Scan barcode
A review by literatehedgehog
The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
3.0
Middle grade fantasy adventure based on Bengali folklore.
I really liked how the author included backmatter explaining the inspiration for characters, plot points, and even rhymes in the story. It is impressive work to take so many different elements and assemble them in a coherent arc.
That being said, I personally don't enjoy the quest narrative in fantasies. I was a full fledged adult when I realized this about myself! I like many types of fantasy, but not the quest journey. Travel to multiple places, meet kooky characters, collect the magical objects to defeat the foe/win the day/help goodness prevail! Not my fantasy jam. It's too much like a bead necklace which has all the flashiest beads helter-skelter strung together. This novel does hang together, but I didn't feel compelled to keep picking it up. However, it does have a fast-paced plot and reasonable motivation, so I think other readers, like the target youth audience, will enjoy it.
It reads like Race to the Sun: I love how the culture is represented, I like the character development (realistically sassy without being a total jerk, like the writer knows actual preteens), I want to recommend to all my adventure-loving readers, but I personally don't care about the quest.
I do wonder if a sequel would be structured differently?
I really liked how the author included backmatter explaining the inspiration for characters, plot points, and even rhymes in the story. It is impressive work to take so many different elements and assemble them in a coherent arc.
That being said, I personally don't enjoy the quest narrative in fantasies. I was a full fledged adult when I realized this about myself! I like many types of fantasy, but not the quest journey. Travel to multiple places, meet kooky characters, collect the magical objects to defeat the foe/win the day/help goodness prevail! Not my fantasy jam. It's too much like a bead necklace which has all the flashiest beads helter-skelter strung together. This novel does hang together, but I didn't feel compelled to keep picking it up. However, it does have a fast-paced plot and reasonable motivation, so I think other readers, like the target youth audience, will enjoy it.
It reads like Race to the Sun: I love how the culture is represented, I like the character development (realistically sassy without being a total jerk, like the writer knows actual preteens), I want to recommend to all my adventure-loving readers, but I personally don't care about the quest.
I do wonder if a sequel would be structured differently?