Hello! Today’s duology review is for the Ria and Rani duology by Sasha Nanua and Sarena Nanua. The first book have the feel of the Barbie movie, The Princess and the Pauper, except that Ria and Rani are actual long-lost siblings.
Navigate through this post with the titles below:
🐍 #1: Sisters of the Snake | 🌖 #2: Daughters of the Dawn
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Sisters of the Snake by Sasha and Sarena Nanua
Series: Ria & Rani #1
Expected publication: June 15th 2021 by HarperTeen
Age Range: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Representation: Indian (Punjabi)
Rating:
Synopsis:
A lost princess. A dark puppet master. And a race against time—before all is lost.
Princess Rani longs for a chance to escape her gilded cage and prove herself. Ria is a street urchin, stealing just to keep herself alive.
When these two lives collide, everything turns on its head: because Ria and Rani, orphan and royal, are unmistakably identical.
A deal is struck to switch places—but danger lurks in both worlds, and to save their home, thief and princess must work together. Or watch it all fall into ruin.
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Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the authors and the publisher!
Pitched as an Indian retelling of The Princess and the Pauper, Sisters of the Snake reminded me of the Barbie movie infused with Disney vibes and magic. With the twins swapping roles and positions, finding out that they come in a pair, neither of them was ready for what’s to come.
The only thing they could do is to lie and adapt. Raised differently, these two sisters are distinctive in terms of their opinions of the world and their own personalities.
We are sisters. We are branches from one tree, and though we’ve grown in opposing directions, we will always share the same roots.
A thief and supposed orphan, Ria grew up in an orphanage where resources are scarce and survival meant everything. Growing up, Ria knows the troubles and personally experienced the life of the poor. This developed into her detest of the raja and the royalties. Dauntless and quick-witted Ria never thought that she would be royalty and a twin.
As the only daughter, Rani was raised with an expectation to run the kingdom someday which meant that she needed to be ruthless like her father. Locked in a gilded cage, all Rani desired was to be free of all worries and the title of princess. Switching identity with Ria offered her the opportunity to explore the world and she soon finds out about the peril her people are in.
Since the twins are different in nature and character, it’s a surprise that not many people found it suspicious. Ria, never one to back down from a fight, became more vocal when she took over as Rani. While Rani, born in the palace, never had Ria’s proficient skills in thieving and cunningness.
“The first step to healing our wounds is to speak of them. That’s what stories do. They teach us to remember, and to overcome.”
The magic system in Sisters of the Snake is intertwined with the history and lore of the Creator, Amran, who made the six Masters of Magic. Each of them has their own powers which are passed down to their descendants. Unfortunately, when the Snake Master deceived the others and obtained the Bloodstone, every form of magic, excluding the snake’s, disappeared.
While Rani searches for the Bloodstone with Amir and Ria spends more time with Saeed, the twin sisters started falling for people they shouldn’t. In this aspect, I’m surprised that the switching of Ria and Rani didn’t confuse or even raise more doubts for Amir and Saeed when the sisters are vastly unlike one another aside from their looks.
Overall, this Indian-inspired retelling is embedded with rich culture that’s prevalent in the plot, food and clothing. Sarena and Sasha Nanua’s writing created an atmospheric debut novel.
This was definitely a fond throwback to my childhood when I was obsessing over The Princess and the Pauper Barbie movie. I loved the South Asian representation in Sisters of the Snake. The plot can be a little cliché but I still enjoyed the authors’ take on the retelling. I’m waiting for book two!
We can be more than what the stars wish for. More than we ever dreamed.
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Navigate through this post with the titles below:
🐍 #1: Sisters of the Snake | 🌖 #2: Daughters of the Dawn
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Daughters of the Dawn by Sasha and Sarena Nanua
Series: Ria & Rani #2
Published on September 6, 2022 by HarperTeen
Age Range: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Representation: Indian (Punjabi)
Rating:
Synopsis:
The powerful Bloodstone is in dangerous hands. And a deadly new threat rises. Ria and Rani have barely settled into their new lives at the palace—as princesses, as sisters—when a sinister prophecy uproots them once more. The Blood Moon will rise in one month’s time, and with it their enemy Amara’s opportunity to destroy everything Ria and Rani hold dear. The twin princesses must find Amara—a deadly search that separates Ria and Rani once more and takes them to wintry kingdoms and scorching deserts, pitting them against ancient mysteries and trap-ridden labyrinths, lethal sea monsters and an elusive enemy that steals into their very dreams.
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A prophecy spells trouble for the kingdom. Each day closer to the Blood Moon is one day closer to Amara’s final plans. The twin sisters need to figure out what to do next and how to save their people and their kingdom. Splitting up for their respective plans to stop Amara, Ria and Rani had to trust each other to complete their tasks.
In Daughters of the Dawn, the story of the Masters and their magic unfurled more. Somehow it’s related to the twin sisters too. The backstory of the magic in this world and its participating characters were nicely developed as it is interwoven with Ria and Rani’s magic.
Ever since she found out about her birthright, Ria found it hard to adjust to palace life as a recognized princess as well as controlling her powers. She constantly felt pressured and stressed about needing to deal with all these problems.
“Because, Princess—magic holds many secrets. Knowledge is deadly, no matter what.”
As for Rani, other than dealing with the world-crumbling issue, she’s involved in a love triangle. Amir’s a thief and Rani’s a princess. The difference in their status means that their love would walk a difficult path. Rani’s heart knows who she wants but her mind says otherwise. Honestly, I wasn’t invested in this love conflict plot at all because it was obvious who she would end up with. I didn’t find it necessary to add this element because the newcomer didn’t feel much of a competition.
The duology has come to an end. Throughout Daughters of the Dawn, the twin princesses were given pretty similar stories but with varied content. Since they were unable to communicate their findings and opinions to one another, it’s compelling to watch them react differently and make tough decisions on their own.
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glad you liked this book! i can’t wait to get my hands on a copy and give it a go.
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hope you’ll like it, chelsea! I had lots of fun reading sisters of the snake
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omg i cannot wait to read this one! haha i was obsessed with the barbie princess and the pauper movie as a child, and as an indian, i can’t wait to see my culture represented in the book! lovely review, belle! 💓💓
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thank you, ahaana! it’s a wonderful throw back to princess and the pauper! it’s one of my favorite Barbie movies 🥰
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