I read somewhere that Miranda Silver was secretly a pen name for Rebecca Yarros, the famed author of Fourth Wing. I read one of Miranda Silver’s other books, Priceless, a couple of years ago, and I remember loving it, so I figured I would read some more of her work and see if this rumor holds any merit.
The Serpentine Duet is two books of paranormal why choose romance with a strong new adult element. There are four love interests, and it takes place largely in the contained setting of Pacific Crest University, a fictional college 90 minutes outside of Los Angeles.
This duet is a little unusual. I suppose all paranormal why choose romances are a little unusual, depending on your baseline of what is usual, but within the framework of this sub-genre, The Serpentine Duet goes a little bit of a different direction.
Daisy, an aspiring musician at a prestigious New York conservatory, has her promising career cut tragically short with a devastating fall and resulting injury. She finds herself at Pacific Crest University in California, trying to rebuild a life for herself, but she’s lost. Her childhood crush, Nathan, goes to Pacific Crest and she tries to seek him out, only to find him a completely changed man. What was once a lanky and awkward boy who she loved is now a moody, built, football star.
He and his three best friends, Reeve, Blake, and Evan, are near mythical figures at this school. All of them excel in their fields and the parties at their mansion are legendary. Daisy finds herself drawn to them, recognizing them from their frequent visits to her dreams, and gets pulled into a dangerous game of magic and desire.
The Serpentine Duet features Daisy and four love interests, each with their own desires and aspirations that drive them throughout the events of the books. The boys are keeping lots of secrets from Daisy in a way she is unreasonably tolerant of, but their bonds run deep.
I am not a passionate, tortured musician, a farm boy with a hunger for more, or a broody football player, but I still felt I could relate to and empathize with these characters, although I feel like some of the characters could have been a little more well developed.
For a majority of this duet, Evan and Blake are largely in the background. It makes me wonder if these characters are strictly necessary or if more time could have been dedicated to them and their relationships with Daisy and the rest of the group.
The Serpentine Duet has multiple points-of-view, but its heavily weighted towards Daisy’s perspective, especially in the first book. As a result, the reader definitely knows her best by the end.
This story is mysterious, involving a slow unveiling of the darkness at Pacific Crest University. It’s an intense plot, but it moves quickly, with a streamlined chain of events.
The magic system here is part of what makes this duet unique in the realm of paranormal fantasy. It features witchcraft and a dark academia vibe, with physical magic which is a choice I love here. The magic is based around tarot cards, herbs, and items imbued with magic through spells. A deeper, more innate magic is present in Daisy, but she uses all these tools as well. Much of the book is about exploring the pitfalls of magic and near-limitless power.
The Serpentine Duet is not a slow burn. There is instant attraction between these characters and a history with some of them. Even the spice has a paranormal bent to it, and much of it is about teasing and tantalizing for the character and the readers.
There are MM interactions in this duet, and it is very spicy despite the fact the characters do not have full penetrative sex for the entirety of the first book. It has excellent banter and spicy dialogue. Some of the sexual dialogue is a little over the top, particularly from Reeve, but from his specific character it sort of works. But it might make some readers giggle or roll their eyes.
Both of these books have a wonderful marriage of magic and sex that embodies what I love about fantasy and romance. I’m happy to read about the most horrifying kinds of pain, as long as it’s tempered by love, sex, and sometimes magic.
I do not think Miranda Silver and Rebecca Yarros are one and the same. I could be wrong. But that’s not really the point. The Serpentine Duet has a very unusual magical system followed by a very unusual ending for a why choose romance, but one that makes many of the other choices throughout the duet make a little more sense. It’s a fun read, and unique in a way that makes for a fascinating read.
Writing: 3
Spice: 4.25
Desire the Star
Kindle: free with Kindle Unlimited
Paperback: $17.99
Deliver the Devil
Kindle: free with Kindle Unlimited
Paperback: $17.99
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