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Crimson Tales #2
The Shadow of the Serpent
Tabitha has returned – but at what cost?
Thirteen years after she disappeared, the youngblood is back. In Tabitha’s absence, her world has turned upside down and now, everything is as it shouldn’t be. The world has moved on without her. Even Felix, the child of death with the silver eyes, is a shadow of the young man he once was.
Desperate to learn more about her background, Tabitha vows to find her father, the mysterious and powerful Finnian Taro, despite dire warnings from the Fabled folk. But her quest is shrouded in so many secrets and lies, she doesn’t know who to trust and many of her loved ones are hurt in the process. Is finding out who or what she truly is worth all the pain – especially if it means losing the man she loves?
The Shadow of the Serpent is Elena Moriarty’s second novel in the Crimson Tale series. With its enchanting magical world, gripping romantic tension, and mysterious twists and turns galore, this novel is one hell of a dark and thrilling ride.
Thirteen years after she disappeared, the youngblood is back. In Tabitha’s absence, her world has turned upside down and now, everything is as it shouldn’t be. The world has moved on without her. Even Felix, the child of death with the silver eyes, is a shadow of the young man he once was.
Desperate to learn more about her background, Tabitha vows to find her father, the mysterious and powerful Finnian Taro, despite dire warnings from the Fabled folk. But her quest is shrouded in so many secrets and lies, she doesn’t know who to trust and many of her loved ones are hurt in the process. Is finding out who or what she truly is worth all the pain – especially if it means losing the man she loves?
The Shadow of the Serpent is Elena Moriarty’s second novel in the Crimson Tale series. With its enchanting magical world, gripping romantic tension, and mysterious twists and turns galore, this novel is one hell of a dark and thrilling ride.
406 pages, Paperback
Published October 30, 2022
28 people want to read
About the author
Elena Moriarty
4 books31 followersElena Moriarty is an indie author living in the sunshine state of Australia. She loves to write dark, needy and violent fantasy books as well as soft, salacious and whimsical romance books. Her poetry is full of torturous longing and every word drips with feeling.
She lives with her son, two cats, and her best friend who won’t leave. Outside of her writing, Elena enjoys collecting special edition hardcover and indie out of print books, buying glittery and sparkly trinkets off the internet, crafting funky merchandise to sell at farmer’s markets, and drinking copious amounts of iced coffee at room temperature.
She lives with her son, two cats, and her best friend who won’t leave. Outside of her writing, Elena enjoys collecting special edition hardcover and indie out of print books, buying glittery and sparkly trinkets off the internet, crafting funky merchandise to sell at farmer’s markets, and drinking copious amounts of iced coffee at room temperature.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 19, 2024
This was better than the first book but still had some pacing issues.
I found Tabitha’s actions quite annoying and didn't really understand why she didn’t immediately want to see Felix when she came back considering it had only been a couple of weeks for her. Let alone the fact that she kept putting everyone in danger and ignoring everyone’s warnings about her father.
I liked Arrow’s character but the love triangle aspect felt a bit unnecessary. It was hard to keep track of the relationship timeline because the story kept jumping forward weeks at a time so it felt a bit insta-lovey again.
The overall story was a bit easier to keep track of this time since a lot of the lore had been established in the previous book.
The cliffhanger ending was a nice twist, but I wasn't too surprised by it. It will be interesting to see where the story goes next.
I found Tabitha’s actions quite annoying and didn't really understand why she didn’t immediately want to see Felix when she came back considering it had only been a couple of weeks for her. Let alone the fact that she kept putting everyone in danger and ignoring everyone’s warnings about her father.
I liked Arrow’s character but the love triangle aspect felt a bit unnecessary. It was hard to keep track of the relationship timeline because the story kept jumping forward weeks at a time so it felt a bit insta-lovey again.
The overall story was a bit easier to keep track of this time since a lot of the lore had been established in the previous book.
The cliffhanger ending was a nice twist, but I wasn't too surprised by it. It will be interesting to see where the story goes next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2025
Ughhh. Ok, hear me out.
I loved the premise (I really enjoyed the first book) and I could see where the author wanted to go with most of it however I felt things fell short. Like others have noted with this and the prior book, there is so much more room for character and scene development growth.
In addition, I detest reading a book that has clearly not been edited or proofread correctly. The incorrect use or misspelling of words (‘hope on in’ instead of ‘hop on in’), repetitive use of certain verbs, and at times, the verb not matching the tone or intended action.
I wanted to LOVE it but it fell short for me.
I loved the premise (I really enjoyed the first book) and I could see where the author wanted to go with most of it however I felt things fell short. Like others have noted with this and the prior book, there is so much more room for character and scene development growth.
In addition, I detest reading a book that has clearly not been edited or proofread correctly. The incorrect use or misspelling of words (‘hope on in’ instead of ‘hop on in’), repetitive use of certain verbs, and at times, the verb not matching the tone or intended action.
I wanted to LOVE it but it fell short for me.
December 22, 2022
I really adored the characters in this book, but the protagonist annoyed me. Everyone telling her, this is dangerous, I know from experience blah blah. And she so innocently thinks things will be different for her. Which they obviously aren’t. I felt like a lot happened in this book and we were left on another cliff hanger, much the same as the previous one. I feel like I didn’t fall into this book as much as I did the first
October 3, 2024
AHHHH!!!
So many thoughts & feelings.
I LOVED this book, it was a solid sequel & held so much emotion; giddiness, hope, despair.. etc.
I was enthralled by Tabithas relationships in this book, both platonic & romantic, despite getting my heart ripped out (iykyk)
I do think there was a little bit of a pacing issue when it came to meeting Arrow & Harper and the events that followed, but regardless it made for a beautiful story.
I’m so excited to see what happens after that ending!!!!!
So many thoughts & feelings.
I LOVED this book, it was a solid sequel & held so much emotion; giddiness, hope, despair.. etc.
I was enthralled by Tabithas relationships in this book, both platonic & romantic, despite getting my heart ripped out (iykyk)
I do think there was a little bit of a pacing issue when it came to meeting Arrow & Harper and the events that followed, but regardless it made for a beautiful story.
I’m so excited to see what happens after that ending!!!!!
June 21, 2025
Don’t quit your day job to be an author. Seriously. This sucks
August 23, 2024
An Australian author wrote this amazing urban fantasy filled with vampires, fae, warlocks, and werewolves.
The story continues, masterfully depicting the grief and despair of our FMC after the epic twist ending in book one. I became frustrated with our FMC because I grew to love her character and didn’t want her to rush into danger, which she did CONSTANTLY.
The writing was exquisite and the worldbuilding was fantastic. The banter between the characters was delightful, and the author skillfully introduces new characters that you can’t help but adore, only to later crush your soul.
If you enjoy urban fantasy or even just fantasy, this might be right up your alley.
The story continues, masterfully depicting the grief and despair of our FMC after the epic twist ending in book one. I became frustrated with our FMC because I grew to love her character and didn’t want her to rush into danger, which she did CONSTANTLY.
The writing was exquisite and the worldbuilding was fantastic. The banter between the characters was delightful, and the author skillfully introduces new characters that you can’t help but adore, only to later crush your soul.
If you enjoy urban fantasy or even just fantasy, this might be right up your alley.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews