Reviews tagging 'Grief'

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

21 reviews

gimmiiie's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-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

3.0

🐍: 3.0/5.0 

My initial thoughts were that it was a 4.0. But the more I thought about it I think it's a 3.0. Reflection has pinpointed some things I didn't enjoy. 
 

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What I enjoyed:
 -The growth that both Lou and Reid went through. They were able to work through their biases and see who they had dehumanized as human (Reid more so and he still needs to grow). 
 -Cosette is my favorite character. I wish she had more time in the book. Though I loathed how the nickname the author gave her "Coco". 
 -The Enemies to Lovers trope. One of my favorite tropes and I will read nearly any book with this. 
 -I appreciate that the book didn't end with a betrayal. I'm sick of reading fantasy books where the love interest betrays the MC. 

What I didn't like:
 -How Ansel was treated by adults.  He's such a sweet and innocent character. The 2 main female MCs flirted with him and he's a minor. And that's never okay. 
 -I wish this was a standalone book. I'm not too interested in continuing the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death and Grief

nebulasaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

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

ajboyd_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

Moderate: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

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

direraven's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Blood

Moderate: Cursing and Grief

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

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol

knifewifestan's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

aliclare's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma