Serpent & Dove
-
-
4.4 • 1.1K Ratings
-
-
- $12.99
-
- $12.99
Publisher Description
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 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!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Tender romance and a rebellious, resilient heroine buoy this uneven tale, which counsels understanding and forgiveness in the face of zealotry and persecution. First in a planned duology, Mahurin's debut follows Louise an irreverent witch on the run from her coven, the Dames Blanches and Reid, a pious Chasseur, who kills witches for the Church of Belterra. Homeless, abstaining from magic, and stealing to survive, Lou conspires with two friends to pilfer an enchanted ring that will help hide her from the Dames Blanches' queen, La Dame des Sorci res. When the heist goes wrong, attracting Reid's attention, Lou places him in a compromising position to publicly discredit him. Her ploy backfires: Reid's boss, the Archbishop, orders them to marry, thus maintaining the Chasseurs' virtuous reputation. Lou acquiesces, provided that she can conceal her true nature; who better to protect her than a witch hunter? But matters become increasingly complicated as love blooms. Poorly established stakes, wobbly worldbuilding, and a shortage of action slow the start, but the bombshell-laden conclusion thrills while whetting readers' appetites for the sequel. Ages 14 up.
Customer Reviews
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
It is a great book💕💕
Serpent & Dove - 3.5 Stars
Serpent & Dove Review – 3.5 stars / 1 spicy rating
Lou is a witch who left her coven to escape her destiny and lives in fear of being found every day. She squats with her best friend, Coco, in the attic of a playhouse. Lou and Coco are witches in hiding from the church and its Chasseurs in addition to Lou hiding from her mother.
The book starts with Lou and Coco and the help of Bas breaking and entering into a townhouse to retrieve a magical ring that will help protect Lou. While there the church is alerted that a witch is there and the Chasseurs show up making their escape nearly impossible. After escaping Lou and Coco must go separate ways for them to both be safe. The very next day Lou runs into one of the Chasseurs and ends up in an arranged marriage to him which will offer her unexpected protection.
After quickly completing the marriage ceremony and moving into Cathédral Saint-Cécile d’Cesarine Lou must learn about her new husband, find a way to safely practice magic to protect herself, and learn to live life in the church married to a Chasseur. After getting herself into some trouble Lou must deal with being babysat by Ansel when Reid isn’t around. During the first day of being babysat by Ansel she manages to get into the infirmary and finds someone she least expected there Coco! This gives her the opportunity to practice strengthening her magic without raising suspicion.
As Lou and Reid learn to manage their differences and learn what it means to be husband and wife to each other they become enemies to lovers. While Lou decides to give into her feelings she is still reluctant to share who/what she is with Reid. After an unexpected turn of events where a band of witches attack the church led by Lou’s mother she must reveal to Reid who/what she is. This results in a fight where Lou leaves the church and gets captured by her mother and returns to Chateau le Blanc. Reid must make a choice to go after Lou and save her from her fate resulting in going against everything he stands for or continuing his path with the church. Ultimately he makes the right decision and sets out with Coco, Ansel, Beau, and Madame Labelle to save Lou.
Awkward
The first 3/4 of this book are slow and uncomfortable. The last quarter is fast paced and exciting, but doesn’t quite make up for the weird character dynamics for me. I will say, the plot is not thin: the author ties the subplots together in an interesting way that comes together near the end of the book. But the relationships between characters IS thin, and unbelievable. The tension doesn’t build, it’s just suddenly there, and two characters who hate each other are suddenly “in love”.
The writing is well done, but as a love story, this does not cut it for me.