My true rating is a 3.5 !

Getting into this world was a bit difficult not knowing anything about the series as a whole, but once you're in it you're hooked.

The highlight of this book for me was the world building. The lore had me so interested from the get go, and I feel like the cultural background and setting makes this book so unique when compared to others in this genre.

Simone is a strong, take no crap fmc. Her backstory is one of the things I really did enjoy about this book. You can see her grow as she is adapting to her life and the changes that have come for her.

All in all, I'd totally read another book from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I really wanted to like this book. The fantasy themes were great and it had some amusing edges. It didn’t have enough depth for me and felt a bit light and cosy, perhaps a YA market. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Kylie Chan's “The Serpent Princess is an extraordinary fantasy novel that blends rich mythology, complex characters, and a gripping plot into an unforgettable adventure. From the first page, Chan immerses readers in a world where ancient powers, gods, and secrets collide, making for a thrilling and action-packed journey.

The story revolves around the captivating protagonist, whose strength and resilience shine through every challenge she faces. Chan’s skillful characterization brings depth and relatability to the lead, and readers will quickly find themselves rooting for her as she navigates a world filled with danger, intrigue, and supernatural forces. The supporting characters are equally compelling, each one carefully developed and bringing their own unique perspectives and contributions to the narrative.

One of the standout elements of “The Serpent Princess” is Chan’s world-building. The novel is steeped in Chinese mythology, with gods, legends, and mythical creatures seamlessly woven into the plot. The setting feels alive, with detailed descriptions that transport readers to a vibrant world where magic is real, and the boundaries between the mortal and divine are blurred.

The pacing of the book is perfect, with action sequences that are exciting yet balanced by moments of emotional depth. The stakes in the story feel high, and the tension builds steadily throughout the novel, keeping readers hooked from start to finish. Chan’s writing style is immersive and lyrical, drawing readers into the story with ease and creating a strong connection with the world and characters.

At its core, “The Serpent Princess” is a tale of self-discovery, strength, and the complexities of fate. Themes of power, loyalty, and sacrifice are explored with nuance and thoughtfulness, adding emotional depth to the narrative. It’s a book that will leave readers thinking long after they’ve finished it.

Overall, “The Serpent Princess” is a captivating and beautifully written fantasy that will appeal to fans of mythology, strong female protagonists, and high-stakes adventures. Kylie Chan has crafted a memorable and enchanting tale that is sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy immersive, mythologically rich fantasy.

I cannot get into this book. I understood the first chapter and then it completely passed me by. Who is who and what is what? This is the first book I read by Kylie Chan.
I struggle with a writing style that very much describes space and areas. That takes me out of the story and therefore I start skipping parts.

This book was not it for me unfortunately.

I had no idea the book was part of a universe but I had no issues understanding the story or the characters which I really liked. Kylie hooked me in with this one enough that I already bought the other books to read!

This is my first time reading something by Kylie Chan and while this book is a part of greater universe; The Dark Heavens series; I had no trouble jumping into this story with no prior knowledge of the characters or the story.
And what a story it is. I am absolutely in love. Never read any Chinese mythology before but I am absolutely loving it. Gods, demons, animals. I am there for all of it. This feels so refreshing and easy to read and follow. A beautiful story. Currently I'm about 30% in and I just can't put the book down.
It just keeps getting better and better. Holy moly. I'm going through all the emotions. I'm currently on shock, followed by bemused bewilderment. And that's just the start. This is definitely my favorite book I've red this year and it's not even close. I can't wait for the next one to come out

This cover is perfection 🐍 ⚔️ Artist did an amazing job!

The Serpent Princess is stated as a new entry point from the Dark Heavens series. I think to truly appreciate this book, I should have considered reading the Dark Heavens trilogy first, but I still did really enjoy the world building and characters throughout! 

I loved the Asian mythology and martial arts aspects, and the descriptive world building despite going into this book without the previous series.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223542150

THE SERPENT PRINCESS is billed as a new entry point into the Dark Heavens series, and it achieves this goal, to an extent. I have not read any of the other books, but was able to enjoy this one. The first half of the book is friendly toward newcomers. Not having read the Dark Heavens trilogy, I obviously can’t appreciate some of the emotional impact and context in Simone’s story, but most of it stands on it’s own.

Kylie Chan’s greatest strength, and weakness, is her detailed descriptions of locations. Clearly informed by real life travels, each and every place is exhaustively described—the walls, the floors, the furniture, the layout. This is great at first, especially during the more “everyday” moments, but later feels like it interrupts some of the urgency when Simone and Micheal are trying to save Europe.

I’m torn between wanting more of the high octane martial arts fights, but also more of Simone’s romantic struggles. Overall, I wanted less of the parts that felt like they were wrapping up plot lines from the previous series.

I’ll have to dive into the Dark Heavens trilogy if I really want to appreciate THE SERPENT PRINCESS. The characters, worldbuilding, and tame demons were charming--I want to get to know them better!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7252920098
Posted: 01/28/2025

Kylie Chan's The Serpent Princess is the perfect Young Adult/Dark Fantasy/Mythology read. It has something for every reader to enjoy. For followers of Kylie's series it is like having old friends come over for a visit. The Eastern celestial realm is something many of us have had little do do with but love learning more about (this from an Australian males pov). The crossover with the Western gods Norse, Roman, Greek etc opens up worlds of possibilities which I hope the author is inspired to keep writing as her fans await the next demon fighting saga in this multi generational Dark Heavens world.

I was thrilled to see Kylie Chans return to the Wudang universe! I remember getting White Tiger from Netgalley when it first came out and voraciously devoured the 8 books that followed. And now we are back. It's a bit after the events of Black Jade. But now we are focusing on Simone. The story didn't flow quite like I remember the 9 books previously, it felt a bit disjointed to me. There was a bit of world-building as much of this book is taking place in the "Western" Heaven and Hell, so that was interesting. I will be curious to see where we go from here.

This review of The Serpent Princess by Kylie Chan is courtesy of NetGalley
#TheSerpentPrincess #NetGalley

Rating 4/5
Publication Date: Jan 29 2025

It's been almost a decade since I read books from the first 3 trilogies within the Dark Heavens universe. I remember reading a copy (and eventually buying new books as they were released) since it felt like one of the first books with Chinese culture I'd encountered other than the much older Joy Luck Club. So seeing a new book being released was definitely exciting. It turns out though, that I actually hadn't read the last book of the Celestial Battle trilogy "Black Jade" and rushed to read it before "The Serpent Princess". Reading Black Jade reminded me of many things about the Dark Heavens universe that a reader new to the universe wouldn't know and would likely be confused by.

The book starts with Simone bringing home her latest boyfriend for the first time and preparing to see how he reacts to finding out she's not exactly human. There's plenty of godly supernatural shenanigans between Celestials and demons, sword fights, emotional angst and the return of some other favorite characters from the previous trilogies. Simone is definitely the epitome of girl power. It was a quick read that felt short and I'm looking forward to the next installments.

I've read Kylie Chan's Dark Heavens series and so this world I knew and it was like catching up with old friends with the cast of characters being familiar.

The author is a fantastic writer and and the asian mythology and culture she draws on adds to the richness of this narrative. I'm sure the fact this novel is being released around the Lunar New Year (The Year of the Snake) is not just a coincidence...

I did wonder how a new reader would find 'The Serpent Princess' as an entry point. Simone is a likeable and endearing character and the challenges of finding a 'normal life' would definitely be a challenge for her, especially with her history and family. I was able to ease into this read easily after knowledge of the prior series. I'm not sure if a new reader could.

I really appreciated the Netgalley ARC and I know this beautiful novel (the cover and end papers are stunning!) will sit well next to Kylie Chen's other novels in our library.

I read I think 50% of the book yesterday before DNFing because while I don't mind reading on Kindle, I hate reading on my phone and the option to download on Kindle seemingly wasn't available for this book. Overall it was fine, I liked the story well enough but the format was killing my eyes and made reading this more like a chore than anything else.

Kylie Chan can write anything and I will read it – but amongst all her other series, I’ve been so looking forward to a return to the Dark Heavens universe 😭😭😭😭
Simone’s such a fave since the original series and it’s just absolutely delightful watching her grow up and continue to kick serious ass and also have her outsider’s take on the Emma-John relationship (LMAO because why was I HOWLING when she called out john and emma for their macabre wedding gifts to each other PLEASE-)
AND ALSO HER RELATIONSHIP WITH MICHAEL. I HAVE BEEN CHOMPING AT THE BIT FOR THEM TO FINALLY GET TOGETHER and I can’t give anything away in this review but *insert high-pitched screaming noises and copious amounts of dramatic handwaving as I the reader lie on the ground crying and weeping* the childhood friends to lovers pipeline with a sprinkling of red string of fate/ destined to be soulmates has NEVER hurt this good
Oh and I guess the action plot’s there too 😂 don’t get me wrong, the intrigue and action about the western heavens is executed well, but perhaps simone is just so damn powerful, every fight doesn’t feel very high stakes and I just knew she would win anyway (except the last one at the end, that one did have me a little worried for a minute). And although this is billed as a fresh entry point for new readers, I feel like you would be doing yourself a massive disservice if you didn't do the original series before this one - too much has happened and there are too many nods and callbacks to past events that I suspect will leave a brand new reader feeling a bit lost

Anyways, I am already ready for the next book so please *grabby hands*