Summary
This dark and thrilling vampire romance—set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series—is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas!
Célie Tremblay has always been a good girl: kind and beautiful, a daughter of whom every parent would be proud. She surprises the entire kingdom when she defies tradition to become the first huntswoman—including her new captain and fiancé, Jean Luc, who rules the huntsmen with an iron fist. He isn’t the only one concerned for Célie’s safety, however. Though her friends try to protect her from the horrors of her past, mysterious whispers still haunt her, and a new evil is rising in Belterra—leaving bodies in its wake, each one drained of blood.
Determined to prove herself in her new role, Célie tracks the killer to the lair of Les Éternels—ancient creatures only spoken about in nursery rhymes—and catches the attention of their king, a monster who hides his plans for her behind beautiful words and sharp smiles. Now Célie has a new reason to fear the dark because the closer he gets, the more tempted she feels to give in to his dark hunger—and her own.
Facts
Published: Sept 2023
Length: 640
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Hardback
Review
I started this book back in January and then realised that I should read Serpent and Dove first, so I popped it back on the shelf and I didn’t pick it up again until a few days ago.
My god, I haven’t read a vampire novel that’s had me in this much of a chokehold in literal years. I read this whole thing in two days; I just didn’t want to put it down! I thought it was so much better than Serpent and Dove, for one Michal is much more palatable than Ried (who will forever give me Chaol vibes).
I also really enjoyed Celie. This is a woman who has already suffered so much and now she has been abducted by Les Eternals and is taken back to their secret island. Her character development was fantastic, I loved watching her grow and realise that the life she’d imagined for herself wasn’t what she wanted anymore. The relationship between her and Michal grows slowly and I just thought it was perfectly executed because it just kind of creeps up on them.
The storyline is intriguing and that’s what kept me reading I needed to know who this shadow man was and why he needed Celie. The twists and turns of this story were just sublime, like I could not predict what was going to happen next and I loved it. I mean I should have seen the ending coming but I so did not and I cannot wait for the next book to come out in March 2025!
My Rating: 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
About the Author
Shelby Mahurin grew up on a small farm in rural Indiana, where sticks became wands and cows became dragons. Her rampant imagination didn’t fade with age, so she continues to play make-believe every day—with words now instead of cows. When not writing, Shelby watches the Office and obsesses over her Twitter feed. She still lives near that childhood farm with her very tall husband, semi-feral toddlers, two dogs, and one cat.
Books & Other Pursuits 