This book review is a bit different to any I've written thus far, as this time I'm reviewing an entire trilogy rather than a single novel. Also, while I normally write a review within a few days of finishing a book, two of the three books of this trilogy were read long before I even started writing this blog. So with that in mind, on with the review.
House Of Serpents is a Forgotten Realms trilogy by Lisa Smedman. It is primarily set in and around the city state of Hlondeth, which sits on a large ocean inlet called The Vilhon Reach. Hlondeth is a city ruled by the Yuan-ti (a cruel race of snake people), though the population is mostly human. These are the first books to really focus on this strange (and really quite sinister) race. The books are also different from normal Realms novels in that they strongly feature psionics rather than magic.
The books of the trilogy are: Venom's Taste, Viper's Kiss and Vanity's Brood. Whereas Venom's Taste could easily be a self contained novel, the second two books of the series are very much more closely tied together. The main character of the trilogy is Arvin, a maker of magical ropes and nets for the Hlondeth thieves guild. An orphan, he was raised in a strict orphange by monks of Ilmater (the God of Suffering), and was "adopted" by the thieves guild at a young age when they learned of his skill at ropemaking. As the story progresses though he gradually learns more and more psionic skills.
The other main character is Karrell a female yuan-ti pureblood (which means she is only minorly tainted by snake blood, as opposed to an abomination which is almost entirely snake save perhaps for having arms), even though we don't meet her until the second book. Karrell isn't evil like the rest of her race, and she is a cleric of Ubtao (God of the Jungles), a rival to Sseth (the Yuan-ti God). she is on a mission to see that the Circled Serpent (an artifact of great power) is destroyed.
Arvin (and later Karrell too) are oppossed by many different foes, but the most notable amongst them is Zelia (a female yuan-ti psionicist who quickly becomes Arvin's nemesis) who appears in many guises, due to her ability to mind-seed others. This strange psionic power overwhelms another persons mind, erasing it and imprinting it with a duplicate of Zelia's own. The other major opponent is Sibyl, a monstrous four-armed winged yuan-ti abomination who served as Sseth's avatar (divine herald) several years before until the God strangely went silent. She seeks to find out what has happened to her God and return to being his avatar again and she has a cult of fanatics who serve and worship her, to do her bidding.
The trilogy is very well written and certainly not for kids to read, as it is quite sexual in nature in many places. Considering that serpents have been considered sensual since time began, this is I think, a highly appropriate way to have written the books. I think the books could have flowed better though, as I said already the first book could easily have stood alone. Also the descriptions of psionics changed from the first book to the later two, though this isn't the writers fault, as the way psionics work in the D&D game was changed in that time and she had to include that. Still, it is a bit odd.
The plot is fairly convoluted in places, with schemes and counter machinations going on, which is all very well written and typical of the Byzantine politics and intrigues that the Yuan-ti routinely engage in. I'm going to give the trilogy 3/5 overall. It is a good read, but it could be a lot better. the difference between the first book and the later two is my main reason for its score.
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