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A review by theengineerisreading
The Serpent Rider by Yxavel Magno Diño
5.0
The thing about reading books featuring inspirations and references from your own culture, history, or story is that there is a different level of connection that gets you and in The Serpent Rider, Yxavel Magno Diño did not hold back in writing about stories linked to Filipino heritage and folklore.
The Serpent Rider is officially added in my list of highly-recommended books and I will say that the experience that I had while reading this debut is similar to when I read Lalani and the Distant Sea and Marikit and the Ocean of Stars, two #AkdangPinoy novels that hold a permanent spot in my heart.
Yxavel Magno Diño’s writing style is accessible and easy to follow. It will be such a thrilling adventure to Filipino readers and for others, you won’t have a hard time understanding the references since the author provides context about the things, places, or characters that were adapted from PH lore.
It’s easy to root for the main character, Tanikala, since the story started with Tani in the middle of a training session as part of her role of being her village’s next greatest warrior who will save Kalinawan from the impending return of the Great Bakunawa.
Tani’s character also complemented with the supporting cast which added colors to the storyline. I love the exploration about different friendship dynamics as shown with how Tani interacted with Kiri and Bato.
And yes, this one has dragons in the form of Philippine’s bakunawa. In this story, serpent riders are gifted with bakunawa eggs from the day they were born and the eggs are expected to hatch in the right time. Once the rider hatched their egg, they will have their forever friend in the form of their own serpentine bakunawa.
Family is also discussed in this book and I like how the author navigated the discourse about family and how, sometimes, we grow distant to the people that we hold dear in order to protect them. There’s also a connection between Tani’s position in her family, as the daughter of Kalinawan’s greatest warrior who is destined to save the moon. I also like how this novel captured how tight-knit Filipino communities are.
The Serpent Rider is also filled with a lot of Filipino references which I won’t mention here but it’s for you to find out. You will be satisfied with all the mentions of Filipino food, tradition, and lore that are all well-crafted to fit in this adventure fantasy.
Highly-recommending this one if you enjoy Lalani and Marikit!
The Serpent Rider is officially added in my list of highly-recommended books and I will say that the experience that I had while reading this debut is similar to when I read Lalani and the Distant Sea and Marikit and the Ocean of Stars, two #AkdangPinoy novels that hold a permanent spot in my heart.
Yxavel Magno Diño’s writing style is accessible and easy to follow. It will be such a thrilling adventure to Filipino readers and for others, you won’t have a hard time understanding the references since the author provides context about the things, places, or characters that were adapted from PH lore.
It’s easy to root for the main character, Tanikala, since the story started with Tani in the middle of a training session as part of her role of being her village’s next greatest warrior who will save Kalinawan from the impending return of the Great Bakunawa.
Tani’s character also complemented with the supporting cast which added colors to the storyline. I love the exploration about different friendship dynamics as shown with how Tani interacted with Kiri and Bato.
And yes, this one has dragons in the form of Philippine’s bakunawa. In this story, serpent riders are gifted with bakunawa eggs from the day they were born and the eggs are expected to hatch in the right time. Once the rider hatched their egg, they will have their forever friend in the form of their own serpentine bakunawa.
Family is also discussed in this book and I like how the author navigated the discourse about family and how, sometimes, we grow distant to the people that we hold dear in order to protect them. There’s also a connection between Tani’s position in her family, as the daughter of Kalinawan’s greatest warrior who is destined to save the moon. I also like how this novel captured how tight-knit Filipino communities are.
The Serpent Rider is also filled with a lot of Filipino references which I won’t mention here but it’s for you to find out. You will be satisfied with all the mentions of Filipino food, tradition, and lore that are all well-crafted to fit in this adventure fantasy.
Highly-recommending this one if you enjoy Lalani and Marikit!