[Review] Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Series: Serpent & Dove #1

Rating: 4.5 stars

Release Date: September 3rd 2019

Goodreads Synopsis:

Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.
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.
Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.
The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.
And love makes fools of us all.

I'm usually iffy on books that are surrounded by hype but I must say, this book lived up to its hype. I had Dragon Age vibes reading this and that is one of my favorite games.

Louise le Blanc has been living on the run from her coven, the Dames Blanches, in the city of Cesarine - a city that despises witches and burns them at the stake. Chasseurs roam the streets hunting for these witches. So she goes by the name of Lou, committing petty thievery in order to survive. But her last crime leaves her with two options - jail time or marriage. She tricks Chasseur Reid Diggory into marrying her, and in this marriage of convenience, Lou learns that the war between witches and Chasseurs isn't black and white.


I don't know where to begin on what I like about this book. The heroine! I love how nitty-gritty Lou is - all from living from the streets. She has a wide arsenal of street smarts and sass. She curses and flaunts herself in front of the otherwise pure-minded Chasseurs and I LOVE IT. She also sticks it to the man repeatedly (thank you Lou).

"I never said it was your god. Your god hates women. We were an afterthought."
"That isn't true."
I finally turned to face him. "Isn't it. I read your Bible. As your wife, am I not considered your property? Do you not have the legal right to do whatever you please with me?" I grimaced, the memory of the Archbishop's words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. "To lock me in the closet and never think of me again?" - p. 335

The fact that this book doesn't stray away from being brutally honest and showing things through rose-colored lenses. I'm not a fan of those super abstract, purple prose sex scenes - and this book doesn't do that at all! Finally! If I was going to read about some velvety rod I would have screamed in horror. Plus this book is super sex-positive since Lou is super cool with not being a virgin before her fake marriage and Reid doesn't shame her for it.

The cast of characters! I just loved how they all banded together in the end in the form of some fantasy video game group. The witches! The witch hunters! The heir! Although we mostly got characterization of Lou and Reid, their friends were just as entertaining and endearing. Coco! Ansel! Beau! Madame Labelle! I loved all of them and their banter. I would read sequels for this Dragon Age-esque merry gang.

The romance! Is so sweet and isn't rushed. There's a really good pacing to it (and usually I dislike romances that fall into place in one book, especially the first one in a series) but there was emotional growth for both Lou and Reid, accepting their differences and their two polarized worlds. Reid really tugged on my heartstrings in the last half aha.

The plot! The world! It had all my favorite tropes (I could never find marriage of convenience outside of fanfic) with that video game-esque vibe. I really did feel immersed in the world. I just enjoyed how everything was interconnected (and everyone, really lending to that Dragon Age vibe... honestly if you play the game you'll see what I mean).

There are some aspects that I wasn't so set on. It definitely was confusing in the beginning because I was trying to figure out what the Dames Blanches were (I definitely got what the Dames Rouges were though). I surmised them to be witches who could read ley lines and connections between people and things. And there was the cliche of the villain just revealing their plan in the end in some form of expository dialogue.

But still! It was such a good book! I really wish the sequel was out now! I would read so much more of this great world!