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The Serpents and Kings Trilogy #1-3
The Serpents and Kings Trilogy
hree books. One completed story. 1500+ pages full of magic, monsters, and forbidden romance—the perfect next read for fans of Sarah J. Maas!
A cursed woman.
A powerful prince.
A forbidden love, and an empire hanging in the balance...
Decades ago, the High King of Sundolia waged a war that vanquished the Serpent clan and drove them out of the empire, reducing them to nothing more than legends spoken of in occasional frightened whispers.
But they did not leave peacefully.
Their parting gift included curses that now rest within the empire’s soil, beneath the shade of its jungles, treading through the waves of its seas. Growing more and more dormant as the years pass under the rule of that increasingly tyrannical high king. Until Alaya—a young woman with a hidden Serpent mark who shouldn’t exist—accidentally wakes one of them up.
Then another.
And suddenly she finds herself exiled from her adopted village and left with no choice but to seek the truth about her lost clan and the so-called curses they left behind. About her true home. About a power, stolen from the Serpent goddess herself, that is supposedly resting in that home.
It is the sort of power that could help her overthrow a king, expose the lies he’s told, and put a stop to his wars.
The crown prince of Sundolia claims he wants to put a stop to those wars with her. That he only wants to help her find that power so he can undo the horrors his father has created. All they have to do is find a way to trust each other.
But the closer they get to that power, the more complicated the truth—and the trust— becomes. The more dangerous Alaya’s waking power seems. And the more she begins to wonder: Can you still be the hero if you were born a curse?
A cursed woman.
A powerful prince.
A forbidden love, and an empire hanging in the balance...
Decades ago, the High King of Sundolia waged a war that vanquished the Serpent clan and drove them out of the empire, reducing them to nothing more than legends spoken of in occasional frightened whispers.
But they did not leave peacefully.
Their parting gift included curses that now rest within the empire’s soil, beneath the shade of its jungles, treading through the waves of its seas. Growing more and more dormant as the years pass under the rule of that increasingly tyrannical high king. Until Alaya—a young woman with a hidden Serpent mark who shouldn’t exist—accidentally wakes one of them up.
Then another.
And suddenly she finds herself exiled from her adopted village and left with no choice but to seek the truth about her lost clan and the so-called curses they left behind. About her true home. About a power, stolen from the Serpent goddess herself, that is supposedly resting in that home.
It is the sort of power that could help her overthrow a king, expose the lies he’s told, and put a stop to his wars.
The crown prince of Sundolia claims he wants to put a stop to those wars with her. That he only wants to help her find that power so he can undo the horrors his father has created. All they have to do is find a way to trust each other.
But the closer they get to that power, the more complicated the truth—and the trust— becomes. The more dangerous Alaya’s waking power seems. And the more she begins to wonder: Can you still be the hero if you were born a curse?
1218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2020
363 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
S.M. Gaither
29 books2,077 followersI don't check Goodreads regularly, but you're welcome to send me an email (smgaitherbooks@gmail.com) anytime!
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As a kid, S.M. Gaither spent way too much time playing video games like Final Fantasy and reading every book she could get her hands on instead of doing silly things like her assigned homework. As an adult…Well, not much has changed. Her goal is to write books that distract others from their life’s obligations, too, thus creating an army of fellow procrastinators over which she can reign supreme. These days, her personal favorite places to procrastinate are in the mountains near her North Carolina home, in the company of her husband, their daughter, and their very spoiled dog.
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As a kid, S.M. Gaither spent way too much time playing video games like Final Fantasy and reading every book she could get her hands on instead of doing silly things like her assigned homework. As an adult…Well, not much has changed. Her goal is to write books that distract others from their life’s obligations, too, thus creating an army of fellow procrastinators over which she can reign supreme. These days, her personal favorite places to procrastinate are in the mountains near her North Carolina home, in the company of her husband, their daughter, and their very spoiled dog.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 8, 2025
If you enjoy epic fantasy, great world building, and characters that develop and grow during the books - give the Serpents and Kings trilogy a shot. You'll not regret it!
July 10, 2020
Queen of Cursed Things
This is a story about a girl who is hated and feared since conception for no reason other than being who she is. It could easily have gotten preachy or overly PC with a protagonist who must hide who she is and pass as a lesser citizen in a community of rejects but it doesn't. Instead we are given a strong heroine who struggles through discovering who she is while falling in love with an unlikely ally.
King of Burning Skies
Queen of Cursed Things was a fabulous book and with the way it ended I had no idea which direction this book was going to go. Knowing this is a trilogy you always worry about 2nd book doldrums but WOW! did King of Burning Skies deliver! Fast paced, action-filled, descriptive scenes that just draw you in. We got some new characters, and a new look at familiar characters. Resolution to some problems, and a whole host of new ones. The sickness and depravity of the king juxtaposed against the desperation and temptation of the prince was exquisitely done. The romance - has there ever been a more star crossed pair of lovers? Her essence is literal poison to him, his people tried to eradicate hers and yet, and yet.
Empire of Empty Wars
I had seriously high expectations going into this one, and it did not disappoint. The opening was dark, as expected based on the abrupt ending to part 2. I liked how this book revisited characters and themes from earlier and in some places brought closure, in others brought new light and perspective.
This is the final war between two parties and there are no easy decisions. The conflict was expressed on all levels from personal decisions, to parties within a side making decisions, to the larger battle affecting them all. I would have liked to see a little more conclusion to the story - there was nothing to be seen after the battle but dark, and a possible reason for that was given, but was there sight after the battle?
It was a long book, but the pacing was good. There were parts where I could hardly flip the virtual page fast enough and parts I slowed down to savor. It was a satisfying conclusion to the series and had all the elements I was looking for and all my favorite characters played important roles.
This is a story about a girl who is hated and feared since conception for no reason other than being who she is. It could easily have gotten preachy or overly PC with a protagonist who must hide who she is and pass as a lesser citizen in a community of rejects but it doesn't. Instead we are given a strong heroine who struggles through discovering who she is while falling in love with an unlikely ally.
King of Burning Skies
Queen of Cursed Things was a fabulous book and with the way it ended I had no idea which direction this book was going to go. Knowing this is a trilogy you always worry about 2nd book doldrums but WOW! did King of Burning Skies deliver! Fast paced, action-filled, descriptive scenes that just draw you in. We got some new characters, and a new look at familiar characters. Resolution to some problems, and a whole host of new ones. The sickness and depravity of the king juxtaposed against the desperation and temptation of the prince was exquisitely done. The romance - has there ever been a more star crossed pair of lovers? Her essence is literal poison to him, his people tried to eradicate hers and yet, and yet.
Empire of Empty Wars
I had seriously high expectations going into this one, and it did not disappoint. The opening was dark, as expected based on the abrupt ending to part 2. I liked how this book revisited characters and themes from earlier and in some places brought closure, in others brought new light and perspective.
This is the final war between two parties and there are no easy decisions. The conflict was expressed on all levels from personal decisions, to parties within a side making decisions, to the larger battle affecting them all. I would have liked to see a little more conclusion to the story - there was nothing to be seen after the battle but dark, and a possible reason for that was given, but was there sight after the battle?
It was a long book, but the pacing was good. There were parts where I could hardly flip the virtual page fast enough and parts I slowed down to savor. It was a satisfying conclusion to the series and had all the elements I was looking for and all my favorite characters played important roles.
July 11, 2020
I really enjoyed this series!
Worldbuilding was great, as I'm starting to expect from the author, the environments and scenes were really well written and very clear without going into too many details. It made it so easy to imagine yourself walking alongside Alaya and Emrys while they battle it all out. Really well done.
The characters were well written, each with his or her own issues, past, hopes, fears, and agendas. You walk alongside them along their journey. You see and feel them grow more into themselves, closer to each other, or well.. just the opposite. The author really makes you feel you're going around in a circle and you just don't know who to trust and who to stay away from!
Pacing and flow varied for me throughout the books, sometimes I felt it was a tad too slow, but overall you can see it as the waves of an unruly ocean: they grab you, pull you under, sometimes let you up for a breath of air before pulling you back deep down. Which, believe you me, is a good thing ;-) Well, okay, maybe not as good for my sleep or the day after *shrugs*
I voluntarily read advanced reader copies of these books and all in all I'm really happy how this series turned out! Would surely recommend it! The nice thing of having all 3 books at once is... you can dig into the next part right away. Happy reading!
Worldbuilding was great, as I'm starting to expect from the author, the environments and scenes were really well written and very clear without going into too many details. It made it so easy to imagine yourself walking alongside Alaya and Emrys while they battle it all out. Really well done.
The characters were well written, each with his or her own issues, past, hopes, fears, and agendas. You walk alongside them along their journey. You see and feel them grow more into themselves, closer to each other, or well.. just the opposite. The author really makes you feel you're going around in a circle and you just don't know who to trust and who to stay away from!
Pacing and flow varied for me throughout the books, sometimes I felt it was a tad too slow, but overall you can see it as the waves of an unruly ocean: they grab you, pull you under, sometimes let you up for a breath of air before pulling you back deep down. Which, believe you me, is a good thing ;-) Well, okay, maybe not as good for my sleep or the day after *shrugs*
I voluntarily read advanced reader copies of these books and all in all I'm really happy how this series turned out! Would surely recommend it! The nice thing of having all 3 books at once is... you can dig into the next part right away. Happy reading!
September 9, 2020
Great Trilogy
For a PG-13 teen series, this was actually really good! Almost non-stop action, heartbreaking losses, decent sexual tension, sacrifice, betrayal, and forgiveness...etc. etc. There were definitely a few plot holes that were glossed over, but this is a teen book and I've learned not to expect too much with these. I am so excited to dive into my ARC of Song of the Marked! It's labeled as adult fantasy so I definitely have higher expectations. Gaither is a very talented author and I am so glad that I stumbled across her ad for this series on Facebook. Five out of five stars to the Serpents and Kings trilogy!
For a PG-13 teen series, this was actually really good! Almost non-stop action, heartbreaking losses, decent sexual tension, sacrifice, betrayal, and forgiveness...etc. etc. There were definitely a few plot holes that were glossed over, but this is a teen book and I've learned not to expect too much with these. I am so excited to dive into my ARC of Song of the Marked! It's labeled as adult fantasy so I definitely have higher expectations. Gaither is a very talented author and I am so glad that I stumbled across her ad for this series on Facebook. Five out of five stars to the Serpents and Kings trilogy!
June 19, 2022
Could have been amazing!
This book really could have been amazing! The story and characters were fantastic! She did an amazing job with the magic, politics and history in the book.
The reason I'm giving it only 3 stars is because the author constantly used the word "that" in place of the word "the." It made the story awkward and clunky. Example: instead of saying something like, I went to THE castle. She would write. I went to THAT castle. And instead of saying, I picked up my sword or the sword, she would write, I picked up THAT sword. Nearly every paragraphs in all 3 books is written like that. It made reading THAT book quite difficult.
This book really could have been amazing! The story and characters were fantastic! She did an amazing job with the magic, politics and history in the book.
The reason I'm giving it only 3 stars is because the author constantly used the word "that" in place of the word "the." It made the story awkward and clunky. Example: instead of saying something like, I went to THE castle. She would write. I went to THAT castle. And instead of saying, I picked up my sword or the sword, she would write, I picked up THAT sword. Nearly every paragraphs in all 3 books is written like that. It made reading THAT book quite difficult.
September 11, 2020
Forced myself to finish this.
Have you ever had to force yourself to keep reading a book? That was what I did here. The first book was interesting but the next two books dragged on and on.
I can't even put my finger on what exactly was wrong. I just couldn't stay interested. It might have been that Alaya wasn't likeable. She was just too serious and kind of blah. Her friends and the other characters had better personalities.
It just dragged on and on.
I'm glad it's over.
Have you ever had to force yourself to keep reading a book? That was what I did here. The first book was interesting but the next two books dragged on and on.
I can't even put my finger on what exactly was wrong. I just couldn't stay interested. It might have been that Alaya wasn't likeable. She was just too serious and kind of blah. Her friends and the other characters had better personalities.
It just dragged on and on.
I'm glad it's over.
March 30, 2021
A great, epic tale!
I really enjoyed this trilogy. The characters were so interesting and beautifully flawed just like real people. At times I wanted to shake them and other times to cheer. The world was complete as was the magic for the most part (just a bit about the bad guy that I felt was weak). I do recommend this story to those who want a long, epic story with magic and a dragon.
I really enjoyed this trilogy. The characters were so interesting and beautifully flawed just like real people. At times I wanted to shake them and other times to cheer. The world was complete as was the magic for the most part (just a bit about the bad guy that I felt was weak). I do recommend this story to those who want a long, epic story with magic and a dragon.
August 29, 2021
Excellent
The story was a fun and beautiful adventure. The romance felt real and I liked them together. There were times when they frustrated me, there were times where Alaya drove me nuts, but I liked her. I think it's a testament to how much of a 3 dimensional character she is that she frustrated me but I never stopped liking her, much like family. And of course I'm a sucker for happy endings.
The story was a fun and beautiful adventure. The romance felt real and I liked them together. There were times when they frustrated me, there were times where Alaya drove me nuts, but I liked her. I think it's a testament to how much of a 3 dimensional character she is that she frustrated me but I never stopped liking her, much like family. And of course I'm a sucker for happy endings.
July 20, 2020
Enjoyable Series
Once the series got going it really wraps you in. First book took sometime to get its flow. It was slow moving but once you got to the second book and more world building occurred the story really took off. I think a better editor could have helped and there were a few typos and/or grammatical errors, but overall a fun adventure that I throughly enjoyed.
Once the series got going it really wraps you in. First book took sometime to get its flow. It was slow moving but once you got to the second book and more world building occurred the story really took off. I think a better editor could have helped and there were a few typos and/or grammatical errors, but overall a fun adventure that I throughly enjoyed.
December 25, 2021
Romantic Fantasy at its Best
A fantastic epic fantasy full of love and hate, life and death and oh so much magic. Full bodied characters and descriptions so bold you can see them in your mind. A page turning fantasy world which will keep you on the edge of your seat. A great read.
A fantastic epic fantasy full of love and hate, life and death and oh so much magic. Full bodied characters and descriptions so bold you can see them in your mind. A page turning fantasy world which will keep you on the edge of your seat. A great read.
March 25, 2022
This saga took a looooong time for me to finish. As it was, the story became a bit tedious and I had to put it down for a couple of months.
The ending unraveled and resolved itself within the last 10% of the saga. Up until that point I was wondering how they were going to tie up all the loose ends. The resolution was ok but the speed made it very unsatisfying.
The ending unraveled and resolved itself within the last 10% of the saga. Up until that point I was wondering how they were going to tie up all the loose ends. The resolution was ok but the speed made it very unsatisfying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2020
Didn’t finish
I wish they had an option for putting no stars because it really isn’t fair to give this book collection two stars just because I didn’t finish it. It wasn’t my taste and I couldn’t get into it but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good series. Sorry.
I wish they had an option for putting no stars because it really isn’t fair to give this book collection two stars just because I didn’t finish it. It wasn’t my taste and I couldn’t get into it but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good series. Sorry.
December 18, 2021
Engaging
An interesting magical world with intriguing inhabitants. Most are marked on their hands to determine their abilities, although some are born without a mark. Some are trying for peace and others just want power.
An interesting magical world with intriguing inhabitants. Most are marked on their hands to determine their abilities, although some are born without a mark. Some are trying for peace and others just want power.
July 18, 2022
Epic
I thoroughly enjoyed this very detailed story. Loved the concepts of magic and the thorough world building. Many twists and turns and no easy way anywhere for our hero and heroine.
I thoroughly enjoyed this very detailed story. Loved the concepts of magic and the thorough world building. Many twists and turns and no easy way anywhere for our hero and heroine.
August 10, 2022
Stars above
This series keeps your attention and you gradually fall into the story. You get to know the characters some you love some you dislike. There's plenty of magic, battles with a touch of romance. Very good read try it.
This series keeps your attention and you gradually fall into the story. You get to know the characters some you love some you dislike. There's plenty of magic, battles with a touch of romance. Very good read try it.
November 7, 2020
I had such a hard time reading this book. It was well written and interesting enough that I made myself finish it. My problem was the main character, Alaya. I just didn't like her. I thought I would come to like her the more I read but it never happened. The other characters were good.
November 25, 2020
Fabulous!
What a great series! Nothing lacking, no disappointment, just complete perfection! On to the next series! Love, love, love this author!
What a great series! Nothing lacking, no disappointment, just complete perfection! On to the next series! Love, love, love this author!
Read
December 2, 2020The story seems really in depth. Maybe later.
March 8, 2021
An amazing collection of stories. Full of monsters, magic and more to capture your attention. It’s a definite binge type of stories, with characters to delight your imagination.
June 13, 2021
Loved this book
Not just a soppy romance action story.it could be a modern day story of two cultures.I hated to put it down
Not just a soppy romance action story.it could be a modern day story of two cultures.I hated to put it down
July 19, 2021
A nice series
I really enjoyed the details in describing the cities, the clans and their magic. Great story line, just enough drama to keep my interest
I really enjoyed the details in describing the cities, the clans and their magic. Great story line, just enough drama to keep my interest
Want to read
December 6, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/6/2021)! 🎁
Read
December 13, 2021Couldn't finish this one, so don't feel comfortable rating it.
February 23, 2022
loved this story! sad it’s over
Very exciting book to read. Didn’t want to put it down and was sad it was over. Will check out more of sm Gaithers books
Very exciting book to read. Didn’t want to put it down and was sad it was over. Will check out more of sm Gaithers books
March 29, 2022
just as good the 2nd time
I read these books separately a year or so ago.. this second reading was just as enjoyable as the first.
I read these books separately a year or so ago.. this second reading was just as enjoyable as the first.
September 1, 2024
Loved this trilogy. Filled with twists, intrigue, political turmoil, angst, banter, wit, and love.
September 20, 2025
*3.5*
Overall it was a decent series. I'm hoping to do a re-read of it later. It was definitely better than her "song of the marked" series.
Overall it was a decent series. I'm hoping to do a re-read of it later. It was definitely better than her "song of the marked" series.
April 11, 2025
This story connects with one of Gaither’s other series and so I already knew of some of the characters and storylines. I appreciated how the plot came together and the deeper insight into the different clans. I also enjoyed the way this trilogy helped to better solidify the plot of the other series.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews