Ancient Rome, 274 CE… Exiled Warrior Queen, Zenobia sacrifices her own freedom to give her young twins a chance at a new life, but can the power of a mother’s love stand the test of time?
Newport Beach, California, 2019 CE… What young man can resist when forbidden to do a thing? Least of all Lexi’s curious and captivating son, Jamal. So there’s no question he’ll cross the forbidden threshold into Tessa’s workshop so see what all the fuss is about. No question that is, until he awakens The Serpent’s Coil and opens the door to a dual-timeline story that mirrors his own and reveals a family secret no body saw coming.A lively novella-length read, The Serpent’s Coil is book three in award-winning-author Kat Drennan’s Time Travel series that transports you to Ancient Rome through the timeless magic of gold.
This story deftly weaves past and present into a captivating unputdownable novella-length story. Grab this intoxicating addition to the Serpent’s Coil saga now!
Just so you know, while this story features young adults as primary characters, it definitely contains fully adult themes so I did not list it in the Young Adult category. There may be some triggers. In a post Epstein world, it behooves all of us to be wary of unchained opulence.
What People Say
“The author does an exceptional job of melding together the past and present and unraveling the mysteries of twins then, and now, and the family relationships answering all the questions I had. This well-crafted time travel story, short in terms of pages, packs a big lush visual read that is captivating and engaging. The talented author excels at character and relationship development as scenes flow seamlessly one after the other right up to a satisfying ending. Definitely going to read more from this author.”
Inspiration
Oh my gosh! What can I say? When I finished Lesidi’s Coin I just couldn’t bear to leave the ancient world and the lovable Jamal behind. And who doesn’t love a family secret that keep on giving? What I realized was that although the circumstances are different now than they were in ancient history, humans haven’t changed a whole heck of a lot. I wanted to bring the Twins story full circle and once I got to know Jamal and his sister, the story just flowed on its own. And If you read the end of the novella, there’s a hint that we haven’t seen the last of Zoey and Jamal.
It did not surprise me that Jamal would lead us into the sometimes nebulous and dangerous world of the super rich. This mega yacht, the Eclipse, is the real deal.
Price: $1.5 billion (This price is an estimate, the exact price is not known)
Crew Size: 70 members Size: 533 ft. long
Builder: Blohm & Voss
Year: 2010
Eclipse is a stunning superyacht owned by Roman Abramovich, a billionaire Russian oligarch. Featuring amenities such as a gym, a dance floor, a beach club, a beauty salon, two helipads, a 16-meter swimming pool, and a state-of-the-art security system. The missile detection system and bulletproof windows in the master suite also add an extra level of security.
I had great fun researching it, though at more than $100K a night rental, I decided to hold off on an in-person visit.
AUTHOR NOTE
The Warrior Queen, Zenobia carved out her own empire separate from Rome from her beloved Palmyra, in present-day Syria which included Lebanon and Palestine, from 267 or 268 to 272. She did indeed have her own image struck on gold coins that are quite commonly found in collections and “sunken treasure”. Historical records about her life after she was captured in 272 are sketchy. Some say the Emperor had her executed after her capture. Others say, she was married to a senator in Thrace and had several children by him. There is evidence that Emperor Aurelian did in fact allow her to live in the palace in Rome. It is believed she died sometime after 274.
Some writings alluded to the fact that the only way she could have prevailed against the Roman Empire for so long was that she had supernatural powers. I believe that is purely a fantom of the male ego, but that “concept” forms the basis of the origin story for the powers imbued in The Serpent’s Coil. There is a really beautiful painting of Queen Zenobia by Herbert Schmaltz. You can see it here: Queen Zenobia’s Last Look at Palmyra.
For more information about Queen Zenobia, check out these online sources: