Is The Serpent's Chains Worth Reading for Fantasy Fans?

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When it comes to dragon romance novels, The Serpent’s Chains by Sylvia Conley offers a story that blends danger, desire, and destiny. As the story is told, readers are swept into a world where mythical creatures rule, where bonds between humans and dragons spark with unexpected tension, and where survival is never guaranteed. Sabine’s fate as a magical slave twists into something entirely different when she becomes dragon-bound to Prince Cole (let’s just say his dragon is very attached), the feared War Dragon and reluctant heir. What follows is a fantasy romance that dares to ask what happens when power, politics, and passion collide. And it begs the question, is it worth the read? Does The Serpent’s Chains deliver the dragon romance readers crave? Maybe this is one you need to add to your TBR!

Title: The Serpent’s Chains

Author: Sylvia Conley

Publisher: Independently Published

Format: Physical/eBook

Genre: Fantasy, Dragons, Fantasy Romance

Release Date: May 16, 2025

Pages: 344

Star Rating: 3.5 stars

Spice Rating: 1 chili pepper

TL;DR: The Serpent’s Chains by Slyvia Conley

The Premise

A dragon shifter prince, a girl sold into slavery, and a bond that could change the fate of kingdoms.

What I Loved

Unique worldbuilding with dragon bound royals and mythical creatures Strong political intrigue and war dynamics Fast-moving, bingeable fantasy romance pacing What Didn’t Work Abrupt POV shifts without clear formatting Some grammatical errors that disrupt flow Clinical, cringy intimacy scenes that weaken the romance story

Final Thoughts

If you enjoy dragon romance books with flawed but fascinating characters, political adventure, and high-stakes kingdoms, The Serpent’s Chains is worth a read—even if it’s not perfect.

My Rating: 3.5 / 5 on Goodreads

Where the Dragon Romance Shines—and Where It Falters

Reading The Serpent’s Chains was a layered experience for me. As a Black woman, the premise of a magical slave being sold and claimed initially gave me pause. There’s something deeply ironic about commoners—people one step away from servitude themselves—standing in crowds, watching others being prodded and sold as if they weren’t just as vulnerable. It’s not an easy entry point for a fantasy romance (although this book, in and of itself, is an easy entry point), and I wasn’t sure if it was the kind of romance story I wanted to read. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a go. The first few passages were gripping, so why not?

In addition to the pause of essentially a slave/master romance, there was the shifting perspective between Sabine and Prince Cole. We first meet Sabine through her own eyes, nameless and powerless, with an iron collar about her neck stifling her magic. Until Talon—the fierce dragon bonded to Cole—drops into her personal space (dragons obviously don’t know personal boundaries) and demands that his prince claim her. The transition into Cole’s POV, though, is abrupt. Without warning, the narration jumps into his mind, leaving you briefly confused until you realize who’s speaking. A clearer formatting choice—scene breaks (properly utilized), chapter headers, or even simply labeling the POV—would have smoothed this out. This is the case for most of the reading throughout the novel. We shift perspectives without warning, and while in some instances it works seamlessly others…not so much.

“Slaves are people and thus count among ‘everyone.’ I want you on your feet.”

Still, there are elements here that worked really well. The concept of each royal being dragon-bound to a specific dragon is the most engaging aspect of the worldbuilding. Beyond each pair being bonded come special abilities such as protective barriers and other forms of manipulation. Cole’s father is tied to the Dragon of the Heart. Cole himself to the War Dragon, Talon, Cole’s sister, Rosalie, to a female dragon that is the last of her line. As mentioned, the King is tied to the Heart Dragon imparting the power to manipulate emotions, which he greatly uses to his advantage. Even on his own children…especially on his own children. It creates a fascinating hierarchy among these mythical creatures, and the way the bounds influence politics and war adds a layer of intrigue.

The pacing, is another strength. This isn’t a slow meandering tale. It’s surprisingly bingeable. I found myself engaged and reading as if my life depended on getting thorugh the story to see what would happened next. Where would the king take Sabine? How she would handle her orders now that she is under the king’s command? There’s a raw energy in the way the story unfolds that makes it easy to keep reading. Drawn along by the danger, the adventure, the constant sense that something big was about to happen.

the serpent's chains book within a tote bag taken by diaryofthereader on Instagram

“She vexes me.”

While overall the book is well done, where the book falters the most is in the intimacy. There are one or two sex scenes, but they feel clinical rather than passionate. At one point, Sabine refers to her body as “the gates of paradise,” ummmm, what…it literally made me wince. For a story marketed as a dragon fantasy romance, I expected a stronger spark in the romance department. I would have loved to see Sabine break the norm and bond to her own dragon. And maybe there is still time for that.

Sabine herself is a compelling character. Even in moments when the perspective shifts felt clunky, I wanted to follow her. See what she would do next, what obstacle she would have to overcome. Her resilience and growing connection to Cole and Talon gave the romance an emotional weight, even when the intimacy scences didn’t land. And while the romance books I love most ususally strike a balance between fire and tenderness, this one focused more on the tension of survival (I mean she was a slave for most of her life), politics and power than sweeping passion.

“Do you miss him?” Asked Rosalie

That’s not to say that the writing is flawless. Conley’s writing style is straightforward, leaning more toward functionality than lyricism. At times, the prose reads almost like science fiction, direct, pared down, and more concerned with advancing the plot vs. lingering on the atmosphere. By no means is this bad. I love a good sci-fi as much as the next person, but I wanted more in the way of descriptions. Immersing myself in the world, not just the political structure. The prose aren’t lush or poetic in the way of authors like Thea Harrison, but it carries an energy that makes the story accessible. Beyond that, there are grammatical errors sprinkled throughout—liked “wrapped” instead of “rapped” when describing a knock—pulling me out of the flow.

By the final page, I was left with questions. While most things are wrapped up neatly, I can’t help but feel like the ending feels incomplete. As if the story isn’t fully done. And maybe it isn’t (I hope it isn’t). There’s room here for a series, or maybe just a duology, for book two to expand what feels unresolved.

So would I recommend it? Surprisingly, yes, I would. In no way is it perfect. The romance is uneven, the formatting could use polish, and at times it reads like a young adult novel vs. an adult novel. But even in all of the things that I found wrong with the novel, I found myself unable to put it down. There’s no denying that it’s entertaining, dramatic, and rooted in dragons, kingdoms, and power struggles that will have you flipping pages.