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kim_j_dare's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent storytelling combines with unique and lush world-building. In the ancient Kingdom of Xia, Skybright is the handmaid to Zhen Ni. The two girls have grown up together and are almost like sisters. But when Skybright awakens one night and finds herself transforming into a snake-like creature, she has to rethink her entire life and figure out how to keep the news that she is half-demon from the members of her household. And when a breach in the underworld allows hordes of demons to enter into the human world, Skybright realizes that the stakes go way further than protecting her own secret.
libraryofdreaming's review against another edition
1.0
I feel like I can safely give this book a solid thumbs down. I was under the impression I was reading a diverse mythical fantasy book for middle schoolers but the result was something much more mature and definitely blah. The plot is just... boring. The mythological elements are not very exciting. The romance felt rushed. The book ended oddly (and anti-climactically) but I don't care enough about the characters to invest time in the sequel. I'm sorry to say it since one of my favorite YA authors recommended this on Goodreads but it's just not my cup of tea at all. Perhaps someone else would find it interesting but it was not for me.
jenmangler's review against another edition
2.0
I found out about this one via We Need Diverse Books and was really looking forward to it. Maybe that's why I ended up being disappointed. I know almost nothing about Chinese mythology and was hoping to learn more about it via this book. Instead, I had to look up some of the mythological elements because they were not explained well enough. This was an underwhelming read.
lady_mel's review against another edition
4.0
This is a coming of age story, with a twist. Skybright is an orphan raised as a handmaid to the youngest daughter of a wealthy family. The girls were grew up together, and were as close as sisters.
At the age of 16, Skybright discovers a secret about herself, and it changes her life forever.
At the age of 16, Skybright discovers a secret about herself, and it changes her life forever.
karen_hallam's review against another edition
5.0
What a discovery! Such a gorgeously written tale inspired by Chinese Mythology. I loved Cindy Pon's vivid, textured, and multilayered word building. I often felt I was right there in the scene, eating the delicious exotic meals and drinking tea, in a meditation. Only to be swooped into the Fantasy of Skybright, the sixteen-year-old handmaiden to a wealthy family, who discovers her true nature, and what she really is, but she can't let anyone know. Until she meets, a mysterious monk-boy who learns of her true nature and fights for her.
Skybright is a strong character, and her devotion and deep love for her mistress, Zhen Ni, is heartwarming, their friendship more as sisters. I loved this book! So rich in detail and character--and then there's the high fantasy! Such a well developed and fantastic world. I cannot wait to read more from Cindy Pon.
Skybright is a strong character, and her devotion and deep love for her mistress, Zhen Ni, is heartwarming, their friendship more as sisters. I loved this book! So rich in detail and character--and then there's the high fantasy! Such a well developed and fantastic world. I cannot wait to read more from Cindy Pon.
tinynavajo's review against another edition
4.0
A good start
I liked this as a way to tell of lengends, love, and sacrifice. These are all things that we have to learn as we grow in life, and sometimes it's late when we learn the lesson. But Serpentine shows that sometimes time is what we need.
I liked this as a way to tell of lengends, love, and sacrifice. These are all things that we have to learn as we grow in life, and sometimes it's late when we learn the lesson. But Serpentine shows that sometimes time is what we need.
billblume's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this novel a lot. Serpentine takes the reader on a journey into Chinese mythology as Skybright discovers her place in it, but the real story focuses on how her relationship with her best friend Zhen Ni changes as they enter adulthood (which includes plenty of self-discovery for both) and they each find love. This novel turned out a bit racier than I expected, but none of it is gratuitous. There's a sequel, but this book stands on its own well.
golden_lily's review against another edition
Dnf at 70%. I'm so mindnumbingly bored. Characters are cardboard and the romance is a fucking joke.
annaptobias's review against another edition
2.0
I genuinely thought this was a standalone...? I adore Cindy Pon's writing, and I don't even mind the extraneous descriptions of the furniture and the trees that other reviewers have noted. While I do love her worldbuilding and use of folklore/mythology, I found the primary characters sort of dull. I cared more for the secondary pairing since their relationship seemed built on a longer "getting-to-know you" period as opposed to the insta-love of the main couple.
kiperoo's review against another edition
4.0
Such a lovely, rich story! I was swept away by the details, both in Skybright's real world and fantasy world. Also, the food! Still hungry for cabbage buns even now. I really liked how the romance with Kai Sen developed slowly a side plot and not the main plot, because what really made this book was Sky's deep friendship with her mistress, Zhen Ni. I will definitely read the next book!