Mistress of the Art of Death #2: The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin

Read: 7 July, 2009

In Serpent's Tale, we find that Henry II's mistress has died. Naturally Adelia, who now has a baby in tow, is called to solve the mystery.

In many ways, Serpent's Tale is an improvement over Mistress of the Art of Death. The plot is more of a mystery in the detective sense and Adelia does, actually, solve it and finger the culprit. There is also considerably less Mary Suism. The addition of the baby raises the stakes for Adelia, making the novel more suspenseful.

In addition, Serpent's Tale kept many of the good bits of its predecessor. There is still the interesting view of Henry II and the low key but definitely present feminism. Overall, this novel is a very interesting read.

Other books in the Mistress of the Art of Death series:

1. Mistress of the Art of Death


2. The Serpent's Tale


3. Grave Goods


4. A Murderous Procession