Hello, all! I debated a bit about whether or not to post this week — I am still on hiatus, technically, and it's also the week before Realm Makers, which means I am quite busy getting ready for that! However, this is release weekend for City of Serpents, the fourth book in the the Secrets of Ormdale series by Christina Baehr, and I enjoyed my ARC so much that I couldn't not talk about it! Granted, if you haven't read the series, you should probably start with book one, Wormwood Abbey (as you will be hopelessly confused otherwise), and if you have read the series, you probably don't need much convincing to read the new installment . . . but if nothing else, maybe I can convince you to read it a little sooner? In any case, I have thoughts!

Thoughts on City of Serpents

1. If you liked the rest of the Ormdale books, you'll like this one. City of Serpents introduces a new setting and some new characters, but it still contains all the things we've come to love and expect from an Ormdale novel. Within its pages, you'll find dragons, strong family relationships and friendships, and dire danger balanced with cozy comfort. You'll find villains who are, in some ways, all too realistic, even if they're with dragons. And, of course, you'll find Edith, our favorite cleric's daughter/novelist-turned-dragon-keeper, who has turned her detective-novelist's mind towards some schemes of her own.
2. I also enjoyed meeting quite a few new characters. My favorite of these is, unfortunately, a spoiler, though I will say that this person was alluded to in Castle of the Winds (and that allusion did not prepare me for how delightful the actual person would be). In terms of characters I can talk about, though, the main newcomers are Edith's cousin, Stephen, and his son, Crispin, both of whom are very fun. Edith's interactions with Crispin are especially lovely and fun, while Stephen simultaneously provides some extra humor (via teasing Edith and his general personality) and a bit of a sobering effect (via his knowledge and role in the narrative). You'll get what I mean once you meet him.
3. I was a little nervous about the start of the story . . . Mostly because Edith was being very determined to Do Things Alone (understandable, given what happened in the last book, but still stressful) and other people were, in my opinion, being a bit hard on her and Not Helping. Thankfully, both of these issues clear up after those first few chapters — and, really, I shouldn't have doubted in the first place. Edith is too sensible for that kind of nonsense, and Christina Baehr is too good an author to send her main character down that path.
4. This is the most historical-feeling of the Ormdale books thus far. Yes, all the books are historical fantasy, but the remote locations of the previous books meant they leaned strongly to the fantasy side of the genre. On the other hand, City of Serpents deals very heavily with very specific movements, social issues, attitudes, and people of its era. It almost feels like what you'd get if you crossed Ormdale with Suzannah Rowntree's Miss Dark books. (Side note, if anyone wants to actually write that fanfiction, please send me a link; I think it would be delightfully fun.)
5. The story is a little bit darker than some of the others in the series. That shouldn't really be a surprise, given what I said in my last point — but it is worth noting. All of the Ormdale books have dealt in some way with the effects of abuse, but it's usually been on a smaller scale. This one, on the other hand, deals with injustices committed on a larger scale, and that plus the villain's modus operandi and the reminder of just when in history this story is set combine to make City of Serpents a touch darker. However, rest assured that even amid the shadows of the London streets, we never lose sight of the light.
   

Are you excited to read City of Serpents? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!