this was an enjoyable time for romantasy lover. i believe this is the author's debut novel so of course it's not perfect was not expecting it to be. but it was good nevertheless. the ending did leave me intrigued about what might happen next - this series has potential.

The Serpent and the Wolf
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Generally I'm not a big fan of fantasy told in the third person, nor do I like the fake dating/marriage of convenience trope, but I'll make an exception for The Serpent and the Wolf because it was so well done!
When I say I love a good slow burn, this is what I'm talking about! I fell in love with Reid of Mireh immediately and I'm surprised Vaasa didn't as well! They rode the line of banter and tension perfectly, and their marriage of convenience rouse was so well done, as was their slow fall for one another.
The pacing of the story kept me engaged through the end, and the last part had be chomping at the bit for more!
I cannot wait to dive into the second book and see what happens with Vaasa and Reid next!

Thank you NetGalley, S&S/Saga Press, and Rebecca Robinson for the ARC.
All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

This is one of those books that I don’t know if I actually liked it and want to continue with or not. There’s nothing major that I can say bothered me, and there were a couple of pretty good quotes that I highlighted, but I can see myself forgetting about this book a month from now. The MMC is a golden retriever for the fantasy genre, which was enjoyable.
The beginning was kind of jarring. It felt like we were dropped into the middle of a chapter without enough context. However, you become acquainted relatively quickly.

I did not expect to love this one so much. I haven't seen anyone talk about it but it is such a good fantasy book. I loved how high the stakes were and the romance was so good.

When we meet Vaasa, she is enraged that she was forced into a marriage with a foreign ruler by her brother. Their father is now dead, leaving her brother to rule. Their mother died from some strange ailment/magic and Vaasa believes that she has inherited whatever killed her mother, some sort of dark magic, and is desperate to learn more about it and to live. To do that, she has to escape her new husband, Reid of Mireh. Luckily, their father trained Vaasa in many things including knife skills and language skills.

Reid turns out to be a very wise and strong leader, with tenderness for his new wife, no matter how furious she is at her situation. As you may expect, they eventually come to an understanding, or at least a deal, and learn to coexist and to play politics for Reid’s sake.

The magic system was pretty interesting and intricate, with different covens having different powers. I loved the found family theme, along with all the political scheming.

In addition to Found Family, this romantasy has: Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Strong FMC with warrior skills and a brilliant mind, Strong MMC with a soft heart, Arranged Marriage, and a kind of Grumpy/Sunshine. There are probably some others that I’m forgetting!

It is hard for me to believe this is a debut novel, but it is! I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. (Warning: it ends in a cliffhanger, something I hate, but there it is.)

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I had a lot of fun with this book! Fast paced. Slow ish burn. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next one!

My thoughts on The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson, which I rate a 5/5 star read. This book is a fantastic blend of dark magic, political intrigue, and a slow-burn romance that kept me hooked from start to finish.

The story centers on Vaasa, a fierce and smart protagonist dealing with some serious family drama and mysterious magic. She's forced into a political marriage with Reid, who starts off as cold and calculating. But as they team up to tackle their challenges, their chemistry becomes undeniable. I’ll be honest—the story starts off a bit slow as the world and characters are introduced, but once things pick up, it’s impossible to put down. The buildup is worth it and their slow-burn romance is full of tension, witty banter, and some genuinely sweet moments.

The world-building is rich, especially when it comes to the magic system. That said, I feel like there are still a lot of things to learn about this world and its politics, but I truly believe those gaps will be filled in the next installment. The foundation has been laid, and I can’t wait to see how it all expands. The plot is packed with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Plus, the supporting characters add depth and a sense of found family that I absolutely loved.

If you're into romantasy with strong characters, intricate plots, and a romance that makes you swoon, definitely give The Serpent and the Wolf a read. I can't wait to see where Rebecca Robinson takes this series next!

***Thank you Saga Press/Simon & Schuster and Rebecca Robinson for gifting me an ARC in return for my honest review.***

I innitially did dnf this book but wanted to give it another try. Unfortunately this was just not for me. I couldnt connect to any of the characters and with the writing being very choppy it just never drew me in. For being a debut though, it did have some good qualities. I loved the woman supporting woman theme in this. The over all premise was very appealing, along with a stunning cover making me drawn to it in the first place. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this EArc!

This book drew me in right from the beginning! An interesting magic system but definitely more fantasy than romance. I'm interested to see where the series goes!

Thank you so much to Saga Press and Netgalley for sending me copies of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I've discussed it several times on my channel but honestly, this book GRIPPED me. The enemies to lovers, political romantasy, where he fell first and she has to learn to control magic from his MOM?! I loved it so much and I can't wait for book two.

I'll definitely be picking up the sequel (even though there was a cliffhanger and we all know how I feel about those lol).

This book was incredible. Had me hooked from the first page. The FMC is tough and witty and the MMC is the perfect balance of tough and tender. Great plot. I can't wait for the rest of the series.

I wanted to live The Serpent and the Wolf but I just could not get into the writing style. I loved the premise but this was a DNF for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a lot of fun! I found the plot to be quick-paced and the world-building to be superb and succinct. I wasn't tired of fighting by the end, but there was just enough action to keep the reader interested. That first chapter truly captured my attention, and I adored how the reader is thrust directly into the narrative. The romance in this book is slow-burning but well worth it, and the politics and magical system are heavily featured.

Oh goodness, I can't stand that I have to WAIT to know the ending of this story! And what a story! Reid and Vaasa are great together... he's "happy nonchalance -it's ok to put a knife to my throat" to her "everyone's out to kill me" vibe is the best combination. I like the amount of tension, spice, world building, political intrigue and family drama. Can't wait to see their story unfold in the next book!

Thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free copy for review.

Y’all, this was a really great debut novel! Lots of political intrigue, witches, magic systems, slow burn, marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, and a great pair of main characters.

The Serpent and the Wolf follows Vaasa, a princess to the Asteryan Empire, who is newly in possession of a terrifying magic, as her brother weds her to their political rival, Reid of Mireh. The night of their wedding, Vaasa ties Reid up and escapes to a sodality where she tries to learn what is plaguing her. Reid finds her, though, and offers her a deal: stay married to him for three years while he tries to become the leader of Icraria, and learn how to control her magic from a teacher, and then after, go free with a divorce. Vaasa agrees, and the political machinations commence. The only problem? Vaasa’s brother wants her and Reid dead.

Without giving too much away, I enjoyed the world building and really loved the scenes where Vaasa’s coldness slowly melts away as she deals with the scars of her past. The coven scenes were some of my favorites, and I loved those ladies so much! I was a little confused with all of the different parts of Icruria (lots of moving parts) but had it figured out by the end. Also, I was a mess and need book two, like now.

I’m excited to see where this series goes and think it has a lot of potential!

Slow burn enemies to lovers with political and dark magic themes. Vaasa has had dark magic start to come in life within her and has no idea that to do about it. Especially since her mother died trying to keep the dark magic at bay.

Vaasa’s life is also threatened by her brother who is hoping to keep the throne from her. He has married her off to a ruler from a different land. She finds herself in a deal with her new husband, Reid, and helps him win political power to take over and in exchange he will teach her how to use the dark magic.

Vaasa has no one to trust, and is alone in a new setting trying to survive and fight for her life and freedom.

A base level, nothing to intricate or crazy magic system that allowed for this to be an easy read to flow through.


Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“You don’t hate me, and I certainly don’t hate you.”
She tossed her arms into the air. “I almost killed you on our wedding night.”
“As I told you, you underestimate how much I enjoyed that.”
“You’re sick.”


I love political intrigue and “she thinks they’re enemies to lovers but he was never her enemy”. Is that a trope? If not it should be

The dynamic between the two characters is fantastic. They have great banter and angst, and the slow burn is perfectly drawn out.

The middle was a bit slower paced as there was political scheming and maneuvering happening, which I actually enjoy so I was still happy with it.

And then the ending was crazy and explosive, I NEED the next book!

This is a great pick for lovers of fantasy, political scheming, enemies to lovers, and slow burn angst.

This was one of my favorite reads of 2024.
Pros:
- Arranged Marriage
- Found family
- Magic is scary
- MFC is a Stabby black cat
- MMC is just happy go lucky
- Slower Burn
- With a purpose MFC
- Trauma to Healing

The story gets spicer as it goes. This is a story over smut book.
It was beyond expectations. I even bought the physical copy!

The Serpent and the Wolf - Rebecca Robinson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🐍 Political shenanigans with a side of SPICE

Listen up besties, because I'm about to put you onto your next book obsession! Buckle those seatbelts and hide your TBR pile because this debut is about to wreck your entire reading schedule. Rebecca Robinson said "I'm new here" and then proceeded to serve EVERYTHING.

Picture this: our girl Vaasa is basically a human weapon with scary magic who's like "thanks, but no thanks" to dying for her brother's political games. Then BAM - enter Reid, who's giving major golden retriever energy while also being calculating and HOT. The chemistry? EXPLOSIVE.

Let's break down this serotonin fest:
🗡️ Stabby girl meets sunshine boy
💫 Magic that's actually terrifying
👑 Political schemes that'll make you GASP
🔥 Sexual tension you could cut with a knife
🤝 Marriage of convenience but make it SPICY
💭 Trauma healing that hits different

Listen, I got NO WORK done while reading this because I literally couldn't put it down. The politics are *chef's kiss* perfectly digestible, the romance had me SCREAMING into my pillow, and that ENDING? Ma'am, I'm gonna need book 2 immediately or we're gonna have problems.

If you love your fantasy with a side of "oh no, he's hot" and enough political intrigue to keep you guessing, this is YOUR BOOK. Just don't blame me when you're up at 3 AM yelling "JUST KISS ALREADY!"

TL;DR: It's giving everything it needs to give. My only complaint is that it ended. Excuse me while I go reread it immediately.

This book had a way of just dragging me in with that first chapter. I love this world and especially Reid and Vaasa's dynamic relationship between each other. Vaasa is forced by her brother who wants her killed is an arranged marriage to the enemy of the kingdom Reid. The book opens up on Vaasa and Reid's wedding night and Vaasa is trying to find out about her past from her husband Reid who in return needs Vaasa's help to gain rise in power. I think the world building with the magic needs more info for me to understand it better. It felt a bit choppy on that note. But when Reid and Vaasa were together I just loved those scenes. This does end on a cliffy so I have to be back to find out what happens next.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.