SONNETS AND SERPENTS

After Princess Eliza de Loegria’s father banishes the boy she loves, she runs away to find him and discovers an unlikely, life-altering bond.

Nineteen-year-old Silas Bennett, who’s no fan of arrogant royals, has a plan: secure a professorship in Pravusat by proving his hypothesis about magic stealing and flee Loegria, where he could be killed for being an Animal Affiliate with shape-shifting magic. But the best-laid plans oft go awry, and an ill-fated bargain throws Eliza and Silas into each other’s paths. They end up bound together by gold bracelets given to them by a Stone Caster—and the only way to break the spell is to “fall madly in love” and engage in “a passionate kiss.” Can they overcome their mutual prejudices and antagonism and weather their inner storms to get what they want—and do they even know what they truly want? This sequel to Casters and Crowns (2024) is propelled by classic genre tropes, although some of the emotional beats feel rushed. The story alternates between the leads’ third-person points of view. Eliza, plagued by self-doubt, high emotions, and action-hero impulses, is refreshingly idealistic; snarky and cynical Silas is an effective foil, although the enemies-to-lovers storyline comes across at times as forced. But the core themes—balancing love and fear, connection and betrayal, and unlearning the dehumanization of others—resonate deeply, and the storytelling is warm and sincere. Eliza has pale skin, and Silas has dark eyes and “honey-brown” skin.

An enjoyable light fantasy.