REVIEW: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Loved Nina and Matthias from Six of Crows but just want a bit more ✨spice✨? This book is ALL about that!

BOOK OVERVIEW

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Series: Serpent & Dove Trilogy #1

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Witches, Magic

Content Warnings: Forced Marriage, Blood & Gore Depictions, Self-harm (for magic), Murder, Torture, Death (by Fire), Mature Content

Suggested Age Rating: 16+

Published: September 3, 2019, by HarperTeen

Page Count: 513

Synopsis:

In this French-inspired kingdom of Belterra, the rivalry between the Chruch and witches is an ancient one. The Archbishop and his witch-hunting Chasseurs live by one rule: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Lou, a witch who escaped her coven two years ago, now lives on the streets of Cesraine by suppressing her magic and doing whatever it takes to survive. Lying, cheating and sometimes killing others becomes a normal routine for her until a burglary goes wrong. During a chase, Reid Diggory, the handsome captain of the Chasseurs, finds himself in a compromising position with Lou that could ruin his entire reputation.

The Archbishop comes up with a solution: either Lou can spend the rest of her life in prison or marry the captain to save his virtuous reputation. She chooses the marriage, mainly because of the protection she will receive to stay hidden from her dangerous enemies, who will give a fate worse than fire.

But secrets can only stay hidden for so long, and with Lou surrounded by witch-hunters who want nothing more than to kill her, one small slip could end only one way: a stake and a match.

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“Love makes fools of us all, darling.”

INITIAL THOUGHTS

People raved so much about this book that I was like: "Fine, I guess I will read it!" Also, it has a pretty cover and that's honestly enough for me to read any book. I did know that it was an enemies-to-lovers with a forced marriage trope, which I haven't read yet so I was excited to try!

“Maybe men can learn a thing or two from women.”

MY REVIEW

The French-inspired world of Serpent & Dove was so cool! I haven't read a fantasy with French phrases and words so this was a unique experience. What I found really interesting is how Belterra has the conflict of the Church against the witches, and how neither side is portrayed to be necessarily good or evil. The moral conflict that the characters have is well-developed and has a lot of potential for sequels!

"They might've all been hypocrites, but I was the biggest one of them all"

The overall magic system is also very intricate and I'm intrigued to learn more! I will admit that my first edition copy of Serpent & Dove didn't have a map, so I was a little confused as to where everything was. However, the series does have a map now so this won't be an issue if you decide to read it.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book too! It was well-paced and kept me hooked! There were plenty of plot twists, though I did predict most of them (but that's probably because of my experience from reading a lot of fantasy). It's very character-driven and doesn't focus too much on world-building (something I would have liked to have read), but I still liked it!

"My eyes lit. "Yes! I set a warehouse on fire once. One match, and the whole thing went up like a smokestack."

He stared at me in horror. "You set a building on fire?"

These people obviously had hearing impairments. "That's what I just said, isn't it?""

Ahh, the banter between Lou and Reid was just...immaculate. Now, the quote I put above may seem concerning (honestly this is enemies-to-lovers with morally grey love interests, what did you expect??), but I assure you will fall in love with ALL the characters! Lou is an absolute badass and knows what she wants. I really found her similar to Celeana from the Throne of Glass series with her witty attitude and shameless flirting! Reid is so strictly loyal to his mission set by the Church, but it was great to see Lou loosen him up so he could enjoy life around him! (MAJOR Matthias vibes from Six of Crows!!). He's honestly such a cute gentleman and the romance between them is filled with so much tension and angst and that's exactly what I was here for!

Lou also has an amazing, heart-warming relationship with her female best friend, Coco. I love her so much! She also meets Ansel who's an absolute cinnamon roll and he's just so ADORABLE! Awesome character dynamics between them all! 😊

"I've never seen anyone savor anything the way you do everything. You make me feel alive. Just being in your presence—it's addictive. You're addictive"

I also liked how Shelby included different ethnicities and genders flawlessly in her debut novel. It was great to see some character diversity and representation! I just love her writing style in general. The descriptions are well done and I really enjoyed how she incorporated new details without info-dumping it all!

I would say that this book is more upper-YA or borderline NA due to the language and themes, so please be aware of that! Overall, if you like enemies-to-lovers, read this book!

"Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay"

Pros: amazing diverse characters, interesting world, great romance

Cons: no map (in my edition), somewhat predictable plot twists, could improve world-building

What's your favourite witch-themed book?

Let me know in the comments down below!

Happy reading!

- Jasleen ♡

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If you liked Serpent & Dove, you might like...

• Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

• Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Mass

• From Blood and Ash (From Blood and Ash #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (My Review)