New York Times Bestseller * Indiebound Bestseller * An Amazon Best Book of 2019 * B&N’s YA Book Club Pick
“A brilliant debut, full of everything I love: a sparkling and fully realized heroine, an intricate and deadly system of magic, and a searing romance that kept me reading long into the night. Serpent & Dove is an absolute gem of a book.” —Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling … book.” —Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Court of Thorns and Roses series
Bound as one, to love, honor, or burn. Book one of a stunning fantasy trilogy, this tale of witchcraft and forbidden love is perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Sara Holland.
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.
Don’t miss Gods & Monsters, the spellbinding conclusion of this epic trilogy, coming July 2021!
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It took me a little longer to read this book than usual.
I have to be honest here so I’ll start with, the first 100 pages were a real struggle for me.
There wasn’t really much action and the story drag on and I also had to get used to the writing style.
Then the story turned and the events took more exciting course.
The world of witches and hunters are a very fascinating world.
The amazing descriptions of the different types of magic and the devilish ways in which people can be manipulate was like nothing I have read before.
Lou and Coco are a amazing badass witches and their friendship is what makes the story entertaining and funny. They makes the best of their shitty life circumstances and survive it with as little magic as possible and because they are clever and cunning. They know how to hide and from whom. Namely, other witches and hunters (the Chasseurs).
Reid grew up in the care of the church and was raised by priests and the archbishop.
He knows nothing else but church laws and with it associated hunt and hatred for witches.
He is a Chasseur with heart and soul.
When their paths cross, an impossible situation arises.
…
, I’ve to say that this book was not a 5 stars read for me. I know I’m in the minority here, but if the actual story happens in the last 150 pages and the remaining 363 pages just aren’t exciting enough to keep me from other activities (like TV watching ), then it’s not worth it. Don’t get me start with other things that have repeatedly forced me to close the book and watch TV
Yay for Serpent & Dove! I thought this was a great read. Very imaginative and I enjoyed the growth of the relationship between our two main MCs while still developing an interesting story.
What I LOVED about the book; THE CHARACTERS! (Yes, I totally said that out loud while shaking my hands in the air!) They are fantastic! Literally every single one of them! Even the dillholes of the book are written well. This is one of those rare books where I even loved a secondary character as much as the MC. Trust me, you will love her too. Her name is Coco and she is fantastic!
The unraveling of the story along with the character’s pasts is beautifully done. But be prepared; the story is a bit dark. Not necessarily in an evil way (although *chough* her mom sucks) but the feel to it. Shelby Mahurin takes us into a different world full of witch burnings and corrupt leaders.
So why four stars and not five. . . and now I feel like a butt. However, it is what it is. First, it did not keep me up at night. I enjoyed the book, but I was not engrossed enough to lose sleep over it. Second, I started to get a little board. This happens, I get it. But it was just enough to keep me from immediately picking up the second book in the series. However, I WILL finish the series; just gonna will wait till August when Gods & Monsters comes out so I can go from one to the next.
My only remaining comment, if you are looking for a light and happy read or a romance with a happy ending . . . go read something else. Then when you are in a better place come back and read this.
What is stronger, love or hate?
Author: Shelby Mahurin
Series: Serpent & Dove
Book 1
Rating: 4/5
I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers books and this one is a very good example of why.
Lou and Read are bad for each other for a plethora of reasons. He is a witch hunter, the captain at that. He believes all witches should burn at the stake no matter age. They are all evil no exceptions.
Lou is a witch a very Important one, her life is tied with the kingdom downfall and she hates witch hunters. They are all killers, fanatics.
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while now and I’m kinda glad I waited, book two is already out and book 3 is coming soon so I don’t have to wait long to know what happens.
I’ve never read a book quite like this, the way the author portrayed both parties was amazing and I really enjoyed the world building.
I really enjoyed Lou as a character, she gives zero ….. to what everyone thinks of her. She is alive, she is free and that is all that matters. She is a badass, knows how to take care of herself and is not afraid to get her hand dirty.
What I liked the most about this book was the fact that Lou is an experienced woman and Reid is a holy man, he has never touched a woman. The role reversal was amazing. It was fun and fresh. The woman being the one taking care of the man, I truly laughed at the “I’ll take it slow” I know it wasn’t intended to be funny but at least for me it was.
I have to say that the plot is amazing and I enjoyed how the author managed to bring it all together. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because there where a lot of lulls on the story. and it broke the pace of the story quite a bit.
Other than that is a great read. Level of sexiness: just one scene.
Serpent & Dove introduces you to a new world, full of hidden witches and supernatural beings – that you only wish you could jump into the book and join the magic!
In this current world, its witches against humans – with humans currently coming out on top in the form of Chasseurs – “magic cops” is a short way to describe them. With their own ability to ward off the witches.
This story follows the witch, Lou. Who is currently hiding with the humans, not using her magic and running from “a past nightmare”, along with her best friend and sidekick, Coco.
Lou finds out about a mystery object that can help her protect and hide her magic even more, so her and Coco plan a robbery to get this item. They succeed – only to run into a handsome Chasseur – Reid.
Unusual circumstances then find Lou and Reid married under the archbishop. When Lou now not only having to hide her magic from humans, but from her new husband too.
New mysteries then come alight, and after time, Reid and Lou find themselves connecting more than they thought possible. And just when they discover they have found the love they both they thought never would find – the truth comes crashing down on them both.
The ending leaves it wide open so I’ve picked up the sequel straight away to continue.
I would describe this story about a new supernatural world, where a witch and witch hunter – find love.
Serpent and Dove is the first book in the serie by Shelby Mahurin.
Louise Le Blanc fled her cover two years ago and want to the city of Cesarine, seeking refuge and stop doing all kind of magic and steal to live. In this town, witches are feared, they are being hunted and burned.
Reid Diggory is a Chasseur, one that chassed witches. His path and Lou crossed path, and by some events, they will be force to marry. Lou won’t tell him about her being a witch, scare of what would happen. As the war between witches and the Church grew stronger, Lou will face a fate worse than fire and will be force to make a choice as her feeling for Reid change and grew stronger. And her coven finding her.
I have really love this book and the characters. Can’t wait to read the next one in the serie.
I reviewed this book here:
https://tammydeschamps.com/2021/01/07/book-review-serpent-and-dove-by-shelby-mahurin/
Lou is probably one of my favorite characters of all-time! An exceptional story
Shelbie is a fantastic writer. Can’t wait to read the next 2 books!
This was an exceptional surprise for me! I just thought the summary was interesting and original for me so I gave it a try. So glad I did! This is an absolute page turner! You do have different POVs which makes this all the more entertaining and fun to read.
The marriage of convenience, turning to love and admiration of each other despite being enemies, is fantastic! Yet one of them doesn’t know it for the majority of the book. Not a spoiler, you read that on the flap of the book.
Safe to say without spoilers that not everything is resolved in this a 1st book in a series, it definitely leaves readers, myself included, wanting more!
Okay, I have had this book in my library for at least a year and I’m so mad at myself I didn’t dedicate the time to it until now. WOW, great job Shelby! This book is awesome. The originality and the world building is freaking phenomenal. I loved Lou and I loved Reid. Lou’s sass is something I haven’t really seen in a female lead since Aelin in the Throne of Glass world. Coco is the best friend anyone would kill for. I did pick up on some foreshadowing but not all. I enjoyed the twists and learning about all the different witch cultures and that twist at the end was mind blowing If you’re on the fence about this series, don’t be. I can’t wait to start book #2.
Definitely made my top five favorites!
LOVEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD THIS BOOOOKK!!!!!!!! It was amazing! I have 0 cons to say about it! I literally read this in 2 days because I could not put it down! What an emotional roller coaster. It captured me from the first sentence to the very last. I cannot WAIT for the next book. This was a solid 5/5 for me. I don’t even want to talk about it because everyone needs to read this for themselves lol. I love Lou and Reid so… so much.
IM SO GLAD I TOOK A CHANCE ON THIS BOOK!!! It sucked me in and it has so much action and tension and the ending is leaving me hanging for the next book. Thankfully I don’t have to wait long, but Im sure I’ll have to wait a year for the finale. The banter between Lou and Reid is really fun to watch and plus all of the revelations in this book, its like how will the next one compare!
I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook. Saskia Maarleveld and Holter Graham were perfect for this book. I actually laughed a few times during their narration, but that’s because they made these characters so great. For instance, when Reid and Ansel were learning about Coco when she was trying to find Lou (hello lightbulb)!
This book was everything! It did start off pretty slow, but it still kept my interest. I am so glad I kept reading! I loved it. I loved the twist! And I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Quotes I loved:
“She was burning, Reid. I don’t know how, but she took away that witch’s pain. She gave it to herself.” He exhaled heavily. “That’s why I didn’t tell you. Because even though I knew Lou was a witch, I knew she wasn’t evil. She burned at the stake once. She doesn’t deserve to do it twice.”
“Do you know a witch willing to sacrifice everything for you the way Lou did? Do you?”
“spiralled down, down, down into that darkness with her, and yet—she wasn’t there at all. She was gone. Only a broken shell and sea of blood remained. And I . . . I was alone.”
I loved this book. Couldn’t put it down. Loved the enemies-to-lovers trope, the opposites-attract trope, the accidental-marriage trope. Loved the eye-for-an-eye magic system, the suspense, the mystery. Loved it all. I was feverishly flipping pages well into the night.
However.. This book shouldn’t be YA.
I would’ve loved it so much more if it were adult, or even NA. It gave me strong ACOTAR vibes and fits in right alongside that series.
It made me uncomfortable imagining kids reading this. Granted, it didn’t have near the quantity of explicit scenes that ACOTAR has, but the one scene it did have was described from start to finish. In all my years of reading YA, I haven’t come across that before. Usually it’s a steamy makeout scene that gets interrupted (i.e. The Selection, A Shadow Bright and Burning, Sorcery of Thorns) or it’s a tasteful fade-to-black (i.e. Divergent, Breaking Dawn).
All that aside, it’s a fantastic story. I’ll definitely read the sequel. I just wish this weren’t YA. It reads too much like an adult novel for me. I mean, they get married at the beginning, for crying out loud. How is this not an adult novel?!
Mahurin’s debut is a feisty, colorful, swoon-worthy heartache of a book, with vibrant characters and a magic system that is equal parts brutal and beautiful. Morality is a constant gray area, and watching the characters struggle with their respective sides of this divided world was a a joy. With lough-out-loud humor and a hold-your-breath, enemies-to-lovers romance, Serpent & Dove kept me turning pages long into the night.
The ending fell a little flat for me. I was hoping for a more powerful moment of reconciliation between the main characters, and it just wasn’t there. Instead, the final few chapters felt a bit disjointed and rushed. That being said, I will definitely be picking up the second book in hopes of more of that fantastic romance!
FLOVE. that is all. read immediately, I love these characters. can’t wait for more 🙂
When I saw that this book had a romance between a witch and a witch hunter, I immediately was like SIGN ME UP I AM HERE FOR THIS. And turns out that initial reaction was correct because I loved Serpent & Dove. This is a great fantasy world with an intriguing magic system and great characters.
Lou is a great heroine. She is strong and smart and does what she needs to do to survive. I loved her wit and how she never backed down and how she refused to be controlled or told what to do. Then Reid… he is the tougher one. He has been brought up to believe certain things and that is always hard to break, but Lou makes him question things. Lou and Reid bicker constantly and seem to never agree on anything and you know doesn’t help that she is a witch and he is a witch hunter… but at the same time they just work. I loved their bickering and their chemistry was crazy. This book is enemies to lovers done so right. I also have to mention Coco, because I adore her. She’s a great friend to Lou and is just so great. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Ansel. Ansel is a muffin and he must be protected at all costs.
What I love best about this book is that there is no clear cut good and evil. Some say the witches are evil, but we’ve partially gotten there because they have been hunted and burned, so then the witches retaliate. But the Chasseur’s (witch hunters) believe they are good but can’t fathom that any witch could also be good and don’t even get me started on their views of women. So it’s a balance. Neither side is the good side and there are just good and bad people all caught up in this mess. Even our characters aren’t fully good or evil. Lou does some questionable things to survive and Reid really needs to sort out his world view… but neither of them are wholly bad and in the end everyone just has priorities and what they’re willing to fight for and cross lines for. Add on top of this a very intriguing magic system and addictive plot and killer romance and you have a book that is hard to put down.
Serpent & Dove is a really good read and such a promising start to the series. I already miss Lou and Reid and I cannot wait for more from this world.
Wow! Wow wow wow!! This book was so much fun?? You’re going to see that word in this review a lot because I just can’t think of a better way to describe this delightful book without using the word fun.
I went into this book with no expectations. A bunch of my book friends told me to read it and at this point in our friendship, I just read whatever they tell me to with no questions asked. I didn’t look at the summary or any reviews, just dove straight in and was IMMEDIATELY enchanted with these characters and this world.
It feels important to note that this is a romance novel more than anything else. I mean, let’s be honest. Very Romeo and Juliet, but with witches and magic. It was done in such a fun way though, I didn’t even mind the use of such an old trope. If that’s not your cup of tea, however, you’re going to HATE this. Most of the reviews I’ve read have been stellar, but the negative reviews are BAD and I feel like that might be the reason why.
That being said, if you hear the words “forbidden romance” and “witches” used together and perk up, then you definitely need to get your hands on this. Lou is a free spirited witch who’s running from her past and Reid is a religious man, part of a group of soldiers tasked with bringing witches down. When they’re forced to marry CHAOS ENSUES. Watching Lou fluster Reid in various ways was HILARIOUS and I loved her for it. I will never stop singing Big Titty Liddy ever:
“Big Titty Liddy was not very pretty, but her bosom was big as a barn. Her creamery knockers drove men off their rockers, but she was blind to their charms—”
Reid was a frustrating character to say the least, but he had a great character arc over the course of the book that I loved. And ANSEL AND BEAU AND COCO!!! I demand more of them in the next book.
The world building and magic system was super intriguing to me, but we never really get a full explanation of how the magic works?? I’m really hoping this is explored more in the sequel because I’d really like to learn more about the magic “patterns.”
~FINAL WORD~
FUN!! Fun fun fun! If you’re a fantasy romance lover, then LOOK NO FARTHER.