Chelsea Humphrey
1,487 reviews82.2k followers
"His executions are more painful than a sword through the chest. The royals use snakes. They twist their fangs in your gut and don't let go." What a fun adventure this was! As someone who thoroughly enjoys reading books based in cultures outside of my own, it was refreshing to submerge myself in an Indian YA fantasy and learn about the food, the setting, and all the other glorious cultural details along the way. Even though this book is fantasy fiction, I felt like I learned so much from the authors' inclusion of their own voices. It's about time that we got a Prince and the Pauper type of retelling featuring diverse characters, and I cannot wait to continue on with the story in the next book and learn more about the magic system. Also? This cover is stunning! *Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
- bookstagram-made-me-do-it from-publisher netgalley
Avani ✨
1,835 reviews438 followers
Sisters Of The Snake by Sarena & Sasha Nanua, another south asian (desi) fantasy of two sisters : Ria and Rani, one is an orphan and another one is a princess. This is the first book in the Ria&Rani duology by the author duo. The book is soooo gooodddddd, being a debut I loved reading about my own culture, the food, the fighting as well as the politics between the people. The book is a perfect own voices fantasy debut everyone should definitely read. Also known as a retelling of The Prince & The Pauper by Mark Twain just like two boys who were born on same day and are identical, we see the same with Ria and Rani here in this book. Tropes of found family, sisterly bond, magic system and much more is a perfect combination. Keeping in mind that I belong to the same culture, it was quite understandable for me but for someone who is not much acquainted with Indian culture, this book definitely lacks some kind of world building which would give them a clear portrait of what author's wished to depict through this book. When it comes to plot, it is very adventurous as well as fast paced which you want you to keep reading it till the end and not keep the book. The characters are very well developed though, that's a good thing. Saeed as well as Aditi and Sanya are a great supporting character to the plot. The ending twist was definitely something I did not see it coming. But that makes me want to read the second book ASAP and I will definitely be picking it up once it is released. The Book also reminded me of the movie "The Princess Switch". Read this as a debut novel and for characters, you won't be disappointed.
Sasha Nanua
Author8 books157 followers
UPDATE 07/20/20: WE HAVE A TITLE CHANGE!!! SISTERS OF THE SNAKE is coming to a bookshelf near you, Summer 2021! *insert snake hiss here*
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01/08/20: Ria & Rani is our Indian-inspired twin-swap YA fantasy book that we've been working on for 3 years! If you're a fan of THE STAR-TOUCHED QUEEN, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, or THREE DARK CROWNS, then be sure to check it out!
- iwrotethisbook
Fanna
1,011 reviews522 followers
Shelved as 'will-get-back-to-asap'
September 15, 2022October 06, 2020: DID YOU SEE THAT COVER??? DID you see the gorgeous illustration? Do you see my heart swell with so much happiness OMG August 21, 2020: I mean, any fantasy that's Indian-inspired is ON MY LIST so yeah, you can see me excited for this twin getting separated and one is a street thief and one is a princess YES IT SOUNDS SO GOOD ↣ digital copy received via edelweiss↢
March 15, 2021: Who has an early copy of one of the most anticipated south-asian releases of this year? ME. ME. ME. AH.
- 2021-releases
trishla ⚡ | YourLocalBookReader
428 reviews46 followers
3 stars. I will admit this was a buddy read with a few of my other Desi friends. Did we love the rep? yes. did it feel authentic to us? yes. However, this book reads like a first draft of fanfiction. At 14 I would have killed for this, at 23, all I can see are the plot holes. We actually ended up making a google doc titled "I Have Many Questions Sasha and Sarena ". Some of the highlights are below. How were Aditi and Ria in the orphanage at the same time when they have such a huge age gap? Anyways, we found this book highly enjoyable, but if you're looking for a sound, plot hole less book, this isn't it. Head empty, no think, just enjoy this book. Find me on: instagram The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Why couldn’t Ria tell the king that she was the twin?
How do the servants bathing Ria not notice that she isn’t Rani?
Why does Amir not know anything about his best friend (to the point where he isn't able to see that its a DIFFERENT person)?
Shouldn’t Rani be taller, fairer, bigger, and healthier due to her life of luxury?
How did Rani get back to the palace in a few hours when it took her a week to go from the palace to the river?
Why does the snake not tell them A DUDE IS LIVING IN THE PIT if they knew all along??
- 2021-reads
kashvi
125 reviews123 followers
i will never EVER STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK SOMEONE GET ME THE NEXT BOOK OR I WILL CRY HOW DO AUTHORS WRITE THESE MAGICAL AND ADDICTIVE STORIES *SOBS*😭😭😭😭
- 2021 asian-rep south-asian-voices
♠ TABI⁷ ♠
Author15 books508 followers
Want to read
July 20, 2020so this is basically a fantasy retelling of The Prince and the Pauper?? Got it and want it
gauri
197 reviews577 followers
check out the full review along with an aesthetic on my blog! Sisters of the Snake is an impressive debut of twin sisters written by twin authors. If you're looking for a quick read that reminds you of Barbie movies with magic, found family, rich Indian inspired atmosphere and a fast paced fantasy, this is the one!
- 2021-reads arcs fantasy
It’s always so much fun to discover desi debut authors and get to read and talk about their books in advance. And that’s exactly my feeling tonight after finishing this book - delight. The author-sister duo really managed to create a very entertaining and engaging story here, which got its hook in me very quickly. Once I started, there was no way I could stop because there’s almost a breakneck pace, and with so much happening in every chapter and with revelation after revelation; all I wanted to do was read the next chapter and find out what more was gonna happen. The writing is very easy to follow along and not overly descriptive - the kind of writing style I usually prefer - and I found myself totally immersed. But it is also not without some flaws. We get some history about the magic wielding masters and how the kingdoms came to be in the current state, but other than that there isn’t much world building. However, there is scope for a lot more expansive world as well as different kinds of magic and I’m excited to see how the authors will achieve this in the sequel. While the quick pacing makes for a thrilling read, it also means that sometimes things happen too quickly and without any explanation, leaving us a tad bit dissatisfied. I also thought there were many conflicts in the story that were resolved too conveniently, which might really annoy a more discerning and critical reader than me. But the heart of this book are it’s characters. Rani is a sheltered princess and all she wants is the freedom to live on her terms and also prove to the king that she is capable of ruling. Ria is a thief on the streets whose every day is filled with the struggle for survival. These two sisters couldn’t be more different on surface, but I loved how the authors ensured that we could understand their deeper feelings and realize that they aren’t so different underneath. After they both swap places, they both realize what is it that they actually want to do with their life, how they can contribute towards the welfare of their people, and how it is possible to subvert one’s destiny. I really loved how much they came to trust each other and their bond felt special, but I won’t deny that it was a bit too quick in execution. The side characters also play major roles here, especially in furthering along the characters of the sisters. Through the reserved but sweet Saeed and the absolutely delightful and strong Aditi, Ria learns to see the faults in the palace and also how to trust them enough to form a team and uncover some truths. On the other hand, Amir is a streetsmart thief who gives Rani the feeling of true friendship and more; Sanya, Jas and Irfan all together making her realize the bitter truth about her father’s brutal rule and understand what her next steps should be for the sake of her people. The villain also cut an intriguing figure, not just a caricature but a power hungry person who has only learnt the importance of pain and power through their upbringing and use those too as tools to achieve their deranged dreams. In the end, I was left quite surprised by the ending. It’s not exactly a cliffhanger but it’s a cool twist and I’m sure the next book will be interesting. And if you are someone who loves YA fantasies with good friendships, budding romances, a strong sisterly bond, and a world where magic may be the doom or liberation - then I think you should give this debut a try. It’s not a complicated story and might even feel too simplistic at times, but it is nevertheless very captivating, and you will enjoy your journey through these pages.
- 2021-read 4-star fantasy-and-scifi
303 reviews245 followers
I remember reading this 2 years ago and thinking this needed severe editing and had major plot holes
soap
160 reviews25 followers
i was so excited to start this because it looked like a beautiful desi fantasy that i would enjoy and love. oh how wrong i was. there were so many plot holes. it seemed like everyone around them just turn into adrien agreste after they switched places; THEY WERE SO FUCKING BLIND AND OBLIVIOUS. that's the only reason their stupid, unthought-out plan worked. their plan was so rushed. rani just saw someone who looked exactly like her and went, "oh hey youre a stranger but haha guess we're twins 😁👍 now please switch places with me i need to find a red crystal 😥😞💪" the world building was beautiful at first, but then it just got unexciting, along with everything else. this book is reminds me of Shadow and Bone mixed with Red Queen. Neither of the MCs were Alinas, but that doesn't mean I liked them. Ria did remind me of mare (first book mare) and she was lowkey annoying. Rani and Ria are such two-dimensional characters. They were both so goddamn naïve and annoying I just wanted to AGWHIAEIAEHREKRKNJGEAHHHHEHEHFJENJKSKNKJGOSIHHH 👹👹 the romance was ew. i hated both couples, but mostly amir and rani. the writing was just not it babes not only was the romance too cheesy and felt like the work of 2nd graders putting on a play, but the same for the dialogues. the communication was as bad as that one covid movie kurtis conner did a review on help 💀💀 now lets talk about that ending. what actually happened? i cannot recap that. PLS SAUHIJKD I WANTED A FIGHTING SCENE SO BADLY BC THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE ONLY THINGS THAT WOULD SAVE THIS, BUT NO. INSTEAD WE JUST HAD TO BE GOOD PEOPLE WHO WOULD CHOOSE PEACE OVER BLOODSHED. STOP. IT. there was a 100-year truce ending and a war that two kingdoms have been preparing for, but because of miscommunication and letters the raja of abai didnt actually write or send (shocker, i know) they decided violence was not the answer and they hugged and kissed and everything was good yay rainbows and sunshine maybe advanced 4th grade readers could read this and enjoy it but nope not for me.
I guess ria was okay in the first like 2 chapters of her pov
she was so heartbroken over fucking nothing. like bestie, he didnt even know it was you he thought you were ria 😭😭
AND THATS ANOTHER THING
amirs first like "mmm i think i have a crush on ria" then when rani confesses that she isnt ria he goes "im so heartbroken im going emo" to "sike hahah i was in love with you the whole time, rani. i knew there was something different from that night 😍🙏"
IT MAKES NO SENSE???
and then ria and saeed's romance was so weird
he thought she was rani trying to work things through but no. gasp. it was her twin sister. and when ria told him the truth, he gave no shits that he was being deceived and that everything was a lie??
it was wayyyy too cliché (like everything else abt the book) and yeah when others say it felt like the kind of writing you'd find in a fanfic, they were not lying
when they found shocking news, it was so cringey AHSJBDAHGDSIUAJ I WAS DYING AND LITERALLY PUNCHING MY FOREHEAD WITH MY FIST
STOP FINISHING EACH OTHERS' SENTENCES AND PUTTING ON 🥺😲 FACES
it felt like watching a movie with really bad acting (basically that movie kurtis talked about)
they also ended up treating the servants like they we're their best friend and not people who work for them. which is great so cheerful everyone is free whoohoo, but letting them wear whatever they wanted?? that seems so unprofessional and messy i cant-
- 2-star-reads 2022-reads
Amanda
432 reviews176 followers
You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress.... Review: 3.5 stars Sisters of the Snake appealed to me for so many reasons. I love books that have plots about two identical people switching places and have read so many great books with this premise. Sisters of the Snake is also a retelling of The Princess and the Pauper, and while I don’t know that story well I do love reading retellings. But the main reasons this book interested me were that it’s a cultural fantasy and it’s about two sisters. Unfortunately the bonds of sisterhood aren’t explored much in this installment, but I expect they will be later in the series. Sisters of the Snake is a great example of a book that does two points of view really well. The point of view switches from Rani, the princess, and her newfound twin Ria, who is a thief. The pacing is pretty fast and a lot of the chapters end on cliffhangers, which kept me reading to bet back to one point of view or the other and find out what happened next. Both points of view are written in first person, but it didn’t get confusing since both characters had their own distinct voice and personality. This was a very easy read that I tore through pretty quickly. The plot was pretty fun even though at times it was rather predictable. Rani and Ria lived vastly different lives and when they discovered that they were twins they decided to switch places. It was interesting watching each girl change as they walked in each other’s shoes. Both girls learn ugly truths about the kingdom, but they also get to see the world from a different perspective and it changes both of them. There were two plot lines that both converged at the end of the novel and they were both done pretty well. In books that have multiple plot lines and multiple points of view there is typically one that I prefer over the other, but Sisters of the Snake was really well balanced in this aspect. While I enjoyed this book it wasn’t without it’s problems. One issue I had was that I felt like the romances took up too much of the story line and they felt a little forced. But my main issue with this book was the ending. I really hated the way the ending was written. The villain felt so two dimensional and the happily ever after ending was too hard to believe. Everything came together too perfectly, too conveniently, and it just had me rolling my eyes. If you like your endings all happy and perfect, then maybe this won’t bother you, but I just found it too perfect to be believable. I think Sisters of the Snake would appeal to the younger side o YA readers. It was a fun, fast read and had some great cultural representation. For most of the book I really enjoyed it even though there was a bit too much romance for my tastes. While I felt like this book fell apart at the end you might enjoy it if you love happily ever after endings. This was a fun read, but I won’t be seeking out the sequel.
- edelweiss kindle own
Raven
527 reviews54 followers
Thank you to Harper Collins for giving me an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for a review. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a great fantasy read. It is infused with culture, language, political intrigue, secrets, adventure, romance and magic. A story about twins who didn’t know the other existed and decide to switch places in order to find a magical item called the bloodstone that will stop the impending war. This is a wonderful fantasy and very easy to read. If you are new to fantasy and want to give it a try I highly recommend trying this book out. I found the characters to be very interesting, the plot to be enjoyable with the romance. The only reason it is not a five star for me is because I found the plot pretty predictable and I found the ending not a satisfying. I am hoping that that will change in the next book but I am excited to read it nonetheless.
Fizah(Books tales by me)
665 reviews66 followers
Thanks to Edelweiss+ and Published for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Sisters of the Snake is promised as an Indian-inspired fantasy. Rani and Ria are twins and princess of Abai. But the thing is Ria grew up in an orphanage and is a thief whereas Rani grew up in Palace. One thing that is common in both is that they are unaware of each other and in Ria's case whole family. It is an authentic story with loads of potential. The world-building was brilliant and it didn't even take one chapter for me to immerse myself in the world. The magic system was unique and intriguing, the whole bond with snakes is a thing I've never read. The story is told from both Rani and Ria's POV. But both sound the same to me. After 100 pages my attention started to waver. Unfortunately, this writing sounds more like fan fiction and the plot holes were so many and I wasn't able to ignore them. There wasn't anything left to imagine or guessed, everything was told to the audience which made the character development so weak. I didn't feel anything for any of them. I was expecting so much from it and it had all of the potential but the poor writing and one-dimensional characters killed that. I really wanted to like it but...
- 2021-read
Alex Nonymous
Author25 books501 followers
I think my biggest issue with Sisters of the Snake was that while the story was so intriguing and I wanted to love it, I kept stumbling across small issue after small issue, thinking "I shouldn't mention it in the review because maybe this issue won't carry over into the final version", then remembered that I wasn't reading an advanced copy, I was reading the actual book. Sibling writing duos are so cool, but I think a lot more needed to be polished between the two narrators. A lot of things are stated and restated instead of letting the audience see it occur once and figure out the implication for itself and because of that, a lot of page space that could have been used to help world building or fix plot holes felt wasted. This is over 500 pages meaning its technically a tome, but I still ended up with a lot of holes in the world building and confusion about character motives and backgrounds. Basically, skim reading this? Would probably rock. But if you pay a lot of attention, small issue after small issue begins to put a damper on your enjoyment.
- 7-8-and-9
nitya
442 reviews335 followers
The Prince(ss) and the Pauper retelling I always wanted!!! I am not a twin but grew up watching everything about twin sisters (Sister Sister, Mary Kate and Ashley's entire filmography, etc) and the authors did too. So when they pitched this book as an Indian (specifically Punjabi) influenced fantasy focusing on a princess and a thief who are also twins, I was 100% sold. At nearly 500 pages, this may seem daunting but the writing is very engaging (dual POV), there's lots of court intrigue and twists, and the tropes are my jam (found family! female friendships! girls saving themselves!!). I did like the world building but also wanted more of it! Perhaps in the sequel... Content warning: child abuse, violence, torture (people get branded), murder (some of it is graphic)
Sarah
393 reviews27 followers
We stan rad twin Canadian authors in this house!! I was lucky enough to read an early copy of this and I am here to tell you it will not disappoint. Look out for this if you want a refreshing fairy-tale retelling!
- audiobooks canadian-authors completed-trilogies-and-duologies
Ayushi (bookwormbullet)
656 reviews1,173 followers
Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books & Harper Teen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! 2021 must really be my year of reading amazing South Asian fantasies because Sisters of the Snake was amazing. I loved this retelling of The Prince and the Pauper, which has been one of my favorite stories from my childhood. As the authors mention in their Authors’ Note, this really is a story of sisterhood above all. The magic system and world-building was great too and overall I’d give this 4.5 stars! Sisters of the Snake follows Ria, an ordinary thief trying to make ends meet with her best friend Amir when the King’s soldiers announce a list of names to be conscripted in the King’s army, and Ria’s name is on the list. Amir and Ria devise a plan to break into the royal palace, steal jewels, and then resell them in order to escape the kingdom of Abai forever. However, when Ria sneaks into the palace, she comes face-to-face with Rani, the Princess of Abai, who looks exactly like her. Rani is just as dumbfounded as Ria is about their identical appearance, until the girls discover that they are long-lost sisters. Rani uses the opportunity to strike a deal with Ria to switch places--Rani will take Ria’s place alongside Amir and Ria will take Rani’s place as the kingdom’s princess. Through the deal, the two sisters uncover dangers and plots to destroy their kingdom. In order to save their home, Rani and Ria must work together. Or watch it all fall into ruin. This book was filled with a ton of political scheming and intrigue and I loved how this theme was intertwined with ancient magic and dark prophecies. I loved reading the dual POV’s between Rani and Ria as well. Every chapter ended with a cliffhanger and it made me so invested in both of the sisters’ individual stories. The authors did a great job of unraveling the secrets that were revealed in each of the sisters’ separate journeys and slowly demonstrating how these separate secrets were all connected in the end. This made the book feel much more cohesive even though Ria and Rani were separated for the majority of the book on their own personal journeys. I wish we got to see a little bit more of Rani and Ria together in this book, especially because their character development together as sisters felt a little rushed, but I think this was caused by the very nature of the story of The Prince and the Pauper. I also found Rani’s relationship with Amir and Ria’s relationship with Saeed really interesting. It’s evident that the romance is not the main part of the plot and is more there to keep both Rani and Ria’s story more engaging while keeping the focus on Rani and Ria’s individual growth, but I’m excited to see if their relationships develop further in the second book. I did find Ria’s relationship with Amir and Rani’s relationship with Saeed (i.e. prior to when Rani & Ria meet) a bit underdeveloped as well. For two pairs of people who supposedly knew each other for a while, it seemed that the two best friends and the betrothed couple didn’t know each other that well, which was a little surprising. The magic system, as mentioned, was really interesting too. Since it is established in the beginning of the book that magic is quite rare among the people of Abai, I’m interested to see how the magic system grows in the next book. I really enjoyed seeing Ria embrace her Snake magic and I’m excited to see both the sisters’ powers grow in the second book as well. The South Asian representation was amazing too. The authors did an excellent job of fitting every single detail possible about South Asian cultures, traditions, foods, clothes, etc. I was so pleasantly surprised to see how committed and accurate the South Asian representation was, even in a high fantasy setting. The authors also did a really good job of highlighting how multicultural South Asia is by including a variety of South Asian characters whose names clearly indicate which parts of our modern-day South Asia they’re from, such as Sanskrit, Arabic, and Urdu names. If you’re looking for an ancient South Asian-inspired fantasy like The Tiger at Midnight for YA readers, I highly suggest picking up Sisters of the Snake!
- all-time-favorites arcs asian-authors
Jay G
1,482 reviews451 followers
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer... *I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review* Princess Rani and street urchin, Ria were unaware they were twin sisters until they see one another accidentally. They decide to switch places, each seeking something personal in their lives. I love that this is a book about twin sisters, written by twin sisters! I enjoyed the characters and the dual POV in this. I like how there were two separate plotlines that converged in the end. The reason I only gave it four stars, was because I listened to this on audio, and at times I felt that the sisters were a bit hard to distinguish from one another, and I was relying more on who they were interacting with to figure out which was which, rather than distinct personalities. I feel like if I had read it on paper, it would have been easier to tell them apart, but because it was the same narrator for both sisters, it was a bit difficult for me. I also wasn't the biggest fan of EITHER of the romances and honestly could have done without either. I wish there had been more of a focus on the sister relationship, although it is understandable why there wasn't since they are separated for most of the book. I enjoyed the incorporation of the Indian culture and learning more about the food and clothing through this story. Overall, I am intrigued to see where the story goes from here and I'll be sure to pick up the sequel when it is released!
Toya (thereadingchemist)
1,356 reviews148 followers
This is such a great retelling of The Prince and the Pauper!
- bipoc fantasy young-adult
belle ☆ミ (thisbellereadstoo)
2,207 reviews168 followers
check out my full thoughts on my blog~ Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and authors! review The only thing they could do is to lie and adapt. Raised differently, these two sisters are distinctive in terms of their opinions of the world and their own personalities. A thief and supposed orphan, Ria grew up in an orphanage where resources are scarce and survival meant everything. Growing up, Ria knows the troubles and personally experienced the life of the poor. This developed into her detest of the raja and the royalties. Dauntless and quick-witted Ria never thought that she would be royalty and a twin. As the only daughter, Rani was raised with an expectation to run the kingdom someday which meant that she needed to be ruthless like her father. Locked in a gilded cage, all Rani desired was to be free of all worries and the title of princess. Switching identity with Ria offered her the opportunity to explore the world and she soon finds out about the peril her people are in. Since the twins are different in nature and character, it’s a surprise that not many people found it suspicious. Ria, never one to back down from a fight, became more vocal when she took over as Rani. While Rani, born in the palace, never had Ria’s proficient skills in thieving and cunningness. The magic system in Sisters of the Snake is intertwined with the history and lore of the Creator, Amran, who made the six Masters of Magic. Each of them has their own powers which are passed down to their descendants. Unfortunately, when the Snake Master deceived the others and obtained the Bloodstone, every form of magic, excluding the snake’s, disappeared. While Rani searches for the Bloodstone with Amir and Ria spends more time with Saeed, the twin sisters started falling for people they shouldn’t. In this aspect, I’m surprised that the switching of Ria and Rani didn’t confuse or even raise more doubts for Amir and Saeed when the sisters are vastly unlike one another aside from their looks. Overall, this Indian-inspired retelling is embedded with rich culture that’s prevalent in the plot, food and clothing. Sarena and Sasha Nanua’s writing created an atmospheric debut novel. This was definitely a fond throwback to my childhood when I was obsessing over The Princess and the Pauper Barbie movie. I loved the South Asian representation in Sisters of the Snake. The plot can be a little cliché but I still enjoyed the authors’ take on the retelling. I’m waiting for book two!
Pitched as an Indian retelling of The Princess and the Pauper, Sisters of the Snake reminded me of the Barbie movie infused with Disney vibes and magic. With the twins swapping roles and positions, finding out that they come in a pair, neither of them was ready for what’s to come.
- 2021-releases asian-rep-or-author diverse
Grace Arango (G-Swizzel Books)
1,331 reviews694 followers
This was a GREAT Prince and the Pauper reimagining (which is not what I expected from this book at all before I started reading it). I was hooked from the very beginning and there are so many questions I still have, but I guess I gotta wait until the sequel to get my answers.
Sayantoni Das
168 reviews1,611 followers
I absolutely adored this desi fantasy! Reminded me of the Prince and the Pauper but with a twist. Ria and Rani are twins who were seperated. Finding their ways back to each other, they have no idea they actually are sisters. The drama that unfolds with a dark conspiracy transpiring in the backdrop is what made this all the more exciting. The world building is absolutely stunning, pretty placid. I would have enjoyed more intricate details but then I realised it was solely character driven. The writing is pretty vivid, but not the literary dance you would expect. However, it was eloquent enough to paint Ria and Rani's world on a wide canvas. I can't wait for the other books to release soon. I believe there's a huge potential for the plot to develop deeper and the characters to grow from within.
Trisha
309 reviews69 followers
Adventurous and highly addictive, Sisters of the Snake was very hard to put down once I started reading because I wanted to see what would happen next for both of the sisters. I really enjoy reading about cultures outside of my own and it often leads to wanting to find out even more. In so many ways, I find it refreshing to reach for own voices and I cannot wait to see what will come next. This really was a fun and exciting read filled with deadly prophecies, hushed secrets, dark magic, hidden temples and hissing lies. The two sisters have a lot to contend with and even have a dash of the prince and the pauper with how the two grew up. One a princess and one an orphan. When their two worlds collide they decide they need to switch places to figure the mysteries out and save their world. The sisters could not be more different and I really enjoyed they each had their own pov through the book. Sometimes multiple pov can be a challenge but it was done very well here. All in all, Sisters of the Snake is a captivating read and I really hope we get more fantasy books in other cultures. After the twist at the end, I want the next book right now! ------------------------------------------------------- 3.5 slithering stars. What a ride and a journey. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would at first and I always love reading books about cultures that are not my own. I look forward to the next book! That ending though. Full rtc!
- 2021-read 2021-releases the-fantasy
Charvi
565 reviews23 followers
Dnf @22% I wanted to like this so much, I truly did! And I think the book started out well, I was enjoying the set up and world-building but I couldn't get on board with the pacing and writing style. I literally have zero interest in any of the characters and I'm bored... Of course my experience doesn't have to be yours, it's just that this book didn't work out for me I received and arc of this book from the authors but my review remains honest and unbiased
Hayden (bookish.hayden)
559 reviews132 followers
This book was such a fun adventure! Very fast paced, with an interesting story. It was well written, and though the concept isn't super unique per say, the execution was on point. This book is told through dual perspectives, we get both Ria and Rani. The twins are very much opposite, coming from vastly different walks of life. Ria grew up in an orphanage, and then spent her time on the streets. Most of her time in this book is spent in the castle, but it is established that she is a good thief, and her and Amir are great friends. I would've enjoyed a little bit more set up, but I understand why it was this way. In the palace we see a lot of growth from Ria. She comes into her snake power, and fights for what she believes in. Her love for Aditi was amazing to see, and watching her take control of her past was great. Rani begins as a very privileged character, and I found her character arc a little more interesting personally. Seeing her roughing it and getting to know people outside of the palace was amazing. She really fought for what she wanted to see in her world, and I loved watching her come into her own skin. Both of these lead characters were incredible. They had unique and distinctive voices, their passions and motivations made sense, and they really drove the story forward. For our side characters we have Saeed and Amir. Saeed is Rani's betrothed, and Amir is Ria's best friend. Msot of the realtionship building we saw was between Saeed and Ria, and Amir and Rani. I was not shocked in the slightest by how things turned out with this group, but I also wasn't mad at it. In the palace alongside Ria we have Aditi, a servant girl who is integral to Ria's story. Then the parents who were barely in it, and Saeed's mom who was low key a villain from the start. With Rani we have Amir's sister Sanya, and Jas and Irfan who were super important and very interesting. To be honest: there's nothing unique about the way this story is structured. It's very much the Prince and the Pauper, with a little bit of It Takes Two and The Parent Trap thrown in. Twins who switch places, one is a princess, the other is poor, and from there, our story is born. Both perspectives had really interesting journeys, though there were times where the plot felt very predictable. I was very surprised by the ending of the book to be honest. It seemed like everything was leading one way, but that epilogue just came to FIGHT. The world building was good, though at times I found myself wanting more. I wanted to know a little more of the political side, as it was there but there were a few things I wanted answers to. The history of the magic in the world kind of felt like it needed or deserved more fleshing out, but for the most part everything was great. The writing was lovely, everything flowed so nicely. I loved how descriptive it was when it came to food and clothing, it made me feel so immersed in the book. Overall I really enjoyed this read. The characters were phenomenal, the world was well written, and the plot was fun. I would recommend this to fans of: An Ember in the Ashes, Nocturna, We Hunt the Flame, Three Dark Crowns, and Raybearer.
kate
1,464 reviews973 followers
3.5* A quick and easy read that definitely gave me some throwback, mid 2010's, YA fantasy vibes (which was so much fun!) I found the story itself enjoyable, the magic interesting and the characters likeable and the world enticing. However, I definitely preferred one POV and storyline over the other and there were a few plot holes that bothered me. That being said, this was an overall enjoyable read and one I definitely had fun with. I have a feeling this would be a great introduction for new fantasy readers or anyone looking for an entertaining, light magical read.
- fantasy poc-rep young-adult
lady h
638 reviews175 followers
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 4, 2022DNF @ 17% Nothing wrong with this at all! In fact, it's pretty well-written; my only gripe is that we have two first person POVs, which could be confusing. I like the world and the characters. I just couldn't really get as invested as I wanted to, and this book is loooong, probably too long, and I could feel that it was going to be pretty slow-paced and somewhat predictable. I'd recommend it if you like this kind of YA fantasy.
- dnf-2022
USOM
2,944 reviews276 followers
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.) Sisters of the Snake is one of those books where I was utterly entertained the whole way through. Sisters who discover each other, jewel heists, and magical powers that seem more like curses, Sisters of the Snake is packed with adventure. It's almost like if "The Parent Trap" met magical settings and high stakes kingdom defying odds. This dual POV story allows us to get to know Ria and Rani. To see how Rani learns how the gap between royalty and royal practices forms. Or for Ria to be confronted with opulence and luxury, only to realize what matters. One of my favorite themes in Sisters of the Snake, and so many fantasy books, is that history and stories are all about who is telling them. Both Rani and Ria have to examine the stories they were told, the pieces of truth they see, and how they will shape the future. Rani's journey is one where she has to confront her own privilege, the life she has always lived. Ria has to figure out how to speak out and use the situations around her. Ria was my instant fave, mostly because I'm always going to be captivated by a thief. full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
~
212 reviews20 followers
-DNF @ 46%
-if you’re going to switch, plz be better actors 😔🤚
-not sure if this was going to happen, but it felt like the prince was falling for ria and the boy for rani, and it just felt icky?? 🤨Like they should have told them about the switch before feelings got involved
-the characters were one-dimensional and weren’t developed further than that
-rani’s motivation in the beginning of the switch: gotta become a good queen and will leave on a mission to find a stone (??because a tutor told you to??) to save kingdom from a war
-ria’s motivation in the beginning of the switch: if i become rani i get good food (??????? what about Amir???? she left him so quick lol) obviously afterward she tries fighting the raja about poverty and the rich ignoring the poor
-whenever she confronted him it gave me America Singer vibes (tHe rEbeLs aRe jUsT buLLiEs)
-plot was so cliché it hurt 😩
-whatever mission rani was on, i really couldn’t care less-i just never felt like the stakes were high and the exposition barely focused on this impending war or fleshing out the magic system (at least up to the point i read, i could be wrong)
-the cultural setting was really nice tho the plot was underdeveloped and it progressed so slowly
- dnf