SON OF THE SERPENT

A son born of evil seeks his revenge in this sequel.

Quiroz-Vega’s (The Fall of Lilith, 2017, etc.) second installment of the Fantasy Angels series is just as dark, fantastical, and sweeping as its predecessor. But this time, the story focuses on Lilith and her son, Dracúl. Though Lilith believes she successfully murdered Dracúl, he is alive and bent on retribution. Meanwhile, Lilith seeks her promised mate, one who is her equal and will give her other powerful offspring. Thus begins an epic odyssey spanning generations and continents. Lilith thrives on creating pain and suffering, and Dracúl must only follow the trail of human misery to find her. While Lilith is pure evil, Dracúl is a much more complicated and nuanced character. He’s misunderstood, lonely, and feared. Though his natural form resembles a demon and he must consume blood to survive, Dracúl is not a monster. His interactions with humans clearly demonstrate that he is capable of empathy and love. As Lilith and Dracúl pursue their quests, the author walks readers through the familiar stories of the Old Testament. Dracúl is present when Cain murders Abel. He seeks shelter among the beasts on Noah’s Ark and witnesses the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. And in this volume, all these terrible events are triggered by Lilith’s pure malevolence. Quiroz-Vega deftly spins a fantasy that puts a new and intriguing twist on age-old biblical tales. It’s a fun revision, with Dracúl popping in to rescue the baby Moses and Lilith overseeing the construction of the Tower of Babel. This Creation story, which incorporates so many fantasy elements, also crosses over into horror. The author doesn’t shy away from detailing terrible acts of violence. She vividly describes Egyptian soldiers murdering infants, memorably portraying the “myriad of dead and mangled babies” who “floated downstream on the Nile.” Familiarity has softened some of the horrors described in biblical stories, but Quiroz-Vega doesn’t hesitate to bring the intrinsic brutality to the forefront.

Complex and well-drawn characters round out a creative and horrifying fantasy.