Soultaming the Serpent, by Tar Atore
The Book
Synopsis:
Jun never knew adventure until she took her first step out of her village at age 60 and then found a young man, which only led her to more adventures and stories, some of which point to home.---
The last dragon died half a century ago and Jun Weaver still dreams of the rain that hasn’t fallen since. Her mundane life takes a turn when she encounters Aurel, who she suspects may be the one that holds the key to restoring balance and is destined to find the elusive serpent from the prophecy.
Joined by Casey, Jun’s closest friend and the village brewer, the three embark on a journey to unravel the prophecy's intricacies, figure out what the serpent's role truly is, and why the dragon has to die, not knowing they are being watched.
Follow our trio as Jun discovers a love of adventure, Casey’s devotion takes an unexpected turn, Aurel spills his secrets like dust in the sand, and the three of them discover the true power of their bond.
My Review
Soultaming the Serpent is an innovative cozy and romantic fantasy novel, which resembles an Asian fable, written by Tar Atore. A heartwarming story, following Jun, a character in her 60s, who will live her first adventure, and that will see how her faith and beliefs are destroyed while finding the love in the figure of Aurel.
The last dragon died half a century ago, and rain hasn't fallen since; Jun Weaver is the only one in the village that remembers how it felt. With a mundane life since that moment, her life changes when she finds the mysterious Aurel; the prophecy talks about finding the serpent, and Jun suspects that Aurel might be the one playing the key role on this prophecy.
However, soon they are forced to start a journey in the company of Casey, Jun's best friend, to unravel the real meaning behind the prophecy; a journey that will show Jun her love for adventure, and the world outside her village. A marvelous adventure where danger is a constant, but which will make them discover many about themselves.
While the structure resembles to those that are classic in fables, giving us a semblance of coziness, Atore manages to use those elements to innovate and explore aspects that tend to be less used in fantasy, such an older character and twisting the chosen one trope in a delicious way. Our three main characters are deliciously complex, full of nuances that makes extremely easy to connect with them.
Pacing might be the point where this book might be lacking a bit, probably as a consequence of the story chosen; it could have been slightly faster at points, but in general, is well balanced.
Soultaming the Serpent is a delicious, cozy novel, perfect for those looking for a fantasy with older characters and some trope subversion. Atore has potential as a storyteller, so keep an eye on her.
The Author/s
Tar Atore
Originally created the account under the pen name PM Hammond as part of the Infort Press Derby. Changed over to my actual pen name upon completion of the derby.
PM Hammond and Tar Atore are both pen names used by the online persona Konstance. Konstance is an avid reader and a fan of epics and romances. She loves to write and draw, design stuff, and curl up with her cats in front of the TV. Konstance has been writing for a long time, both as a hobby and professionally, but 2023 is when she first published something under the pen name PM Hammond (now updated to her desired pen name Tar Atore - reach out if you get the joke of it!) and desired topic.
When not writing, you can find Konstance doing a lot of book related stuff like reading, typesetting, cover designs, and making epic spreadsheets (her favourite procrastination technique).