Gilded Serpent

by Danielle L. Jensen

Overview

From bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen comes another thrilling 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 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.

Readers may read either Dark Shores or Dark Skies first!

Suggested series reading order:

1. Dark Skies or Dark Shores

2. Dark Shores or Dark Skies

3. Gilded Serpent

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250317803
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Series:	Dark Shores Series , #3
Pages:	576
Sales rank:	137,310
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.70(d)
Lexile:	840L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

DANIELLE L. JENSEN was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. She graduated from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance, then went back to school to complete an English literature degree at Mount Royal University. She is the USA Today bestselling author of The Malediction Trilogy: Stolen Songbird, Hidden Huntress, and Warrior Witch.

Editorial Reviews

Sprawling yet intricate and completely engrossing.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This is a lush, imaginative world, and as the focus shifts between Teriana and Marcus, it becomes clear that the readers are only getting a glimpse of its complicated history and mythology. [F]ans of Rutkoski’s sighworthy The Winner’s Kiss and the high-stakes sea adventure of Levenseller’s Daughter of the Pirate King will want to know where Marcus and Teriana journey to next.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“The plot’s twists and turns and fantastical elements add to the allure of this thrilling story. Exhilarating fantasy-adventure romance for fans of Tricia Levenseller's Daughter of the Pirate King, Alexandra Christo's To Kill a Kingdom, or Natalie C. Parker's Seafire. Readers will eagerly await the next book in the series.”—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

03/01/2021

Gr 9 Up—This novel continues the stories of Teriana and Marcus and Lydia and Killian, introduced in Dark Shores and Dark Skies, respectively. The Celendor Empire continues its plans to conquer the Dark Shores, once only known by the Maarin sea traders who were tasked with keeping the West and the East a secret from one another. Lydia and Killian team up again to face the Corruptor, the Seventh god who is causing blight and chaos. Armed with her healing power that was given to her by one of the Six gods, Lydia desperately seeks a way to heal those who have been corrupted without killing them. Despite their feelings for each other, Killian is still promised to the Mudamora Princess who is alive and being used by the Corruptor. A revelation of Lydia's true identity, however, changes things. Marcus and Teriana continue their relationship in secret while being forced to find viable ways for the Empire to cross into the Dark Shores or risk having Teriana's family harmed. While the two are not on the same side—one a military commander for the Empire, and the other a Maarin captain—they find themselves drawn to each other and to the idea of creating a new future for themselves. Steamy romances, epic battles, an array of memorable characters, and vivid worldbuilding make this series stand out. A cliffhanger ending will leave readers eagerly awaiting more. VERDICT A first purchase, along with the other two in the series, for all young adult collections.—Marissa Lieberman, East Orange P.L., NJ

School Library Journal

2021-02-05
The parallel storylines of Dark Shores (2019) and Dark Skies (2020) continue in this sequel that ties the two together.

Teriana, Marcus, Killian, and Lydia return as point-of-view characters in interwoven stories. Thematically uniting the protagonists is the idea of struggling against conflicting loyalties. Teriana and Marcus struggle with trust, both in terms of being able to trust each other, as they are technically enemies, and individually. Teriana is torn between protecting her people, held hostage by the Empire, or keeping the Empire from spreading into the West; Marcus longs for freedom from the Empire even as his loyalty to the men of his legion is challenged by his knowledge that there’s a traitor among them. Killian feels guilty over the choice he made between Lydia and Malahi, whose father is an inferior ruler, while Lydia’s struggles sneak up on her. The multiple storylines spread the characters to distant corners, presenting new worldbuilding opportunities. The balance between characters allows for a sense of time and travel while characters are on the move, with quicker check-ins preventing the pace from getting bogged down in between devastating revelations, deadly action, intrigue, and, of course, romance culminating in steamy scenes. The characters’ storylines resolve their immediate dilemmas while presenting new dangers for the next installment. Both the East and West feature casual diversity—skin tones (ranging from fair-skinned Lydia to black-skinned Teriana) are sometimes geographically linked but generally lack significance.

Sprawling yet intricate and completely engrossing. (Fantasy. 14-adult)

Kirkus Reviews