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Snake Wife
For centuries, the Waster Women of House Est have wielded power that could build thrones or bring them to ruin. Liama was one of them, blessed by an ancient goddess with dominion over flesh and blood and destined to pass that power on to her daughter. Then, ten years ago, that destiny was shattered by meeting the eye of a stranger. Robbed of her memories and her freedom, Liama wakes each dawn as the wife of a powerless man who wields her violent abilities to hold his usurped throne.
When a single touch begins to fracture the power binding her memories, Liama faces an agonizing remain in the gilded cage of her marriage, where a tenuous agreement keeps her daughter safe, or risk it all on a forgotten alliance that could put a crown on Liama's head, and a dagger in her daughter's heart.
In a land where women bear the weight of both salvation and destruction, Liama will rupture ancient bonds and tear the veil between worlds to protect her daughter. But to save the girl from inheriting her fate, Liama will have to shatter the bones of everything the Wasters have built, remaking their legacy from spilled blood.
When a single touch begins to fracture the power binding her memories, Liama faces an agonizing remain in the gilded cage of her marriage, where a tenuous agreement keeps her daughter safe, or risk it all on a forgotten alliance that could put a crown on Liama's head, and a dagger in her daughter's heart.
In a land where women bear the weight of both salvation and destruction, Liama will rupture ancient bonds and tear the veil between worlds to protect her daughter. But to save the girl from inheriting her fate, Liama will have to shatter the bones of everything the Wasters have built, remaking their legacy from spilled blood.
- GenresFantasy
413 pages, Paperback
Published December 4, 2025
About the author
Samantha Burgess-Smith
2 books14 followersSamantha Burgess-Smith has been writing stories since the 4th grade. Her first short story was a Sleeping Beauty retelling in which the princess and the dragon live happily ever after.
Award-winning in her field, Burgess-Smith has been on the founding teams of 3 start-up businesses, including an international non-profit. Following the death of her father and the birth of her two daughters, she evolved her entrepreneurship career into a return to her first love, writing.
Graduating with a degree in Literature with a specialization in Feminist Film Theory, Burgess-Smith has a deep fascination with elements of literary theory such as structure/form as content, the narrative gaze, and the reimagination of common tropes through the feminine lens. Experimentation with these elements comprises much of her work, as well as her meticulously high self-imposed standards for damn good dialogue.
Snake Wife, with its intense and intimate exploration of the maternal in fantasy fiction, is her debut novel.
Award-winning in her field, Burgess-Smith has been on the founding teams of 3 start-up businesses, including an international non-profit. Following the death of her father and the birth of her two daughters, she evolved her entrepreneurship career into a return to her first love, writing.
Graduating with a degree in Literature with a specialization in Feminist Film Theory, Burgess-Smith has a deep fascination with elements of literary theory such as structure/form as content, the narrative gaze, and the reimagination of common tropes through the feminine lens. Experimentation with these elements comprises much of her work, as well as her meticulously high self-imposed standards for damn good dialogue.
Snake Wife, with its intense and intimate exploration of the maternal in fantasy fiction, is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 7, 2026
I absolutely loved this book. Seeing a female protagonist who is a mother (rather than yet another teenage girl) was more than refreshing; it was deeply relatable. Liama’s struggles, desires, and inner conflicts felt genuine and deeply relatable, which made it easy to become invested in her story.
Before I knew it, I was fully hooked and racing through the pages, eager to see what would happen next. I sure hope there’s another book on the horizon, because I’m eager to follow these characters and this world and see where the story goes next!
Before I knew it, I was fully hooked and racing through the pages, eager to see what would happen next. I sure hope there’s another book on the horizon, because I’m eager to follow these characters and this world and see where the story goes next!
March 22, 2026
Liama inherits the power of Wasting, the same power that her mother, and all the mothers of their line, have stewarded from the Sacred Wood since ancient days. In media res, Liama is now a Chieftainess of a local kingdom and wife to its treacherous ruler with little knowledge as to how she, and her young daughter, got there. One interaction leads to a discovery, a small remembering, which sets her on a journey into the past. Will she find herself to have been a force of good that has been oppressed? Or, will she find herself the oppressor?
“I am yanked, tugged, displaced unceasingly in the thin space between raising my child in the fullness of her heritage, and making of her another weapon to be wielded by powerless men.”
My thoughts–
This novel has been one of the most refreshing pieces of literary fiction I have read in a long time. Burgess-Smith strings fantasy, mystery, feminism, and romance together in its own unprecedented tapestry. We live in a time where we want answers immediately–everything now, now, now. And yet, this book helps me remember the forgotten art of curiosity.
What does it actually mean to be someone’s daughter? How does my relationship with my own mother shape who I am? Has the wisdom of the women before me been ignored or heeded?
How do I raise a child, flawed as I am, to be proud of her heritage? And if her protection meant I must lose my humanity, would she see me as the oppressor or the oppressed?
My advice to readers–learn to be content with the mystery of this novel until it unfolds in its crescendo. Get comfy in the unknown. It is not so much that you don’t know what’s going on; Rather, you know just enough to make you want to keep reading, keep discovering, keep remembering–just as Liama must do, herself.
Quotes
“And I know, without knowing how I know, that we have done this before.”
“‘So I am not the only good Waster?’ she asks, in such a way that I do not know how best to answer. And so I do as these women we discuss have taught me. I do so with honesty.”
“I am yanked, tugged, displaced unceasingly in the thin space between raising my child in the fullness of her heritage, and making of her another weapon to be wielded by powerless men.”
My thoughts–
This novel has been one of the most refreshing pieces of literary fiction I have read in a long time. Burgess-Smith strings fantasy, mystery, feminism, and romance together in its own unprecedented tapestry. We live in a time where we want answers immediately–everything now, now, now. And yet, this book helps me remember the forgotten art of curiosity.
What does it actually mean to be someone’s daughter? How does my relationship with my own mother shape who I am? Has the wisdom of the women before me been ignored or heeded?
How do I raise a child, flawed as I am, to be proud of her heritage? And if her protection meant I must lose my humanity, would she see me as the oppressor or the oppressed?
My advice to readers–learn to be content with the mystery of this novel until it unfolds in its crescendo. Get comfy in the unknown. It is not so much that you don’t know what’s going on; Rather, you know just enough to make you want to keep reading, keep discovering, keep remembering–just as Liama must do, herself.
Quotes
“And I know, without knowing how I know, that we have done this before.”
“‘So I am not the only good Waster?’ she asks, in such a way that I do not know how best to answer. And so I do as these women we discuss have taught me. I do so with honesty.”
September 11, 2026
I have never been so conflicted about how to rate a book before.
The world that the author created here is AMAZING. I'm absolutely 10000000% in love with it. I want to read more. It's unique, it's fun, it's exciting, it's harsh and emotional (I sobbed uncontrollably through parts of this book), it's sexy, it feels so wildly real while being so full of magic. I'm absolutely dying to read more of it.
Yet I'm also hesitant to recommend this book because I have so many questions about the ending. Like I honestly am not sure I even understand what happened. Obviously there's sequels planned, and the book had to end somewhere without being too long, but I feel like I have so many unanswered questions and the ending is so vague it was disappointing. Especially after the rest of the book was so fantastic.
Hopefully sequels will have more room for answers because I'm very curious to see what else she'll do with this world.
The world that the author created here is AMAZING. I'm absolutely 10000000% in love with it. I want to read more. It's unique, it's fun, it's exciting, it's harsh and emotional (I sobbed uncontrollably through parts of this book), it's sexy, it feels so wildly real while being so full of magic. I'm absolutely dying to read more of it.
Yet I'm also hesitant to recommend this book because I have so many questions about the ending. Like I honestly am not sure I even understand what happened. Obviously there's sequels planned, and the book had to end somewhere without being too long, but I feel like I have so many unanswered questions and the ending is so vague it was disappointing. Especially after the rest of the book was so fantastic.
Hopefully sequels will have more room for answers because I'm very curious to see what else she'll do with this world.
February 21, 2026
Snake Wife is a gripping tale of good and evil (and all the gray in between) told on an epic fantasy scale. It is not only a story of motherhood, with its daily battles and sacrifices, and the constant tension between personal desire, the greater good, and the good of one’s child; it is also a timeless hero’s journey set in a dark, magical, and deeply intriguing world. Burgess-Smith’s storytelling is skillful and immersive—I found myself lost in the world and lives she so vividly conjured. Even if fantasy isn’t your usual genre, you’ll fall in love with this emotional and thrilling legend.
April 9, 2026
I loved this story so much!! I don’t typically read fantasy, but I was hooked from page 1. Burgess-Smith effortlessly slips you into a world that is vibrant and mystical without it feeling contrived or cumbersome. It’s like I was there all along. Our MC is strong while also being incredibly relatable. The writing is also beautiful. Full of emotion and incredible twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes, while still investing so much in the characters. It’s a beautiful and moving reflection on not just motherhood and memory, but also grief and loss and the prices we pay to avoid the wrath of both.
March 30, 2026
Snake Wife is so thought provoking and such an interesting read. Every character felt unique and from the start I was invested in their trajectory! I think ill make it a yearly read because I feel like I will learn more each time!
April 19, 2026
A tricksey tale.
Richly engaging. Resonance of old tales blended with newly imagined feats. Bloody and tragic and uplifting. epically strong women. Loved it
Richly engaging. Resonance of old tales blended with newly imagined feats. Bloody and tragic and uplifting. epically strong women. Loved it
April 9, 2026
I loved this story so much!! I don’t typically read fantasy, but I was hooked from page 1. Burgess-Smith effortlessly slips you into a world that is vibrant and mystical without it feeling contrived or cumbersome. It’s like I was there all along. Our MC is strong while also being incredibly relatable. The writing is also beautiful. Full of emotion and incredible twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes, while still investing so much in the characters. It’s a beautiful and moving reflection on not just motherhood and memory, but also grief and loss and the prices we pay to avoid the wrath of both.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews