Book Review | SISTERS OF THE SNAKE by Sasha Nanua and Sarena Nanua

SISTERS OF THE SNAKE
by Sasha Nanua and Sarena Nanua
Publication: June 15, 2021
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA Fiction / Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★

A lost princess. A mysterious puppet master. And a race against time—before all is lost.

Princess Rani longs for a chance to escape her gilded cage and prove herself. Ria is a street urchin, stealing just to keep herself alive.

When these two lives collide, everything turns on its head: because Ria and Rani, orphan and royal, are unmistakably identical.

A deal is struck to switch places—but danger lurks in both worlds, and to save their home, thief and princess must work together. Or watch it all fall into ruin.

Deadly magic, hidden temples, and dark prophecies: Sisters of the Snake is an action-packed, immersive fantasy that will thrill fans of The Wrath & the Dawn and The Tiger at Midnight. -Publisher

On the brink of war, two sisters will challenge fate, love, and the limits of their magic.

The chapters are told alternately by the two main characters -Ria, an orphan and thief prowling the streets of Abai, and Rani, a princess trapped inside the palace walls. After the battle of the Great Masters of Magic, Amran enforced a 100-year peace treaty between Abai and Kaama, and as the end nears, a bloody war seems inevitable. Ria plans to steal some palace jewels to escape her conscription for this coming war. Once in the palace though, Ria and Rani have no time to register their shock –to have a twin they never knew existed. Ria has to postpone her escape to swap places with Rani in exchange for passports and financial aid. Rani will have the opportunity to escape the palace and find the Bloodstone to prove herself as the next monarch, while Ria uncovers the truth of why she grew up in an orphanage. It’s more than a good bargain!

There are several reasons why I enjoyed reading the SISTERS OF THE SNAKE. (1) It’s refreshing to read a retelling of an old English tale in an Indian setting. There is fullness on diversity and awareness of South Asian culture. (2) I like the magical structure. Having animals as familiars is nothing new in fiction, but making them work better with other forms of magic is quite fascinating. And by gods, I love Shima’s sassiness! (3) There are contrived scenes, here and there, but I like how the plot flowed. There are no dreary or stagnant chapters. (4) Twins on twins! Sasha and Sarena are convincing storytellers. I can hear the echo of their voices in the storylines. I’m sure they will explore more of the twin chemistry in the next installment.

There is magic, young love, action-packed adventure, and unselfish heroes –every fantasy should have! And if you love to try the audiobook, Soneela Nankani is amazing.

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About the Author:

Sarena Nanua & Sasha Nanua are twin sisters living in Ontario, Canada. Born on Diwali ten minutes apart from each other, they grew up loving stories about twins and magic, and began writing books together when they were nine years old. They are graduates of the English and professional writing programs at the University of Toronto and are also the authors of the Pendant trilogy. You can visit them online at www.sarenasashabooks.com.

*Thanks to HarperCollins Canada for the egalley in exchange for this unbiased review.
*This post is a part of the monthly linkups organized by Lovely Audiobooks! You can click here to check it out and be a part of it.