Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Be the Serpent  By  cover art

Be the Serpent

By: Seanan McGuire
Narrated by: Mary Robinette Kowal
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $26.95

Buy for $26.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The 16th novel of the Hugo-nominated, New York Times best-selling October Daye urban-fantasy series.

October Daye is finally something she never expected to be: married. All the trials and turmoils and terrors of a hero’s life have done very little to prepare her for the expectation that she will actually share her life with someone else, the good parts and the bad ones alike, not just allow them to dabble around the edges in the things she wants to share. But with an official break from hero duties from the Queen in the Mists, and her family wholly on board with this new version of “normal”, she’s doing her best to adjust.

It isn’t always easy, but she’s a hero, right? She’s done harder.

Until an old friend and ally turns out to have been an enemy in disguise for this entire time, and October’s brief respite turns into a battle for her life, her community, and everything she has ever believed to be true.

The debts of the Broken Ride are coming due, and whether she incurred them or not, she’s going to be the one who has to pay.

©2022 Seanan McGuire (P)2022 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Be the Serpent

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    426
  • 4 Stars
    66
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    409
  • 4 Stars
    37
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    385
  • 4 Stars
    54
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Oh no not again

Just when I though things were going to be good for October, well has good as can be expected…..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

my favorite!

My absolute favorite book of the series. the ended threw me off, and I'm sad I don't have another book to go to but I can't wait for the next one!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Why do they have to end?

I love everything about this series except that they end! I absolutely love these books!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!!!

Oh Seanan this was excellent! I have to say this one was probably my fav. You have outdone yourself. Thank you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

what a depressing ending

The narrator is good but has sobs in her voice for every book. This one is no exception. Toby again faces daunting challenges with her usual brash manner. Not as much bleeding by Toby as usual but plenty of knotty problems. Did it really have to end on such a down note? Couldn't that have been saved for the first chapter of the next book? Won't read this one again any time soon. Think I'll go back and reread the latest Mercy Thompson

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • EJ
  • 10-11-22

Cliffhanger, next book in Sept 2023 😞

Ugh! I hate cliffhanger endings 😖 Can't Toby have just a little bit of peace? And aaarrrgggghhhh, I have to wait nearly a year for the next book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really good story!

I enjoyed this audiobook, but should have gotten the book in text form to read, which is how I usually…take in (?) this series. I thought many of the voices were fine, but what was up with Tybalt’s voice? That was a strange choice-Not that I would really expect anyone to match the voice I’ve always had in my head for him, but I almost returned the book based on his first block of dialogue. It continued being weird throughout the rest of the book, but there was so much to the rest of the book, it did not overshadow the rest.

A lot of exciting, interesting story turns taken in this book. However, the image used on audible’s site and the app says there is a novella, and it ain’t currently there. Only the book itself. I mean, I would have bought the book without the promise of an additional novella, but the image says it is included and it is not.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Trailblazing Tale

From what it sounds like, Seanan Mcguire has entered the final stretch for the series and I think this one is a great way to set towards the end of the series. Switching up the status quo by rocking the series out of a lull is a really effectice method, and I enjoyed this book. The last one, while enjoyable, was a bit of a by the numbers affair. This book personally affects October in a number of ways that really makes me anxious for the next book to see the ramifications of what happened here. The performance was wonderful, I'm never disappointed with the reader as she knocks it out with every book she narrates.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

16th book in series and still following

One Salt Sea (5th book) is still my favorite of all her books but this book was good and I am really looking forward to the next book, especially as this one ended with a cliffhanger concerning our dear Sir Daye.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Didn't see that coming

After the wedding, I was actually expecting at any time to hear the next book would be the last in the October Daye series, but wow, nope, that was one mother of cliff we were just left hanging on! I'm assuming anyone reading book 16 in a series is very familiar with the characters and such by now, so I won't go into plot review other than to say I was shocked, but Seanan McGuire handled it well.

I'm now on pins and needles, dying to find out what happens next! I'll be checking regularly to see when Book 17 comes out.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!