17 new SFF books to get nice and cozy with this September
By Lacy Baugher
Serpent and Dove – Shelby Mahurin
It’s hard to imagine a more utterly typical fantasy title than one in which a witch and a witch-hunter fall in love, but it sounds like Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent and Dove is going to do this very traditional sort of story all sorts of justice.
Louise le Blanc is a witch, one who has spent most of her life trying to leave her magical heritage behind her in this world where such women are burned at the stake on sight by the Church’s Chasseurs. Fleeing to the city of Cesarine, Louise attempts to make a life off the proverbial grid, forsaking her magic and living by her wits.
As one of the Church’s witch hunters, Reid Diggory has devoted his life to eradicating the occult. Due to some unforeseen circumstances he and Louise are forced to marry, and if you’ve read any book recently you know exactly where this is going, as messy emotions and dark secrets collide. And we are likely all extremely here for it. (These are the romance tropes we live for as readers, after all! Marriage of convenience! Enemies to lovers! Sign me up! )
The official synopsis basically confirms this fact.
"Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned. Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony. The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made. And love makes fools of us all"
(I don’t know about you guys but I need to read this right now.)
Serpent and Dove is available on September 3.