Serpent Sea (The Spice Road Trilogy, # 2)
By: Maiya Ibrahim
Publication: September 17, 2024 by Delacorte Press
512 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)
*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.
Goodreads description--As a Shield Immani is sworn to protect her land from the monsters across the city but as the Harrowlanders begin preparing supplies, horses and their greatest weapon—spice magic—she knows it is only a matter of time before the invasion begins…and it will be a losing battle. But Immani also knows that the only true way to fight magic is with monsters. If she can restore Qayn’s stolen powers, together they can summon an army to save Sahir. Forming an alliance with a former King turned monster might seem like the riskiest thing she can do but things are made even more dangerous by the fact that his magic is in the form of three jewels that once were encrusted in his crown but are now hidden beyond the dessert.A forbidden quest to find the jewels might be the only way to combat the Harrowlanders but as Immani journeys across the sea, she will discover serpentines and other scaled creatures warriors have only heard about in myths…and that can strike at any moment. One wrong move could cost her life—and everyone she loves. But Immani may find there is more than meets the eye crossing the serpent sea…and betrayal cuts deeper than any dagger.
Imani and her crew are trying to make it home with the knowledge that the King of Harrowland is coming to the Sahir to take over the Spice Tree which is what gives people magic in this world. Harrowlanders have been given a taste of magic, and they want more. Unlike Imani's people, the Harrowlanders didn't grow up being preached about the harmful effects of taking too much spice. And their greed is beginning to take control of them. Unfortunately, Imani's crew suffers a terrible blow early on which separates the crew. Taha and Amira, Imani's sister, get captured, Atheer gets injured, and Imani and Qayn have a lead that he might be able to get his magic back nearby. They have to follow that lead to its end.
Yet again, I have a few issues with this book. Without giving too much away, I felt Taha's response to Harrowland's takeover of the Sahir was weak. I understand he's a captive and he doesn't want to see unnecessary murder. I also know there was no way for the citizens of Qalia since they had no chance of winning. I guess there is a time and a place for biding your time to have a thought-out plan of attack. Yet, the surrender of village after village at Taha's urging didn't sit right with me. I also struggled with his feelings toward Imani. Taha deals with an extreme amount of guilt. He treated Imani poorly. He's lost members of his team to capture and even death. He takes both of those upon himself as personal failures. He disagreed with Atheer's desire to help the nations outside of the Sahir. Thus he wasted time and resources taking his time to come to the same conclusion that Atheer came to. And then, of course, the villages he's watched lay down their arms because he couldn't get home before being captured. He's a complex character with a lot going on below the surface.
One of the most successful parts of Spice Road for me was not knowing who to trust. And Maiya Ibrahim did a great job doing the same with Serpent Sea yet mostly different characters. Instead of unsure whether Qayn was trustworthy, I wondered if Taha was trustworthy. I pondered a little whether Qayn would switch sides when he got his magic back, but his stance solidified more and more as the book went on.
A bonus for Maiya Ibrahim and Serpent Sea was the timing. I didn't love switching POVs in this case, but telling Taha's story and Imani's the way she chose played out well.
The ultimate conflict felt a little anticlimactic for me. Actually, a good portion of the conflict seemed to be handled way too easily overall. If I have a big complaint, that's probably it. Some pieces of the puzzle seemed to happen too easily for our characters who had been struggling for so long.
Favorite quotes:
-This is how you become strong: by knowing where you are weak first.
-"Hasty decisions hasten ruin."
-"...being afraid to make mistakes is petrifying. If you obey that fear, you never get anything done."
-"It's easier to dismiss those who hurt us as being senselessly evil than it is to accept that all our actions are trees, and all trees stem from roots, and all roots stem from seeds. No living being in any land propagates unaided."
-"My father loves me," he whispers; the words sound so hollow in his ears. A tear rolls down Reza's face. "Let someone else love you, Taha, the real you, as I always have."
-"It's an opportunity to foster trust between us..."
-"You cannot kill what doesn't die."
-"We make quite the alliance, wouldn't you agree?" "Enthusiastically." ... "What other clever lessons do you have hidden away, hmm?" His black eyes gleam; his smile widens. "The likes of which you can only dream of. Then again, anything that you dream of having, I could give you. And anything that you dream of becoming, I could make you."
-"And who knows--I suppose you could win my heart if you put in some effort."
-The sea is an excellent liar.
-"Don't send me away after you return my magic..."
-"I am a reasonable man by choice, not nature. Choose carefully which face of mine you wish to confront."
-"I see I've impressed you," I say, not bothering to hide my self-satisfaction. "You've left me wanting more."
-Remember to swing with your heart.
-"Better to die than to bow."
-"It's love, not loss, that endures forever."
-"There is no justice in seeking retribution on people who didn't wrong me,"...
Serpent Sea gets 4 Stars from me. I had a few issues with things, but overall, I enjoyed the messages. There's still plenty to come for a book 3, which I'm here for. Have you read Serpent Sea? What did you think? Let me know!
This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.
