The Serpents and Kings Trilogy Series by S.M. Gaither

Please note: A revised version of this book was released in September 2019. Some of the reviews below may reflect the old version. She’s the last member of a cursed and deadly clan. He’s the crown prince with a dangerous secret. Together, they’ll save the empire. Or destroy it. Decades ago, the High King of Sundolia waged a war that vanquished the serpent clan and drove them out of the empire, reducing them to nothing more than legends spoken of in occasional frightened whispers... morePlease note: A revised version of this book was released in September 2019. Some of the reviews below may reflect the old version. She’s the last member of a cursed and deadly clan. He’s the crown prince with a dangerous secret. Together, they’ll save the empire. Or destroy it. Decades ago, the High King of Sundolia waged a war that vanquished the serpent clan and drove them out of the empire, reducing them to nothing more than legends spoken of in occasional frightened whispers. But they did not leave peacefully. Their parting gift included curses that now rest within the empire’s soil, beneath the shade of its jungles, treading through the waves of its seas. Growing more and more dormant as the years pass under the shadow of that increasingly tyrannical high king. Until Alaya—a girl with a hidden serpent mark who shouldn’t exist—accidentally wakes one of them up. Then another. And suddenly she finds herself near universally despised and feared, a scapegoat exiled from her adopted village and left with no choice but to seek the truth about her cursed bloodline. About her true home. About a power, stolen from the serpent goddess herself, that is supposedly resting in that home. It is the sort of power that could help her overthrow a king, expose the lies he’s told, and put a stop to his wars. But the closer she gets to that power, the more complicated the truth becomes. The more dangerous her waking power seems. And the more she begins to wonder: Can you still be the hero if you were born a curse? less

War is coming to the Sundolian Empire.Can a forbidden love between a prince and a dragon save it?Or are they destined to bring it all down in flames?The kingdoms are shattering.A tyrant rules from the north.The Dragon clan, once exiled beyond the edges of the empire, has joined forces with a bloodthirsty, opportunistic king in the south.And the crown prince of Rooks is running out of options to keep the people and places he loves safe... moreWar is coming to the Sundolian Empire.Can a forbidden love between a prince and a dragon save it?Or are they destined to bring it all down in flames?The kingdoms are shattering.A tyrant rules from the north.The Dragon clan, once exiled beyond the edges of the empire, has joined forces with a bloodthirsty, opportunistic king in the south.And the crown prince of Rooks is running out of options to keep the people and places he loves safe. His best chance to save his world and take the crown from his mad father may lie in the most dangerous of those exiled Dragons—a woman who is just as likely to ruin him as she is to save him.Alaya is part human, part divine, and fully prepared to use her growing powers to destroy everyone that has hurt and betrayed her. The list of those people is long. Despite her pain, she still intends to find a way to bring peace to her world—but she can’t do it alone.The high king must fall. What was broken must be mended. And somehow, both Dragon and Rook must find a way to protect each other from the dark side of the magic building within and around them…Or else watch their world burn to ashes. less

Death. Betrayal. Destruction. This was Alaya's destiny, written in the stars on the night she was born. She should have been killed because of it.She wasn’t.The once crown prince of the highest throne in Sundolia is now the high king, and all of his advisors agree on one thing: He should have destroyed that dangerous Dragon woman when he had the chance.He didn’t.Now war spreads like a wildfire from the southern kingdom. The empire is burning. The day of prophecy is arriving... moreDeath. Betrayal. Destruction. This was Alaya's destiny, written in the stars on the night she was born. She should have been killed because of it.She wasn’t.The once crown prince of the highest throne in Sundolia is now the high king, and all of his advisors agree on one thing: He should have destroyed that dangerous Dragon woman when he had the chance.He didn’t.Now war spreads like a wildfire from the southern kingdom. The empire is burning. The day of prophecy is arriving. Alaya still lives, her power more dangerous and unpredictable than ever.And the stars, it seems, told no lies.Or did they? less

hree books. One completed story. 1500+ pages full of magic, monsters, and forbidden romance—the perfect next read for fans of Sarah J. Maas!A cursed woman.A powerful prince.A forbidden love, and an empire hanging in the balance...Decades ago, the High King of Sundolia waged a war that vanquished the Serpent clan and drove them out of the empire, reducing them to nothing more than legends spoken of in occasional frightened whispers.But they did not leave peacefully... morehree books. One completed story. 1500+ pages full of magic, monsters, and forbidden romance—the perfect next read for fans of Sarah J. Maas!A cursed woman.A powerful prince.A forbidden love, and an empire hanging in the balance...Decades ago, the High King of Sundolia waged a war that vanquished the Serpent clan and drove them out of the empire, reducing them to nothing more than legends spoken of in occasional frightened whispers.But they did not leave peacefully. Their parting gift included curses that now rest within the empire’s soil, beneath the shade of its jungles, treading through the waves of its seas. Growing more and more dormant as the years pass under the rule of that increasingly tyrannical high king. Until Alaya—a young woman with a hidden Serpent mark who shouldn’t exist—accidentally wakes one of them up. Then another. And suddenly she finds herself exiled from her adopted village and left with no choice but to seek the truth about her lost clan and the so-called curses they left behind. About her true home. About a power, stolen from the Serpent goddess herself, that is supposedly resting in that home.It is the sort of power that could help her overthrow a king, expose the lies he’s told, and put a stop to his wars.The crown prince of Sundolia claims he wants to put a stop to those wars with her. That he only wants to help her find that power so he can undo the horrors his father has created. All they have to do is find a way to trust each other.But the closer they get to that power, the more complicated the truth—and the trust— becomes. The more dangerous Alaya’s waking power seems. And the more she begins to wonder: Can you still be the hero if you were born a curse? less