Serpent & Dove: 1

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Through out the book, I couldn't help but notice some similarities to Sarah J. Maas's books. I know from some interviews that Shelby Mahurin is a big fan of her works and I'm pretty sure the first book is even blurbed by SJM. I don't mind that the author took some inspiration from an author she admires. What bothers me is that she somehow manages to only take the bad stuff. At the end of the book something happens taht's oddly similar towhat Elain ended up doing in A Court of Wings and Ruin. Take from this statement what you will. First, while having neither power nor any physical abilities, she supposedly is someone who thinks and does her research.

I went into it with no expectations, yet I'm disappointed. From now on, in my heart, Serpent & Dove is a standalone. The sequels don't actually exist as they did this series so dirty. This book surprised me so much. It exceeded my expectations, hell, blew them out of the water even. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of Blood & Honey, I am still interested enough in the story that I actually want to know how it ends and I really hope this one will be better. I'm going in with no expectations really, I just wish to know the end.On top of all of this, there are strange murders happening and Jean Luc, the head of the Chasseurs and her fiancé, is keeping secrets from her involving the investigation. It’s during the investigation that Celie meets a mysterious man, and little does she know that small interaction will change her life as she knows it. Part murder mystery, part romance, part journey of self discovery, The Scarlet Veil is a dark dive into the glittering world of seductive monsters-creatures of the night who are equal parts horrifying and thrilling. ALSO THIS MICHAL'S WORDS FROM THE B&N BONUS CHAPTER??? his words make it even more heartbreaking that now célie is a vampire😭 He's definitely a villainous character though I wouldn't call him a "villain", he's exactly what I love - morally grey. but guys shelby has renewed my faith in her books again!! after the mess of G&M i originally wasnt interested in TSV but i was convinced AND SO GLAD I DID BECAUSE IT MADE ME REMEMBER WHY I LOVE SHELBY'S BOOKS SO MUCH??? this wasnt just so fun but also heartbreaking, funny and gave me the "i need more asap" feeling. (i may or may not have neglected school life for this book oops) I probably insist on this every time I write a review for a spin off series (see: OUaBH) but for the love of all that is unholy don't skip the original trilogy.

The plot dragged so much. I thought the second book was bad, but this was somehow even worse. At least some of the stuff in B&H made sense. In this one, it felt like Shelby Mahurin was throwing into the novel every shit that came to mind just so this could be called a book. The pacing was very weird. As I said the plot dragged and then everything was cramed into the last 20% percent, and from that point on everything was just way too rushed. I cared so much more about the side characters rather than the main characters. I wanted to see more of them instead of Lou and Reid. It was interesting seeing the way Coco and Beau dealt with the grief cause by the events of the previous book and how Beau was trying to be there for Coco in any way he could. Any scene they were in was automatically better, but also I hated Lou and Reid so much in this one that they could only to this much for my overall enjoyment. What on earth just happened??? I need the sequel in my hands right this second, because I cannot live not knowing what happens after THAT ending for another year at least?? I don’t think I can say too much about the love interest without getting into spoilers, but prepare to add him to the list of your favorite broody heroes. Their relationship has serious Feysand meets Phantom of the Opera vibes, and I could not have enjoyed it more. The side cast of characters was just as amazing as the secondary characters from the first trilogy, and I can’t wait for everybody to meet them. The fandom will certainly not be disappointed.We aren’t exactly being inconspicuous as it is, and”—I lower my voice—“and couldn’t you just compel a courtesan to tell us where to go?” Emotionally, I am all over the place right now, so I know everything I say is going to come across as hyperbolic, but seriously, y’all… I cannot emphasize enough how much I absolutely LOVED Gods & Monsters. As this book has yet to come out, no need to worry about spoilers in this review!

The storyline was really interesting, although I was a little disappointed that it kind of got away from the murder investigation a bit. And wtf Jean Luc? Why are you vibing so hard as Tampon? I'm glad Celie got out of there and started doing things on her own. Kind of >D After the heartbreaking events of Blood and Honey, our cast of characters are even more determined to seek vengence, but to do that they will first have to learn how to handle their grief. Lou is different. A darkness has settle over her and it will take a lot more than expected to drive it out. This darkness might actually ruin everything.

Did we miss something on diversity?

Célie is the type of heroine we don't see often as a lead in a fantasy book - soft, kind, gentle, her mind is her strongest weapon, and her strength is the people she loves. It's very interesting to take her away from everything she's ever known and make her realize she can survive on her own. i think readers who are fan of the story just for the story/world/characters sake wont mind another journey book though. i also think readers who were upset with how things were left at the end of the previous book will find some closure and relief - i know i did! i think thats why im not rating this a lot lower, because i was quite satisfied with how the story does resolve. Starting off my final review for the final book of this series by saying that I am extremely worried about the fact that this book is going to give me some brain damage.

Michal is the mysterious, complex, morally grey, vampire and the perfect person to turn Celie’s world upside down. Their progression from enemies, to reluctant allies, to friends/more(?!?!) was done so well. The small details to show how his feelings towards her were changing; like the way he covered every surface of her room with candles when he discovered her fear of the dark 😩🫠 Reid and Lou were...💜😍💜😍💜😍 ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!! Their love is so strong it literally defied magic, guys. Even though Reid sacrificed ALL his memories of Lou to save her from her crap of a mother, he fell in love with her all over again despite his returned, deep hatred of witches. Now, that's love. If you go into this book expecting only romance - you will be disappointed, even if what u get in TSV will set you on fire. But the plot is so much more - it gave me The Vampire Diaries, The Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast vibes. As I mentioned there's a murder mystery, a masquerade ball, there are ghosts, betrayal and heartbreak and scorching tension. Célie's arc is so beautiful and compelling I couldn't put this down. Célie went through so much in S&D and she continues to struggle in TSV – to find a place where she belongs, to work through her trauma, to prove herself – and the way Shelby presents it is so painfully relatable. When she told Lou "you know what I went through, you were supposed to be my friend" oh, how that hurt, I can easily imagine how gutted Lou was.

The setting changes this time, the real action doesn't happen in the city of Cesarine anymore but on a beautiful island full of vampires with colourful and various personalities, called the Isle of Requiem. I wasn't expecting we'll see the gang so early on in the book or that we'll even see of them as much as we did but I'm so happy this was the case 🥹🥹