Book Review (XLIV) Serving the Serpent

Join me, please, in congratulating Daisy Banks, British author and cyber friend. She has just had her fourth release, this year. She was kind to offer me the ARC of the novel so, here is the review on:

                                    Serving the Serpent

Blurb

In Wales, Ceridwyn takes up her inherited duty to care for the dragons in the mountains. Awed by them and the huge book about them, she is determined to prove her worth.

Far away in Norway, Leif has growing concerns for his sick dragon. He discovers only one cure will stop his dragon’s suffering. The mighty Herensuge must journey to find his bonded mate.

When they meet, Ceri and Leif make combined efforts to aid the dragons and discover an astonishing surprise. The great lore book each of them protects tells they have a responsibility to the future. At this rare and magical time, not only the dragon pairing must occur.

Join Ceri and Leif as they work to keep the sworn silence and keep the dragons safe. Friendship is growing between them, but will it be enough? Can love blossom between two chosen to serve the serpent?

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My review

This book is in a class of its own. A cute and sweet fantasy. A  fantasy epic that explores themes of faith, and loyalty amidst artfully developed characters. Daisy Banks gives the reader an engaging,  sweet story.  Serving the Serpent is an epic that doesn't bog you down with a hundred different point of views or side story arcs. Anyway, I loathe spoilers so I'll try to stay away from anything major. In fact, I'm not going to go into plot specifics at all. I found Ceri and Leif’s story interesting and strangely compelling. Once I got halfway I could feel the subtle draw of the story and became resolved to go ahead and finish it up, but by the end I was held spellbound. The action is two-leveled: the humans and the dragons. The problems are similar.

Just a few words on the dragon characters- I so much enjoyed  Annabelinda and her friends the rebellious Tanith and the gluttony Malinda.  Imagine they wanted a nail job. And Ceri did it as “Hers was not the kind of employment you might see adverts for in the newspaper or on the computer, but nonetheless, the task was hers, same as it had been Mam’s and Gran’s and Great-Gran’s…” Dragon Maid.

As about Herensuge, he’s the perfect embodiment of prince charming. Oh, forgive me, I mean dragon charming!

Fans of fantasy will gobble Serving the Serpent! 
My rating