The Serpent Princess

by Kylie Chan

So she saved the world. Now what?

Only one warrior is capable of defeating Princess Simone in single combat: her father, the God of Martial Arts, who has been training her since she was a child.

The great war between the Heavens and Hell is over, and the Asian Celestial realm is free. Simone led the Resistance against the demons that led to their defeat, but at a great personal cost – she's contaminated by demon essence, no longer an Immortal and exiled from the Heavenly realm. She's revered by grateful Celestial residents, but all she wants is a normal life on the Earthly plane, where she can study to be a marine biologist, and spend time with her loving family and supportive boyfriend.

Fate has other plans for her, and she will be unwillingly drawn into a global conflict between the gods of the Asian Heavens and the demons of European Hell.

'Serpent Princess' is a fresh new entry point into the fan favourite 'Dark Heavens' universe. Join the Asian Gods of the Celestial House of the North for this lovingly crafted homage to Hong Kong's iconic martial arts dramas, and the captivating world of Wuxia fantasy.

Genres: Fantasy

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2025

About the author

Kylie doesn't participate in the Goodreads network. You can find her fanpage on Facebook or visit her website at www.kyliechan.com.

Kylie Chan married a Hong Kong national in a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony in Eastern China, lived in Australia for ten years, then moved to Hong Kong for ten years and during that time learnt a great deal about Chinese culture and came to appreciate the customs and way of life.

In 2003 she closed down her successful IT consultancy company in Hong Kong and moved back to Australia. She decided to use her knowledge of Chinese mythology, culture, and martial arts to weave a story that would appeal to a wide audience.

Since returning to Australia, Kylie has studied Kung Fu (Wing Chun and Southern Chow Clan styles) as well as Tai Chi and is now a senior belt in both forms. She has also made an intensive study of Buddhist and Taoist philosophy and has brought all of these together into her storytelling.

Kylie is a mother of two who lives in Queensland's Gold Coast. She is the best-selling author of the Dark Heavens and Journey to Wudang trilogies, which tell the story of Emma, an ordinary Australian woman thrown into the world of Chinese Gods, martial arts, and magic. Emma must deal with a bewildering variety of Chinese mythological creatures from dragons to the Monkey King as she learns martial arts from her employer John Chen, who is really the God of Martial Arts, Xuan Wu.

Reviews

[sashenka 🖤]

DNF @ 9%

Yup, sorry, this one is on me I guess, I didn't know it was part of the same universe of another series and the first 30 pages are full of info dump and I'm really not enjoying this. Also, I'm not a big fan of this style of writing. I'm not going to rate it and pretend I read it, fuck my feedback ratio.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kylie Chan for the ARC.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been years since I read the epic Dark Heavens series so naturally there are minor details one would forget but diving into this spin off series was easy, in fact, it was like a welcome home hug! Really enjoyed this book, loved the style and the storyline - just as awesome as Dark Heavens itself and even more intriguing to follow it through Simone’s lens.. keen to see how this continues on. Thx so much Kylie for sending me a copy of your book!!!

[Misha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading something by Kylie Chan and while this book is a part of greater universe; The Dark Heavens series; I had no trouble jumping into this story with no prior knowledge of the characters or the story.
And what a story it is. I am absolutely in love. Never read any Chinese mythology before but I am absolutely loving it. Gods, demons, animals. I am there for all of it. This feels so refreshing and easy to read and follow. A beautiful story. Currently I'm about 30% in and I just can't put the book down.
It just keeps getting better and better. Holy moly. I'm going through all the emotions. I'm currently on shock, followed by bemused bewilderment. And that's just the start. This is definitely my favorite book I've red this year and it's not even close. I can't wait for the next one to come out

[wei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael's a fucking idiot, but damn he's our idiot 😭

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21/01/2025
Kylie Chan can write anything and I will read it – but amongst all her other series, I’ve been so looking forward to a return to the Dark Heavens universe 😭😭😭😭

Simone’s such a fave since the original series and it’s just absolutely delightful watching her grow up and continue to kick serious ass and also have her outsider’s take on the Emma-John relationship (LMAO because why was I HOWLING when she called out john and emma for their macabre wedding gifts to each other PLEASE-)

AND ALSO HER RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHAEL. I HAVE BEEN CHOMPING AT THE BIT FOR THEM TO FINALLY GET TOGETHER and no spoilers from me but *insert high-pitched screaming noises and copious amounts of dramatic handwaving as I the reader lie on the ground crying and weeping* the childhood friends to lovers pipeline with a sprinkling of red string of fate/ destined to be soulmates has NEVER hurt this good. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK YESTERDAY !

Oh and I guess the action plot’s there too 😂 don’t get me wrong, the intrigue and action about the western heavens is executed well, but perhaps Simone is just so damn powerful, every fight doesn’t feel very high stakes and I just knew she would win anyway (except the last one at the end, that one did have me a little worried for a minute). And although this is billed as a fresh entry point for new readers, I feel like you would be doing yourself a massive disservice if you didn't do the original series before this one - too much has happened and there are too many nods and callbacks to past events that I suspect will leave a brand new reader feeling a bit lost

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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20/01/25

i got an arc i got an arc i got an arc
i think i used up all my luck for 2025

review to come !!!

[Daley · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE SERPENT PRINCESS is billed as a new entry point into the Dark Heavens series, and it achieves this goal, to an extent. I have not read any of the other books, but was able to enjoy this one. The first half of the book is friendly toward newcomers. Not having read the Dark Heavens trilogy, I obviously can’t appreciate some of the emotional impact and context in Simone’s story, but most of it stands on it’s own.

Kylie Chan’s greatest strength, and weakness, is her detailed descriptions of locations. Clearly informed by real life travels, each and every place is exhaustively described—the walls, the floors, the furniture, the layout. This is great at first, especially during the more “everyday” moments, but later feels like it interrupts some of the urgency when Simone and Micheal are trying to save Europe.

I’m torn between wanting more of the high octane martial arts fights, but also more of Simone’s romantic struggles. Overall, I wanted less of the parts that felt like they were wrapping up plot lines from the previous series.

I’ll have to dive into the Dark Heavens trilogy if I really want to appreciate THE SERPENT PRINCESS. The characters, worldbuilding, and tame demons were charming--I want to get to know them better!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Darth C · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Serpent Princess has an interesting premise and a richly built world, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. The idea of exploring what happens after a hero saves the world is compelling, and the fusion of celestial warfare, martial arts, and mythology has a lot of potential. Fans of Wuxia fantasy and action-driven narratives may find plenty to enjoy here.

However, I struggled with the writing style and found it difficult to get into the story from the start. While the worldbuilding is intricate and detailed, I never fully connected with the characters or felt invested in their journey. That being said, I can see how readers who love mythology-inspired fantasy with high-stakes battles and divine conflicts might really enjoy this book. If the premise intrigues you, it may still be worth checking out!

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read Kylie Chan's Dark Heavens series and so this world I knew and it was like catching up with old friends with the cast of characters being familiar.

The author is a fantastic writer and and the asian mythology and culture she draws on adds to the richness of this narrative. I'm sure the fact this novel is being released around the Lunar New Year (The Year of the Snake) is not just a coincidence...

I did wonder how a new reader would find 'The Serpent Princess' as an entry point. Simone is a likeable and endearing character and the challenges of finding a 'normal life' would definitely be a challenge for her, especially with her history and family. I was able to ease into this read easily after knowledge of the prior series. I'm not sure if a new reader could.

I really appreciated the Netgalley ARC and I know this beautiful novel (the cover and end papers are stunning!) will sit well next to Kylie Chen's other novels in our library.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

My true rating is a 3.5 ⭐!

Getting into this world was a bit difficult not knowing anything about the series as a whole, but once you're in it you're hooked.

The highlight of this book for me was the world building. The lore had me so interested from the get go, and I feel like the cultural background and setting makes this book so unique when compared to others in this genre.

Simone is a strong, take no crap fmc. Her backstory is one of the things I really did enjoy about this book. You can see her grow as she is adapting to her life and the changes that have come for her.

All in all, I'd totally read another book from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Amy Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start may feel slow and info dumpy because as a standalone book in the Dark Heavens world the reader needs the contextual information to establish the world. New readers will appreciate the context and old Dark Heavens fans will appreciate the refresher, especially if they haven't bothered to reread the original story following Emma and Xuan Wu before starting this book.

This story is filled with all the core emotions, you will laugh, you will grieve beloved characters, and you will be left wanting more. Kylie Chan has delivered another great tale. It's well worth reading.

[thronesandthirst · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, this cover is perfection 🐍 ⚔️ Artist did an amazing job!

The Serpent Princess is stated as a new entry point from the Dark Heavens series. I think to truly appreciate this book, I should have considered reading the Dark Heavens trilogy first, but I still did really enjoy the world building and characters throughout! 

I loved the Asian mythology and martial arts aspects, and the descriptive world building despite going into this book without the previous series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

First a thank you to the Kylie Chan and Netgalley for the copy!

Solid 3 for me, I think of if I was more familiar with the world Kylie Chan had built then I would have enjoyed this book way more.

It was billed as an book that you could read without the context of the others however with out the foundational knowledge of the series I feel like I really missed the opportunity to fully immerse myself and enjoy the novel.

The pacing felt a bit off for me as well however I really did enjoy the FMC. I thought she was quick witted and well written and I kept reading for her.

👍

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never been more excited for a continuation of a series and boy did Kylie Chan deliver. I like that it doesn't pick up immediately after the end of the previous trilogy, but gives you another entry point to this world. Simone continues her family legacy of being a badass and just an awesome person in general. I love that you can see her struggle with what she wants versus what is right. I was also stoked to get more of Michael, as he is absolutely in my top 5 faves. The end had me craving another continuation!

[Risa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I tend to stay away from urban fantasy, as it's not really my preferred fantasy genre. That said, this was phenomenal. The blend of Eastern and Western mythologies, the character and world building, and the retelling of existing lore was done so well.

I also noticed that this is a new entry way into an existing series (!!!) so I will likely eventually seek out more Kylie Chan books!

[Melissa Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was thoroughly looking forward to jumping back into this world. I've read Kylie Chan's entire Dark Heavens series no less than 7 times and it is in my top 5 faves of all time. This opener to Simone's adult life and journey was amazing overall, but it left me feeling incomplete. It bounced around a lot and I felt like we had more detail than necessary in some places but then not nearly enough in others. I'm curious with what's to come since this is "book 1" but the hype I originally had has died down.

[Annick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot get into this book. I understood the first chapter and then it completely passed me by. Who is who and what is what? This is the first book I read by Kylie Chan.
I struggle with a writing style that very much describes space and areas. That takes me out of the story and therefore I start skipping parts.

This book was not it for me unfortunately.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The fantasy themes were great and it had some amusing edges. It didn’t have enough depth for me and felt a bit light and cosy, perhaps a YA market. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

[Cheshire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Simone's character in the original nine novels but this just fell flat. Simone's the daughter of Xuan Wu, she deserved a better ending and a powerful being in her own right. Her interactions with general mortals needed to be explored more.

[Susan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb

Long awaited, but worth the wait, now can't wait for the next book. Superbly written and tells the story well, continuing where the last one left off.

[Priscila Vera Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot seemed quite interesting but I found myself struggling to keep reading.
There were a lot of descriptions of things that felt irrelevant (to me at least). For me, that made the pacing of the novel weird. It was too slow.
I don't know if I would read the next book of the series.