Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press for the aARC.

The serpent and the wolf

I enjoyed this story for the most part.

I was pleasantly surprised by how political this romantasy was. One thing that I worry about going into stories with a slow burn romance is if I'll be engaged by other aspects of the story and I'm happy to report that the plot kept me interested.

I loved learning about the magic system alongside Vaasa and the relationship and conflicts between countries. The action scenes were well done and I had a good time.

There were some pacing issues at times. One minute I felt like things were moving along and then it would just feel like things were stalling. I found myself just wanting to skim but I refrained from doing so because I didn't want to miss anything.

I have a love hate relationship with Vaasa's character. Overall she was well written and I thought we were seeing growth But then something would happen and she would lash out making her feel like a kid throwing a tantrum because she didn't understand something. In the beginning it was understandable but by 75% in, it didn't make sense or move the story forward.

Some parts were predictable but there was something that I didn't see coming! This is a huge plus for me.

I will be continuing with the series and definitely recommend giving this a try if you love a slow burn romantasy, a smart FMC, some political maneuvering and some found family aspects.

Vaasa finds herself in an arranged marriage after the death of her mother, a marriage she has no intention of staying in. She believes she has a curse that could end her life, and she desperately wants to find a cure. Her husband doesn't want to give up so easily, and there are bigger things at play than an arranged marriage. What will Vaasa do?

I really enjoyed this series starter! It starts with a bang and just keeps going from there. We get an arranged marriage, a feisty fmc, political intrigue and scheming, magic, a down bad mmc, and a whole slew of female rage. It's definitely a slow burn, so plan accordingly. I am very interested in seeing where this goes. It's definitely a bit of a cliffhanger, but one that left me excited and not angry.

Thanks to Saga Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Absolutely amazing from start to finish. It does get a little slow at times, especially in the first half, but it does pick up. Don't go in immediately expecting for the romance to hit you in the face as soon as you open the book, this book is absolutely a slow burn romance, which is very appreciated. It was great seeing the development of the relationship from enemies forced into an arranged marriage, to lovers who would sacrifice everything for each other.

The characters were great. The FMC was badass and strong, and doesn't take anything from anyone. I'm glad that we got to learn more about Vaasa and her family history that led her to where and what she is now and her character development was great. However, on the other side, the MMC was great personality and character wise, but I do wish that he lived up to his "Wolf" title a little more than he did. Plus, we don't really get to see a lot of his back story throughout the book and I wish that there was more so that I could get a little more emotionally invested in what happens to him, especially at the end during the final battle.

The ending caught me completely off guard. I was so sure that Vaasa would actually voluntarily leave him when she didn't promise that she would stay when he asked to extend their time together, but I wasn't expecting her to give up her magic and be forced to leave him.

I am anxiously awaiting the next book because of that major cliffhanger because Rebecca Robinson, how could you leave it like this? For a debut novel, this was incredible.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this arc.

WOW... this book was so so so good!!!! Everything was impeccable the plot, characters, world building, tension, overall relationships between characters. Vaasa is a great fmc I love that we get to see her strength and weakness all come to play but also her vulnerability and ability to self-reflect. The development and growth of Vaasa was so well done and it's so big. Her relationship with the coven and their interactions it's lovely (':. Reid a stunning mmc he is amazing so kind and strong and funny and a great communicator. Ugh I love him. The story was well thought out and I could not see the plot twists coming. It does end in a big cliffhanger so be ware but it is so worth it. I loved loved loved this book and cannot wait to see where the rest of the story takes us.

Short synopsis: After the death of her mother Vaasa is married off to Reid of Mireh an enemy ruler. After trying to escape, she strikes a deal with Reid to help him rise to power in exchange for her freedom.

My thoughts: What an amazing start to a fun new romantasy series! The banter and tension was everything in this, starting from chapter one. I was immediately enthralled in Vaasa and couldn’t wait to learn more about her.

I adored the main characters, especially Vaasa and her desire to fight for right, regardless of the obstacles in her way. What a great example of a strong female character.

You get a bit of everything with this; romance, enemy invasion, battles, betrayal, royal inheritance, magic, and a cliffhanger ending. Can we get book 2 now please?

Read if you love:
- One bed
- Enemies to lovers
- Arranged marriage
- Dark magical powers
- Political intrigue
- Fantasy series

Well, that was a wild ride!! I was initially interested in The Serpent and the Wolf, because of all of the attention I was seeing on social media, and I’m so glad I decided to read it. Vaasa Kozar has lived her life being honed by her father, hated by her brother, and being indifferent to her mother. When she is forced into a political marriage to Reid of Mireh, her life takes a drastic turn, as she seeks information about her strange magic and comes to terms with not letting herself feel connected to anyone because of the way she was treated by her family.

I immediately fell in love with Vaasa and Reid. Reid quickly sees behind the walls that Vaasa has put around herself, while she finds Reid to be aggravating and insufferable at every turn. I really loved the way the relationship unfolded between the two of them, with Reid being the patient MMC and Vaasa being the fiery FMC.

There are a lot of my favorite tropes in the story such as he falls first, slow burn, one bed, political posturing and allegiances, found family, family secrets and learning to control magic. The pacing of the story was also done really well, and I loved how much time was given to the conflict happening at the end of the story. There is also a great betrayal twist, that I didn’t see coming, but it fit perfectly into the story.

All of the political factions worked well, and I enjoyed seeing the different factions vying for power. It’s a great balance to the romance storyline and the magic brought in by the various witch covens. I loved that the different covens all had their own specific types of magic, and I’m definitely interested in seeing where the story goes with Vaasa’s magic and what her mother knew and was hiding from Vaasa.

I thought this was an exciting first book in the Dark Inheritance trilogy, and I can’t wait for the second book in the series. If you love books like Powerless, A Dawn of Onyx or The Plated Prisoner series, then I would highly recommend The Serpent and the Wolf.

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for the free review copy in exchange for an hones review. This book had some tropes that I thoroughly enjoy: arranged marriage, slow burn, found family, enemies-to-lovers. I enjoyed watching Reid and Vaasa’s relationship develop and love a very slow burn romance. I struggled to get through some of the mostly political portions of the story in the middle. I also would have liked to see more of Vaasa and Amalie’s friendship develop. The book really picked up at the end and I definitely did not see the end coming. I am very interested in picking up the next book in the series.

The Serpent and the Wolf has made it to one of my favorite books of the year! I loved this so much, the political intrigue was done extremely well. I usually am not one who loves so much political chess in my fantasy because let's be honest, I'm too dumb to follow. But this kept me one my toes wondering what was going to happen the whole time.

The romance as usual was my favorite part. You have a broken FMC forced to marry and a beautiful man who is enamored with everything about her despite her pushing against him every step of the way. It was the perfect push and pull "hate to love" sexy romance I want to see in my romantasy.

Read this if you love
romantasy
hate to love...ish
arranged marriage
political intrigue

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5

-arranged marriage
-enemies to lovers
-slow burn
-political intrigue
-witches and magic
-brother/sister rivalry
-found family
-who did this to you

I’m a sucker for the arranged marriage trope so this was entertaining for me. It’s very high stakes, heavy political intrigue but the magic part of it made it intriguing.

“𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.”
“𝘼𝙨 𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙄 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙠.”

I loved the banter between Vaasa and Reid! The back and forth pull and the tension was great. She reminded me a lot of Lara from Bridge Kingdom, smart, guarded, independent, can defend herself, and loves to welcome you with knife to the throat. But you start to see her walls come down with that found family trope and I love it.

The plot twists were twisting though, I had no idea what to expect of that ending and didn’t see it coming. And I’m scared for what happens in the next book.

Thank you @netgalley and @rrobinsonwrites for the opportunity to read this arc!

LOVED THIS SO MUCH!

🐺Enemies to Lovers (tries to kill him on their wedding night)
🐍arranged marriage
🐺SLOW BURN TO THE MAX
🐍touch her and die
🐺grumpy/sunshine (FMC is grumpy/stubborn)
🐍”who did this to you?”
🐺banter, banter, and MORE BANTER
🐍Found family

What an absolutely INSANE debut novel for this series. I was hooked immediately and finished in lightening speed. Between magic system, the romance, high political intrigue, the side characters and MC developments, this book is going to be a fast favorite for readers of Romantasy. I am so blown away that this is a debut, it is so well written, and the story is so intriguing. I cannot wait for the rest of this trilogy!

I loved this entire book! First, learning that the women had the magic and all the twists you uncover about the fmc's family by the end. And of course, ends of a cliffhanger . The book is oddly comforting because of the found family elements but lots of action and a side of romance.

This book was really fun and interesting, I flew through it.
While I’m not usually a political book girlie this had a great mix of fantasy, politics and romance.

I love everything about this book. The characters are wonderful and witty. The setting is beautifully imagined. The story and plot are engaging and exciting. I read this book in a single day. I absolutely could not put it down. Highly recommend this for just about anyone, but especially fans of romantasy writers!

This is the next big Romantasy. I said what I said. I was hooked from page one! The banter was top notch, and I loved the magic system and political intrigue.

I can’t wait for their story to continue!

Very solid romantasy, perfect blend of romance, world building and intrigue! I’m very excited for this story to continue!!!

Rebecca Robinson’s The Serpent and the Wolf is an incredible romantasy debut packed with high-stakes political intrigue, a unique magic system, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of Raven Kennedy and Thea Guanzon will adore.

The story starts with a gripping and unique beginning that immediately draws you in, and it maintains its momentum all the way to the shocking twist at the end. Vaasa and Reid’s relationship is a highlight—watching them slowly build trust and eventually fall in love was deeply satisfying. Robinson perfectly balances their romantic development with the tense political machinations surrounding them.

The magic system is another standout feature, with its fascinating covens of witches and their varied powers. I was particularly drawn to Vaasa’s personal struggle with her dark magic and her emotional journey. Her vulnerability—her fight to believe she is worthy of love and acceptance—was both heartbreaking and healing to witness.

Rebecca Robinson has crafted a stunning and captivating romantasy that will leave readers eager for more. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next! Highly recommend this book to fans of emotional, character-driven fantasy romance.

The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson is the first book in the Dark Inheritance Trilogy. This is the story of Vaasa and Reid.
 
Vaasa grows up in a patriarchal world and she is sick of it and has a lot of rage inside of her. But that isn’t the only thing, and she also has a dark magic that goes more out of control with each day. And I absolutely loved how her magic was described as a snake and the writing style in general is absolutely beautiful. I highlighted so many quotes and passages and it’s very vivid and just engaging. I also loved how she gets to explore her magic and becomes even stronger because of it. Vaasa is a strong and fearless woman who asserts herself in this world and she’s such an inspiration and new favorite book character.
 
Her brother married her off to Reid who is a political enemy, and he couldn’t care less about his sister. Reid is a male character that stands out in this book, and he works very hard to prove himself and to follow his dreams. I adore him and his mother was such a cool character as well.
 
This book is the prime example why I love arranged marriage stories because Vaasa and Reid‘s banter was on point and all their interactions only intensified with each page. And don‘t get me started on all the my wife moments who were to die for. I loved Vaasa and Reid and they became such a good team. The plot was intriguing and a rollercoaster of emotions and I couldn’t put this amazing book down. And that ending. OMG. I can’t wait for the next book and need it like now.
 
The Serpent and the Wolf is a new favorite romantasy and I highly recommend it. 5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

Title: The Serpent and the Wolf
Author:  Rebecca Robinson
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 5 out of 5

All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.

After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.

But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.

This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?

I was hooked from the very first scene. That’s when the action started, and it never let up. So much political intrigue! My brain just doesn’t work this way, with all the twists and turns and backstabbing, but it was fascinating to watch. I loved how the trust and emotion slowly grew between Vaasa and Reid as they got to know each other, and they genuinely started to care for each other. I loved all of this and can’t wait to read more.

Rebecca Robinson is a school administrator. The Serpent and the Wolf is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Sage Press in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 11/28.)

Outstanding debut! This should be among the top 10 romantasy novels for the year! Fantastic world building & political drama, unique bloodline magics, arranged marriage, hate to love slowburn with angry fmc and protective cinnamon roll mmc. Twist at the end I did not see coming. I could not put this book down! I can’t wait to read what happens next!

Thanks to S&S/Saga Press for the gifted copy of this book!

About the book: Vaasa Kozár lost her mother to a dark & mysterious magic - a magic that also lives in her. When her brother marries her off to to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, he hopes that it will be the end of Vaasa and the threat she poses to his crown. But we all know how enemies-to-lovers storylines go ;)

My review: An absolutely perfect romantasy read, and I am SO happy that this is the start of a trilogy! This book was full of political intrigue, betrayal, adventure, power dynamics, and female rage, but also had fantastic romance lines like "Dance with me like lovers do" and "You have grown my capacity for hope." The magic system was so well done, and adapted to the storyline so incredibly well. I love how all the elements balanced each other to just create a really engaging and unique story that I can't wait to dive back into! (Because OMG that ending?!)