Romantasy • Fantasy • Witches
Pub Date • 19 November 2024

🎉 Happy publication day! Thank you to @booksparks and @sagapressbooks for the free book.

For those who love a good marriage of convenience, with a cat and mouse dynamic (but make it serpent and wolf dynamic), look no further. Introducing your next bingeable romantasy novel:

Vaasalissa is meant to be a pawn in her brother’s rise to power. Served up on a platter Trojan horse style, she’s sent into enemy territory under guise of an arranged marriage. Honed like a knife, having mastered no less than 7 languages, political scheming, and even some hand-to-hand combat skills, Vaasa is just looking for her nearest exit strategy.

Her new husband (and foreign ruler) Reid needs her though, or maybe it’s just want. He is not so intimidated by the metaphorical snake in the grass.

Slow burning with a couple of spicy scenes, the pacing starts fast from the jump, slowing a bit through the middle focusing more on self-healing, friendships, and internal political machinations. The last quarter is adrenaline pumping action.

I took a not-so-small amount of glee in the various twists and turns, most of which I did not see coming.

There’s a bit of a cliff hanger in the final pages but enough of the first book plot was resolved to keep me happy. I was pleased with this romantasy debut and looking forward to the next installment from Rebecca Robinson.

GO READ THIS BOOK! This debut from @rrobinsonwrites easily went to my list of favorites for the year. When you read mostly romantasy (like me), stories can start to run together, but this one stands out & shines brightly. The politics, romance, and character development kept me hooked for the whole ride. The world-building was rich and unique, with a complexity that was interesting to unwind.

Vaasa’s character is beautifully written, and this book at its core is the story of Vaasa learning to love herself and to let others love her. It is a journey of seeing the impact Vaasa’s family trauma has on her to seeing her gain her found family. I adored the Veragi Coven and how they accepted & guided Vaasa.

Vaasa & Reid were absolutely 🔥 together. From the first chapter the tension and banter will have you kicking your feet. It is a perfect blend of wit and steam with a beautiful story of two people learning how to love and support each other. The twists and betrayals had me gasping, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲:
🗡️ “Who did this to you?”
🗡️ Enemies to lovers
🗡️ Stabby, black cat FMC
🗡️ Twisted politics
🗡️ Steamy slow burn
🗡️ Arranged marriage x fake dating
🗡️ High-stakes political intrigue
🗡️ Witches & void magic
🗡️ Found family

“𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘵.”

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘈𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘝𝘢𝘢𝘴𝘢, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵.
𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.

𝘏𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦. "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵?" 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘦. "𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥?"

Thank you to the author and Saga Press Books for sending me a copy of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you Saga Press for the gifted physical copy and digital ARC

The Serpent and the Wolf
Rebecca Robinson
Publishing Date: November 19, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This one is out today! And I highly recommend going to grab a copy. This was a great Romantasy. The balance of romance with world building, magic, and plot was really well done.

This book had so many of my absolute favorite things. The romance is arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, slow burn perfection. The magic system was unique and involved witches. There are family dynamics and political intrigue at play. I would also argue there is a dash of found family vibes. Vassa is a badass, strong, independent FMC. Reid is the perfect balance of strength and protectiveness without being all stifling of her own power. And when it all comes together.. 🔥

Fantasy books are often hard to follow and so confusing, but I found this book easy to follow and digest, which I appreciated!

This is part one of a trilogy and I will be anxiously awaiting the second installment!

The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson is everything I love in a romantasy - dark magic, intense political intrigue, and a slow-burn, swoon-worthy, enemies-to-lovers romance that delivers on every level. Robinson's writing style is fantastic, and I highlighted so many powerful and poignant lines as I read that I'm going to do another post spotlighting my faves.

Vaasa Kozár is a standout protagonist. After losing her mother and being betrayed by her cruel brother, she’s forced into a marriage of political convenience with Reid of Mireh, a cold, calculating, and mysterious ruler. Vaasa has no intention of staying trapped in this marriage, but Reid offers her an unexpected deal. If she helps him secure his political power, he’ll give her freedom and help her with her dangerous magic. Their alliance is full of delicious tension, and as they grow closer, the lines between their arrangement and something more begin to blur.

What I loved most about Vaasa is how layered her character is. She’s smart, resourceful, and a skilled fighter, but she’s also grappling with her trauma and the terrifying magic inside her that she doesn't understand or know how to control. Her journey to survive, outmaneuver her brother, and gain her autonomy is so compelling, as is her ability to adapt in many different situations. I also love that she gained several friendships in the midst of all this tension and uncertainty, though the best relationship is the complicated one between her and her husband, Reid.

Reid is equally complex and dynamically developed, and he's been added to my ever-growing list of book boyfriends. lol He’s cold and calculating, but there’s a vulnerability to him that makes him and his relationship with Vaasa even more captivating. A strong leader, he's also kind and sensitive, and I appreciated how fleshed out his character was. And the chemistry between him and Vaasa is undeniable. I adored their slow-burning romance, which is full of tension, amazing banter, and moments of unexpected tenderness. Plus, there are some chef’s kiss romantic sub-tropes sprinkled in including a couple of my faves - “Who did this to you?” and “forced proximity."

The world-building is also richly layered and detailed, especially the magic system and the political dynamics. And I love that we learned more about Vaasa and her parent's secrets. It was such a fascinating story, and I had a feeling there was more to it than Vaasa originally thought. The way it slowly unraveled over the course of the novel, was fabulous, and I was so happy we learned of Reid's connections to it all. The blend of intrigue, fantastic protagonists and secondary characters (love the found family vibes!), and a tension-filled, continually evolving love story kept me hooked, and there are a few twists that I totally didn't expect. I love when that happens!

I can't say enough about this debut novel. I flew through it and was disappointed when it ended because I needed more!!! It's a powerful and engrossing story about survival, trust, identity, and the lengths some will go to for freedom and power, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series when it comes out. I would definitely recommend this one to romantasy readers! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 ⭐
2.5 🌶️

The Serpent and the Wolf is more of a fantasy romance than a romantasy, as described. I would call the plot to be more fantasy-forward than romance. With the complex magic system and all the political intrigue, I view the romance (a large part of the story) as secondary to everything else. Regardless, that was a good book! Based on the description, I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. So, a wonderfully enjoyable surprise.

Vaasa makes a good FMC, frustrating at times, but still intelligent and brave. She's a heroine in the mold of being thrust into a situation she did not want to be in but she finds she can excel and turn it around. Yes, it's been done before, but it is still a fun trope to read. The magic system is quite intriguing, and I don't believe we (the reader) fully understand its complexity yet. But more will be revealed in the coming book (or books), and I think we will be surprised. The found family for Vaasa in the coven of witches is perfect, and Amalie is a favorite character. There are some fabulous, strong women in Esoti and Kosana. There are a lot of strong, capable women in this book.

Reid is a solid MMC. He's a bit of a cinnamon roll but dangerous at the same time. You can't help but fall for him. Some may like their MMC dark, tortured, and angry, but I enjoy one who is confident and not jaded. He's not too proud to listen and heed Vaasa's advice, which makes their pairing much more fun to read. Of course, we've been left with a cliffhanger (a doozy), but I definitely want to continue with this series. I hope it happens soon.

Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Press, for the eArc. These opinions are mine.

In The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson we have a fantasy novel with a romantic subplot - to me this is not romantasy. That being said, I really liked this book. There is political intrigue, arranged marriage, 'enemies to lovers' - it is positioned as that but really only one person regards the other as the enemy so not sure if that is true enemies to lovers, found family, magic, good world building and characters that I really enjoyed. This is the first book in a series and I will definitely be picking up the next book. 4.5 stars. Thank you to #netgalley and Saga Press for my e-arc.

This was a fun romantasy. I listened to this one on audio and followed along in an e-arc. I loved alternating back and forth between the two, it was a fun reading experience. The audiobook was well done, and the narrator really did a good job of bringing the story to life and created such an immersive experience. I love books with arranged marriage. It is one of my favorite tropes, well arranged marriage and marriage of convenience. This is a slow burn romance, with a found family, and magic! The mix of everything in this book was well done. The slow burn romance was nice, romance wasn’t necessarily the main focus of the book, but a sub-plot and it worked well. Just don’t go into this expecting a lot of romance. The world building was well done and slowly introduced me to the world the book was set in. I tend to get frustrated with world building if not well done, however, this one was great, and I really enjoyed it. This book sucked me in right from the start, after a little bit I was fully engaged and didn’t want to stop listening to this one, so then I switched to the e-arc and finished in two days.

If you’re looking for a witch focused romantasy with a nice romance sub-plot, then you need to check this one out.

Solid new Romantasy!

I was hooked from the start. Arranged marriage? Count me in!

I love that instead of the mmc the author made the FMC the grumpy broody character. A nice change from the usual.

The adventure, politics, and magic system set the book up perfect.

And don’t get me started on the last 10% of the book! The ending. Hoping there is another!

Thank you Saga Press for this eARC.

FIVE STARS! It’s been awhile since I’ve read a romantasy that held me in it’s grasp and would not let go. I loved this book so much and for so many reasons: the political intrigue, the slow-burn romance, the found family, the magic system. It’s all there. I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling it for you, but I will say this- read it. If you’re afraid of fantasy because of the world building, don’t be afraid of this book. It’s pretty straight-forward and easy to follow. You will be hooked.

Holy COW!!!!!!! 6 star read, incredible. Give me 14 of ‘em right now. This book has some of my favorite tropes of all time, and each and every one was done so well.

✨true enemies to lovers (she tries to kill him on their wedding night)
✨slowwwwwwww burn
✨touch her and die
✨"who did this to you?"
✨arranged marriage
✨faking being in love
✨one bed AND one horse
✨"where’s my wife?"
✨banter 😮‍💨

Amazing political intrigue, and world building. It’s one of the best romances I’ve read in a while where it feels so genuine and well paced. I read this book in one sitting. I am so excited for the rest of this trilogy. EVERYONE GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!!! I cannot believe this is a debut novel.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6863911215

This book reels you right in. I loved it from the start. I loved the drama at the end.i love that they fell in love at the end. I’m so hopeful of a second book coming out. 😬

A gripping romantasy debut with nail-biting stakes and sizzling slow burn!

“The Serpent and the Wolf” follows Vaasa Kozár after her brother marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. But she is desperate to live and Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and he will share his knowledge about the newly awakened dark magic running through her veins. This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement.

When I tell you this book consumed me and made itself my new personality, I mean it! From the very first chapter, when Vaasa put her knife to Reid’s throat, I was hooked and just knew I was going to love their relationship dynamic (I was right!). Each subsequent chapter was better than the last, making it impossible to put this one down!

The plot is definitely heavy on politics (the machination and scheming is on a whole other level), but the romantic tension between Reid and Vaasa is palpable. Reid seriously had me giddy as a schoolgirl! Every word that came out of his mouth made me swoon. I adore how gentle he was with Vaasa as she came into her own.

Vaasa is the FMC I want in a fantasy novel. To echo Reid, she is smart, cunning, and wickedly resourceful. I really enjoyed reading from her perspective and watching her character break free from her family’s cruelty to become a witch strong enough to dismantle nations.

Robinson’s fictional world is intricate, her characters compelling, and her plot twists riveting. If you’re a romantasy lover, definitely pick this one up!

This book is out tomorrow and it’s an excellent romantasy!!

This book has:
* Unique magic system/ witches
* Great political intrigues
* Arrange marriage trope (loved it)
* Slow burn 🔥
* Enemies to lovers
* Bad ass strong female character

I loved Vaasa and Reid’s relationships, and both of them as characters. Vaasa is fierce, cunning, and strong-minded. Reid is protective, patient, and reliable. And they make a perfect power couple! This is the first book in the trilogy and I need a second book sooooon to find out what’s going to happen with them!! ASAP!

This romantasy achieved a remarkable balance between world-building, romance, and political intrigue, making it a perfect fit for my taste! 😝🔥

Thank you so much @sagapressbooks for the opportunity to read early copy! And congratulations to @rrobinsonwrites on tomorrow’s release! Can’t wait to continue the series!💜🔥💜

#sagapressbooks #SagaSaysCrew #romantasy #theserpentandthewolf #rebeccarobinson #simonandshuster

I loved this book!
It had all the best tropes: forced proximity, arranged marriage, enemies to lover, slow burn.
Vassa is a complex character that you grow to love.
The world building is great-you get completely engrossed in the story. The book has just the right balance of romance, magic, and fantasy politics.
This book is perfect for fans of the darkness within us.
Thank you for this ARC.

Thank you to Saga Press and Rebecca Robinson for this ARC.

Holy hell, Batman…this is prob one of the best romantasy books I’ve read all year. As soon as I finished, I was googling to see how I could get my grubby hands on book two 🤣 If you like fantasy, arranged marriages, badass FMCs, and the definition of female rage…read THIS book.

🐺What did you love the most?
Vassa is forced to marry Reid, the leader of a competing territory, by her scheming, evil brother right after the death of her parents. And that’s only in chapter one. The amount of action, intrigue, worldbuilding, and witchy vibes packed into this debut book made my toes curl in delight. This is how you write romantasy. The tropes were balanced out by the actual plot, a magic system that made SENSE, and some jaw-dropping twists that left me hanging on an epic cliffhanger.

🐺What to expect:
🐍Witty banter
🐍Arranged marriage
🐍He falls first
🐍He will burn the world for her
🐍Political intrigue
🐍Witch covens

🔥Steam level: open-door romance

🐺How was the romance?
First, this is more of a fantasy book with a romance subplot, so if you are expecting heavy spice, this book won’t meet your expectations. However, the chemistry between Reid and Vassa is hot, and it does pay off before the end of the book.

🐺Do you recommend this book?
The tension, the scheming, and magic… it worked for me. I am seriously hoping we get a dual POV for book two, as I think it would be a more well-rounded story. Make sure this book is on your TBR; I promise you won’t regret it.

4.75/5

Absolutely breathtaking. This book made me feel ALL the feels. From chapter one with pulling a dagger on her new husband and escaping into the world, I KNEW I was hooked. The found family, political intrigue, the scheming, and the sizzling romance was written so GOOD. The political aspect wasn’t boring at all, I enjoyed reading how they can navigate it all working around schemes with more schemes. Chapter 8 made me CRY, my gosh. Vaasa is a complex character that deserves all the love and goodness in the world, even if she doesn’t believe she’s worthy of it. The feminine RAGE, was everything it should be. I wanted to rave and rant with her. The romance didn’t overtake the story but it added so much more to it. Reid 😮‍💨😮‍💨 my book boyfriend forever. His strength didn’t overtake shadow Vaasa’s and when he says my wife, my consort? AHH! Screaming and kicking my feet. The ending? Made me want to throw the book, because the cliffhanger was villainous. I look forward to 2025 and one of those reasons is hoping for book 2 expeditiously!

i don’t have much to say about this book so I’ll keep the review short. both the main characters Vaasa and Reid are flat and in turn, so is the romance. the writing is kind of clunky and the world building leans towards info dumping. i couldn’t even tell you how the magic works or why it exists, i spent a lot of the book kinda confused honestly. i did appreciate that the relationship between Vaasa and Reid was a true slow burn, i just didn’t connect to anything goin on like i hoped to. there’s also an element of found family that’s always nice to see for me since that’s one of my fav tropes. one thing i will say is that the ending was kind of interesting though and my only real hope is that the structure of the story has some very needed improvement if there is going to be a sequel cause i really do believe there’s potential here. i don’t think this is a bad book, just underwhelming.

Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson Out tomorrow - 11/19/24

World building, political intrigue, magic system of witches, and so much more! I loved the slow burn and enemies to lovers is my absolute favorite trope. Even the arranged marriage (not usually a favorite of mine) was well done in my opinion.

I loved both MCs. Vaasa and Reid have fantastic chemistry and banter but the romance is definitely a subplot. It really has more of a focus on the machinations of family and headmen vying for power.

Vaasa had more depth in this first book in the series and I am looking forward to more of her strength and plotting. She inherits a strong magic after the death of her mother, and it is a race to control it before it controls her. I loved Reid but I felt he didn’t get as much attention as Vaasa. I believe he will be more of a focus in the sequel.

This is a fantastic debut novel. Robinson also built great characters that I want to see again in the series- the witch covens, the warriors and the headmen and consorts. Theresa final plot twist was a good one that I didn’t see coming and can’t wait to get back to this world soon!

4.75 stars

Okay this is absolutely fabulous! You get political rivals, a little found family, and war. I mean what else could I want. I am obsessed with the banter between Vaasa and Reid, he is so obsessed with her from the start and is constantly surprised by her and she like hates him. It's giving very grumpy sunshine. Like who within the first 20 pages writes that the main character is gonna try to kill her husband, flee and change her name and disappear, like I am living for that. I also loved seeing Vaasa vulnerability anytime someone showed her kindness because she wasn't used to it. Seeing her navigate and learning how to accept help and accept others into her life was so sad and yet so endearing because it felt so real. I also enjoy Vaasa's vulnerability over her power because in so many books people just accept their power, but she is genuinely terrified and wants it go that is also very different from the norm in other books and I find that refreshing, I think this book series is gonna be a hit. If you like Thea Guanzon you will looovvvveeee this book just like I did.

I really wanted to love this, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The MMC felt very one dimensional. I also didn’t love how the book started. It felt like there was a chapter missing in the beginning, because you get thrown right in to the action. I think more context would’ve helped the pacing in the beginning.