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Tess of the Road #2
In the Serpent's Wake
MIND OF THE WORLD,
OPEN YOUR EYES.
At the bottom of the world lies a Serpent, the last of its kind.
Finding the Serpent will change lives.
Tess is a girl on a mission to save a friend.
Spira is a dragon seeking a new identity.
Marga is a woman staking her claim on a man’s world.
Jacomo is a priest searching for his soul.
There are those who would give their lives to keep it hidden.
And those who would destroy it.
But the only people who will truly find the Serpent are those who have awakened to the world around them—with eyes open to the wondrous, the terrible, and the just.
OPEN YOUR EYES.
At the bottom of the world lies a Serpent, the last of its kind.
Finding the Serpent will change lives.
Tess is a girl on a mission to save a friend.
Spira is a dragon seeking a new identity.
Marga is a woman staking her claim on a man’s world.
Jacomo is a priest searching for his soul.
There are those who would give their lives to keep it hidden.
And those who would destroy it.
But the only people who will truly find the Serpent are those who have awakened to the world around them—with eyes open to the wondrous, the terrible, and the just.
512 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2022
135 people are currently reading
4634 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Hartman
14 books3,966 followersRachel Hartman lives and writes in Vancouver, BC.
Her first YA fantasy novel, Seraphina, was published by Random House on July 10th, 2012. Here are some things that are already being said about Seraphina by some fabulous authors:
“A book worth hoarding, as glittering and silver-bright as dragon scales, with a heroine who insists on carving herself a place in your mind.” — Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of the Temeraire series.
“Seraphina is strong, complex, talented — she makes mistakes and struggles to trust, with good reason, and she fights to survive in a world that would tear her apart. I love this book!” — Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author.
“Just when you thought there was nothing new to say about dragons, it turns out there is, and plenty! Rachel Hartman’s rich invention never fails to impress — and to convince. It’s smart and funny and original, and has characters I will follow to the ends of the earth.” — Ellen Kushner, World Fantasy Award-winning author.
Her first YA fantasy novel, Seraphina, was published by Random House on July 10th, 2012. Here are some things that are already being said about Seraphina by some fabulous authors:
“A book worth hoarding, as glittering and silver-bright as dragon scales, with a heroine who insists on carving herself a place in your mind.” — Naomi Novik, New York Times bestselling author of the Temeraire series.
“Seraphina is strong, complex, talented — she makes mistakes and struggles to trust, with good reason, and she fights to survive in a world that would tear her apart. I love this book!” — Tamora Pierce, New York Times bestselling author.
“Just when you thought there was nothing new to say about dragons, it turns out there is, and plenty! Rachel Hartman’s rich invention never fails to impress — and to convince. It’s smart and funny and original, and has characters I will follow to the ends of the earth.” — Ellen Kushner, World Fantasy Award-winning author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 296 reviews
March 25, 2022
Well, I loved the main characters a lot, but I didn’t love the book.
I didn’t reread Tess of the Road, but I did love that book. I’m going to reread it even though I’m afraid it will be one I’ve changed my mind about. I don’t think so, but we shall see.
The cover of the book is beautiful in my opinion. I’m sad it’s not going to go on my shelf with the first book…sadly I’m going to trade the hardback at my used book store. I do feel sad about this and I’ve even thought of trying to reread it later, but I just think I need to move on
I hope a lot of others love this book.
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I didn’t reread Tess of the Road, but I did love that book. I’m going to reread it even though I’m afraid it will be one I’ve changed my mind about. I don’t think so, but we shall see.
The cover of the book is beautiful in my opinion. I’m sad it’s not going to go on my shelf with the first book…sadly I’m going to trade the hardback at my used book store. I do feel sad about this and I’ve even thought of trying to reread it later, but I just think I need to move on
I hope a lot of others love this book.
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Want to read
July 29, 2020July 29th, 2020:
Yes!!! No expected publication date. No title. No Cover. Give me nothing girl. I am excited
Yes!!! No expected publication date. No title. No Cover. Give me nothing girl. I am excited
February 11, 2022
Prior to reading this, I thought In the Serpent’s Wake would easily get 5 stars from me given how much I loved Tess of the Road. I have to be honest though that while it is wonderfully written, it lacks (for the most part) the emotional punch and profound epiphanies that drew me to Tess of the Road. One of my primary issues with In the Serpent's Wake is that the plot meanders after the 35% mark up until the 80% mark. The quest to find the Polar Serpent got lost in various subplots that weren't as interesting to me as I had expected. I do think it's remarkable how Hartman pivots from an examination of rape culture to a broader assessment of the aftermath and effects of colonial regimes. It's quite interesting how Hartman integrates postcolonial elements to a fantasy narrative, but it felt a little dry and less engaging than I thought. It actually read to me like some of the literary works I had to take for my postcolonial literature courses at uni. It's objectively good, but because the story was centered around Tess, Marga and Jacomo, I did not feel intimately connected to the plight of the people in the Archipelagos as much as I wanted to. I wish the postcolonial aspects of the narrative were more emotional and gripping. Another issue that I had was that unlike Tess, there were more than 4 perspectives in In the Serpent's Wake and I feel like focusing on two or three perspectives would have made for a tighter, more focused and intimate story.
But perhaps the real reason why I did not ultimately enjoy it as much as I expected to, is because I was subconsciously looking for the same type of intense emotions that Tess of the Road made me feel. I didn't get as much of that here. I think most of Tess's character arc was completed in the last book and as a result, In the Serpent's Wake is less of a character-driven journey and it’s really more akin to conventional sea voyages and political fantasy.
But despite my qualms, there is a lot to praise in this novel. Hartman's writing is as beautiful and flawless as ever, the expansion of this fantasy world continues to be breathtaking. We are introduced to glowing salamanders (Sabaks) and polar tigers; folklores and unique cultures from various parts of the Archipelago. Her imagination truly knows no bounds. I also liked Hartman's critique of white saviorism and find her core message interesting - that sometimes, it is best for non-marginalized Westerners to be supportive allies rather than take the center stage themselves when fighting for social justice issues (perhaps a subtle dig aimed at some social justice warriors who are too crude in imposing their beliefs over people from minority cultures?). It’s also surprising how everything somehow comes together in the end quite beautifully, which allays my concerns about the story having too many subplots. The open-ending is powerful — I think the characters are left at the right place whilst also hinting at a possible future spin-off.
Overall, it is a wonderfully written fantasy story and perhaps Hartman's most ambitious novel yet (given the story’s large scope and how complex the writing and subject matter are). But on a subjective level, I just liked Tess of the Road more and wanted more out of this. Maybe this is one of those instances where the first book in the duology was so complete and perfect that whatever sequel followed it is bound to pale in comparison? I am definitely curious to know what other people on Goodreads think about this.
But perhaps the real reason why I did not ultimately enjoy it as much as I expected to, is because I was subconsciously looking for the same type of intense emotions that Tess of the Road made me feel. I didn't get as much of that here. I think most of Tess's character arc was completed in the last book and as a result, In the Serpent's Wake is less of a character-driven journey and it’s really more akin to conventional sea voyages and political fantasy.
But despite my qualms, there is a lot to praise in this novel. Hartman's writing is as beautiful and flawless as ever, the expansion of this fantasy world continues to be breathtaking. We are introduced to glowing salamanders (Sabaks) and polar tigers; folklores and unique cultures from various parts of the Archipelago. Her imagination truly knows no bounds. I also liked Hartman's critique of white saviorism and find her core message interesting - that sometimes, it is best for non-marginalized Westerners to be supportive allies rather than take the center stage themselves when fighting for social justice issues (perhaps a subtle dig aimed at some social justice warriors who are too crude in imposing their beliefs over people from minority cultures?). It’s also surprising how everything somehow comes together in the end quite beautifully, which allays my concerns about the story having too many subplots. The open-ending is powerful — I think the characters are left at the right place whilst also hinting at a possible future spin-off.
Overall, it is a wonderfully written fantasy story and perhaps Hartman's most ambitious novel yet (given the story’s large scope and how complex the writing and subject matter are). But on a subjective level, I just liked Tess of the Road more and wanted more out of this. Maybe this is one of those instances where the first book in the duology was so complete and perfect that whatever sequel followed it is bound to pale in comparison? I am definitely curious to know what other people on Goodreads think about this.
February 17, 2022
I loved Tess of the Road. So much. But the main reason it worked so well was because it operated at a relatively small scale and focused very specifically on Tess and her own personal journey-both literal and metaphorical. In the Serpent’s Wake had no such focus. It expanded to include seafaring, scientific exploration, genocide, slavery, indentured servitude, politics, white saviorism, racism, religious culture, and more that I can’t even remember. Several of these topics were touched upon in Tess of the Road, but never enough to draw the focus away from Tess. In the Serpent’s Wake loses its focus completely and undoes some of the growth that we saw Tess experience before.
Names of characters, locations, and many other things are tossed around with no real regard for helping the reader remember or understand them. This book was also Long, with very unbalanced pacing. At times, I felt myself hanging on only to get to a specific revelation that I knew was on its way (which, when it occurred, felt unearned and awkward). I appreciated many of the things that the author was trying to convey, but they were often communicated in a way that felt preachy and self righteous, frequently making Tess look like the villain in her own journey of growth. Traveling with Tess and watching her grow in Tess of the Road was a privilege, in this book it was a disheartening slog.
Names of characters, locations, and many other things are tossed around with no real regard for helping the reader remember or understand them. This book was also Long, with very unbalanced pacing. At times, I felt myself hanging on only to get to a specific revelation that I knew was on its way (which, when it occurred, felt unearned and awkward). I appreciated many of the things that the author was trying to convey, but they were often communicated in a way that felt preachy and self righteous, frequently making Tess look like the villain in her own journey of growth. Traveling with Tess and watching her grow in Tess of the Road was a privilege, in this book it was a disheartening slog.
Read
June 26, 2022"Sometimes our hearts are full of monsters. It takes valor to look them in the eye."
So What’s It About?
At the bottom of the world lies a Serpent, the last of its kind.
Finding the Serpent will change lives.
Tess is a girl on a mission to save a friend.
Spira is a dragon seeking a new identity.
Marga is a woman staking her claim on a man’s world.
Jacomo is a priest searching for his soul.
There are those who would give their lives to keep it hidden.
And those who would destroy it.
But the only people who will truly find the Serpent are those who have awakened to the world around them—with eyes open to the wondrous, the terrible, and the just.
What I Thought
Tess of the Road is a standout YA fantasy to me, and I was delighted to find out about the sequel. While In the Serpent’s Wake was still a pretty solid read for me, I definitely did not enjoy it as much as its predecessor. The new perspective characters feel underdeveloped and the plot, while still somewhat picaresque in nature, feels much less purposeful than the first book’s.
The main perspective characters are Tess, Jacobo, Marga and Spira, and each has their own struggle to face over the course of the book - Marga realizes that neutrality is complicity in the face of wrongdoing, Jacomo finds purpose in “sidekicking” in others’ journeys, Tess confronts her white savior tendencies and continues to deal with the damage done by Will’s abuse, and Spira explores their gender and the possibility of romance while facing grave illness. While Tess of the Road focused exclusively on Tess’s journey through self-loathing and trauma to great success (in my opinion), I can’t help but feel that the broader focus here ends up leaving each character with much sparser development. Probably the most egregious example of this would be the romances that develop between Jacobo and Marga and Spira and Hami - they really, really do not work at all for me because of how little time is spent developing them.
I accidentally read some spoilers before reading the book, so I knew that Will was going to make a return. This ended up feeling like a plot point with great wasted potential to me - while I appreciate some of the realistic touches like Will’s manipulative character assassination of Tess and her ethical dilemma over whether to tell Marga (his new fiancee) about his abuse, it feels almost like the whole thing is more of a lesson for Marga than it is a chance for the narrative to explore the complexities of Tess’s experience. And the whole thing abruptly ending in his gruesome death by serpent ultimately makes me question why he is even featured at all given that Hartman ends up spending so little time exploring all of the complications and conflicts that his return bring up. Even his death feels oddly brushed under the rug in the grand scheme of the book’s course and characters’ emotional reactions.
The main focus of the book and its various subplots is the Ninyish colonization of a diversity of island societies spread across the main characters’ voyage to the World Serpent. There are a lot of things that ring true about this depiction, from displacement and genocide to cultural erasure and indoctrination. Overall, the main focus is on the well-meaning, privileged outsider characters like Tess, Marga and Jacomo realizing that they should be allies in the anti-colonialist fight but that they need to actually understand the complexities of the situations and cultures involved before blithely barging in and ruining things - good intentions on the part of the privileged are not enough. In addition, Jacomo’s notion of “sidekicking” is also a major theme, broadly meaning that it’s important to know who a particular story belongs to and who should be in charge of changing the narrative; again, the outsiders need to unpack the privileged mindset that they should be at the center of a resistance, listen and learn, and find what they can actually do to help the fight as allies instead. There are definitely important conversations to be had about allyship and navigating privilege in activism and resistance, and I think In the Serpent’s Wake is a good introduction to those conversations, especially for young people whose first reactions might otherwise be to get defensive and avoid any kind of self-reflection.
There are some really interesting and inventive additions to the world’s serpent lore and I loved everything about the serpents, from their psychic powers and amazing abilities to their impact on the different (also very well-realized) island cultures. Pathka and Kikiu are back and are as adorable as ever - sometimes I randomly remember them saying the word “thubmerthible” and have to say it aloud to myself because it’s just so fun.
If I were to guess, I would say that another Tess book might be coming because her realization at the end of In the Serpent’s Wake is that she needs to confront everything complicated and messy she’s been avoiding about her family dynamics. If that means a return to a tighter focus on Tess and her internal journey, I’ll be very glad to hear it, but I’ll definitely check it out either way.
So What’s It About?
At the bottom of the world lies a Serpent, the last of its kind.
Finding the Serpent will change lives.
Tess is a girl on a mission to save a friend.
Spira is a dragon seeking a new identity.
Marga is a woman staking her claim on a man’s world.
Jacomo is a priest searching for his soul.
There are those who would give their lives to keep it hidden.
And those who would destroy it.
But the only people who will truly find the Serpent are those who have awakened to the world around them—with eyes open to the wondrous, the terrible, and the just.
What I Thought
Tess of the Road is a standout YA fantasy to me, and I was delighted to find out about the sequel. While In the Serpent’s Wake was still a pretty solid read for me, I definitely did not enjoy it as much as its predecessor. The new perspective characters feel underdeveloped and the plot, while still somewhat picaresque in nature, feels much less purposeful than the first book’s.
The main perspective characters are Tess, Jacobo, Marga and Spira, and each has their own struggle to face over the course of the book - Marga realizes that neutrality is complicity in the face of wrongdoing, Jacomo finds purpose in “sidekicking” in others’ journeys, Tess confronts her white savior tendencies and continues to deal with the damage done by Will’s abuse, and Spira explores their gender and the possibility of romance while facing grave illness. While Tess of the Road focused exclusively on Tess’s journey through self-loathing and trauma to great success (in my opinion), I can’t help but feel that the broader focus here ends up leaving each character with much sparser development. Probably the most egregious example of this would be the romances that develop between Jacobo and Marga and Spira and Hami - they really, really do not work at all for me because of how little time is spent developing them.
I accidentally read some spoilers before reading the book, so I knew that Will was going to make a return. This ended up feeling like a plot point with great wasted potential to me - while I appreciate some of the realistic touches like Will’s manipulative character assassination of Tess and her ethical dilemma over whether to tell Marga (his new fiancee) about his abuse, it feels almost like the whole thing is more of a lesson for Marga than it is a chance for the narrative to explore the complexities of Tess’s experience. And the whole thing abruptly ending in his gruesome death by serpent ultimately makes me question why he is even featured at all given that Hartman ends up spending so little time exploring all of the complications and conflicts that his return bring up. Even his death feels oddly brushed under the rug in the grand scheme of the book’s course and characters’ emotional reactions.
The main focus of the book and its various subplots is the Ninyish colonization of a diversity of island societies spread across the main characters’ voyage to the World Serpent. There are a lot of things that ring true about this depiction, from displacement and genocide to cultural erasure and indoctrination. Overall, the main focus is on the well-meaning, privileged outsider characters like Tess, Marga and Jacomo realizing that they should be allies in the anti-colonialist fight but that they need to actually understand the complexities of the situations and cultures involved before blithely barging in and ruining things - good intentions on the part of the privileged are not enough. In addition, Jacomo’s notion of “sidekicking” is also a major theme, broadly meaning that it’s important to know who a particular story belongs to and who should be in charge of changing the narrative; again, the outsiders need to unpack the privileged mindset that they should be at the center of a resistance, listen and learn, and find what they can actually do to help the fight as allies instead. There are definitely important conversations to be had about allyship and navigating privilege in activism and resistance, and I think In the Serpent’s Wake is a good introduction to those conversations, especially for young people whose first reactions might otherwise be to get defensive and avoid any kind of self-reflection.
There are some really interesting and inventive additions to the world’s serpent lore and I loved everything about the serpents, from their psychic powers and amazing abilities to their impact on the different (also very well-realized) island cultures. Pathka and Kikiu are back and are as adorable as ever - sometimes I randomly remember them saying the word “thubmerthible” and have to say it aloud to myself because it’s just so fun.
If I were to guess, I would say that another Tess book might be coming because her realization at the end of In the Serpent’s Wake is that she needs to confront everything complicated and messy she’s been avoiding about her family dynamics. If that means a return to a tighter focus on Tess and her internal journey, I’ll be very glad to hear it, but I’ll definitely check it out either way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2022
Tess’s thought provoking and deeply emotional journey continues in this compelling conclusion to the Tess of The Road Duology , that sees Tess trading the road for the open seas as she tries to save a friend whilst taking on a world changing mission, to find the world serpent—a mission many would rather not succeed.
Picking up immediately after the events of Tess of The Road, where Tess has finally begun to come to terms with her past,learning to heal from the terrible and traumatic experiences she’s endured.
With Rachel Hartman’s skilfull and evocative writing front and centre we are treated to an unflinching (and deeply emotional) social commentary on our own world via hard hitting topics such as political unrest, racism, genocide, colonialism, white saviourism, misogny and sexual assault. The fact that we can find soo many direct correlations to our own society in terms of geopolitical issues, adds a depth of realism and poignancy that helped me truly connect with several of the characters.
Tess, our deeply flawed protagonist with a heart of gold has come a long way from the angry girl we originally met in Tess of The Road and I for one am super happy about it, though the trauma of her past (rape) still plays quite a large role in her personal arc which some people may find upsetting or triggering.
However given how much more expansive this is compared to the previous book, I did feel Tess’ story did get a little lost in amongst soo many intersecting storylines, though it did give us a chance to explore the backstories of several others in including Spira, who we briefly met in one of Tess’ flashback scenes (they were one of Will of Affle’s rivals.)
Marga, I feel comes across as the second most prominent character (besides Tess) and relies heavily on juxtaposing her with Tess.
personally I just didn’t gel with Marga, who’s neutrality did irk me a little —and though she did go through a bit of a transformation further into the story, I still don’t feel her arc is finished—I’d love to see a spinoff following Marga and her future adventures.
My absolute favourite characters had to be the Quigutl (a smart lizard like species distantly related to dragons) duo Pathka and Kikiu who appear in some of my favourite scenes. Their unique brand of philosophy and frank truth telling made me laugh more than once and their relationship with one another was much less hostile than in Tess of The Road, Id love to see more of these two in future.
Overall, this is a deeply moving and hard hitting YA fantasy that’s perfect for fans of slower, more detailed and character driven fantasy fiction.
I also wanted to say a huge thank you to Random house childrens for providing me with an e-arc.
Picking up immediately after the events of Tess of The Road, where Tess has finally begun to come to terms with her past,learning to heal from the terrible and traumatic experiences she’s endured.
With Rachel Hartman’s skilfull and evocative writing front and centre we are treated to an unflinching (and deeply emotional) social commentary on our own world via hard hitting topics such as political unrest, racism, genocide, colonialism, white saviourism, misogny and sexual assault. The fact that we can find soo many direct correlations to our own society in terms of geopolitical issues, adds a depth of realism and poignancy that helped me truly connect with several of the characters.
Tess, our deeply flawed protagonist with a heart of gold has come a long way from the angry girl we originally met in Tess of The Road and I for one am super happy about it, though the trauma of her past (rape) still plays quite a large role in her personal arc which some people may find upsetting or triggering.
However given how much more expansive this is compared to the previous book, I did feel Tess’ story did get a little lost in amongst soo many intersecting storylines, though it did give us a chance to explore the backstories of several others in including Spira, who we briefly met in one of Tess’ flashback scenes (they were one of Will of Affle’s rivals.)
Marga, I feel comes across as the second most prominent character (besides Tess) and relies heavily on juxtaposing her with Tess.
personally I just didn’t gel with Marga, who’s neutrality did irk me a little —and though she did go through a bit of a transformation further into the story, I still don’t feel her arc is finished—I’d love to see a spinoff following Marga and her future adventures.
My absolute favourite characters had to be the Quigutl (a smart lizard like species distantly related to dragons) duo Pathka and Kikiu who appear in some of my favourite scenes. Their unique brand of philosophy and frank truth telling made me laugh more than once and their relationship with one another was much less hostile than in Tess of The Road, Id love to see more of these two in future.
Overall, this is a deeply moving and hard hitting YA fantasy that’s perfect for fans of slower, more detailed and character driven fantasy fiction.
I also wanted to say a huge thank you to Random house childrens for providing me with an e-arc.
February 21, 2022
I raced through this about as fast as I could, but also, I felt kind of uneasy about it a lot of the time. This is a continuation of Tess's journey but also a widening out, bringing back pretty much every other theme or plot thread from all the previous books in this setting, and it was a lot. I think there were a few too many points of view and subplots, and they weren't all equally carefully executed.
One of the things I initially appreciated about Seraphina was how the setting was not just alternate fantasy Europe, it was pretty specifically alternate fantasy 15th/early 16th century Europe, in terms of fashion, technology, social and religious dynamics. It was a very interesting time in European history and I like to see the attention to detail! Now we're clearly moving deeper into the 16th century in that the Southlands are working hard at becoming colonizing powers. But once you start to bring in colonialism, things get real grim because, you know, a lot of people committed a lot of atrocities. Here we get a front-row seat to the origins of such atrocities, and it's just a lot to take on when most of what I wanted from this book was to see Tess continue to heal and move forward from her own much smaller-scale personal traumas.
And it's not that I am not up for a story that tackles this sort of thing, but the approach here was more or less "Here Tess, have a tour of The Evils of Colonialism" and if that's what I wanted, I would probably just read an actual history book. Perhaps I should be more mindful that this is still technically a YA book, and the target audience could probably benefit from colonialism 101 in a slightly gentler intro setting. But it's also just a hard thing to pull off, particularly for a white author. Marga's subplot especially felt off to me, in the way her half-Porphyrian heritage was mostly inconvenient to the kind of role Hartman had assigned her in the Evil Colonialism Tour so it just didn't matter (even the brief stop for Even The Wise and Wonderful Porphyrians Oppress People, which happened because the ship belongs to Marga's Porphyrian uncle, didn't include Marga talking to the relevant characters or commenting on the situation in any way) up until the single moment at the end where it did.
I'm also sort of mad that Will shows up again, his connection to the Nynish colonies was way too convenient, and I really just want Tess to move forward and be happy and not have to think about him.
In conclusion, I wanted a lot less Marga and Will, way more Spira and Hami, and also after finishing this I really want to go back and re-read Seraphina.
One of the things I initially appreciated about Seraphina was how the setting was not just alternate fantasy Europe, it was pretty specifically alternate fantasy 15th/early 16th century Europe, in terms of fashion, technology, social and religious dynamics. It was a very interesting time in European history and I like to see the attention to detail! Now we're clearly moving deeper into the 16th century in that the Southlands are working hard at becoming colonizing powers. But once you start to bring in colonialism, things get real grim because, you know, a lot of people committed a lot of atrocities. Here we get a front-row seat to the origins of such atrocities, and it's just a lot to take on when most of what I wanted from this book was to see Tess continue to heal and move forward from her own much smaller-scale personal traumas.
And it's not that I am not up for a story that tackles this sort of thing, but the approach here was more or less "Here Tess, have a tour of The Evils of Colonialism" and if that's what I wanted, I would probably just read an actual history book. Perhaps I should be more mindful that this is still technically a YA book, and the target audience could probably benefit from colonialism 101 in a slightly gentler intro setting. But it's also just a hard thing to pull off, particularly for a white author. Marga's subplot especially felt off to me, in the way her half-Porphyrian heritage was mostly inconvenient to the kind of role Hartman had assigned her in the Evil Colonialism Tour so it just didn't matter (even the brief stop for Even The Wise and Wonderful Porphyrians Oppress People, which happened because the ship belongs to Marga's Porphyrian uncle, didn't include Marga talking to the relevant characters or commenting on the situation in any way) up until the single moment at the end where it did.
I'm also sort of mad that Will shows up again, his connection to the Nynish colonies was way too convenient, and I really just want Tess to move forward and be happy and not have to think about him.
In conclusion, I wanted a lot less Marga and Will, way more Spira and Hami, and also after finishing this I really want to go back and re-read Seraphina.
May 13, 2022
4.5 stars
I had so much to say about book one, but I keep finding myself reduced to saying, “I loved this!”
So much of this book is about healing, recognizing injustice and dealing with injustice, friendship, kindness, and a search for redemption.
Tess is wonderful, tough, angry, still slowly healing from the pain that’s been handed out to her, and she grows so much over this book.
I had so much to say about book one, but I keep finding myself reduced to saying, “I loved this!”
So much of this book is about healing, recognizing injustice and dealing with injustice, friendship, kindness, and a search for redemption.
Tess is wonderful, tough, angry, still slowly healing from the pain that’s been handed out to her, and she grows so much over this book.
December 1, 2022
I have never been so disappointed with a sequel before. My disappointment resides in the field of "man I wish I never wished for a sequel". I absolutely LOVED Tess of the Road, it's one of my top favorite YA books of all time, and a lot of that is due to the story focusing on Tess and her journey. In the Serpent's Wake has no real central focus and just feels like Hartman wanted to shove in so many different plots that she forgot Tess even existed in this.
I made it 74% where I finally decided after ANOTHER new character was introduced that I just did not care anymore. I normally have no issue following large casts but whatever Hartman did in this, made it feel impossible to follow along. It didn't help that a lot of the characters had two different names. None of the new characters where likable, well maybe Jacomo, but everyone else they where just god awful. I could have absolutely positively done without Aemelia, she was horrendous, and having to spend so much time around her and listen to her ridicule the natives of the island she ruled over was exhausting and frustrating. I was pretty neutral on Lady Marga until we met Aemelia, and realized she was just as horrible because she never spoke against anything Aemelia said, but continued to call her her friend.
What I really hated was how Hartman handled William's return to the story. If you read Tess of the Road, you will know what he did to Tess and their terrible connection. What I wanted in a sequel for this was for it to focus on Tess finding and facing William for what he did to her and the book making that a big central plot since Tess of the Road focused so much on Tess's healing. Instead William came back for about 10% of the book, learned about the baby, and then promptly died. Like are you kidding me? Now don't get me wrong I didn't want them to get back together but I wanted him to be held accountable for what he did to her, (and then maybe die much later), he deserved to suffer for some amount of time, but nope, we just killed him, and said "that's all good now, more random plots".
There are way to many plots in this, and the only plot I wanted to care about was finding the southern Serpent, but it gets completely lost in the thousands of subplots Hartman included in this, and none of the subplots were engaging, they we honestly depressing. The amount of horrible shit happening in this world that she expanded on started to become unbearable, there was slavery, servitude, colonization, removal of religions, there is even a whole chapter on a priest who is raping the girls in a mission school. All of these plots plus so many more pull so far from Tess and her place in the story, that it made this feel like it wasn't an extension of her life, and instead she just happens to be around. Making it to 74% and they still had made no progress towards the Southern Serpent, and honestly I don't think they ever will make it, because apparently a war might be breaking out, so who freakin knows, lets just add another subplot to the already growing list. I think this isn't going to tie up fully at the end, but I just don't have the patient anymore.
Tess of the Road will always be special to me, but this was not it, and I'm so sad it turned out this way.
I made it 74% where I finally decided after ANOTHER new character was introduced that I just did not care anymore. I normally have no issue following large casts but whatever Hartman did in this, made it feel impossible to follow along. It didn't help that a lot of the characters had two different names. None of the new characters where likable, well maybe Jacomo, but everyone else they where just god awful. I could have absolutely positively done without Aemelia, she was horrendous, and having to spend so much time around her and listen to her ridicule the natives of the island she ruled over was exhausting and frustrating. I was pretty neutral on Lady Marga until we met Aemelia, and realized she was just as horrible because she never spoke against anything Aemelia said, but continued to call her her friend.
What I really hated was how Hartman handled William's return to the story. If you read Tess of the Road, you will know what he did to Tess and their terrible connection. What I wanted in a sequel for this was for it to focus on Tess finding and facing William for what he did to her and the book making that a big central plot since Tess of the Road focused so much on Tess's healing. Instead William came back for about 10% of the book, learned about the baby, and then promptly died. Like are you kidding me? Now don't get me wrong I didn't want them to get back together but I wanted him to be held accountable for what he did to her, (and then maybe die much later), he deserved to suffer for some amount of time, but nope, we just killed him, and said "that's all good now, more random plots".
There are way to many plots in this, and the only plot I wanted to care about was finding the southern Serpent, but it gets completely lost in the thousands of subplots Hartman included in this, and none of the subplots were engaging, they we honestly depressing. The amount of horrible shit happening in this world that she expanded on started to become unbearable, there was slavery, servitude, colonization, removal of religions, there is even a whole chapter on a priest who is raping the girls in a mission school. All of these plots plus so many more pull so far from Tess and her place in the story, that it made this feel like it wasn't an extension of her life, and instead she just happens to be around. Making it to 74% and they still had made no progress towards the Southern Serpent, and honestly I don't think they ever will make it, because apparently a war might be breaking out, so who freakin knows, lets just add another subplot to the already growing list. I think this isn't going to tie up fully at the end, but I just don't have the patient anymore.
Tess of the Road will always be special to me, but this was not it, and I'm so sad it turned out this way.
January 25, 2022
3.75 stars
cw: racism, mentions of genocide
I really loved Tess of the Road and have been eagerly anticipating the sequel for years. When I started this ARC, I was scared that it would be hard for me to get into the book, simply because of the length and my sudden aversion to long books, but I fell into this world so easily. In the Serpent’s Wake expands Tess’s journey to the people she becomes close to.
Now on Countess Marga‘s expedition, Tess and Jacomo find themselves at a loss for words as they traverse through various islands under Ninysh colonialization. They’re in search of the Polar Serpent, racing against a dragon expedition, with Spira on it, to find it first. Along the way, they traverse various islands under Ninysh occupation and learn more about the native people’s culture and stories.
This book opened up the world in more ways than one. For one thing, it is no longer just Tess’s story, although she still has more ways in which to grow. We get more points-of-view from various characters, sometimes often, like Marga, and sometimes just once, like Kikiu. The main cast also dock on different islands throughout their journey, and we learn more about the people whom the Ninysh are actively persecuting.
I wasn’t expecting this book to tackle colonialization and white saviorism, which I think was well done…to a certain extent, but more on that later. The Ninysh have colonized various island peoples, whom they’ve collectively called the “Pelaguese” despite each island’s peoples being distinct. In the Serpent’s Wake touches on how this grouping, in addition to renaming the islands, cities, and artifacts, are another way to kill the native peoples, if only in spirit and not literally (although there are mentions of genocide).
Tess and Jacomo see the obvious persecution of the native people on each island and attempt to help in whatever way they can, particularly Tess. This becomes a whole white saviorism thing, where Tess tries to do what she thinks is best but neglects to think realistically. I liked how the narrative called out Tess and her plans, how she doesn’t think about the fact that the native people shouldn’t have to leave the island, their home, and how some would rather continue to live there than have to leave their history. Amidst all this, she has to face her unresolved feelings toward Will when he makes an unexpected appearance; Jacomo, in his attempt to help Tess, also oversteps and fails to understand what, exactly, Tess needs from him.
Meanwhile, throughout all of this, Marga glosses over all this violence and racism to maintain her family’s stance on political neutrality. However, over time, she does realize that she’s pushed her feelings of horror down for far too long. In their chapters, Spira struggles with their gender, at first believing that any attempt to identify as one way is a human expression but later realizing that they can express themselves however they want.
There’s obviously more in this book; it’s very long and I’d have to spoil certain things to talk about some more of it so I can’t really touch on everything that I want to. I will say that, as much as I appreciated how this book approached white saviorism and colonialism, at a certain point, I just started to feel a bit weird about it all. Don’t get me wrong, I do think these stories are necessary, but what exactly does it mean from a white author about a lot of white characters?
Tess, while meaning well, makes a lot of fumbles toward the people of color in this story, and I know that was part of the white saviorism realization but at some point, I was like, why am I reading this? It was a large portion of the story and did cause some development in her character but as a person of color, it felt strange to me to give so much of the story this platform. Also, the ending felt a bit sudden and not what we were building up to from the beginning, although I don’t necessarily think it was bad.
Another aspect of the book that I can’t speak for but wanted to mention: Marga is biracial, Ninysh and Porphyrian, and I feel like this was mostly glossed over until the very end. I’m not biracial, so my opinions are not formed out of a similar mindset, but I thought it would’ve been more interesting to examine how she adheres to her family’s neutrality to fit in more because she is obviously brown, which I feel was subtext. The summary mentions how she’s a woman “staking her claim on a man’s world,” which I feel like, in addition to the book itself, neglects to bring up how she is a woman of color staking her claim on a white man’s world. This just added to my feelings that I somewhat detailed above, so I did feel a bit strange in a way that I can’t fully describe.
In the Serpent’s Wake was an interesting expansion of the world we first saw in Seraphina. For the most part, I thought the characterizations and journeys were good although I did have some issues in other areas. If you liked Tess of the Road, I think you’ll enjoy this sequel!
hmm I liked this but was expecting a bit more from the ending I guess
read on my blog
cw: racism, mentions of genocide
**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
I really loved Tess of the Road and have been eagerly anticipating the sequel for years. When I started this ARC, I was scared that it would be hard for me to get into the book, simply because of the length and my sudden aversion to long books, but I fell into this world so easily. In the Serpent’s Wake expands Tess’s journey to the people she becomes close to.
Now on Countess Marga‘s expedition, Tess and Jacomo find themselves at a loss for words as they traverse through various islands under Ninysh colonialization. They’re in search of the Polar Serpent, racing against a dragon expedition, with Spira on it, to find it first. Along the way, they traverse various islands under Ninysh occupation and learn more about the native people’s culture and stories.
This book opened up the world in more ways than one. For one thing, it is no longer just Tess’s story, although she still has more ways in which to grow. We get more points-of-view from various characters, sometimes often, like Marga, and sometimes just once, like Kikiu. The main cast also dock on different islands throughout their journey, and we learn more about the people whom the Ninysh are actively persecuting.
I wasn’t expecting this book to tackle colonialization and white saviorism, which I think was well done…to a certain extent, but more on that later. The Ninysh have colonized various island peoples, whom they’ve collectively called the “Pelaguese” despite each island’s peoples being distinct. In the Serpent’s Wake touches on how this grouping, in addition to renaming the islands, cities, and artifacts, are another way to kill the native peoples, if only in spirit and not literally (although there are mentions of genocide).
Tess and Jacomo see the obvious persecution of the native people on each island and attempt to help in whatever way they can, particularly Tess. This becomes a whole white saviorism thing, where Tess tries to do what she thinks is best but neglects to think realistically. I liked how the narrative called out Tess and her plans, how she doesn’t think about the fact that the native people shouldn’t have to leave the island, their home, and how some would rather continue to live there than have to leave their history. Amidst all this, she has to face her unresolved feelings toward Will when he makes an unexpected appearance; Jacomo, in his attempt to help Tess, also oversteps and fails to understand what, exactly, Tess needs from him.
Meanwhile, throughout all of this, Marga glosses over all this violence and racism to maintain her family’s stance on political neutrality. However, over time, she does realize that she’s pushed her feelings of horror down for far too long. In their chapters, Spira struggles with their gender, at first believing that any attempt to identify as one way is a human expression but later realizing that they can express themselves however they want.
There’s obviously more in this book; it’s very long and I’d have to spoil certain things to talk about some more of it so I can’t really touch on everything that I want to. I will say that, as much as I appreciated how this book approached white saviorism and colonialism, at a certain point, I just started to feel a bit weird about it all. Don’t get me wrong, I do think these stories are necessary, but what exactly does it mean from a white author about a lot of white characters?
Tess, while meaning well, makes a lot of fumbles toward the people of color in this story, and I know that was part of the white saviorism realization but at some point, I was like, why am I reading this? It was a large portion of the story and did cause some development in her character but as a person of color, it felt strange to me to give so much of the story this platform. Also, the ending felt a bit sudden and not what we were building up to from the beginning, although I don’t necessarily think it was bad.
Another aspect of the book that I can’t speak for but wanted to mention: Marga is biracial, Ninysh and Porphyrian, and I feel like this was mostly glossed over until the very end. I’m not biracial, so my opinions are not formed out of a similar mindset, but I thought it would’ve been more interesting to examine how she adheres to her family’s neutrality to fit in more because she is obviously brown, which I feel was subtext. The summary mentions how she’s a woman “staking her claim on a man’s world,” which I feel like, in addition to the book itself, neglects to bring up how she is a woman of color staking her claim on a white man’s world. This just added to my feelings that I somewhat detailed above, so I did feel a bit strange in a way that I can’t fully describe.
In the Serpent’s Wake was an interesting expansion of the world we first saw in Seraphina. For the most part, I thought the characterizations and journeys were good although I did have some issues in other areas. If you liked Tess of the Road, I think you’ll enjoy this sequel!
original review:
hmm I liked this but was expecting a bit more from the ending I guess
January 26, 2023
This is my favourite of Hartman's novel since the wonderful Seraphina. This is an expansive, surprising novel, full of explorations of gender, colonialism, imperialism, and myth, and is rooted in believable characters. The story begins when Tess sets sail for the south pole -- a place no one knows how to reach. She brings with her the quigutl, Pathka, a sentient lizard-like creature who has been her best friend since childhood. Pathka is one of many people who are desperate to reach the world serpent who lives at the south pole. Some people want to kill this serpent, others seeks its healing properties or its wisdom. But on the way to the South Pole, the ships must cross the archipelago, a semi-polar region inhabited by a wide array of civilisations. And these civilisations are under threat from the Ninysh, one of the Southland nations. Tess and Pathka are on a Ninysh ship, and they do not realise the complexity of the world they will soon encounter, or the many ethical decision they will have to make.
This is a remarkably skilful book, juggling a wide cast of characters and many tense situations, yet exploring imperialism and colonialism with care and a great understanding for the range problems created for a countries that have been colonised. It's also full of memorable characters, such as Spira, the disabled, genderqueer dragon, Jacomo, the depressed priest, Hami, exiled from his home on the poles, and a selection of ice tigers. Its broad scope is held together by its understanding of these characters, and the narrative's quest to show the different points of view held in one space. It's very entertaining as well as thought-provoking, and I liked how Hartman shows us how difficult it is to do the right thing, and how little doing the right thing is rewarded, and yet it is still imperative that we do it.
This is a remarkably skilful book, juggling a wide cast of characters and many tense situations, yet exploring imperialism and colonialism with care and a great understanding for the range problems created for a countries that have been colonised. It's also full of memorable characters, such as Spira, the disabled, genderqueer dragon, Jacomo, the depressed priest, Hami, exiled from his home on the poles, and a selection of ice tigers. Its broad scope is held together by its understanding of these characters, and the narrative's quest to show the different points of view held in one space. It's very entertaining as well as thought-provoking, and I liked how Hartman shows us how difficult it is to do the right thing, and how little doing the right thing is rewarded, and yet it is still imperative that we do it.
March 6, 2022
A lot to like about this book, but it really dragged at the end, and the conclusion didn’t work at all for me. I think the Tess series is just a duology, but it definitely felt the middle book in a series (maybe just because Hartman wasn’t entirely sure how to bring it to a close).
March 30, 2022
This book is such an elegant construction. Definitely YA, but diving into such ideas that most adults can't comprehend to face.
I absolutely adore Tess -- her willingness to look back at herself and evaluate her own actions is such a special character trait. Someone this honest with themselves, it's so decent. And noble. And what a great example of the sort of person I want to be.
I also adored the variety of characters and stories in this book -- many were rather small but absolutely held a purpose. Kiuku and Spira were particular treasures I absolutely adored! Such surprising storylines coming out of nowhere!
The amount of wrenches this book throws also is particularly... it's challenging. It refuses simplicity. The narrative about forgiveness was particularly tough to deal with, emotionally, because of the lack of narrative resolution possible in the story -- the only option is personal. Granted, that in itself was a wonderful spin on the typical narrative -- resolution isn't possible. So now what? What does letting go mean?
And of course -- this is an anti-colonialist narrative coming from a colonial person with a good and open heart. Perhaps because I've been reading Jack Kennedy's speeches on the third world from the 1950's, but there have always been people on the imperial side who saw what was going on in the places they visited and who saw the relationships between the two entities. Those people have always existed. And it's been an utter delight to see someone go though the same eye-opening process of recognizing that, in real time, quite frankly like I had.
Characters and relationships I was so, so charmed by:
- Spira and Hami. The slow build of friendship and affection into something more personal, tender, and loving, despite the circumstances... it was so, so kind. I would love more of these two. (And Spira's issue of identity hit so hard, with the hesitation of trying on something new -- what's if that's what's true?)
- Absolutely adored Brekka and her story. (Speaking of, how characters come back... Father Enrique was an especially painful thing to return to)
- Marga -- of course, someone has to serve as the respectable and liberal imperialist here just for nature, just for science, of course, these are values independent of that awful colonialism, we're respectable people, and those people are just acting uncivilized, and we must keep relationships to the powers at home, of course, no matter how awful they may be!! I loved love loved her constant tight-rope walking and once she fell over into the anti-colonialist camp, we could see how even then, in her patronization and passion, she made a bunch of disrespectful mistakes.
- Fozu!! I will literally never be over this!! I especially looooved the weird alliance he made with Tess -- quite frankly, when I finished this book, I asked my friend who recommended it, "With that ending, man, I can't wait for the third book" and she said "well, it's a duology" and my heart sank. In that case, I want the next duology about Fozu. I don't want to let him into the light yet. Someone this intelligent, driven, and holding these many stories, cultures, and relationships to both the islands and the mainland has a place in their restructuring. Mind of the World, perhaps there is more work to be done by mortals. (Can I also say, I particularly enjoyed the few scenes he had with Tess? There was a different respect and warmth and fire in those conversations than with anyone else in that book. To say the least, when she spoke up for him, he noticed her. And she noticed that. That can't be an accident, can it? The romances in this book are too good, and I don't want to let that go.)
- On that note, I need to write about this: this is so YA. It is. The language, the way the story is structured -- it hits hard, it goes into very courageous and honest places, but it's set-up is elegant, with every character playing their role in the realistic examples of how these situations run. Granted, it's more honest, but they still play their role. I keep thinking of how Tess acted in the evil Duchess' (?) house, with the native servants. We got to see one example of someone still connected to their heritage, and one example of someone gladly converted to the mainland religion and culture. An example of what happens when the social contracts between powers (Tess and the servant) are ruptured (with her offer of getting him away), and what happens when questioning makes people look to what they don't want to (Anna, about her hands, I think).
Like, it's wonderful to see it in action, these hard hitting realities of how things *actually* go (one more example, of Tess getting angry at Jacomo for breaching her trust) but in addition, it feels like... I can see through it. Obviously this book wasn't meant for my age group and it's incredible work, considering what it's surrounded by. It's like being on a ride at Disney World -- I can see the artistry of the Imagineers. I'm enjoying the ride, and it's a hell of a time, but I can see the seams. There's nothing bad about that -- I get to respect the work of the artists as I'm experiencing the work. But part of me wonders what sort of storyline there would be if this was meant for another audience (different! Of course, different).
If the first book of Tess was her working through her own trauma to a more conscious place, the second book is Tess seeing the consequences of the world she lives in. Now that she's out in that world, and the serpent does not take her, she has to return with the knowledge she has. We have the book of someone realizing how awful their society is to each other; we have the book of how awful their civilization is to others. Now I feel the need for a narrative of Tess coming back, and what she does with her worldly experience inside her land.
But we know the survivor narrative; we know the recognizing colonialization narrative. Those are ones we're living right now. What about what's next? Has anyone written that? The active unburdening of a society of its blinders, the therapy-work necessary on a huge scale to see one's collective shadow and reconcile it and move on? To repair? To what's necessary to heal, self and others cause by one's own harm?
I can't stop thinking about this. What's next? We know -- now where do we go? We go home, and we try to change -- and how? Perhaps this story hasn't been written yet, because it has not been experienced yet. Maybe that's the next one.
Or maybe I'm not looking far enough. There is more Road to walk.
I absolutely adore Tess -- her willingness to look back at herself and evaluate her own actions is such a special character trait. Someone this honest with themselves, it's so decent. And noble. And what a great example of the sort of person I want to be.
I also adored the variety of characters and stories in this book -- many were rather small but absolutely held a purpose. Kiuku and Spira were particular treasures I absolutely adored! Such surprising storylines coming out of nowhere!
The amount of wrenches this book throws also is particularly... it's challenging. It refuses simplicity. The narrative about forgiveness was particularly tough to deal with, emotionally, because of the lack of narrative resolution possible in the story -- the only option is personal. Granted, that in itself was a wonderful spin on the typical narrative -- resolution isn't possible. So now what? What does letting go mean?
And of course -- this is an anti-colonialist narrative coming from a colonial person with a good and open heart. Perhaps because I've been reading Jack Kennedy's speeches on the third world from the 1950's, but there have always been people on the imperial side who saw what was going on in the places they visited and who saw the relationships between the two entities. Those people have always existed. And it's been an utter delight to see someone go though the same eye-opening process of recognizing that, in real time, quite frankly like I had.
Characters and relationships I was so, so charmed by:
- Spira and Hami. The slow build of friendship and affection into something more personal, tender, and loving, despite the circumstances... it was so, so kind. I would love more of these two. (And Spira's issue of identity hit so hard, with the hesitation of trying on something new -- what's if that's what's true?)
- Absolutely adored Brekka and her story. (Speaking of, how characters come back... Father Enrique was an especially painful thing to return to)
- Marga -- of course, someone has to serve as the respectable and liberal imperialist here just for nature, just for science, of course, these are values independent of that awful colonialism, we're respectable people, and those people are just acting uncivilized, and we must keep relationships to the powers at home, of course, no matter how awful they may be!! I loved love loved her constant tight-rope walking and once she fell over into the anti-colonialist camp, we could see how even then, in her patronization and passion, she made a bunch of disrespectful mistakes.
- Fozu!! I will literally never be over this!! I especially looooved the weird alliance he made with Tess -- quite frankly, when I finished this book, I asked my friend who recommended it, "With that ending, man, I can't wait for the third book" and she said "well, it's a duology" and my heart sank. In that case, I want the next duology about Fozu. I don't want to let him into the light yet. Someone this intelligent, driven, and holding these many stories, cultures, and relationships to both the islands and the mainland has a place in their restructuring. Mind of the World, perhaps there is more work to be done by mortals. (Can I also say, I particularly enjoyed the few scenes he had with Tess? There was a different respect and warmth and fire in those conversations than with anyone else in that book. To say the least, when she spoke up for him, he noticed her. And she noticed that. That can't be an accident, can it? The romances in this book are too good, and I don't want to let that go.)
- On that note, I need to write about this: this is so YA. It is. The language, the way the story is structured -- it hits hard, it goes into very courageous and honest places, but it's set-up is elegant, with every character playing their role in the realistic examples of how these situations run. Granted, it's more honest, but they still play their role. I keep thinking of how Tess acted in the evil Duchess' (?) house, with the native servants. We got to see one example of someone still connected to their heritage, and one example of someone gladly converted to the mainland religion and culture. An example of what happens when the social contracts between powers (Tess and the servant) are ruptured (with her offer of getting him away), and what happens when questioning makes people look to what they don't want to (Anna, about her hands, I think).
Like, it's wonderful to see it in action, these hard hitting realities of how things *actually* go (one more example, of Tess getting angry at Jacomo for breaching her trust) but in addition, it feels like... I can see through it. Obviously this book wasn't meant for my age group and it's incredible work, considering what it's surrounded by. It's like being on a ride at Disney World -- I can see the artistry of the Imagineers. I'm enjoying the ride, and it's a hell of a time, but I can see the seams. There's nothing bad about that -- I get to respect the work of the artists as I'm experiencing the work. But part of me wonders what sort of storyline there would be if this was meant for another audience (different! Of course, different).
If the first book of Tess was her working through her own trauma to a more conscious place, the second book is Tess seeing the consequences of the world she lives in. Now that she's out in that world, and the serpent does not take her, she has to return with the knowledge she has. We have the book of someone realizing how awful their society is to each other; we have the book of how awful their civilization is to others. Now I feel the need for a narrative of Tess coming back, and what she does with her worldly experience inside her land.
But we know the survivor narrative; we know the recognizing colonialization narrative. Those are ones we're living right now. What about what's next? Has anyone written that? The active unburdening of a society of its blinders, the therapy-work necessary on a huge scale to see one's collective shadow and reconcile it and move on? To repair? To what's necessary to heal, self and others cause by one's own harm?
I can't stop thinking about this. What's next? We know -- now where do we go? We go home, and we try to change -- and how? Perhaps this story hasn't been written yet, because it has not been experienced yet. Maybe that's the next one.
Or maybe I'm not looking far enough. There is more Road to walk.
June 11, 2023
2.5 stars
Dropping my rating from 3.5 to 3 to 2.5 stars because the more I distance myself from this book, the less I seem to like it.
When it was announced that Tess Of The Road would be getting a sequel, its first title was Tess Of The Sea. The title was then changed, and when you read the book, you can see why, given that Tess isn't the only main character anymore, but one of many.
Despite still being a book with a big focus on character growth - on facing trauma and taking steps to heal from it -, In The Serpent's Wake expanded on the world of Tess and Seraphina, taking on a more political approach and focussing on the hard reality of colonialism.
This was an ambitious book, to say the least, and wildly different from its predecessor. I thought it was... an interesting choice, that the author chose to tackle the subjects of colonization and oppression in a book that's the sequel to a story about the lasting impact of sexual abuse in a woman with a strict religious upbringing.
While I can't speak for how well the author tackled the issues she chose to tackle in this sequel, I can speak for its characters.
I thought Marga was an interesting one, and that her overall arc was satisfying. While I had trouble connecting with her, I really loved reading about how she came to realize that a neutral position and an unwillingness to sacrifice, when you're a woman of great influence, will do no good in the end.
Jacomo was a really interesting character that I felt was unexplored, and I was really hoping he and Tess would end up together, but alas, I could only have hoped.
I loved Spira and Hami, and wish I'd gotten more of both of them, together and in separate, as well as Kikiu, who showed amazing growth throughout the book. I would have loved to read more about Kikiu and Pathka's relationship, because I love these two, and quigutl are such interesting creatures to me.
I don't even know how I felt about the ending. It was unsatisfactory. I didn't like that Pathka's future was so uncertain. I want Tess to finish her journey, even if there is no such thing as a finished journey; but I want her to speak to Jeanne again, to heal from the deep wounds her mother caused her, to re-encounter the people she left behind in book one. Tess's story isn't finished, and she needs closure, and so do I.
I just wished this book had been Tess Of The Sea, and not what it was, even if I did like some things. But this felt like a companion novel and not a sequel.
A bittersweet read, all in all.
Dropping my rating from 3.5 to 3 to 2.5 stars because the more I distance myself from this book, the less I seem to like it.
When it was announced that Tess Of The Road would be getting a sequel, its first title was Tess Of The Sea. The title was then changed, and when you read the book, you can see why, given that Tess isn't the only main character anymore, but one of many.
Despite still being a book with a big focus on character growth - on facing trauma and taking steps to heal from it -, In The Serpent's Wake expanded on the world of Tess and Seraphina, taking on a more political approach and focussing on the hard reality of colonialism.
This was an ambitious book, to say the least, and wildly different from its predecessor. I thought it was... an interesting choice, that the author chose to tackle the subjects of colonization and oppression in a book that's the sequel to a story about the lasting impact of sexual abuse in a woman with a strict religious upbringing.
While I can't speak for how well the author tackled the issues she chose to tackle in this sequel, I can speak for its characters.
I thought Marga was an interesting one, and that her overall arc was satisfying. While I had trouble connecting with her, I really loved reading about how she came to realize that a neutral position and an unwillingness to sacrifice, when you're a woman of great influence, will do no good in the end.
Jacomo was a really interesting character that I felt was unexplored, and I was really hoping he and Tess would end up together, but alas, I could only have hoped.
I loved Spira and Hami, and wish I'd gotten more of both of them, together and in separate, as well as Kikiu, who showed amazing growth throughout the book. I would have loved to read more about Kikiu and Pathka's relationship, because I love these two, and quigutl are such interesting creatures to me.
I don't even know how I felt about the ending. It was unsatisfactory. I didn't like that Pathka's future was so uncertain. I want Tess to finish her journey, even if there is no such thing as a finished journey; but I want her to speak to Jeanne again, to heal from the deep wounds her mother caused her, to re-encounter the people she left behind in book one. Tess's story isn't finished, and she needs closure, and so do I.
I just wished this book had been Tess Of The Sea, and not what it was, even if I did like some things. But this felt like a companion novel and not a sequel.
A bittersweet read, all in all.
November 14, 2021
What an incredible read.
January 10, 2022
I loved Tess of the Road, and this book has taken all my heart to sea. An excellent adventure, with all of my favorite things about Hartman's world and writing.
March 16, 2022
Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was released on February 1, 2022.
But come, Mind of the World. Open your eyes.
We have teased apart one filament, which might be a beginning.
Following her long, long walk of the previous book, Tess Dombegh takes to the sea as part of an expedition to find the Polar Serpent, partially in an effort to heal her friend Pathka. As the ship travels from island to island, Tess continues to grapple with her past actions and struggles to make the right choices in the present—because good intentions are not enough—while around her, others are being drawn in to this journey-turned-uprising and unearthing similar truths aout themselves.
Sometimes, when I am overwhelmed by a book’s goodness, by the breadth of its themes and characters and interweaving stories, I will talk about it so passionately that I almost sound angry. That was the case with IN THE SERPENT’S WAKE. While not quite as emotionally devastating and character-driven as its predecessor, this book does still deal with heavy topics—in this case, predominantly colonialism and the complexity of fault and restitution—and does so in an incredibly breathtaking way as it jumps between point of view characters and fleshes out many of the people we met in the previous book, as well as some newcomers. I especially loved Kikiu (the humor! the destiny!) and Spira (whom I absolutely did not expect to feel as deeply for as I did) as well as the polar peoples introduced along the way. The framing of the book, almost as interconnected stories, being told by an unknown narrator (possibly the Polar Serpent?) felt spiritual to me as I was reading, and between the Mind of the World and the One and the sabak and the examination of stories and their different interpretations/intent/meaning, I found myself wishing that this, more than anything, had been the primary focus—even if that wouldn’t have worked for the narrative as it stands.
My one issue—not even in a negative way, necessarily—with this book is that I had to move through it so slowly in order to ensure that I didn’t miss anything. There are many, many subplots here, and many point of view characters, and such depth to the world and civilizations that I am in absolute awe of the author, and I wouldn’t want any of the latter (in particular) to change, but ITSW rested just on the near side of the line of the level of density I can handle in a fantasy book, and there were times that I felt there was just too much happening and it could have been a bit thinned out in one way or another—but Rachel Hartman still brings everything together so wonderfully that even though this journey didn’t end in quite the mind-shattering way I had hoped it might, I know she gave all the characters the right ending for them.
But come, Mind of the World. Open your eyes.
We have teased apart one filament, which might be a beginning.
Following her long, long walk of the previous book, Tess Dombegh takes to the sea as part of an expedition to find the Polar Serpent, partially in an effort to heal her friend Pathka. As the ship travels from island to island, Tess continues to grapple with her past actions and struggles to make the right choices in the present—because good intentions are not enough—while around her, others are being drawn in to this journey-turned-uprising and unearthing similar truths aout themselves.
Sometimes, when I am overwhelmed by a book’s goodness, by the breadth of its themes and characters and interweaving stories, I will talk about it so passionately that I almost sound angry. That was the case with IN THE SERPENT’S WAKE. While not quite as emotionally devastating and character-driven as its predecessor, this book does still deal with heavy topics—in this case, predominantly colonialism and the complexity of fault and restitution—and does so in an incredibly breathtaking way as it jumps between point of view characters and fleshes out many of the people we met in the previous book, as well as some newcomers. I especially loved Kikiu (the humor! the destiny!) and Spira (whom I absolutely did not expect to feel as deeply for as I did) as well as the polar peoples introduced along the way. The framing of the book, almost as interconnected stories, being told by an unknown narrator (possibly the Polar Serpent?) felt spiritual to me as I was reading, and between the Mind of the World and the One and the sabak and the examination of stories and their different interpretations/intent/meaning, I found myself wishing that this, more than anything, had been the primary focus—even if that wouldn’t have worked for the narrative as it stands.
My one issue—not even in a negative way, necessarily—with this book is that I had to move through it so slowly in order to ensure that I didn’t miss anything. There are many, many subplots here, and many point of view characters, and such depth to the world and civilizations that I am in absolute awe of the author, and I wouldn’t want any of the latter (in particular) to change, but ITSW rested just on the near side of the line of the level of density I can handle in a fantasy book, and there were times that I felt there was just too much happening and it could have been a bit thinned out in one way or another—but Rachel Hartman still brings everything together so wonderfully that even though this journey didn’t end in quite the mind-shattering way I had hoped it might, I know she gave all the characters the right ending for them.
December 23, 2021
This book is sort of a sequel to TESS OF THE ROAD in that one its stars is Tess Dombegh who is on a journey to save a friend. She's traveling with her brother-in-law Jacomo who was studying to be a priest but left before he took his vows.
Tess and Jacomo have joined the expedition to the pole started by Margarethe, Countess Mardou, who is a naturalist. She's taken Tess as a mentee and Jacomo as her spiritual adviser. Tess joined this expedition both as a spy for her queen and in order to bring her friend quigutl Pathka to the hidden serpent at the end of the world in the hopes of healing it.
The Countess's expedition is in a race with a dragon expedition led by Spira, a dragon Tess wronged in the past and with whom Tess would like to make amends. Spira is also a character in search of more than the serpent.
Along the way, Tess sees all sorts of injustices that she would like to be able to right and finds herself in the middle of a war as natives of the lands she visits try to overthrow their invading overlords. Tess very reluctantly reconnects with the man who raped her and left her pregnant when she was fourteen. He's now engaged to the Countess until his death at the hands/flippers of creatures who aren't supposed to exist.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints and is framed in a larger story told by the Mind of the World. I enjoyed this story. It was a successful coming of age story for a lot of the characters. I think I would have appreciated it even more if I had read TESS OF THE ROAD more recently, but the prologue in verse did sort of summarize the first book. I loved the idea that stories are personalized to those who tell them and that stories told can lead to unintended consequences.
Tess and Jacomo have joined the expedition to the pole started by Margarethe, Countess Mardou, who is a naturalist. She's taken Tess as a mentee and Jacomo as her spiritual adviser. Tess joined this expedition both as a spy for her queen and in order to bring her friend quigutl Pathka to the hidden serpent at the end of the world in the hopes of healing it.
The Countess's expedition is in a race with a dragon expedition led by Spira, a dragon Tess wronged in the past and with whom Tess would like to make amends. Spira is also a character in search of more than the serpent.
Along the way, Tess sees all sorts of injustices that she would like to be able to right and finds herself in the middle of a war as natives of the lands she visits try to overthrow their invading overlords. Tess very reluctantly reconnects with the man who raped her and left her pregnant when she was fourteen. He's now engaged to the Countess until his death at the hands/flippers of creatures who aren't supposed to exist.
The story is told from multiple viewpoints and is framed in a larger story told by the Mind of the World. I enjoyed this story. It was a successful coming of age story for a lot of the characters. I think I would have appreciated it even more if I had read TESS OF THE ROAD more recently, but the prologue in verse did sort of summarize the first book. I loved the idea that stories are personalized to those who tell them and that stories told can lead to unintended consequences.
April 8, 2024
Sherwood Smith called Tess of the Road a wonderful mess, and although I didn't entirely agree with her about that book, I'd certainly apply the term to this one. It felt like Hartman wanted to include every possible hot-button issue going: rape, the lack of support for rape victims, colonialism, reconciliation, gender issues... and so on. And meanwhile the plot and characters got lost somewhere. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy reading it at all, although I found it a somewhat frustrating experience. There are so many elements to love, especially the characters. But we're not given enough time with any of them, even Tess herself. I'd been very much looking forward to this book because I loved Tess of the Road, but have to admit I'm glad I waited to get it from the library and didn't buy a hard-cover.
Update, April 2024, Second Reading
I liked it a lot more the second time round, though not enough to give it four stars. I still felt that she was overloaded with hot-button issues. I also felt more strongly and maybe more articulately to myself the lack of a real arc for Tess. I mean, I know she kind of worked out a whole lot of things in the first book, but we are left with a lot of questions still at the end of this one, and the ending felt rushed and a bit convenient. I guess I wanted more resolution for her, even a temporary one. Is this the second book of a trilogy? Because I realized that it does feel that way, and maybe that was the source of my disappointment on first reading. Tess is a great character and I want to see more of her.
Update, April 2024, Second Reading
I liked it a lot more the second time round, though not enough to give it four stars. I still felt that she was overloaded with hot-button issues. I also felt more strongly and maybe more articulately to myself the lack of a real arc for Tess. I mean, I know she kind of worked out a whole lot of things in the first book, but we are left with a lot of questions still at the end of this one, and the ending felt rushed and a bit convenient. I guess I wanted more resolution for her, even a temporary one. Is this the second book of a trilogy? Because I realized that it does feel that way, and maybe that was the source of my disappointment on first reading. Tess is a great character and I want to see more of her.
July 13, 2022
I really liked Tess of the Road. The character-focused plot, the emotion, Tess’s growth and acknowledgement of what happened to her, and the discussions about sex and rape were so strong and moving. So, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the publication of Tess’s sequel for 4 years now. However, I have mixed feelings about In the Serpent’s Wake, and the more I think about the book the more my feelings edge toward dislike.
Liked:
—Tess’s continued character growth. Tess is a more confident character in this second book, but she still was able to learn more about not making assumptions and asking how she can help other people rather than just doing what she thinks is best all the time.
— the first third of the book was strong, and it was interesting to see how Tess’s run in with her ex-boyfriend/rapist impacted how Tess and the other characters interacted for the rest of the book.
— I liked how minor characters from Tess and the Seraphina series showed up in this book (st. Pandowdy, Berekka/Rebecca, Spira). It was interesting to see how all of them developed over the course of this book.
Disliked:
—the multiple narrators. This would have been fine if the narration had been evenly distributed, but it wasn’t. Tess still held most of the story’s focus. Marga and Spria narrated multiple times each, but other characters like Hami and Berekka only narrated once, and the only purpose seemed to be to provide their backstories. Also, the multiple narrators caused there to be so many subplots it was hard to keep track of them, and it made it harder to really get into Tess’s journey.
— the middle of the book was really slow. It continued to just show how bad the Ninysh colonizers were and how Tess was not good at trying to help because she never asked what any of the islanders wanted.
— kikiu being the True Priest. Kikiu never had much characterization beyond her weird relationship with Pathka and her proclivity for unnatural enhancements, so making her be the True Priest for the islanders just came out of left field for me.
— the ending of the book was way too abrupt. I got to the last 50 pages and realized there were too many storylines for the author to adequately wrap them all up, and I was right. Marga changed her entire mindset overnight and off page. The final months of traveling went by very quickly. The final battle came up even faster and was glossed over literally by having it described by a character in a song. Then the rest of the subplots were done up with in the final chapter, and not in a way that I found satisfying. What happens to Spira after leaving with Hami? Is Pathka able to unite with the polar serpent? Do Jacamo and Marga form a relationship? What happens to Tess’s family?! What is the mission Tess is given by the Sabak?! Does she ever reunite with her family and/or Josquin?! Unless Hartman writes a third Tess book or another sequel series, these questions will remain unanswered.
— finally, I was annoyed that Tess never made it to the Polar Serpent. I understood that it was because the Ggdani wouldn’t have let her see it, but her not going there herself with Pathka caused the duology (if that’s what the series is) to feel incomplete since that was Tess’s goal at the end of the first book!
I appreciated this book because it let me continue to journey with Tess and her friends. Yet, I am disappointed with how open-ended this book is and how it seemed to tackle too many things at once (rape culture, colonialism and everything entailed with that, white saviorism, classism, gender), which caused the book to seem unfocused at times. Even so, I would definitely read a third Tess book or another sequel series, if only in the hopes that some of my questions from the end of this book would be answered.
Liked:
—Tess’s continued character growth. Tess is a more confident character in this second book, but she still was able to learn more about not making assumptions and asking how she can help other people rather than just doing what she thinks is best all the time.
— the first third of the book was strong, and it was interesting to see how Tess’s run in with her ex-boyfriend/rapist impacted how Tess and the other characters interacted for the rest of the book.
— I liked how minor characters from Tess and the Seraphina series showed up in this book (st. Pandowdy, Berekka/Rebecca, Spira). It was interesting to see how all of them developed over the course of this book.
Disliked:
—the multiple narrators. This would have been fine if the narration had been evenly distributed, but it wasn’t. Tess still held most of the story’s focus. Marga and Spria narrated multiple times each, but other characters like Hami and Berekka only narrated once, and the only purpose seemed to be to provide their backstories. Also, the multiple narrators caused there to be so many subplots it was hard to keep track of them, and it made it harder to really get into Tess’s journey.
— the middle of the book was really slow. It continued to just show how bad the Ninysh colonizers were and how Tess was not good at trying to help because she never asked what any of the islanders wanted.
— kikiu being the True Priest. Kikiu never had much characterization beyond her weird relationship with Pathka and her proclivity for unnatural enhancements, so making her be the True Priest for the islanders just came out of left field for me.
— the ending of the book was way too abrupt. I got to the last 50 pages and realized there were too many storylines for the author to adequately wrap them all up, and I was right. Marga changed her entire mindset overnight and off page. The final months of traveling went by very quickly. The final battle came up even faster and was glossed over literally by having it described by a character in a song. Then the rest of the subplots were done up with in the final chapter, and not in a way that I found satisfying. What happens to Spira after leaving with Hami? Is Pathka able to unite with the polar serpent? Do Jacamo and Marga form a relationship? What happens to Tess’s family?! What is the mission Tess is given by the Sabak?! Does she ever reunite with her family and/or Josquin?! Unless Hartman writes a third Tess book or another sequel series, these questions will remain unanswered.
— finally, I was annoyed that Tess never made it to the Polar Serpent. I understood that it was because the Ggdani wouldn’t have let her see it, but her not going there herself with Pathka caused the duology (if that’s what the series is) to feel incomplete since that was Tess’s goal at the end of the first book!
I appreciated this book because it let me continue to journey with Tess and her friends. Yet, I am disappointed with how open-ended this book is and how it seemed to tackle too many things at once (rape culture, colonialism and everything entailed with that, white saviorism, classism, gender), which caused the book to seem unfocused at times. Even so, I would definitely read a third Tess book or another sequel series, if only in the hopes that some of my questions from the end of this book would be answered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2023
For a lot of this book I kind of wished I was reading the Spira/Hami romance novel that was apparently happening on the other boat, but that wouldn't have been YA. I do hope that there will be a third book in this series because this didn't feel like the end to me.
Want to read
October 10, 2021IVE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG OH MY GODDDDD
abandoned
November 11, 202320% in and done.
February 28, 2022
In this sequel to Tess of the Road, Tess is once again on a journey, but this time she doesn't have to walk the whole way. This time there are boats!
I re-read Tess of the Road right before this, and while I was glad I did because it's a really wonderful book, The Serpent's Wake suffers a bit in comparison. The Serpent's Wake opens with a recap of the first book in the form of a very charming poem, so I could have skipped the re-read, but I'm glad I saw them together.
The first book is all about Tess confronting her own past and starting to heal. The second book is about Tess figuring out how she wants to be in the world, knowing what she knows about hurt and the new set of values she has carved out for herself. And it's hard! Tess does her best to be her best, but of course, doing the right thing isn't always simple, especially when you're trying to balance the needs and feelings of multiple people. But it's larger than that, because we have some new point of view characters as well, both from Tess's past. Hartman also explores themes of colonization, and what it means to 'explore' a settled area. She also looks at the pursuit of knowledge, and how cultural narratives and mores overlay what feels objective and immutable.
I appreciate that Hartman doesn't spare her characters, and has them confront difficult things. I also love that Hartman shows us people who want to do goodness and prevent badness, but also need to learn some things in order to understand how that actually works. Hartman has a deft hand with creating characters who make mistakes (sometimes really big ones!) yet can still learn and come back from them.
And that's not even mentioning the action and adventure! Tess is on a voyage to the South Pole to discover another World Serpent, and there's rival expeditions and trips through islands in various states of colonization. There are fight, explosions, submersibles and new-to-Tess flora and fauna.
So there's a lot to like here. I think, compared to the first book, the pacing is a little less consistent, and I just like Tess so much, I'd rather just stay with her. But this is a great follow up, and if you like stories that balance adventure with growth, these are well worth your while.
I re-read Tess of the Road right before this, and while I was glad I did because it's a really wonderful book, The Serpent's Wake suffers a bit in comparison. The Serpent's Wake opens with a recap of the first book in the form of a very charming poem, so I could have skipped the re-read, but I'm glad I saw them together.
The first book is all about Tess confronting her own past and starting to heal. The second book is about Tess figuring out how she wants to be in the world, knowing what she knows about hurt and the new set of values she has carved out for herself. And it's hard! Tess does her best to be her best, but of course, doing the right thing isn't always simple, especially when you're trying to balance the needs and feelings of multiple people. But it's larger than that, because we have some new point of view characters as well, both from Tess's past. Hartman also explores themes of colonization, and what it means to 'explore' a settled area. She also looks at the pursuit of knowledge, and how cultural narratives and mores overlay what feels objective and immutable.
I appreciate that Hartman doesn't spare her characters, and has them confront difficult things. I also love that Hartman shows us people who want to do goodness and prevent badness, but also need to learn some things in order to understand how that actually works. Hartman has a deft hand with creating characters who make mistakes (sometimes really big ones!) yet can still learn and come back from them.
And that's not even mentioning the action and adventure! Tess is on a voyage to the South Pole to discover another World Serpent, and there's rival expeditions and trips through islands in various states of colonization. There are fight, explosions, submersibles and new-to-Tess flora and fauna.
So there's a lot to like here. I think, compared to the first book, the pacing is a little less consistent, and I just like Tess so much, I'd rather just stay with her. But this is a great follow up, and if you like stories that balance adventure with growth, these are well worth your while.
March 1, 2022
There are wonderful things about this book, and there are also ways it falls short. I found it to be quite preachy, for instance, with characters constantly learning new lessons about the wickedness of imperialism or the importance of believing victims - all valuable topics, but done with so little subtlety as to take away from the story itself. (Of course, given that this book is YA, that's not unforgivable; it just makes the book more difficult to read for adults, particularly people who are already far enough left, politically speaking, that the text offers us no fresh perspectives on any of the issues it seeks to cover.)
However, many aspects of the book are truly spectacular. The characters of Spira, Hami, and Fozu - though, in my opinion, underused - are interesting and emotionally compelling. Tess's personal journey gets off track at points but concludes in what I believe to be the best possible way for her character. Marga and Jacomo, my least favorites in this book, were still given meaningful attention and development, albeit bogged down by the awkward commentary of the book.
It's a good, if imperfect, conclusion to this duology. I hope Rachel Hartman continues writing in this world, an absolute favorite of mine. Between Seraphina, Shadow Scale, Tess of the Road, In the Serpent's Wake, and even Amy Unbounded, she's created a fantastic and incredibly well fleshed-out setting, and I cannot say enough how much I hope to see more of it.
However, many aspects of the book are truly spectacular. The characters of Spira, Hami, and Fozu - though, in my opinion, underused - are interesting and emotionally compelling. Tess's personal journey gets off track at points but concludes in what I believe to be the best possible way for her character. Marga and Jacomo, my least favorites in this book, were still given meaningful attention and development, albeit bogged down by the awkward commentary of the book.
It's a good, if imperfect, conclusion to this duology. I hope Rachel Hartman continues writing in this world, an absolute favorite of mine. Between Seraphina, Shadow Scale, Tess of the Road, In the Serpent's Wake, and even Amy Unbounded, she's created a fantastic and incredibly well fleshed-out setting, and I cannot say enough how much I hope to see more of it.
June 7, 2022
This book wasn't as clearly focused as Tess of the Road; it chose to tell multiple stories instead of just one, and that changed the nature of the book when compared to the first one. Tess seems different in this one, mostly because she is viewed from more than one angle (i.e., from the viewpoints of others, including those she has hurt), but it's nice to see her on a different kind of journey vs the first book, though I do think there were some missed opportunities here. I also liked how the book explored themes of colonization and racism, and really dived into the fact that trying to do what you think is right isn't always the best way, and that your intentions don't matter nearly as much as the results. This book is occasionally bogged down by a giant cast of characters, making it hard to engage with the leads as much as I felt engaged with Tess in the previous book; however, they all had really interesting stories, even if some characters flitted in and out very quickly. Hard to compare to Tess of the Road because this book feels so different, and tackles a different kind of journey, but I think it is still worth the read.
January 13, 2022
This is book 2 about Seraphina's younger sister Tess.
Tess is still "on the road" - but sailing south to help her friend get to the pole serpent, having adventures and meeting new people.
Tess's journey continues. This is a coming-of-age series. Tess is maturing, and as we mature our world grows bigger. This extends to noticing consequences of our actions, unintended consequences, and learning to think through larger complex issues and what to do about them - or it should! perception of the bigger world and how it works includes noticing and processing our place within it and how our actions from that place affect others. While the first book was about finding freedom, this one is a bit more about how to be free in the world in a good way.
The story includes parts narrated from other points of view, so we get to see how Tess comes across to others.
I'm looking forward to the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Tess is still "on the road" - but sailing south to help her friend get to the pole serpent, having adventures and meeting new people.
Tess's journey continues. This is a coming-of-age series. Tess is maturing, and as we mature our world grows bigger. This extends to noticing consequences of our actions, unintended consequences, and learning to think through larger complex issues and what to do about them - or it should! perception of the bigger world and how it works includes noticing and processing our place within it and how our actions from that place affect others. While the first book was about finding freedom, this one is a bit more about how to be free in the world in a good way.
The story includes parts narrated from other points of view, so we get to see how Tess comes across to others.
I'm looking forward to the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2022
Less character driven than Tess of the Road, but it's a good companion novel which wraps up the remaining loose ends while having it's own contained story.
March 14, 2022
This fantasy sequel has some compelling things to say about indigenous complexity and sovereignty to resist the forces of empire, even when cloaked in the name of science or protesting that they've come there to help. It's an interesting postcolonial critique that's unusual -- although certainly not unique -- for the genre, and one which provides important recontextualization for the received wisdom about this setting that we've acquired over the three previous franchise installments. It also continues the exploration of genderfluidity and nonbinary identities, albeit still mostly among the various dragon species of its realm.
But I'm less sold on the novel as an actual story, especially one following up on the deeply personal Tess of the Road, an emotional wringer about a young woman who survived rape and the loss of her newborn child and who painstakingly pulled herself up from a deep alcoholic depression as she wandered the countryside in search of a measure of healing. Her adventures in the last volume formed a bittersweet picaresque, but the stakes were always present in every new episode. In this title, by contrast, Tess is just sort of… there. She's part of an expedition to find the mythical great serpent that's said to dwell off the southern polar islands of her world, and she gets caught up in the local power struggle and called out for her well-meaning but misguided white saviorism, yet there's so little about any of this that feels specific to her as a character or as fraught as her earlier ordeals. (The narrative seems to be picking up around a fifth of the way through when the protagonist's rapist re-enters her life, but then he departs again a few scenes later.)
Our returning heroine is joined by a handful of other viewpoint figures as well, an expansion of scope that allows author Rachel Hartman to paint a broader picture of the region's stormy geopolitics but further diffuses the sense that this is Tess's journey in particular and introduces a certain aimlessness to the entire affair. I remember reacting similarly to Shadow Scale as a conclusion to the original Seraphina, so perhaps this is simply a lesson that I need to learn about Hartman duologies going forward.
[Content warning for racism and gore.]
This volume: ★★★☆☆
Overall series: ★★★★☆
Volumes ranked: 1 > 2
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But I'm less sold on the novel as an actual story, especially one following up on the deeply personal Tess of the Road, an emotional wringer about a young woman who survived rape and the loss of her newborn child and who painstakingly pulled herself up from a deep alcoholic depression as she wandered the countryside in search of a measure of healing. Her adventures in the last volume formed a bittersweet picaresque, but the stakes were always present in every new episode. In this title, by contrast, Tess is just sort of… there. She's part of an expedition to find the mythical great serpent that's said to dwell off the southern polar islands of her world, and she gets caught up in the local power struggle and called out for her well-meaning but misguided white saviorism, yet there's so little about any of this that feels specific to her as a character or as fraught as her earlier ordeals. (The narrative seems to be picking up around a fifth of the way through when the protagonist's rapist re-enters her life, but then he departs again a few scenes later.)
Our returning heroine is joined by a handful of other viewpoint figures as well, an expansion of scope that allows author Rachel Hartman to paint a broader picture of the region's stormy geopolitics but further diffuses the sense that this is Tess's journey in particular and introduces a certain aimlessness to the entire affair. I remember reacting similarly to Shadow Scale as a conclusion to the original Seraphina, so perhaps this is simply a lesson that I need to learn about Hartman duologies going forward.
[Content warning for racism and gore.]
This volume: ★★★☆☆
Overall series: ★★★★☆
Volumes ranked: 1 > 2
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