Serpent

de Wolfe Pack #7

by Kathryn Le Veque

1283 A.D. - Edward I is in the midst of his campaign to tame the Welsh, but rising from the chaos is a Welsh knight known as the Serpent. Bhrodi ap Gaerwen de Shera is a warrior of tremendous range and power. Descended from the kings of Anglesey on his mother's side and the earls of Coventry on his father's, Bhrodi is in the unique position of having Welsh royalty and English nobility. Edward knows he must make an alliance with de Shera. With that in mind, Edward calls upon the mightiest warrior of the north, the legendary William de Wolfe, to pledge one of his daughters to de Shera. William is honored by the king's calling; he pledges his youngest daughter, Lady Penelope Adalira de Wolfe, to be the Serpent's bride. But the Lady Penelope is no ordinary woman; raised by knights, she has been trained by the best and, in spite of her mother's protests, she fights like a knight. Exquisitely beautiful with dark hair and hazel eyes, she is an unearthly beauty and a fine legacy for the mighty de Wolfe. But Penelope has no desire to be a bartered bride and she resists the king's directive, but her reluctance is futile. Join Bhrodi and Penelope as they journey through a world where the greed of men breeds great hatred yet great valor. When Bhrodi is injured in a skirmish, Penelope steps in for her husband to lead the Serpent's men against the hated English and realizes she must face her own father on the battlefield. Will Penelope survive The Wolfe? Or will The Serpent's strike become her very own, conquering those she loves?

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Medieval, Medieval Romance, Audiobook, Historical Fiction

392 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2014

About the author

Juggernaut Indie author Kathryn Le Veque is a 'tour de force' in publishing.

Kathryn is a critically acclaimed 21-time USA TODAY Bestselling author, a charter Amazon All-Star author, an Indie Reader top seller, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance with over 100 published novels.

Among her many accomplishments, she is the CEO of Dragonblade Publishing, the #1 Historical Romance e-book publisher on Amazon. In 2020, Kathryn collaborated with Sourcebooks publishing for a Medieval Fight Club series set in Scotland.

Reviews

[Liloshadow (ReNee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY Penelope & Bhrodi



"A knight, he traveled, lone and weary,
Upon a road so nigh.
Upon this road, a wraith came leery,
And moved the knight to by.
“Behold,” said he,” I clearly see,
Your heart is not content.”
“Be wise,” it replied, “and know, forsooth,
That all is not as it seems.
Your road is long, and your path is wrong,
For you have entered the realm of the Serpent.”
~ 17th Century Welsh Chronicler


The ‘Serpent’ is another Outstanding read from Kathryn Le Veque. This isn’t your typical love story where the hero saves the day; there are two heroes in this story and their names are Lady Penelope Adalira de Wolfe daughter of the Wolfe and Sir Bhrodi ap Gaerwen de Shera a deadly knight known as the serpent."







This is a love story where legend meets reality. Where loyalty is tested and love trumps everything. Lady Penelope is the apple of her fathers eye, Sir William de Wolfe the hero from ‘The Wolfe’. Penny is Williams youngest daughter and has been raised as a Knight. She doesn’t play at being a knight she lives and breaths it. She is also being used as a pawn for peace. She will marry the man known as the Serpent in order to secure peace and an alliance.

This is no simple matter. Lines are crossed and loyalties are tested. But something does come easy and that is the love between Penny and Bhrodi. They balk at their marriage at first, but soon their love burns bright and true in a world where one doesn’t know who they can trust.



If you have read Kathryn’s previous EPIC novel ‘The Wolfe’, you will LOVE this story. The Wolfe Pack is back!!! Meeting the Wolfe’s pack children just might make you squeal like a little fan girl. This is an amazing story that has it all; battles, love, friendship and a touch of mythology mixed in. Its everything you could want in a Medieval Romance. I could not put it down and highly recommend it, ESPECIALLY if you have read ‘The Wolfe’.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

As I have become more and more familar with this Wolfe family, I am always amazed at how charmed and endeared I become with each story. This family is quickly easing its way into my heart and I have NO complaints. They are definitely one of my favorite family series that I have ever had the pleasure to pick up. They make me laugh, they make me cry, and they make me want to cheer them on through their tear and struggles but also their triumphs and joys. In the last book that I read "Night Hawk" we were introduced to the heroine of the story....Penelope. Now in Night Hawk, she was just a young girl, about three and obsessed with sword fighting and definitely had both of her parents wrapped around her little finger. Over the years she has been spoiled rotten, being raised as a "knight" like her brother and is just as cunning and talented as the rest of her family. But now she is mature and an adult, and furious with her father because he agreed to a marriage for her and some warlord of Wales. And boy I got a kick of seeing her putting her father and brothers in their place, she definitely is crafty and creative. It was really such a blast to become familar with this family once again and see the kids all grown up with families of their own.

The story actually begins in the modern day (cool how this author does this) where we have a team of scientists going over a field, where a simply country farmer in Wales, discovered a dead body. But upon further investigation, they learn that there is a huge amount of bodies, and bodies that are in pieces and amongst these bodies there is a creature, a creature that is not animal or human....its a DINO!!! And they stumble across a sword with precious stones and this is where the story begins which then takes us back to 1283 A.D.

Penelope isn't fully willing to marry a man she has never met, especially one with such a brutal reputation. But William de Wolfe, knew that no man would ever be worthy of his girl who can fight better than most men he knows. He knew that even though it wasn't the easiest course of action, losing his baby girl, he also feels its the right decision and after losing one of his sons months earlier in a battle against the Welch, he refuses to lose any more of his children. We see that this family is still dealing with the grief and sorrow of losing one of their own. It just about breaks your heart, But you also see the strength and loyalty that they have for each other. Penelope is one of a kind, so rare and unique of a heroine. She is a fighter, loves to hunt and to train horses, but she also has a compassionate spirit and is quite intelligent and cunning. At first she refuses to marry a stranger, but when she realizes that this could be a chance for peace with the Welch and could prevent losing any more members of her family, she becomes more accepting of the idea.

I was simply swept up away in this story and a romance that has an arranged marriage trope....SIGN ME UP!! I love these set up's in historical romance, they just make me so giddy especially when I know its a story I will fall in love with which I did from the beginning. I was easily caught up in the events that begin this tale. Our hero is quite delightful. He is considered to be the "king" of the welch, he is a warrior and has fought in many battles but also has a heart of sorrow. He lost his wife and child previously, and didn't think he could open himself up but when he meets Penelope he knows that he wants her for himself. She is vibrant and makes him laugh and her fighting spirit matches his own.

I truly didn't want to put this book down, I fell hard for both Bhrodi and Penelope, and they are just perfect for each other. There are many complexities that are brought into this story, especially with the events of the era, and the King wanting the end of Wales and any that oppose him despite the marriage between Penelope and Bhrodi that was suppose to begin peace. We see how quickly Bhrodi and Penelope fall in love and how much they are willing to fight for each other. Once again I have fallen hard for this author's work and I just can't seem to put her down. It seems like I just want to pick all of her books up and read them because they are THAT good!! I love the details and the emotion and how this story just came alive . I will say that other than book one, this might be my second favorite book from this author. If you love medieval era historical romance....GRAB  this author NOW, I promise you will fall in love with her work.



 



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[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 stars but 5 stars because I am a sucker for romantic epilogues when it does something to my heart. RTC!

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in the "de Wolfe Pack" series. Also this book is only abut 320 pages, where the First book "The Wolfe" was about 900 pages. This is a standalone book from my reading but I would say that the first book is so good I would read it just for the story.
Serpent. Bhrodi ap Gaerwen de Shera has been informed by Edward I who is trying to tame the Welsh by having Bhrodi marry Lady Penelope Adalira de Wolfe. Penelope is the daughter of William and Jordan from the first book. Penelope was the youngest 9 children and born late in life to her parents. So she became her fathers special daughter and was taught to fight just like a Knight. Penelope at first does not wish for this marriage just as Bhrodi has not wanted the marriage. Bhrodi has lost a wife and son during childbirth two years ago and does not feel he is ready to move on... also not convinced the marriage is a good ideal. But when they first meet they are both drawn to each other and both change their mind about not wanting the marriage. This starts their great love story. I have really been enjoying this series!

[Kimi Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Serpent was a perfect part of this book. I think it would have been less of a read had it not been in the book. The fact that De Wolfe's family was a part of this, just added to the book. You get excited to be able to read about them even though it is years later.

Then you meet his daughter and De Shera and think back to The Wolfe and realize that the only person for his daughter, this Warlords daughter, is someone who is a Warlord. That only this type would be able to understand and love her the way she needs to be loved and cared for.

I liked all the characters. The story kept our noses stuck to the book, you drew us in and we as readers never had a chance of walking away from it.

I truly loved this book. 5 stars

[AWB · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gah! I really wanted to LOVE this book. So much. The first in this series was great. This fell FAR short of that.

Penelope was introduced and kept being reintroduced as a woman warrior. I did not get this. She did nothing heroic, other than one small portion where she used her sword to fight a beast. She was mostly just an annoyance who complained about everything. I did not admire her. Everything she did that went against her father made me want to slap her silly. Repeatedly. The Wolf, aka her father, is the only reason she survives. He saves the day, a lot.

And then we have The Serpent aka- Bhrodi. He had a few moments where I didn't find him completely intolerable. But only a few. Every comparison he made (which happened every time we read from his POV) between Penelope and his dead wife Sian, was almost cruel. I kinda felt bad for his deceased wife and child after a while. Also, with the serpent we were repeatedly lead to believe he was a fearsome warrior, which once again, we did not see this. There were a few mentions of him in battle, but nothing to make his legend believable. Comparing him to The Wolf at all was just, well, wrong.

And Kevin? Geeeez. I felt sorry for him for a while, and then I just wanted him to GO AWAY.

Honestly the only reason I gave this book the measly two stars I did was because of The Wolf. His reappearance made the book worth reading. The characters from the first book coming back in this story, was the highlight of the entire thing. Sadly.

[Sissie Cabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant absolutely Brilliant Kathryn never ceases too amaze me..Her characters are so very real that you dont want the story 2 end even after the story is over they stay with u a long long time.. And the Serpent BRILLIANT the old Man BRILLIANT wow I know I am rambling but I am once again blown away by "The Queen of Medieval"..

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was awesome revisiting these beloved characters and meeting new ones. My only complaint would be that I wish there had been more one on one time together between Penny and Bhrodi, and seeing their life together after the resolution.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd reread 5 stars.

I'm biased when it comes to this wonderful series by Ms. Le Veque. I love all her medieval books. I read almost the entire series of Wolf's families. This can be read standalone, but ultimate reading pleasure is to read from book 1.

1st read 5 stars

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - Voto
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"Penelope venne sbalzata sul terreno morbido e bagnato e cadde sull’elsa della spada. Con un gemito di dolore, rotolò sulle ginocchia e cercò di afferrare le redini del cavallo, senza riuscirci. Mentre cercava di rialzarsi in piedi, un ruggito terribile e ormai familiare risuonò vicinissimo. Stordita e inorridita, Penelope guardò il collo della creatura emergere dall’acqua a non più di una dozzina di metri da lei. Il mostro la vide immediatamente e spalancò la bocca in un altro ruggito. Era un suono assolutamente terrificante. In quel momento, aveva solo due scelte: arrendersi all’inevitabile e morire, oppure fare ciò che il suo carattere le suggeriva. Combattere. Lei era una de Wolfe, nata e allevata per la battaglia, e, qualunque cosa fosse questa creatura, non le avrebbe permesso di porre fine alla sua vita. Doveva ucciderla, o almeno ferirla, prima di diventare il suo pasto. Il destino le stava davanti e lei non voleva fare nemmeno un passo indietro. Veloce come un fulmine, Penelope afferrò la spada che aveva perso quando il cavallo l’aveva disarcionata. Non c’era nessun posto dove potesse correre a nascondersi mentre l’enorme testa della bestia si abbassava su di lei. Se le avesse voltato la schiena l’avrebbe sicuramente uccisa. Perciò scelse di restare immobile, come avrebbe fatto un guerriero addestrato, fissando la cosa scendere su di lei e aspettando fino all’ultimo per rotolare via."
.
Il libro di cui vi parlo oggi è uno storico davvero molto bello, Il serpente, di Kathryn Le Veque, che mi ha tenuta sveglia per gran parte della notte, dato il desiderio di scoprire come andasse a finire. Una storia che parla d’amore ma anche di onore, di promesse e di lealtà difficili da mantenere.

Nonostante fra loro vi siano quattro libri mai tradotti, Il serpente è strettamente collegato a Il Lupo, ed è edito da Babelcube, che sta portando ai lettori italiani degli storici molto interessanti.

La protagonista è la figlia più piccola del Lupo e di sua moglie Jordan, e qui avremo molte occasioni di rivedere questa coppia bellissima, ancora molto innamorata dopo decenni di matrimonio. Lady Penelope ha sempre avuto un posto speciale nel cuore del padre, quel grande guerriero non è mai riuscito a negarle nulla, neanche un’armatura e una spada, che la ragazza sa usare bene come i fratelli. Nel momento in cui facciamo la sua conoscenza, è così terribilmente arrabbiata con il genitore e i fratelli da essere riuscita a chiuderli in una stanza del loro castello: undici terribili cavalieri intrappolati da una ragazza. Ciò che la infuria è il suo prossimo matrimonio con un principe Gallese che ha fama di essere un guerriero imbattibile come il padre: Bhrodi ap Gaerwen de Shera, conosciuto come “Il Serpente”, che lei non intende sposare. Ma il Lupo questa volta non può accontentarla, quel matrimonio è voluto dal Re e anche lui lo appoggia, perché porterà la pace e lui non vedrà morire un altro dei suoi figli. La ragazza ama moltissimo i fratelli e non può che accettare, cominciando il suo viaggio verso la sua nuova casa scortata dall’intera famiglia. Una volta giunti a destinazione, però, l’ incontro fra il padre e quello che viene chiamato “Il serpente” non sembra dare i frutti sperati. Bhrodi ha parole incaute per Penelope, non ancora sposata all’età di vent’anni, parole che fanno infuriare il Lupo, deciso a riportare la figlia a casa e impedire che sposi un guerriero arrogante che non si rende conto della sua fortuna. Ma durante la notte, mentre vaga per il castello, Penelope e Bhrodi si incontrano per caso e iniziano a parlare. Lui è affascinato dalla sua bellezza e incuriosito dalla sua capacità di combattere, lei lo trova gentile e non privo di ironia, e non può negare certamente il suo fascino. Avendo vissuto sotto gli occhi il padre e i fratelli non può che essere attratta dalla forza del guerriero e dalla sua tranquilla sicurezza e, nonostante il parere contrario del padre che vorrebbe riportarla a casa, dà il suo assenso al matrimonio. Mentre sua madre e la zia sconvolgono la vita del castello, che da anni è in preda all’incuria, con i preparativi delle nozze, i gallesi non sono affatto contenti di questo matrimonio. E Re non intende mantenere le promesse che questo accordo doveva sancire. Avrebbe dovuto esserci un periodo di pace, invece il Lupo si troverà davanti a una decisione devastane: il suo onore e il giuramento al suo Re, o l’amore per sua figlia che nel frattempo si è innamora di suo marito.

Bhrodi è un personaggio davvero bello, forte, coraggioso, pronto a morire per quello in cui crede e per la libertà del suo popolo. Vedere Penelope combattere lo ha affascinato, eppure una volta sposata vorrebbe trasformarla nella classica dama del castello. Ma la sua determinazione dura poco, vedendola infelice comincia a farle concessioni su concessioni, purché tutto rimanga nascosto, convinto che la sua gente non potrebbe capire. Inoltre, quando lei farà qualcosa di davvero inconcepibile, non potrà che stare dalla sua parte, orgoglioso di quel suo piccolo ma letale guerriero. Cosa ancor più notevole, anche nel momento in cui pensa di poterla far diventare diversa, si confida con lei, le parla come a un amico, le spiega le sue decisioni. E si fida a tal punto da non infuriarsi anche quando viene a conoscenza che Kevin, il figlio della cugina di Jordan, è sempre stato innamorato di lei e sperava di sposarla. Un uomo capace di grande passione, ma anche tremendo nella sua furia e nelle sue punizioni. Penelope è molto attratta da suo marito, in lui rivede molte delle caratteristiche dell’uomo che ha amato di più, quel padre che lei adora e che l’ha viziata oltre misura, dandole un’educazione inusuale. E una volta sposata si rende conto di sentirsi inadatta per quella vita, si sta innamorando di suo marito ma portare gonne e istruire domestiche non è nella sua natura. La spada e l’armatura le mancano moltissimo, e solo quando il marito, fidandosi di lei, la mette a capo della difesa di Rhydilian si trova nel suo elemento.

Sono tanti i personaggi davvero belli di questo libro, come la dolcissima sorella di Bhrodi, una ragazzina di tredici anni già vedova e incinta, senza che nessuno le abbia insegnato cosa deve fare. È stata sposata per breve tempo con un quindicenne che, spinto dai genitori, non aveva fatto altro che tenerla nel letto per avere un erede, senza curarsi di nient’altro. Sarà Jordan, nei giorni prima del matrimonio, che la prenderà sotto la ala e tenterà di prepararla a ciò che l’aspetta. Ma abbiamo anche un personaggio bizzarro che vive in un armadio, e un protettore davvero inusuale che dà un tocco di mistero al tutto.

La storia d’amore fra i due protagonisti è intensa e passionale, anche se avranno poco tempo prima di essere separati dalla battaglia, e la parte piena di azione è davvero avvincente e piena di avvenimenti. L’autrice ci regala una storia estremamente corposa, che vede in campo personaggi meravigliosi e affascinanti e, anche se avanti con l’età, il Lupo rimane una di queste. Il suo amore per i figli, per sua moglie, da sempre sua consigliera, rendono questo anziano guerriero uno dei personaggi storici più intriganti di sempre. Non vi nascondo poi che quell’insolito protettore ha dato un tocco di irrealtà che ho trovato affascinante, anche se forse difficile da credere. Originale e particolare l’incipit, che nelle prime pagine ci fa vedere il castello di Rhydilian nei giorni attuali, mentre alcuni archeologi stanno studiando uno scheletro dalla forma bizzarra, un animale portentoso mai visto prima, trovato circondato da scheletri e armature del tempo passato. Un essere che noi vedremo in azione e scopriremo legato strettamente alla famiglia di Bhrodi. Non c’è un attimo di noia fra le pagine di questo libro, che mi ha colpito davvero piacevolmente in tutte le sue parti, e che ha messo l’autrice nella lista delle mie preferite.

Un’unica pecca, questa serie tradotta benissimo non mantiene l’ordine dei capitoli editi dall’autrice. È già possibile leggere (e recensirò sicuramente) “Lo scorpione”, il nono libro della serie. Ritroveremo protagonista Kevin, e scopriremo cosa gli è successo dopo che ha dovuto prendere atto che la donna che ama da tutta la vita è ormai legata indissolubilmente al marito, che adora. Ma manca all’appello il numero otto, che si preannunciava davvero un bel titolo.
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Lucia63 - per RFS

[Tracy DeNeal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bhrodi and Penelope

Which came first The Serpent or The Thunder Lords? From reading this book, I'm thinking it's The Serpent. Unfortunately, I read The Thunder Lords first, so I kept saying things like no no no, Bhrodi had two older sisters, Violet and Lily! No, his father's name is Gallus de Shera and why is he dead!!! Where are Max and Tiberius? Why does he not know Scott and Troy de Wolfe, they were his father's knights? Why does Bhrodi act like he's not English, he is just as English as Penelope? Then I settled down and enjoyed the story.

Bhrodi de Shera is such an obnoxious alpha hole in the beginning of this book and his behavior is so tongue in cheek that I couldn't help but fall in love with him. Seriously, he is being a jerk 98.9% of the time and consciously acknowledges it to himself. I loved it.

I read this book after DNFing it months ago. The wardrobe scene in the beginning turned me off and I didn't proceed from there because I thought it was a creepy ghost story. Not my thing, also I was wrong.

I returned to the book in anticipation of the new book - A WOLFE AMONG DRAGONS. Actually reading this book and knowing that all of Kathryn Le Veque's books are basically standalone, helps me with the return of James de Wolfe. Case in point, at the time that this book was written, Scott and Troy are thought to be married to Athena and Helene, Paris' daughters. Patrick appears to be single as well. That's no longer true. The timeline has shifted in the de Wolfe universe so anything is possible. Yay! No impediments to bringing James back!

I loved that Bhrodi is a widower mired in his grief over the death of his first wife. I loved that he limited his amorous pursuits to his lawfully wedded wives. The meet cute for Bhrodi and Penelope was awesome. Never better.

Penelope de Wolfe was true to form. Everything about her was consistent with who she was portrayed to be in the subsequent books where she appears as a child.

It was a pleasure to see William, Paris and Kieran along with Jordan and Jemma, aged but still the same in personality and attitudes. I loved it.

Now I'm ready for tomorrow's new release! BRING IT ON!!!!

[Lisa Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just last night I finished reading The Serpent, as I was privileged enough to receive an advanced copy. It was wonderful! I absolutely loved this story. It is the tale of Penelope de Wolfe, daughter of Thomas de Wolfe, and her love, Sir Bhrodi ap Gaerwen de Shera, the Welsh leader and King of Anglesey. Penelope and Bhrodi are betrothed in an arranged marriage meant to broker peace between the English and the Welsh, but the English King has ill intent, and so the intrigue and conflict abounds!
Penelope is a strong and beautiful female character, raised as a knight by her father and Bhrodi is a gorgeous, loyal, and honorable knight also known as the Serpent. His moniker comes from his temper, as well as from the hideous flesh eating beast that lives in the marsh on his lands. The Serpent is a terrific character all on its own!
The story is filled with love, humor, adventure, intrigue, and a return of the "Wolfe Pack" from her previous stories.
I sat down with the book, grateful for the rainy day, and finished it in one sitting. I was unable to put it down before finishing it, as Kathryn LeVeque has outdone herself yet again.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical romance, as no one does it better, and give it 5 stars.

[Melba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Kathryn you have me hooked! It's brilliant, spell binding! I enjoyed reading about the family though the years, not many authors divulge on that, and it's fascinating seeing the decades pass and what happens to the family along the way. The challenges, struggles, victories, and tragedies.

The story in itself was excellent. I wont give away any of it, only enough to say that you have got to get this book and read it! You will be spellbound!

I don't expect anything less from Kathryn Le Veque!

I highly recommended book! it will not disappoint!

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5.0

Once again, Ms. Le Veque has crafted a story that is both riveting and touching.

Read full review in the 2014 June/July Double Issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent sequel to "The Wolfe." I want more of the Wolfe Pack!

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

ADULT Historical Medieval🏰🗡🐎 Romance💕 and Adventure with Paranormal💀👻 Elements.

A giant snake🐍 in a swamp kills💀 hapless travelers and armies in Ancient Wales🏰🗡🐎. For a novel based on true history , this seemed completely out of time and place to me.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more on this review, please see...

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A few months ago I read a 'tiny' epic tale known as The Wolfe by Kathryn Le Veque. It was the first book I had ever read by this author and it came recommended by a follower of the blog and I. LOVED. IT! It has since put KLV on my list of authors that I hope to eventually read my way through their entire catalogue of work.

Serpent is the third book by KLV that I have read and what I really enjoy about her books, is how she masterfully weaves her present day prologue and/or epilogue back to her historical storyline so well that she leaves me wanting more of the present day story. It was one of the elements I loved about the epilogue in The Wolfe. I thought it was genius. It was no different with the Serpent and KLV had me hook, line and sinker with the prologue. In fact, it is this aspect of her writing that has me anticipating the end of the book with my curiosity peeked on how she will mastermind the epilogue. Another characteristic I like about KLV's stories, at least the ones I have read, is that they do not take place over a vast length of time. The story is packed with detailed interaction amongst the characters and there is rarely a dull moment. Serpent provides all the great things you like to see in a historical romance, a love story, a strong and on occasion defiant heroine who is defined by more than just her beauty, an arrogant hero with brooding good looks that can be tender hearted and funny yet fierce and protective in the blink of an eye, and the usual treachery, uprising and betrayal. And beware, no one is safe from the skewering of a broadsword in KLV's books, she most definitely does not play favourites with her characters.

Sir William de Wolfe and the Wolfe Pack are back and the camaraderie between William, Kieran and Paris is as strong as ever. It's been 40 years since we have seen the boys and even in their sixties, they are as fierce and funny as ever. Lady Jordan Scott de Wolfe has produced three daughters and six strapping boys that have all followed in their father's footsteps in the knightly realm. The unexpected and last child born to the de Wolfe's, Lady Penelope Adalira de Wolfe, has been doted on by daddy since the moment she took her first breath. Penelope has never been interested in anything remotely girlie her entire life. More comfortable in tunics and breeches with a sword in her hand, William is unable to deny his baby girl anything and indulges her interest in knights and weaponry, allowing her to train and fight alongside him. If that does not make it abundantly clear, let me spell it out for you. Penelope is an intelligent kick ass heroine who never backs down from a challenge. War in Wales has brought death to the de Wolfe family and William's loyalty and allegiance to the crown has him reluctantly agreeing to Edward's demands of a mutually beneficial marriage between his youngest daughter and the Welsh prince in hopes of securing an alliance and brokering peace.

Penelope is right pissed off that her father has betrothed her to the Welsh warlord Sir Bhrodi ap Gaerwen de Shera who hails from Welsh royalty and English nobility and is the thorn in King Edward I side. Bhrodi has defeated the English numerous times in their quest to conquer Wales and his reputation is widely known throughout the realm as The Serpent, known for his deadly strike. Bhrodi's arrogance is evenly matched with Penelope's feistiness and although the marriage is a ruse set up by Edward to extract Bhrodi's loyalty and submission, Bhrodi takes the bribe of the English bride, aware of the king's motives, once he learns that Penelope is the prize. The chemistry and attraction between Penelope and Bhrodi is palpable from their first meeting. This whole marriage idea, once distasteful to both of them, now doesn't seem so bad.

“I agreed to you. It was worth the risk.”

As King Edward, who is hell bent on complete domination over the Welsh, knowingly breaks the peace treaty, Bhrodi decides to openly move against the king and Penelope stands loyal to her husband, choosing de Shera and her new Welsh home over her countrymen and possibly her father. With his reputation, home and safety of his family at stake, de Wolfe must decide if blood is stronger than a kingdom. In a battle that will divide the de Wolfe household, Penelope will rise up as Wales own She Wolfe, defending what is rightfully her husband's, and side by side, The Serpent will prepare for his ultimate deadly strike.

And if we're lucky, this won't be the last that we've heard from the Wolfe Pack.

[Eileen Dandashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook Review:

Author Kathryn Le Veque always writes such rich and stirring stories. She knows how to hold her audience, engage all their emotions and leave them completely sated.

This is one audiobook I could not put down. It. Was. Amazing! The story unfolded in present-day Wales at an archeological dig. A farmer had drained a marsh to use for additional harvesting, and discovered bones, not just a few, but lots of them strewn over a large area. Was I curious? Immediately. As further bones and other fragments of people’s lives were discovered, the overpowering question and mystery was whatever happened here? Was it a battle? A cemetery? Or a dumping ground for bodies? We part with this act of the novel leaving them to continue the collection of information and further research as we pop into the past, 1283 A.D.

Plenty of excitement in this read, some rather unnerving, if you will. But it was the kind that you just love. King Edward I used people like pawns and knights in a chess game. He manipulated his subjects without remorse. And since I mention him, history has it King Edward had a lisp. Narrator Wills lisps beautifully! (Is that possible?) I’ve heard him in portrayals of King Edward I in other books of my favorite medieval romance authors. Mind you, it doesn’t endear the character to you, as a child’s lisp would. He sounds a little simple, and full of cunning.

Three other characters which were fun to get to know were Lady Penelope’s grandmother, mother and aunt. There is one scene where their Scottish tempers just take off. I loved it! Again Brad Wills puts his heart into that argument – I can’t believe how much like a harpy he sounded! And so Scottish!

Bhrodi ap Gaerwen de Shera was a special hero. He was known as the Serpent, seemingly with no weakness, extremely haughty, and terribly arrogant. But not all is as you think, particularly when he mad dash runs off to collect William De Wolfe and party who were camping alongside the marsh. (big reason why, as you’ll discover) Both men are powers notably respected and feared in their respective realms.

Do you like your heroines who know what they want and are determined to have it? Lady Penelope was an unusual women, and because of her will, strength, intellect, bravery, and yes, love, she not only saved lives, she saved herself. She was a stunning match for de Shera—a betrothal King Edward I commanded, hoping to gain more power for himself. As it happened, it was perfect for them both, not Edward I.

This story has sub-plots aplenty creating a world totally believable and extremely entertaining. Sometimes it’s tears, sometimes fear, sometimes a chortle from a humorous remark, sometimes pain for those who hurt, sometimes the emotion of love in its many forms—whether between spouses, friends, brothers, sisters, children, or parents.

Narrator Brad Wills just keeps wowing me. Each time I listen to him I try to analyze what makes him such fun to listen to. Basically, Mr. Wills starts with a fantastic story and he’s been doing some really super novels in the recent past. Next his voice is one that is just plain lovely to listen to. I suppose because it’s so big, making us readers want to listen! Then you mix into the energy and emotion felt pulsing throughout the story. Where a scene is emotional, he has me laughing – his timing and voice inflections are perfect.

Great read, great listen, entertainment at its best. You two make a powerful team. Loved it!

[Nessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF AT CHAPTER 11.

THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS BOOK. IN FACT I ENJOYED THE BEGINNING, BUT THEN IT MADE ME REALISED HOW THE AUTHOR REPEATS HER STORY LINE ELEMENTS IN HER BOOKS. THIS IS MY SECOND BOOK BY HER, AND I ALREADY SEE A PATTERN. IT'S QUITE FRUSTRATING THAT I DON'T FIND IT ORIGINAL ANYMORE.

WHY I STOPPED? MAINLY BECAUSE AFTER THE CHARACTERS GOT MARRIED, IT WAS MORE BASED ON THE HISTORICAL EVENTS AND THE UPCOMING "WAR" WITH EDWARD I AND FRANKLY I WASN'T THAT INTERESTED IN THAT.

OUR HERO just appeared like a lovesick calf to me from the moment he wedded Penelope. At first he was reluctant to marry a bride forced upon him by the Prince of England, and the fact that he still hasn't gotten over his first wife's death two years ago...he didn't seem in a hurry to remarry. Of course that changes when he rescues an enchanting woman garbed as a knight and their second encounter leads him to deduce that she is his intended. Suddenly, he's all eager to marry her at once. That part was too 360 for me. Like all Kathryn's heroes, they are arrogant, confident and wielding an insane amount of power and authority AND they may be widowers. I'm not quite sure the Serpent interested me AFTER he married Penelope, it's as if he lost his spark in my eyes.

OUR HEROINE is the youngest child of the De Wolfe family and spoilt by her father since forever. She follows in the footsteps of the men in her family and knows nothing about women duties. When she is to be married to a Welsh Prince, she puts her foot down on it yet her little rebellion does no good for she ends up spirited to Welsh anyway. Her bizarre meeting with her intended didn't do much for her as it did him, but eventually she does come to like him and assent to marry him. She's definitely a warrior and stubborn to a fault.

OVERALL the originality of this author has lost its luster on me, and while it was a good book, i honestly couldn't stand the repetitive elements especially with the way the characters met, how they fell in love and the circumstances that surrounded them. I think I am going to take a break from Kathryn's books for awhile until I FORGET the plots and be able to appreciate them again in future.

[Victoria Jones (nee Crosby) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable like the rest of the series and, indeed, most of Le Veque’s novels. Not unenjoyable though, but I think when I get to the end of the De Wolfe Pack series I’ll stop there as it’ll become boring.
It’s also mildly irritating when American spellings are used when writing about Medieval English exploits and yes, I know she’s American.
Lastly, it’s WATTLE and daub not waddle- this really bugs me. If you want to write about history, at least research it properly 🙄

[Kiesha ~ Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[JustBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Standard romance, very slow.

[miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

penelope and bhrodi get engaged to help prevent a war between england and wales except the war happens anyway.

1. penelope

i loved how strong she was and fierce. the first chapter where she traps all the knights and holds them at sword point is so funny. penelope is such an easy character to cheer for.

it's also so refreshing to see a female warrior in historical romances. i liked the wedding battle scenes. i wish we'd seen more of her in action. like some sparring with bhrodis men. or against bhrodi. that would've been soo good.

her comment that women in general were weak and foolish bothered me tho. she acknowledges its a generalization but considering she has strong women like her mother and jemma in her life it's a little disappointing that she's hating on women. it's a single passing comment in the comment but was still disappointing to read.

2. bhrodi

hes such an arrogant humorous sweetheart. hes afraid of letting penny know how much he likes her becuz he doesn't know if she reciprocates his feelings. hes considerate of her and tries his best to accommodate her. he appreciates penny's attempts to be the wife she thinks she needs to be even tho it doesn't come naturally to her.

i originally took issue with how he continually tried to domesticate penelope. i appreciated that he tried to compromise with her even when it went against his strong belief that women r for the household. he was fully redeemed in my eyes in the end he comes to realize that he loves penelope as she is and doesn't want to change her.

3. the romance

i honestly wish there had been more time to develop their romance. as it is, the vibes r so good, but like with more time the depth of their relationship would've been even better.

they're instantly attracted each other from when they meet despite both being strongly opposed to the marriage prior to their meeting. their timeline goes like this: they meet each other, decide to go thru with the arranged marriage, wedding is crashed by attackers after which he leaves to fight a war, returns injured, and the book ends shortly after they kick out the english.

the chemistry is there, but they don't get much quality time. bhrodi being injured and passed out or away for 1/3 of the book probably didn't help. but it would've made the transition from instant attraction to love smoother and more believable. like even just one more week together before he left for battle would've just cinched the romance for me.

favorite moments: penelope knocking bhrodi off his feet to escape, bhrodi charming penny into outing her identity

4. side characters

thomas + tacey was odd. tacey was childlike in her behavior and it was a little uncomfortable to read abt any attachment on thomas's part. he would've been at least double her age. i did like that the book touched on the realities of child brides and emphasized how she was unfit to be a mother when she could barely think beyond herself, much less care for another human being.

i liked the three men. william, paris, and kieran. like the three musketeers. i read this book first but i hope if i go back and read william's book i see the other two men.

5. epilogue

the epilogue is so cute. penny reincarnated as paige and bhrodi as bodie. and meeting and falling in love for a second time. it's so beautiful, like they're meant to be together in every life.

book was rlly good. would recommend.

[Lynne Shear · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I started this wonderfully strong story, I loved it. There is so much love and emotion in this story and Kathryn weaves it beautifully throughout the book.
In order to secure peace, the Lady Penelope de Wolfe is betrothed by Edward I, to the Welsh Warlord Sir Bhrodi ap Gaerwen de Shera, who is also known as The Serpent.
Arrogant, extremely handsome, tall and huge, and heroic, Bhrodi is the stuff of legends and Lady Penelope is the perfect woman for him, which quickly becomes apparent when they meet under deadly circumstances. Penelope is a devastatingly beautiful small young woman, who is a brave, honourable and talented Knight. Riding into Wales, William her father, Paris and Kieran, his lifelong friends, and their families encounter more than Welsh hospitality!
I absolutely loved the way Kathryn tied in the modern day start and end of this book, drawing the legend of this story together. She has the magical gift of being able to create humorous, emotional and enjoyable conversations that draw you in to the centre of this wild adventure.
As Bhrodi and Penelope fall more and more in love with each other, their families and friends are also drawn more and more into this plot, as Edward I turns on everyone for the love of himself and for what he thinks is rightfully his. Kathryn really conjours up the darkness of this era, the waste and devastation of war. This adventure pulls on the loyalty of family and friends, understanding that blood is thicker than country. This book will make you laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time, but one thing is for sure, it will definitely leave you wanting more.

[Lee Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story from the first page. Penelope is a feisty female knight and the baby of the family endearing her closer to her father's heart. William (the Wolf) makes a peace treaty with King Edward 1 offering his daughter to marry a Welsh Prince Brhodi, known as the Serpent. Of-course Penny is 100% against this.

As the family approaches his castle to have a meet & greet for the bride & groom to be, they are attacked outside the entry by a crazy, huge, monstrous thing..they later find out it's a Serpent, and it feeds on full moon nights and if called by a specific horn.

Penelope fights the beast and loses her broad sword as Brhodi watches not knowing she's his bride to be. She also refuses to answer his questions who she is so the bantering begins.

I could write much more, but that would be giving to many spoilers. This is a fast paced, multi English family read that you know from the 2nd book in this series dealing with different issues. Most sad is Kevin Hage's love for Penelope..but that's all I'll say. OH..I loved Brohdi's uncle who only appears at specific times..again, don't want to be a spoiler.

Thank you again Ms. Le Veque for keeping me reading longer than I planned each night. I was going to stop this series after this story, but looking forward to reading book #8~
R L Phillips

[Heidi (MinxyD14) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book, love all things Welsh and I was really looking forward to Penelope's story which provided great fun. However, what is with the time errors. Did I miss some weird time travel element, whereby her husband has been gone for 3 weeks but everyone keeps telling her she can leave him because they have only been married a week? Still scratching my head over some very basic errors being repeated throughout.

(Audible version) Whilst Brad Wills is a talented narrator and good with a variety of (male) English accents, his female voices are tolerable at best ... However, his effort at Welsh was basically an unrelenting slaughter of the language. Very basic words and town names are repeatedly incorrect and it is like nails on a chalkboard for someone who loves the dulcet tones of the accent. How can you pronounce Cymru wrong in a book based in Wales? If Wales is to be the predominant location as well as the native land of so many characters, please find someone with even a basic knowledge of the language like Charlotte Strevens of The Wild Hunt (trilogy by Elizabeth Chadwick).

[Jennifer Tarver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite in the series

I have loved this series so far (from book 2 the “The Wolfe) and was looking forward to Penelope’s story but right from the beginning; it was an instant turn off for me with the whole serpent thing in the marshes. Utterly ridiculous! I gave the book 3 stars because William “The Wolfe”, Paris, and Kieren (the true heart of the Wolfe series) and their respective children are what hold my interest. I will continue with the series, as I’m looking very forward to the next “A Wolf amount Wolves” bringing 4th son James back so hopefully this next book will redeem the series for me for going forward. Just seems after Patrick’s story, then Scott’s and then Troy’s, which were all very good, that Edward’s story was a little lacking in my opinion, though I still enjoyed the story. But Penelope’s story just feel way short because of that ridiculous creature. On to the next with fingers crossed - reviews for the next book look like they’re the best reviews for a book in this series, so I’ll have tissues near by, as I think I will definitely need them.

[Darlene A. Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read continuing the saga of de Wolfe Pack. I love the characters in this series of books.

Serpent takes its place with the others. Penny is a strong woman, she's a knight, trained by her father, William de Wolfe. And fathers love their daughters. So William finds a wedding match for Penny in the wilds of Wales. Bhrodi is ancestral royalty in Wales. He too is a fighter with his own army. The marriage between Bhrodi and Penny is to be a bond with the English, that Bhrodi will no longer use his men to fight the English or assist his Welsh neighbors in their fight against the English. Sounds like a fair arrangement.......or is it.

Penny's mother also conveys some motherly advice to he knightly daughter. "Bhrodi is looking for a wife, not another knight. Act like a woman." Oh yeah, like that worked.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll hiss and boo the bad guys and cheer for the good guys. This is a book that is hard to put down. (Great read for staying indoors during the pandemic.)

[Renée Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serpent is one of my favorites in The de Wolfe family series and it won't disappoint. As a strong female lead, Penelope is fierce and determined to be as much of a de Wolfe as her Father and brothers.
She's also quite humorous and it's that humor and determination that she displays at the beginning of the book that first had me interested in learning more about her and how her story played out for her HEA.
You're going to love the interaction with her family and her future husband as well.
This was my third time reading and enjoying this epic journey and - again - won't be the last.
In earlier de Wolfe novels, you'll get to meet a much younger Penelope or Penny as she's known and you'll be able to see the impish child, her Da's favorite, being the youngest sometimes has its advantages. And boy howdy does she take advantage. William is wrapped around her lil pinky.
Good times ahead with this one!!!

[Nancy Yohe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit unbelievable for my taste.

There are a lot of positives in this book and I will mention those first. The return of William, Jordan, Kieran and Jemma, and Paris is always good. I love the connection and humor between them. The deWolf sons also make an appearance. There is humor in the story as well. I loved Bhrodi’s arrogance from the beginning as our hero and there was also a softness to him when it came to Penelope. I didn’t really care for Penelope. It is not realistic to me that a small woman could fight like men and that men would follow her in battle. I found her spoiled and selfish and didn’t like her much. Not sure about the beast either and I don’t like starting and ending in present time either. Not my favorite book by this author.