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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
In the last 30 pages I realized that their power couple name is Lou Reid and I officially can’t even.
3.5
[This review may be considered a spoiler to some??? Proceed with caution]
It was a good story, but I found myself falling out of the world a little bit. I would get glossy eyed and snap into reality every now and then. I don't feel Reid and Lou's relationship had enough foundation to be "in-love" in the way they were. If they kept working at the pace they were working, I would feel they would genuinely love each other by the next book, but I didn't feel there was enough to go off of here.
My own personal hang-ups: I struggle a lot with stories that include genuine Christianity. I'm fine with fantasy that masks Christianity so they can adjust it as they need to for the story, but this was genuine midevil Catholicism. Without getting into my own religious views, I struggled because this book somewhat deemed religious folks as the "bad" guys and the only way there could really be a happy ending is by forcing Reid to forfeit his faith. Being generally on the side that believes most organized religion is bad, it also feels wrong to force or convince or even prove that someone else's religion is false.
However, Shelby Mahurin does a decent job of somewhat wrapping that conundrum up in a bow. Maybe it's a bandaid? But I didn't feel completely put off by it.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I just had a hard time really connecting to the characters.
[This review may be considered a spoiler to some??? Proceed with caution]
It was a good story, but I found myself falling out of the world a little bit. I would get glossy eyed and snap into reality every now and then. I don't feel Reid and Lou's relationship had enough foundation to be "in-love" in the way they were. If they kept working at the pace they were working, I would feel they would genuinely love each other by the next book, but I didn't feel there was enough to go off of here.
My own personal hang-ups: I struggle a lot with stories that include genuine Christianity. I'm fine with fantasy that masks Christianity so they can adjust it as they need to for the story, but this was genuine midevil Catholicism. Without getting into my own religious views, I struggled because this book somewhat deemed religious folks as the "bad" guys and the only way there could really be a happy ending is by forcing Reid to forfeit his faith. Being generally on the side that believes most organized religion is bad, it also feels wrong to force or convince or even prove that someone else's religion is false.
However, Shelby Mahurin does a decent job of somewhat wrapping that conundrum up in a bow. Maybe it's a bandaid? But I didn't feel completely put off by it.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I just had a hard time really connecting to the characters.
It was honestly adorable. I know... It is a weird word to describe that book but it was adorable to watch each of them have their scheduled bickering. It had some unnecessary moments and the whole story was extremely dramatic. I wish they did more with Reid's discoveries and his anger issues, but really this book was about Lou.
excuse me, please just let me sit down and catch my breath
adventurous
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:
No
5 STARS FOR BIG TIDDY LIDDY
i’ve been avoiding this book for forever eventho i already purchased it because i saw a lot of people gave it negative reviews but turned out i like it?? like i was a bit skeptical with the plot before, i thought this is gonna be the usual enemies to lovers with arranged marriage, yes it’s those things but what makes me like it and what makes it different (i guess) is the characters. lou was really funny and strongheaded, but turns out she’s also super caring. i enjoyed her banters with those stuck up men i love how she just singlehandedly destroys them with big tiddy liddy.
furthermore, i loveee lou and reid’s chemistry. the angsty portion in the book is chefs kiss too. they are so much fun together. it’s so entertaining watching lou being obscene and reid feels like his soul is leaving his body.
one thing i don’t like from this book: why is the little bitch jean luc still alive??
i’ve been avoiding this book for forever eventho i already purchased it because i saw a lot of people gave it negative reviews but turned out i like it?? like i was a bit skeptical with the plot before, i thought this is gonna be the usual enemies to lovers with arranged marriage, yes it’s those things but what makes me like it and what makes it different (i guess) is the characters. lou was really funny and strongheaded, but turns out she’s also super caring. i enjoyed her banters with those stuck up men i love how she just singlehandedly destroys them with big tiddy liddy.
furthermore, i loveee lou and reid’s chemistry. the angsty portion in the book is chefs kiss too. they are so much fun together. it’s so entertaining watching lou being obscene and reid feels like his soul is leaving his body.
one thing i don’t like from this book: why is the little bitch jean luc still alive??
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
*This review contains spoilers*
The singular, pressing thought that kept surfacing in my mind while I read this book was: “how in the world did this get published?”
I’ll start with the good. First, the magic system had potential. The different sub-categories of witches (Dames Blanches and Dames Rouges) were intriguing. I would haver liked to see more background on them beyond what the book provides (maybe more about the history of the two groups in the sequel?). The idea that “nature demands balance,” requiring the witches to make sacrifices to use their magic, was very original. The cover design was also quite nice, with the gold flecks and serpentine cords that Lou sees when using her magic. The shining star, though, was probably Ansel. He was a slightly less flat character in a book full of flat characters, as he grew to sort of admire a witch, even as a Chasseur. In spite of Ansel’s redemptive quality, though, this book was ultimately a disjointed and uninspired snooze fest.
The casual dialogue and frequent info-dumping would have made Serpent & Dove a perfect fit for younger YA readers, if it weren’t for the New Adult levels of violence and sexual content. Characters consistently tell the reader exactly what is going on, rather than showing them through description, leaving little room for the nuance that older readers often crave. The world-building, to put it simply, was lazy. The entire book takes place on one island, Belterra (or, as I like to call it, France-but-not-France), with no reference to other islands or countries existing in the same universe. The people of Belterra speak French, and Catholicism exists, but we are definitely not in France. Rather, Belterra resembles the vague Western European setting that most fantasy novels take place in, just with the addition of random French words sprinkled throughout. The author toes the line between fantasy and reality, which taints the setting with a hazy, in-between quality. Either complete the necessary research to set the story in 17th century France, or clearly define your fantasy world without anachronism.
The characters are all… meh. The side characters are all underutilized. Lou’s only personality trait is that she’s a crass, ultra-white-feminist weirdo who can't go a few pages without singing her favorite song, “Big Titty Liddy” (if I ever have to see that phrase again, I think I will combust on the spot). Her 2000’s rebellious teenager voice, though sometimes endearing, ultimately created a pronounced dissonance with the 1700’s (?) setting. Additionally, her attitude towards Célie was toxic, to say the least. When she finds out that Reid is a virgin, she shames Célie for not having sex with him:
“How could Célie have abandoned him in this? What else was first love good for but bumbling hands and breathless discovery? At least she’d taught him to kiss properly.”
Lou’s anger towards Célie for simply being Reid’s ex blinds her to the fact that you have no obligation to be physically intimate with your significant other. It was Célie’s decision to make, and she absolutely shouldn’t be judged for that.
Meanwhile, Reid is so boring that he probably thinks that salt is a spice, and his entire character revolves around the fact that he’s basically just a glorified police chief. He is also definitely the type of man to punch holes in the wall when he gets angry— not exactly what I look for in a love interest, fictional or otherwise.
The romantic plot seems like it started out as an idea for a fanfiction piece, and the fantasy plot just grew outwardly from there. The premise asks a simple, but interesting, question: “what if a witch and a witch-hunter were forced into marriage?” It had so much potential, and was the reason I picked the book up in the first place. However, the initial plot takes way too many unnecessary and unrealistic turns to make their marriage actually happen: It feels forced. Furthermore, their mutual disdain for each other seems to instantly transform into love over night. Relationships between characters change from one moment to the next, without any reflection to explain why. Although Lou and Reid despise each other, they call each other “my husband/wife.” Considering Lou’s no-fucks-given nature, I would think that she would have several choice names for Reid that she would use before “my husband.”
The fantasy B plot attempted an epic culminating fight scene, but fell short in its contrived, rushed reality. The Dames Blanches, though a hunted group, simultaneously act as the villain in the climactic scene, but without any intrigue. They're like cartoonishly portrayed Disney villains with absolutely no depth. And as the chasseurs enter the mix to fight, we were supposed to… cheer them on as they kill more witches and allow our loose band of protagonists to escape? Yeah, no thanks. If this book just stuck to the romance genre, I might have given it two stars.
Hopefully, things improve in the sequel for those who actually enjoyed this book. I won’t be reading.
The singular, pressing thought that kept surfacing in my mind while I read this book was: “how in the world did this get published?”
I’ll start with the good. First, the magic system had potential. The different sub-categories of witches (Dames Blanches and Dames Rouges) were intriguing. I would haver liked to see more background on them beyond what the book provides (maybe more about the history of the two groups in the sequel?). The idea that “nature demands balance,” requiring the witches to make sacrifices to use their magic, was very original. The cover design was also quite nice, with the gold flecks and serpentine cords that Lou sees when using her magic. The shining star, though, was probably Ansel. He was a slightly less flat character in a book full of flat characters, as he grew to sort of admire a witch, even as a Chasseur. In spite of Ansel’s redemptive quality, though, this book was ultimately a disjointed and uninspired snooze fest.
The casual dialogue and frequent info-dumping would have made Serpent & Dove a perfect fit for younger YA readers, if it weren’t for the New Adult levels of violence and sexual content. Characters consistently tell the reader exactly what is going on, rather than showing them through description, leaving little room for the nuance that older readers often crave. The world-building, to put it simply, was lazy. The entire book takes place on one island, Belterra (or, as I like to call it, France-but-not-France), with no reference to other islands or countries existing in the same universe. The people of Belterra speak French, and Catholicism exists, but we are definitely not in France. Rather, Belterra resembles the vague Western European setting that most fantasy novels take place in, just with the addition of random French words sprinkled throughout. The author toes the line between fantasy and reality, which taints the setting with a hazy, in-between quality. Either complete the necessary research to set the story in 17th century France, or clearly define your fantasy world without anachronism.
The characters are all… meh. The side characters are all underutilized. Lou’s only personality trait is that she’s a crass, ultra-white-feminist weirdo who can't go a few pages without singing her favorite song, “Big Titty Liddy” (if I ever have to see that phrase again, I think I will combust on the spot). Her 2000’s rebellious teenager voice, though sometimes endearing, ultimately created a pronounced dissonance with the 1700’s (?) setting. Additionally, her attitude towards Célie was toxic, to say the least. When she finds out that Reid is a virgin, she shames Célie for not having sex with him:
“How could Célie have abandoned him in this? What else was first love good for but bumbling hands and breathless discovery? At least she’d taught him to kiss properly.”
Lou’s anger towards Célie for simply being Reid’s ex blinds her to the fact that you have no obligation to be physically intimate with your significant other. It was Célie’s decision to make, and she absolutely shouldn’t be judged for that.
Meanwhile, Reid is so boring that he probably thinks that salt is a spice, and his entire character revolves around the fact that he’s basically just a glorified police chief. He is also definitely the type of man to punch holes in the wall when he gets angry— not exactly what I look for in a love interest, fictional or otherwise.
The romantic plot seems like it started out as an idea for a fanfiction piece, and the fantasy plot just grew outwardly from there. The premise asks a simple, but interesting, question: “what if a witch and a witch-hunter were forced into marriage?” It had so much potential, and was the reason I picked the book up in the first place. However, the initial plot takes way too many unnecessary and unrealistic turns to make their marriage actually happen: It feels forced. Furthermore, their mutual disdain for each other seems to instantly transform into love over night. Relationships between characters change from one moment to the next, without any reflection to explain why. Although Lou and Reid despise each other, they call each other “my husband/wife.” Considering Lou’s no-fucks-given nature, I would think that she would have several choice names for Reid that she would use before “my husband.”
The fantasy B plot attempted an epic culminating fight scene, but fell short in its contrived, rushed reality. The Dames Blanches, though a hunted group, simultaneously act as the villain in the climactic scene, but without any intrigue. They're like cartoonishly portrayed Disney villains with absolutely no depth. And as the chasseurs enter the mix to fight, we were supposed to… cheer them on as they kill more witches and allow our loose band of protagonists to escape? Yeah, no thanks. If this book just stuck to the romance genre, I might have given it two stars.
Hopefully, things improve in the sequel for those who actually enjoyed this book. I won’t be reading.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Self harm
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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:
Complicated