Showing posts with label Rebecca Robinson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rebecca Robinson. Show all posts
Read a review of book one, The Serpent and the Wolf
FORMAT/INFO: The Wicked and the Damned will be published on February 24th, 2026 by Saga Press. It is 416 pages long and available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook..
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Forced to return home to spare the ones she loves, Vaasa finds herself in dire straits. Her marriage to Reid has been annulled, her magic is no longer hers to use, and a hostage keeps her acting like a demure heiress, nothing more than a figurehead. But Vaasa is done being used. She may act like a damsel in public, but she will do whatever it takes to reclaim her power and return to the man she loves - even if that means manipulating an old flame.
The Wicked and the Damned is a stellar sequel that brings a more focused plot, a calculating heroine, and tense stakes. While I enjoyed the first book, The Serpent and the Wolf, there were times where I felt like the plot was a bit all over the place, and the political maneuvering lacking. I’m happy to report that the sequel has a much more streamlined, cohesive storyline that isn’t trying to do too much in one go. I was far more engaged overall and loved watching Vaasa work.
The author does a great job of balancing two sides to Vaasa. On the one hand, she is conniving and proactive, determined to rescue herself and to use any tool at her disposal to do so. If that means emotionally manipulating the men around her, so be it. After all, they only see her as a stepping stone to the ultimate prize: the throne. Vaasa is on the knife’s edge of trying to convince multiple men that she only has eyes for them, well aware that if they suspect she’s betraying them, they’ll turn on her in a heartbeat.
On the other hand, Vaasa is also forced to encounter reminders of her traumatic past, which sometimes absolutely cripples her. While these scenes make her vulnerable, they never make her fully passive. She understands that she has to take her fate in her hands if she is to survive, and that means that eventually, she'll have to find a way to cope with her trauma.
While I did love the tense stakes and the manipulative use of courtship politics, I do admit this comes a bit at the expense of the romance. Reid, by necessity, doesn’t have as much to do in this book, though he is most definitely a man on a mission to get back to the side of his woman. And when the two ARE reunited, it is every bit as sweet as you would hope.
The Wicked and the Damned succeeds at bringing a tense and engaging story, with magical secrets, intrigue, and a tense negotiation of allies. I was thoroughly hooked from start to finish and absolutely cannot wait for the trilogy finale.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Forced to return home to spare the ones she loves, Vaasa finds herself in dire straits. Her marriage to Reid has been annulled, her magic is no longer hers to use, and a hostage keeps her acting like a demure heiress, nothing more than a figurehead. But Vaasa is done being used. She may act like a damsel in public, but she will do whatever it takes to reclaim her power and return to the man she loves - even if that means manipulating an old flame.
The Wicked and the Damned is a stellar sequel that brings a more focused plot, a calculating heroine, and tense stakes. While I enjoyed the first book, The Serpent and the Wolf, there were times where I felt like the plot was a bit all over the place, and the political maneuvering lacking. I’m happy to report that the sequel has a much more streamlined, cohesive storyline that isn’t trying to do too much in one go. I was far more engaged overall and loved watching Vaasa work.
The author does a great job of balancing two sides to Vaasa. On the one hand, she is conniving and proactive, determined to rescue herself and to use any tool at her disposal to do so. If that means emotionally manipulating the men around her, so be it. After all, they only see her as a stepping stone to the ultimate prize: the throne. Vaasa is on the knife’s edge of trying to convince multiple men that she only has eyes for them, well aware that if they suspect she’s betraying them, they’ll turn on her in a heartbeat.
On the other hand, Vaasa is also forced to encounter reminders of her traumatic past, which sometimes absolutely cripples her. While these scenes make her vulnerable, they never make her fully passive. She understands that she has to take her fate in her hands if she is to survive, and that means that eventually, she'll have to find a way to cope with her trauma.
While I did love the tense stakes and the manipulative use of courtship politics, I do admit this comes a bit at the expense of the romance. Reid, by necessity, doesn’t have as much to do in this book, though he is most definitely a man on a mission to get back to the side of his woman. And when the two ARE reunited, it is every bit as sweet as you would hope.
The Wicked and the Damned succeeds at bringing a tense and engaging story, with magical secrets, intrigue, and a tense negotiation of allies. I was thoroughly hooked from start to finish and absolutely cannot wait for the trilogy finale.
3:00 AM | 
Posted by
Caitlin G. |
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Buy The Serpent and the Wolf
OFFICIAL AUTHOR BIO: Rebecca Robinson is a writer of fantasy romance novels. Her debut novel will be published in November 2024 by Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. She is represented by Samantha Fabien at Root Literary.
FORMAT/INFO: The Serpent and the Wolf will be published on November 19th, 2024 by Saga Press. It is 352 pages and told in third person from Vaasa and Reid's POV. It will be available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook format.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Vaasa is used to political schemes - just not ones that involve her dying. But after Vaasa inherits a dark magic that killed her mother, her brother takes the opportunity to marry her off to a foreign ruler. Vaasa will be dead in a few months, and her brother can use that as a pretext to invade. Things take a twist, however, when her husband recognizes her magic and offers her a deal: Vaasa will use her political cunning to help secure his seat in an upcoming election, and he will give her the knowledge she needs to control her magic. With her husband's charisma and her own skills, the two pose a powerful front...but Vaasa's brother has plans of his own, and he doesn't care if Vaasa lives or dies in his quest for power.
The Serpent and the Wolf is a slow burn political fantasy romance that takes a while to get going, but builds to an absolutely gripping conclusion. While the publishers are leaning on the romantasy angle to sell this one, The Serpent and the wolf takes its time to get hot and steamy (flirtatious wedding night in the opening scene aside). Everyone's mileage with romances varies with how much they like certain tropes, and I'll admit, the dynamic between Reid and Vaasa wasn't my favorite at first. It starts from a place of "woman thinks she's dangerous, man thinks she's adorable and feisty but not really dangerous," which isn't my cup of tea. As the story progresses, however, we see this relationship evolve into a real partnership. Vaasa has the political acumen to take Reid's charisma and leadership to the next level, and Reid's smart enough to respect her advice. I am totally here for a power couple, and that's what The Serpent and the Wolf built to.
I do wish, however, that the actual politics and world-building had been just a little more fleshed out. There's a whole whirlwind of countries that are part of a collaborative empire that elect a ruler every ten years, as well as countries outside of that empire. Trying to keep track of which countries got along and which had bitter history, as well as the slew of names of rulers and advisors, was a bit of a daunting task, even for someone who loves political fantasy. That made it hard to track what was going on in some scenes, as I wasn't sure who was representing what nation and what the full significance was supposed to be.
The Serpent and the Wolf also takes a while to get to the central thrust of its story, and I do think the first half of the book is a bit weak. There's a rivalry in Reid's inner circle that's never really fully explained; Vaasa also spends the first half the book running around trying to understand her magic in a way that felt meandering.
Eventually, however, Vaasa and Reid begin to click, and the back half of the book is much stronger for it. I devoured the last third of the book as the action kicked off, and enjoyed where the story ended. While I was skeptical at the beginning of the book, I am definitely on board to find out where things go in the sequel!
CONCLUSION: The Serpent and the Wolf may not start with its best foot forward, but it finds its way in the end. I do think this is an instance of a bit of mismarketing, as the publisher is leaning heavily on the romantasy angle. While there's certainly spice, this is a definite slow burn that takes its time building the romance. This is not at all a bad thing, it's simply a matter of coming into the book with the right expectations. So if you're looking for a slow-burn romance about the evolution of a political power couple, The Serpent and the Wolf is where you should look.
FORMAT/INFO: The Serpent and the Wolf will be published on November 19th, 2024 by Saga Press. It is 352 pages and told in third person from Vaasa and Reid's POV. It will be available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook format.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Vaasa is used to political schemes - just not ones that involve her dying. But after Vaasa inherits a dark magic that killed her mother, her brother takes the opportunity to marry her off to a foreign ruler. Vaasa will be dead in a few months, and her brother can use that as a pretext to invade. Things take a twist, however, when her husband recognizes her magic and offers her a deal: Vaasa will use her political cunning to help secure his seat in an upcoming election, and he will give her the knowledge she needs to control her magic. With her husband's charisma and her own skills, the two pose a powerful front...but Vaasa's brother has plans of his own, and he doesn't care if Vaasa lives or dies in his quest for power.
The Serpent and the Wolf is a slow burn political fantasy romance that takes a while to get going, but builds to an absolutely gripping conclusion. While the publishers are leaning on the romantasy angle to sell this one, The Serpent and the wolf takes its time to get hot and steamy (flirtatious wedding night in the opening scene aside). Everyone's mileage with romances varies with how much they like certain tropes, and I'll admit, the dynamic between Reid and Vaasa wasn't my favorite at first. It starts from a place of "woman thinks she's dangerous, man thinks she's adorable and feisty but not really dangerous," which isn't my cup of tea. As the story progresses, however, we see this relationship evolve into a real partnership. Vaasa has the political acumen to take Reid's charisma and leadership to the next level, and Reid's smart enough to respect her advice. I am totally here for a power couple, and that's what The Serpent and the Wolf built to.
I do wish, however, that the actual politics and world-building had been just a little more fleshed out. There's a whole whirlwind of countries that are part of a collaborative empire that elect a ruler every ten years, as well as countries outside of that empire. Trying to keep track of which countries got along and which had bitter history, as well as the slew of names of rulers and advisors, was a bit of a daunting task, even for someone who loves political fantasy. That made it hard to track what was going on in some scenes, as I wasn't sure who was representing what nation and what the full significance was supposed to be.
The Serpent and the Wolf also takes a while to get to the central thrust of its story, and I do think the first half of the book is a bit weak. There's a rivalry in Reid's inner circle that's never really fully explained; Vaasa also spends the first half the book running around trying to understand her magic in a way that felt meandering.
Eventually, however, Vaasa and Reid begin to click, and the back half of the book is much stronger for it. I devoured the last third of the book as the action kicked off, and enjoyed where the story ended. While I was skeptical at the beginning of the book, I am definitely on board to find out where things go in the sequel!
CONCLUSION: The Serpent and the Wolf may not start with its best foot forward, but it finds its way in the end. I do think this is an instance of a bit of mismarketing, as the publisher is leaning heavily on the romantasy angle. While there's certainly spice, this is a definite slow burn that takes its time building the romance. This is not at all a bad thing, it's simply a matter of coming into the book with the right expectations. So if you're looking for a slow-burn romance about the evolution of a political power couple, The Serpent and the Wolf is where you should look.
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