Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Serpent and dove. La strega e il cacciatore by Shelby Mahurin

24 reviews

michelerr55's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide and Torture

draculagirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I’ll use this as a lesson to try not to buy/read books that are more than 500 pages and check too see if it’s even remotely good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Self harm, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Alcohol

fremzz's review against another edition

adventurous dark

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexism, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, and Alcohol

safety_pin's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Vomit

Minor: Alcohol

prof_pelon's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

emmahe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Child death

mariereads_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

I was no one's sacrifice. Not then. Not now. Not ever. 

Exhilirating. Gripping. Intense.

I've had a bit of a book slump for more than a year and it's only been this month that I've had the courage to start reading again. 

Serpent and Dove was one of the best books that got me out of my reading slump. 

I love the exquisite and detailed world-building that Shelby Mahurin has created. It transports the reader to 17th century France and you could actually feel and experience that you were witnessing magic and mystery unfold.

This enemies-to-lovers, off-page marriage, daggers-to-throat relationship between Reid and Lou was off the charts! The balance between their vulnerability both as a couple and as individuals, and the turmoil, secrecy, and fear that they both are dealing with speaks to me on so many levels!!

I cried my eyes out when

Reid found out Lou was a witch and he said 'You are not my wife.' It broke my heart so much knowing that Lou already found a home in him but a part of her couldn't blame his reaction to the truth especially since she kept it from him because he was a Chasseur

 

More than that, I loved how Lou built strength to face her mother and take a hold of her fate. It's such a fascinating and empowering thing that one can make a path and fate of their own and not succumb to what was "phropecised" 

The side characters were also very lovable! Throughout the book, Coco and Ansel has claimed a soft spot in my heart for them. Even Jean Luc despite being a total jerk, I'm rooting for his character development, if there is any, in the next books.

Some of the plot twists are shocking and surprising while others were heavily foreshadowed that I knew when to anticipate them or just guessed it outright.

Suffice to say, this initial installment of the series has me hooked and eager to buy the second book so I can journey with Lou and Reid throughout the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Misogyny, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Cursing

mythical_molly's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is the book that got me back into reading. It is a beautiful star-crossed slow-burn enemies-to-lovers love story. The relationship is so well written that at some point in the book, you're probably going to sit back for a second and think "hey wait when did they develop feelings for each other?" but it feels so natural and so right that it just fits, and I think that's a testament to how well-written the slow burn is. All in all, this is a fantastic story with twists and turns that will always keep you guessing. Could not recommend it enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Cursing, Self harm, Sexual content, and Blood

kazik's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Child death, Self harm, and Torture

mybookishdelights's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.25

[Second Read - 2021 - 4.25 stars]

Heat Level: High

on page sex scene

CW:

burning alive, blood, gore, violence, attempted murder

I read this in a few sittings and it was a fun read. It's not amazing, but I enjoyed the romance.

I think the world-building might have been the most confusing part, mainly in that there were a lot of names being dropped and I felt like I didn't know who half of them were. It also didn't help that they were in French, but then I'm an English speaker so take that with a grain of salt. I don't really have a lot of things to say about it. I reread it to continue on with the series as the third and final book is coming out soon. I know a lot of people don't like the second one, and while I'm interested to see if I like it, it also means I'm not really that excited to pick it up. 

I thought the writing in this was really good. I'm sure there are those who would disagree, but I had no problem visualizing what I was reading and I was feeling the emotions of the characters. I think that Lou and Reid were decently written characters. I liked their banter and their enemies-to-lovers thing they had going on. I also liked

when they were sweet to each other. It was very angsty and I loved that. I did, however, think this was very insta-love. Even though Lou's words about him being in her very soul were beautiful and romantic, it felt too soon in this first book.

I would recommend if you're looking for a book about witches or enemies-to-lovers. 

CAWPILE Score: 7.71 = 4.25 stars
Characters: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 8
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 8
Logic: 8
Enjoyment: 8

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[First Read - 2019 - 4 stars]
No written review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Child abuse