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Available
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Publication
Night Shade Books
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:Moon, once a solitary wanderer, has become consort to Jade, sister queen of the Indigo Cloud court. Together, they travel with their people on a pair of flying ships in hopes of finding a new home for their colony. Moon finally feels like he�??s found a tribe where he belongs. But when the travelers reach the ancestral home of Indigo Cloud, shrouded within the trunk of a mountain-sized tree, they discover a blight infecting its core. Nearby they find the remains of the invaders who may be responsible, as well as evidence of a devastating theft. This discovery sends Moon and the hunters of Indigo Cloud on a quest for the heartstone of the tree �?? a quest that will lead them far away, across the Serpent Sea. In this followup to The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells returns with a world-spanning odyssey, a mystery that only provokes more questions �?? and the adventure of a… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member zjakkelien
I definitely enjoyed this book, pretty much for the same reasons I liked nr. 1, The cloud roads: nice world, nice shapeshifters, nice characters. I particularly liked the Raksuran society, where no-one is less because they are female or male, or because they are Arbora or Raksuran, or because they
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are groundlings or not. So why not more than 3.5 stars? Well, the world is very different from our own, with many different species and habitats. I'm ok with some description where necessary for the story, or when it involves the new Raksuran home, where we can expect to spend quite some time. But on the quest Moon, Jade, Stone and some others undertake after arriving at their new home, there is just a bit too much of it. I liked the conversations and the discoveries, but when you describe loads of strange things, and only one of them is relevant, it distracts from the story. In the second half of the book, there are few long chase scenes, and again there is too much description of where which tunnel or hallway leads and where it ends up. I had some trouble picturing it, and in the end didn't read it as carefully anymore. That actually worked out fine, showing that the detail wasn't necessary. Despite all that, it was still a very nice book, and I love the Raksuran as a species. It's nice to find out about their society through Moon (who lived as a solitary since his childhood). I'll definitely read nr. 3! Show Less
LibraryThing member Herenya
I wanted The Serpent Sea to be a story about Moon finding his place amongst the Raksura and meeting Raksura from different courts. And it is that, but it’s also a quest to retrieve something which has been stolen.
The worldbuilding is still so fascinating and wonderfully imaginative - this time
Moon spends a lot of the book working with Stone, the oldest member of the Indigo Cloud court. Stone is such a grump. He doesn’t care much about convention, he’s frequently frustrated with his descendants and he doesn’t hesitate to tell Moon if he’s being an idiot. And he so obviously cares about his ~adopted son~, it’s the best. His relationship with Moon is one of my favourites.
I like the way this is a story about teamwork and trust - after years on his own, Moon is still learning how to trust, as well as working out what it means to have skills and experiences atypical for a Raksura in his position.
She stopped and said, “He’s not like you, Moon. He’s a real solitary, exiled from his court for a good reason.”
Moon rubbed his eyes, trying to be patient. He suspected he was going to be having this conversation a lot. “You don’t know he’s not like me,” he said, aware he was just being difficult. “I could be lying.”
Balm shook her head in exasperation. “You don’t know anything about living in a court. You have to have everything explained to you, and when we do explain it, you look like you think we’re crazy. Everyone who speaks to you notices that. No one is that good a liar.”
The worldbuilding is still so fascinating and wonderfully imaginative - this time
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including a city built atop a leviathan, and a different type of flying ship.Moon spends a lot of the book working with Stone, the oldest member of the Indigo Cloud court. Stone is such a grump. He doesn’t care much about convention, he’s frequently frustrated with his descendants and he doesn’t hesitate to tell Moon if he’s being an idiot. And he so obviously cares about his ~adopted son~, it’s the best. His relationship with Moon is one of my favourites.
I like the way this is a story about teamwork and trust - after years on his own, Moon is still learning how to trust, as well as working out what it means to have skills and experiences atypical for a Raksura in his position.
She stopped and said, “He’s not like you, Moon. He’s a real solitary, exiled from his court for a good reason.”
Moon rubbed his eyes, trying to be patient. He suspected he was going to be having this conversation a lot. “You don’t know he’s not like me,” he said, aware he was just being difficult. “I could be lying.”
Balm shook her head in exasperation. “You don’t know anything about living in a court. You have to have everything explained to you, and when we do explain it, you look like you think we’re crazy. Everyone who speaks to you notices that. No one is that good a liar.”
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LibraryThing member amberwitch
This is a great book, but it does not have the satisfying conclusion of a final book in a finite series, neither the temporary conclusion of a book in an unending series.
There is apparently a third book in the works, making this a middle book in a trilogy. Unfortunately it hasn't been sold yet, so
The story arch is not as strong as the fall of ile-rien trilogy.
Great worldbuilding. Fantastic characterisation.
There is apparently a third book in the works, making this a middle book in a trilogy. Unfortunately it hasn't been sold yet, so
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there is no guarantee that the 'real' ending will ever be available.The story arch is not as strong as the fall of ile-rien trilogy.
Great worldbuilding. Fantastic characterisation.
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LibraryThing member MlleEhreen
I enjoyed THE CLOUD ROADS without being convinced that I wanted to continue with the series. I jumped on the chance to do an advance review of THE SERPENT SEA because I wanted to find out if Martha Wells could make a fan of me. The answer? Yup. She can, and did. I loved THE SERPENT SEA.
One reviewer
Raksura consorts are basically trophy wives. As a consort, Moon has status but no real power. But Moon isn’t content to be pampered and impotent, which means he’s not content to fill the traditional role of consort. He likes to keep busy and he’s a natural authority figure. So, yes, he’s got enough rank to rub elbows with the movers and shakers but he has to earn every bit of authority that comes his way and constantly defend his choice to step outside of his allotted role.
The plot has the Indigo Cloud court on a mission to recover the stolen seed of their mountain-tree. They encounter obstacles on the way to completing their quest, as on the way Moon finds himself trying to play the part of a perfect consort at a foreign court, dealing with a solitary Raksura that reminds him all too much of himself, and battling a power-hungry magician.
As in THE CLOUD ROADS, Wells’ descriptions of the Three Realms’ landscapes kept me enthralled. It’s just such a pleasure to imagine all the little details, from the mountain-tree where the Indigo Cloud court hopes to settle, with its glowing shells and fantastical carvings, to the floating city where most of the novel takes place.
I read THE SERPENT SEA in one sitting, and loved every page. It’s more relaxing than heart-pounding, but I found that I relished every minute I spent with in Wells’ marvelous landscapes among the Raksura. Four very enthusiastic stars.
One reviewer
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described the plot of THE CLOUD ROADS as Moon discovering that he’s been “Cursed by Awesome,” and, at the time, I agreed. Poor baby discovers he’s been born into a high caste, what’s to complain about, right? But in THE SERPENT SEA I began to see what a perfect choice Moon’s position as a consort really is. Raksura consorts are basically trophy wives. As a consort, Moon has status but no real power. But Moon isn’t content to be pampered and impotent, which means he’s not content to fill the traditional role of consort. He likes to keep busy and he’s a natural authority figure. So, yes, he’s got enough rank to rub elbows with the movers and shakers but he has to earn every bit of authority that comes his way and constantly defend his choice to step outside of his allotted role.
The plot has the Indigo Cloud court on a mission to recover the stolen seed of their mountain-tree. They encounter obstacles on the way to completing their quest, as on the way Moon finds himself trying to play the part of a perfect consort at a foreign court, dealing with a solitary Raksura that reminds him all too much of himself, and battling a power-hungry magician.
As in THE CLOUD ROADS, Wells’ descriptions of the Three Realms’ landscapes kept me enthralled. It’s just such a pleasure to imagine all the little details, from the mountain-tree where the Indigo Cloud court hopes to settle, with its glowing shells and fantastical carvings, to the floating city where most of the novel takes place.
I read THE SERPENT SEA in one sitting, and loved every page. It’s more relaxing than heart-pounding, but I found that I relished every minute I spent with in Wells’ marvelous landscapes among the Raksura. Four very enthusiastic stars.
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LibraryThing member bicyclewriter
I think these would probably be classified as young adult lit, though I'm not sure. She's a good storyteller, and I love the characters she's created in these books. I'll keep reading the series. One of the interesting things about the series is the fun she's had messing with our "traditional
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western" concepts of gender and strength and vulnerability - I've really enjoyed that aspect of the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member chavala
I'm really enjoying this series. There's some very creative world-building and development of cultures for the various peoples in said world. Females among the Raksura are both leaders and stronger than males, so the books also really explore ideas of gender.
In this book, our main character Moon
In this book, our main character Moon
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and his compatriots head back to their source tree to rebuild it as their home, but things don't quite go as expected. Moon remains a courageous, independent hero in the face of all that follows. Show Less
LibraryThing member pwaites
The Serpent Sea is the sequel to The Cloud Roads, which you should probably read first as an introduction to Wells’ characters and world.
In The Cloud Roads, the court of Indigo Cloud set off to find their ancestral home. In The Serpent Sea, they’ve found it, a giant mountain tree more than
The Serpent Sea had a slow start and didn’t really pick up until Moon and the others were actually at the Serpent Sea and going after the seed. Once they found the moving islands seen on the cover, I was hooked.
By far the best thing about the series is the vivid, imaginative world Wells has created. It’s fantastical, alien, and often beautiful. The setting is breathtaking, and Wells populates it with a wide variety of otherworldly creatures, such as the Raksura, the protagonists. The Raksura are human enough in their thoughts and feelings to be relatable, but these scaled shapeshifters have a very different biology and social system that reminds me more of bees than anything else.
Moon’s still trying to fit into Court life and feel like he belongs. He can’t quite get over his past as a permanent outsider, and he’s completely baffled as to the customs of the court and what’s expected of him.
Characterization sometimes felt a bit thin. There were so many different Raksura that it could be hard to keep track of all of them. I felt like I had a good handle on who Moon, Jade, Stone, Pearl, and Chime were, but I had difficulty remembering all the others.
I will most certainly be returning to the world of the Raksura, and I’d recommend this series to anyone looking for highly original fantasy.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
In The Cloud Roads, the court of Indigo Cloud set off to find their ancestral home. In The Serpent Sea, they’ve found it, a giant mountain tree more than
Show More
capable of housing the entire court. Unfortunately, the heart seed of the tree has been stolen, leaving it rotting out slowly from the inside. Moon, Jade, and a few others will have to travel all the way to the Serpent Sea to retrieve the heart seed.The Serpent Sea had a slow start and didn’t really pick up until Moon and the others were actually at the Serpent Sea and going after the seed. Once they found the moving islands seen on the cover, I was hooked.
By far the best thing about the series is the vivid, imaginative world Wells has created. It’s fantastical, alien, and often beautiful. The setting is breathtaking, and Wells populates it with a wide variety of otherworldly creatures, such as the Raksura, the protagonists. The Raksura are human enough in their thoughts and feelings to be relatable, but these scaled shapeshifters have a very different biology and social system that reminds me more of bees than anything else.
Moon’s still trying to fit into Court life and feel like he belongs. He can’t quite get over his past as a permanent outsider, and he’s completely baffled as to the customs of the court and what’s expected of him.
Characterization sometimes felt a bit thin. There were so many different Raksura that it could be hard to keep track of all of them. I felt like I had a good handle on who Moon, Jade, Stone, Pearl, and Chime were, but I had difficulty remembering all the others.
I will most certainly be returning to the world of the Raksura, and I’d recommend this series to anyone looking for highly original fantasy.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
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LibraryThing member devilwrites
The premise: ganked from BN.com: Moon, once a solitary wanderer, has become consort to Jade, sister queen of the Indigo Cloud court. Together, they travel with their people on a pair of flying ships in hopes of finding a new home for their colony. Moon finally feels like he's found a tribe where he
In this follow-up to The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells returns with a world-spanning odyssey, a mystery that only provokes more questions -- and the adventure of a lifetime.
My Rating: 7 - Good Read
One of the things I really enjoy and appreciate about this series so far is that the world-building itself is unique, and the story and characters grow out of that. If I had any frustrations, it's that Moon embraces his own pride. At times I think he doesn't even want to belong, and while it's a very human emotion (self-sabotage), it can be taxing to read about, because you know he does want to belong, yet he doesn't embrace the lifestyle fully. On one hand, it provides interesting conflict: he provides an outsider's view to his own people, and his reactions often reflect the reader's in terms of whether or not things are screwed up, but sometimes you just want to shake him and tell him to stop being so insecure. But overall, it's an enjoyable series to date, and I intend to keep reading. When I'll pick up The Siren Depths, I don't know, but I look forward to seeing where Wells takes her readers. I would stress that anyone interested in these books start with book one, The Cloud Roads, because the world-building and characterization builds on itself, and it's not quite as satisfying if one were to read The Serpent Sea out of context.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Yay. If you haven't yet read this book (let alone The Cloud Roads), please do not read the full review in my blog. If spoilers aren't an issue, or if you've read the book, feel free to click the link below to go directly to the full review! As always, comments and discussion are most welcome!
REVIEW: Martha Wells' THE SERPENT SEA
Happy Reading!
Show More
belongs. But when the travelers reach the ancestral home of Indigo Cloud, shrouded within the trunk of a mountain-sized tree, they discover a blight infecting its core. Nearby they find the remains of the invaders who may be responsible, as well as evidence of a devastating theft. This discovery sends Moon and the hunters of Indigo Cloud on a quest for the heartstone of the tree -- a quest that will lead them far away, across the Serpent Sea.In this follow-up to The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells returns with a world-spanning odyssey, a mystery that only provokes more questions -- and the adventure of a lifetime.
My Rating: 7 - Good Read
One of the things I really enjoy and appreciate about this series so far is that the world-building itself is unique, and the story and characters grow out of that. If I had any frustrations, it's that Moon embraces his own pride. At times I think he doesn't even want to belong, and while it's a very human emotion (self-sabotage), it can be taxing to read about, because you know he does want to belong, yet he doesn't embrace the lifestyle fully. On one hand, it provides interesting conflict: he provides an outsider's view to his own people, and his reactions often reflect the reader's in terms of whether or not things are screwed up, but sometimes you just want to shake him and tell him to stop being so insecure. But overall, it's an enjoyable series to date, and I intend to keep reading. When I'll pick up The Siren Depths, I don't know, but I look forward to seeing where Wells takes her readers. I would stress that anyone interested in these books start with book one, The Cloud Roads, because the world-building and characterization builds on itself, and it's not quite as satisfying if one were to read The Serpent Sea out of context.
Spoilers, yay or nay?: Yay. If you haven't yet read this book (let alone The Cloud Roads), please do not read the full review in my blog. If spoilers aren't an issue, or if you've read the book, feel free to click the link below to go directly to the full review! As always, comments and discussion are most welcome!
REVIEW: Martha Wells' THE SERPENT SEA
Happy Reading!
Show Less
LibraryThing member gabarito
So good. The settings in this book are amazing!
Original publication date
2012
Local notes
Raksura, 2
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Wells |
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