Daughter of the Serpentine

6/10. I think I am finally beginning to figure out this series. E.E. Knight's writing is so uniquely equipped to tell this story, but it's a slow-paced story and not one that you ever want to binge. I said this for the prequel, but it's hard to really see this as a young adult novel with how long it is, how difficult it is to get through, and how dark it ends up getting. But young readers who like Robin Hobb might like this too.

That said, this was better than the first book by miles. Knight just does a better job here focusing on characters other than Ileth and figuring out how to portray their growth through Ileth's perspective. The story still plods, but moved faster - and importantly, less consistently - than its predecessor. I still cannot figure out who this series is for, but I'll certainly read the next book!