Have you ever read a book that has you questioning every rating you’ve given to every other book you have read? I want to subtract a star from every other rating I have given and give all those stars to Serpent & Dove because this book has me obsessing. I’m so thankful there is a sequel coming out next fall, but now I have to patiently wait. If you have a conversation with me in the next year, chances are that this book will come up.

Louise, “Lou,” is a witch although she left her coven two years ago to live the life of a street thief in Cesarine. The thief life is not elegant, but she survives with her best friend Coco, a blood witch of a different coven, by her side. Reid is a Chasseur. Chasseurs are sworn to the church to protect their land from witches. They must kill any witch they come upon. Strange circumstances bring Lou and Reid together in marriage. How can a witch survive being married to a Chasseur, and how can a Chasseur maintain his vows to the church while living with a witch? Relationship status: It’s complicated.

The author drops the reader right into the middle of the story and in the midst of conflict. There is no slowness to this story, and I loved every word of it. If you are a fantasy reader who appreciates pages and pages of descriptive world building, this book might not be as enjoyable for you. I enjoy a fantasy story with a lot of character interaction and energy, so this story was written for me. Sometimes when a book starts slowly with heavy descriptions, I get lost. There is still plenty of world and character building woven throughout the quickly paced drama.

Serpent & Dove is definitely written as more of a New Adult book than Young Adult. New Adult is a newer genre that is emerging to fit the ages of 18-30. There is some cursing, which would be my only minor complaint, not because I have a problem with cursing but more because the cursing felt out of place within this world. I believe the author used this to solidify how hard the world has made Lou and to demonstrate the stark differences between Lou and Reid, who grew up in the church. There are also a few violent scenes that are, in my opinion, too graphic for a young adult audience.

Content Warnings:

• Graphic violence
• Witchcraft
• Assault
• Suicide ideation (very briefly, but worth mentioning)

I love all the characters in this story. I felt like the author did a great job of making them all multi-dimensional. Even the antagonists had plausible reasons behind their actions. The world and characters are built well throughout the book, and I feel fully prepared to return to this world for the sequel. I will be in for a reread of this book before the sequel releases because I loved it that much. It also helps that this book was a very quick read. Don’t let the 515 pages intimidate you because it passes very quickly. I was finished in less than 48 hours, mainly because I could not let it out of my sight.

My tastes are quickly sliding towards fantasy books like this one, and I have quite a few on my shelf to read this month. There are several similar series that I am looking forward to diving into in the next few months. Do you have any fantasy recommendations for me? You can purchase Serpent & Dove on Amazon, and believe me when I say that it will be worth your time and money.