Serpent & Dove Book Review (Serpent & Dove Series Book One)

Before I begin my review of Serpent & Dove, I’d like to inform the reader that this story includes nudity and a glossed over sex scene. (For the more daring reader, this appears pages 340 and ends on page 346, if you wanted to read the rest of the book and skip the scene. Avoiding said pages will not inhibit your knowledge of the storyline.)

With that taken care of, let’s get down to the good stuff. Serpent & Dove creates the perfect mash-up of the incompatible. The concept of having a witch-hunter and a witch concealed as a regular person marry is both unique and ingenious. Not just any witch and witch-hunter, either: Lou (short for Louise) remains a feisty force to be reckoned with despite the thoughts on women within the world these characters reside in, and Reid matches her flair with his steadfast opinions and ruthless skill wielding a Balisarda (a dagger immune to magic). Together, they clash often but soon learn tolerance for the other, which is easier said than done within their setting. Though Mahurin doesn’t mention a time period, it contains a distinct place where women are looked down on with disdain and religion ranks equal with the government if not higher than. It adds another layer of tension between our characters, a male witch-hunter and a female witch, who the society there considers the devil’s spawn for her magic. In addition to all this, I love the title Serpent & Dove; doves are strong symbols of purity and serpents malice. At the beginning of the book, the title seems straightforward: Lou, the witch, would be a serpent and Reid the dove. As the plot progresses, however, alliances shift, secrets are revealed, people take action, and the concepts of purity and malice become muddled and confusing, a major theme of the book. Mahurin does not mention within the story which character represents the dove and which the serpent, but I would guess none of them. A thoughtful yet fast-paced read that is certain to turn heads.

Recommended for anyone who’s seen the world as clear-cut for far too long.

-Grace Nask