Daughter of the Serpentine by E.E. Knight

Daughter of the Serpentine (Dragoneer Academy, #2)

by E.E. Knight

As a young dragoneer moves through the ranks of the prestigious Serpentine Academy, her challenges grow greater and her time grows short to draw out a series of deadly threats, in this thrilling coming-of-age fantasy novel.

Sixteen-year-old Ileth is now an Apprentice Dragoneer, with all of the benefits and pitfalls that her elevation in rank entails. But her advancement becomes less certain after she's attacked by an unknown enemy, and Ileth begins to suspect that someone deadly may be hiding within the walls of the academy.

Outside of the walls there is a different challenge. The Rari Pirates are strangling the Vale Republic. What they lack in dragon firepower, they make up for in the brutality of their ever-expanding raids, making hostages or slaves of the Republic’s citizens. Surrounded by enemies, Ileth will need to learn what kind of dragoneer she wants to be. And as she makes decisions about her future, Ileth will have the chance to uncover the secrets of her past. Both will irrevocably change the course of her life.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

5 of 5 stars

Share
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Daughter of the Serpentine is the second Dragoneer Academy novel by E.E. Knight. Released 17th Nov 2020 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley Ace imprint, it's 512 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

I've always loved epic character driven fantasy. This is an excellent and very well written addition to the genre. Despite being the second in a series, it worked very well as a standalone novel. The author is adept at providing the necessary backstory without info dumping or spoon feeding his audience. Protagonist Ileth is loyal, intelligent, and brave and despite being patronless, previously uneducated, and from a poor background, she shows she's willing to work for advancement without sacrificing her moral code to achieve her goals.

Although ostensibly written mostly for the YA/NA audience, I found the narrative enjoyable and very readable and engaging (despite being neither young nor new myself). The technical detail of the writing itself is well controlled and exactingly constructed - the plot moves along at a very good pace and the plot never dragged or lost my interest. The author is clearly adept at his craft.

This is a wide ranging novel with a large cast of characters. The author has included a list of dramatis personae at the end of the book (though I didn't find myself needing to consult it).

I read this in the middle of a pandemic. As a healthcare worker, I have faced many long and unpleasant days trying to perform a challenging job under trying circumstances. Reading has been a sanity saver for me (and many of my colleagues). Epic fantasy in my particular case has been a lifeline and a relaxation from a very demanding daily routine. I devoured this book. It could partially be "right book at the right time" but I truly enjoyed this one and fully intend to go back and read the first book in the series as soon as possible.

Five stars. This would make a superlative selection for lovers of fantasy, dragons, strong female character driven coming-of-age fiction, etc. Looking forward to more from this very accomplished author.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 January, 2021: Finished reading
  • 3 January, 2021: Reviewed