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Serpent & Dove
Shelby Mahurin
"A brilliant debut, full of everything I love: a sparkling and fully realized heroine, an intricate and deadly system of magic, and a searing romance that kept me reading long into the night. Serpent & Dove is an absolute gem of a book." —Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Court of Thorns and Roses seriesBound as one, to love, honor, or burn. Book one of a stunning fantasy duology, this tale of witchcraft and forbidden love is perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Sara Holland.Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.As a huntsman of the Church, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. But when Lou pulls a wicked stunt, the two are forced into an...

The Serpent's Tale
Ariana Franklin
Historical Fiction / Mystery & Thrillers
Ariana Franklin combines the best of modern forensic thrillers with the drama of historical fiction in the enthralling second novel in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, featuring medieval heroine Adelia Aguilar.
Rosamund Clifford, the mistress of King Henry II, has died an agonizing death by poison - and the king's estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, is the prime suspect. Henry suspects that Rosamund's murder is probably the first move in Eleanor's long-simmering plot to overthrow him. If Eleanor is guilty, the result could be civil war. The king must once again summon Adelia Aguilar, mistress of the art of death, to uncover the truth.
Adelia is not happy to be called out of retirement. She has been living contentedly in the countryside, caring for her infant daughter, Allie. But Henry's summons cannot be ignored, and Adelia must again join forces with the king's trusted fixer, Rowley Picot, the Bishop of St. Albans, who is also her baby's father.
Adelia and Rowley travel to the murdered courtesan's home, in a tower within a walled labyrinth - a strange and sinister place from the outside, but far more so on the inside, where a bizarre and gruesome discovery awaits them. But Adelia's investigation is cut short by the appearance of Rosamund's rival: Queen Eleanor. Adelia, Rowley, and the other members of her small party are taken captive by Eleanor's henchmen and held in the nunnery of Godstow, where Eleanor is holed up for the winter with her band of mercenaries, awaiting the right moment to launch their rebellion.
Isolated and trapped inside the nunnery by the snow and cold, Adelia and Rowley watch as dead bodies begin piling up. Adelia knows that there may be more than one killer at work, and she must unveil their true identities before England is once again plunged into civil war . . .

Serpent's Kiss
Melissa de la Cruz
Young Adult / Paranormal Fiction / Fantasy
Alternate cover edition can be found here.
Just as things have settled down in the off-the-map Long Island town of North Hampton for the magical Beauchamp family, everything gets turned upside down once more when Freya's twin brother Fryr, or "Freddie" as he's called now, returns from Limbo with shocking news - that it was none other than Freya's fiancé, Killian Gardiner, who set up his downfall.
He begs Freya to keep his presence a secret, even from their own family, but somehow the irascible Freddie is still able to conduct many affairs with the town's young lovelies from his self-imposed exile. Until he falls for the wrong girl.
While Freya tries to keep her brother from exacting revenge on the man she loves, Ingrid has her own problems. Her human boyfriend, Matt Noble, becomes entangled in a complicated investigation, and when the magical creatures at the center of it come to Ingrid for help, she has a difficult choice to make.
To top it off, a dead spirit is trying to make contact with Joanna - but does it mean to harm or warn the witches? All hell breaks loose at the family reunion over Thanksgiving, and much mayhem ensues, but when the culprit behind Freddie's imprisonment is finally revealed, it may already be too late to staunch the poison that's been released by the serpent's kiss.

Serpent Never Sleeps
Scott O'Dell
Serena Lynn, age seventeen, turns down an appointment to serve England's King, James I, at court in order to follow her beloved Anthony Foxcroft across the sea to the newly founded colony of Jamestown. But their ship, loaded with much-needed supplies, founders in a hurricane, wrecking Serena and Anthony in Bermuda. By the time they make their way to Jamestown, the colony is in ruins, the people half-starved. Now Serena must go to the Indian princess Pocahontas to plead for the life of the colony -- and of the man she loves!

Serpent's Kiss
Part #3 of "Elder Races" series by Thea Harrison
Romance / Science Fiction & Fantasy
In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, a Queen on the brink of sanity has no one to rely on except the Wyr warrior whose conviction is every bit as strong as his passion.
In order to save his friend's life, Wyr sentinel Rune Ainissesthai made a bargain with Vampyre Queen Carling—without knowing what she would ask from him in return. But when Rune attempts to make good on his debt, he finds a woman on the edge.
Recently, Carling's Power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee in fear. Despite the danger, Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help her find a cure for the serpent's kiss—the vampyric disease that's killing her.
With their desire for each other escalating just as quickly as Carling's instability spirals out of control, the sentinel and the Queen will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent's kiss.

Serpent
Clive Cussler
Literature & Fiction / Adventure / Nonfiction
On the bottom of the icy sea off Nantucket lies the battered remains of the Italian luxury liner, Andrea Doria. But few know that within its bowels rests a priceless pre-Columbian antiquity—a treasure that now holds the key to a puzzle that is costing people their lives. For Kurt Austin, the leader of a courageous National Underwater Marine Agency (NUMA) exploration team, the killing begins when he makes a daring rescue of a beautiful marine archaeologist. The target of a powerful Texas industrialist named Halcon, Nina Kirov was attacked off the coast of Morocco after her discovery of a carved stone head that may prove Christopher Columbus was not the first European to discover America.
Soon Kurt and Nina embark on a deadly mission to uncover Halcon's masterful plan—an insidious scheme that would have him carve out a new nation from the southwest United States and Mexico, and ride to power on a wave of death and destruction. With Austin's elite NUMA crew attacking the murderous conspiracy from different sides, an extraordinary truth emerges; that Columbus may have made a fifth, unknown voyage to America in search of a magnificent treasure. And that the silent, steel hull of the Andrea Doria not only holds the answer to what the explorer may have found—but the fate of the United States itself.

The Serpent Prince
Elizabeth Hoyt
Romance
When the devil meets an angel...
Country bred Lucy Craddock-Hayes is content with her quiet life. Until the day she trips over an unconscious man—a naked unconscious man—and loses her innocence forever.
He can take her to heaven...
Viscount Simon Iddesleigh was nearly beaten to death by his enemies. Now he’s hell-bent on vengeance. But as Lucy nurses him back to health, her honesty startles his jaded sensibilities—even as it ignites a desire that threatens to consume them both.
Or to hell...
Charmed by Simon’s sly wit, urbane manners, and even his red-heeled shoes, Lucy falls hard and fast for him. Yet as his honor keeps him from ravishing her, his revenge sends his attackers to her door. As Simon wages war on his foes, Lucy wages her own war for his soul using the only weapon she has—her love…

The Serpent
Claire North
Science Fiction / Fantasy / Urban Magic
In 17th Century Venice exists a mysterious establishment known only as the Gameshouse.
There, fortunes are made and fortunes are broken over games of chess, backgammon and every other game under the sun.
But those whom fortune favours may be invited to compete in the higher league... a league where the games played are of politics and empires, of economics and kings. It is a league where Capture the Castle involves real castles, where hide and seek takes place on a scale as big as the British Isles.
Not everyone proves worthy of competing in the higher league. But one woman, who is about to play, may just exceed everyone's expectations.
Though she must always remember: the higher the stakes, the more deadly the rules...

The Spy and Her Serpent
Maria Ying
Olesya Hua, narcotics empress ...has everything: power, wealth, and a city that'll soon be hers. But her hunger is endless. She covets more still—and what Olesya Hua wants, she always gets. Dallas Seidel, syndicate fixer ...lost her chosen family to bloody violence ordered by the Huas. She'll stop at nothing to avenge them—she'll stop at nothing until the Hua sisters are in the ground. Their goals are in brutal opposition. Deceit and plots-within-plots will put them at each other's throat. They careen toward not just mutually assured destruction, but toward a fatal passion that'll mark them both forever. The Spy and Her Serpent is a trans-for-trans F/F short novel (53,000 words) set in contemporary Singapore. Contains: high heat, enemies-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, corruption, and a butch/femme couple.

Sun and Serpent
Jon Sprunk
Science Fiction & Fantasy
THE WAR CONTINUES, AND THE UNDEAD RAVAGE THE LAND. JIROM, HORACE, AND EMANON BEGIN TO HOPE THEY MIGHT FREE THE EMPIRE. BUT CAN THEY MANAGE TO DO SO BEFORE THE DARK KING CONQUERS THE WORLD? Horace has come a long way from his days of slavery. Now he, Jirom, and their companions think they just might glimpse victory ahead, and the triumphant end to what began as a mere slave rebellion. But first Horace must recover from the loss of his beloved Alyra. And Jirom finds himself asking if even victory will be worth the cost—how can he be sure he and the other winners of this war will rule more justly than the Akeshians did? Meanwhile, a mysterious mass murder-suicide in a temple in Thuum hints that they have more foes than they knew of. And as they advance upon the capital, they find strange obstacles barring their way. Obstacles that suggest the barriers between worlds are growing dangerously thin....
![Thanquol & Boneripper [02] - Temple of the Serpent Thanquol & Boneripper [02] - Temple of the Serpent](https://picture.readfrom.net/img/c-l-werner/thanquol_and_boneripper_02_-_temple_of_the_serpent_preview.jpg)
Thanquol & Boneripper [02] - Temple of the Serpent
Part #2 of "Warhammer: Thanquol & Boneripper" series by C. L. Werner
(v1.0)
Product DescriptionSkaven Grey Seer Thanquol travels to the jungle island of Lustria. The cunning wizard seeks an artefact to cement his power in the halls of Skavenblight, undercity of the rat-men About the AuthorC. L. Werner was a diseased servant of the Horned Rat long before his first story in Inferno! magazine. His Black Library credits include the Chaos Wastes books Palace of the Plague Lord and Blood for the Blood God, Mathias Thulmann: Witch Hunter, Runefang and the Brunner the Bounty Hunter trilogy. Currently living in the American south-west, he continues to write stories of mayhem and madness set in the Warhammer World.Visit the author’s website at www.vermintime.com

The Serpent on the Crown
Elizabeth Peters
Mystery & Thrillers / Humor
Autumn 1921. The Peabody-Emerson clan are enjoying a fruitful period of excavation in Egypt. But when they hear the alarming tale of a man's mysterious death their digging turns to detecting. His widow is convinced her husband was the victim of a curse and implores the Emersons to find and return the small 'deadly' statue that killed him to the tomb from which it was stolen -- before it claims another life. From bitter experience the Emersons know it would be a serious mistake to start chasing tomb robbers. But Amelia and family soon start to find the curse may be more real than ever imagined...

Serpent's Game
Part #5 of "The Soul Eater Series" series by Pippa Dacosta
Fantasy / Romance / Science Fiction
More than darkness...
Reeling from the revelations discovered in Egypt, Ace Dante is on a knife-edge, but the gods aren’t going to wait for him to come to terms with the truth.
Ancient and deadly beasts straight out of the underworld are targeting Nick “Cujo” Jones and his daughter. There doesn’t seem to be a connection to Ace, until a mysterious and familiar box turns up. A box marked with the snake-headed jackal. And it’s open.
This time, the gods crossed a line. Ace is done with their puppet-mastery. He’s fighting back.
But as hidden secrets come to light and Ace’s friendships crumble around him, will he have the strength to fight for what’s right, or will he allow the darkness inside to consume him?
After all, what is one man’s hope against the will of evil incarnate?
The wildly successful Soul Eater series ups the stakes in the penultimate book, Serpent’s Game.
Soul Eater series reading order:
Hidden Blade, #1
Witches' Bane, #2
See No Evil, #3
Scorpion Trap, #4
Serpent's Game, #5
Edge of Forever, #6
**

The Serpent's Game
A. C. Frieden
You don't stand and wait as Hurricane Katrina barrels down on New Orleans, unless you don't have a choice, and maritime lawyer Jonathan Brooks has none. His career in shambles and duty bound to help a figure from his past locate her missing nephew feared drowned in the Mississippi, Brooks is burdened with responsibility and devoid of options. But Mariya is no friend. The sultry Russian provocateur saved his life a decade ago but not without dragging him into a world of murder, mayhem and deceit. As darkness bleeds into the Crescent City, Brooks' search for the truth behind a body in the river catapults him into an international storm that sweeps into the espionage underworld of Russia, the intelligence centers of Washington, D.C., the politics of North Korea, the waterways of the Panama Canal, the back streets of Havana and the barrios of Caracas — and into the heart of Jonathan's own darkness. Praise for THE SERPENT'S GAME ... "Frieden keeps...

Serpent's Gift
A. C. Crispin
THE FUTURE JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT HARDERSerge LaRoche was a gifted musician, until a freak accident took away his hands. Now he’s focusing on his career as an instructor at StarBridge Academy. His newest student, brilliant but undisciplined Heather Farley, is looking forward to StarBridge being her first chance at the security and stability that she has lacked her entire life. But now an archaeological find beneath the cold surface of the school’s asteroid base threatens their hopes for the future…and possibly the future for StarBridge itself.''PRAISE FOR THE STARBRIDGE SERIES“These novels challenge our understanding among intelligent races…Readers will care about these characters.” — Library Journal“...the series is batting a thousand!” — Dragon“This is the type of rousing adventure story which Heinlein made so popular a generation ago…Excellent!” — Andre NortonBOOKS IN THE STARBRIDGE SERIESBook 1: StarBridge - Earth discovers they are not the only sentient beings in the universe and their first contact turns deadly in an unfortunate turn of events.Book 2: Silent Dances - Deaf since birth, Tesa is the perfect ambassador to the alien Grus whose sonic cries can kill. Has earth made its own discovery of a new sentient species?Book 3: Shadow World - A young man learns how to cope with death from a golden-eyed race of beings with tragically short lives.Book 4: Serpent’s Gift - A young girl creates a mind-link with the StarBridge computer, and a series of deadly accidents threatens all life on the asteroid.Book 5: Silent Songs - Amphibious beings from a distant world land on the planet Trinity, threatening the native creatures and the StarBridge ambassadors.Book 6: Ancestor’s World - When a member of an archeological team on the planet Na-Dina is brutally murdered, Mahree Burroughs arrives to find the killer, no matter the cost.Book 7: Voices of Chaos - The feline beings known as Arrekhi have requested admission into the Cooperative League of Systems, but they are harboring a secret that could have deadly consequences.Review"Rousing adventure... a very exciting and reader-enticing series!" -- Andre Norton

The Serpent's Fury
Kelley Armstrong
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Mystery & Thrillers / Young Adult
Rowan faces her most dangerous monster-slaying challenge yet, confronting what could be the most infamous monster of all, in the third book in this fantastical series by New York Times bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong.Rowan is Tamarel's Royal Monster Hunter, and her twin brother, Rhydd, will be its king. After the events of The Gryphon's Lair, Rowan, along with her friends, her brother and an entourage of monstrous companions, makes her way back to the Dunnian Woods to deal with the pack of dropbears the group trapped in an abandoned cabin after a vicious attack. The dropbears are just one of a number of rare monster species acting erratically in Tamarel. After a swarm of colocolos nearly tramples the group, Rowan becomes convinced that someone (or something) is driving these monsters out of their natural habitats. But nothing can prepare the Royal Monster Hunter for the truth of the matter: monsters even bigger and deadlier than gryphons...

Serpent Sword: A Steampunk Military Fantasy
Matthew W Quinn
“There’s no sophomore slump in Serpent Sword, the second book in Matthew Quinn’s Wastelands series, which combines post-apocalyptic science fiction, family saga, and Western elements. That’s an ambitious combination, but Quinn pulls it off in fine fashion.” —New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author, James Reasoner.
Killing a cannibal overlord was just the beginning. Now there’s a war to win, and the odds are getting worse.
For capturing a dirigible from the cannibalistic Flesh-Eating Legion and rescuing rebel chieftain Alonzo Merrill, Andrew Sutter earned a promotion. Now the rebel armies are carving a bloody swath toward the old capital of Jacinto. Victory seems near as the man-eaters crumble before the Merrills’ salvaged Old World arsenal.
But Grendel, first lord of the Northlands, marches south to turn back the tide. Although he had planned to betray the Flesh-Eaters and replace them with his son by Alonso’s captive sister Catalina, Grendel cannot let the rebels’ defeat of the Flesh-Eater ruler go unavenged. He brings with him hundreds of thousands of reinforcements and Catalina herself as bait.
With Jacinto under siege and enemy armies drawing ever nearer, Andrew and his friends must descend into the occupied city of Long Branch to rescue Catalina and confront the dreaded first lord himself.

Gilded Serpent
Danielle L. Jensen
Fantasy / Young Adult / Romance
From bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen comes a thrilling new novel in the Dark Shores world, a series that Sarah J. Maas called "everything I look for in a fantasy novel."THEIR BATTLES ENDED IN VICTORYLydia 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 BEGUNHaving 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...

The Serpent & the Dead
Part #3 of "Marvel Legends of Asgard" series by Anna Stephens
An extraordinary duo of Asgardian Heroines battle across the Ten Realms, in this epic fantasy adventure set in Marvel's Legends of AsgardIn the midst of a bloody conflict, Lady Sif, the valiant Asgardian warrior, watches her close friend die in glorious battle – but her soul is not taken to the eternal halls of Valhalla. Furious and petrified that the afterlife for her and all Asgardians is in peril, she enlists the aid of Brunnhilde the Valkyrie, the fearsome warrior entrusted with conveying worthy souls to the heroes' afterlife. Together they scour Asgard for answers. Rumors abound of towns being attacked by a horde of soldiers who cannot be killed. Someone is building an immortal army and stealing Asgardian souls... A worthy challenge for two of Asgard's mightiest champions!

Vikingrune Academy 2: The Serpent's Shadow
KC Kingmaker
I've been stolen from the academy I worked my entire life to get to…Ain't that a bitch? Captured by the humans' most hated enemy: Elves. They've been gone from Midgard for centuries, and now they decide to come back? Sometimes life is a real ass-kicker.But hey, at least my magic finally decided to show up. Turns out I'm a pretty damn good runeshaper, too. All those countless hours of training without having magic at my fingertips really paid off. Before being abducted by the pointy-ears, I made brutal discoveries at Vikingrune. The villains who destroyed my family name are closer than I thought. A vision showed me that maybe the elves aren't the Big Bads of humanity, and the call is coming from within the house. I came to the academy to execute a murderous plan… but then life happened. I met friends, lovers, allies, rivals. Now, I'll do whatever I must to get back to them and warn them of the real threat against us all. (The Serpent's Shadow is book two in the Vikingrune Academy series. Things heat up in this paranormal romance, on the battlefield, in the bedroom, and everywhere else. Ravinica is strong, her men are dastardly, and the hits keep coming. Be sure to check the trigger warnings, please.)

The War
Part #2 of "Gift of the Serpent" series by Wylder Willis
Nikita Blade has been living for centuries as the Reptilian Protector, and now faces her toughest challenge, as she must battle a figure from the past for her very life.
Joining up with her friends, they train together and fight together. Not everyone will survive this latest challenge and those who do survive will be changed--some drastically.

War God: Return of the Plumed Serpent
Graham Hancock
Nonfiction / History
The conquistador Hernán Cortés is hell-bent on conquering Mexico for the Aztecs’ gold. Having destroyed the Maya at Potonchan, Cortés now marches on Tenochtitlan, the Golden City of the Aztecs, wrapped in the aura of a returning, vengeful god.
His small force of just five hundred men will have to defeat the psychotic emperor Moctezuma and the armies of hundreds of thousands he commands. Cortés expects that the warlike Tlascalans, hereditary enemies of the Aztecs, will join him, but instead finds himself locked in a deadly struggle and a fight for his life. Even as Cortés risks all in the bloody campaign against the Tlascalans, he plays mind games with Moctezuma, aiming to dismantle the Aztec emperor’s confidence and defeat him psychologically before ever having to face him on the battlefield.
The supernatural and compelling rich history combine in this tale of love, brutal courage and triumphs. War God: Return of the Plumed Serpent is a story of staggering magnificence.
Graham Hancock on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/Author.GrahamHancock
Graham Hancock on Twitter:
@Graham__Hancock
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www.grahamhancock.com

Serpent Daughter
D. J. Butler
DRAGON AWARD–NOMINATED SERIES. New entry in the Witchy War series, blending alternate history, Appalachian Folklore, and epic fantasy.Sarah Calhoun has taken her father’s throne and ascended into her goddess’s presence in Unfallen Eden as her father never did. And Sarah Calhoun is dying. Her uncle Thomas Penn isn’t done with her. Armed with new powers conferred upon him by the Necromancer and with new allies won via his impending marriage, Penn aims to remove Sarah from her throne—and from the world of the living. In the meantime, Sarah has fallen out with one of her best allies. Against Sarah’s advice, her brother Nathaniel heads into Imperial Philadelphia with the reckless and likely impossible aim of healing the Emperor Thomas. On the shores of the northern seas, agents of Franklin’s Conventicle with an unlikely connection to the Emperor struggle to win allies among the pole-dwelling giants, who are torn between seizing land covertly from the Firstborn of the Ohio and entering the war openly on the side of Simon Sword. In the west, the Heron King rides an explosive storm into war, crushing the mortal kingdoms in his path and bearing down on Sarah’s Cahokia. To survive—and to gain the strength she needs to fight this impossible war—Sarah must unite the Moundbuilder kings to enact an ancient rite that will propel her beyond mortality. To do so, she must not only win over doubters among the Firstborn kings, but she must also beat back a rebellion among the Handmaids of her goddess—for there are some of the goddess’s priestesses who long for the dark days of human sacrifice, and who are willing to throw Sarah herself upon the altar. Praise for Witchy Winter: “Butler follows Witchy Eye with a satisfying second tale of a magic-filled early America. . . . Deep and old magic influences both places and characters, and the story is tightly focused on the determined Sarah . . . Fans of epic and alternate historical fantasy will savor this tale of witchery and intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly "For readers who love history-based fantasy, steampunk, or urban fantasy . . . this series that gives the genre a new twist."—Booklist Praise for Witchy Eye and D.J. Butler: “ . . . you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite . . . and another . . . and another . . . I didn’t want to stop reading . . . Kudos!”—R.A. Salvatore “Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the world building. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.”—Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.” —Kevin J. Anderson "Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes."—Publishers Weekly "David's a pro storyteller, and you're in for a great ride."—Larry Dixon " . . . a fascinating, grittily-flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave."—Cat Rambo "This is enchanting! I'd love to see more."—Mercedes Lackey “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk . . . A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.” —Charles E. Gannon "Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heart-warming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!"—David Farland “A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.”—Mario Acevedo "Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!"—Christopher Husberg "[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influence by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time."—Booklist

Be the Serpent
Seanan McGuire
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Horror / Young Adult
Now in hardcover, the sixteenth novel of the Hugo-nominated, New York Times-bestselling October Daye urban fantasy series.October Daye is finally something she never expected to be: married. All the trials and turmoils and terrors of a hero’s life have done very little to prepare her for the expectation that she will actually share her life with someone else, the good parts and the bad ones alike, not just allow them to dabble around the edges in the things she wants to share. But with an official break from hero duties from the Queen in the Mists, and her family wholly on board with this new version of “normal,” she’s doing her best to adjust. It isn’t always easy, but she’s a hero, right? She’s done harder. Until an old friend and ally turns out to have been an enemy in disguise for this entire time, and October’s brief respite turns into a battle for her life, her community, and...

Sister Fidelma 04 - The Subtle Serpent
Part #4 of "Sister Fidelma" series by Peter Tremayne
Mystery & Thrillers / Science Fiction & Fantasy
Seventh century Ireland provides the background in Peter Tremayne's newest murder mystery which begins gruesomely as two nuns pull a decapitated corpse from their drinking well. Sister Fidelma is called upon to determine who the body is and how she met her untimely end. Fidelma, as an advocate of the courts, is the appropriate person to collect evidence and determine if there is a case to be answered. Although Tremayne makes clear in his introduction that women under Irish law in the period aspired to and performed most professions on a similar footing with men, he does not neglect the opportunity to place Fidelma in situations where both her youth and gender raise the question of her suitability for her official capacity. Still, her enjoyment in convincing her doubters of her abilities and her ultimate success indicate, as Tremayne evidently intends, that this particular period, at least as Ireland as concerned, should not be characterized as a dark one. En route to the scene of the crime that opens the story, Sister Fidelma encounters a second curiosity, a ship foundering in the waves without a person on board. What Fidelma does discover are hints that an old and trusted friend was aboard and seems to have met the same mysterious fate as the rest of the crew and cargo, whatever that might have been. The novel proceeds as Fidelma sets out to determine the cause of each of her mysteries, and what if any is the connection between them. Tremayne is a careful and engaging storyteller; his characters are thoughtfully drawn, and he uses the central mystery for them to discuss and reflect upon the differences between the native Irish church and that of Rome (which is becoming the more powerful--and whose ultimate success will keep women like Fidelma out of the halls of power which she has confidently and capably strode.) The ecclesiastical period setting may remind readers of the work of Ellis Peters, but the 7th century is distinct from the 12th and Ireland distinct from England. Tremayne relishes those differences, creating a tale that has much to enlighten and intrigue his readers and make them anxious for the next time Sister Fidelma is called to perform her duties.

The Serpent of Stars
Jean Giono
Literature & Fiction / Poetry
The Serpent of Stars (Le serpent d¢étoiles, 1993; reprinted 1999 Grasset) takes place in rural southern France in the early part of the century. The novel’s elusive narrative thread ties landscape to character to an expanse just beyond our grasp. The narrator encounters a shepherding family and glimpse by glimpse, each family member and the shepherding way of life is revealed to us. The novel culminates in a large shepherds’ gathering where a traditional Shepherd’s Play—a kind of creation myth that includes in its cast The River, The Sea, The Man, and The Mountain—is enacted. The work’s proto-environmental world view as well as its hybrid form—part play, part novel—makes The Serpent of Stars astonishingly contemporary. W.S. Merwin’s "Green Fields" begins, "By this part of the century few are left who believe/in the animals for they are not there in the carved parts/of them served on plates and the pleas from slatted trucks..." This novel leaves the reader believing not only in the animals, but the terrain they are part of, the people who tend them, and the life all these elements together compose.

Serpent Moon
C. T. Adams
Eric Thompson's wolf howl can ruin electronics and send aircraft tumbling from the sky. Considered dangerous even by his fellow Sazi, Eric has become a lone wolf, living in self-imposed isolation. Yet when the very foundations of Sazi life come under attack, Eric knows he must defend his fellow shapeshifters at any cost.Attacked by a band of vicious Sazi, Holly Sanchez should have died. Instead, she survives, emerging as a powerful Sazi healer. Sent to return Eric to the Sazi world he rejected, Holly finds herself by his side as the lone wolf tracks the monster that is killing the Sazi. Holly soon realizes she must make a choice—between a Sazi life with Eric, and life as a "normal" human being. But first, she must survive long enough to make that choice—and she must save her people, and the world, from evil.

The Head of the Serpent
W. C. Gorski
PreludeQuestion: Could it be that the future is really our past, one linked to the other in an inseparable bond, traveling endlessly in circular patterns throughout time and space, repeating itself over and over, each time manifesting itself in a familiar but uniquely distinct manner?There is an old adage that says throughout life, you can count your true friends on the fingers of one hand. It's not about who you pretend to be that forms the bond, a boastful show of wealth or good works, but rather who you really are that matters.In the end, there is only one true friend who willingly gave His life to save yours. Not much was asked in return. It was a gift, given by grace. Past or present, what you do with that gift it is up to you. It just may determine your future..."Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."George Santayana circa 1905 approx."To everything, there is a Season and a Time to every Purpose Under Heaven..." Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJVPrefaceAn...

The Golden Serpent
Part #20 of "Killmaster" series by Nick Carter
Nonfiction / Biography / Music
Take a Mexican political party that demands the territorial return of Texas... and New Mexico... and Arizona... and California.
Add a Chinese paper exporting operation that exports a fine engraver's surface for the familiar five-dollar portrait of Lincoln.
Stir with a Countess who has made a fortune in cosmetics and runsa private little kingdom at her castle deep in the Mexican jungle.
Mix in the CIA and AXE, prickling each other's sensitivities while the nation and the highest men in government are stumped to stop the ruin of America's economy...
And suddenly, in the meeting between Hawk and the CIA man, the ingredients have blended into a little pill they hand Nick Carter. His instructions are: straighten things out-or swallow your defeat in L pills!

Serpent in Paradise
Jayne Ann Krentz
Romance / Mystery & Thrillers / Science Fiction & Fantasy
A girl walks into a bar. When Amy Shannon enters The Serpent, a seedy island bar, she immediately catches the eye of Jase Lassiter. He knows she doesn't belong in his little hole in the wall, but he will do whatever it takes to keep her there.

The Red Serpent
Part #2 of "Brothers of the Sands" series by Robert Low
At the edge of the empire, the hunters become the hunted...They're back - Drust, Kag, Ugo, Sib and some new faces - as dirt-ridden and downbeat as ever. Drawn to the edge of the Roman world and the blasted deserts of the Syrian frontier, they are presented with a mysterious riddle from their old companions, Dog and Manius. In the scorching heat, plots and rumours breed like flies on a corpse. To survive, Drust and the others must face all challengers along with Mother Nature's rage. Sometimes they'll stand and fight; sometimes they'll run as fast as they can and pray to the Gods. For it is a mad and violent world, and they must be equal to it...From bestselling author Rob Low comes the second in the Brothers of the Sands series. Filled with gristle, gore and jaw-dropping action, The Red Serpent is a tour de force, perfect for fans of Giles Kristian, David Gilman and Conn Iggulden

The Silver Serpent
Lena Jones
A third mystery for thirteen-year-old Agatha Oddly – a bold, determined heroine, and the star of this stylish new detective series. Agatha Oddlow is on the case with yet another adventure! An assistant at the National Gallery has gone missing, but when Agatha begins investigating, she uncovers a plot bigger than she could ever have imagined. Join Agatha as she travels throughout London and into the very heart of the mystery...

The Serpent and the Angel (The Shifter Chronicles 8)
M. D. Grimm
In the year 1866, Sheriff Tobias Goldstein guards a small mining town in the Colorado territory with a cold and merciless hand. A rare rattlesnake shifter, he lives by a code and expecting others to do the same has kept the peace— until a nameless stranger wanders into town. Intrigued by the lone man, Tobias names him Angel Smith, and sensing he's trustworthy, he deputizes Angel.A guardian at heart, golden eagle shifter Angel protects the townspeople, but his dedication is to an ancient scroll capable of great destruction. For generations, Angel's family protected the artifact with their lives. Now something has returned to hunt down the scroll. Forced to leave his tribe, Angel enjoys the quiet he's found with Tobias, who hides a warm heart under his aloof exterior. Angel knows the quiet will not last and fears the battle on the horizon. But with Tobias at his back, Angel might stand a chance against his enemies.Second Edition with revised and expanded text.

The Coiled Serpent
Camilla Grudova
'Utterly triumphant... She's a thoroughly sui generis visionary - and, after reading The Coiled Serpent, I'd say one of the most startlingly original writers we've got.' A K Blakemore, GuardianA little girl throws up Gloria-Jean's teeth after an explosion at the custard factory; Pax, Alexander, and Angelo are hypnotically enthralled by a book that promises them enlightenment if they keep their semen inside their bodies; Victoria is sent to a cursed hotel for ailing girls when her period mysteriously stops. In a damp, putrid spa, the exploitative drudgery of work sparks revolt; in a Margate museum, the new Director curates a venomous garden for public consumption.In Grudova's unforgettably surreal style, these stories expose the absurdities behind contemporary ideas ofwork, Britishness and art-making, to conjure a singular, startling strangeness that proves the deft skill of a writerat the top of her game.

The Serpent of Venice
Christopher Moore
Literature & Fiction / Humor
New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore channels William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe in this satiric Venetian gothic that brings back the Pocket of Dog Snogging, the eponymous hero of Fool, along with his sidekick, Drool, and pet monkey, Jeff
Venice, a long time ago. Three prominent Venetians await their most loathsome and foul dinner guest, the erstwhile envoy of Britain and France, and widower of the murdered Queen Cordelia: the rascal-Fool Pocket.
This trio of cunning plotters-the merchant, Antonio; the senator, Montressor Brabantio; and the naval officer, Iago-have lured Pocket to a dark dungeon, promising an evening of sprits and debauchery with a rare Amontillado sherry and Brabantio's beautiful daughter, Portia.
But their invitation is, of course, bogus. The wine is drugged. The girl isn't even in the city limits. Desperate to rid themselves once and for all of the man who has consistently foiled their grand quest for power and wealth, they have lured him to his death. (How can such a small man, be such a huge obstacle?). But this Fool is no fool . . . and he's got more than a few tricks (and hand gestures) up his sleeve.

The Serpent Kings
James Somers
Fantasy / Paranormal
Gwen has only ever known life as a priestess of the High Serpent King, Belial the Glorious. Specially trained as a wraith dancer assassin, Gwen is preparing for a life dispensing justice in the name of her dragon gods when she successfully repels an attack by the Resistance upon Belial’s temple. Suddenly catapulted to a position of status, Gwen is chosen to assassinate Ezekiah, the Prophet“I never wanted to be a killer—an assassin—a Wraith Dancer. But as a priestess of the High Serpent King, Belial, I had little choice in the matter. Still, despite my inward desire for a life of perfect peace, it must be said that I was one of the best. Blood had splattered across the front of my tunic. At my feet lay the body of an infidel called Peka; his throat sliced open from ear to ear; the bones of his left thigh and right arm shattered. He had come with a group of rebels hoping to desecrate Belial’s temple here in Babale. I could not allow that.”Gwen has only ever known life as a priestess of the High Serpent King, Belial the Glorious. Specially trained as a wraith dancer assassin, Gwen is preparing for a life dispensing justice in the name of her dragon gods when she successfully repels an attack by the Resistance upon Belial’s temple. Suddenly catapulted to a position of status, Gwen is chosen to assassinate Ezekiah, the prophet of the Resistance. But when she’s captured, Gwen is shown the dark side of the dragons and their utopian society and the unsuspected kindness of the man she was meant to kill. She wants to remain faithful to the Serpent Kings, but her doubts are growing, and her time with Ezekiah has awakened feelings within her she never thought to have. Moreover, in Gwen’s absence, something has happened to make this wraith dancer a costly liability to the dragons, and she cannot be allowed to live any longer.

Serpent's Tooth
James Axler
Science Fiction & Fantasy / Comics / Thriller
Overlords and humanity battle to claim Earth in a war as old as the alien domination of the planet. Yet with each new offensive comes stunning new revelations--exposing mysteries that were unfathomable before Skydark but are now quite real and deadly. Still, hope lies in the brilliant counteroffensive led by the Cerberus rebels, for whom success means nothing less than returning Earth to mankind. An exotic combination of reptilian and human DNA, the Najah are the revitalized original foot soldiers of the Earth's ancient alien masters, the Annunaki. Having survived the megacull of humanity, these half-cobra warriors vow to avenge their near extinction and usher in a new age on Earth. From a massive, underground war base in northern India, this monstrous force launches its cleansing fire. Kane and his allies have one hope--a renegade female Najah, reptilian and ruthless, whose alliance is both a promise...and a threat.

Jack of Ravens (Kingdom of the Serpent, Book 1)
Part #1 of "Kingdom of the Serpent" series by Mark Chadbourn
“An epic quest from the dawn of Humanity to the modern age; a love story with all Existence hanging in the balance. This is the Ultimate Fantasy: a quest of epic reach spanning the globe under the mythologies of five great cultures – and finally crossing the barrier between life and death.Jack Churchill, archaeologist and dreamer, walks out of the mist and into Celtic Britain more than two thousand years before he was born, with no knowledge of how he got there. All Jack wants is to get home to his own time where the woman he loves waits for him.Finding his way to the timeless mystical Otherworld, the home of the gods, he plans to while away the days, the years, the millennia, until his own era rolls around again … but nothing is ever that simple.A great Evil waits in modern times and will do all in its power to stop Jack’s return. In a universe where time and space are meaningless, its tendrils stetch back through the years …Through Roman times, the Elizabethan age, Victoria’s reign, the Second World War to the Swinging Sixties, the Evil sets its traps to destroy Jack.Mark Chadbourn gives us a high adventure of dazzling sword fights, passionate romance and apocalyptic wars in the days leading up to Ragnarok, the End-Times: a breathtaking, surreal vision of twisting realities where nothing is quite what it seems.”

The Rose and Serpent
Nathalia Books
As if starting at a new school wasn't scary enough, Velika turns out to be the only human among a whole horde of vampires. But when she finds out she's descended from the last human queen of a land ruled by both vampires and humans. A whole new world opens up to her.

The Serpent Gift
Lene Kaaberbøl
The third book in the thrilling fantasy adventure series, The Shamer ChroniclesA watching face in a market crowd, a mist-shrouded figure on the moor, a haunting presence seen only when he wants to be seen. Sezuan has the Serpent Gift. With the eerie music of his flute, he can weave a web of lies and illusion to trap the keenest mind. He is also Dina's father, and he has come to claim her.Dina's family set family set off in desperate flight, trying to escape Sezuan's snare. But soon, with nowhere else to turn, Dina must learn to see through her father's deceit and use her own gift against him.An award-winning and highly acclaimed writer of fantasy, Lene Kaaberbøl was born in 1960, grew up in the Danish countryside and had her first book published at the age of 15. Since then she has written more than 30 books for children and young adults. Lene's huge international breakthrough came with The Shamer Chronicles, which is...

Soultaming the Serpent
Tar Atore
The last dragon died half a century ago and Jun Weaver still dreams of the rain that hasn't fallen since. Her mundane life takes a turn when she encounters Aurel, who she suspects may be the one that holds the key to restoring balance and is destined to find the elusive serpent from the prophecy. Joined by Casey, Jun's closest friend and the village brewer, the three embark on a journey to unravel the prophecy's intricacies, figure out what the serpent's role truly is, and why the dragon has to die, not knowing they are being watched. Follow our trio as Jun discovers a love of adventure, Casey's devotion takes an unexpected turn, Aurel spills his secrets like dust in the sand, and the three of them discover the true power of their bond.—- "The story itself feels highly original, even as it is reminiscent of classics like Howl's Moving Castle."—M. Daniel McDowell"The explorations of love...

The Twice-Cursed Serpent
Scarlett D. Vine
Even though she was born a peasant, Caes belongs at court. After all, her father is the Chosen One, the prophesied hero blessed by the goddess. While on his quest to save their kingdom from being conquered by the Maltihian Empire, he leaves Caes at court with her royal betrothed and all the luxuries a future princess could imagine.But when her father fails in his quest, she loses everything. Reviled and used as a scapegoat for her kingdom's anger, Caes is given to the very enemies her father died fighting to destroy. While the Malithian emperor allows Caes to live instead of killing her outright, she is constantly guarded by Soul Carvers—undead magic wielders whose power stems from what killed them. Worse, Malithia's murderous crown princess believes Caes should be executed because the princess, thanks to a prophecy, sees her as a threat to her succession to the throne.Alone in a treacherous court, Caes finds the one thing that might save her life–making a...

The Serpent's Orb
Guy Antibes
Fantasy / Fiction
Through odd circumstances, Jack Winder becomes a helper for his village's healing wizard. As part of his duties, Jack is ordered to travel the length of Corand to the capital city to bring back a priceless object of power, the Serpent’s Orb. He soon finds that he is not the only one after the orb and someone is willing to kill to get it.

Serpent's Silver
Piers Anthony
Science Fiction & Fantasy
A Roundear there Shall Surely Be Born to a strong, raised to be free Fighting Dragons in his Youth Leading Armies, Nothing Loth Ridding his Country of a Sore Joining Two, then united Four Until from Seven there be One Only the will his Task be Done...

Gift of the Serpent
Part #1 of "Gift of the Serpent" series by Wylder Willis
A young girl, traumatized by her past, receives the gift of a transformation, which makes her stronger, faster, and virtually indestructible, nearing immortality.
Jumping forward to a post-apocalyptic time, the teenage girl finds new friends in a worn down city. With her friends, who seem to have a history of their own, she finds an adventure and a future. But is the future her's to be had?

The Serpent and the Unicorn: Book I and II
Susan Skylark
Fantasy / Christian
What if the Myth were real and everything else mattered not? What if your very soul hung in the balance? Enter a land where the Myth is real, but many have forgotten or scorn the Truth and those who fight to uphold it. The adventure is about to begin, for even those who fight for justice are about to rediscover why.This story is not just another tale of an orphan who finds a magic sword, discovers a forgotten lineage, finds a few friends, and conquers an overwhelming evil. This is a story that crosses a continent, transcends time, plunges deep into the very soul of man, and explores all the vastness and intricacies of life. It is a story of good and evil, love and war, truth and absurdity, courage and faith, hope and despair, humor and adventure, and everything that moves the human soul. Whether viewed as Truth or Myth, it is a tale to make one think and a story full of adventure, intrigue, love, sorrow, hope, and humor: much like this dance we call life. It is a fairy story in that it involves unicorns, dragons, and other uncommon beasts and certain aspects of magic, but it is also a human story that explores the questions, doubts, fears, and triumphs common to the hearts of men. The Brethren are an ancient brotherhood entrusted with preserving and disseminating knowledge, truth, and justice since time began; they have survived indifference, hostility, disaster, war, plague, and obscurity but ever they persevere in their age-old duties. Of late, they have fallen into obscurity due to over-caution and the forgetfulness of the people they serve. A strange encounter rouses them from their secrecy and sends one of their most talented agents into the heart of a sworn enemy only to unveil an even older and more dangerous foe. There are five 'books' in the Serpent and the Unicorn Series which is available as a trilogy. This volume contains Books I and II.

The Opal Serpent
Fergus Hume
Mystery & Thrillers
Simon Beecot was a country gentleman with a small income, a small estate and a mind considerably smaller than either. He dwelt at Wargrove in Essex and spent his idle hours—of which he possessed a daily and nightly twenty-four—in snarling at his faded wife and in snapping between whiles at his son. Mrs. Beecot, having been bullied into old age long before her time, accepted sour looks and hard words as necessary to God\'s providence, but Paul, a fiery youth, resented useless nagging. He owned more brain-power than his progenitor, and to this favoring of Nature paterfamilias naturally objected. Paul also desired fame, which was likewise a crime in the fire-side tyrant\'s eyes. As there were no other children Paul was heir to the Beecot acres, therefore their present proprietor suggested that his son should wait with idle hands for the falling in of the heritage. In plain words, Mr. Beecot, coming of a long line of middle-class loafers, wished his son to be a loafer also. Again, when Mrs. Beecot retired to a tearful rest, her bully found Paul a useful person on whom to expend his spleen. Should this whipping-boy leave, Mr. Beecot would have to forego this enjoyment, as servants object to being sworn at without cause. For years Mr. Beecot indulged in bouts of bad temper, till Paul, finding twenty-five too dignified an age to tolerate abuse, announced his intention of storming London as a scribbler.

Serpent Cursed (Lost Souls Series Book 2)
Bree Moore
Becca Wood has been cursed by an ancient race, and she's running out of time to find a cure.
After a terrifying transformation from woman to serpent, Becca finds herself in danger of being exterminated by a tribe of Alaskan Raven Shifters. Even Quinn won't be able to protect her from certain death, unless he convinces the tribe's chief to set her free.
Harper King's mind is missing a critical memory, one that she isn't sure she wants to remember.
The fragmented memories left by the Beryllium Orb follow Harper to the wilds of Alaska, where she's closer to finding her parents and her own people than ever before.
Though she's loathe to admit it, Harper needs Tyson as an ally. A rebellion is brewing, and joining it could be the key to Harper discovering the truth of her past... and redeeming her future.
Back at Camp Silver Lake, a dark force bides its time until it can be unleashed...

The Mystery of the Singing Serpent
M. V. Carey
The Three Investigators become involved in witchcraft when they try to rescue a woman from the influence of snake worshipers.

The Serpent and the Firefly
Courtney Davis
Sometimes you have to take control of the prophecy. The prophecy says she'll destroy him, but if he doesn't reveal too much, will she help him rule Hell? Jade is in witness protection and finds herself in possession of a store full of magical items. Her presence there alerts her existence to Baal, a serpent shifter and the first king of Hell. He arrives to kill her before she can become what has been prophesied and kill him, but he is enchanted by what he finds. She is everything he feared she would be, but she is also enticingly beautiful and pulls at something deep within him. She has no idea what she is, and he decides to try and use her for his own plans. Jade tentatively trusts Baal as she embraces her new powers and his reasons for seeking the keys to a gate in Hell. She agrees to help him, but along their journey she discovers that four planes of existence have crashed together; the fae realm, the angel realm, the demon realm and the earth realm....

The Serpent in Heaven
Charlaine Harris
Urban Fantasy / Mystery & Thrillers / Horror
#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns to her alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this fourth installment of the Gunnie Rose series.Felicia, Lizbeth Rose's half-sister and a student at the Grigori Rasputin school in San Diego—capital of the Holy Russian Empire—is caught between her own secrets and powerful family struggles. As a granddaughter of Rasputin, she provides an essential service to the hemophiliac Tsar Alexei, providing him the blood transfusions that keep him alive. Felicia is treated like a nonentity at the bedside of the tsar, and at the school she's seen as a charity case with no magical ability. But when Felicia is snatched outside the school, the facts of her heritage begin to surface. Felicia turns out to be far more than the Russian-Mexican Lizbeth rescued. As Felicia's history unravels and her true abilities become known, she...

To Crush the Serpent
Yashar Kemal
A staggering, shattering novel from Turkey's greatest novelistSince Halil was shot dead in his own home by his wife Esmé's former suitor, the village has pointed the finger of guilt at the dead man's beautiful widow: she must have arranged the murder. The task of vengeance falls on Esmé's little son, Hassan: year after year he is groomed for it, his devotion to his mother sapped with talk of the unavenged ghost of Halil and his father, doomed to roam the countryisde as a translucent red snake, an insect, a bird. Hassan hears tales against his mother. How long will her innocence protect her?The stark tale of cruelty and vendetta is told in a narrative of relentless tension, reminiscent of Greek tragedy. it is one of Yashar Kemal's most beautiful and haunting novels.

In the Serpent's Wake
Rachel Hartman
Young Adult / Science Fiction & Fantasy / Comics & Graphic Novels
From the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of Seraphina comes a piercing new fantasy adventure that champions our resilience and humility.MIND OF THE WORLD,OPEN YOUR EYES. At the bottom of the world lies a Serpent, the last of its kind.Finding the Serpent will change lives. Tess is a girl on a mission to save a friend.Spira is a dragon seeking a new identity.Marga is an explorer staking her claim on a man’s world.Jacomo is a priest searching for his soul. There are those who would give their lives to keep it hidden.And those who would destroy it. But the only people who will truly find the Serpent are those who have awakened to the world around them—with eyes open to the wondrous, the terrible, and the just.Discover more critically-acclaimed YA from Rachel Hartman!SeraphinaShadow...

The Deep Beyond: Cuckoo's Egg / Serpent's Reach
C. J. Cherryh
Science Fiction & Fantasy
This omnibus volume combines two Alliance-Union novels: Hugo Award nominee Cuckoo's Egg and Locus Best Novel Award nominee Serpent's Reach. In Cuckoo's Egg: They named him Thorn. They told him he was of their people, although he was ugly in their eyes, strange, sleek-skinned instead of furred, clawless, different. Yet he was of their power class: judge-warriors, the elite, the defenders. Thorn knew his difference was important—but not important enough to prevent murderous conspiracies against him, his protector, his caste, and perhaps against the peace of the world. But when Thorn finally learned what his true role in life was to be, that on him might hang the future of two worlds, then he had to stand alone to justify his very existence. In Serpent's Reach: Raen a Sul Meth-maren was very young when the machinations of her distant kin erupted into a bloodbath. Years passed and Raen bided her time. Then, on a voyage to...

The Serpent of the House of Hua
Maria Ying
In a world of potent magic, they will do everything possible to fulfill their goals.Warlock Viveca and her demon wife Yves have come to an otherworldly gambling den to retrieve a grimoire that once belonged to Elizaveta Hua. But to win their prize, they'll have to do more than politely negotiate: they must participate in a tournament of mortal combat—in which losing would mean true death even for Yves.The Serpent of the House of Hua is an F/F urban fantasy heist novelette that takes place during The Might of Monsters.

Serpent Girl
Ray Garton
Steve Benedetti has a dark and lonely job from which he has decided to retire. On his way home from what he intends to be his final assignment, he stops at a carnival to kill some time. There he meets the Serpent Girl, a woman who mesmerizes him as no other woman has...and stirs in him desires that blind his own better judgment. They each have a dangerous secret. Steve decides to take her with him on the road, a decision that binds them—and their secrets—together in ways neither could ever suspect. They begin an erotic journey that takes them much farther than their physical destination...a bloody journey that will irrevocably change them both. Previously published as Cemetery Dance.

Balshazzar's Serpent
Jack L. Chalker
From Publishers WeeklyTold as a kind of mythic moral tale, this far-future, action-oriented SF novel, set in an era of space exploration gone awry, opens with this story: for many years, travelers could journey between Earth and a far-away universe by way of a wormhole. Then the wormhole disappeared, leaving a generation of travelers stranded. A long time passed; the stranded invented their own myths and divided themselves into two factions: the pirates and the religious. Both are now seeking three illusive planets, said to be rich in treasure and alien artifacts, that a prophet long ago called the Three Kings. On a routine missionary expedition, the interstellar evangelist ship Mountain (moved by faith)--led by the unorthodox, devout and shrewd Dr. Karl Woodward--makes a promising discovery. Arriving on a planet, Mountain missionaries encounter a group of apparently friendly and cooperative colonists. But it turns out that they are secretly under the control of a refugee band of pirates led by one Captain Sapenza, who attacks the Mountain, only to find that his weapons are no match for the Faithful. In return for mercy, Sapenza gives Woodward directions to the Three Kings, and with the hardiest of the faithful aboard, Mountain travels the perilous path of a wild wormhole to Balshazzar, an Eden-like planet. There's a serpent in this Eden, an alien super-intelligence who challenges Woodward to a contest. Obviously intended to launch a series, this novel is nothing to get excited about: Chalker (Ghost of the Well of Souls, etc.) uses a well-worn plot, rushes past interesting people and places and occasionally slows the pacing with expository lumps. The book does contain some unusual theological explorations but, overall, its intelligence outshines its narrative prowess. (Aug.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.From Library JournalThe search for the legendary planetary system known as the Three Kings occupies starfaring humans. When an exploratory crew from The Mountain, a spaceship operated by a colony of religious zealots, lands on an unknown planet, they discover that in order to find the way to their goal, they must first travel through a valley of trials and tribulations. The latest novel by sf veteran Chalker, the beginning of a new series, features the author!s characteristically fresh approach to standard sf themes. Inventive and surprising in concept and execution, this far future tale of faith and survival belongs in most collections. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Serpent's Point
Part #26 of "DI Wesley Peterson" series by Kate Ellis
'A beguiling author who interweaves past and present' The Times__________________
Serpent's Point in South Devon is the focus of local legends. The large house on the headland is shrouded in an ancient tale of evil, and when a woman is found strangled on the coastal path DI Wesley Peterson is called in to investigate.
The woman had been house-sitting at Serpent's Point and Wesley is surprised to discover that she was conducting an investigation into unsolved missing persons cases. Could these enquires have led to her murder?
While the case takes Wesley to Yorkshire and the Cotswolds, archaeologist Neil Watson is making a dramatic discovery of his own in the fields near the house.
When a skeleton is uncovered, the pressure rises to find a killer, and Wesley and Neil realise that Serpent's Point holds more secrets than anyone could have imagined.
Whether you've read the whole series, or are discovering Kate Ellis's DI Wesley Peterson novels for the first time, this is the perfect page-turner if you love reading Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths.
Praise for Kate Ellis . . .
'Clever plotting hides a powerful story of loss, malice and deception' Ann Cleeves
'Haunting' Independent
'The chilling plot will keep you spooked and thrilled to the end' Closer
'Unputdownable' Bookseller
'A fine storyteller, weaving the past and present in a way that makes you want to read on' Peterborough Evening Telegraph

The Silver Serpent
David Debord
Fantasy / Fiction / Young Adult
The frost creeps again. Taught the sword from childhood, Shanis Malan's only dream is to be a soldier, but a woman cannot join the Galdoran army. She thinks her dream has come true when Prince Lerryn hosts a tournament in her town, but she is snatched her from her home and carry her into the midst of a quest for a legendary artifact that can save the world from the minions of Tichris the Ice King.Eternity gives ancient enemies more than one opportunity to seek revenge. After enjoying more than ten years of peace and tranquility raising their family and transforming Sanctuary into a budding community of supernatural friends, Mia and Andrew’s world is shattered when a vengeful enemy rises against their family seeking retribution and casting Mia, Andrew, and the St. Cloud family into a deadly game of cat and mouse in a desperate attempt to save the children. As Nicholas, Kayla, Jacob, and Nicole fight to survive amongst those that Mia and Andrew always hoped to shield them from, untapped powers emerge, strength unfolds, unexpected friendships form, and new enemies materialize. Fighting this new threat unearths Eva’s secret sacrifice causing Mia to choose a path she knows will end her life at Sanctuary and tear her away from Andrew and her children. Running towards the end of her happily ever after, Mia is thrust into the arms of her most feared enemy finally giving the awaiting arms of darkness their greatest opportunity to claim the very soul it hungers to consume.

The Serpent's Curse
Lisa Maxwell
Young Adult / Romance / Children's
Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows meets Alexandra Bracken's Passenger in this spellbinding conclusion the "vivid and compelling" (BCCB), New York Times bestselling Last Magician series.Evade the Serpent. Heed the Curse. Rewrite the Present. Esta isn't a stranger to high-stakes heists. She's a seasoned thief who has no reservations about using her affinity for time to give her an edge, and she's trained her whole life for one mission: travel back to 1902 New York, steal the ancient Book of Mysteries, and use its power to destroy the Brink and free the Mageus from the Order's control. But the Book held a danger that no one anticipated—Seshat, an angry goddess was trapped within its pages. Now that terrible power lives within Harte, and if given the chance, Seshat will use Esta to destroy the world and take her revenge. Only Esta and Harte stand in her way. Yet in their search to...

The Serpent's Mark
S. W. Perry
From the author of The Angel's Mark, a CWA Dagger longlisted novel and a Walter Scott Prize Academy Recommended Read 2019'S.W. Perry's ingeniously plotted novels have become my favourite historical crime series.' S G MacLean'A rattling good read.' William Ryan____________________Treason sleeps for no man...London, 1591. Nicholas Shelby, physician and reluctant spy, returns to his old haunts on London's lawless Bankside. But, when spymaster Robert Cecil asks him to investigate the dubious practices of a mysterious doctor from Switzerland, Nicholas is soon embroiled in a conspiracy that threatens not just the life of an innocent young patient, but the overthrow of Queen Elizabeth herself.With fellow healer and mistress of the Jackdaw tavern, Bianca Merton, again at his side, Nicholas is drawn into a sinister world of zealots, charlatans and dangerous fanatics...