Serpent Rising (The Saga of Venom and Flame)
by Victor Acquista
We meet Serena Mendez, a young woman suffering from PTSD after a childhood trauma. Her therapist recommends that she addresses her fears, she takes a car ride with her friend and fellow conspiracy theorist Bryson Reynolds. That simple car trip turns into a global journey that combines personal and spiritual exploration with an old-fashioned chase. Who is chasing Serena, and why? And what will Serena learn about herself along the way?
The premise seemed interesting, but the story was quickly overwhelmed by the long passages describing spiritual subjects and locations. It felt more like a mysticism textbook than fiction. The plot was hard to follow through the concept discussions. Characters were not developed, which made it difficult to care about what happened to Serena and Bryson. The ending felt slapped together, leaving plot points unanswered or providing thin, unsatisfying resolutions to the rest.
I cannot recommend this book to other readers, even those who enjoy mysticism and conspiracy theories.
Thanks to LibraryThing and NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
This review was initially published on LibraryThing and NetGalley on 07/02/2020.
