In Son of the Serpent, award-winning author Vashti Quiroz-Vega crafts another fascinating glimpse into the dark, compelling world of fallen angels and demons, revealing more about their untold stories.The war in heaven might be over, but the ambitions of the fallen angel Lilith reach far across the roots of history. Will there be a being powerful enough to stop her evil influence before the … before the destruction of mankind?
Dracúl knows he is the son of Satan, but the rest of his memory has been taken from him. Alone and frightened, he awakens in a forest, beginning a quest to piece together who he is. The world he encounters is cruel, but he yearns to belong and find companionship. With each step he takes, another missing piece of his memory falls into place, revealing a truth that is ever more troubling . . .
A truth that will turn his quest for meaning into one fueled by the hot-blooded thirst for revenge. A truth that leads him to Lilith, the most wicked and ruthless of fallen angels and one he soon will have every reason to hate. His quest will consume him, perhaps ruin his life, but somehow Dracúl is determined to find both belonging and vengeance—to be good, in spite of his evil nature and the dark secrets that haunt him every step of the way.
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The second book in the Fantasy Angel Series, “Son of the Serpent” begins where the first book left off. The abandoned son of Lilith and Satan, Dracul, awakens in a forest, not far from the cave where he was left to die.
Dracul’s name gives the reader a hint as to how he must survive – by draining the blood of animals for sustenance. Being all alone, the young man craves love and attention. He sets off in search of his mother, trying to understand how she could abandon her child.
This novel is written in the first-person, the chapters fluctuating between Dracul’s viewpoint and that of his mother, Lilith. At first, I thought this perspective was limited, but on further reflection, I realized the author’s motivation.
Most Bible tales are not told in the first person. Instead, they are retellings of past events, written by someone who was not present when the incidents occurred. However, this author chose to tell her story from the perspective of Dracul and his mother. In this way, the reader has the opportunity to understand the (perceived) character’s feelings and motivations, as if they were walking alongside them. I found this attitude to be refreshing.
The reader also takes a deep dive into the psyche of a creature conceived by two demon parents. Initially, Dracul is drawn toward the light instead of the dark, setting up great tension in his quest for justice. His pain accelerates and eventually, the man becomes obsessed with vengeance.
However, don’t be fooled into thinking that this tale is all love and light. The story is dark as pitch even as it skillfully weaves in characters and events from the Bible. I thought the ending was spectacular!
Some of the characters from the first book appear in the second book, tying the storyline together. My advice: read book one first. I highly recommend both books!
MY RATING:
Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 5 out of 5 Stars
Link to the review on my blog: https://mjmallon.com/2019/08/18/rrbc-…
I’m reading Son of The Serpent as part of the #RRBC (Rave Reviews Book Club) group – an organisation to promote fellow RRBC members by sharing reviews etc. The founder of the group is Nonnie Jones – find more about the group here: https://ravereviewsbynonniejules.word….
I’m a big fan of Vashti Quiroz-Vega’s dark fantasy angels series. This is the second book and I loved every minute of it, though some dark scenes had me squirming and groaning!
I read Book 1, The Fall of Lilith some time ago and reviewed that too. Here is the link to that review:
https://mjmallon.com/2018/01/20/abrsc…
Son of The Serpent can be read as a standalone novel but I would recommend that you read book one and two to follow the story through its many wonderful moments. It is well worth it.
This is for you if you if you are a mature reader who likes dark fantasy with a biblical slant and aren’t put off by shocking aspects such as: Dracul’s mother Lilith inflicting horrible payments to cure loved ones of ailments, plus some vivid and disturbing sexual scenes too.
Highly recommended for the fluency of Vashti Quiroz-Vega’s captivating writing, the breadth of her imagination and engrossing characters.
My rating: 5+ stars plus I am marking as a favourite on Goodreads.
Son of the Serpent by Vashti Q Vega takes forward the story of the fallen Angel Lilith, whose wickedness makes this story murkier than the first book in the series. Dracul, the abandoned son of Lilith and Satan struggles to find his mother through out the book, torn apart by the basic question – why did his own mother leave him to die! The plot is crafted around the journey of Dracul who craves to be good despite streaks of Satan in him. His story is compelling and fast paced, with macabre details of his mother’s ghastly tales thrown in between. Some of the revelations are shocking!
It is a marvel how Vashti holds the interest of the reader with her crisp style of dwelling only on the relevant details, making them gruesome yet banking on Gadreel, the guiding Angel of goodness. Michael (from The Fall of Lilith) too appears to remind that each creature carries good and bad characteristics and it doesn’t matter “who your parents were or where you grew up. The choice lies with you.” You can choose to be good or wicked.
Though this book stands firm to convey the dark story of fallen angels and demons, I would recommend that it should be read after the first one. If you like dark fiction that is focused and fast-paced, this is the book for you. I have always avoided such fiction yet couldn’t resist this second book in the Fantasy Angel Series by Vashti.
I haven’t read Vashti Quiroz-Vega’s Angels Series Book 1, The Fall of Lilith. But Son of the Serpent read well as a stand-alone book. The book begins with the young Dracúl, son of the Serpent, woke up alone in a cave. He seemed to have no influence of any evil doing. It took a while for him to figure out what he was. Driven by hunger, he devoured an animal. Reinforced by satisfaction, he continued to kill and fill.
The human-like nature urged Dracúl to search for his father and mother. Through the course of time, his memories became clear and revealed that his mother Lilith tried to end his life and left him to death. Lilith, the fallen angel told her version of the story intermittently between chapters starting from Chapter 6.
There was a magical moment when Dracúl turned his creature likeness into a human form, and he could change back and forth between fiend and human. The book included romantic encounter between Dracúl and Coralia, daughter of the merman Dagon, and many Biblical characters in the Old Testament with a twist and turn of fantasy tales. Being a fiend, Dracúl seemed to show a lot of positive emotions and compassion, at the same time plotted vengeance toward his fallen angel mother. In the final chapter, his act was stopped by God’s messengers, urged him to leave the justice to God.
I find Vashti’s imagination and detailed description of characters and story lines fascinating. I’ve purchased Book 1, The Fall of Lilith and look forward to reading it as well.
“Son of the Serpent” continues the Fantasy Angels Series with the son of Satan and Lilith, Dracul. I loved the first book and wasn’t disappointed in this story, in fact I think I enjoyed it even more. Familiar biblical people and events were interwoven into the story line perfectly. It’s told through two points of view: Dracul and Lilith. I sympathized with Dracul and his quest to be good and helpful, while coming from evil. Self-centered Lilith relished being cruel and malicious, while originating from good. It was a good balance of both sides. Familiar characters from the first book made appearances which I appreciated. The descriptions were vivid and well-written adding to the reality of Dracul’s journey. I highly recommend this book. Although you could read this as a stand-alone, I wouldn’t. Go back and enjoy this dark tale from the beginning.
Son of the Serpent is Book 2 of the Fantasy Angels series, and the story of the fallen angels shifts from Lilith, the instigator behind the angels’ banishment, to Dracul, the son she bore on Earth with Satan. Where Book 1 includes a large cast of pov characters, I enjoyed the narrower focus on Dracul. That said, if you enjoyed Lilith in the first book, she’s still in the picture and has some chapters of her own.
Dracul’s goal in the story is to find his mother, learn why she tried to murder him, and then kill her. Lilith’s goal is to find her perfect mate and rule a world corrupted by her evil. While she’s the epitome of despicable, Dracul is nuanced. Despite his propensity to drink blood and murder, he is full of regret and turmoil and desires redemption and love. I enjoyed the inner conflict and his emotional volatility.
The author weaves the “quest” plot into encounters with biblical characters, places, and events including Noah and the flood, Lot, baby Moses, and Sodom and Gomorrah, to name a few. I’m not especially familiar with the bible, but I recognized elements of the stories, and followed easily. Like the bible, there is rape, evil, and plenty of graphic violence.
The writing and dialog seemed formal, which gave it an authentic biblical feel. I enjoyed that aspect, though the narrative style created a bit of distance from the characters. Pacing was good, and Dracul’s emotional rollercoaster was compelling. He’s a great character, and I look forward to more of his story as the focus shifts in Book 3 to the angel Gadreel.
Recommended to readers who enjoy biblical spin offs, fantasy, fallen angels, and stories of good versus evil.
Author Quiroz-Vega’s second book of the Angels Series is powerful. It hits hard and runs, never stopping. I had to pause to take a breath and separate myself from some of the drama, but I felt compelled to read to the end. This remake of the Biblical story is curious but also believable. Well edited, well researched, I commend Quiroz-Vega on tackling this epic story.
Quiroz-Vega strikes again with this sequel, whose genre is so original that it’s hard to describe. It’s an altered creation myth, yes, but encompasses more territory than strictly biblical. I think I won’t even attempt to sketch the plot, except to say expect the unexpected. There is no way even the most jaded reader could predict the plot twists in Son of the Serpent, and the many callbacks and connections to the standard versions of the familiar, ancient myths.
Angels, fallen angels, transformed creatures, and half-angels populate this twisted and often dark fable. The main character feeds like a vampire and has a monstrous serpent form and a humanoid form. His parentless upbringing makes him irresolute and prone to moods of anger, during which he often kills things. The prose does not descend into horror, but violence both physical and mental abounds in the pages of this book.
Quiroz-Vega’s writing voice is as unique as her bold and twisty talespinning. If you haven’t sampled her writing yet, do it. If you love it, then, happily, there is more in the Fall of Lilith. While you won’t be lost, you’ll get more from the Son of the Serpent if you read Fall of Lilith first.