In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess, stubbornly, is a troublemaker. You can't make a scene at your sister's wedding and break a relative's nose with one punch (no matter how pompous he is) and not suffer the consequences. As her family plans to send her to a nunnery, Tess yanks on her boots and sets out on a journey across the Southlands, alone and pretending to be a boy.
Where Tess is headed is a mystery, even to her. So when she runs into an old friend, it's a stroke of luck. This friend is a quigutl--a subspecies of dragon--who gives her both a purpose and protection on the road. But Tess is guarding a troubling secret. Her tumultuous past is a heavy burden to carry, and the memories she's tried to forget threaten to expose her to the world in more ways than one.
From the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of Seraphina comes a piercing new fantasy adventure that champions our resilience and humility.
MIND OF THE WORLD,
OPEN YOUR EYES.
At the bottom of the world lies a Serpent, the last of its kind.
Finding the Serpent will change lives.
Tess is a girl on a mission to save a friend.
Spira is a dragon seeking a new identity.
Marga is a woman staking her claim on a man's world.
Jacomo is a priest searching for his soul.
There are those who would give their lives to keep it hidden.
And those who would destroy it.
But the only people who will truly find the Serpent are those who have awakened to the world around them—with eyes open to the wondrous, the terrible, and the just.
My first review of Tess of the Road
My Review:
I loved reading these books! I was a bit nervous to reread Tess of the Road, because I love it, don't get me wrong, but it's a hard story, and it's more introspective. I had to reread it before reading In the Serpent's Wake, because my memory is so poor, and i's been almost 4 years since I read it, so I had to reread it!
I loved reading these books! I was a bit nervous to reread Tess of the Road, because I love it, don't get me wrong, but it's a hard story, and it's more introspective. I had to reread it before reading In the Serpent's Wake, because my memory is so poor, and i's been almost 4 years since I read it, so I had to reread it!
Tess is in a tough head space. Her sisters have lives going on, and she doesn't really belong. Going on this adventure, she really has a chance to find who she is. Given that her mom and her religion basically taught her to hate her body, she has a lot of lessons to learn on self-love and acceptance.
And then oh, In the Serpent's Wake, I loved exploring this part of the world! It definitely raised questions about colonialism, about claiming land for your country, but someone else already lives there-and you treat them as lesser. It was infuriating, but an important one.
There were a lot of emotional moments, from all the different ways that Tess is being pulled at on the ship, to Spira, who because of the way they were born, have an illness that affects their body, as well as makes them more susceptible to emotions. And some new characters, with all the complicated politics and history of these various islands and peoples. That ending worked well for this book, but I hope this isn't the last we see of the Southlands world!
Loved reading these two, and I can't wait to read more by Rachel Hartman!
Author: Rachel Hartman
Series: Tess of the Road #1, 2, Southlands #3, 4
First Read: November 22nd, 2018
Author: Rachel Hartman
Series: Tess of the Road #1, 2, Southlands #3, 4
First Read: November 22nd, 2018
Read: July 25th, 26th, 2022
Source: Own, NetGalley
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Books and In the Serpent's Wake is a WoW Book!
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Source: Own, NetGalley
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2022 Books and In the Serpent's Wake is a WoW Book!
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Published: February 27th 2018, February 1st 2022
Tess of the Road:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
In the Serpent's Wake:
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
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