El lobo y la serpiente

Dark Inheritance Trilogy #1

by Rebecca Robinson

Vaasa Kozár está convencida de que la muerte la acecha, pues la extraña magia que acabó con su madre parece haber despertado en ella. Su despiadado hermano, decidido a aprovechar esta maldición para su propio beneficio, la compromete con Reid de Mireh, un implacable gobernante extranjero, con la esperanza de que la inevitable muerte de Vaasa le sirva de pretexto para invadir su nación. Pero ella no está dispuesta a ponerlo tan fácil: accede al matrimonio con la firme intención de escapar, armada con la destreza política y las habilidades de combate que su difunto padre le enseñó. Sin embargo, para su sorpresa, se dará cuenta de que Reid es un rival más astuto de lo que había pensado. Él se ofrece a contarle todo lo que sabe sobre la poderosa magia que corre por sus venas, a cambio de que le ayude a hacerse con el poder.


Mientras la estrategia letal de su hermano se pone en marcha, Vaasa tendrá que aprender a confiar en su nuevo aliado y, sobre todo, controlar la atracción que comienza a aflorar entre ella y Reid.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Magic, Fiction

480 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2024

About the author

By day, Rebecca Robinson works as a high school administrator. By night, she’s an avid reader, writer, and consumer of all things art. When she’s not writing, Rebecca loves to cook, spend time with her husband and son, and lounge in the garden with her husky.

Reviews

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

High political intrigue, lush world-building, tension filled slow burn romantic subplot and twists and turns to keep you guessing! The Serpent and the Wolf is the perfect start to a new series and a phenomenal debut!

What I loved…
- Grade A tension
- rich world building
- Lots of political intrigue and machinations
- Arranged married between rival kingdoms
- Slow burn
- A consent king + burn down the world for her + he falls first MMC
- she tries to 🔪 him
- Magic, witches, evil monsters
- Found family
- Twists + turns to keep you guessing


What I didn’t love…
- My only issue with this book is less about the book and more with the marketing. This felt like a fantasy book with a strong romantic subplot and not a true romantasy. Although I will say "romantasy" is such a weird term to try and hammer down. Everyone has slightly different definitions.
- the MMC felt a little flat for me - but I think we’re likely to get more depth from him in later books.

4.5⭐️ | TikTok | IG |

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press Books for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Maeghan 🦋 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave me the feeling of always being on the verge of getting answers but they’re not satisfactory or answering enough.
The writing was messy and choppy but it’s a debut… it just sadly never drew me in.
The slow burn was nice but the MMC didn’t feel like a character in his story… he wasn’t multi dimensional.
For me it’s a forgettable read. I had no desire to pick it up and my mind is already blank about this.

—• pre read
My local library sent my preorder a week before release date… I think this is a sign I should read it ASAP 😆

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the blurb for this book, I was very intrigued by it. Enemies to lovers in an arranged marriage who must work together to fight against evil? Yes, please.

Unfortunately, while the potential was there, the execution fell flat for me.

The first like 30% of this, I really struggled to get into it. The writing was a bit messy, the pacing felt off, and I didn’t really like the characters.
That first scene in the beginning could have been so much longer. Like give me some context, maybe the wedding that had happened on that same day? Or her travelling there? Let me get into her head a bit to understand what’s happening and why she doesn’t like him and acts the way she does? Like that scene had such potential, the set-up was so good and could have really worked well a bit later on to build tension between the two main characters, missed opportunity imo.

It turned into somewhat of an easy read (once I got past that weird beginning) even though I found the pacing to be a bit choppy.

The world building felt kind of half-baked, like a lot is explained but not in a satisfying way? I just never felt like I had a real grasp on this world and everything that was happening in it. Same with the whole plot tbh, it just left me confused most of the time.

I did like Vaasa, the fmc, she was an interesting character, albeit a confusing one. Reid, the mmc, felt very much one-dimensional to me. Also, kind of disappointing that he's described as brutal, feared by everyone, merciless, notorious, threatening (I could go on), and then he wasn’t like that at all.. He was kind of the opposite? And that’s fine! But why make him out to be something he is not? Oh yeah, because every mmc in a romantasy has to be this morally grey horrible person or whatever..

The romance between them was somewhat of a slow burn, and I appreciated that. Something else I realised while halfway through, there was no excessive talk about how insanely beautiful everyone was, and I found that to be very refreshing.

Overall, an interesting debut with potential for the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is the sexy slowburn enemies-to-lovers in the room with us?

I wanted to DNF this book immediately, but do you ever have so many negative things to say about a book that you push through reading it just so you can TRULY shit talk about it without anyone saying "Well, you didn't even finish it so how would you know?"

I finished this book as it simultaneously finished me and while I have SO MUCH negativity to spread, I have some positives.

Basically, our main character Vaasa's parents are both dead and her evil brother, in an effort to get her killed, marries her to the prince of the enemy kingdom, Reid Mireh. When she arrives there expecting her death, she instead is faced with a deal: help Reid win the votes of the council and she will be set free.

That is literally the whole plot. Insert training arcs, forced banter, political marriage yap sessions, politics, and war and you have the entire book!

I immediately hated the writing from the beginning. This is your debut and this is what you chose to do with it? It was all telling and no showing. I also hated that this book immediately jumps into the plot. If you don't read the synopsis you don't have much of a back story at ALL. We start off AT the wedding.

The ROMANCE? What do you mean it is slowburn and enemies-to-lovers romance but BRO is obsessed with her from the beginning?!?!?! She hates him yeah, but has no real reason to other than enemy territories. Once she spends just a few chapters with him she realizes he's not all that bad.

I also fucking HATED the banter. It was SOOOOO forced. Right in the first 25%, something happens to her and he has the "Who did this to you?" moment but it's not good. It was so cookie-cutter, "OHMYGOD TikTok will eat this up!" The banter was too formulaic. When he first meets her he already has a nickname for her... LET IT SIMMER AT LEAST REBECCA ROBINSON!!!

The writing did actually get good in the last 30% mark because she wrote one intimate scene and suddenly the book wasn't so bad. The smut was cringe, but the writing was greatly improved after that. I do think I'll read the second one if I can borrow it, get the ARC, or find it used because I think this series has potential!

Overall, I just wish this wasn't so formulaic! This series has potential, but it was just tropes strewn together to fit the current publishing trends.

Please keep in mind my review is based on the advanced reader's copy I received digitally. This title released on November 19, 2024 from S&S/ Saga Press!

[sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars . ⊹ ･ﾟ𖥔 ₊ ˑ

⤷ After the death of her parents, Vaasa is forced by her brother into an arranged marriage with a (soon to be) ruler from another kingdom. We were dropped straight into the middle of Vaasa and Reids wedding night where she seduces him, puts a dagger to his throat and then runs away while he is tied to their bed.

I really enjoyed Vaasa as our fmc. She was the perfect amount of cunning, fierce and strong willed! She had a lot of character development throughout the book as she struggled with accepting herself while learning about her magic. I loved reading about her healing journey and the found family through her coven. I do wish there was some more insight and background to the magic system though but hoping we will get that in the next book.

Vaasa and Reid's relationship was the perfect authentic slow burn and gave me ALLL the feels. Reid was always so attentive and patient towards Vaasa. They had really good tension throughout the story and I loved to read about them pretending to be into each other in public but they actually weren't (but they secretly were). We love a good fake dating trope

I appreciated the political intrigue. There was a lot of scheming throughout the book due to an upcoming election for Reid and it was so much fun to read! I wish some of the politics could have been a little more clear like there were a lot of names and places dropped and sometimes I struggled to follow along but idk if that was just me

Overall this book was a fun time and had a lot of potential to be great but the execution just fell a little short for me.

[DIVINITY🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

That cliffhanger should be criminal RTC

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

dec ‘25 reread review: this was even better the second time around, especially with the audio (altho i’m sad that this was not a duet, it technically makes sense since majority of the book is vaasa’s pov).

i think the serpent and the wolf is a great political fantasy novel with slow burn romance and minimal spice, which i really appreciate considering readers and the publishing industry are foaming at the mouth for spicy books.

that cliffhanger is bloody (literally) devious and i’m prepared to dive into book two now!! 💪🏼

——

original review (that the author liked🥹):
marvelous — i never like when books are compared to SJMaas because they rarely hold a candle to her work. but i love the way the serpent and the wolf not only shows it was inspired by specific SJMaas works but created something entirely new with iconic romantasy tropes. vaasa and reid are icons.

this is a series i am entirely excited for and cannot wait to see what other readers think

[Susan Carolynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romantasy with political intrigue and countless schemes? Oh yes, I'm in. If you love a complex FMC and the song Mastermind by Taylor Swift, add this book to your list!

When her ruthless brother, the king, pushes Vaasa into a political marriage with a foreign ruler, Vaasa's intends to escape. Yet Reid, her new husband, proposes that they stay married so he can win an election in exchange for information about Vaasa's growing dark magic. Except neighboring territories and Vaasa's brother bring threats to the kingdom as they know it.

Vaasa was truly the highlight of this book. I absolutely adore these black cat FMCs, who are intelligent and cunning. I loved how Vaasa deeply understood the kingdoms and machinations around her and inherently knew how to play the game of politics. And she was flawed, which only added to the dimension of her character. Even though her stubbornness and temper were frustrating at times, it made sense in context and resulted in strong character growth. Very Nesta from ACOTAR vibes. And it's giving, "all the wisest women had to do it this way, because we were born to be the pawn in every lover's game," from Mastermind.

Even though this has classic romantasy tropes (marriage of convenience, slow burn, enemies-ish to lovers), it 100% leaned more towards the fantasy side of romantasy. The romantic relationship didn't feel like the main plot, rather the political intrigue was the focus of this story. I can't even list how many political schemes there were, since each detail felt like a smaller piece on a larger chessboard.

The world-building was excellent, and I don't think I would've been this invested in the political intrigue if the setting didn't have a solid foundation. I wish the book dove a bit more into the magic system, though the concept of magic being generational and limited to one person in a familial line was great. While the pacing was slower at times, the beginning immediately hooked me. And I think there was a ton of potential for more action scenes.

However Reid, the male main character (emphasis on "main"), kind of felt like a side character. He and Vaasa didn't have enough time together on page, which somehow made the slow burn romance feel insta-love adjacent. It felt like most of their interactions were told rather than shown, or happened only when there was a significant event. During the day, Vaasa was off training for battles and with the coven, but who knows where Reid was lol. And because he wasn't on page as expected, he felt fairly one-dimensional. Though I definitely will continue this series—that cliff-hanger ending omg!

[Jenni ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Saga Press for sending me a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5.

Tropes:

•He falls first
•Found family
•One bed trope
•Who hurt you

"I have collected a thousand words, and yet I cannot find a single one to tell you what comes alive inside of me when you are near."

I went into this with absolutely no expectations and didn’t even think much of it to be completely honest.

BUT NOW? AFTER FINISHING?! IT IS MY NEW OBSESSION. I INHALED THIS BOOK. IT IS ABSOLUTE PERFECTION AND IT IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE ROMANTASY OF THE YEAR (so far). This was absolutely phenomenal! I cannot stop thinking about it!!

It had everything I loved in a romantasy. Tension was so THICCCCC I couldn’t even breatheeeee The stakes were so high. The PLOT TWIST AT THE END??? I WAS GASPING FOR AIR!!

Had some minor issues with the politics and the scheming. (I’m just a visual person so it would’ve been nice to see everything with the map)

My only major problem with this is we didn’t really get an explanation as to why Reid fell for Vaasa (Do not get me wrong. Reid is literally the man of my dreams) why he loved her first or why he is so willing to love her? I kept thinking we were gunna get an explanation towards the end at his POV but we didn’t? Hopefully we get answers in book 2 which I will be on my knees begging for.

[shaelinslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOOOO. This book was GOOD.

The politics of this world were so easy to digest, I felt like everything just came together so nicely- and the love story was believable too, despite the heavy world building which I loved.

The politics were anger-inducing, interesting, and were cohesive to the story. And the LOVE STORY? The tension was high, the reluctant allies were giving, and I overall just fell in love with the storyline of this book.

The only thing I struggled with (and this was a minor thing), was Vaasa sometimes had an attitude. But, it matched with her history, and character arc, so overall I can’t complain too much about that.

The MMC was hunky, sweet, and a good person that I loved so much. Truly golden retriever energy.

5 stars, this was an all-around good time. I am in love with Reid, and need book 2 IMMEDIATELY because that ending deserved jailtime.

[[̲̅K̲̅][̲̅a̲̅][̲̅t̲̅][̲̅i̲̅][̲̅e̲̅] (semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book jumps right into it by introducing us to the characters on the night of their wedding. I was pleasantly surprised at how engaging and fast paced everything was until I felt like the story just kind of stopped. The first chapter and the last 4 were exciting and the rest of the book was as slow as slow can be.

Along with being slow there were problems with the actual book itself. There was little romance, and our two main characters were bland. Whatever magic system was going on; I was lost. There was A LOT of talk of magic but I genuinely had no idea how any of it worked.

Also, when did it stop being romantic to call someone by their name?! His nickname for her was Wild One and I just couldn't get over that.








Pre-review⁀➴


I desperately need this to be a good book 🤞

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's kind of reassuring, in a weird way, to see just how little has changed in romance novels over the years. The men still smirk. The women still pout and simper. Heavy glances are still exchanged and bodices are still ripped. Nowadays we have dragons and vampires and other fancy stuff thrown in there too (like black fog hands: see below), but it’s all ultimately to the same end.

Importantly though, in a post-Me-Too society, permission is asked frequently and very seriously by the male protagonist which- if it is done well- is delightfully affirming, a nice change from the domineering brute of earlier decades of literature. If it’s not done well, it can feel corny and forced, as the characters pivot back and forth between the tired old dynamic of overbearing he-man and sensitive modern beau.

Guess which one prevails in Serpent and Wolf. We are introduced to the two main characters on their wedding night, when Vaasa is making plans to tie her new (and very much unwanted) husband Reid to the bed, kill him, and jump out the window. She completes step number one, but since he has asked her permission first to enact wedding-night shenanigans, decides to skip number two and move right to three.

Choice is very important to Vaasa (whose full name Vaasalisa, I didn’t know how to pronounce, so I mentally referred to her as Vaseline throughout the entire novel). Vaseline has been raised as a political tool her entire life, first by her father, then her brother. Or so we’re told. There are a lot of extremely vague allusions made to the training Vaseline has received early in life from her father, as well as her unhappy home life, yet we’re given almost no details beyond this. I thought a flashback or two in the first half of the book would have been helpful.

The descriptive details are all similarly vague (there somehow manages to be both too much, and too little description at the same time). I cannot picture a single setting described in the book, simply because they lack any sort of distinctiveness. An example: Reid and Vaasa’s bedroom, which has “a well-furnished living space, brown couches and a wooden table”. The latter thinks it is the most beautiful room she’s ever been in! I guess we’ll have to take her word for it.

The characterization in the book is all similarly uninspired, based on tropes and cliches. I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in either Vaasa or Reid. I just didn’t care about them (or frankly like them very much). Reid alternates between being smug and provocative, and overly-attentive. Vaseline behaves like a sullen brat, throughout. Their marriage-of-convenience often feels forced, the author throwing them in contrived situations to force physical intimacy. To be fair, this is a genre stand-by, but as such it can be done with far greater finesse. There were also several dozen other minor characters I didn't care about enough to keep straight. Were they necessary? Maybe. Maybe not. Did their addition confuse the heck out of everything? Yup, sure did.

One final point: as a fantasy lover, I have high expectations for magic. If you’re going to include it in your world (which most fantasy novels of course do) then make it worthwhile. Black fog hands are not that. I feel as if the author had some sort of a cool picture in her head of her heroine surrounded by scary, dramatic black smoke clouds, and thought that image would be enough. Hot take: it isn't. There are so many better, more well-thought out magic systems out there. Put more effort in. There was some good potential in the metaphor of dark magic and negative emotions, but unfortunately I didn’t feel it was explored deeply enough.

To be honest, I was done with The Serpent and the Wolf almost before I’d begun. The writing lacks any sort of polish, craft or originality, it felt as if the writer was just copying other similar works she's read. I was bored, and if I didn’t have an ARC copy, I’d have put it down in the first few pages. As it was, I persevered to the bitter and predictable end (though admittedly, I skimmed more and more as I got further in). It didn’t get better as it went. The romantasy market has gotten rather crowded of late. There are better books out there in the sub-genre to spend your time on (see: A Fate Inked In Blood, for a semi-similar plot, with better execution).

[Nerdread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for giving me the chance to read this book early in exchange for honest opinion!

Book Review:

4.5 Stars

Whoa, Mrs. Robinson! You’ve made quite an entrance! We love to see it!

The Serpent and the Wolf is a debut Romantasy novel, and fingers crossed, the start of a series filled with kingdoms, magic, and unforgettable characters at its core.

And what’s a Romantasy without the tropes we all adore? This book delivers:

🐍 Enemies to Lovers
🐍 Slow Burn
🐍 A strong female lead with a sharp mind
🐍 A strong male lead who’s a cinnamon roll at heart
🐍 Grumpy/Sunshine dynamic (with the female lead as the grump)
🐍 Arranged Marriage/Fake Dating
🐍 “My wife” moments
🐍 Found Family
🐍 Powers/Magic
🐍 Political Intrigue

The story kicks off with a bang and hooks you right from the start! We dive into the chaos of their first night after the wedding, and what follows is a thrilling mix of adventure, fantasy, and romance! Vassa, the main character, is brilliant, calculating, and a bit grumpy, but she has a heart of gold. Reid, the love interest, may look tough on the outside, but inside, he’s a total cinnamon roll with a strong bond to his family—quite the opposite of Vassa. Honestly, when I first started reading, all I could picture was Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones as Reid! And really, who doesn’t love Jason Momoa?

This book lays a solid foundation for a promising series with likable main characters, rich world-building, fantastical elements, and side characters who absolutely need their own stories in the future!

I highly recommend it! If you’re a Romantasy fan like me, be sure to preorder this gem! Thanks again to NetGalley for the ARC!

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new fantasy romance book and I'm interested to see where it heads in the second book. This book has so much political intrigue and that was probably one of my favorite aspects of it. The fmc Vaasa is married off by her brother who sees her as a threat to him inheriting the throne to prevent this he marries her off to the mmc Reid who is known as a ruthless leader. I really enjoyed their first meeting after the wedding when she tied him up on the bed and left him without help, that was so fun and really showed how much the fmc did not like him. They meet again when she has to take her place as his wife and we then get lots of action, politics, worldbuilding and chemistry between the mcs. I found the fmc's serpent powers/darkness interesting and would like to know more about what it can do. There is angst and some steam in this but I really liked that it didn't happen immediately and took time to develop. Overall this was an interesting read and I'm here for the second book. Thank you Saga Press for this arc for an honest review.

Read for:
- Fantasy romance
- Political intrigue
- Slow burn
- Action and adventure

[Reaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an early copy of this and was beyond thrilled to read it. 4.5 ⭐️ but I’m rounding up to 5. The enemies to lovers plot line was more one sided dislike to love. I did love the world building and found the magic to be incredibly interesting. The fmc has lots of character growth which I appreciated. The mmc, Reid, is strong, capable, and caring. He never once hated Vaasa, the fmc. A solid start to a new fantasy especially if you love witches, a black cat fmc, a mmc who would burn the world for the fmc, and a unique setting. Basically take Nesta from acotar and make her a witch and then pair her with Rowan from tog, but give him dark hair and Scottish warrior vibes and then BAM. You have this couple’s dynamic.

[Kate - soberbookbabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is gonna be well loved for sure by the romantasy world. It’s so friggin good! If you enjoy Carissa Broadbent, Raven Kennedy, and Sarah J Maas- this story will be right up your alley.

The story centers around Vaasa, a princess from an incredibly cruel and domineering country that has sold her into marriage to a man she doesn’t know.

Vaasa’s no damsel in distress though. She is everything she was raised to be: sly, dangerous, and cold. She is a well crafted weapon. Learning how to love and trust is actually a big part of her journey.

And the guy she’s just been forced to marry (then tie to a bed, threaten to kill, and escape from)? Well that’s Reid, the Wolf of Mireh. And it’s basically love at first death threat for him. He’s got big Cassian vibes.

There is political intrigue, magic, and a whole new world and culture to dive into here. Robinson’s world building is excellent, but it was her relationship building that totally won me. This is a really interesting, fun, emotional, and well told story. Definitely check it out!

Thank you Rebecca Robinson and Saga Press for letting me read an early copy of this book.

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

whatever drug was put into this book I kindly request it be injected straight into my veins thank you.

give me more political intrigue. give me more world building and the inner workings and political tension within this magical world. give me the second book now please. i am begging thank you

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star rating: 5 🌟
Spice Rating: 2 🥵🔥

Dismissing your emotions doesn’t make them disappear, it only gives them reason to rise later without your constant.”

Oh my god?! So, a little back story…. I was strolling my local bookstore on the most recent new release Tuesday and saw this book with one of the prettiest covers ever. I was obsessed and as soon as I read the back I knew it immediately had to come home with me and I needed to start it immediately. I had heard nothing about this book, but the premise immediately intrigued me…. HOW DID I NOT HEAR EARLY REVIEWS YELLING FROM THE ROOFS ABOUT THIS BOOK?!?! I absolutely ate it UP and this fully got me back into my fantasy romance era (thank god, because being in this era just hits different).

I need book two like yesterday because that ending?!?! Nah Rebecca you wrong for that! I will be thinking about these characters and this story until I am able to have book two in my hands. I thought it was so much fun, and such a great start to this fantasy.. series? Duopoly?? I dont even know but I had a blast and i was absolutely SIMPING over the MMC (I could never have too much Reid in my life…. Maybe I should just go ahead and do a reread so I can be in a world where he exists again??)🥰

[Brend · Rating 3 out of 5]

See, the key to get me to care about your story is giving me… ummm… at least one thing to give a shit about? I thought it was obvious but, hey, putting it in writing just in case.

The political part of the plot was actually boring. I would’ve cared if the characters were lovable.
The characters were unlovable. I would’ve cared if the plot had been good.

Someone will enjoy this.

[Abbie Toria · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[brewdy_reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romantasy • Fantasy • Witches
Pub Date • 19 November 2024

For those who love a good marriage of convenience, with a cat and mouse dynamic (but make it serpent and wolf dynamic), look no further. Introducing your next bingeable romantasy novel:

Vaasalissa is meant to be a pawn in her brother’s rise to power. Served up on a platter Trojan horse style, she’s sent into enemy territory under guise of an arranged marriage. Honed like a knife, having mastered no less than 7 languages, political scheming, and even some hand-to-hand combat skills, Vaasa is just looking for her nearest exit strategy.

Her new husband (and foreign ruler) Reid needs her though, or maybe it’s just want. He is not so intimidated by the metaphorical snake in the grass.

Slow burning with a couple of spicy scenes, the pacing starts fast from the jump, slowing a bit through the middle focusing more on self-healing, friendships, and internal political machinations. The last quarter is adrenaline pumping action.

I took a not-so-small amount of glee in the various twists and turns, most of which I did not see coming.

There’s a bit of a cliff hanger in the final pages but enough of the first book plot was resolved to keep me happy. I was pleased with this romantasy debut and looking forward to the next installment from Rebecca Robinson.

[Sandra Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Serpent and the Wolf" is a debut that hits hard and fast with danger, magic and betrayal from the beginning. The story throws you into a brutal world of political games and dark power, where the female lead, Vaasa Kozár, is forced into a marriage she never consented to, with a ruthless warlord, Reid of Mireh. The set-up is gritty and oppressive, but also intriguing enough that once I started, I couldn’t put the book down.

What stands out most is the worldbuilding. Rebecca Robinson builds a political fantasy realm full of scheming court intrigue, warring kingdoms, and a magic system that feels dangerous and ancient.

The romance is slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers done right. Vaasa starts bitter, suspicious, wounded and Reid, for all his power and danger, shows judgment, patience, and a strange softness. Their slow transformation, from mutual distrust to fragile trust, is written with tension and emotion. The chemistry simmers under the political conflict and magical stakes, giving the romance both danger and depth.

The balance between political plot, dark magic, and emotional character arcs is impressively handled. Scenes of court intrigue, betrayal, and magical struggle alternate with quieter but powerful moments of connection, growth, and moral conflict. The pacing keeps you hooked even when things slow down, danger is never far away.

Overall, "The Serpent and the Wolf" is a powerful mix of grim fantasy, intense magic, and emotionally charged romance. It’s not light, the world is harsh, the politics ruthless, and the consequences real, but that’s part of what makes it compelling.

[Kilikina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rebecca Robinson crafted an entirely original story in a heavily-saturated Romantasy genre. Everything about this book was a breath of fresh air. I went into this basically blind since there are minimal ARC reviews for this, and I'm so glad I did.

I loved that Rebecca strayed away from a lot of overdone tropes - there's still plenty of action, romance, dense worldbuilding, and tension, but this book did not suffer from repetitive overused tropes and stands out for that reason. The writing is more mature than a lot of books in this genre, and it's definitely more politics-heavy. I loved the romance and world created here. Vaasa & Reid were a dream on their own and together - without spoiling anything, I loved their relationship, and that cliff-hanger ending has me reeling for book 2!

All in all, I loved this and I can definitely see this blowing up!

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!!!

Holy COW!!!!!!! 5 star read, incredible. Give me 14 of ‘em right now. This book has some of my favorite tropes of all time, and each and every one was done so well.

✨true enemies to lovers (she tries to kill him on their wedding night)
✨slowwwwwwww burn
✨touch her and die
✨"who did this to you?"
✨arranged marriage
✨faking being in love
✨one bed AND one horse
✨"where’s my wife?"
✨banter 😮‍💨

Amazing political intrigue, and world building. It’s one of the best romances I’ve read in a while where it feels so genuine and well paced. I read this book in one sitting. I am so excited for the rest of this trilogy. EVERYONE GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW!!! I cannot believe this is a debut novel.

[Mel Lenore · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

I loved the banter in here, and I really enjoyed the world building we got. I wish it had dived deeper into a few things overall. The slow burn was incredible, and I kept wanting more moments of them together. I think I will really enjoy book 2!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we meet Vaasa, she is enraged that she was forced into a marriage with a foreign ruler by her brother. Their father is now dead, leaving her brother to rule. Their mother died from some strange ailment/magic and Vaasa believes that she has inherited whatever killed her mother, some sort of dark magic, and is desperate to learn more about it and to live. To do that, she has to escape her new husband, Reid of Mireh. Luckily, their father trained Vaasa in many things including knife skills and language skills.

Reid turns out to be a very wise and strong leader, with tenderness for his new wife, no matter how furious she is at her situation. As you may expect, they eventually come to an understanding, or at least a deal, and learn to coexist and to play politics for Reid’s sake.

The magic system was pretty interesting and intricate, with different covens having different powers. I loved the found family theme, along with all the political scheming.

In addition to Found Family, this romantasy has: Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Strong FMC with warrior skills and a brilliant mind, Strong MMC with a soft heart, Arranged Marriage, and a kind of Grumpy/Sunshine. There are probably some others that I’m forgetting!

It is hard for me to believe this is a debut novel, but it is! I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. (Warning: it ends in a cliffhanger, something I hate, but there it is.)

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Cait Ireen | caitireenreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5⭐️
2/5🌶️

Oh MAN was this a FUN READ! I had such a blast. The banter and chemistry between Vaasa and Reid was cheeeeeef’s flippin kiss- so many moments where I was kicking my toesies and reacting out loud! 😂 I loved the magic system in place, the whiffs of fake relationship and resisting the undeniable pull, plus the basically double twist at the end. And OH EM GEE THAT CLIFFHANGER! Ohhhh naurrrrrr! I’m dying to read what happens next. What a fun time; I’m so glad I was given this book to read!

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don’t have much to say about this book so I’ll keep the review short. both the main characters Vaasa and Reid are flat and in turn, so is the romance. the writing is kind of clunky and the world building leans towards info dumping. i couldn’t even tell you how the magic works or why it exists, i spent a lot of the book kinda confused honestly. i did appreciate that the relationship between Vaasa and Reid was a true slow burn, i just didn’t connect to anything goin on like i hoped to. there’s also an element of found family that’s always nice to see for me since that’s one of my fav tropes. one thing i will say is that the ending was kind of interesting though and my only real hope is that the structure of the story has some very needed improvement if there is going to be a sequel cause i really do believe there’s potential here. i don’t think this is a bad book, just underwhelming.

➛ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Saga Press for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[Shannon Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

He looked at her now in a way no one else had ever looked at her, like all of her sharp edges just softened and glowed. Like to be loved by her was truly enough. And maybe she was destined to lose everything she’d ever loved, maybe it would shatter her into a thousand small pieces, but that single look felt worth breaking for. So she whispered, “Remind me who I am. Where I am. Because I think you are the only one who really knows.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Oh man this book had my mind all over the place! The romance really made this for me! The tension and dialogue between the FMC and MMC was so good! There was also a lot of great character growth though out the whole book!

I wish there could have been alittle more world building instead of just throwing you in the story. It was alittle clunky in the middle but this book definitely got better the more I read and the last 50 pages,definitely made the book for me! I will for sure be reading book two with that cliffhanger!

[Kaitlyn 🌙 🦇 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Serpent and the Wolf started off with promise, but about halfway through, it began to feel stagnant. There was a lot of dialogue and exposition, but not much actual plot progression, which made it feel a bit flat. I also didn’t find myself particularly drawn to the male main character. While he came across as kind and honorable, his personality felt somewhat bland.

What I did enjoy, however, was the strong focus on found family and sisterhood. The FMC’s journey of discovering her worth and finding a coven after a life of being used as a tool by her family was both empowering and heartfelt. This aspect of the story really stood out and gave it emotional depth.

While I haven’t decided if I’ll continue with the next book, I can see the potential for the series to grow. It’ll be interesting to see if the story expands in a way that builds on its strengths.