Product Description

ZANE COBRIANA, COBRA shapeshifter, thanks the gods every day for Danica, his hawk pair bond, and the peace their union has brought to the avian and serpiente. Soon, Danica will have a child to carry on their royal line. But what should be a happy time is riddled with doubt.

Syfka, an ancient falcon, has arrived from Ahnmik claiming that one of her people is hidden in their midst. The falcons are more powerful than the avians and serpiente combined, and Syfka shows nothing but contempt for Zane and Danica’s alliance. To Zane’s horror, his own people seem just as appalled as Syfka is by the thought of a mixed-blood child becoming heir to the throne. Is Syfka’s lost falcon just a ruse to stir up controversy among them? The truth lies somewhere in their tangled pasts—and the search will redefine Zane and Danica’s fragile future.

Praise for Hawksong:

“Atwater-Rhodes has created a stunning adventure that draws readers in and leaves them begging for more.”—School Library Journal, Starred

“Atwater-Rhodes takes a break from vampires to create two warring clans . . . [with] impressively complex cultures.”—Publishers Weekly

A VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror List selection


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #119303 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-08
• Released on: 2007-05-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10–In this sequel to Hawksong (Delacorte, 2003), in which the characters switch between human and animal form, the war between the snake and bird peoples is over. Zane Cobriana, Diente of the serpiente, and Danica Shardae, Tuuli Thea of the avians, have brought peace with their marriage. Now they divide their time between their countries, encouraging their citizens to coexist and learn more about one another. Difficulties arise when a dangerous emissary comes from the falcons seeking a fugitive hidden in one of their courts. To complicate matters, Danica is pregnant and each domain wants the future heir to be raised in its own tradition. While Hawksong was told by Danica, Snakecharm features Zane's voice. The story is compelling, but the narration is oddly detached. Zane describes his feelings, but the text seems flat, almost as if he is speaking about someone else. This disconnect doesn't hamper the action, however. While some plot elements, like the eventual solution of building a third court between the two lands, are easily guessed, others are unexpected, and there is enough suspense to keep readers interested. This book is a must-have for libraries with fans of Hawksong. Others seeking out shapeshifter stories may want to investigate Patrice Kindl's Owl in Love (Houghton, 1993).–Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Inside Flap
ZANE COBRIANA, COBRA shapeshifter, thanks the gods every day for Danica, his hawk pair bond, and the peace their union has brought to the avian and serpiente. Soon, Danica will have a child to carry on their royal line. But what should be a happy time is riddled with doubt.

Syfka, an ancient falcon, has arrived from Ahnmik claiming that one of her people is hidden in their midst. The falcons are more powerful than the avians and serpiente combined, and Syfka shows nothing but contempt for Zane and Danica's alliance. To Zane's horror, his own people seem just as appalled as Syfka is by the thought of a mixed-blood child becoming heir to the throne. Is Syfka's lost falcon just a ruse to stir up controversy among them? The truth lies somewhere in their tangled pasts--and the search will redefine Zane and Danica's fragile future.

Praise for Hawksong:

"Atwater-Rhodes has created a stunning adventure that draws readers in and leaves them begging for more."--School Library Journal, Starred

"Atwater-Rhodes takes a break from vampires to create two warring clans . . . [with] impressively complex cultures."--Publishers Weekly

A VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror List selection

About the Author
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes wrote her first novel, In the Forests of the Night, when she was 13 years old. She has since published Demon in My View, Shattered Mirror, Midnight Predator—all ALA Quick Picks for Young Adults—and Hawksong, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.


From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews

"Why Would a Child Born Here be such a Threat?"
It became apparent soon after opening "Snakecharm" that this was one installment in a series of fantasy-stories: there is little in the way of background or set-up, instead the author simply assumes you have already read the previous book (Hawksong: The Kiesha'ra: Volume One (Kiesha'ra)) and are already familiar with the characters and their world. As such, much of this review will be guess-work (high-lighting one of the things I hate about fantasy-fiction: every author seems to think it necessary to split their stories in trilogies, sagas, or on-going serials).

With a population divided between two forms of shape-shifters, the serpiente and the avians, the ongoing feud has finally ended with a marriage between members of the noble families: Zane (a serpent) and Danica (a hawk). Although tensions are still high, the surprisingly-happy couple is optimistic about the future, especially when they realize Danica is carrying her first child.

But then two problems appear: one being the realization that their child will be half-serpent, half-avian, and therefore a potential catalyst for more conflict, and the other being the arrival of Syfka, a shape-shifting falcon, who is hunting down a wanted fugitive. (Falcons seem to be a particularly antagonistic species of avian, at odds with serpents and other birds). Zane suspects that Syfka's presence may simply be to stir up more trouble in their midst, particularly since she is irritatingly secretive about the so-called criminal that she's after. On researching falcon-magic, Zane comes to the conclusion that Syfka's prey could be just about anyone, given the scope and power of their shape-shifting abilities.

"Snakecharm" makes for a swift, diverting read, with a reasonably interesting set-up and a couple of nice twists (which I suspect would have been more poignant had I been familiar with Hawksong: The Kiesha'ra: Volume One (Kiesha'ra)). The culture and magic at work is intricate and complex enough to have real weight, without destroying the flow of the story itself - though more often than not "magic" is precisely what it needs to be in order to for the plot to head in the direction Rhodes wants it to. Zane is a bland, but likeable narrator for the tale, and other characters come across as individuals (though it took me a while to realize that "Andreios" and "Rei" were actually the same character, the former name used as a nickname for the latter).

However, my main grievance is the fact that the entire story is told through conversations. Seriously - with a few minor scuffles (that are both short and inconsequential) all of the drama and conflict is presented to the reader in the form of one character speaking to another. It sounds hard to believe, but it's true: the plot is not moved forward by action, just dialogue. Zane and Danica speak to their allies, Zane and Danica speak to their enemies, Zane and Danica move from one court to the other, Zane and Danica speak to each other, Zane and Danica speak to their people...that's pretty much it.

To top it off, the resolution to both of the plot's main problems are incredibly anti-climactic: the two main characters have virtually nothing to do with fixing either one, leaving it up to other characters to clean up the loose ends. I'm not sure what Rhodes intention in this was (perhaps to show that royalty are best at pulling strings?) but surely having Zane and Danica drift through the plot whilst making no real impact on it surely can't have been the objective.

So, basically, I've visited the world of serpiente and avians (at least, I think I have - it isn't too clear whether this takes place in a secret location of our world, or whether this is a self-contained fantasy world) but I don't think I'll be making a return trip in the near-future. However, if you want to make the attempt, you certainly can't start here: track down Hawksong: The Kiesha'ra: Volume One (Kiesha'ra).

Just like the original
In Snakecharm, the story of Danica and Zane continues as they try to adjust to the danger their child could bring. Syfka, a falcon from Ahnmik, comes and tells of a hidden falcon, but Zane is unsure to trust the falcon. Though shorter than Hawksong, this sequel shines with a deeper level of both cultures and the dream of an equal nation. I don't see why some people gave it low reviews, it really brings out the situations that can come when two fighting nations try to live in peace. A great read when you're bored, or looking for something to read...

For the love of YHWH, Amelia...
... please finish what you start. Amelia has the habit of touching on interesting themes, only to outright abandon them halfway through the story. She also does more damage to her own characters than Lucas did to Episodes I~III. Please take the time to FLESH OUT your creations and their motives. NOT EVERYTHING FALLS INTO A SIMPLE PATTERN.

Snakecharm shows promise, but like most of her novels, that promise is dashed and destroyed by Amelia's own lack of skill.

I really don't think she should write for several more years, until she can perfect her craft and not produce verbal excrement on a yearly basis. Sorry, Amelia.