Dreamsnake

Dreamsnake is set on a post-apocalyptic earth, possibly post-nuclear war. Vonda McIntyre doesn't explain everything that happened to reach this point or even completely explain all of the things we encounter in the story. We are following from the characters' perspective and they don't know or understand all these things either.

The story follows a healer, Snake, who uses snakes and their venom as part of the healing process. She travels to different towns and villages and offers her services. At the start of the story, through a misunderstanding, villagers kill one of her snakes, the special and very rare 'dreamsnake'. Snake sets out to try and redeem herself for the loss of this key element of her profession.

The story covers a lot of ground as Snake meets various people on her journey and often changes their lives through her actions. There are also a few elements of mystery. Snake realizes she is being followed and doesn't know the intentions of the person. The dreamsnakes themselves are also a mystery, even to the healers who use them, and resolving this central mystery becomes key to Snake's efforts to find the redemption she seeks.

I liked the main character a lot as well as the role of the snakes since it was grounded in actual snake biology but extended in a fascinating way. I definitely recommend this book.