Lair of the Serpent Queen

The Snakehaven Series #3

by James Reasoner

Jorras Trevayle is back, exploring the sprawling city of Nucarrah, a cesspit of sin and corruption, the hub of a world of danger and sinister sorcery where the giant serpents known as Nloka Maccumba roam. Rescued by the beautiful Llorna Valyasha from an attempt on his life, Trevayle pledges his allegiance to this queen of Nucarrah’s underworld, unaware that he’s sinking deeper and deeper into a war between criminals from which he may not escape!

LAIR OF THE SERPENT QUEEN is the third exciting entry in the critically acclaimed Snakehaven saga, following the adventures of soldier and swordsman Jorras Trevayle in a world where death may strike from any direction without warning. New York Times bestselling author James Reasoner spins another breathtaking tale of sword and sorcery action in a brilliantly inventive and compelling setting. If you haven’t begun exploring Snakehaven yet, now is the time to start!

Genres: Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery

101 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 20, 2024

Reviews

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series. This is the third novella in the series and it doesn’t disappoint. Trevayle finds himself in all sorts of trouble in this sword and sorcery romp. It all starts when he meets a mysterious woman in a carriage……..

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 in this series about the pulpy adventures of Jorras Trevayle as he explores a vast river delta that is clearly based on the Mississippi River. Jorras has been moving upriver and in this book finds himself in an alternate New Orleans where he meets the “Serpent Queen.” She is beautiful, of course, and exotic and erotic. She seduces Jorras with a combination of her wiles and a little chemical and magical help. Jorras is happy for a while but begins to realize he is being subtly controlled, and that the “Queen’s” demands are growing more and more dangerous for him. She sends him to invade an enemy’s stronghold and steal some important documents, but when he returns with both the documents and the daughter of the Queen’s enemy, the mask falls off and now it’s every man and woman for themselves. I liked all three of these books but this one was actually my favorite. Tremendous action and a lot of exotic settings. Although it’s the last one published as of now, the ending is a clear set up and promise of more to come.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Reasoner is still batting a thousand with his series of novella set in the fantasy land he calls Snakehaven. This outing is a little longer than the previous two and spreads the canvas wider and deeper. There's more to Snakehaven than we have seen so far, and there's more to our main character. Jorras Trevayle's past is dug into a little more deeply than we've seen before.

I really liked the idea of the bar, and of its mistress, Llorna Valyasha, because, of course, such a place would be in Snakehaven. The enmity with a rival and his daughter deepens the plot, and things get dicey for Trevayle in short order.

I'm loving what Reasoner is doing, and the world is crafted like a puzzle. I want to see where Trevayle goes next, and what troubles he gets into. Because in Snakehaven, death waits around every bend of the mighty river that is at its heart.