Serpent & Dove is a fantasy novel published in 2019.
This cozy read has quickly gained popularity on social media and elsewhere.
This article answers some common questions about this book, so keep on reading if you’re curious!
What is Serpent & Dove about?
Louise le Blanc fled from her coven. She has been living in Cesarine ever since, suppressing her magic.
Reid Diggory is a witch hunter, and a respected one at that.
After some unfortunate incidents, Lou and Reid end up in marriage.
However, her enemies and past are starting to catch up to her. Lou must make impossible choices that get her further tangled up in her lies.
Who is Lou?
Louise “Lou” le Blanc is one of our main characters.
She is a Dame Blanche witch who fled from her coven two years before Serpent & Dove takes place.
Lou’s mother raised her to be a sacrifice for a spell. In other words, her mother raised her to die.
She is an 18-year-old with a fierce soul. Lou is quite brave and wants to enjoy life to the fullest.
Despite putting up a brave facade most of the time, she also has moments of sensitivity and fearfulness on the inside.
Lou also has a sarcastic sense of humor and adores sticky buns.
She sets out to shake the seriousness out of Reid. As a result, Lou tries to encourage her “Chass” to loosen up a bit and enjoy life more.
Who is Reid?
Reid Diggory is a 20-year-old witch hunter, or a chasseur.
He is a very meticulous and honourable person. Therefore, he respects authorities and stands by his principles.
Reid is also one of the main characters we follow in this book.
He is quite serious and stubborn.
It is safe to say that Lou greatly shakes up his life when she enters it.
Lou and Reid end up in a marriage of convenience. Reid despises this of course, but he does keep himself accountable to his vows.
Where and when is Serpent & Dove set?
Serpent & Dove is set in 1700s France. It takes place in the kingdom of Belterra, and more specifically, in a city called Cesarine.
Is Serpent & Dove a young-adult book?
Serpent & Dove is a YA fantasy book.
There’s no graphic violence or otherwise mature scenes. However, there is one sex scene, but again, it’s not very graphic or detailed and doesn’t last long.
The writing contains a lot of dialogue, which is very characteristic for a YA novel.
Does Serpent & Dove have a sequel?
Yes, Serpent & Dove does have a sequel. It is a trilogy actually.
Serpent & Dove is the first book, followed by Blood & Honey.
The last book, Gods & Monsters, came out in summer of 2021.
Can Serpent & Dove be read as a stand-alone?
Most series’ first installments can be read as stand-alones, which is the case for Serpent & Dove as well.
In short, the book is its own story and doesn’t end with a huge cliffhanger.
Whose point of view is Serpent & Dove written in?
Serpent & Dove switches between Reid’s and Lou’s POVs. As a result, it is very entertaining to follow.
As a result, the point of view changes bring a nice change of pace to the story.
Does Serpent & Dove have romance?
Yes! Serpent & Dove has a romance that leaves you grinning with the tooth-rotting-sweet fluff.
Moreover, relationship development is mostly at the forefront of the book.
Is Serpent & Dove an enemies-to-lovers story?
Yes, Serpent & Dove is an enemies-to-lovers story. In fact, it is almost a textbook version of it at that.
The characters are on the opposing sides (a witch and a witch hunter) and they also don’t like each other at the beginning.
The characters also aren’t afraid to show it, so it paves way to the banter we all know and love.
Does Serpent & Dove contain LGBTQ+ elements?
Serpent & Dove features a heterosexual romance.
There is one character that is bisexual, but other than that, there are no LGBTQ+ characters.
Will there be a movie of Serpent & Dove?
I do not know of any plans for an adaptation of Serpent & Dove coming to the big screen.
However, the series is quite popular, so never say never!
Which tropes are featured in Serpent & Dove?
Serpent & Dove features a marriage of convenience, there’s-only-one-bed, as well as the grumpy-and-sunshine trope.
The Characters in Serpent & Dove
Serpent & Dove features a very extensive set of characters. And here is a small introduction for each of them, so that you may know a bit about them before heading into the book.
I have also marked any possible spoilers.
Lou and Reid
As mentioned above, Lou and Reid are our two main characters. The story is told from their point of views, and we also follow their journey throughout the book.
Coco
Coco Monvoisin is Lou’s closest friend. She is also a witch, but she isn’t a Dame Blanche like Lou is. Coco is a Dame Rouge, so she uses her blood to cast her magic.
Ansel
Ansel Diggory is a young Chasseur-in-training. He is very kind and wants to prove himself. So he becomes a good friend to Lou while she is at the tower.
Beau
Beauregard Lyon is a prince of Belterra. He is quite a personality and also far from the prestigious prince most expect him to be.
Jean Luc
Jean Luc Toussaint is a fellow Chasseur. He is also Reid’s oldest friend. However, Jean Luc is jealous of Reid. This has caused a strain in their relationship.
Célie
Célie Tremblay is Reid’s childhood friend. They were also in a romantic relationship. After the death of Célie’s sister, Filippa, Célie became angry and devastated. She rejected Reid’s marriage proposal and told him to focus on his career as a Chasseur.
Morgane
Morgane le Blanc is La Dame des Sorcières, which essentially means that she is the head witch in her coven. She is Lou’s mother and wants to sacrifice Lou for a spell.
Helene Labelle
Helen Labelle or Madame Labelle is the owner of the Bellerose. She is a mysterious woman who seems to know more than others.
MILD [SPOILERS] AHEAD
Estelle
Estelle is an actress who works at the Theater Soleil et Lune, where Lou has set up her living space. She tries to help Lou to the best of her ability. Later, she turns out to be a Dame Blanche.
La Voisin
La Voisin, or Josephine Monvoisin, is a head of the Dame Rouge. She is also Coco’s aunt. We don’t find out anything else about her in this book.
Why is the book called Serpent & Dove?
Although the author doesn’t explicitly point this out, I can give you my best guesses.
Reid is the dove, seen as innocent and pure. The serpent, or Lou, tries to take away that innocence. She is cunning, sneaky and manipulative, as snakes are often characterized.
There is also a line in the Bible where it says to “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” In the Bible, this part essentially means to be aware of the dangers to come, but innocent of any wrongdoing.
Reid represents this carefulness and justice. Lou’s past is catching up to her, bringing forth dangers.
Also, many characters call Lou a serpent for being sneaky and “luring” Reid into her trap.
And Reid sees doves in different states throughout the book, representing his feelings and place inside him.
In short, there are many nods to the title in the book.
SPOILERS END HERE
Similar books to Serpent & Dove
If you’ve finished Serpent & Dove and are looking for books to read next to get you over that book hangover, I’ve got some recommendations!
Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin – It probably goes without saying, but if you enjoyed Serpent & Dove, you should pick up the sequel. Picking up right from where Serpent & Dove left off, you’ll stay connected to the world and characters.
Bone Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Burdie – This awesome duology features Ailesse and Bastien as the main couple. In this world, Bone Criers wield magic through energy drawn from animal bones. A Bone Crier killed Bastien’s father. Ailesse is a Bone Crier and Bastien wants to seek revenge on behalf of his father. This enemies-to-lovers is just what you need if you are looking for a similar YA fantasy to Serpent & Dove.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco – this book is about witches with a swoon-worthy, slow-burn romance and a peculiar mystery. Need I say more? This is another enemies-to-lovers story that is filled to the brim with good banter and amazing magic. this series is sure to keep you turning pages until the very end.
Quotes from Serpent & Dove
“I was no one’s sacrifice. Not then. Not now. Not ever.”
“Love makes fools of us all, darling.”
“There are some things that can’t be changed with words. Some things have to be seen. They have to be felt.”
“Maybe men can learn a thing or two from women.”
SOME SPOILERY QUOTES
“I loved her. Despite everything. Despite the lies, the betrayal, the hurt. Despite the Archbishop and Morgane le Blanc. Despite my own brothers. I don’t know if she returned that love, and I didn’t care. If she was destined to burn in Hell, I would burn with her.”
“Why the fuck is everyone in this kingdom trying to murder my wife?”
“Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay.”
“This is how you touch a woman.” I pressed into him harder for emphasis, grabbing his hand and bringing it between my legs. “This is how you touch me.”
SPOILERS END HERE
Thank you for reading! Be sure to leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Written by Alexandra
