What do you think?
Rate this book
A Curse of Crows and Serpents #2
A Dance of Serpents
Diana has claimed her birthright as Princess of Hell, Lady of Daemons and Chosen of Darkness Incarnate. But she can't forget the wrongs she suffered. The cruelties inflicted on her, as well as her family, friends, and subjects in the wars past. Cruelty from the gods, and the reigning Divine King who wrote the very myths that vilified her people.
Her powers have grown beyond anyone's expectations, though they come with a cost. And the price might be more than Diana is willing to pay.
Armed to the fangs with allies, the future is bright, and justice finally within reach. The line between justice and revenge is faint, blurred, and slippery. In attempting to punish the wicked, will she keep true to herself, or become the very creature her enemies fear her to be?
The sequel to the acclaimed romantasy A CURSE OF CROWS, Lauren Dedroog's A DANCE OF SERPENTS continues the epic tale of gods, men and daemons, and the woman at the centre of it all, whose suffering and rise to power will change the world forever . . . for good, or evil.
Her powers have grown beyond anyone's expectations, though they come with a cost. And the price might be more than Diana is willing to pay.
Armed to the fangs with allies, the future is bright, and justice finally within reach. The line between justice and revenge is faint, blurred, and slippery. In attempting to punish the wicked, will she keep true to herself, or become the very creature her enemies fear her to be?
The sequel to the acclaimed romantasy A CURSE OF CROWS, Lauren Dedroog's A DANCE OF SERPENTS continues the epic tale of gods, men and daemons, and the woman at the centre of it all, whose suffering and rise to power will change the world forever . . . for good, or evil.
- GenresFantasy
528 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2026
About the author
Lauren Dedroog
3 books145 followersGrowing up in Belgium, Lauren (27) always dreamed of writing stories, and devoured fantasy as well as mythology-inspired books.
Figuring that a degree in languages, history or writing wouldn't fare well in this capitalistic world, she got two bachelor degrees in nursing and became an ICU nurse instead. The COVID pandemic was the final push she needed to actually start writing — as a form of escapism. Since then, she's been writing non-stop.
Lauren is particularly fond of Scotland, rom-coms, vanilla lattes, homemade cinnamon rolls, getting distracted and having about ten different crochet projects at all times. She also thanks the universe on the daily for inventing audiobooks. When she's not listening to those, she's singing along to Hozier, Paris Paloma and Noah Kahan. If none of the above, you’ve probably found a mimic and must proceed with caution . . .
Figuring that a degree in languages, history or writing wouldn't fare well in this capitalistic world, she got two bachelor degrees in nursing and became an ICU nurse instead. The COVID pandemic was the final push she needed to actually start writing — as a form of escapism. Since then, she's been writing non-stop.
Lauren is particularly fond of Scotland, rom-coms, vanilla lattes, homemade cinnamon rolls, getting distracted and having about ten different crochet projects at all times. She also thanks the universe on the daily for inventing audiobooks. When she's not listening to those, she's singing along to Hozier, Paris Paloma and Noah Kahan. If none of the above, you’ve probably found a mimic and must proceed with caution . . .
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 6, 2025
If you thought A Curse of Crows was intense, buckle up because A Dance of Serpents does not come to play. It picks up right where we left off, so if it’s been a while since you read Crows, do yourself a favor and reread it first. Trust me, you’ll want everything fresh in your mind before the chaos begins again…
We open with Diana having defeated Bastian, but victory doesn’t come without a cost, she’s basically losing a part of her soul, and honestly? You can feel it. She’s out for revenge now, and nothing is going to stand in her way!! Not even the Divine King himself, Eiran. Instead, Diana makes it her mission to seduce him, to become Queen of the Divine, and to take her vengeance one calculated smile at a time.
What follows is a deadly game of deceit, manipulation, and divine politics, with Keres back in the mix in ways that had me feral. There’s a particular scene where Diana and Eiran are together and Keres is coaching her through their bond, and hot diggity dawg… I had to set the book down and take a moment 🥵
Aloïs absolutely melted my heart again, he’s such a protective dad toward Diana and his refusal to let her marry Eiran? Adorable. He’s the father she deserves, and I will die on that hill. And then Keres, with the line of the century: “But he’s not your mate, is he, love?” I swear, I stopped breathing for a second there.
There’s a lot that happens after that (and I mean a lot), but it’s best experienced spoiler-free. Let’s just say war is brewing, hearts are breaking, and by the end I was crying, shouting, and staring into the void wondering what the actual hell just happened.
This book made me feel everything. It’s raw, emotional, and utterly devastating in the best way. A Dance of Serpents isn’t just a sequel, it’s a full-blown emotional reckoning, and one of the best things I’ve read this year. I already can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it releases next year so I can experience the heartbreak all over again.
We open with Diana having defeated Bastian, but victory doesn’t come without a cost, she’s basically losing a part of her soul, and honestly? You can feel it. She’s out for revenge now, and nothing is going to stand in her way!! Not even the Divine King himself, Eiran. Instead, Diana makes it her mission to seduce him, to become Queen of the Divine, and to take her vengeance one calculated smile at a time.
What follows is a deadly game of deceit, manipulation, and divine politics, with Keres back in the mix in ways that had me feral. There’s a particular scene where Diana and Eiran are together and Keres is coaching her through their bond, and hot diggity dawg… I had to set the book down and take a moment 🥵
Aloïs absolutely melted my heart again, he’s such a protective dad toward Diana and his refusal to let her marry Eiran? Adorable. He’s the father she deserves, and I will die on that hill. And then Keres, with the line of the century: “But he’s not your mate, is he, love?” I swear, I stopped breathing for a second there.
There’s a lot that happens after that (and I mean a lot), but it’s best experienced spoiler-free. Let’s just say war is brewing, hearts are breaking, and by the end I was crying, shouting, and staring into the void wondering what the actual hell just happened.
This book made me feel everything. It’s raw, emotional, and utterly devastating in the best way. A Dance of Serpents isn’t just a sequel, it’s a full-blown emotional reckoning, and one of the best things I’ve read this year. I already can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy when it releases next year so I can experience the heartbreak all over again.
June 24, 2026
A Dance of Serpents picks off right at the end of A Curse of Crows. You’re immediately immersed back into Diana’s life, with many plot twists, family drama, high emotions with some spicy scenes in between that could cause a heatwave.
The books are quite intense and I occasionally struggled a bit with the amount of characters and relationships between all of them, but it was definitely worth the read!
If you enjoy more intense fantasies and villain origin stories, I would definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gollancz for the arc and Lauren for the early physical copy!
The books are quite intense and I occasionally struggled a bit with the amount of characters and relationships between all of them, but it was definitely worth the read!
If you enjoy more intense fantasies and villain origin stories, I would definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gollancz for the arc and Lauren for the early physical copy!
April 24, 2026
I need therapy after this 😭
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
She isn't fighting for justice anymore; she's fighting for a crown. 🐍
Huge thank you to the publisher Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!
If A Curse of Crows left your jaw on the floor, brace yourself, because A Dance of Serpents raises the stakes to an entirely new level. Do yourself a massive favor and revisit book one before cracking this one open. The narrative thrusts you right back into the turbulent fallout of Diana’s actions, and having all that intricate world-building fresh in your head is essential before everything starts to systematically fracture.
This duology sets a new standard for how to execute a dark, captivating villain origin story. It is a much bleaker, more intense, and profoundly devastating journey than its predecessor, fully immersing the reader in cutthroat political maneuvering, godly betrayals, and a protagonist who is steadily embracing her darkest impulses.
Meet the Players
To navigate this deadly game of manipulation and deceit, you have to understand the complex, morally grey cast driving the plot:
Diana: Our fiercely resilient protagonist. Having defeated Bastian, she is walking a very fine line. Her power has grown, but it’s costing her a piece of her soul. Driven by a thirst for calculated revenge, she is willing to use everything, including seduction, to bring down the gods.
Eiran: The Divine King. Arrogant, powerful, and the primary target of Diana’s lethal charms. She has made it her mission to seduce him and become Queen of the Divine, playing a high-stakes game of manipulation right under his nose.
Keres: The character who had me completely feral this entire book. The mental and emotional bond between Keres and Diana provides some of the most scorching, high-tension moments in the entire story (there is one particular coaching scene where I had to literally set the book down to breathe).
Aloïs: Diana's fiercely protective adoptive father figure. His absolute refusal to let her marry Eiran is incredibly endearing. He is exactly the anchor of safety she deserves, and I will happily die on that hill.
The Plot: Divine Manipulation and Darker Horizons
The story follows Diana’s calculated descent into the heart of the Divine kingdom. Instead of fighting from the outside, she chooses a much more dangerous path: subversion from within. What follows is a brilliant chess match of deceit and political maneuvering, heightened by the magical bond she shares with Keres.
While the lore is incredibly rich and the tension never lets up, the narrative does occasionally suffer from its own massive scale. With a sprawling cast of characters, a few favorites from book one (like Aiden and Eva), unfortunately, fade into the background. At times, the sheer complexity and breakneck pace can feel a bit chaotic, leading to a few abrupt plot twists that seemed to lack foreshadowing.
However, where this book truly shines is its emotional execution. The passages in the latter half of the book left me with absolute emotional damage, breaking my heart into a thousand pieces.
My Verdict
A Dance of Serpents is a full-blown emotional reckoning. It doesn't shun dark themes, and it forces you to question just how far a person can be pushed by the gods before they completely lose their humanity. And that ending?! I genuinely had to sit in silence and stare into the void just to process the sheer scale of what happened.
It's a story about power, sacrifice, revenge, and the cost of becoming the very thing you once feared. Packed with unforgettable characters, shocking twists, and heartbreaking moments, this was an incredible conclusion to Diana's journey. Though it marks the end of Diana's immediate duology, the stage is perfectly set for future spin-offs in this universe. I already cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.
Huge thank you to the publisher Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!
If A Curse of Crows left your jaw on the floor, brace yourself, because A Dance of Serpents raises the stakes to an entirely new level. Do yourself a massive favor and revisit book one before cracking this one open. The narrative thrusts you right back into the turbulent fallout of Diana’s actions, and having all that intricate world-building fresh in your head is essential before everything starts to systematically fracture.
This duology sets a new standard for how to execute a dark, captivating villain origin story. It is a much bleaker, more intense, and profoundly devastating journey than its predecessor, fully immersing the reader in cutthroat political maneuvering, godly betrayals, and a protagonist who is steadily embracing her darkest impulses.
Meet the Players
To navigate this deadly game of manipulation and deceit, you have to understand the complex, morally grey cast driving the plot:
Diana: Our fiercely resilient protagonist. Having defeated Bastian, she is walking a very fine line. Her power has grown, but it’s costing her a piece of her soul. Driven by a thirst for calculated revenge, she is willing to use everything, including seduction, to bring down the gods.
Eiran: The Divine King. Arrogant, powerful, and the primary target of Diana’s lethal charms. She has made it her mission to seduce him and become Queen of the Divine, playing a high-stakes game of manipulation right under his nose.
Keres: The character who had me completely feral this entire book. The mental and emotional bond between Keres and Diana provides some of the most scorching, high-tension moments in the entire story (there is one particular coaching scene where I had to literally set the book down to breathe).
Aloïs: Diana's fiercely protective adoptive father figure. His absolute refusal to let her marry Eiran is incredibly endearing. He is exactly the anchor of safety she deserves, and I will happily die on that hill.
The Plot: Divine Manipulation and Darker Horizons
The story follows Diana’s calculated descent into the heart of the Divine kingdom. Instead of fighting from the outside, she chooses a much more dangerous path: subversion from within. What follows is a brilliant chess match of deceit and political maneuvering, heightened by the magical bond she shares with Keres.
While the lore is incredibly rich and the tension never lets up, the narrative does occasionally suffer from its own massive scale. With a sprawling cast of characters, a few favorites from book one (like Aiden and Eva), unfortunately, fade into the background. At times, the sheer complexity and breakneck pace can feel a bit chaotic, leading to a few abrupt plot twists that seemed to lack foreshadowing.
However, where this book truly shines is its emotional execution. The passages in the latter half of the book left me with absolute emotional damage, breaking my heart into a thousand pieces.
My Verdict
A Dance of Serpents is a full-blown emotional reckoning. It doesn't shun dark themes, and it forces you to question just how far a person can be pushed by the gods before they completely lose their humanity. And that ending?! I genuinely had to sit in silence and stare into the void just to process the sheer scale of what happened.
It's a story about power, sacrifice, revenge, and the cost of becoming the very thing you once feared. Packed with unforgettable characters, shocking twists, and heartbreaking moments, this was an incredible conclusion to Diana's journey. Though it marks the end of Diana's immediate duology, the stage is perfectly set for future spin-offs in this universe. I already cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Before diving into this long anticipated sequel to A Curse Of Crows, I decided to do a reread because it’s almost been a year since I’ve read the first part of Diana’s story (it’s a duology, with the possibility of a spin-off series). And boy am I glad I did, because Serpents is an equally complex and masterfully woven conclusion to this villain origin story. I’ll try to get my thoughts on paper as orderly as possible, we’ll see if I’ll succeed.
This story (beginning with Crows) is a perfect read for readers looking for an original and complex fantasy duology, about a girl turning into a villain because of everything the world and the gods keep throwing at her. It features a lot, and when I say a lot I really mean a LOT, of characters, many of which I love with all of my heart, or despise with the same amount of passion. Nothing is as it seems, darker themes aren’t shunned, there is a lot of character development and growth, and all of this is interwoven with lots of lore.
For those who want to know my more detailed thoughts, keep on reading. As I’ve said before, nothing is as it seems in this duology, which keeps the tension up and makes me sit on the edge of my seat. But sometimes, the complexity and chaos are a bit overdone. These are elements I normally love, and I appreciate these a lot in Lauren’s writing style. Unfortunately, in this book, that meant that after a while, even with the best will in the world, I lost track of the story. What’s more, some plot twists seemed to come completely out of the blue, with absolutely no foreshadowing, which made them seem rather implausible to me. Some characters who were very relevant in Book 1 faded into the background in this book (for example, Aiden and Eva), which made me miss them terribly. On the other hand, there were still plenty of things I really loved about this book. For instance, there were several passages that definitely left me with emotional damage. One scene even broke my heart into a thousand pieces; hopefully things will work out in the end. The characters go through so much in this book, it’s absolutely mind-boggling. I also really appreciated the complexity of the lore, and how it was interwoven throughout everything.
I’m really looking forward to the next books Lauren plans to write in this world, as several characters have been introduced and positioned on the stage, promising a very exciting continuation of the story.
Thank you Lauren for this ARC.
This story (beginning with Crows) is a perfect read for readers looking for an original and complex fantasy duology, about a girl turning into a villain because of everything the world and the gods keep throwing at her. It features a lot, and when I say a lot I really mean a LOT, of characters, many of which I love with all of my heart, or despise with the same amount of passion. Nothing is as it seems, darker themes aren’t shunned, there is a lot of character development and growth, and all of this is interwoven with lots of lore.
For those who want to know my more detailed thoughts, keep on reading. As I’ve said before, nothing is as it seems in this duology, which keeps the tension up and makes me sit on the edge of my seat. But sometimes, the complexity and chaos are a bit overdone. These are elements I normally love, and I appreciate these a lot in Lauren’s writing style. Unfortunately, in this book, that meant that after a while, even with the best will in the world, I lost track of the story. What’s more, some plot twists seemed to come completely out of the blue, with absolutely no foreshadowing, which made them seem rather implausible to me. Some characters who were very relevant in Book 1 faded into the background in this book (for example, Aiden and Eva), which made me miss them terribly. On the other hand, there were still plenty of things I really loved about this book. For instance, there were several passages that definitely left me with emotional damage. One scene even broke my heart into a thousand pieces; hopefully things will work out in the end. The characters go through so much in this book, it’s absolutely mind-boggling. I also really appreciated the complexity of the lore, and how it was interwoven throughout everything.
I’m really looking forward to the next books Lauren plans to write in this world, as several characters have been introduced and positioned on the stage, promising a very exciting continuation of the story.
Thank you Lauren for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
You'll hear me howling at your door for that next book, Lauren
***
I kindly got gifted a copy of this book before the release afterstalking talking to the author, for which I am eternally grateful. After quickly rereading book one to be fully up to speed, I devoured the sequel.
I read the original version back in 2022, so I thought I knew where part two would be heading. I was wrong. Dedroog completely rewrote the second part and made it much more rich, action-packed and filled with intrigue and plot twists. I spent many a moment scraping my jaw off the floor.
There were new characters which were very entertaining - hello Elyon, please appear some more thank you very much - old characters that came back to entertain me - a certain Lord comes to mind - and many more relationships, friendships and bonds to explore. The world itself got deeper and more built out, which resulted in some nice new locations to explore and live in. I myself am pretty fond of the nymph garden.
This book was also way more spicy than book one and I had the luck that all these scenes happened when I was in the middle of a packed train or university hall, so I got to train the control of my facial features while reading them. Cause uh, a specific three-dimensional scene comes to mind quite often for me *waves herself some air*.
All in all A Dance of Serpents is a worthy follow up for A Curse of Crows and dare I say even better than its predecessor. The characters, the plot, the worldbuilding... It all clicks even more for me and made reading this book an extremely fun ride.
Now uh, give book three, please, I need to know more about that specific relationship that got teased there, thank you.
***
I kindly got gifted a copy of this book before the release after
I read the original version back in 2022, so I thought I knew where part two would be heading. I was wrong. Dedroog completely rewrote the second part and made it much more rich, action-packed and filled with intrigue and plot twists. I spent many a moment scraping my jaw off the floor.
There were new characters which were very entertaining - hello Elyon, please appear some more thank you very much - old characters that came back to entertain me - a certain Lord comes to mind - and many more relationships, friendships and bonds to explore. The world itself got deeper and more built out, which resulted in some nice new locations to explore and live in. I myself am pretty fond of the nymph garden.
This book was also way more spicy than book one and I had the luck that all these scenes happened when I was in the middle of a packed train or university hall, so I got to train the control of my facial features while reading them. Cause uh, a specific three-dimensional scene comes to mind quite often for me *waves herself some air*.
All in all A Dance of Serpents is a worthy follow up for A Curse of Crows and dare I say even better than its predecessor. The characters, the plot, the worldbuilding... It all clicks even more for me and made reading this book an extremely fun ride.
Now uh, give book three, please, I need to know more about that specific relationship that got teased there, thank you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The ending to the duology, and I was ready for it. Diana was ready to step into her villain era.
We started out with her still exploring her powers and the dynamics of this new world around her. It had been a while since I last the previous one, so all the names were a bit confusing in the beginning. But after a few chapters, I got caught up and felt immersed in the story.
I loved seeing Diana scheme together with Keres, they truly were made for each other. It was fun to see her deceive the king of gods, the one character that is feared by all other beings. Keres is such a charmer, even when he isn't physically in the scene.
This book had so many plot twists, some that didn't even get their payoff yet. I am looking forward to see them unravel in the next installment placed in this world. And then there were plot twists that I didn't even see coming. I don't get surprised a lot anymore, that was so fun.
Thank you Lauren Dedroog and Netgalley for the e-ARC. All thoughts are my own.
We started out with her still exploring her powers and the dynamics of this new world around her. It had been a while since I last the previous one, so all the names were a bit confusing in the beginning. But after a few chapters, I got caught up and felt immersed in the story.
I loved seeing Diana scheme together with Keres, they truly were made for each other. It was fun to see her deceive the king of gods, the one character that is feared by all other beings. Keres is such a charmer, even when he isn't physically in the scene.
This book had so many plot twists, some that didn't even get their payoff yet. I am looking forward to see them unravel in the next installment placed in this world. And then there were plot twists that I didn't even see coming. I don't get surprised a lot anymore, that was so fun.
Thank you Lauren Dedroog and Netgalley for the e-ARC. All thoughts are my own.
April 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Gollancz for providing me with this ARC.
I really enjoyed this book, and anyone who read the first installment should absolutely pick this one up as well because, the story had only just begun in book one.
During the first 50%, I was still a bit confused about what was happening, but that was mostly my own fault since I read the first installment over a year and a half ago. Despite that, you’re thrown straight back into the story as if you had finished the previous book only minutes before.
About halfway through, the pacing really picks up and there’s a lot more action. The final chapters were incredibly emotional… honestly, where can I send my therapy bill?
Overall, this was a strong continuation of the series, and I’m really hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the next book.
I really enjoyed this book, and anyone who read the first installment should absolutely pick this one up as well because, the story had only just begun in book one.
During the first 50%, I was still a bit confused about what was happening, but that was mostly my own fault since I read the first installment over a year and a half ago. Despite that, you’re thrown straight back into the story as if you had finished the previous book only minutes before.
About halfway through, the pacing really picks up and there’s a lot more action. The final chapters were incredibly emotional… honestly, where can I send my therapy bill?
Overall, this was a strong continuation of the series, and I’m really hoping we won’t have to wait too long for the next book.
Did Not Finish
July 7, 2026DNF @46%. I felt like there was too little connection to the first edition of the first part, therefore I had a hard time getting into the story. I didn't feel as much of a connection with the characters as I used to have. Might try to read this whole duology later
June 26, 2026
Idk man I just think this book kind of slaps
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews