New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy in this action-packed follow-up to EMPIRE OF DUST.

In REIGN OF SERPENTS, the ancient power of Snake Blood threatens the known world. While Prince Alexander struggles with a very deadly inner demon, his betrothed, Zofia, is on her way to him, to unite their kingdoms…even as she begins to realize where her true allegiance lies. The fierce Cynane meets her match-not in her future husband, the deranged king of Illyria, but in her great-great-grandfather, Talus, possessor of Smoke Blood, who will teach her the true meaning of betrayal. And marooned together on an island in the Mediterranean, romantic tension blooms between Katerina and Hephaestion as they learn of lost civilizations and discover a device that could help them do the impossible: kill the last living god.

• It wouldn't be a book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series without a gigantic cast of characters. Herman does a fantastic job at making each of her characters’ point-of-views unique enough to differentiate between. Although, the perspectives change with every chapter. At first, it is a bit confusing; however, readers will quickly adapt, falling prey to the complex and developed plot.
• I highly recommend binge reading this series. This way, you won't need a refresher and you can jump into each storyline without confusion. 
• There seemed to be several time gaps. To disguise them, Herman adds even more perspectives to the ever growing cast. However, I wished the book was a bit longer, not only to stay in the immersive world of true history and fiction but also to fill in the time gaps so the plot flows even more elegantly.
• Aristotle makes his character debut in Empire of Dust. Aristotle is given a much larger role in Reign of Serpents. It's such a surprise. Herman captures Aristotle's curiosity gorgeously, having his character stay true to life in his research but also developing further when faced with magical obstacles. 
• Exactly as the two previous books—since there is such a large cast of characters—readers will not know when the story of each character will end. Unfortunately, readers are left with so many questions regarding different characters because of this. A "wait, but what about this character" sort of reaction which will have you returning for the next and final installment.

• The book begins with a bang. When Herman starts the book nearly right where readers left off with each character, I knew right then we were in for a treat. She wasted absolutely no time in setting up the story, just threw us right into the action, amongst all the stories happening simultaneously.
• With each book in the series, I've always picked a favorite story arc but with Reign of Serpents, I couldn't find a favorite. Each story was action packed with on-the-edge-of-your-seat entertainment, it would be too difficult to pick just one. 
• I can imagine how fun this book must have been to write as it was tons of fun to read. With high expectations and even higher stakes, Reign of Serpents does not disappoint. 
• Don’t miss the author’s note in the back of the book. Not only does it emphasize how Herman has intertwined true history with that of her fiction, but the facts are extremely interesting.

Overall

Legacy of Kings (8/18/15): 5 stars

Empire of Dust (6/28/16): 4 stars

Reign of Serpents (6/27/17): 4 stars