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The Shackled Serpent
“Know the truth, Maeve. Embrace the truth. Speak the truth.”
Maeve Wyndell lives by these words. The last words her mother spoke to her before everything changed…before she changed. They shaped Maeve into who she is and what she stands by. The truth is all she has, but in Galfei Thalor, it feels as if the truth isn’t always what it seems.
Burdened by her people’s past after the Last War, Maeve must answer to the four kingdoms—Nythfaedell, the kingdom of the elves; Amphitea, the merfolk’s realm; Fiermoor, home of the tieflings; and Phandolus, the land of the changelings—and complete the trials to determine which monsters she will serve for the next ten rotations.
What happens, though, when she’s chosen for a role she never expected and feels as if she’s becoming a monster herself?
Now an assassin, tasked to kill for those she resents most, Maeve finds herself drowning in inner darkness. Despite that, she still fights for what she has always believed in—finding her freedom from those who took everything from her. Is embracing the monster Maeve fears she’s becoming the only way for her to bring them all to justice?
Maeve Wyndell lives by these words. The last words her mother spoke to her before everything changed…before she changed. They shaped Maeve into who she is and what she stands by. The truth is all she has, but in Galfei Thalor, it feels as if the truth isn’t always what it seems.
Burdened by her people’s past after the Last War, Maeve must answer to the four kingdoms—Nythfaedell, the kingdom of the elves; Amphitea, the merfolk’s realm; Fiermoor, home of the tieflings; and Phandolus, the land of the changelings—and complete the trials to determine which monsters she will serve for the next ten rotations.
What happens, though, when she’s chosen for a role she never expected and feels as if she’s becoming a monster herself?
Now an assassin, tasked to kill for those she resents most, Maeve finds herself drowning in inner darkness. Despite that, she still fights for what she has always believed in—finding her freedom from those who took everything from her. Is embracing the monster Maeve fears she’s becoming the only way for her to bring them all to justice?
Paperback
Published August 8, 2023
35 people are currently reading
1407 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Lister
3 books37 followersK.M. Lister is a native Texan who spent her childhood imagining stories and scenarios any chance she got—on the playground, in the shower, under the covers when she was supposed to be sleeping…you name it.
She studied Communications and Media Studies at Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi and went into the journalism field soon after graduation. While she has a passion for news, her mind always drifts to her true love: the endless amounts of stories that fill her heart.
As a lover of angst, K.M. hopes her stories speak to her readers while bringing out emotions that might be hard to swallow.
When she’s not writing or reading, she’s usually watching her favorite shows and movies or snuggling her dog, Odie.
She studied Communications and Media Studies at Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi and went into the journalism field soon after graduation. While she has a passion for news, her mind always drifts to her true love: the endless amounts of stories that fill her heart.
As a lover of angst, K.M. hopes her stories speak to her readers while bringing out emotions that might be hard to swallow.
When she’s not writing or reading, she’s usually watching her favorite shows and movies or snuggling her dog, Odie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
May 30, 2023
I wrote this book and I like to think it’s pretty great! I hope my readers think so too! 🫶🏻
August 8, 2023
”there’s something intoxicating about pinching one’s string of life taut and deciding when to snip it in half.”
huge thank you to sunnybabepr for the arc <3
this book was excellent in every single way possible. a fantastic debut novel!! if you’re looking for a new book that will make you smile, laugh, cry, and quite literally shatter your heart then this is the book for you. definitely one of the best books i’ve read this year and such an emotional rollercoaster!
the world building is super easy to follow, and there’s even a pronunciation guide at the beginning to help with names and places! the storyline is also pretty fast paced so there’s never a dull or boring moment within the story which i loved.
the fmc, maeve is amazing- she’s strong, fierce and loyal to those who she cares about. essentially, maeve and other humans are forced to partake in 4 trials to determine which kingdom they will serve in. she doesn’t believe in this system, and wishes to bring change in whatever ways she can.
after the trials, maeve is recruited to do some highly skilled, vengeance jobs against the other kingdoms and their nobilities. this is where the story really gets interesting. from the beginning though, it’s a page turner. there was never a moment reading this where i was bored or wanting to put it down. i literally would’ve read it in one day if i had the time, that’s how amazing this world, the characters and the writing are.
”a dance with death herself,” he murmurs against my skin, “is even more radiant than the stars above.”
the mmc isn’t introduced right away, but when he is, y’all will ABSOLUTELY adore him. i know for a fact i do. the relationship that he has with maeve is so real and i loved it so incredibly much. they made me smile and cry all at the same time.
the side characters are also so incredibly lovable and i love seeing maeve find her little family with them. seeing her go from thinking she’s undeserving of anyone to finding people who love her as she is, is super special to me🥹
i absolutely love this book though and i’ll definitely be reading it again sometime. highly recommend this book for everyone, especially if you love fantasy, romance subplots, fated mates, found family, plot twists, and emotional TRAUMA (lol) <3
if you’d like some spoilers, continue on!
“i’ll look for you in every lifetime, my venomous serpent.”
“i love you, i will always love you.”
THE ENDING SHATTERED MY HEART INTO A BILLION PIECES. i will never recover honestly. he promised to marry her and then he DIED. and at the hands of her brother no less. idk about maeve but i would’ve been so angry and burnt the entire world down tbh.
the fated mates aspect was giving me such feyre and rhysand vibes from the way maeve reacted to finding out, to the war of hybern during acowar. but instead of the mmc surviving, the mating bond is broken because of his death and maeve breaks with him and it’s so incredibly painful to read :(
i was expecting a happy ending if i’m being honest!! seeing halton/amsden’s background hurt my soul so badly, like i really wanted maeve to get her revenge on andrina but i know she couldn’t since she matured as a character and realized it was wrong to take revenge but STILL. justice for amsden. i would’ve loved to see him and maeve rule a kingdom together.
i would personally love if the author would make an alternate ending as well for us to see what their life would’ve been like if the war had spared the lives of all main characters!
“i love you as halton. i love you as amsden. i love all of you. you are mine… and i am yours.” 🥹💞💘💓
**all quotes are from arc copy and are subject to slight change in final publication**
huge thank you to sunnybabepr for the arc <3
this book was excellent in every single way possible. a fantastic debut novel!! if you’re looking for a new book that will make you smile, laugh, cry, and quite literally shatter your heart then this is the book for you. definitely one of the best books i’ve read this year and such an emotional rollercoaster!
the world building is super easy to follow, and there’s even a pronunciation guide at the beginning to help with names and places! the storyline is also pretty fast paced so there’s never a dull or boring moment within the story which i loved.
the fmc, maeve is amazing- she’s strong, fierce and loyal to those who she cares about. essentially, maeve and other humans are forced to partake in 4 trials to determine which kingdom they will serve in. she doesn’t believe in this system, and wishes to bring change in whatever ways she can.
after the trials, maeve is recruited to do some highly skilled, vengeance jobs against the other kingdoms and their nobilities. this is where the story really gets interesting. from the beginning though, it’s a page turner. there was never a moment reading this where i was bored or wanting to put it down. i literally would’ve read it in one day if i had the time, that’s how amazing this world, the characters and the writing are.
”a dance with death herself,” he murmurs against my skin, “is even more radiant than the stars above.”
the mmc isn’t introduced right away, but when he is, y’all will ABSOLUTELY adore him. i know for a fact i do. the relationship that he has with maeve is so real and i loved it so incredibly much. they made me smile and cry all at the same time.
the side characters are also so incredibly lovable and i love seeing maeve find her little family with them. seeing her go from thinking she’s undeserving of anyone to finding people who love her as she is, is super special to me🥹
i absolutely love this book though and i’ll definitely be reading it again sometime. highly recommend this book for everyone, especially if you love fantasy, romance subplots, fated mates, found family, plot twists, and emotional TRAUMA (lol) <3
if you’d like some spoilers, continue on!
“i’ll look for you in every lifetime, my venomous serpent.”
“i love you, i will always love you.”
THE ENDING SHATTERED MY HEART INTO A BILLION PIECES. i will never recover honestly. he promised to marry her and then he DIED. and at the hands of her brother no less. idk about maeve but i would’ve been so angry and burnt the entire world down tbh.
the fated mates aspect was giving me such feyre and rhysand vibes from the way maeve reacted to finding out, to the war of hybern during acowar. but instead of the mmc surviving, the mating bond is broken because of his death and maeve breaks with him and it’s so incredibly painful to read :(
i was expecting a happy ending if i’m being honest!! seeing halton/amsden’s background hurt my soul so badly, like i really wanted maeve to get her revenge on andrina but i know she couldn’t since she matured as a character and realized it was wrong to take revenge but STILL. justice for amsden. i would’ve loved to see him and maeve rule a kingdom together.
i would personally love if the author would make an alternate ending as well for us to see what their life would’ve been like if the war had spared the lives of all main characters!
“i love you as halton. i love you as amsden. i love all of you. you are mine… and i am yours.” 🥹💞💘💓
**all quotes are from arc copy and are subject to slight change in final publication**
August 14, 2023
this book absolutely consumed my every thought and action, and it will be my life's purpose to get every single reader to pick this book up.
this is truly a six-star book for me, it was so beautifully written and just such a fantastic story. it was such a unique and refreshing book while also gorgeously weaving all of my favorite little tropes and aspects into it. this book is a prime example of fantasy at its best, argue with the wall, thank you!
the book took so many twists and turns from where it was at the start, it was literally impossible to predict anything, or be sure of anything. and I loved it! personally, I love having my heart rate at an unhealthy number and this book truly delivered on that front.
but in all seriousness, this book is a new favorite of mine. it is just so ethereally written; it feels like stardust in book form. the worldbuilding is so well done, and the world itself is so interesting, and intricate. like you're telling me this world doesn't exist?? I refuse to believe that.
and the characters CAPTURED my heart. the subtle displays of how people can be so much more than what they seem was just so sweet. and the character growth was remarkable. all of these characters have their own special place in my heart because when literally anything happened to them (good, or bad) I sobbed because I just love them so much.
also, did I mention the plot was remarkable because WOW. I'm not sure if I just got too relaxed while reading or what because this book threw me for MULTIPLE loops. K.M Lister just blew me away with how convoluted and twisty this story was.
basically, I absolutely adored this book and if you like fantasy, or books that will have you questioning everything PLEASE pick this up.
this book is kind of like if The Cruel Prince and ACOTAR had a baby. if that doesn't convince you to pick this up, I don't know what will!
and thank you to Sunny Babe PR for the ARC!
Permanently heartbroken and breathlessly waiting for K.M Listers next book,
Opal
this is truly a six-star book for me, it was so beautifully written and just such a fantastic story. it was such a unique and refreshing book while also gorgeously weaving all of my favorite little tropes and aspects into it. this book is a prime example of fantasy at its best, argue with the wall, thank you!
the book took so many twists and turns from where it was at the start, it was literally impossible to predict anything, or be sure of anything. and I loved it! personally, I love having my heart rate at an unhealthy number and this book truly delivered on that front.
but in all seriousness, this book is a new favorite of mine. it is just so ethereally written; it feels like stardust in book form. the worldbuilding is so well done, and the world itself is so interesting, and intricate. like you're telling me this world doesn't exist?? I refuse to believe that.
and the characters CAPTURED my heart. the subtle displays of how people can be so much more than what they seem was just so sweet. and the character growth was remarkable. all of these characters have their own special place in my heart because when literally anything happened to them (good, or bad) I sobbed because I just love them so much.
also, did I mention the plot was remarkable because WOW. I'm not sure if I just got too relaxed while reading or what because this book threw me for MULTIPLE loops. K.M Lister just blew me away with how convoluted and twisty this story was.
basically, I absolutely adored this book and if you like fantasy, or books that will have you questioning everything PLEASE pick this up.
this book is kind of like if The Cruel Prince and ACOTAR had a baby. if that doesn't convince you to pick this up, I don't know what will!
and thank you to Sunny Babe PR for the ARC!
Permanently heartbroken and breathlessly waiting for K.M Listers next book,
Opal
July 27, 2023
“Death calls to me. Death begs me to take as many lives as possible.”
Maeve is a badass FMC who is trying to stand up for what she believes in after completing the trials of the four kingdoms. Maeve has had many looses in her life and is determined to take a stand with the mortal rebels in an effort to overthrow the Kingdoms who host the trials. She was trained to become an assassin for the Changeling Kingdom but things quickly go downhill.
In this book we see Maeve’s character develop in more ways then one. She shows extensive growth in her relationships with other characters as well as learning how to overcome her demons to become the most amazing version of herself.
Maeve is a badass FMC who is trying to stand up for what she believes in after completing the trials of the four kingdoms. Maeve has had many looses in her life and is determined to take a stand with the mortal rebels in an effort to overthrow the Kingdoms who host the trials. She was trained to become an assassin for the Changeling Kingdom but things quickly go downhill.
In this book we see Maeve’s character develop in more ways then one. She shows extensive growth in her relationships with other characters as well as learning how to overcome her demons to become the most amazing version of herself.
August 1, 2023
I absolutely ADORED this book! I'm giving this an enthusiastic 4.5 (rounding up to 5 for Goodreads purposes).
We get the story of Maeve, who is recruited in an odd way to do some odd jobs- and discovers herself, some truths, and a found family along the way. Of course, a bunch of Royals and rebels are having a truth hiding/uncovering battle- because what would a fantasy work be without someone wanting to lie about how shoddy their history is? Well, guess what- our great FMC Maeve is about to go Dr. Temperance Brennen on y'all and DIG UP THE HISTORY HERE AND TELL US ALLLLLL the tea.
You know what I totally appreciated about this book the most? That there was no hang up on filler activity and action between the scenes of Maeve's... jobs. It was: here's the action, closure on it, and onto next scene. It flowed very well and I did not get bored with that.
But also, K.M. I WOULD LIKE A WORD WITH YOU ABOUT THAT ENDING. DO YOU NEED A CLOROX WIPE TO CLEAN MY HEART OFF YOUR BOOTS AFTER YOU KINDA STOMPED ON AND SHATTERED MY HEART???
I was blessed to get this as an ARC, and it was my first one ever. I loved the word building that K.M. did throughout this book and how it was SO. MUCH. FUN. to read and I owe a lot of that feeling to the characters in this story. Some of the the points in this did actually make me do a little double take as they caught me off guard, but in a totally good way! I was quickly in love with all of the characters, and the found family aspect of this. I'm not going to lie- I devoured this in like 24 hours while on vacation. I am so glad that I was able to read this!
I went into this fairly blind to the plot, as I did not want to be biased by anything on this. I know how important it is to go into a book with an open mind, and I wanted to give this a totally clear chance to wow me! I want to give a big thanks to sunnybabepr and K.M. Lister for giving me the opportunity to read this as an ARC! I cannot wait to see Lister's future works and I will definitely be following closely!
We get the story of Maeve, who is recruited in an odd way to do some odd jobs- and discovers herself, some truths, and a found family along the way. Of course, a bunch of Royals and rebels are having a truth hiding/uncovering battle- because what would a fantasy work be without someone wanting to lie about how shoddy their history is? Well, guess what- our great FMC Maeve is about to go Dr. Temperance Brennen on y'all and DIG UP THE HISTORY HERE AND TELL US ALLLLLL the tea.
You know what I totally appreciated about this book the most? That there was no hang up on filler activity and action between the scenes of Maeve's... jobs. It was: here's the action, closure on it, and onto next scene. It flowed very well and I did not get bored with that.
But also, K.M. I WOULD LIKE A WORD WITH YOU ABOUT THAT ENDING. DO YOU NEED A CLOROX WIPE TO CLEAN MY HEART OFF YOUR BOOTS AFTER YOU KINDA STOMPED ON AND SHATTERED MY HEART???
I was blessed to get this as an ARC, and it was my first one ever. I loved the word building that K.M. did throughout this book and how it was SO. MUCH. FUN. to read and I owe a lot of that feeling to the characters in this story. Some of the the points in this did actually make me do a little double take as they caught me off guard, but in a totally good way! I was quickly in love with all of the characters, and the found family aspect of this. I'm not going to lie- I devoured this in like 24 hours while on vacation. I am so glad that I was able to read this!
I went into this fairly blind to the plot, as I did not want to be biased by anything on this. I know how important it is to go into a book with an open mind, and I wanted to give this a totally clear chance to wow me! I want to give a big thanks to sunnybabepr and K.M. Lister for giving me the opportunity to read this as an ARC! I cannot wait to see Lister's future works and I will definitely be following closely!
August 6, 2023
ARC Review:
A book hasn’t made me cry this hard in a really long time. The ending ripped my heart out.
I loved the world building and that this was high fantasy with multiple kingdoms run by different types of beings. The FMC is strong, but also can be blinded by emotion which I think makes her more relatable and realistic. The BEST part of this book was that there was just as much love put into the side characters. Authors don’t always get that right, but KM Lister definitely took the time to make you fall in love with all the characters and had growth moments for all of them as well. It’s one of those books where your least favorite character is actually the main character lol. (Even though Maeve is also great) The pace was a bit slow in the middle, but I absolutely loved the beginning and the ending.
I will say, based on my personal preferences, the epilogue did ruin a bit of the story for me and would have turned this into a 3 star read but I’m just going to pretend I ended the book and didn’t read the epilogue at all.
A book hasn’t made me cry this hard in a really long time. The ending ripped my heart out.
I loved the world building and that this was high fantasy with multiple kingdoms run by different types of beings. The FMC is strong, but also can be blinded by emotion which I think makes her more relatable and realistic. The BEST part of this book was that there was just as much love put into the side characters. Authors don’t always get that right, but KM Lister definitely took the time to make you fall in love with all the characters and had growth moments for all of them as well. It’s one of those books where your least favorite character is actually the main character lol. (Even though Maeve is also great) The pace was a bit slow in the middle, but I absolutely loved the beginning and the ending.
I will say, based on my personal preferences, the epilogue did ruin a bit of the story for me and would have turned this into a 3 star read but I’m just going to pretend I ended the book and didn’t read the epilogue at all.
July 30, 2023
This book has beat all expectations I had for it. When I first heard of The Shackled Serpent I had a feeling it was going to be a great read and boy was I right! It makes you feel so deeply for characters especially the main character Maeve. She isn’t perfect or even the most powerful human but she still overcomes everything which makes her so real. I hate when books make their characters OP and seem unbeatable but Lister didn’t do that. It makes the characters easier to love and relate to. This book teaches you that even those that seem unlovable can be loved. It’s been days and I’m still in my feels.
August 19, 2023
The only way I know how to describe this is as a Hunger games x Throne of glass fanfic. It was underwhelming, DNF at page 100.
August 8, 2023
The Shackled Serpent🐍by @earthtokace
My Rating: 5 ⭐️
Is this a cozy beach read? No. Did I read it on my beach my honeymoon? Yes. Do I regret it? Absolutely not!✨
Thanks to @sunnybabepr I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this wonderfully heartbreaking book. 🙏🏼
The FMC Maeve is a badass and her character development is amazing with a ton of growth and healing throughout the story. The book had an enemies to lovers vibe—which I’ll eat up every time—as well as the always heartwarming found family. 🥰
Without giving too much away… this is *technically* a HEA, but be prepared to have your heart shattered before the pieces are picked up and put back together.💔
I am truly in awe of this book, especially as a debut novel! I will 100% be reading whatever @earthtokace writes in the future.🖤
Release date is August 8th but you can preorder it now which I recommend you do asap 🙃
My Rating: 5 ⭐️
Is this a cozy beach read? No. Did I read it on my beach my honeymoon? Yes. Do I regret it? Absolutely not!✨
Thanks to @sunnybabepr I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this wonderfully heartbreaking book. 🙏🏼
The FMC Maeve is a badass and her character development is amazing with a ton of growth and healing throughout the story. The book had an enemies to lovers vibe—which I’ll eat up every time—as well as the always heartwarming found family. 🥰
Without giving too much away… this is *technically* a HEA, but be prepared to have your heart shattered before the pieces are picked up and put back together.💔
I am truly in awe of this book, especially as a debut novel! I will 100% be reading whatever @earthtokace writes in the future.🖤
Release date is August 8th but you can preorder it now which I recommend you do asap 🙃
August 17, 2023
"Just like the stars above, your light still shines, no matter how dim it may be.”
Maeve is a fierce and determined character and soon becomes a trained assassin for one of the kingdoms, after completing trials set up by the 4 kingdoms. The kingdoms goal throughout each trial is to gather slaves every 10 rotations, as this has been done for many many rotations within the world of Galfei Thalor.
"Know the truth, Maeve. Embrace the truth. Speak the truth"
This was a thrilling fantasy read! So many twists and turns to keep you hooked with every chapter!
Tropes include:
⛓️Forbidden Love
⚔️Found family
🐍Emotional scars
⛓️Slow burn
⚔️Spice
🐍"Who did this to you?"
Maeve is a fierce and determined character and soon becomes a trained assassin for one of the kingdoms, after completing trials set up by the 4 kingdoms. The kingdoms goal throughout each trial is to gather slaves every 10 rotations, as this has been done for many many rotations within the world of Galfei Thalor.
"Know the truth, Maeve. Embrace the truth. Speak the truth"
This was a thrilling fantasy read! So many twists and turns to keep you hooked with every chapter!
Tropes include:
⛓️Forbidden Love
⚔️Found family
🐍Emotional scars
⛓️Slow burn
⚔️Spice
🐍"Who did this to you?"
June 28, 2023
I read this book as an alpha reader and I’m so excited to read the finished product! Can’t wait to see how amazing it is!!
August 9, 2023
The Shackled Serpent took me on an incredible journey through every possible emotion, and left me longingly staring into the void like any truly amazing book does. This is romantasy gold.
From the moment I started this book, I was immediately enthralled. The world building is excellent without being overly complex, and the history of the different kingdoms is extremely interesting and expertly sets the tone for the current storyline. I appreciate the presence of the Elves, Changelings, Merfolk, and Tieflings on their own, and in relation to the humans, the lowest-ranking class of beings in Galfei Thalor who must complete a set of deadly trials in order to serve one of the other kingdoms for ten rotations.
The FMC Maeve is a complex and interesting character who struggles to maintain her humanity amidst impossible situations in a world meant to destroy her. I absolutely love her character, and connected with her on a deep level. Her growth into a bloodthirsty assassin, and her subsequent struggle to feel worthy of love and happiness despite her history and past actions spoke to a part of my own humanity. It’s rare that a character’s journey takes me to that place within myself.
The MMC, Halton was also well written with a complex history, but was not an equal focus of the story, which I appreciated. The plot truly focused on Maeve and her grueling journey of redemption, literal and figurative. But used his story to propel her journey forward. All of the twists and turns along the way were welcome and mostly unpredictable.
All of the “side characters” are written so thoroughly that they do not feel like side characters at all. I fell in love with each and every one, even the ones we weren’t supposed to love, and the ones who had very little time on the page.
I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this incredible page turner and cannot wait to read more from this author. For a standalone fantasy novel, this book has everything - enemies to lovers, found family, a chosen one, fated mates, slow burn spice and an ending that you’ll think about for days, if not weeks to come.
Thank you @sunnybabepr for sending me this ARC in exchange for my review.
From the moment I started this book, I was immediately enthralled. The world building is excellent without being overly complex, and the history of the different kingdoms is extremely interesting and expertly sets the tone for the current storyline. I appreciate the presence of the Elves, Changelings, Merfolk, and Tieflings on their own, and in relation to the humans, the lowest-ranking class of beings in Galfei Thalor who must complete a set of deadly trials in order to serve one of the other kingdoms for ten rotations.
The FMC Maeve is a complex and interesting character who struggles to maintain her humanity amidst impossible situations in a world meant to destroy her. I absolutely love her character, and connected with her on a deep level. Her growth into a bloodthirsty assassin, and her subsequent struggle to feel worthy of love and happiness despite her history and past actions spoke to a part of my own humanity. It’s rare that a character’s journey takes me to that place within myself.
The MMC, Halton was also well written with a complex history, but was not an equal focus of the story, which I appreciated. The plot truly focused on Maeve and her grueling journey of redemption, literal and figurative. But used his story to propel her journey forward. All of the twists and turns along the way were welcome and mostly unpredictable.
All of the “side characters” are written so thoroughly that they do not feel like side characters at all. I fell in love with each and every one, even the ones we weren’t supposed to love, and the ones who had very little time on the page.
I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this incredible page turner and cannot wait to read more from this author. For a standalone fantasy novel, this book has everything - enemies to lovers, found family, a chosen one, fated mates, slow burn spice and an ending that you’ll think about for days, if not weeks to come.
Thank you @sunnybabepr for sending me this ARC in exchange for my review.
August 15, 2023
So good!
The Shackled Serpent by K.M. Lister
"Know the truth, Maeve. Embrace the truth. Speak the truth.
Maeve Wyndell lives by these words. The last words her mother spoke to her before everything changed…before she changed. They shaped Maeve into who she is and what she stands by. The truth is all she has, but in Galfei Thalor, it feels as if the truth isn’t always what it seems.
Burdened by her people’s past after the Last War, Maeve must answer to the four kingdoms—Nythfaedell, the kingdom of the elves; Amphitea, the merfolk’s realm; Fiermoor, home of the tieflings; and Phandolus, the land of the changelings—and complete the trials to determine which monsters she will serve for the next ten rotations.
What happens, though, when she’s chosen for a role she never expected and feels as if she’s becoming a monster herself?"
Even though this book was a little hard to get into at first, after reading a few chapters I was hooked. And I can say with certainty that this is a wonderful debut, I am very impressed!
Maeve goes through a hard journey where she tries to survive by sticking to her principles but those comes clashing with who she's becoming. I loved the found family aspect of this book, it was so wholesome and brought so much healing to our FMC who much needed it!
Maeve is such a badass and I LOVE a strong FMC which made this reading so enjoyable! Also, Lister's writing is so descriptive which made the trials and hardships so vivid in my mind it kept me on the edge of my seat. Let's not forget the romance! It was delicious, I love a good enemies to lovers.
“Those who rule over my fate are simply watching a show, and I am the unfortunate fool who knows none of the lines.”
If you love The Cruel Prince atmosphere, enjoyed the premise of The Hunger Games and enjoyed the characters in The Throne of Glass, this book is 100% for you!
4⭐️
3.5🌶 ( #slowburn )
The Shackled Serpent by K.M. Lister
"Know the truth, Maeve. Embrace the truth. Speak the truth.
Maeve Wyndell lives by these words. The last words her mother spoke to her before everything changed…before she changed. They shaped Maeve into who she is and what she stands by. The truth is all she has, but in Galfei Thalor, it feels as if the truth isn’t always what it seems.
Burdened by her people’s past after the Last War, Maeve must answer to the four kingdoms—Nythfaedell, the kingdom of the elves; Amphitea, the merfolk’s realm; Fiermoor, home of the tieflings; and Phandolus, the land of the changelings—and complete the trials to determine which monsters she will serve for the next ten rotations.
What happens, though, when she’s chosen for a role she never expected and feels as if she’s becoming a monster herself?"
Even though this book was a little hard to get into at first, after reading a few chapters I was hooked. And I can say with certainty that this is a wonderful debut, I am very impressed!
Maeve goes through a hard journey where she tries to survive by sticking to her principles but those comes clashing with who she's becoming. I loved the found family aspect of this book, it was so wholesome and brought so much healing to our FMC who much needed it!
Maeve is such a badass and I LOVE a strong FMC which made this reading so enjoyable! Also, Lister's writing is so descriptive which made the trials and hardships so vivid in my mind it kept me on the edge of my seat. Let's not forget the romance! It was delicious, I love a good enemies to lovers.
“Those who rule over my fate are simply watching a show, and I am the unfortunate fool who knows none of the lines.”
If you love The Cruel Prince atmosphere, enjoyed the premise of The Hunger Games and enjoyed the characters in The Throne of Glass, this book is 100% for you!
4⭐️
3.5🌶 ( #slowburn )
May 30, 2023
I was a beta reader for this amazing book and honestly it’s hard to put in words how much I loved it!
This book follows the story of a young woman in a world where humans are destined to become slaves for other kingdoms, filled with fantastical and some cruel beings.
She is forced to become someone else and face what she has believed most of her life, including the hatred and need for revenge on these creatures that have caused her own so much pain.
The world building in this book is amazing and the characters will make you fall in love quickly with them, hanging on to their every action. It had me clinging on to the book from the first page.
••••••
I don’t want to say too much, in fear of spoiling something I shouldn’t haha but all you have to know if that you’ll want to read this book.
Will probably update the review once it’s fully published
This book follows the story of a young woman in a world where humans are destined to become slaves for other kingdoms, filled with fantastical and some cruel beings.
She is forced to become someone else and face what she has believed most of her life, including the hatred and need for revenge on these creatures that have caused her own so much pain.
The world building in this book is amazing and the characters will make you fall in love quickly with them, hanging on to their every action. It had me clinging on to the book from the first page.
••••••
I don’t want to say too much, in fear of spoiling something I shouldn’t haha but all you have to know if that you’ll want to read this book.
Will probably update the review once it’s fully published
October 9, 2023
"You steady me and stir me all at once"
The Shackled Serpent by K.M. Lister
4.5/5 Stars
Format: E-ARC (thanks to Sunny Babe PR!)
Guys. This book needs to be on your TBR. Right now.
It has all the best features of a fantasy that I know we all love.
Maeve is a strong and determined main character who has a hard life. She is a human who lives in a world where the in-human reign and the humans are enslaved into servitude when they come of age. The book starts as she says goodbye to the life she knows as she heads into the trials to determine which kingdom she will serve. She gets selected to serve the Changelings and her life is forever different.
This book has it all. I loved every minute of it and loved that while it has everything we love about a fantasy, it kept me guessing the whole time. I didn't know what to expect or who to root for. I loved the politics, the found family, the love interest, the magic system, and just everything about Maeve (the main character). This is a slam dunk of a debut novel and I cannot recommend it enough!
If you like Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, the Hunger Games, or the Red Queen series you need to read this book!!
The Shackled Serpent by K.M. Lister
4.5/5 Stars
Format: E-ARC (thanks to Sunny Babe PR!)
Guys. This book needs to be on your TBR. Right now.
It has all the best features of a fantasy that I know we all love.
Maeve is a strong and determined main character who has a hard life. She is a human who lives in a world where the in-human reign and the humans are enslaved into servitude when they come of age. The book starts as she says goodbye to the life she knows as she heads into the trials to determine which kingdom she will serve. She gets selected to serve the Changelings and her life is forever different.
This book has it all. I loved every minute of it and loved that while it has everything we love about a fantasy, it kept me guessing the whole time. I didn't know what to expect or who to root for. I loved the politics, the found family, the love interest, the magic system, and just everything about Maeve (the main character). This is a slam dunk of a debut novel and I cannot recommend it enough!
If you like Throne of Glass, ACOTAR, the Hunger Games, or the Red Queen series you need to read this book!!
June 20, 2024
DNF @ 86%
This book had so much potential!!
And I wanted to love it. It had all the elements of a good fantasy novel, and it was a once off fantasy!! So rare
I don't know if this makes any sense, but the vibe was off? I had no attachment to any of the characters, and it felt like the author had started a whole new and different storyline in the middle of the book. Nothing really had consequences, and there were no high stakes with anything. Actually, the only thing that was even a little bit exciting was the trials, but that only lasted like a couple of chapters.
I also felt like the FMC was a psycho? Not in an interesting or fun way, just like oh okay you like killing people. So random?
The other characters that popped up after the storyline suddenly changed acted so weird. Their personalities were so one dimensional.
Halsten and Maeve had the potential to be like Jude and Carden, but it just fell flat. The whole time, I was forcing myself to care about their love story.
Basically, this felt like a bunch of stuff that made YA romantasy novels popular, smushed up in one little book.
Having these trials of the kingdom, Maeve was basically a wannabe Aelin, the love story was basically Jude and Carden type hate to love, then mates, then this big war that I could not care less about.
‐------‐-
My cousin told me what happened in the last 15% (she took one for the team)
All I have to say is
WHAT WAS THE POINT OF ALL THAT!??
For her to end up pregnant and ALONE.
I'm so glad I didn't finish it because I would be tempted to give it 1 star.
This book had so much potential!!
And I wanted to love it. It had all the elements of a good fantasy novel, and it was a once off fantasy!! So rare
I don't know if this makes any sense, but the vibe was off? I had no attachment to any of the characters, and it felt like the author had started a whole new and different storyline in the middle of the book. Nothing really had consequences, and there were no high stakes with anything. Actually, the only thing that was even a little bit exciting was the trials, but that only lasted like a couple of chapters.
I also felt like the FMC was a psycho? Not in an interesting or fun way, just like oh okay you like killing people. So random?
The other characters that popped up after the storyline suddenly changed acted so weird. Their personalities were so one dimensional.
Halsten and Maeve had the potential to be like Jude and Carden, but it just fell flat. The whole time, I was forcing myself to care about their love story.
Basically, this felt like a bunch of stuff that made YA romantasy novels popular, smushed up in one little book.
Having these trials of the kingdom, Maeve was basically a wannabe Aelin, the love story was basically Jude and Carden type hate to love, then mates, then this big war that I could not care less about.
‐------‐-
My cousin told me what happened in the last 15% (she took one for the team)
All I have to say is
WHAT WAS THE POINT OF ALL THAT!??
For her to end up pregnant and ALONE.
I'm so glad I didn't finish it because I would be tempted to give it 1 star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2023
This was an incredible stand-alone fantasy read! The world building slowed me down a little, but it definitely had the intrigue to keep me going. Maeve is a strong FMC, even when she's humbled, she takes it in stride and becomes even fiercer. Watching her morph into the character she becomes was something truly beautiful. I say morph because it isn't a linear change. We watch her go back and forth between the person she was, the person she is trained to be, what she wants to be, and who she ultimately becomes. She is always evolving. The plot is outstanding. It keeps you on your toes, just as you are anticipating one event, something else comes in hard! The twists this author takes, the breadcrumbs left to foreshadow what is coming, leaves you on the end of our seat in anticipation. If you are into found family, forbidden love, "who did this to you," slow burn with some spice, then you need to pick this up!
August 14, 2023
WHAT IS THIS BOOK. I finished it a few days ago now and I am still thinking about it. Romantasy at it’s finest. I need therapy
The second I started this book, I was instantely captivated. The story is fast pace and the writing was straight forward but filled with details and emotions that were exquisite. I really think K.M. Lister shined in the building of the relationships between the characters. The love, the tension, the hate : everything was well executed. I instantely resonated with Maeve and I couldn’t help but feel for her. From the get go, she is put in a harsh situation and I was rooting for her.
Other than that, the world we are introduced to is stunning and has many layers. I liked that it was about many species we don’t read about often like elves, changeling, tieflings… It was refreshing. Throughout the book, I could clearly see many famous tropes and in a way it hook me in. However, THE END. I could never forgive the author for doing that and I will happily forget the last few chapters for my own sanity.
The second I started this book, I was instantely captivated. The story is fast pace and the writing was straight forward but filled with details and emotions that were exquisite. I really think K.M. Lister shined in the building of the relationships between the characters. The love, the tension, the hate : everything was well executed. I instantely resonated with Maeve and I couldn’t help but feel for her. From the get go, she is put in a harsh situation and I was rooting for her.
Other than that, the world we are introduced to is stunning and has many layers. I liked that it was about many species we don’t read about often like elves, changeling, tieflings… It was refreshing. Throughout the book, I could clearly see many famous tropes and in a way it hook me in. However, THE END. I could never forgive the author for doing that and I will happily forget the last few chapters for my own sanity.
July 28, 2023
ARC Review. I finished TSS a few days ago and needed time to process because WOW, what a story!
TSS follows Maeve, the badass FMC, through the trials - which decides which kingdom she will serve the next ten rotations of her life as a slave.
Maeve becomes a trained and deadly assassin, losing herself in her work. After an unsuccessful assassination, Maeve finds herself in another kingdom. She is torn down and trained in an extremely different manner than when she was training to be an assassin. Then enters Halton, the broody MMC. He is strong and brutal in training. I loved watching Maeve’s and Halton’s story develop.
Maeve had a lot of issues to work through, and instead of running, she faced them head on. She is resilient, witty, and smart as hell.
“But you… you have taught me how to love.”
Let’s not forget the tropes! Enemies to lovers, found family, “who did that to you?” Impeccable.
This book had me reeling and SOBBING. It was extremely well written and captivating.
Thank you SunnyBabePR for this ARC. This has easily been one of my favourite reads of the year.
September 11, 2023
⚔️The Shackled Serpent⚔️⛓️
K.M. Lister
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Forever
First, I would like to say thank you to @sunnybabepr and @earthtokace for the ARC of The Shackled Serpent! I am so honored to be a part of this team and this remarkable debut. I cannot wait to see where KM Lister takes us next. Forever fan!
Maeve Wyndell is woven with such passion, conviction and heart that the reader cannot help but fall in love with our FMC and her unforgettable journey.
The world building is some of the best I have experienced - complete with beautiful descriptions of the fantasy land of Galfei Thalor, class systems that are easy to grasp and a unique web of characters that are developed in such a way the reader bonds with each one. Did I mention there's a unicorn who has my heart?
The turmoil experienced not only internal turmoil and shame but is circumvented by the environment around Maeve. It is full of political intrigue, backstabbing and a world built on traditions that Maeve detests with every fiber of her being.
As many have stated Hunger Games meets ACOTAR, our mortal antihero is burdened with completing trials to serve one of the Four Kingdoms. Comprised of Teiflings, Changelings, Elves and Merfolk. It is decided that she becomes an assassin and in this begins killing for the very kingdoms she despises.
Her inner turmoil turns to dark obsession and purpose and Maeve loses herself and claims the dark and thus our story captivates the reader as she fights to regain herself and experience love during hardship.The romance that blossoms between our two main characters is one that will stay with me for a long time. I still think of them. The way enemies to lovers transitioned to sweet love full of depth and transparency is beyond perfection.
This story has truly changed me - leaving a wake of tears with shocking plot twists and turns and contentment that only a true completed standalone can bring. It has forever cemented that fantasy will always be my ultimate choice. As soon as I finished I ran and ordered the stunning hardback.My new favorite cozy read and a book I will reread until the spine disintegrates.
'Know the truth Maeve. Embrace the Truth. Speak the Truth.'
K.M. Lister
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Forever
First, I would like to say thank you to @sunnybabepr and @earthtokace for the ARC of The Shackled Serpent! I am so honored to be a part of this team and this remarkable debut. I cannot wait to see where KM Lister takes us next. Forever fan!
Maeve Wyndell is woven with such passion, conviction and heart that the reader cannot help but fall in love with our FMC and her unforgettable journey.
The world building is some of the best I have experienced - complete with beautiful descriptions of the fantasy land of Galfei Thalor, class systems that are easy to grasp and a unique web of characters that are developed in such a way the reader bonds with each one. Did I mention there's a unicorn who has my heart?
The turmoil experienced not only internal turmoil and shame but is circumvented by the environment around Maeve. It is full of political intrigue, backstabbing and a world built on traditions that Maeve detests with every fiber of her being.
As many have stated Hunger Games meets ACOTAR, our mortal antihero is burdened with completing trials to serve one of the Four Kingdoms. Comprised of Teiflings, Changelings, Elves and Merfolk. It is decided that she becomes an assassin and in this begins killing for the very kingdoms she despises.
Her inner turmoil turns to dark obsession and purpose and Maeve loses herself and claims the dark and thus our story captivates the reader as she fights to regain herself and experience love during hardship.The romance that blossoms between our two main characters is one that will stay with me for a long time. I still think of them. The way enemies to lovers transitioned to sweet love full of depth and transparency is beyond perfection.
This story has truly changed me - leaving a wake of tears with shocking plot twists and turns and contentment that only a true completed standalone can bring. It has forever cemented that fantasy will always be my ultimate choice. As soon as I finished I ran and ordered the stunning hardback.My new favorite cozy read and a book I will reread until the spine disintegrates.
'Know the truth Maeve. Embrace the Truth. Speak the Truth.'
August 10, 2023
“You may feel like you’re drowning or suffocating in that darkness surrounding you, Maeve, but you aren’t. Not truly. Just like the stars above, your light still shines, no matter how dim it may be.”
The author has described this book as an emotional fantasy with romantic elements. And that might be the most accurate description of a book I’ve ever seen.
Right from the start I was hooked. This is a beautiful story that had tears streaming down my face. 10/10 recommend if you need a good cry and a laugh or two! 🖤 This is the FMCs story and she is beautifully written, the other characters are equally as lovable. Her journey to find herself again is heartbreaking in the best way.
The author has described this book as an emotional fantasy with romantic elements. And that might be the most accurate description of a book I’ve ever seen.
Right from the start I was hooked. This is a beautiful story that had tears streaming down my face. 10/10 recommend if you need a good cry and a laugh or two! 🖤 This is the FMCs story and she is beautifully written, the other characters are equally as lovable. Her journey to find herself again is heartbreaking in the best way.
May 30, 2023
I was so fortunate to read an early draft of this and I can 110% say with certainty that this is a FANTASTIC debut. Kaci weaves a world to get lost in and introduces characters that feel like longtime friends (or longtime enemies). The adventures she takes us on are immersive and fun and I had a hard time not letting everything in this book invade my every waking minute. Kaci is going to take the world by storm (and so is Maeve).
I am so excited to read a finished copy of this and will update this review when I’m finally able to.
I am so excited to read a finished copy of this and will update this review when I’m finally able to.
August 21, 2024
THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!! Wow. No book has given me so much Assassins Blade vibes!! Maeve was such a great main character. She was so strong going through all the trials of her life. How it ended was crazy! Hope there are more books by this author in the future! Loved this so much
After the moon hatched book I was so questioning fantasy… now I’m not so that’s amazing
After the moon hatched book I was so questioning fantasy… now I’m not so that’s amazing
August 8, 2023
Thank you to @sunnybabepr (insta) for sending me a copy to read and review!
Review:
Wow, what a great fantasy read! My favourite genre of books!
Firstly I would like to point out one of my favorite parts of this book was the guide at the beginning to help pronounce certain names and places. I find this super handy and I am an avid fantasy reader, so this will definitely be a great benefit to anyone jumping into the fantasy world, especially when it comes to world building as that can be quite daunting when you’re new to fantasy! So if this book ends up being your first fantasy read you will have a great guide!
Now to the good stuff! 👇🏼
This story was jam packed with great world building, found family and some great tasks and trials that reminded me of the hunger games (which I love)! Also the romance 🫶♥️
The world building specifically was really easy to follow and I didn’t feel like I needed to pay too much attention to understand what was going on around the characters.
Maeve the FMC has some great character development throughout! I really enjoyed her self journey and battling inner ‘darkness’.
The MMC, which is introduced part of the way through the book, guys when I tell you, you will love him, I ain’t lying! 😍
The found family brings some great elements to Maves character and contribute to the story perfectly. I really loved the acceptance aspect to her found family and Maeve, it was a nice touch.
I also really enjoyed the writing, how there was no fluff to fill pages it was packed with action back to back! It was a little predictable at times but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment reading this book!
Overall a great ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read, I will 100% read again I feel like there is so much I could have missed first time around 😅
Also, that ending! 👀😭 prepare to shed some tears. My eyes were like a burst dam!
Review:
Wow, what a great fantasy read! My favourite genre of books!
Firstly I would like to point out one of my favorite parts of this book was the guide at the beginning to help pronounce certain names and places. I find this super handy and I am an avid fantasy reader, so this will definitely be a great benefit to anyone jumping into the fantasy world, especially when it comes to world building as that can be quite daunting when you’re new to fantasy! So if this book ends up being your first fantasy read you will have a great guide!
Now to the good stuff! 👇🏼
This story was jam packed with great world building, found family and some great tasks and trials that reminded me of the hunger games (which I love)! Also the romance 🫶♥️
The world building specifically was really easy to follow and I didn’t feel like I needed to pay too much attention to understand what was going on around the characters.
Maeve the FMC has some great character development throughout! I really enjoyed her self journey and battling inner ‘darkness’.
The MMC, which is introduced part of the way through the book, guys when I tell you, you will love him, I ain’t lying! 😍
The found family brings some great elements to Maves character and contribute to the story perfectly. I really loved the acceptance aspect to her found family and Maeve, it was a nice touch.
I also really enjoyed the writing, how there was no fluff to fill pages it was packed with action back to back! It was a little predictable at times but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment reading this book!
Overall a great ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read, I will 100% read again I feel like there is so much I could have missed first time around 😅
Also, that ending! 👀😭 prepare to shed some tears. My eyes were like a burst dam!
July 27, 2023
Thank you ladies at SunnybabePR for the arc.
Enjoy being part of the team.
I don't even know where to start with this review other than, WOW! A debut story by this author and it's just incredible.
Absolutely was blown away by the world building, the characters, the action in the story. Just everything. Especially how Maeve ended up embracing who she became. She didn't faulter, she thrived.
A FMC that not only did what she had to do, but also still had kindness in her soul, even when she doubted herself.
I never wanted to put this down. Blowing through each page, each chapter, just diving more and more into the story taken away from this reality world and into the story alongside Maeve Wyndell.
“Know the truth, Maeve. Embrace the truth. Speak the truth.”
As a mortal she's required to partake in trials to see which of the 4 kingdom's she'll serve as thanks to them saving the mortal race. Or so the story goes...
Once chosen by a kingdom, Maeve's life is forever change in more ways than she's ever expected. Both good and bad. The bad being the worst..
Who can she trust? It'll be a long journey of finding out.
That ending though !!! 😱😭😭 I wasn't ready for that heartbreak. My heart isn't okay. Even though the epilogue was a sweet one, I don't think I'll ever recover from what played out beforehand. 💔
If you're looking for a standalone, full of action, fantasy world building, strong fmc, an emotional ride, with some spice, this is the book for you !
I highly recommend it and can't wait to add it to my shelf. Absolutely just loved this.
Quotes shared are from ARC, changes could occur in final book.
✨️"I can’t help the curve of my lips and think that I am blossoming into someone I have always meant to be. Confident. Strong. A fighter ready to take on the flames and do what she must for those who’ve been burned."
✨️"I let him think he has me, and when his lips draw nearer and his breath hitches, that’s when I unleash my true self upon him."
✨️“Her heart is too precious to me when it’s icy and black. Do not thaw it out."
✨️“There’s that venomous serpent.”
✨️ So, here’s some advice from the girl you wrapped your arms around every night for a month: learn how to sleep with one eye open.”
✨️"I’m finally free."
Enjoy being part of the team.
I don't even know where to start with this review other than, WOW! A debut story by this author and it's just incredible.
Absolutely was blown away by the world building, the characters, the action in the story. Just everything. Especially how Maeve ended up embracing who she became. She didn't faulter, she thrived.
A FMC that not only did what she had to do, but also still had kindness in her soul, even when she doubted herself.
I never wanted to put this down. Blowing through each page, each chapter, just diving more and more into the story taken away from this reality world and into the story alongside Maeve Wyndell.
“Know the truth, Maeve. Embrace the truth. Speak the truth.”
As a mortal she's required to partake in trials to see which of the 4 kingdom's she'll serve as thanks to them saving the mortal race. Or so the story goes...
Once chosen by a kingdom, Maeve's life is forever change in more ways than she's ever expected. Both good and bad. The bad being the worst..
Who can she trust? It'll be a long journey of finding out.
That ending though !!! 😱😭😭 I wasn't ready for that heartbreak. My heart isn't okay. Even though the epilogue was a sweet one, I don't think I'll ever recover from what played out beforehand. 💔
If you're looking for a standalone, full of action, fantasy world building, strong fmc, an emotional ride, with some spice, this is the book for you !
I highly recommend it and can't wait to add it to my shelf. Absolutely just loved this.
Quotes shared are from ARC, changes could occur in final book.
✨️"I can’t help the curve of my lips and think that I am blossoming into someone I have always meant to be. Confident. Strong. A fighter ready to take on the flames and do what she must for those who’ve been burned."
✨️"I let him think he has me, and when his lips draw nearer and his breath hitches, that’s when I unleash my true self upon him."
✨️“Her heart is too precious to me when it’s icy and black. Do not thaw it out."
✨️“There’s that venomous serpent.”
✨️ So, here’s some advice from the girl you wrapped your arms around every night for a month: learn how to sleep with one eye open.”
✨️"I’m finally free."
August 7, 2023
✨⚔️✨ARC REVIEW✨⚔️✨
“I see the trials for what they are: a way for the kingdoms to remind us the humans of Galfei Thalor that we are inferior to those who reign above us.”
After the Last War, the four kingdoms - Merfolk, Elves, Changelings, and Tieflings - came together to bring prosperity back to the lands and away from their dangerous ways of living prior to the war.
As a way to show their gratitude, the kingdoms decided that their human citizens would serve one kingdom for ten rotations. This created the trials - a way to determine which kingdom each citizen serves once they come of age.
Livinia Wyndell, Maeve’s mother, was killed in the Terakeld nine rotations prior for speaking out against the oppressions and working conditions of the kingdoms.
Maeve’s brother, Arden, worked hard to provide for Maeve and their father after Livinia’s death & was happy to come of age and leave for his servitude 5 rotations ago.
Maeve and her best friend, Ottilie, are finally of age for the trials. The pair couldn’t be any more different. Maeve believes in her mother’s rebel movement and views the trials/servitude as serving creatures of the kingdoms who seem to despise the mortals. As for Ottilie, her and her family are Kingdom Loyalists - conditioned to blindly follow the elders.
Maeve braves her way through the four trials and is chosen to serve Phandolus, the Changeling Kingdom.
Her burning hatred of the kingdoms has earned her place as Princess Andrina’s assassin. Her job is to kill whomever the princess tells her to, whenever the princess demands it. All in the name of Phandolus.
For the next ten rotations, Maeve is destined to be an assassin. Her first mission brings her a sense of pride in having a semblance of power to aid in the rebellion, despite working under a changeling princess.
Her stealth. The way she lurks. How she slithers between kingdoms. The rage and hatred she holds within her heart. All of it leads to tales of a skilled killer - one known as The Shackled Serpent.
Maeve’s assassination attempts take a sharp turn when she’s tasked with killing the elven prince of Nythfaedell & his most trusted guard and finds herself captured. She bargains to be Kayd’s personal assassin in exchange for her father’s safety.
Maeve continues her training under Halton, she finds herself with a plethora of feelings towards Prince Kayd’s guard.
Through a variety of twists and turns with some emotional scars along the way, join Maeve on an adventure of found family and forbidden love with a dash of spice, slow burn, and heartbreak.
{Please note that the quote is from an unedited/advanced readers copy. Thank you to Sunny Babe PR for the ARC.}
Edit To Add: I need therapy thanks to this book!
“I see the trials for what they are: a way for the kingdoms to remind us the humans of Galfei Thalor that we are inferior to those who reign above us.”
After the Last War, the four kingdoms - Merfolk, Elves, Changelings, and Tieflings - came together to bring prosperity back to the lands and away from their dangerous ways of living prior to the war.
As a way to show their gratitude, the kingdoms decided that their human citizens would serve one kingdom for ten rotations. This created the trials - a way to determine which kingdom each citizen serves once they come of age.
Livinia Wyndell, Maeve’s mother, was killed in the Terakeld nine rotations prior for speaking out against the oppressions and working conditions of the kingdoms.
Maeve’s brother, Arden, worked hard to provide for Maeve and their father after Livinia’s death & was happy to come of age and leave for his servitude 5 rotations ago.
Maeve and her best friend, Ottilie, are finally of age for the trials. The pair couldn’t be any more different. Maeve believes in her mother’s rebel movement and views the trials/servitude as serving creatures of the kingdoms who seem to despise the mortals. As for Ottilie, her and her family are Kingdom Loyalists - conditioned to blindly follow the elders.
Maeve braves her way through the four trials and is chosen to serve Phandolus, the Changeling Kingdom.
Her burning hatred of the kingdoms has earned her place as Princess Andrina’s assassin. Her job is to kill whomever the princess tells her to, whenever the princess demands it. All in the name of Phandolus.
For the next ten rotations, Maeve is destined to be an assassin. Her first mission brings her a sense of pride in having a semblance of power to aid in the rebellion, despite working under a changeling princess.
Her stealth. The way she lurks. How she slithers between kingdoms. The rage and hatred she holds within her heart. All of it leads to tales of a skilled killer - one known as The Shackled Serpent.
Maeve’s assassination attempts take a sharp turn when she’s tasked with killing the elven prince of Nythfaedell & his most trusted guard and finds herself captured. She bargains to be Kayd’s personal assassin in exchange for her father’s safety.
Maeve continues her training under Halton, she finds herself with a plethora of feelings towards Prince Kayd’s guard.
Through a variety of twists and turns with some emotional scars along the way, join Maeve on an adventure of found family and forbidden love with a dash of spice, slow burn, and heartbreak.
{Please note that the quote is from an unedited/advanced readers copy. Thank you to Sunny Babe PR for the ARC.}
Edit To Add: I need therapy thanks to this book!
July 28, 2023
“Know the truth, Mave. Embrace the Truth. Speak the truth.”
First off, the cover for this book is beautiful! The number of details that it holds for the story and each court are truly breathtaking ♥️
Second, this book is going to make a lot of people cry…. a lot. Lister wrote a fantastic story with a not so typical ending. Once this book started to pick up, I did not put it down. I read the whole thing in two sittings, and I am on day four of a book slump that I don't see the end of any time soon.
“A mortal living in a fantasy world. So natural…so beautiful…”
This book was truly amazing, let alone for a debut book! The world building was wonderful, you will fall in this world and not want to come out. I STRONGLY would like book two just to go back in this realm but this is a standalone and it will MESS with your emotions. The found family (my favorite trope) in this book made my heart turn to pudding, the betrayal made my heart ache, the love made me swoon. The secondary characters *chef kiss*I always end up loving the secondary characters more than the main to be honest. The twins have my soul in their back packets. I loved them so much throughout the book. Especially their dynamic with Meave.
Meave is morally gray bada** FMC. psstt. The best kind in my opinion. She gets knocked down alot but that does not stop her from fighting and continuing to fight for what she thinks is the vengeance she needs for her family and friends. I love how she embraces her darkness in this book. She does pretty messed up things at times but it made me love her character even more because of it. I just loved an unhinged angry FMC.
“Those who rule over my fate are simply watching a show, and I am the unfortunate fool who knows none of the lines.”
The ending of this book will have you reeling but that is okay! I can not stress enough how great this book truly was. LOVED it ❣️
Thank you SunnyBabe PR for the ARC
First off, the cover for this book is beautiful! The number of details that it holds for the story and each court are truly breathtaking ♥️
Second, this book is going to make a lot of people cry…. a lot. Lister wrote a fantastic story with a not so typical ending. Once this book started to pick up, I did not put it down. I read the whole thing in two sittings, and I am on day four of a book slump that I don't see the end of any time soon.
“A mortal living in a fantasy world. So natural…so beautiful…”
This book was truly amazing, let alone for a debut book! The world building was wonderful, you will fall in this world and not want to come out. I STRONGLY would like book two just to go back in this realm but this is a standalone and it will MESS with your emotions. The found family (my favorite trope) in this book made my heart turn to pudding, the betrayal made my heart ache, the love made me swoon. The secondary characters *chef kiss*I always end up loving the secondary characters more than the main to be honest. The twins have my soul in their back packets. I loved them so much throughout the book. Especially their dynamic with Meave.
Meave is morally gray bada** FMC. psstt. The best kind in my opinion. She gets knocked down alot but that does not stop her from fighting and continuing to fight for what she thinks is the vengeance she needs for her family and friends. I love how she embraces her darkness in this book. She does pretty messed up things at times but it made me love her character even more because of it. I just loved an unhinged angry FMC.
“Those who rule over my fate are simply watching a show, and I am the unfortunate fool who knows none of the lines.”
The ending of this book will have you reeling but that is okay! I can not stress enough how great this book truly was. LOVED it ❣️
Thank you SunnyBabe PR for the ARC
August 18, 2023
I looooooove this book. The setting was so unique and gave me major Dungeons and Dragons vibes, which of course I’m always here for! We meet the different kingdoms of elves, tieflings, merfolk and changelings set in the fantasy world of Galfei Thalor. Each setting was so different and magical and I want to live in Nythfaedell with the elves PLEASE 🙌🏻
The main character Maeve is such a strong, badass lady and I know everyone is just going to fall head over heels for her! She’s feisty and sassy while also being vulnerable as her eyes are opened to the realities outside her human kingdom. I don’t want to go into too much detail on the plot as I found not knowing much was really exciting as everything unfolds. All you need to know is that the humans in the land are enslaved to the kingdoms, and each rotation there are trials held for all the mortals who have turned 20. They compete and are chosen to serve their working term under a kingdoms rule for the next ten rotations.
This book is rich with beautifully written characters. I absolutely love Jerik, Halton, Kayd, and so many more I won’t spoil. Maeve’s personal relationships with each of these males is so unique and I really enjoyed watching them grow.
This is primarily a fantasy novel but it DOES have an amazing romance within these pages!!! I was LOVING it from start to finish 🔥🔥🔥
Please do yourself a favor and pick up your next favorite fantasy read today! So excited for my friend on such an amazing book release and I can’t wait to find out what else you’ve got in store for us!
The main character Maeve is such a strong, badass lady and I know everyone is just going to fall head over heels for her! She’s feisty and sassy while also being vulnerable as her eyes are opened to the realities outside her human kingdom. I don’t want to go into too much detail on the plot as I found not knowing much was really exciting as everything unfolds. All you need to know is that the humans in the land are enslaved to the kingdoms, and each rotation there are trials held for all the mortals who have turned 20. They compete and are chosen to serve their working term under a kingdoms rule for the next ten rotations.
This book is rich with beautifully written characters. I absolutely love Jerik, Halton, Kayd, and so many more I won’t spoil. Maeve’s personal relationships with each of these males is so unique and I really enjoyed watching them grow.
This is primarily a fantasy novel but it DOES have an amazing romance within these pages!!! I was LOVING it from start to finish 🔥🔥🔥
Please do yourself a favor and pick up your next favorite fantasy read today! So excited for my friend on such an amazing book release and I can’t wait to find out what else you’ve got in store for us!
July 23, 2023
I’m sitting here writing this, with tears in my eyes because this book will make you feel all of the feels, and leave you begging for another story.
The Shackled Serpent is a journey of growth and heartache, of being lost and finding your way again. One of the things I loved most about this book is how central the FMC is. This is her story, and while other play a crucial part in it, I find it unique that it’s Maeve’s story through and through. But it feels like it could be your story too. Her scars may not look like yours, but the pain, the longing for justice, the desire for revenge… those are things we relate too. That we may find we needed to see Maeve work through them so that we could find a way to work through ours.
She doesn’t shy away from her own darkness, even from the very beginning. She looks into the shadows and decides she likes what’s looking back at her, and for that alone I feel separates her in the best way from so many of the mainstream FMCs. So often we see a FMC grapple with their past, with their shadows, and when truly faced with their darkness they run from it until they can’t any longer. But Maeve embraces the worst parts of herself first, even if it wasn’t always for the right reasons. Instead of learning how to love her darkness she has to learn to accept why she became who she was. She has to learn how to be free of her past, of the things she didn’t get a choice in. And she has to learn how to push beyond what she thought she knew in order to grow into a better version of herself. She has to learn to open herself, to show weakness, when her past taught her to never let anyone in.
I also have to add that I absolutely loved the plot twists! I was shocked in the best way, which is something rare for me anymore. Too often, I feel the twists coming even if I don’t know what they are but not in this book! I laughed, I cried, I wanted to chuck it against a wall because omg no she didn’t, but I couldn’t put it down long enough to actually toss it aside. Even in my frustration 😂
Do yourself a favor, and pick up The Shackled Serpent. It’s a wild, wild ride but you won’t regret it.
The Shackled Serpent is a journey of growth and heartache, of being lost and finding your way again. One of the things I loved most about this book is how central the FMC is. This is her story, and while other play a crucial part in it, I find it unique that it’s Maeve’s story through and through. But it feels like it could be your story too. Her scars may not look like yours, but the pain, the longing for justice, the desire for revenge… those are things we relate too. That we may find we needed to see Maeve work through them so that we could find a way to work through ours.
She doesn’t shy away from her own darkness, even from the very beginning. She looks into the shadows and decides she likes what’s looking back at her, and for that alone I feel separates her in the best way from so many of the mainstream FMCs. So often we see a FMC grapple with their past, with their shadows, and when truly faced with their darkness they run from it until they can’t any longer. But Maeve embraces the worst parts of herself first, even if it wasn’t always for the right reasons. Instead of learning how to love her darkness she has to learn to accept why she became who she was. She has to learn how to be free of her past, of the things she didn’t get a choice in. And she has to learn how to push beyond what she thought she knew in order to grow into a better version of herself. She has to learn to open herself, to show weakness, when her past taught her to never let anyone in.
I also have to add that I absolutely loved the plot twists! I was shocked in the best way, which is something rare for me anymore. Too often, I feel the twists coming even if I don’t know what they are but not in this book! I laughed, I cried, I wanted to chuck it against a wall because omg no she didn’t, but I couldn’t put it down long enough to actually toss it aside. Even in my frustration 😂
Do yourself a favor, and pick up The Shackled Serpent. It’s a wild, wild ride but you won’t regret it.
August 16, 2023
i was given the opportunity to receive this arc by @sunnybabepr and i was so excited to get started. i have a bleeding soft spot for fantasy worlds with female assassins… i eat it up and can never get enough 😩
this story starts out face paced and you’re thrown right into everything quickly…which i love. you learn about the kingdoms, the unorthodox relationship between them and the humans/mortals, you watch her go through so much intense character development trying to balance being an assassin while also not losing herself completely in the process. there’s romance, found family, forbidden love, a slow burn, and an ending that was honestly so shocking i had to do a double take 🫢
as a stand-alone fantasy book i loved how easy this was to pick up, understand the complexity and diversity of all the kingdoms, read through the eyes of a genuine fmc accepting what she thought would be her life but never giving up or questioning how it should be, and then finishing with no questions left unanswered… even if it was heartbreaking 🤐🫶🏼💘
this story starts out face paced and you’re thrown right into everything quickly…which i love. you learn about the kingdoms, the unorthodox relationship between them and the humans/mortals, you watch her go through so much intense character development trying to balance being an assassin while also not losing herself completely in the process. there’s romance, found family, forbidden love, a slow burn, and an ending that was honestly so shocking i had to do a double take 🫢
as a stand-alone fantasy book i loved how easy this was to pick up, understand the complexity and diversity of all the kingdoms, read through the eyes of a genuine fmc accepting what she thought would be her life but never giving up or questioning how it should be, and then finishing with no questions left unanswered… even if it was heartbreaking 🤐🫶🏼💘
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