Skip to main content

Gods & Monsters (Serpent & Dove #3) by Shelby Mahurin

"A heartfelt and satisfying ending to an entertaining, fast paced, exciting and interesting series. Mahurin's world of Belterra is complex and intricate one and it seems that she'll be expanding on it in her next novel. Perhaps I'll read the next novel for now, I've finished the series and am content to take a break from Belterra for now."

5 Stars

Pros: Same cast of characters, so there weren't too many people to remember/The scenes with Ansel were heart wrenching/All the characters have an amusing and entertaining repartee and it's fun to have them all together.  

Cons: Mahurin has a tendency to overuse terms, such as "my legs grew roots" as in, the character was rooted to the spot, so that was somewhat irritating/I wish Mahurin had expounded upon what exactly happened to Claud Deveraux but perhaps that's for another book. 

Full Review: 

Our weary travelers are on their way to Chateau Le Blanc, to face Morgane on her own turf. After the disastrous events of the end of Blood & Honey, Lou is determined to face her mother and defeat her once and for all. Of course, there is that small problem of Lou not actually being in control of her own body. The betrayal of Josephine and the Dame Rouges and Nicholina taking possession of Lou at the end of Blood & Honey was unexpected and makes for an interesting first part of the novel. 

Everyone notices that Lou is not acting like herself but no one can quite make out what's going on. In their travels they spend the night in a church in a far off village. The Priest there knows who they are, there are wanted posters with their faces on them everywhere, but he lets them stay regardless. In the morning, someone very unexpected comes to the door and explains what brought her there. 

She claims there's a demon inhabiting a lighthouse not far from there and if they go with her they can gather her carriage and travel much easier to the Chateau. Of course, it's not a demon at all but Thierry, one of the twins from Troupe De Fortune who was kidnapped in the Catacombs below Cesarine at the end of Blood & Honey. He manages to explain that it was Morgane who kidnapped them and tortured them. They promise that he'll get the chance at revenge if they travel with him and so he does.

The reason for Lou's mysterious behavior is eventually realized and dealt with but of course, in so doing, the group leaves themselves open and vulnerable to attack. They find help with the Melusines, the Mermaids. And as their list of allies grows, Louise is more determined than ever to face her mother and bring this horrible battle to an end. 

She does and though there were rough, gritty parts, overall the book was one of hope and love and the belief in new beginnings. It was a good conclusion to the series, a bit saccharine but I am completely okay with that.

For now it seems that Lou and Reid's story of star crossed lovers has come to a satisfying and sweet end but it would appear that Mahurin is not done with Belterra yet. If I feel so inclined, I'll pick up her next book The Scarlet Veil to see how that expands upon the Belterra universe, but for now I am content. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood  clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage.   2 Stars Pros:  Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel.  Cons:  Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end.  Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...
Post a Comment
Read more

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars.  Pros:  Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place.  Cons:  The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact.  Full Review:  When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone."  5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way.  Cons:  Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager.  Full Review:  It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...
Post a Comment
Read more