Back to the Dangerous Days of Marie de Medici - an Editorial Review of "Serpent's Teeth"
Book Blurb:
It's Paris, 1617, and Maria is desperately trying to avert the execution of her physician husband Manuel. Despite her friendship with the young King Louis XIII, his execution cannot be delayed indefinitely. Who could have added hemlock to the medicine Manuel had given the tailor? Concino Concini seems the most likely suspect, but when he is murdered by order of King Louis, and his wife Leonora sentenced to death, all hope seems lost. Leonora denies all knowledge of the tailor's poisoning, even as the axe is poised above her neck. As Maria sobs her final farewell to Manuel, a new and shocking possibility dawns on him.
"Serpent's Teeth" by David West is a novel that aptly reveals who people are through their choices, gestures, and reactions, not just by what the narrator says about them. West does not spoon-feed character analysis, rather he trusts the reader to see, to judge, interpret, and discover for themselves. This is unique in that it rejects the modern temptation to over-explain the characters' lives. It also trusts the reader to be an equal partner in meaning-making. Readers will appreciate the suspenseful chapter endings, the book's ticking clock sense where time feels like it's always running out, and multiple threads that it leaves unsolved in-between the chapters, threads whose design is proof of a master storyteller in full command of his craft. For those who seek historical fiction that transports them to another time and space, where the dangers of 17th century Paris, during King Louis XIII and his mother Marie de' Medici's era, are rendered with breathtaking authenticity, this novel is a journey well worth taking. - Historical Fiction Company
"West's latest page-turner will generate anticipation for its forthcoming sequel, while tempting his readers to devour the preceding four Anthony Standen books. A thrilling installment in a series that also succeeds as a stand-alone volume." - Kirkus Reviews
Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/Xk6L
Editorial Review:
Title: Serpent’s Teeth
Author: David West
Rating: 4.5
“‘So the attack began as soon as he took his medicine. Had he only just been given the medicine?’ ‘No, but the doctor had only this morning given him a fresh bottle, Your Grace.’ ‘Very well, bring the doctor in for questioning. Does the doctor have any motive that you know of?’ ‘Shall we ask him, Your Grace? He’s sitting beside you, looking a little green.’”
So begins the nightmare for Manuel Nuñez, a physician in Paris who has just learnt that a patient he recently prescribed medicine for has died. What follows in “Serpent’s Teeth”, the fifth book in the series by David West, is Manuel’s wife, Maria, desperate race to prove her husband’s innocence before justice claims his head. Maria is a woman who has built her life around her husband’s success, priming the reader for the devastating consequences when that foundation is shattered. The careful reader may notice that she is domineering and dismissive of her husband’s feelings, and that she prioritizes her vision of success over his autonomy.
“‘I failed you.’ Anthony sighed. ‘I tried my best, but I couldn’t get anything useful out of Condé.’ ‘I know you tried, Papa. You did your best, but our best wasn’t good enough. I’ll have to visit Manuel at first light tomorrow, and warn him what to expect. Do you have any suggestions? I don’t know how one tells the love of their life that they’ll be dead the next day.’”
But this excerpt from later in the pages shatters everything the reader who doubted her and who assumed she loved success more than the man himself believed about her. She is cold and frustrated, and they are forced to see the depth of her devotion in a moment that transforms their judgement into something far more powerful- empathy. The reader watches her become heroic, even as they behold a moment where ambition and love are proven not be opposites.
“‘I haven’t bought any hemlock, and I don’t know a Sophie DuBois.’ ‘Why are you lying?’ ‘I’m not, why are you?’ ‘If you think you can bluff it out until Queen Marie pardons you, you can’t. She has gone into exile in Blois. There will be no pardon for you. Your trial will be swift, and you’ll be executed. There is no reason to take this sin with you to your grave. You have nothing to lose by confessing.’
‘I have been guilty of marrying a rapacious man, nothing more.’ ‘Aargh! Why do you persist with this lie?’ ‘Bring this DuBois woman to me. She must have confused me with someone else. You do seem convinced; you really do. But you have been misled.’”
In this moment, the reader knows something that Maria is not. She is pursuing the wrong suspect even as she fights for her husband’s life. The dialogue uses sharp, shot lines that mirror the escalating emotional escalation, a technique straight from the tradition of classic drama. This is the sort of dialogue that the plot majorly rides on, the kind that keeps the reader on the edge mostly because of what is left unsaid. The rapid exchanges are especially notable because they don’t leave room for breathing or a pause for relief, preventing the reader from escaping.
“Serpent’s Teeth” by David West is a novel that aptly reveals who people are through their choices, gestures, and reactions, not just by what the narrator says about them. West does not spoon-feed character analysis rather, he trusts the reader to see, to judge, interpret, and discover for themselves. This is unique in that it rejects the modern temptation to over-explain the characters lives. It also trusts the reader to be an equal partner in meaning-making. Readers will appreciate the suspenseful chapter endings, the book’s ticking clock sense where time feels like its always running out, and multiple threads that it often leaves unsolved in between the chapters, threads whose design is proof of a master storyteller in full command of his craft. For those who seek historical fiction that transports them to another time and space, where the dangers of the 17th century Paris, during King Louis XIII and his mother Marie de’ Medici era, are rendered with breathtaking authenticity, this novel is a journey well worth taking.
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