Review: Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
“If she was destined to burn in Hell, I would burn with her.”
The Basics
Title: Serpent and Dove (Serpent and Dove #1)
Author: Shelby Mahurin
Published: 2019
Publisher: HarperTeen — HarperCollins
Pages: 513
Format: Hardcover
Genres: Fiction — Fantasy, High fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy romance, Paranormal romance, Young adult, Young adult fantasy
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Book Synopsis
Louise Le Blanc is a witch in hiding. Fearing for her life, she fled her coven two years ago and has since forsaken magic to avoid detection by not only her fellow witches but also the chasseurs, or church-ordained witch hunters. When a series of events, however, results in her having to marry a chasseur, she is forced into a high-stakes game of deceit. She must conceal her true identity from her new husband, Reid, or risk public execution for witchcraft. To complicate matters, she begins to find herself increasingly attracted to Reid and yearns to tell him the truth. And there’s also the not-so-insignificant fact that her coven is actively searching for her in order to finish what they started two years ago.
My Review & Overall Thoughts
TLDR: Not a literary masterpiece but entertaining nonetheless.
Warning: Slight spoilers ahead
Serpent and Dove is like one of those summer blockbuster movies: not going to win any awards but still entertaining. It has a couple of twists that will make you gasp, as well as several scenes that will leave you rolling your eyes. And like any good summer flick, the story is engaging, albeit a bit threadbare in parts.
One aspect of the story that is particularly wanting is the world building. In some fantasy books, the world is so well described that I can close my eyes and imagine myself there; unfortunately, that is not the case for Serpent and Dove. We are given a rather limited amount of information regarding Belterra and its inhabitants. Even by the end of the book, I had but a vague understanding of Belterra. What is the shape of Belterra? What is its geography? Besides humans and witches (and possibly werewolves), what beings reside there? These are all questions that remain unanswered. Hopefully, the sequel, Blood and Honey, will shed some light on these topics.
The characters also leave a bit to be desired, with the majority of them lacking a real sense of depth. This is especially true of Lou, who always seems to be up to the same antics. Her crude jokes and behavior, while initially funny, lose their humor after the umpteenth time. Then there’s Reid, who is a rather lackluster romantic lead. I found him to be overly controlling and not that charming. I did, however, like Coco and wish that she could have been featured more in the story.
Speaking of Coco, the subplot involving her being at the Chasseur Tower didn’t really go anywhere. There’s this big reveal that she’s in the tower working as a healer and will help Lou practice her magic, and then, there are only a couple of scenes of them doing that. Another part of the story that bothered me was Lou and Reid’s marriage. The entire thing felt a bit contrived. Lou makes it seem as though Reid has assaulted her, so naturally, the only solution is for them to get married – wait, what?
With regard to the actual writing, it is somewhat rough around the edges. The dialogue, for instance, is not the strongest or wittiest that I’ve come across, and the descriptions can feel deficient at times. Lastly, the writing often fails to stir or evoke any emotion.
The good
As I noted at the beginning of this review, Serpent and Dove manages to be entertaining overall, in spite of its shortcomings. It’s a quick, easy read featuring magic, an enemies-to-lovers romance, and enough suspense to keep you turning the pages. It’s the perfect book to read when you don’t feel like thinking and just want to be entertained.
Overall
Is Serpent and Dove a masterfully written book? No. Would I read it again? Probably not. Nonetheless, it’s still a fun book to read, and I’ll likely continue the series.
Have you read Serpent and Dove? If so, let me know what you thought of the book in the comments section below!
