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!!

Rating: 3

Unfortunately it took me awhile to feel invested into the story - I found myself picking up and putting down the book frequently until I was about 65% in. Overall it was a fun, unique read but when I finished, I was left yearning for more; either a longer book or a duology for a more fleshed out story and character development. The pacing towards the end felt rushed to me.

I love anything Sunya Mara writes!! She’s an automatic buy for me. She can write effortless fantasy worlds which are intriguing but easy and quick to read. This was filled with good tropes and better villains. A jewelsmith and a serpent king have a marriage of convenience where they need each other to survive the Emperor and his Djinn.
Embrace the Serpent was such an easy quick read. It was a stand alone romantasy novel and whilst I definitely think it could’ve been a duology even as a stand alone I enjoyed it. It’s hard to find good standalone fantasy books that wrap up really well and this book accomplished that. I was never confused and I didn’t feel like it was rushed. Some parts were predictable for sure but I think a lot of HEA romantasy have predictable elements to it. I do think it could’ve been longer for sure but nonetheless I liked it.
The personality of the two main characters were perfectly laid out for the reader and their character arcs stayed pretty stable through out the book. This was a very YA book and a lot of what’s Saphira, the FMC, dealt with was childhood trauma. I felt that this kept her very childish and naive, unwilling to work through her past and move on from it. I felt the only time she did not allow her childhood trauma to hold her back was when she was with Rane, the MMC. I found it a very fast read and I love Mara’s writing style.

Thank you NetGalley and HarpersCollin for the this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this YA romantic fantasy, a dangerous deal binds a jeweler’s apprentice to the mysterious Serpent King in a marriage of convenience, thrusting her into a deadly game.

Saphira ends up marrying the Serpent King to save herself. Then she starts to fall for one of his huntsman Rane. What follows is a beautiful story of love, sacrifice, and family.

I loved that gemstones have active magical properties that was a really cool addition to the story.

There are a few amazing twists I didn’t see coming.

The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is I would’ve liked more world building and more tension between Saphira and Rane.

If you’re a fan of YA romantasy I highly recommend Embrace the Serpent.

This is a wickedly good romantic fantasy with a fascinating magic system and characters that just came alive. I would love to read more in this world, it was breathtaking!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review

"Embrace the Serpent" by Sunya Mara is a fantasy romance set in a world of magical beings and humans; those enthralled by the Empire's djinn and others simply trying to get by.

When jewelsmith "assistant" and runaway Imperial Ward, Saphira, meets the huntsman of the mysterious Serpent King, her world is upended. What follows is an incredible story that balances romantic love with love of one's people and unchecked power with that of a devoted ruler. The love that develops between Saphira and Rane is so honest. AND I absolutely loved Grimney, Saphira's sweet and sassy golem.

This standalone fantasy romance was such a refreshing read. I feel like this genre has been inundated with series lately & it is so nice for a story to be explored and completed in less than 400 pages! I look forward to reading Sunya Mara's previous & future works. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the eARC.