Serpent & Dove is the first book in the Serpent & Dove series by debut author Shelby Mahurin. This review will be spoiler-free.

Release Date: September 3, 2019

There is one thing the Church hates more than all else. Witches. With the Church and Coven at war, Louise le Blanc is forced to hide plain sight. Witches are feared, hunted, and burned. In an effort to hide from the witchhunters, Lou must forsake her magic, but this leaves her vulnerable. 

The Chasseurs are an ancient order of witchhunters, who devote their lives to protecting the innocents from the demons that walk among them. None more so than Reid. But when his path crosses with Lou’s, there is no going back for either of them. 

Feelings spark and danger lurks forcing Lou into close quarters with her enemy. She must decide who she can trust and who will burn her before it is all over.

Dark. Twisted. Heart-wrenching. A tale of love and lies, betrayal and death. The story I never knew I needed.

This book is everything. It is my new obsession. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book and I am so glad I did. I picked it up and did not put it down until I finished it. At over 500 pages, I finished it in a day. (I did nothing else but read this book.) It is probably the best debut book I have ever read.

I thought this was going to be a good book. I read the first 50 pages and was interested, but by the time I hit 100 pages, I was sucked. I could not put it down. I was living in that world. I was fighting and crying. I was laughing and gasping. It pulled me in and it felt real. I think I could reread this book 100 times and still not be bored.

Lou and Reid. *Sigh*

Let’s start with Lou. She was so much fun to follow. She was snarky and daring, but she had this whole other side to her too. She was full of life, but she was also so scared. I loved being in her head. I loved seeing the world through her eyes. She taught me so much about the world. And I don’t mean her seventeenth-century world. I mean the world today. There are so many sides to each story and Lou reminded me that it is important to try and see them all.

And then there is Reid. My girlish heart is skipping a beat. I fell for him. While he is arrogant and rude, he is also loyal and strong. He stands up for what he believes in and does his best to do what is right. How could I not love him?

The world-building was amazing. While this is the one area of the entire book that I do have a few complaints, I still loved the culture Mahurin created. I could see the streets, picture the clothes, and smell the pastries. My biggest problem was that there were several moments that felt too modern. There were certain phrases and cliches that caught me off guard and pulled me out of the story. But I was instantly sucked back in.

With that said, I am still giving this book 5 out of 5 stars, because it is easy for me to overlook something like that. When I read a book, it is all about the way that book makes me feel. And trust me. This book made me feel.

I HIGHLY recommend everyone pick up this book. It was so good. I am already anxiously awaiting the second book and the first one isn’t even out yet!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐