The Scarlet Veil

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 17 JUL 2023

Set in the same world as Mahurin's Serpent & Dove series, this rollicking fantasy duology starter follows 18-year-old Célie Tremblay's pursuit to be taken seriously as an ancient paranormal society's only female hunter. Célie worries that her PTSD and lack of strength, necessitating that she use lightweight weapons, make her seem less capable than her male counterparts. This feeling is worsened by her continual exclusion from missions by commanding officer Jean Luc, who is also her fiancé. Célie is further infuriated when Jean Luc sidelines her from the hunt for a serial killer who exsanguinates his victims, most of whom aren't human. Determined to launch her own investigation, she visits one of the crime scenes, where a case of mistaken identity results in her abduction to Requiem, a hidden isle home to an array of mystical beings that's ruled by a ruthless vampire king. The worldbuilding's reliance on details from the original trilogy is likely to confuse newcomers. Still, horror-inflected action, puckish humor, and heady romance enliven both the twisty central mystery and Célie's journey of self-discovery. Main characters cue as white; the supporting cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up.