SERPENTINE is a sweeping fantasy set in the ancient Kingdom of Xia and inspired by the rich history of Chinese mythology.
Lush with details from Chinese folklore, SERPENTINE tells the coming of age story of Skybright, a young girl who worries about her growing otherness. As she turns sixteen, Skybright notices troubling changes. By day, she is a companion and handmaid to the youngest daughter of a very wealthy family. But nighttime brings with it a darkness that not even daybreak can quell.
When her plight can no longer be denied, Skybright learns that despite a dark destiny, she must struggle to retain her sense of self – even as she falls in love for the first time.
AWARDS
Serpentine is a Junior Library Guild Selection for Fall 2015!
PRAISE
Vivid worldbuilding, incendiary romance, heart-pounding action, and characters that will win you over—I highly recommend Serpentine.
Cinda Williams Chima, bestselling author of the Seven Realms and Heir Chronicles fantasy novels
Serpentine is unique and surprising, with a beautifully-drawn fantasy world that sucked me right in! I love Skybright’s transformative power, and how she learns to take charge of it.
Kristin Cashore, New York Times bestselling of the Graceling Realm Series
Serpentine’s world oozes with lush details and rich lore, and the characters crackle with life. This is one story that you’ll want to lose yourself in.
Marie Lu, New York Times bestselling author of Legend and The Young Elites
The economical narrative conjures an entire world, drenched in color and texture and scent, rich in evocative mythology and heady action, and filled with vivid characters. Skybright makes a refreshing heroine, both fiercely loyal and eminently practical, ready to exploit her supernatural powers while insisting on her inherent humanity.”
Kirkus Reviews (click for full review)
This coming-of-age story takes readers on a fantastical journey through friendship and Chinese mythology. YA fans will love Pon’s storytelling ability and the immersion into a world filled with love, danger, and fantasy. VERDICT Readers will be begging for a sequel to find out what happens to these intriguing characters.
Jessica Strefling, US Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Library (Starred review from School Library Journal)
Action, secrets, love, and a search for identity combine in a powerful tale about what ensues when the underworld and the real world collide.
Publishers Weekly (click for full review)
At its core, the novel is about friendship, loyalty, and self-acceptance, with characters as delightfully real as any in the realm of young adult literature.
Diane Colson, VOYA (5Q 4P)