Rick Riordan Presents: A Drop of Venom - by Sajni Patel (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

All monsters and heroes have beginnings. This is mine.

Sixteen-year-old Manisha is no stranger to monsters--she's been running from them for years, from beasts who roam the jungle to the King's army, who forced her people, the naga, to scatter to the ends of the earth. You might think that the kingdom's famed holy temples atop the floating mountains, where Manisha is now a priestess, would be safe--but you would be wrong.

Seventeen-year-old Pratyush is a famed slayer of monsters, one of the King's most prized warriors and a frequent visitor to the floating temples. For every monster the slayer kills, years are added to his life. You might think such a powerful warrior could do whatever he wants, but true power lies with the King. Tired after years of fighting, Pratyush wants nothing more than a peaceful, respectable life.

When Pratyush and Manisha meet, each sees in the other the possibility to chart a new path. Unfortunately, the kingdom's powerful have other plans. A temple visitor sexually assaults Manisha and pushes her off the mountain into a pit of vipers. A month later, the King sends Pratyush off to kill one last monster (a powerful nagin who has been turning men to stone) before he'll consider granting the slayer his freedom.

Except Manisha doesn't die, despite the hundreds of snake bites covering her body and the venom running through her veins. She rises from the pit more powerful than ever before, with heightened senses, armor-like skin, and blood that can turn people to stone. And Pratyush doesn't know it, but the "monster" he's been sent to kill is none other than the girl he wants to marry.

Alternating between Manisha's and Pratyush's perspectives, Sajni Patel weaves together lush language, high stakes, and page-turning suspense, demanding an answer to the question "What does it truly mean to be a monster?"

Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of the Disney+ hit series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Review Quotes

Read Across America Featured YA Title, October 2024

★ "This thrilling, well-paced fantasy, with rich worldbuilding and a slow-burn romance, powerfully reclaims Medusa as a symbol of feminist rage. A gripping, magical tale of sisterhood and strength." --Kirkus (starred review)

★ "Urgent and vital."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

★ "Equal parts perfect character development and page-turning plot."
--School Library Journal (starred review)

"For every survivor in every age in every world."
--Rick Riordan, New York Times #1 best-selling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

"A Drop of Venom is visceral, unflinching, and completely captivating. In blending Indian mythology with the tale of Medusa, Sajni Patel has created something powerful, furious, and truly magical. I couldn't look away."
--Sarah Underwood, New York Times best-selling author of Lies We Sing to the Sea

"With a powerful message that is as mesmerizing as its mythical monsters, A Drop of Venom is storytelling at its finest; tackling tough issues with both frankness and compassion."
--Farrah Rochon, New York Times best-selling author of Almost There, A Twisted Tale

"A vivid tale of myths and legends, Sajni Patel's A Drop of Venom is a story of tragedy and retribution, and I drank it down."
--Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Three Dark Crowns

"One of the most terrifying--and misunderstood--villains in mythology is finally given her due in this vivid fantasy laced with forbidden romance, unspeakable horrors, and the ever-alluring gray area between heroes and monsters."
--Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Lunar Chronicles

PRAISE FOR A TOUCH OF BLOOD

★ "A riveting companion novel that will leave readers eager for more."
--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Patel expertly blends Indian lore with the foundational narrative of Persephone's sojourn in this equally dark and cyclical take on the myth. Readers will find Patel's descriptions intense and as nightmarishly immersive as the underworld they describe."
--Booklist

About the Author