Sasha NanuaRezensionen

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.

A debut fantasy novel about twins and written by twin authors? Count me in! I recently read an ARC of Sisters of the Snake by Sarena and Sasha Nanua from NetGalley. Not surprisingly the cover is what originally convinced me to pick up the book, and I’m sure glad I did!

Basically, the book follows Rani and Ria, twins who were separated at birth. One is the beloved and sheltered princess of Abai, while the other is forced to turn to thievery in order to survive. When the two meet, they jump at the chance to escape their problems and attempt to improve their lives, but they start to discover that the grass is not always greener on the other side. While trying to hide their true identities they ultimately realize that they must forge their own paths in life, but what will that look like?

This book had all the adventures and magic that make up a good fantasy novel, but it also had some aspects that make it stand out from other fantasy novels in my opinion. First of all, Sarena and Sasha explain in a note to the reader that they wanted to write a book about twins and incorporate aspects of Punjabi culture into the novel. I can honestly say that they more than accomplished this goal. Reading the novel not simply from two different perspectives, but specifically from twins’ perspectives really made it unique. It sharpened the contrasts between the main characters, but also showed how alike they were, despite living vastly different lives.

Similarly, the authors painted a vivid picture that gives readers a window into Punjabi culture. Although the book technically took place in a fictional world, the aspects of Punjabi culture that both authors included made the story feel extremely genuine and real. Adding on to that, the descriptions in the novel were so detailed and in depth, that a reader who is largely unfamiliar with Punjabi culture, is still able to grasp a stark image of the characters and their environment.

Additionally, I really enjoyed the theme of writing your own destiny, but my one criticism is that this concept could have been more uniformly present throughout the entirety of the novel. While I truly adored the idea that the characters were not doomed to live out a destiny that was set in stone, I also felt like there could have been clearer emphasis on this from the outset of the novel. Honestly this detail is really minor because there is not much to critique about this lovely novel in my opinion!

This book is perfect for all fantasy lovers, especially anyone wanting to read about diverse characters and cultures. The plot and character development unite to form a wonderful and riveting story that you certainly don’t want to miss out on!

teen fiction (brown-skinned princess and the pauper tale set in a fictional historical land where people celebrate Diwali and where magic intertwines with royal bloodlines)

A little slow to get started, but a good story with a little bit of romance and a healthy dose of adventure. More please!½

A princess who's more like a prisoner, a girl from an orphanage surviving as a thief with the help of a friend. When their paths cross, they end up trading places, only to discover that their connection is so much more than either could have imagined. Both must scramble to fool the boy closest to the other while learning how their magic works, how to impersonate each other, and how to avert a terrible war. Following their paths, told in alternating chapters, makes for an extremely satisfying story. The ending left me with a strong sense that more of the tale is coming in s sequel and that would be great.

Ooooh, this sounds intriguing.