Reviews tagging 'War'

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

19 reviews

marinasslibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Enemies to lovers just never disappoints!
I am obsessed with fantasy that includes witches lately and Serpent & Dove surely did deliver.
I love the marriage out of convenience/ forced marriage trope because it mostly leads to close proximity and only one bed!
Many of my favorite tropes were present and so I already loved the book for that!
Regarding to the plot it was always keep exciting and mysterious and imo not predictable! That is one of my main icks with books but with this one I did not predict the ending the least!
Reid and Lou have a great chemistry from the beginning throughout their highs and lows.
I am really excited to read the next book :)
I highly recommend reading this if you like the same tropes as me! 

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rae42's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Only thing I didnt like was one particular line where a character said that you are a woman if you can have a child, transphobic and wrong. I know cis women who can't have children

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safety_pin's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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neaky__'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Things I liked: 
• The mechanics behind the white witches. I LOVE how their magic has limits and how the magic is presented. I also liked how the magic has a scent in this universe. 
• Relationship between Reid and Lou was fast but surprisingly believable. 
• I wasn’t expecting the final “twist” i guess you could say. A cruel twist of fate and i’m excited to see where it will lead in the next book. 

Things I didn’t liked: 
• I don’t think many of the side characters aside from the main few were developed. 
• Some parts are cringey and predictable but overall not too much. 

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c45p1n's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I see no reason to not give this book a 5. It was witty (vulgar), dark and mysterious, it was so hard to put down or stop and it was well written!! A perfect concoction of english literature. It was mysterious with it's magic elements but it made sense and wasn't overly complicated. 
There were many loose ends, but the book is a trilogy so I expect those to get cleaned up in the next book. It wasn't an appalling amount of loose ends, just enough to keep me satisfied with halting for a moment but also enough to keep me along a string to read the next book. 
Lou and Reid's development, both as a couple and apart, was incredibly intricate and well built. Both became better (relative term) people and both worked towards their goals but they confronted their problems!!! There wasn't a lack of communication between them (well, other than the fact that Lou's a witch..
and her all power mother, the monarch of all witches.. is after her blood. literally.
). 
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a magical, timley, 500-page enemies to lovers.

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some_summer_writing's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0


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shorts_family's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Overall the book was a pretty decent enemies to lovers story with a few intriguing plot twists. I removed some stars because it heavily romanticizes possessiveness without critique. Also, the story takes place in a vaguely historic French setting where women are seen as lower beings/property to own in marriage, but luckily that concept IS directly critiqued on multiple occasions.

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delaney_de_spain's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


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kinskinn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0


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