Sarah Reviews… Viper by Bex Hogan

Here’s the thing to note, I wrote this review back in May expecting to post it a little later but not quite this late… I considered rewriting it but in the end I decided I would publish as I originally wrote it. So here it is…

Let me set the scene right now, so you won’t be reading this for some time but it’s currently the 4^th May (happy belated Star Wars Day!) and I have quite literally just finished reading Viper so what follows below may well be a jumble of inarticulate thoughts but it’s what this book made me feel and my god this book made me feel! Just ask Charlotte, she got frequent DMs throughout the process!

Title: Viper

Author: Bex Hogan

Publisher: Orion Children’s Books

Publication Date: 18^th April 2019

Format: Paperback

About The Book…

He will make me a killer. Or he will have me killed. That is my destiny.

Seventeen-year-old Marianne is fated to one day become the Viper, defender of the Twelve Isles.

But the reigning Viper stands in her way. Corrupt and merciless, he prowls the seas in his warship, killing with impunity, leaving only pain and suffering in his wake.

He’s the most dangerous man on the ocean . . . and he is Marianne’s father.

She was born to protect the islands. But can she fight for them if it means losing her family, her home, the boy she loves – and perhaps even her life?

What I Thought…

Marianne is the daughter of the Viper, a seaman feared above all others, sailing the seas of the Eastern Isles and carrying out the darker side of the kings wishes.

From the moment I first opened the book and saw the map of the Twelve Isles I was intrigued, why was it only the Eastern Isles with names? Well let me tell you from that moment until the very end I was hooked! Bex doesn’t waste chapters introducing characters and the world, oh no from the very first chapter you’re thrown right into the story, there’s no pussyfooting around, this ship in a violent place where the captain will not show mercy, that much is clear from the first chapter. From that moment and the obvious difference in temperament between father and daughter is was hooked. It was clear that the two could not continue to coincide as things were, something was going to have to give and I was going to be there to experience it!

Little bits about the history of the twelve isles are woven into the story and you slowly begin to build your understanding of this world that Marianne inhabits, I’m certainly intrigued about the little known Western Isles and curious to know if we’ll find out more in the rest of the trilogy.

Can we talk about the characters a little bit? I’m trying to figure out what I can say without spoiling anything! I feel like Marianne really grew throughout the book, she had a lot of tough decisions to make and I really appreciated her struggle between wanting revenge and staying true to herself, and the choices she had to make between doing what she wants and what is right. There’s a definite sense of duty that she demonstrates throughout the book and I’m intrigued to see how things play out in Venom. If it’s as easy for her to carry one with what’s best for the inhabitants of the Eastern Isles as a whole or not.

I have so much time for Grace. I think she’s a great character, I loved the way she seemed to take Marianne under her wing and train her, she definitely understands Marianne well, possibly better than Marianne understands herself at points. I also really enjoyed discovering more about her as the book went on.

Bronn, dear Bronn. He is a proper rollercoaster of a character for me, I have had some many different feelings towards Bronn throughout the book, by the end I think I’m a little bit in love with him, I mean “It was always you”… However this has only made me more nervous for whatever might come next.

Ooh there are so many things about Captain Adler that gave me the rage! He’s far from a nice man, I kept almost hoping for a little bit of a redeeming feature but I don’t think there is one to be found. Don’t think for a moment that I think that means he’s not a good character, his darkness and just general evilness certainly up the ante and really add to the tension of the story! Also creepy king, may I cut his fingers off please?

Finally I’m going to mention Prince Torin, I’m very unsure about him. I feel like my fondness for Bronn may mean I’m a little bit bias here so I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and see what happens in Venom I feel that Marianne might not be the only one giving up on what she wants to do what needs to be done out of a sense of duty…

One of the recent twitter chats I took part in got me thinking about how I rate books, what does a book need to do to get me to love it. I figure what any book needs to do to get me to love it is give me some characters that I care amount, make me feel invested in them and want the best for them. That’s what Bex does for me in Viper she gives me all these wonderful characters I’ve just mentioned and she makes me care. Hell there are even characters who barely feature that are still giving me feelings! I really cared about these characters, I willed my favourites to all make it through, and I would have been quite happy for darkness to befall some of the others. So now I’m still recovering from a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions I’m going to prepare to throw myself into the deep end again because I need to know what’s next for Marianne.

Final Thoughts…

I had high expectations for this book, the Six For Sunday Twitter chat had raved about Viper and Venom for weeks, and I trust Charlotte and Steph’s thoughts, but there was that slight fear, what if I’m the one that doesn’t enjoy it as much… Turns out I had nothing to fear! Sorry again Charlotte for the frequent messages, but I know as I finish writing this and turn to pick up Venom you’ll be inundated again! So sorry in advance, for something that’s now in the past…

The Isles of Storm and Sorrow series on Goodreads

More Bex Hogan on SWB

About The Author…

Raised on a healthy diet of fantasy and fairy tales, Bex Hogan has spent much of her life lost in daydreams. Writing her stories down was a natural progression and now she enjoys sharing her time between living in the real world and escaping to her imagination. A Cornish girl at heart, Bex now lives in Cambridgeshire with her husband, two beautiful daughters and crazy cocker spaniel. She might be found riding horses, talking to her plants or eating marzipan. Or not.