Reign of Serpents (Blood of Gods and Royals, #3)

by Eleanor Herman

[jeannamichel]

Better than the last one! The stories are so fun, each intertwining into the next.

The adventures continue in Reign of Serpents, the third book in the Blood of Gods and Royals series. Alexander is not acting himself, not only has he gone back on everything he has fought so hard to accomplish while in power, but his eyes have changed color. Something seems amiss. When Princess Cynane’s ship docks on her betrothed’s land, she soon realizes her husband-to-be is insane. She must be cautious in her plan to gain the power that is her birthright. Eleanor Herman, once again, surprises readers with gorgeous stories and well-written characters that intricately weave fact into fiction.

It wouldn't be a book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series without a gigantic cast of characters. Herman does a fantastic job at making each of her characters’ point-of-views unique enough to differentiate between. Although, the perspectives change with every chapter. At first, it is a bit confusing; however, readers will quickly adapt, falling prey to the complex and developed plot.
I highly recommend binge reading this series. This way, you won't need a refresher and you can jump into each storyline without confusion.

There seemed to be several time gaps. To disguise them, Herman adds even more perspectives to the ever growing cast. However, I wished the book was a bit longer, not only to stay in the immersive world of true history and fiction but also to fill in the time gaps so the plot flows even more elegantly.

Aristotle makes his character debut in Empire of Dust. Aristotle is given a much larger role in Reign of Serpents. It's such a surprise. Herman captures Aristotle's curiosity gorgeously, having his character stay true to life in his research but also developing further when faced with magical obstacles.

Exactly as the two previous books—since there is such a large cast of characters—readers will not know when the story of each character will end. Unfortunately, readers are left with so many questions regarding different characters because of this. A "wait, but what about this character" sort of reaction which will have you returning for the next and final installment.

The book begins with a bang. When Herman starts the book nearly right where readers left off with each character, I knew right then we were in for a treat. She wasted absolutely no time in setting up the story, just threw us right into the action, amongst all the stories happening simultaneously.

With each book in the series, I've always picked a favorite story arc but with Reign of Serpents, I couldn't find a favorite. Each story was action packed with on-the-edge-of-your-seat entertainment, it would be too difficult to pick just one.

I can imagine how fun this book must have been to write as it was tons of fun to read. With high expectations and even higher stakes, Reign of Serpents does not disappoint.

Don’t miss the author’s note in the back of the book. Not only does it emphasize how Herman has intertwined true history with that of her fiction, but the facts are extremely interesting.

Reign of Serpents is an unforgettable adventure. Eleanor Herman sweeps readers off their feet. The novel will have them hungry for more, eagerly awaiting the sequel.