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A review by wildwolverine
The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin
4.0
A great follow-up to the Mistress of the Art of Death! Loved seeing some of my favorite characters from the first installment, even if only briefly. Adelia, Glytha, Mansur, and Rowley all grew so much in the year since the first book yet were still themselves. Even Henry II-lofty and real-showed another side of himself. Also loved meeting some new characters, even if some of them were dead. One of the things I admire about Franklin is her ability to integrate historical figures with fictional ones. The historical figures of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine are definitely larger than life, but they don't feel untouchable to the reader. It's a good balance.
The murders in this book (double mystery!) shocked in a different way compared to the first book. I was still gripping the book in anticipation! I will say this book felt a little slower and was a little more anti-climatic compared to the first book. Part of that was because there wasn't as much comedy or romance to break it up when the sleuthing stalled. Here's to hoping there's more of this in the third book!
The murders in this book (double mystery!) shocked in a different way compared to the first book. I was still gripping the book in anticipation! I will say this book felt a little slower and was a little more anti-climatic compared to the first book. Part of that was because there wasn't as much comedy or romance to break it up when the sleuthing stalled. Here's to hoping there's more of this in the third book!