Political intrigue, world building, tension and slow burn!!! sign me up!! The twists and turns kept you guessing. 4.5 stars! This is truley a series I cant wait to see more of!

This was a fun, marriage of convenience, reluctant-allies-to-lovers romantasy with a nice magic system and refreshing political intrigue. I especially admired the MMC, though at times I found the FMC frustrating (just TALK to him, damn it) they had good growth in their relationship and I'm interested to see where this goes.

The Serpent and The Wolf:

Thank you @sagapressbooks and @simon.audio #SagaSaysCrew for my gifted copies.

“One witch is a problem, but a coven is a nightmare.”

Romantasy friends. This is it. The slow burn, the enemies to lovers, the cliffhanger! This. This is the one.

I loved Vaasa. Sometimes I get worried when I read a romantasy and think the FMC is going to be fragile and dainty. Vaasa was it all. She was a badass, but also elegant and classy. Sass, class, and badass, or whatever the equivalent of live, laugh, love would be. Reid was patient and gentle, but “touch her and cry” came out swinging.

The book starts off with a bang and truly sets the tone for the rest of the story. I’m agape from the last 1/4th of the book, and the cliffhanger had me hoping I was magically missing pages and they would come back. I cannot wait for book 2 of this trilogy.

I love Jesse Vilinsky as a narrator, I don’t think I’ve ever heard JV do fantasy, ever. That’s a huge mistake because Jesse Vilinsky was made for fantasy. I will never skip a JV audiobook, but if it’s fantasy, immediately to the top of the list.

This is a top 5 hit of the year. I won’t shut up about it. Out now, please get it (or wait for one of your favorite book boxes to finally release their pick and get it *cough)

QOTD: What are you reading today?

Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for allowing me the opportunity to ARC read this in exchange for my honest review.

**ARC Review: The Serpent and the Wolf**
**Rating: 4.5/5 Stars**

I’ve got to tell you, *The Serpent and the Wolf* is a must-read that completely drew me in from the start. This book is a remarkable blend of rich fantasy, gripping political drama, and a slow-burn romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat, practically begging the characters to just kiss already! From the very first chapter, I was transported into a world teeming with danger, betrayal, and undeniable romantic tension. Rebecca Robinson’s storytelling is brilliant.

At the heart of the story is Vaasa Kozár, a fierce princess who finds herself caught in a political marriage with Reid, the Wolf of Mireh, thanks to her brother Dominik’s ambitions. But don’t think of Vaasa as a helpless character—she’s determined, strong-willed, and has a touch of dark magic that poses as much threat as the enemies that surround her. And then there’s Reid—tall, brooding, and far from the brute Vaasa fears. Their chemistry is off the charts, and the way they navigate their mutual attraction amid swirling political schemes is pure literary gold.

Here are my own likes athe nd dislikes :
Vaasa growth as a character: This story is as much about her journey as it is about anything else. Vaasa learns to take control, facing her own fears and the dark magic within her. Her transformation is powerful and inspiring.

-
Reid the wolf*: Initially, he seems like your typical gruff hero, but he surprises you. Reid is strategic, respectful, and the way he builds trust with Vaasa will have you rooting for them both.

Political intrigues : The constant twist and turns of alliances and betrayals kept me guessing. I was fully engaged in trying to decipher who was loyal and who was playing a dangerous game. The stakes felt incredibly high, and I was hooked.

Side characters : Melisina stood out with her strong motivations, adding depth to the story, while Amalie provided light-hearted moments that balanced the intensity perfectly.

What I was too into :

Pacing in the middle : Although the story started strong and ended on a high note, there were moments in the middle that felt a bit sluggish. Some political nuances could have been explained better, as I found myself needing to reread sections to grasp the full picture.

World building clarity : The world itself is stunning, but I craved more detailed explanations of the magic system. Vaasa’s dark magic is fascinating, but I wanted more insight into how it functioned and why it is feared.

My most loved characters ❤️❤️🥰

Vaasa truly shines as the main character. She’s fierce, relatable, and watching her juggle her inner struggles while maneuvering deadly political games kept me cheering for her. She embodies a wonderful mix of vulnerability and strength that makes her unforgettable.

Reid is a close second. The way he allows his guard to drop around Vaasa while still being protective of his kingdom creates a tension that is utterly captivating.

All in all:

If you’re a fan of fantasy featuring strong heroines, enchanting dark magic, and enough romantic tension to keep you up all night, *The Serpent and the Wolf* is the book for you. While I wished for more clarity in certain political aspects and noticed some pacing issues, the romance and character growth more than compensated for it. Rebecca Robinson has set the stage for what promises to be an epic trilogy.

I’m already counting down to the next book—I need more of Vaasa and Reid’s story. Plus, that ending? It has me reeling! I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic fantasy packed with heart-stopping moments and deep emotional connections. You won’t regret diving into this incredible tale!

Absolutely amazing. It's been a long time since a book had me this enraptured from the first chapter. I love the use of witches and magic without making it gimicky. The slow burn romance was absolutely delious and I could not get enough. The cliffhanger on this one has me screaming and I cannot wait for the next one!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I'm still not super sold on the story and the plot or the writing, but I did finish the book in one day and would pick up the second one to see how things play out if I saw it! I am looking forward to future character development and the relationships. This is probably not as much my cup of tea in a romantasy but I'm sure there are others who would eat it up. I genuinely enjoyed some of the plot twists. And a huge congratulations to Rebecca Robinson for her debut!

Do not judge a book by its cover because that's exactly what I did.

I really wanted to like this book. Book social media hyped it up with having it literally everywhere on my feeds. Alas, it just fell flat. The premise of enemies to lovers, a princess being in a political marriage, each person using the other for their own personal gain, all that political intrigue in a fantasy world... I usually eat that up. I'm not quite entirely sure where the book missed the mark... It could honestly be the MCs relationship and dynamic. The whole miscommunication trope is really over played. FMC telling half truths, and if she was just honest, one third of the book would be unnecessary.

The Serpent and the Wolf reminded me of Shadow and Bone with the dark mist and their magic system in a way. For such a pretty cover and social media hype, I wish this story could have delivered. Unfortunately it is a 2 out of 5 (at best), for me.

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

I will be posting on Goodreads and Story graph.

I really enjoyed this one - I've seen a few other people read it early and was so excited to start it - definitely worth picking up

The cover caught my eye. The title caught my eye, it wasn't a "a blank of blank and blank: title. The synopsis caught my eye. I'm not usually one who enjoys political fantasies but because I enjoyed these characters they kept me interested in the story. I loved the arranged marriage couple who has to pretend to be in love. Vassa was a strong and smart fmc and Reid was a besotted Cinnamon roll who took some names. I loved the slow burn of the story but I do wish the romance would have been a little more of a focus. As far as the political structure, don't ask me who is who and who does what. That left my brain pretty easily, I was just going with it. The ending was intense and I was kind of bummed to see this is probably going to be a duology or series. I was really hoping for a great standalone but alas. This ended up being a solid 4 star book that I'll probably continue the series because of how it ended.

Thank you so much S&S/Saga Press and NetGalley for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone, this should be your next romantasy read! Full of poitical intrigue, lush worldbuilding, a unique magic system, a true slow burn romance, and yes some spice, The Serpent and the Wolf was the perfect beginning to a new adult fantasy romance series.

After the death of her parents, our FMC Vassa is forced into an arranged marriage with the (future) ruler of a neighboring kingdom. From page one, the book is all action - something I wasn't necessarily prepared for.

I have to talk about the relationship between Vaasa and Reid. Talk about the perfect slowburn/he falls first. The tension is great, the pacing is great, the progression of their relationship is great. When I hear someone say slowburn, this is exactly what I think of.

What brought this book down from 5 stars to 4 is that some of the politics of this world was a little confusing. Maybe some endnotes with how the power structure operates and who lives/serves who would have been helpful.

Overall, FABULOUS debut novel! Can't wait for book 2!

Rating and review after completing 70% of the book (then DNF).

The Serpent and the Wolf is a very unique fantasy with an arranged marriage, slow-burn, rivals to lovers with high tension, unknown magic system, and a deeply political plot. I was very excited to read this as a romantasy lover with arranged marriage & slow-burn are some of my favorite tropes. Personally for me, I struggled to keep up with the world building that was fueling the political turmoil and with that being such a prominent piece of the plot, I consistently was feeling lost.

For the readers that enjoy a complex world and political tension with more of a romance sub-plot, this would be the perfect read for them!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

4.5 stars!
This was a great new fantasy with a fun take on magic. I loved all of the characters (even the villain because it was perfect). If you love a protective but supportive MMC and an independent FMC, then you will love this book!

The world building, magic and government/military systems were all well described and well written. It contains slow burn, enemies to lovers, political intrigue, and lush world building. This does end on a cliffhanger, but it is worth the wait for the next book!

Vaasa Kozer has spent her life being trained to be a weapon. After her mother dies by a mysterious dark magic, that same magic awakens in Vaasa. Her scheming brother marries her off to the enemy, so Vaasa is left with not knowing who she can trust.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

I loved this so much!! I ended up buying a physical copy and I am so excited to read more from this author!!

Thank you Saga Press Books for allowing me to read and review another hit on your fantastic roster of published books! And thank you for sending me a gorgeous copy of The Serpent and the Wolf. All my thoughts and opinions are my own.

A glimpse inside:
slow burn, arrange marriage
enemies to lovers, but kind of one sided
MMC would burn down the world for her
FMC is a grumpy black cat
"who did this to you?"
political intrigue
magic system

The Serpent and the Wolf is the start of a new adult fantasy trilogy filled with politics, hatred, and heart-pounding tension between Vaasa, a witch who gained her powers unexpectedly when her mother died, and Reid, a foreman wanting to move up in the political scheme and needs Vaasa's help to do it. They are arranged in marriage and Vaasa was having none of it. She ties Reid to their bed and threatens him to leave her alone and to never find her. A few months later, he locates her, as she is trying to study on her newfound magic. He approaches her with a bargain in hand: stay with him for three years to help him achieve his goals of peace and she can leave him for good.

The characters are well-developed, flawed, and complex. Vaasa and Reid are dramatic, conniving, stubborn and passionate. I enjoyed the building stones of their relationship and trust. I'm very excited to see how their relationship will grow in the next two books. I also really liked the magic system and how the magic is passed to other witches. Rebecca Robinson did a fantastic job with explaining the magic system and the variety of political powers in play. I think something that doesn't get mentioned often in the reviews for this book is the friendship between Vaasa and Amalie is precious. I love how Vaasa connected with the other witches and I really, really hope we will get more magic training or more magic use in book two.

I'm currently in my romantasy era and this one definitely fit the bill! From the 1st page this one was non stop action(another personal fave of mine). Vassa is an amazing heroine and Reid is her perfect foil. After an arranged marriage and a shocking wedding night, these star crossed couple agree to remain married for 3 years to benefit them both. While Vassa is learning to control her magic her evil brother is doing everything in his power to make her life miserable. There were many twists the last fourth of the book besides some steamy scenes. And that cliffhanger!!! I'm ready for book 2 now! Thank you SagaPress for the book to read and review!

This book is the set up for a new fantasy trilogy featuring Vaasa, a princess who has been betrothed to Reid of Mireh, a neighboring nation. The story begins right after this arranged marriage between enemies.

Vaasa is a strong female lead character who is learning about her magic, which she believes is a curse. She finds more than she bargains for in Mireh, including friends, teachers, and a husband who may be different than she thought. Reid is a strong leader and is under consideration for headman.

A political game along with a slow burn causes a bit of a lull in the middle in my opinion. The end picked up in preparation for the next installment and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the review copy; all honest opinions are my own.

This was such an intriguing read and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this debut novel! Politics in books don't always work for me but I found that I was interested in the political structure and customs with this world. The magic system was also wholly unique and I loved piecing together how the magic worked and how the magic was passed down through generations. I enjoyed that magic wasn't something that all people possessed but rather was a quality that is only possessed by some.

I genuinely loved how empowered women were a force within this book as well. All too often power lies mainly with men but in this one I found that there was more of a presence of strong women who are also held in high regard by some of the male characters. Vaasa's character development was slow at first but I really enjoyed how the romance came together and through the patience and understanding from her arranged husband Reid. I love that there was instant attraction but they had to learn to compromise and work together and the love story blossomed through those interactions.

I will definitely be picking up with next book in this series as I am excited to see the continuation of this story!

The serpent and the wolf
4.75⭐️3🌶️

Fantasy Romance
Unique ruling system
Political Intrigue
Magical sickness
Political marriage
Grumpy/sunshine
Enemies to lovers
Slow Burn
Found family
Betrayal


I was hooked from the first chapter. Being dropped in a political marriage wedding night gone wrong. It was a great way to start the action of this book from the very beginning.

The characters were well developed and individual. I enjoyed them both so much. Vassa is a strong willed and cunning woman who knows how to get things done. She was born and raised in the game of politics and is adept in navigating her way in the political world she is thrust into. It was really interesting to have a female with shadow powers and seeing her learn about them as an adult. Seeing the magical learning process.

Reid is a great leading man, maybe a little less dynamic, but still solid, considering we don’t see his POV.

I’m really excited about where this series will head. The world-building was good (could be great with a map). The side characters are solid. The magic system is intriguing. I’m really enjoying this debut!

Hopefully a map will be in the next book.


Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press Books for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Heavy on the political intrigue and plot twists, I really enjoyed the time this book spent developing the main character’s backstory, history, and female friendships within their coven of witches. I wish we had gotten a lot more on how the magic system worked, how it related to gods and goddesses, what the pantheon looked like, what magic was used for on a regular basis, how magic differed between different covens. I also would have liked to know more about the politics, as that was some of my favorite parts. We really don’t know anything about the FMC’s birth country or what pressure points might motivate it except for an apparent desire for salt (everyone in this world is desperate for salt). I didn’t particularly enjoy the romance element of this—it felt like it was trying too hard to fit into very trope heavy enemies to lovers beats without the concept of those two actually being enemies making any sense, so it just ended up a lot of childish sniping at one another and petty conflict. But so much of the book didn’t even include Vaasa and Reid in a romantic way, which I appreciated.

4.75 stars

This is such a strong debut by a new author! Romantasy at its finest, with a slow burn, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, political intrigue, and a unique magic system. Vaasa represents those of us who never thought we could be loved or love in return, as everything we’ve ever loved has been taken from us. She does not love or trust easily, and her background lends itself to this fact. Reid, on the other hand, is so gentle and patient, yet still a strong warrior who they call “the wolf of Mireh.” I only wished they delved into his background more. I also love all the side characters, but it needs a comic relief side character - everyone is so serious. Otherwise, this was nearly perfection. I highly recommend!