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Reviewed by Amy Powers for Readers' Favorite
Court of Snakes: This Desert Cage by Tycho Dwelis is a young adult book that confronts issues of different social classes in a fantasy world. Terran was the son of the royal leader, but his family was overthrown, leaving Terran as a fugitive on the dirty lower-class streets. He is taken in by a well-known bandit, who can use the magic of tarot cards. To sneak his way back into the royal family and take over his birthright, Terran must learn the magic of the cards and find a way to defeat the current ruler. Meanwhile, the tyrant doesn't trust his daughter to be his successor, so he sends her off to train with the men of the armed forces. Shunned by her own family, Parisa despises her father's methods and wants to see change. When Terran and Parisa cross paths, they only see each other as an enemy and don't realize that their unlikely alliance could be the answer to all of their problems.
Court of Snakes jumps into action and introduces us to the magic of tarot cards right from the beginning, and I love how the tarot cards continuously recur throughout the book to bring all of the characters together. Tycho Dwelis has put together an excellent cast and shows us their sides of the story until they eventually intersect. The different social standings presented within the story, which seem like a long-lost caste system, are strikingly similar to modern social constructs centered on the color of one's skin. The story has a satisfying conclusion but leaves the door open for us to experience more of Terran's and Parisa's future adventures.
