The Serpent and the Wolf (Dark Inheritance Trilogy, # 1)
By: Rebecca Robinson
Publication: November 19, 2024 by S&S/Saga Press
352 pages
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Magic
Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)
( Goodreads | Amazon )
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Goodreads description--Perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy and Thea Guanzon, Rebecca Robinson’s thrilling romantasy debut combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.
All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.
After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.
But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.
This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?
The description for this book tells you everything you need to know. And I wonder how much more I can share without spoiling things.
The book starts with Vaasa and Reid having just completed their wedding ceremony. Vaasa had no intentions of actually being married even though it was necessary for her to complete the ceremony. She has one goal "get away and find out how to get rid of this magic inside her that killed her mother." And so, she runs. But running only gets her so far, and she doesn't find the knowledge she needs.
Reid is intrigued by his political bride. He doesn't expect her to immediately fall in love with him, but the fact that she completed the ceremony means that maybe they can help each other. And it just so happens that she isn't hard to look at, Reid offers her a deal. For three years, she will do what is necessary to pretend to be in love with him and help him win political favor in his country. After that period, she can walk free and he will hand her a divorce. In the meantime, he will also do what he can to help her learn about the magic inside her. His country is on the brink of war, and he desperately wants to help those he loves.
Vaasa agrees to his terms. Most of all, she wants to learn how to get rid of the magic inside. She doesn't understand or trust it. And she's worried that she will die just like her mother did. Only, the magic isn't what Vaasa thinks, and there's no way to get rid of it. Vaasa, however, will have to learn to accept it if she doesn't want it to control her.
As Vaasa and Reid begin relying on each other politically and magically, the bonds between them grow. Vaasa is terribly hurt by her father and brother's treatment of her. She is now a threat against her brother's throne. And her brother was never politically trained by their father like she was.
Favorite quotes:
-"Very well. You take your time coming to the conclusion I already have." Stepping toward the door, desperate for this discussion to be over, Vaasa asked, "And what's that?" Reid beat her to the door, placing his hand upon the knob to open it first. "That we are well matched."
-"I told you. You underestimate just how much I enjoy a good game of blades."
-"I have missed you, wife."
-He often looked at her as if she were a puzzle, and she didn't like the idea of being solved.
-"That is because there is no difference. The magic is your intuition, and you will never learn to wield it if you do not learn to listen to it."
-"You call it anger, you call it fear, but it is none of those things. What lies inside of you is pain. The kind that burns worlds to the ground." Pain.
-"Your father underestimated the weapon he built. And through his cruelty, he forced you to play for yourself and yourself alone. But I will play for you, if you will play for me, too."
-"Dismissing your emotions doesn't make them disappear, it only gives them reason to rise later without your consent."
-No one had ever loved her in the light.
-"Tell me exactly what you want, so I can stop guessing and just give it to you."
-She would never forgive herself if she messed this all up. If she started something she couldn't finish and ended up without a home or a dream again.
-"You always pick a fight when you feel out of control."
-"I have collected a thousand words, and yet I cannot find a single one to tell you what comes alive inside of me when you are near."
-"Remind me who I am. Where I am. Because I think you are the only one who really knows."
-"You are my wife, and everything begins and ends with that."
-How sad to have spent a lifetime always afraid. To have looked upon love and kindness and feared it.
The Serpent and the Wolf was much better than I was expecting it to be. The emotional journeys of the characters were deeper than I expected. The twists were surprising. Overall, I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. I decided that The Serpent and the Wolf gets 4 Stars, and if I had the sequel in my hands I would pick it up immediately. Have you read The Serpent and the Wolf? What did you think? Let me know!
