Format: Hardcover, 576 pages
Release Date: April 27, 2021
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
The parallel stories that began in Dark Shores and Dark Skies converge in Gilded Serpent, the third book in the YA fantasy series that Sarah J. Maas called "Everything I look for in a fantasy"
THEIR BATTLES ENDED IN VICTORY
Lydia returns to Mudaire
to enter training at the healing temple. But instead of fighting to save
lives, she’s convinced she is doing more harm than good. She delves
into the history of the gods only to discover a truth that will change
her life forever.
His birthright as commander of the Royal Army
is finally in his grasp, but Killian feels anything but victorious.
Burdened by his past, he embraces the darker side of his mark—and in
doing so, risks starting a war.
BUT THE WAR HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN
Having defeated the tyrant Urcon, Marcus struggles to form a lasting
alliance with the Arinoquians. But he is plagued by the knowledge that
there is a traitor among his friends, and it could cost him everything
that he’s fought for.
Torn between her growing allegiance to
the Thirty-Seventh legion and her need to liberate her people, Teriana
finds herself mired in a web of secrets. She embarks upon a path that
will either save everyone she loves—or put them all in their graves.
Gilded Serpent is the third installment in author Danielle L. Jensen's Dark Shores series with the final releasing in the Spring of 2022. Gilded Serpent starts right where Dark Shores and Dark Skies ended. The author has chosen to make it easy for you to read either book first and then second before reading Gilded Serpent. Events of both books happen simultaneously. Please know that I will do my best not to spoil this book for you. In this installment, the author has decided to alternate her story via four main characters: Teriana, Killian, Marcus, and Lydia.
Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets. They owe allegiance only to the Six Gods. But because of Teriana's betrayal of her people, she's forced into a contract with power hungry and villain Lucius Cassius where she is to lead a contingent of Celendor soldiers across the seas to a world that is being called the Dark Shores. Succeed and her mother and her people live, fail and they all die. What could go wrong? Plenty.
There's even a saying that East shall not meet West under any condition. The
West worships a group of 6 Gods and Goddesses, with a 7th making all
sorts of loud noises that could lead to even more violence and
bloodshed. Since arriving in Arinoquia, Teriana has tried to help search for paths back to the Empire. She's also helped win a war, and brought together Marcus and other groups like the Arinoquian imperators. Teriana's relationship with Marcus has grown, but it also has lots of ups and downs. A pretty cool secret is revealed about Teriana that makes things very interesting to see what happens going forward.
Marcus is the commander
of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor
Empire to conquer the entire East. Marcus was blackmailed by Cassius into helping him win an election. Now he has used Teriana's love for her people in order to blackmail her into
leading Marcus to the Dark Shores and a way for other Celendorian
Legions to follow. Marcus has a serious issue on his hands in that someone betrayed him. Until he can figure out who, and unravel his relationship with Teriana, things are going to get extremely dicey. Part of this story takes place where Marcus and Teriana finds themselves back in Celendor and into more trouble.
Lydia is a scholar and Teriana's best friend, but books are her downfall when she meddles in the plots of the most powerful man in the Celendor Empire Lucius Cassius. After betraying Teriana's trust and her friendship, Lydia has every
intention of making things right. But, thanks to Marcus, she ended up in another land
called Mudamora where she suddenly finds that she has some pretty cool new abilities. In this part of the world, Lydia has been marked as a healer. With the Blight evolving, Lydia is shoved to the forefront to find a way to stop it.
Killian Calorian is Marked by the God of War, but his gifts failed him when the realm under the dominion of the Corrupter invaded Mudamora. Killian has a boatload of issues on his hand starting with the Corrupter who wants control over all of the other gods. People who have been “marked” by other gods are now the Corrupters focus. A little sneak peek. Killian knows who Teriana and the Maarin are. Killian is also the only character who has plenty of character flaws that need to be quickly corrected before he's completely lost out in left field somewhere.
Will be interesting to see what happens when the four characters finally get together. Especially after what Marcus did to Lydia. ::lips are sealed:: There is so much scheming by so many different people in this book. The plot twists were anything but predictable. All of the characters have their flaws. No one has all of the answers and no one is completely invincible or untouchable. Strengths and weaknesses are challenged, our main characters learned more about each other. The danger was intense.
Wars, a plague, starving citizens, dangerous armies, a world filled with danger, a scheming Emperor who wants to rule the world, a pantheon of Gods who are under attack from a diabolical seventh God who seems to have no weaknesses. This has to be one of the strangest endings to a book. And, no, I am not making this up. There are literally TWO cliffhanger endings to the book. Not one. All four main characters are in trouble as this book ends. Some are in deeper trouble than others but the point is that nobody is safe at this point.
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