The Serpent and the Swallow: A Curses of Never Prequel

Curses of Never #2.5

by R. L. Davennor

My brother is dying.I won’t allow it.

Cedric needs medicine—better yet, a fucking miracle—but given that we’re trapped in Neverland, I’m forced to turn to our enemies for help, the ones we’ve been slaughtering at any and every Neverland’s natives. It’s suicide, but if death is what I risk to give him a chance, so be it.

Only… they don’t kill me. One of them saves me. I may be her prisoner, but there’s something more between us, something as forbidden as it is intoxicating. And as the lines between love and hate grow more blurred by the hour, I’m faced with an impossible choice.

Let down my walls and trust a stranger, my enemy, or risk Cedric’s life… and my own fragile heart.

The Serpent and the Swallow is a prequel novella to the Curses of Never Series told from Elvira’s point of view, and features a blooming sapphic romance. It is best read between A Sea of Eternal Woe (Book Two) and A Forest of Blackened Trees (Book Three). Perfect for fans of Once Upon a Time and Pirates of the Caribbean, these LGBTQ+ friendly adult reimaginings are filled to the brim with monsters, magic, and pirates.

100 pages, Paperback

Published February 19, 2024

Reviews

[Gaby Cresswell ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Blue Feather mínimo le va a quedar una infección allá abajo porque esa daga para nada estaba limpia...

Me hubiera gustado un poco más de desarrollo pero ni modo, y me aburrió un poquillo pero igual la quiero a Elvira y ojalá Blue Feather vuelva en el tercer libro para ver más de ellas... Also las crums de Cedric y Scarlett 😭

Me sigue molestando el español con faltas gramaticales btw 😬

2.5 ⭐

[Sarah | Retro Girl Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Serpent and the Swallow” is a prequel novella to R. L. Davennor’s Curses of Never book series, and it’s told from the POV of one of my favorite characters, Elvira Teach.

So I want to start off by saying that I highly suggest following the reading order specified by the author at the beginning of the novella.

Anyways, without giving too much away, I also wanted to say how much fun it was to get inside Elvira’s head.

She’s always been the kind of woman who attacks first and asks questions later, but I got to learn more about her thought process in this one and it was definitely enlightening!

I also really loved Elvira’s love interest, who is a new character introduced in this novella.

I don’t want to spoil too much, but I loved their chemistry, and I’m so looking forward to seeing what happens with them once book three is released.

I devoured this novella in one sitting, which just goes to show that Davennor is a fantastic writer! This was absolutely a 5 star read for me!

[A.Z. Emery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a stand alone and I was instantly hooked (pun intended). A curse has taken hold of Neverland and it is killing its inhabitants…unless they kill first.

The author recommends reading the books in order, but everything made perfect sense when I read it. It’s a quick read, spicy, and sapphic. I am definitely going to pick up the rest of the series!

[Inaffablejames · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was obvious there. We all knew it ngl. And I didn't really feel the plot. But to be fair I don't like her character too much. She was so independent the last books that it didn't feel quite right

[High Fantasy Higher Standards she her · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved getting the chance to see more of Elvira and her pov. I LOVE the style of this series and its novellas giving us so much personality and character insight. I look forward to reading more from this author next year

[jazzy b · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the parts blue feather and Elvira not gonna lie

[Bailey Giddeons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the short story spinoff! Currently wigging bc i thought the final was out and it’s not yet 🥲

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting from the start. Draws you into the book and the love interest was well developed.