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Book Review: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Oct 27, 2019

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Pages: 519
Publish date: September 3, 2019
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 9780062971135
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

As a huntsman of the Church, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. But when Lou pulls a wicked stunt, the two are forced into an impossible situation—marriage.

Lou, unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, must make a choice. And love makes fools of us all.

Serpent & Dove:

Firstly before I start this review, I do want to apologise for being away for so long. The past month and a bit have been a little hectic, but I feel like things have finally settled. So here we go.

As soon as I read the synopsis for Serpent & Dove., I knew that I wanted to read. It sounded like it had everything that I love in it. Then I started to see reviews coming out, and they were really positive. And I knew that there was no doubt that I was reading it. And I was right from the start, I loved Serpent & Dove.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin follows Louise Le Blanc who fled her coven and now is trying to survive in a place where magic is strictly forbidden. Witches are feared, they are hunted and they are burned. She is surviving until she has a run-in with Reid Diggory. Reid is a huntsman of the Church and has always lived with the thought that all witches have to die. Forced into something that they both didn’t want, Lou and Reid not only have to navigate feelings for one another but also have their views on the world challenged.

Tikkho Maciel

Lou was such an interesting protagonist throughout Serpent & Dove. I’m not going to lie, it took me a little while to really connect with her. But once I did everything started coming together so well. I loved that Lou wasn’t easy to get along with. It made it so much more interesting. I feel that if she wasn’t such a complicated character, the novel would have fallen flat for me. Lou was tough as nails, she didn’t take no for an answer. But she was also really vulnerable. And I loved that combo. The reader is able to see that she feels a whole damn lot. Another thing that I loved about Lou was that she’s a strong female character. It’s something that I am always looking for and I found it very prominent in Serpent & Dove.

Reid was a really great match for Lou. And I’m not even talking romanticly. I felt that his characterisation was the opposite of Lou, but also complements her as well. Ried is a tough character to get along with. And not for the same reasons as Lou. Reid has a wall that he keeps up nice and strong, and the reader doesn’t get to really see him as a person until Lou starts to break those walls down. I loved that we got to see this “macho” man being brought to his knees by Lou. It’s just a great contrast of characters. I loved what Shelby Mahurin did with Reid’s character arc. The reader really gets to see him grow and really discover who he is.

Luke Porter

The romance in Serpent & Dove utilised two of my favourite romance tropes; hate to love and fake marriage. And I loved how both of them were done. Lou and Reid are on two opposites sides of this war between Cesarine and witches. They have both grown up hating each other, but when they are pushed into this marriage. They both start seeing each other and who they are in different lights. And while it takes them both a little longer to find out they are not half bad. It was really great to see. One of my favourite things about Serpent & Dove was Lou and Reid getting to know one another, I think it was done really well and I loved it. In saying all this I did feel that their relationship went from 60 to 100 very quickly.

I loved the world that Shelby Mahurin created here in Serpent & Dove. There is so my fantasy world out there now, that it’s getting harder to be unique. But Mahurin found a great way of doing that. I loved the different types of witches and magic. It made everything way more dynamic. It added a whole new dimension. There were times where I was a little confused by the magic, but it didn’t take me too long to understand it.

I’ve read a couple of reviews recently, where people found parts to boring and I think I understand why. Serpent & Dove does have a lot of court intrigue. And for a lot of people, it’s not something that they are into. But I find it utterly fascinating. I think it’s where readers can see the characters’ true nature. It’s a time where the reader can see the character as more than someone of a page. They make them real. I think that Shelby did a fantastic job at this. These times didn’t just add more to Lou and Reid, but also other characters. As well as the world itself.

Johannes Plenio

Another thing that I really enjoyed about Serpent & Dove was the sense of friendship and family. Both Lou and Reid come from next to nothing in terms of family. But the reader is able to see throughout Serpent & Dove, that they make their own family. I love seeing things like this espically in young adult novels. It just adds another dimension for me into the novel. It makes everyone, not just the protagonist way more interesting.

Overall, Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin is a fantastic novel. I keep on recommending it to customers at work because I want more and more people to read it. This is an intriguing debut novel from Shelby Mahurin and I cannot wait to see what else she has to bring. Serpent & Dove is a captivating fantasy novel that intwines magic in such an intriguing way. Combined that with a romance that is off the charts and you are in for a ride. Serpent & Dove is such a refreshing YA fantasy and I cannot wait for the next book.

Have you read Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!

Books I’ve Loved Reading So Far in 2019

Sep 19, 2019

Today I thought I would share with you, all the books that I’ve loved reading so far this year. While we only have a few months left of 2019, (what the hell???) I think it’s about time that I showed a little more love for the books that have made my year.

I’ve had a strange year for reading for me. I’ve been reading a lot of romance books, a lot. And I don’t even know why. It’s just really what I’ve been in the mood to read. If I haven’t said already, I am a massive mood reader. Anyway, here are the books that I’ve been loving so far this year.

Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand: I’ve been wanting to pick up this series for some time, and I finally did it at the start of the year. And I just loved it. It had so much that I really loved. The romance was great, the world was fantastic and everything in between made it better. You can check out my full series review now as well.

Flight & Glory series by Rebecca Yarros: So I did a re-read of this series at the start of the year and I feel in love with the characters all over again. This series just gets me every time I read it. I feel every emotion, every heartbreak. And I will feel it, over and over again.

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers #1) by Brigid Kemmerer: I don’t think there should be any surprise that this one is on my list. I will shout to the world about how much I love this book. I was captivated by the characters, world, and the plot from the very first chapter. With fantastic world-building, character arcs and a plot that just keeps giving. Full Review

Appetites & Vices (The Truitts #1) by Felicia Grossman: This is one of the first historical romance novels I read and I’ve fallen in love. It was engaging, heartwarming and heartbreaking. The romance was great and the writing was fantastic. This fulled my love for reading historical romances this year for sure. Full Review.

More Than We Can Tell (Letters to the Lost #2) by Brigid Kemmerer: I never understand why I put off reading books from my favourite authors, and this was one of those books. I adored Letters to the Lost, and while I didn’t love More Than We Can Tell as much. It was still a fantastic read, that warmed my heart so damn much.

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros: Again no one should be surprised that this one has made my list. This book broke me. I cried so much while reading, and after finishing it. But it was also so beautiful. If you like emotional reads, that deals with hard issues, but it also incredibly beautiful then this is for you. You can also check out my full review.

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte: As one of my most anticipated reads this year, I was really looking forward to picking up Four Dead Queens, and I wasn’t disappointed. It has so many elements that just make the story even better. I loved the world, the characters, and I adored the storyline. Full Review.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: I love this book so damn much. It’s perfect. I love the romance, the protagonists, the plot. Everything. If you haven’t picked this book up – please, please do. You can also check out my discussion with Ely, where we talk a lot about this one.

The French Photographer by Natasha Lester: This one was a ‘Book of the Month,’ at work, and I simply fell in love. It shows the effects the war had on not only the lives of people but also their relationships and how trying to move on from the war. If you are looking for a historical fiction that embodies feminism, strength and seeing the war from the female perspective then this is for you. Full Review.

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett: It’s a Jenn Bennett, of course, I was going to love it. It’s a great combination of mystery and contemporary that captures real characters. With writing that is easy to read, the characters float off the page. Jenn Bennett is able to create a story that is easy to follow and to fall in love with. Full Review.

The Wallflowers, The Hathaways and the Ravenels series by Lisa Kleypas: I have read them all this year and have fallen in love with each and every one. I can’t really pick my favourite, they all have their highlights that just work for me. If you are looking for some historical romance – then pick any of Lisa’s up.

Dalliances & Devotion (The Truitts #2) by Felicia Grossman: While I didn’t love this one as book 1, I still really enjoyed everything about it. It was fun,intense and full of romance. It’s a great second chance romance in a historical setting. With a female character that is strong and willing to do what it takes for herself. Full review.

Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1) by Shelby Mahurin: I finished this one last night and I need to start talking about it. This book is fantastic and brilliant and perfect. And omg. More people need to read this! It’s a great new fantasy series that I cannot wait to devour. I’m hoping to post my full review in the coming week.

And that is it! That’s all the books I’ve loved so far in 2019. It’s a lot, I know. But I’ve also over 130 books so far this year, so it’s a good balance. What are some of the books that you’ve loved reading so far this year? Do we share any that’s the same? Let’s Chat!

Books On My TBR I’m Avoiding Reading

Sep 10, 2019

This week I’m sharing the books on my TBR that I’ve been avoiding reading. Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and Bookish and is hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl.

Over the last 3 years, by impulse buying of books has become worse. Buying books that come in at work isn’t unusual for me. Sometimes when I’m processing stock, a book lands in my hand that catches my eye and I end up buying it. There are also those books that everyone is loving and it sounds like my jam, and it sits on my shelf for months on end.

Anyway, today I’m sharing some of those books. Those that I’ve avoided reading. These are in no particular order.

The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray: This has been on my TBR for years since it came out probably. I really don’t know why I haven’t read it yet. I am pretty sure I even have 2 copies. Really I think it’s a combination of things. A lot of people love it, so the hype surrounding the book is massive. And it’s big, it’s nearly 600 pages and normally that shouldn’t freak me out, but it does here.

Spark (Spark #1) by Rachael Craw: This is another one that’s been on my list for a really long time, but I finally picked up a copy a couple of months ago – so I plan on reading it really soon. I don’t really know why I never read this one before. A main reason was not being about to find it in local stores.

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer: This is a strange one. I honestly can’t give you the reasons why I haven’t read this. I’ve now read 4 or 5 books from Brigid Kemmerer and I’ve loved every single one. I have a copy of this sitting on my shelf just waiting to be read – I think my plan is to read it before the year ends. I’ve even been reading more romance in the last 2 years.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys: I’ve had this book on my shelf for at least 3 years now, and it’s just sitting there. I adored reading Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, and I think I’ve just been nervous about not liking her other books. Which I don’t think is possible. Especially since it’s about WWII. My hesitation doesn’t make sense to me. At all.

Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer #2) by Laini Taylor: I cannot believe that this is still on my TBR. I don’t understand why. I adored Strange the Dreamer and for some reasons, I’m avoiding reading Muse of Nightmares. None of this makes sense to me.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas: I loved Angie’s first book so much, that it’s made me so hesitant to read her next book. And I don’t even know why. I’ve heard great things about On the Come Up. I brought the hardback of it. I was all prepared to read it and now, I just haven’t it.

Circe by Madeline Miller: Another one that I’ve avoided reading because I loved another book of these so much. In saying that, there are a couple of other reasons why I haven’t read Circe yet. Honestly, I was waiting for the B format to be published so it could at least match my copy of Song of Achilles.

And those are some of the books on my TBR that I have been avoiding to read for a reason or another. What are some of the books that you’ve to avoid to read? Do we share any that’s the same? Let’s Chat!