Snake-Eater - Book Review

Snake-Eater

by T. Kingfisher

What is it about:

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award–winning author T. Kingfisher comes an enthralling contemporary fantasy seeped in horror about a woman trying to escape her past by moving to the remote US desert—only to find herself beholden to the wrath of a vengeful god.

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt’s house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.

Because in Quartz Creek, there’s a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena’s ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena’s house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn’t ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can’t begin to imagine. And when Selena’s search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It’s the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as “Snake-Eater,” who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.

Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he’s hell-bent on collecting everything he’s owed.

What did I think of it:

If it's possible to call something cozy horror, this book is it.

I love Kingfisher's writing style, fell in love with her horror books, then fell in love with her Fairy Tale reimaginings, her Fantasy Romance, and now this book.

It's mostly cozy magical realism with hints to something more horrific, but for me it never got too dark.

I loved discovering Quartz Creek and its inhabitants together with Selena. There are a couple of really interesting and fun characters, as well as some surprises I didn't see coming. There's a pleasant cozy pace to this story and world, only disturbed by Snake-Eater. 

( I will confess I felt some sympathy towards Snake-Eater even while realizing Snake-Eater is the evil that needs to be banished for Selena to find happiness.)

All in all a story and setting I totally fell in love with. I hope Kingfisher keeps the books coining, because I want more.

Why should you read it:

It's lovely, cozy horror.