. I appreciated how the author took some events throughout history and the present and tied them into the context of this story. I will definitely be ordering this book for my high school's library!

WOW. I'm having a hard time formulating my thoughts mainly because this book was FANTASTIC but also because I'm struggling trying to type this out with my vision obstructed by my tears. I sobbed so hard reading this book. A Drop of Venom is such a powerful commentary of the stigma of sexual violence and gender roles in South Asian communities, as well as sisterhood, resilience, and vengeance. While I am familiar with the origin story of Medusa, it was so cool to see this infamous character in Greek mythology be intertwined with Indian mythology as well. I loved following Manisha and Pratyush, and seeing how their individual journeys and timelines intertwined throughout the couple months that they know each other. The romance between them is definitely not a main focus of the story, but the story is still romantic.

Additionally, for a writer that has only published contemporary novels, Sajni Patel's storytelling in a fantasy setting is so well done! I was fully immersed in this world and following the characters and mythology closely. It was very easy to read and digest, and I can't wait for Eshani's story next!

While I enjoyed this story about Medusa’s back story, I was shocked that this story addressed issues like rape in such detail. The men in the story were generally so evil and so oppressive to women. While I get that that was typical of the time frame of Greek mythology, it was a surprise in what I thought was a middle grade story. I later discovered this was YA and hence the subject matter was more acdeptable. That being said, Medusa’s story was horrific, but well-written and helped me understand why she was a villain.

This was excellent! Readers should definitely pay attention to the author's note, but if you're looking for a feminist revenge fantasy that also explores what it means to heal, this one really brings it. Manisha and Pratyush are great characters, and the worldbuilding is lush and interesting. Looking forward to see what happens next!

I don't even know what rating I would give this book. I was not prepared for this level of darkness and violence in a YA book. By the end though, I was definitely wanting to know more about what happens to Manisha and her sisters.

Sajni Patel is a force! Give me more immediately (please). This feels like a truly epic and long series (please be long we need more books by her)!!!

This is a startling book for the Riordan Presents series which usually is aimed at children in the ages 9-13/middle grade bracket. I failed to notice that this one is aimed at high school students (grades 9-12, ages 14-18) and I skipped the opening letter from Riordan that does, to be fair, clearly state this book is about sexual violence, so I know a lot of this is on me but….holy crap, there is SO MUCH RAPE. Starting at around the 20% mark rape of all types (m on f, m on m, forced rape of another, even *knife* on male) become increasingly common. Some rapes are referenced or threatened, others are completely and clearly depicted. In many instances, women are willingly sold by men (or other women) to rapists for express intent of violating them. In one community the main character visits the practice is so common female children are fed increasingly less diluted poison in hopes that when they are raped, their attackers will absorb the poison during rape and suffer some consequences. It’s really a *lot* and often not dealt with very deftly. There is also tremendous violence aimed at women and girls that is not sexual, including multiple scenes of beatings and mutilations for infractions as small as voicing opinions or “rebelliousness.” The violence is constant to the point of meaninglessness, seemingly thrown in for shock value or to ham fistedly make the same point over and over and over again (namely, rape & violence is traumatic for the victims). As Riordan Presents moves into older and more graphic content I’m going to have to rescind my blanket recommendation for the Riordan Presents series. Hopefully there will be some sort of visible logo difference between the middle grade friendly books and those intended for older audiences.

The story itself is a reimagining of the Medusa myth in an Indian-lore inspired fantasy universe. The plot is pretty simple, Manisha (Medusa) is a naga who is forced to live in secret among normal humans until she is violently raped and nearly murdered. Instead she survives and leads a sort of resistance crusade against the king and patriarchy on behalf of girls who are constantly raped, beaten, and abused in this kingdom. A tepid romance with the Slayer, a supernatural hunter who is enslaved by the king, provides a secondary protagonist whose sole function seems to be to provide a male character that is not an appalling predator of women (for all he is a predator of monsters, for which he suffers a fantasy psychic torment that should be interesting but isn’t explored enough to actually be so). The tone vacillates between between high fantasy and contemporary teenage novel, with fantastical descriptions of mythic monsters met with teenagers proclaiming the ferocious beasts “lame.” It’s clearly meant to be a feminist retelling but for me it falls short and the ceaseless often pointless violence, sexual and otherwise, is exhausting and off putting.

Such a great book! I love this take on the Medusa origin story. It's wonderfully written and the changes to the story were thoughtful and fitting. I loved the converging timelines between the two main characters, and both are very likeable main characters. I went into this novel thinking that it was a standalone book, but was so happy to discover that there would be a second book for her sister. Thank you so much to Negalley, Sajni Patel, and the publisher for allowing me access to an early copy for my honest review! It was an absolute pleasure!

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974


This is a retelling of Medusa's take from an Indian mythology lens. Two people bound to serve their people. One is the King's sword and the other is a simply fulfilling her destiny until she is assaulted. This is a darker mythology story, not as light hearted as some of the other Riordan series. However it provides balance and an alternate way of viewing the parts of mythology that are not so fun.

I adored Manisha and you will too.

Trigger warnings: snakes and sexual assault