I’ve had a copy of Serpent and Dove in my possession for a while now, but I became so distracted by my hectic life that the book fell towards the back of my large TBR pile. It wasn’t until a friend recommended the book to me with the preface of “witches in baroque France” that I finally realize I needed to read it. I can say, I definitely wasn’t disappointed.
The book fluctuates between the two narrators, Lou and Reid. Louise le Blanc is a runaway witch, squatting in an abandoned theater attic with her two other mischievous companions. Reid Diggory is a Chasseur, akin to the police force of the Church, whose sole intention is to capture witches and weed out all sources of magic in Cesarine. After a slight mishap in a poorly designed thieving adventure, Lou finds herself quite literally intertwined with the man chasing her down—Captain Diggory. Unable to escape with her life unless she abides by the Archbishop’s rules, Lou is forced to marry Reid, much to his own disdain, and the two are thrust into an unfortunately chaotic marriage. However, Reid still does not know who his wife truly is, nor does Lou know her husband beyond rumors and accusations.
If you’re looking for a book to help get you out of a reading slump, or simply one that won’t take forever to become invested in, THIS is the book for you. The introductory chapters are fast paced and packed with action. Shelby Mahurin is a wonderful writer, and the story flowed effortlessly without any choppy bits or strange wording. The imagery of baroque France flashes between warm patisseries, cobblestone streets, mansions with unfurling grassy yards, dusty theater storage rooms, and a cathedral transformed into a dormitory for Chasseurs. Oh, and the witches who dwell beyond the woods. Can’t forget that.
While the main characters rush to piece together their lives and the livelihood of their people, a secret keeps them distant and wary enough that their newfound love hangs in a balance. I found myself dreading certain scenes that I knew would have to occur, and I really enjoyed the honesty and raw depiction of grief. It made me feel closer to Lou in particular, especially towards the end. I will also add that if there was one thing that threw me off a bit, it might have been the amount of secrets that were eventually exposed. After starting the book, you’ll realize that there has to be a reckoning of some sort during the finale. However, there were even more secrets that were revealed than I had even considered to be present in the first place. It almost felt like “you get a tragic backstory!” and “you get a tragic backstory!” over and over. Especially since the little plot twist was used on more than one character, yet with the same concept in mind. (I won’t say more on that for fear of being a spoiler.)
As a debut novel, I think Mahurin did an exceedingly well job. As I mentioned before, I really enjoyed this story! I hope to read the sequel soon.
My Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars.
Goodreads Review Link.
Anthology of V. 