Y'all! I found a fantasy that I devoured within hours and cannot wait for the sequel of!!

Sisters of the Snake is the story of a pair of twin princesses seperated at birth with one being sent to an orphanage and another staying back at the palace.

Their lives collide when they meet one fateful night and realise that they are twins. They belong to a magical realm on the verge of a war. They decide to switch places in order to achieve their goals and end up finding out more about themselves.

The book is extremely fast paced where the 500 odd pages felt like nothing at all. There is nowhere in the book that I felt like I need to take a break or that it's getting boring.

Fuelled with magic, just the right amount of romance (I can't handle too much of it), journey filled with self discovery and fascinating revelations of hidden worlds, I am praying that Rajamouli garu picks this up and makes a movie out of it.

Also, it has SNAKES! I love snakes! The book had a brilliant representing of these often misunderstood reptiles. I love the Nanua sisters for this.

The ending was wholesome inspite of it having a cliffhanger. The acknowledgements were heartfelt. The book had a very bollywood drama-esque vibe to it and I'm all for it.

I couldn't stop imagining the characters in a vintage layout. I also desperately wanted to see an animated version of it at times. So much can be done with the story. I cannot wait for the sequel to be out.

The book does not exactly represent or give any 'Desi-vibes' except for the names of the characters and the dramatic scenes. But nevertheless, it is inclusive.

Thank you After School Tales and HarperCollins India for the copy. #litwithYA ( )

SYNC: Displaying an impressive array of vocal ability, Golden Voice narrator Soneela Nankani does double duty breathing life into the characters Rani and Ria. They are a princess and an orphan who, due to their identical appearance, swap places to save their home from war. Rani's tone is imperious and decisive, while Ria's is softer and more timid. Nankani's spicy inflections of Indian words and names throughout the book immerse the listener in a dangerous, sumptuous world. Particularly enjoyable is the character of Shima, Princess Rani's snake familiar, who quietly hisses equal amounts of wisdom and criticism to her mistress. As the unlikely duo walk the knife-edge of their perilous circumstances, Nankani guides listeners through this sinuous story with all the grace and majesty of a cobra.

You need competent characters to pull off this sort of story. These characters are not competent. Neither are their authors. I gave up 190 pages in, despite an interesting world and compelling magic. ( )

For me this was a good book with a great story that would have benefited greatly from a bit more editing. It just needed to be polished slightly more and it would have been a five star read for me. ( )

It’s always so much fun to discover desi debut authors and get to read and talk about their books in advance. And that’s exactly my feeling tonight after finishing this book - delight.

The author-sister duo really managed to create a very entertaining and engaging story here, which got its hook in me very quickly. Once I started, there was no way I could stop because there’s almost a breakneck pace, and with so much happening in every chapter and with revelation after revelation; all I wanted to do was read the next chapter and find out what more was gonna happen. The writing is very easy to follow along and not overly descriptive - the kind of writing style I usually prefer - and I found myself totally immersed.

But it is also not without some flaws. We get some history about the magic wielding masters and how the kingdoms came to be in the current state, but other than that there isn’t much world building. However, there is scope for a lot more expansive world as well as different kinds of magic and I’m excited to see how the authors will achieve this in the sequel. While the quick pacing makes for a thrilling read, it also means that sometimes things happen too quickly and without any explanation, leaving us a tad bit dissatisfied. I also thought there were many conflicts in the story that were resolved too conveniently, which might really annoy a more discerning and critical reader than me.

But the heart of this book are it’s characters. Rani is a sheltered princess and all she wants is the freedom to live on her terms and also prove to the king that she is capable of ruling. Ria is a thief on the streets whose every day is filled with the struggle for survival. These two sisters couldn’t be more different on surface, but I loved how the authors ensured that we could understand their deeper feelings and realize that they aren’t so different underneath. After they both swap places, they both realize what is it that they actually want to do with their life, how they can contribute towards the welfare of their people, and how it is possible to subvert one’s destiny. I really loved how much they came to trust each other and their bond felt special, but I won’t deny that it was a bit too quick in execution.

The side characters also play major roles here, especially in furthering along the characters of the sisters. Through the reserved but sweet Saeed and the absolutely delightful and strong Aditi, Ria learns to see the faults in the palace and also how to trust them enough to form a team and uncover some truths. On the other hand, Amir is a streetsmart thief who gives Rani the feeling of true friendship and more; Sanya, Jas and Irfan all together making her realize the bitter truth about her father’s brutal rule and understand what her next steps should be for the sake of her people.

The villain also cut an intriguing figure, not just a caricature but a power hungry person who has only learnt the importance of pain and power through their upbringing and use those too as tools to achieve their deranged dreams.

In the end, I was left quite surprised by the ending. It’s not exactly a cliffhanger but it’s a cool twist and I’m sure the next book will be interesting. And if you are someone who loves YA fantasies with good friendships, budding romances, a strong sisterly bond, and a world where magic may be the doom or liberation - then I think you should give this debut a try. It’s not a complicated story and might even feel too simplistic at times, but it is nevertheless very captivating, and you will enjoy your journey through these pages. ( )