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In the Serpent's Wake by Rachel Hartman

6 reviews

margaret_k30's review

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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eetishmeh's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have to say, Rachel Hartman's books always leave me amazed.
Her intricate worldbuilding strikes again in In the Serpent's Wake, and, as expected from this series, the internal conflict and reflections of the characters are a major part of it.
I love how it tackles the issue of colonisation and the injustice to native people, along with other things like worries about gender + gender presentation, moral standing, and interpersonal relationships.

I like how Tess finally came to the realisation that ko shouldn't be used unless someone consents to it/she shouldn't have been calling the quigutl by gendered pronouns in Ninysh without asking. When she first noted her disdain for ko in the 1st book, I was a bit worried in which direction it'd go in—I'm thankful I kept my faith in this duology! I love how Spira tried a few different sets of pronouns before settling on teu/teur, and that Tess admitted she had a crush on both Jacomo and Marga.

I'd recommend this series to someone who wants a reflective and insightful read, yet also adores fantasy settings and worldbuilding!

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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

To lean on the quigtl concept of paradoxes, I have been excited-utl about In the Serpent’s Wake for a long time. I procrastinated reading it, because it was either going to hit me in all the same places as Tess of the Road and break my heart in a good way, or it was going to fail to hold to my extremely high expectations from the first book. Once I picked it up and started reading, I couldn’t put it down. In the Serpent’s Wake made me think, it made me cry, and it both fulfilled and missed my expectations.

This is going to be a challenging review to write. I’m going to do my best, because I want you, dear reader, to understand how In the Serpent’s Wake is still such a good book. But I think it could have been more.

First, small things to note that I want folks to know, but can’t fit in elsewhere:

No need to reread Tess of the Road. Hartman recaps the whole thing at the beginning of this book… in verse.
There is so much representation in this book. As is true with all Hartman’s novels. I cannot speak as to the accuracy, but it is there.
There is misgendering. It is directly addressed and condemned.
There is patronization, colonization, and attempted genocide of indigenous people. This is directly addressed and condemned.
You don’t have to have read any of Hartman’s other books to enjoy In the Serpent’s Wake, but previous understanding of the races and general world building elements make for a better experience.

Alright. To the bones of this review.

Where Tess of the Road gave us Tess Dombegh’s perspective alone, we have many different POVs in In the Serpent’s Wake. This variety is precisely why it is not quite perfect. Each POV tells important aspect of the story, and I don’t think Rachel Hartman could have told the story in full without them… but I also think they were not given enough time. Tess of the Road tells the story of a single person finding themselves after pain and grief have torn them apart. In the Serpent’s Wake scratches the surface of the damage colonizers do, and awakens members of that culture to the harm they have done. It’s a bigger story and needs a bigger stage. This is my sole criticism, but it shades the entire book. Rachel Hartman at once condemns white supremacy at a systemic level while still trying to tell the story at the level of individual fallacy and growth. With more pages, more books, this story could have been so much more. The individual character subplots are important in their own rights, and needed time to flourish. Maybe Hartman still will dive into those stories. I don’t know if there’s more to come but I hope there is.

I have so much respect and awe for Rachel Hartman for using her books as a platform to address difficult topics. It is something I have not seen any other white writer do, particularly with this much grace and humility. Goredd and the surrounding lands have been so carefully constructed to see the flaws in our world and allow space for those who are not seen and heard elsewhere. Her books always contain conversations about race, gender identity, and disability; In the Serpent’s Wake adds more to these conversations and brings some of them to the next level. Spira’s POV was particularly important as teu is an intersectional character, and I deeply wish we could have seen more of teur’s journey. In these topics, Hartman herself admits she has not always been accurate – that, indeed, her best efforts have sometimes hurt. She is trying to learn and be better.

I wonder how much of the author’s own identity has been poured into Tess’s character.

And there is Tess. Dear Tess, who strives to be worthy. That feeling is one I relate to so much. I had hoped In the Serpent’s Wake would be entirely in Tess’s POV because I love her so deeply and I feel so seen by this character in my own personal struggles (often literally). Tess tries to do one right, and through her ignorance and presumptuousness, often does two wrongs instead. She has a difficult journey in this book, and I loved it all. And I cried for much of it. Unexpectedly, like an obsidian dagger plunged into the depths of my heart. As it turns out, it is very difficult to read when you are crying. I had to pause for several hours as I trudged through chapter eight and the following few. For Tess’s sake, but also for my own. As with Tess of the Road, In the Serpent’s Wake came at the right time for me to feel seen and heard.

In this new story, we see a reminder that we need to broaden our minds. That we will continue to fail, but that we must always get up and listen. Learn. Try to do better. I don’t believe there is a happy ending for Tess here. If anything, I think she is more complicated and conflicted than ever; she struggles on so many different levels. The ending of In the Serpent’s Wake is messy. But it is not unhopeful.

I dearly hope this is not the last of Tess, Spira, Magra, Jacamo, and the rest. But whatever story Rachel Hartman write next will, I am sure, shine so brightly.

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hannahollihan's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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glenfleskie's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book was absolutely phenomenal. Rachel Hartman out does herself every single time another book in the series comes out. Seraphina was really really good; Shadow scale built on the world in such an interesting way,Tess of the road was so good and changed my perceptions on their head, and now in the serpents wake was just masterful. There’s so many layers to write this book was very good

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elle_dee's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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