Please note that this is the second book in the series so will contain spoilers for Viper! If you're interested, my review for Viper can be found here.
Goodreads Synopsis - this is the last chance to avoid spoilers!!!
Marianne has never wanted to be a fighter, but with unrest and discord threatening the Twelve Islands, she will have to battle threats both inside and out in an attempt to attain peace for her homeland.
Marianne is now the Viper, but her hopes for peace in the Eastern Isles are being frustrated. The corrupt King remains on the throne, bandits are proving hard to stop and Marianne is not sure who among her crew she can truly trust.
For the islands to prosper, the invisible bond that once existed uniting land and sea must be reinstated. There's only one way that can happen - the return of magic. To do that Marianne must put aside all her fears: she must return to her roots, the Western Isles, and call on the power that runs in her blood.
She must become a Mage.
Only then, can she possibly command the army needed to finally take down the King.
Review
Now, if you've come from my Instagram you'll know how obsessed I had become over Viper and was so excited to read Venom. I couldn't wait to delve back into this world and follow Marianne on her epic journey.
This book blew me away. Normally, I find that the second book in a series tends to be weaker then the first but this was not the case! Venom was such a strong sequel with new challenges and the introduction of new characters, especially Olwyn, Ravyn, Jax and Raoul, who only appears briefly.
You learn a lot more about Marianne's heritage in this book and I found myself loving her character even more than I thought was possible. She's such a strong, badass female character with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She's having to make tough and life changing decisions in this book but she knows it is for the good of the isles and the future. She's a fierce and empowering character who is incredibly relatable.
At 50 pages into this book I was well and truly hooked. Bex Hogan has such an amazing way of storytelling that you cannot help but want to keep reading (I stayed up into the early hours to finish this beauty because I could not put it down). Venom was an emotional rollercoaster of a read. It will break your heart then mend it only to throw it out of a window. The moment you think things are going okay for Marianna and her crew Bex Hogan throws a curve ball and you have no idea where they stand or if they'll survive.
Oh and that ending?! Not acceptable! I need Vulture now, which doesn't come out till next April! So that means if you still haven't picked up this series you have plenty of time to catch up!
This book was perfect in every sense of the world. It ticks all the things I look for in a YA fantasy series. I am now sitting here impatiently waiting for Vulture. I mean it's only a year...
Rating: 5/5 stars
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