When an email appeared in my inbox offering me an ARC for Viper & Lilies by Lexie Axon, I was immediately intrigued by the premise, but nothing could have prepared me for the absolute wonder that this romantasy would bring. Viper & Lilies is the first book in the Sisters of Flowers and Flames trilogy, an adult romantasy series with high-society, Bridgerton-esque vibes and three sisters with a deadly secret.
The Maeve sisters are at the top of high society, thanks to their ancestor, a Hunter who helped eradicate every Enchantress bloodline. Every bloodline, except his own.
As the last Enchantresses left, the Maeve sisters will do everything they must to keep their magic hidden. When a researcher at the Vonstein Institute claims to have evidence that the Hunt was unsuccessful and Enchantresses still walk among them, the sisters quickly decide to spend the summer at the institute doing everything they can to stop him from revealing their existence.
But the longer they spend at the Institute, the more suspicions grow, and if they’re not careful, one mistake could cost them everything.
“Three hundred years ago, a group of ten women, each from one of the original kingdoms of the continent, prayed to the Goddess for protection.”
Protection against men who abused, assaulted, and disrespected them in a world that not only allowed as much, but encouraged it. Not very different than the world now.
Viper & Lilies is a remarkable tale of magic, love, and sisterhood. It’s a book that’s a fantasy with three romances woven in, one for each sister, that somehow never feels cumbersome or overwhelming. It’s truly impressive.
I am partial to a story of three sisters, as one of three sisters myself. These stories will always hold a special place in my heart. This one is especially well done, not only capturing the dynamics between sisters authentically, but distinguishing them as individuals clearly.
The reader gets a sense of each sister early, and they’re immediately distinct from each other. Serafina, Carena, and Kitarni are all dynamic and unique in their own ways.
Viper & Lilies is set in a world of high society and its rules, and the sisters struggle with many of the social boundaries put on them as women. One thing that sets this world apart, though, is that despite its rigid social boundaries, queerness is entirely accepted and normalized in this world, in a way that is refreshing. Misogyny is everywhere, as is the point, but homophobia is a non-issue.
It is a rare gem to find a book with excellent prose that is pretty to read, but still digestible, with a gripping, page-turning plot. This book manages to do it all, and the result is a whole new world that’s impossible to drag yourself out of.
There was nothing quite like a library, was there? The promise of productivity, the endless entertainment inked within pages, the opportunity for discovery…it was an enrichment Ike no other, An intoxication she never wished to sober from.
The romances in this story are slow-burning connections, filled with impeccably crafted yearning. Since there are three romances, the author is able to explore each relationship in a different way, and there’s a little something for everyone.
Men didn’t like their prey to be given fangs. Maybe that was why so many found women more appealing when they still had their baby teeth.
A witch hunt reimagined, filled with feminine rage and female solidarity, Viper & Lilies begins a romantasy series that is already one of the best I’ve ever encountered. This is a must-read when it hits shelves February 2nd, 2027.
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