"GUT-WRENCHING MASTERPIECE" - Kirkus Starred Review
For centuries, the Waster Women of House Est have wielded power that could build thrones or bring them to ruin. Liama was one of them, blessed by an ancient goddess with dominion over flesh and blood and destined to pass that power on to her daughter. Then, ten years ago, that destiny was shattered by meeting the eye of a stranger. Robbed of her memories and her freedom, Liama wakes each dawn as the wife of a powerless man who wields her violent abilities to hold his usurped throne.
"A haunting, folkloric story that will leave readers wanting more." - IndieReader
When a single forbidden touch fractures the spell binding her mind, fragments of Liama's past begin to surface: her capture from the Sacred Wood, the blood-soaked deeds she committed as her husband's weapon, and a forgotten alliance that could topple the usurper on her throne. To claim it all back she must be something more than the leashed woman she has become.
In a land where women bear the weight of both salvation and destruction, Liama will rupture ancient bonds and tear the veil between worlds to protect her daughter. But to save the girl from inheriting her fate, Liama will have to shatter the bones of everything the Wasters have built, remaking their legacy from spilled blood.
Snake Wife is a dark, mythic feminist fantasy of mothers and daughters, ancient goddesses, and the terrible cost of terrible power.
Perfect for readers of Leigh Bardugo, Naomi Novik, Madeline Miller, and T. Kingfisher who crave folkloric worlds, dangerous magic, and heroines who will burn the world before they let it break their children.
Enter House Est and discover why readers call Snake Wife an "impossible to put down" tale "of a bad ass mama" that "captures ALL of a woman in all that she can be.
Autorentext
Samantha Burgess-Smith is a writer of feminist fantasy fiction. Her works expand genre stereotypes to illuminate the world-shaping power of mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and matriarchs. Samantha lives the best of lives in Nashville with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys writing more than almost anything else. Also high on her list are hiking, cycling, travelling, sleeping, reading, thrift shopping, and watching professional cycling.