Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this. Non-spice romance with a Snake King and a Jewelsmith who has his heart. I love the inclusions of many different kinds of magical creatures in this book and the question that lingers what is freedom and home. 4/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

'Embrace the Serpent' is about Saphira, an 18-year old with the rare gift of jewelsmithing. Saphira has had a hard life as an Imperial ward after becoming an orphan and then finding refuge as an assistant to an arrogant jewelsmith. With this jewelsmith, she learns to harness her rare gift and ends up striking a deal with huntsman of the Serpent King to for a chance at a new life and her freedom.

Overall, this book has some elements that I did like. The first being the overall plot elements and the magic structure with the jewels. I thought that was unique and unlike anything else I've read before. It was refreshing to read that very few people have this gift. With that being said, I think it would have been interesting to learn MORE about the jewels and the art behind it. I think that plot element was just scratching the surface in the book.

The execution of the plot was a little flat for me. I didn't feel super connected to Saphira and a lot of the characters also seemed pretty one-dimensional. This does make sense to a degree, however, since it's a rather fast-paced YA standalone book. I would have loved to see more depth, personality, and overall growth from the main characters. Also, I would have preferred a little more of a realistic timeline for development of the love story between Saphira and Rane.

The pacing of the book was a little off for me as well. It took a little while for me to get engaged with the book. Once the story really got going and things started happening, it seemed a little chaotic and all over the place. There were points where I thought I missed something and was confused about who was actually involved and what was going on. I think in many parts of the book, I would have preferred a little extra detail in the writing for the overall flow of the action-packed scenes.

Overall, the concept of the plot is what intrigued me, but it fell a little flat for me. I do think readers who typically enjoy YA fantasy reads might enjoy this more than I did.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Embrace the Serpent by Sunya Mara is a first person-POV YA romantic fantasy set in a SWANA-inspired world. Saphira is a jewelsmith who’s master has been taking credit for her work but she delights in being an unknown instead of sitting in the spotlight. The spotlight finds her when the Serpent King wants to find the one responsible for her works and then chooses Saphira to be his bride.

What I really liked was the magic system. I’m a sucker for different kinds of magic being linked to specific gemstones and we definitely do get that. Aquamarines are linked to water and pearls can be used to purify unclean water and some gems are related to healing. Each gem has a purpose and Saphira can bring out that magic and it’s very cool. One of these days, I would love it if a group of fantasy authors who wrote this kind of magic system contributed to a book exploring the common pairings and one-offs and how different cultures can have different ideas tied to different jewels.

The romance between Saphira and the Serpent King runs fairly hot and cold as he sometimes seems to be growing feelings for her and other times doesn’t want to be around her at all. This does confuse Saphira and it helps lead her towards Rane, a young man who is on the journey with Saphira and the Serpent King back to the Serpent Kingdom. Saphira’s own desires to be in the shadows does push against the very public position of being a queen, but she does quickly prove to be a good match for the King who cares a lot about the people in ways that he needs a queen to.

I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy with unique magic systems and readers of romantic fantasy looking for a SWANA-inspired world

𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐲𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚 | 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Sunya Mara and NetGalley for this ARC!

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆, 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵 & 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗨𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁!

Embrace the Serpent is an Indian folklore inspired romantic fantasy novel with epic stakes, dangerous adventure, magic of convenience, jewelsmithing and nāga folklore.

The magic system with jewelsmithing was very unique. I love how the magic played out with the mechanics of smithing jewellery. The nāga folklore was the most intriguing and mysterious part of the book that had me on the edge of my seat.

Saphira is the apprentice to a jewelsmith and a runaway Imperial ward. She was an absolute blast to read about! she has jokes, survival skills and emotional depth that makes her so interesting.

Overall, if you enjoy a rich fantasy world with a fast moving plot and marriage of convenience with folkloric customs and mythology, Embrace the Serpent is the perfect book!

If This Woven Kingdom and Aladdin had a romantasy baby, it would be Embrace the Serpent. The setting was lush and immersive, the magic system was beautifully unique, and the romance evoked that yearning that we love so much in YA.

That said, if I had one critique, it’s that this book was so rich in story and magic that I wish it had been stretched across a duology. Some of the plot twists and character arcs would’ve had even more impact with a bit more time to breathe. I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet!

Still, this was such an enjoyable ride from start to finish, and I will be shouting about it to my fellow romantasy lovers. If you love layered worldbuilding, dangerous bargains, and a bit of mythic magic woven into your romance, you need this book in your life.

This was written in such a beautiful way. The magic in jewelsmithing is so cool and incredibly unique. I absolutely loved Grimney. I do think there were some issues with the pace of the story, but all in all I enjoyed the story.

PS the cover is top tier.

Sunya Mara is so talented at creating unique worlds and magics. Magic being based in gems and how they’re cut and set was so creative and fleshed out the world and characters in a wonderful way. Speaking of the characters - I love them. Saphira and Rane had delightful banter. But I do feel like we didn’t get enough set up and time with them together for the emotional scenes to really hit, making them fall a little flat for me. Particularly between Mirandel and Saphira, as well as Saphira and Rane.

With that being said, the writing is beautiful and the banter had me cackling. I had a great time with this standalone. I’ll read whatever she writes.

Thank you to Netgalley and for the e-arc.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

✨You can’t be hurt if no one knows you exist. That was the last thing my mother ever said to me✨

✨It’s all nonsense, really “It’s not nonsense”, I dream about wandering sometimes. Seeing all there is to see✨

✨Please don’t fuss so much over a mere scratch.” A scratch? “It was an arrow to the chest.” Let’s not be dramatic ✨

✨ A friend betrays. A slave merely rebels✨

📖
Eighteen-year-old Saphira, a talented jeweler's apprentice with the rare ability to harness magic through gemstones. After being orphaned by the Empire, she hides her gift, allowing a dishonest jewelsmith to take credit for her work. Her life changes when the Serpent King, a powerful and feared ruler with dark magic, seeks out the best jewelsmith in the land. Saphira is thrust into the spotlight and faces a choice between falling into the Empire's grasp or marrying the Serpent King. She opts for the latter, becoming entangled in a complex web of court politics, dangerous magic, and a growing attraction to both her cold, serpentine husband and his enigmatic huntsman, Rane

💭 My Thoughts 💭

The storytelling? Breathtaking. The prose? Dripping with vivid, cinematic imagery. And the emotional depth? OFF. THE. CHARTS. 📈📚

Now let’s talk about RAINE—because HELLO, I am in love. The way this man had me giggling, blushing, and kicking my feet like a teen with a crush?? 😩 I had no business acting that unhinged over fictional dialogue, and yet... here we are. The mysterious, wounded, sweet-when-you-least-expect-it, absolutely devastatingly swoony vibe was TOO MUCH. I literally had to put the book down multiple times just to scream into a pillow. Like, Sunya Mara, ma'am, if your goal was to wreck my standards for men—MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ✅

BUT WAIT—let’s talk about Miss MA’AM SAPHINAAAA 👑✨

An actual icon. A legend. This girl had jokes, brains, and the emotional depth of a thousand suns. She was strong without being cold, emotional without being fragile, and clever without being annoying (which, let’s be honest, is a balance not everyone pulls off). And funny?? Don’t get me started. Her snark was top- tier. Like, someone get this girl a mic because she was delivering punchlines and power moves. I was laughing and clapping like a proud aunt at a talent show. 👏😂

Also... THAT. PLOT. TWIST. 😳💥
My jaw? Still MIA. Someone check under the couch. The way that twist recontextualized everything before it? Chef’s kiss. I had to pause, sit in stunned silence, and then go back to re-read chapters like a detective with a red string board.

If you’re into richly imagined worlds, characters that make you feel things, and stories that hijack your entire soul… pick this up immediately. No, seriously. Like now. I’m not even being dramatic (okay maybe a little but read it anyway).

Sunya Mara, if you're reading this—I am now a loyal servant of your writing. 🫡 Please accept my heart, my tears, and my pre-orders. I need more.

🌿Tropes & Themes 🌿

~Marriage Of convenience

~ Forbidden Magic

~Rebellious Huntsman

~Love triangle

🙏 God bless everyone 🙏

I'm so giddy at reading this I'm jumping up and down this was so so fun to read.
I loved reading every second of this book, every part was interesting so there were no lulls in the pacing. the characters were fun and I loved seeing them overcome their troubles. I love love loved saphira's jewelsmithing aspect, we love a knowledgeable queen! I felt like the world building wasn't as clear as it could have been in the beginning, or maybe I'm just stupid and missed it. either way, I had a marvelous time with this book and their wonderful characters.

This was one of the most unique YA fantasys that i've ever read! The blending of different magic and fantasy elements worked well together, plus the jewel smith aspects were SO cool!! Creating jewelry that is infused with magic?! YES. Saphira was one of the most likeable and easy to root for characters i've ever come across. Plus her talent was undeniable. I loved how honest her story was: she was doing it all scared but still charging ahead in her own way. I was hooked from the get go and I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Thank you so much to Harper Collins for my ARC!

YA Fantasy • Standalone
Marriage of convenience
Magical jewels • Hidden kingdom

This enchanting world with magic that can be harnessed through jewels had me captivated from the beginning. It’s a fascinating system and Sunya Mara gives us just enough details while still keeping it all a bit mystifying.
Saphira is shy and gifted - I loved her development through the story as her confidence grows. Her rock golem companion, Grimney, is one of my favorite characters.
The Serpent King is powerful and mysterious with many secrets. Then there’s Rane, his kind huntsman.
There’s intriguing magical objects and the amazing descriptions of the kingdom will transport you.
I really enjoyed this YA fantasy and devoured it in just a couple days!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC

Cute, marriage of convience vibe story. The main character Saphira is a soft spoken hidden girl. She's a very timid FMC that finds her voice which is great development. The tension she has with the MMC is wonderful. Along with her relationship with her one friend. The magic is a little wonky, the basic is cool it being jewels and stuff but it's not explained so it's just things you piece together to figure out how it works. The kingdoms aren't super explained as well for it being a stand alone. There is so much that should have been expanded on that could have made this an amazing marriage of convience story. Overall I was invested and it was a short quick read to read in one setting. If you love more about the character than a strong plot this is a great book!

Embrace the Serpent presents a richly imagined world with a unique premise at its core. Saphira, a hardworking jewelsmith struggling to survive in a corrupt society, stands as the emotional anchor of the story. Her resilience and dedication to her craft make for a compelling foundation, and the magic system centered around jewelsmithing is one of the most original aspects of the book.

The concept of serpent people and the lore surrounding the Serpent King is fascinating and full of potential. Grimney, Saphira’s quirky and mysterious companion, brings a touch of levity and intrigue, though his lack of dialogue felt like a missed opportunity to deepen his presence in the narrative.

Unfortunately, the execution of these ideas didn’t always land. The pacing is uneven, starting off slowly and only gaining momentum around the 20% mark. While the bones of the plot are strong, the structure can feel disjointed. Plotlines branch out in multiple directions, sometimes leaving the reader unsure of where the story is going or who is present in a given scene.

Character development was another area that felt lacking. Saphira’s backstory is delivered in fragmented flashbacks, making it hard to fully connect with her motivations. The supporting cast, including her romantic interest Mirandel, didn’t receive enough depth or time on the page to form meaningful emotional connections. The romance, built around a “marriage of convenience” trope, felt rushed and unearned due to minimal buildup and interaction.

Overall, Embrace the Serpent has many creative ideas and intriguing elements, especially in its magic and worldbuilding. However, the inconsistent pacing, thin character dynamics, and scattered plot left the story feeling underdeveloped. With some refinement and more character depth, this could have been a standout fantasy tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

Took me a while to get into this one but I ended up enjoying it once it picked up! The jewelsmith magic was really unique and interesting. The writing was wonderful and kept me wanting to read more.

Embrace the Serpent
by Sunya Mara
YA Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: June 24, 2025
HarperCollins
Ages: 14+

Hiding from the Emperor and his djinn, Lady Incarnadine, Saphira took refuge as Galen's, a jewelsmith, apprentice. Even though she is the better jewelsmith, she lets him take the credit, but because of his boasting, he brings unwanted attention to himself. Not only is there a man coming around the shop, knocking on the back door, looking over his shoulder as if he is avoiding the Emperor's soldiers, but Galen has caught Lady Incarnadine's attention, and she gives him an impossible task.

Knowing that if she is discovered, either she'll be killed or worse, back under Lady Incarnadine's control. Saphira's only way to escape is the man sneaking around the shop. He is a huntsman sent by the Serpent King to find the best jewelsmith as the king searches for a bride.

If Saphira can complete the piece for the King, she will be granted a new identity, freedom, and enough money to have her own shop.

But Galen knows he would lose everything if Saphira escapes. Now, for them all to escape, she must marry the Serpent King.


Even with the unique world and magic, this was a quick and easy read. It kept a decent pace throughout the story. Most of the characters were well thought out and unique, but there were a few important ones that were not; the Emperor was one of them. He wasn't really mentioned until the end. I, at first, thought Lady Incarnadine was in charge or his wife. Their relationship needs to be cleared up a lot sooner, as do the reasons why Lady Incarnadine takes orphans.

The magic of jewelsmithing is unique, and I wish there had been more detail about the art and Saphira's gift.

My biggest issue with this story is that towards the end, it started to read more like a draft instead of a finished story. The important things were brushed over, but for the less important, like objects, there was an overabundance of details that seemed to drag on with the overuse of similes. Too many in one paragraph gets overwhelming.

The cover is neat, but the title sounds provocative, but luckily, the story isn't. The romance is pretty clean, and the violence isn't graphic, so it's suitable for readers fourteen and older.

I liked the story, plot, characters, and magic, and I highly recommend it.

4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an ARC copy of this book!

I have mixed feelings after finishing this. As a YA fantasy book, I think it’s phenomenal. The prose builds a complex world and brings the scenes to life. In the end, Grimney, the stone character, was my favorite! His comedic relief gave me vibes of baby/teenage Groot. However, the romance in the book was unconvincing and, frankly, ruined the book for me.

I loved the plot line of Saphira being a hardworking jewelsmith surviving in a corrupt wold. I found her journey to be inspiring and a wonderful primary plot line. I even didn’t mind her infatuation with Rane.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

It was when it was revealed that Rane and the Serpent King were one and the same that I began to lose interest. Their identities did not mesh. I felt that Saphira’s love for the real Rane was rushed and implausible. It felt like there was no time to reconcile the two beings into one to allow for her to truly fall in love.

That being said, the fantasy plot made this book what it was. I would have given this book 4 stars without the romance plot line.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read when I separate my feelings about the romance plot out. I would certainly pick it up again to see if I enjoy it more!

2.5 Stars.

The vibes:
- magical jewels
- Marriage of convenience
- YA fantasy
- Unique magic system
- Closed door

My thoughts:
This had a slow start, but got rolling at about 20% for me.

I really liked some elements of this book and then other moments felt a bit boring. I REALLY liked the overall bones of the plot. I loved the uniqueness of the jewels. The basic concept of the serpent people was fascinating to me, and I really liked the entire idea of the Serpent King.

The execution of the plot is where this book fell flat for me. I didn’t feel very connected to Saphira, but the characters across the board felt pretty flat for me. I felt like I was getting little to no information about anyone. I really wanted to see more personality or depth in all of the main characters.

In one regard it seemed like nothing much was happening plot-wise, but then when things started happening, it seemed almost all over the place. I couldn’t figure out what exactly the plot was because it seemed like there were a lot of plot branches appearing throughout the book. I also had a lot of moments where I felt confused about where we were in a scene, who was present, and the overall backdrop of the setting.

Overall- the concept of this book was really promising, but the execution unfortunately didn’t work super well for me.

Note- closed door (fade to black)
Release date: June 23, 2025

Thank you so much to Sunya Mara, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

*note- posted on Instagram (posted on stories on 5/25 and saved permanently to my “Reviews 2” highlight reel on my profile) , goodreads, Storygraph, and barnes and noble. Links provided. Will be posted on Amazon after release date when Amazon allows me to.

I’m a longtime reader of YA fantasy, and while I was initially intrigued by the setting and story of Embrace the Serpent, but ultimately, I found it to be underwhelming.

Saphira’s backstory is somewhat murky, delivered in quick, fragmented flashbacks that left me struggling to understand her world or motivations. The relationship between Saphira and Mirandel also felt underdeveloped, with minimal on-page interaction making it difficult to invest in their bond. In other words, there was too much telling and not enough showing.

One highlight was Grimney, Saphira’s quirky companion. He had personality and presence, athough his lack of actual dialogue was disappointing. I feel like he could have added even more depth to the narrative with a voice of his own.

The jewelsmithing subplot was perhaps the most original and interesting element, offering a fascinating magic system. Unfortunately, it was gradually pushed aside in favor of a romance that felt both rushed and unconvincing. I enjoy the “marriage of convenience” trope, but in this case, the emotional leap between the characters happened too quickly to feel earned.

In the end, while Embrace the Serpent had potential, its uneven pacing and thin character dynamics kept me from fully engaging with the story.

Give me more books about jewelcrafting and magical jewelry! This was a fun, fast paced romantasy book with elements of different genres mixed together and it all worked fantastically together. Also, if a book has a little magical sidekick/familiar, I just know I'm going to love it and this one was perfect! Grimney is so adorable. It's been a while since I have read and actually enjoyed a YA romantasy book and this one hits the spot.

Also? This cover is stunning!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and HarperCollins Children's Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Embrace the Serpent on June 24, 2025.

This book absolutely blew me away. I was influenced to pick it up by one of Sunya Mara's impeccable videos, and the vibes she described fit this book perfectly. But more than that, Sunya crafted a unique voice and world that I've been DESPERATE to dive into in a YA fantasy lately.

From the get-go, we understand who Saphira is and how she operates just from the way she narrates this book. Her no-nonsense, stay under the radar tone catapults the reader into this world of shadows and secrets, with Saphira being an undercover jewelsmith crafting magical creations for the wealthy and elite Imperials. Her goal in life is to stay as inconspicuous as possible and not draw the attention of the dangerous Lady Incarnadine, leader of the Imperials.

But when a jewelsmithing job goes wrong, Saphira finds herself with no one to turn to but the enigmatic Rane, a huntsman for the magical Serpent King who's visiting Saphira's town to find a wife (and, apparently, a master jewelsmith).

This book is chock-full of incredible lore, fascinating jewel magic, and harrowing escapes from the Imperial Guards hunting Saphira. I loved Saphira's character and how she builds trust slowly with Rane, lowering walls that have kept her alive and safe for years. Her abilities as a jewelsmith were incredible to read about, and I loved her golem companion, Grimney. He stole the show in every scene he appeared in.

The end was a bit rushed and could have used some better pacing, but other than that, I had no complaints. This is THE fantasy standalone to pick up this summer, so don't miss out!!