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Ria, a street urchin and a thief, knows the only way to survive is to steal. When her name is called from the list of new recruits for her ruler’s army — a fate that’s practically a death sentence — she’s determined to steal her freedom too. She’ll need jewels, though, something of greater value than what she can scrape off the streets, if she truly hopes to commission false documents and buy her way across the border into a new country and a new life. She’ll have to steal from the royal family themselves. But once she’s within the walls of the palace, Ria stumbles across the princess and makes a startling discovery.
Princess Rani longs for a change to escape her gilded cage and prove herself to her father, her country, and herself. When she crosses paths with a thief named Ria, she realizes her opportunity has come, because Ria and Rani, orphan and royal, are unmistakably identical.
They quickly strike a deal to switch places, but danger lurks on the streets and in the palace, and if the girls hope to save their home and uncover the truth about their identities, they’ll have to work together.
Sisters of the Snake follows the classic storyline of the Prince and the Pauper, but set in a completely new world, introducing readers to an Indian-inspired fantasy filled with ample descriptions of delicious foods and rich settings. Another refreshing fact? The dual perspectives of Rani and Ria are written by real-life twin authors, who lend their voices to each character while also entwining facts from their own lives into the story.
Even with these cool characteristics, this book is just good, not great. I kept stumbling over too many plot holes, which left things feeling unrealistic. I kept wondering how no one noticed they had the wrong person, because despite being identical, both girls still had differences, including scars, birthmarks, darker skin from being in the sun versus lighter from living an indoor palace life, and different figures due to food availability. I also found the switch to be abrupt and unrealistic. How could they switch lives within a few minutes of meeting without any knowledge of the other person, her life, or important relationships?
Despite its little flaws, it was still a fun, fast-paced, clean YA fantasy book with a twist at the end to leave readers hooked, and I look forward to reading the sequel when it releases.
(For a similarly styled story where a poor girl has to pretend to be a princess, try Mirage.)
Rated: Mild, for under 15 uses of mild language. Violence contains one horrid death sentence to a pit of venomous snakes. It is mentioned that these death sentences happen frequently, and while they’re not too descriptive, the concept is unsettling. Children are forced to become soldiers for a future war. Characters kiss.
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