Review of The Serpent Sea by Maiya Ibrahim

The Serpent Sea by Maiya Ibrahim is the second book in the young adult Spice Road Trilogy. Sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate the second book in a trilogy…. Does it simply prolong the plot until we can get to the third and final book? Or does it enhance the world building and the character development? Fortunately, in the case of The Serpent Sea, this second book enhances rather than delays the story. Ibrahim does a phenomenal job setting up the world in The Spice Road (the first book) and for as much as I appreciate this world, I loved being back there in The Serpent Sea.

Just as with the first book, this is a quest/journey tale. A pseudo love triangle continues and we even get a dual POV - that of Imani (the main female character from the first book) and Taha (who is the male character enemy to maybe love interest). I am not normally someone who wants the “villain” to be the chosen lover but Qayn might have converted me. He just seems to be a better match for Imani than Taha.

While the characters were fun, I most enjoyed the continued world building. I find the magic system, political structure, and history to be intriguing and exciting. The prevalence of colonizing and oppression combined with the gatekeeping of magic made the Serpent Sea thought-provoking and engaging.

I absolutely will be continuing this series and as a serial series quitter, this says a lot!

Thank you to Maiya Ibrahim, Random House Children's | Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for this ARC.

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