Scan barcode
A review by jays_fairytales
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
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
Overall, I enjoyed this book just about as much as one can enjoy a formulaic, new adult fantasy romance novel. Don't get me wrong, I am not using the word "formulaic" here with a negative connotation. I am a 20 something neurodivergent girlie with an unpredictable life - I will take formulaic where I can get it. And I think reading should be fun and NA Fantasies often do it for me. Although Serpent and Dove will by no means grace my favorites shelf with ACOTAR and A Discovery of Witches, it got the job done.
Mahurin's writing is fun and easily digestible, but there were moments where I was taken out of the story. Most memorably, Mahurin uses the phrase "poor boy" twice in two paragraphs. Stuff like that irks me, so if you're sensitive to careless phrasings, just look out for that. The book is very heavily influenced by scripture, and King James scripture at that. Plus with all the bits and pieces of what I assume to be 1800 French culture mixed in, the dialogue gets a little interesting. What makes up for all of that though is Lou, our main character. She's sarcastic and crass and mouthy, just the way I like all my female characters. She says whatever she wants and her counterpart, Reid, more than carries his weight in their conversations. I think good enemies to lover fiction must have conversations that feel like tennis matches, where characters are throwing verbal assaults back and forth, each wittier than the last.
Speaking of the characters, Mahurin does a fantastic job of toeing the line of what is morally just in this work, which I loved. The two main characters, Reid and Lou are from two different worlds, and should be enemies by definition. I think where a lot of authors miss the mark on stories like this is the nuances between right and wrong in two warring groups. This story is written in that nuance. I didn't walk away feeling like one side was more right than the other which I appreciate, and is just a nice nod to reality. And as Reid and Lou draw closer together during the course of the book, you get to see them both learn more about the other person's beliefs in a way that makes me excited to see what direction Mahurin takes with their growth and development and the overall plot in the next two books.
Once again, the story was very formulaic. It really wasn't the kind of book that I tore apart eager to get to the end. It's more the kind of book where you can guess what's about to happen before it does, but you like the characters enough to stick around and see how they will react in the circumstances. It also felt very oddly paced. There needs to be a delicate balance between telling the love story and world-building in fantasy novels such as these, and this one was disappointingly lacking in both.
Mahurin's writing is fun and easily digestible, but there were moments where I was taken out of the story. Most memorably, Mahurin uses the phrase "poor boy" twice in two paragraphs. Stuff like that irks me, so if you're sensitive to careless phrasings, just look out for that. The book is very heavily influenced by scripture, and King James scripture at that. Plus with all the bits and pieces of what I assume to be 1800 French culture mixed in, the dialogue gets a little interesting. What makes up for all of that though is Lou, our main character. She's sarcastic and crass and mouthy, just the way I like all my female characters. She says whatever she wants and her counterpart, Reid, more than carries his weight in their conversations. I think good enemies to lover fiction must have conversations that feel like tennis matches, where characters are throwing verbal assaults back and forth, each wittier than the last.
Speaking of the characters, Mahurin does a fantastic job of toeing the line of what is morally just in this work, which I loved. The two main characters, Reid and Lou are from two different worlds, and should be enemies by definition. I think where a lot of authors miss the mark on stories like this is the nuances between right and wrong in two warring groups. This story is written in that nuance. I didn't walk away feeling like one side was more right than the other which I appreciate, and is just a nice nod to reality. And as Reid and Lou draw closer together during the course of the book, you get to see them both learn more about the other person's beliefs in a way that makes me excited to see what direction Mahurin takes with their growth and development and the overall plot in the next two books.
Once again, the story was very formulaic. It really wasn't the kind of book that I tore apart eager to get to the end. It's more the kind of book where you can guess what's about to happen before it does, but you like the characters enough to stick around and see how they will react in the circumstances. It also felt very oddly paced. There needs to be a delicate balance between telling the love story and world-building in fantasy novels such as these, and this one was disappointingly lacking in both.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexism
Characters in this book use biblical teachings to justify bigotry. It is a very heavy theme so be warned if you are at all sensitive to that or have any religious trauma.