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A review by eve_reads
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
Overall Thoughts:
⁕ The characters in the book are very archetypal and common in YA fantasy, BUT Mahurin backs up their portrayals really well.
⁕ The main romance is one of the better enemies to lovers I’ve read. It doesn’t feel rushed, and even after the characters develop feelings there’s still lots of uncertainty between them.
⁕ The magical system in this one is really interesting. Forget the whole “spells require energy” thing! Mahurin makes her characters sacrifice things of equal value to the spells they cast — but it’s all up to their interpretation of what that means.
⁕ I was disappointed by how this book approaches gender. It takes a very binary perspective and ties womanhood to reproduction, which is super exclusionary.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online/
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
⁕ The characters in the book are very archetypal and common in YA fantasy, BUT Mahurin backs up their portrayals really well.
⁕ The main romance is one of the better enemies to lovers I’ve read. It doesn’t feel rushed, and even after the characters develop feelings there’s still lots of uncertainty between them.
⁕ The magical system in this one is really interesting. Forget the whole “spells require energy” thing! Mahurin makes her characters sacrifice things of equal value to the spells they cast — but it’s all up to their interpretation of what that means.
⁕ I was disappointed by how this book approaches gender. It takes a very binary perspective and ties womanhood to reproduction, which is super exclusionary.
To read my full review, visit: https://evereads.online/
For regular book-related content, follow my Instagram account: @eve_reads
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gore, Sexism, Cursing, and Violence