Publication Date: 14th March 2024
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy Adventure
3.5 stars
One Liner: Fast-paced and entertaining
1895, Paris
Zelie Dutta is not a witch, even if she is accused of being one. However, a chance encounter brings her face-to-face with Jules, a sewer cleaner boy who found a gold locket. This locket once held the (in)famous Snakestone, the one Zelie needs to find her father.
However, the quest is far from easy, with a dangerous brother society wanting the same magical stone. Time is running out, and Zelie has to use all their talents to stay alive and find her father. Can she do it?
The story comes in Zelie (mostly) and Jules’ third-person POV.
My Thoughts:
How can I resist a book that has Indian characters? And, of course, the vibrant cover grabbed my attention. This one connects colonial India and France (Paris) with magic, science, mystery, adventure, steampunk, and loads of danger.
The narration is fast-paced, so much so that we don’t get time to breathe before Zelie is off on another adventure. This suits her character, as she is a bundle of energy, ready to jump, leap, and rush (for different reasons). However, there isn’t much time for anything else, be it character development or detailed world-building.
The book starts with Zelie being called a witch. We see how the fellow maids in the house are wary of her for belonging to another race and most importantly, because her eyes are of a different color. Zelie has heterochromia, where the color of each eye is different.
Jules is a sewer boy, twelve years or so. He is not eager to help Zelie but agrees eventually. There were instances when I liked Jules more than our MC. He is balanced and not prone to impulses like her. However, I didn’t find any mention of Zelie’s age. She should be around the same or a year younger, based on my calculation. It’s hard to imagine the characters in such instances.
In a way, I like that Zelie is not perfect. She is judgmental, stubborn, reckless, and not someone who will listen to good advice. Despite that, I feel many young readers will connect to her determination to find her father and the risks she takes in the process. Her love for her family comes across very clearly. She is kind, which works in her favor.
The overall content is darkish but nothing too scary. There’s no time to feel scared with the girl racing off to a bigger danger. Sigh!
The book deals with themes like trust, friendships, family, greed (for fame and money), privilege, differences between rich and poor, the lack of pockets in women’s wear, etc. And oh, it puts forward an important question - why do men’s dresses have buttons in the front and when women have to deal with buttons at the back? So unfair, right?
Each chapter comes with a title, hinting at what’s to come. Some of these are spoilers, too. It won’t be a problem for all, but some readers won’t like it.
To summarize, Secrets of the Snakestone is an entertaining adventure set in the dark side of Paris. Despite the flaws, the book is a good read and should keep young ones hooked.
The Kindle version is okay, but the formatting is the best in the PDF.
Thank you, NetGalley and Nosy Crow, for the eARC.
#NetGalley #SecretsOfTheSnakestone
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P.S.: The author’s website has an animated version of the book’s cover. It is so cool!
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