Morgane – JO and Behold

Gods & Monsters

By Shelby Mahurin

Let’s begin!

If you have not yet known, Gods & Monsters is the third and the last installment of the Serpent and Dove series (Serpent & Dove, Blood & Honey) by Shelby Mahurin.

This book is kind of a drag. I was so excited to read it since book 2 was such a cliff hanger but I was disappointed, a bit. 🙂 It took me a while to finish it.

What I did not like about the book was that it had too many plot twists. Warning, a few spoilers ahead!

Lou having been trapped somewhere while her body was hosted by Nicholina
Too many characters being introduced in the story that made it too much of a fantasy.. (hello the melusines and all!)
Too many mother-child dysfunctional relationship – there’s Lou and Morgane for one, Coco and Angelica, another was Nicholina’s past with her child Mathieu and let’s not forget Reid and Madame Labelle’s relationship! Too many unruly mother’s placed in one book!
Reid’s coma and memory loss – I hate that he became worst than before he even met Lou in the story! When he lost his memory he sounded more like of a Jean-Luc than Reid himself!

What I liked and what redeemed the whole story;

Jean Luc’s character build up from being someone I hated to someone I really liked — all for the love of Celie!
Beau is more lovable too.
The last few chapters about 1/4 of he book did gave justice though. The part where Reid was trying to regain his elusive memory — and what was that rated-R scene with Lou in the cabin! I’m not sure if I should place this in the like or the I don’t like but anyway this paved way to a better relationship with Lou.
There were also characters that helped them along the way, most of these were introduced on the second book.
Ansel! -Loved that the author gave Ansel a part! 🙂 Love his point of view
And lastly, that wedding..

I won’t add more I might be giving too much spoilers.

Overall, it was not how I expected it to be but then again, the last parts gave it a good spin so our conclusion is still good. Only gave it a four ⭐⭐⭐⭐on Goodreads, if not for the last few chapters’ resolve I would have given it a 3. Sorry Shelby, I still love you though. 💛💛💛

Check out Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin!

I was so excited to have this book because book one, Serpent & Dove left me hanging. I have read this last September but just got to make a proper review now because of things going on in my life. Blame the pandemic, the easiest explanation. So going back –Blood & Honey follows exactly where book one ends meaning, Serpent & Dove is a prerequisite!

Together with their group of friends, Lou and Reid must navigate ways to prevent the mass murder of the Lyon clan royals and the massacre of the witches.

Synopsis: Blood & Honey

After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

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I like how Lou and Reid’s relationship progressed being a “married couple”, and how their beliefs still stuck with them. Reid still has not accepted the use of magic which is so ironic since Lou is a witch and he is also one (spoilers for those who have not read book one!). The new characters also brought new light and feel to the adventure as they seek allies to help them conquer Morgane. Beau became a funny character which is fitting as the story moved forward. My favorite chapter of the book was ‘Until One of Us is Dead’ narrated from Reid’s point of view. I really love books with first person point of views. It depicts ownership of the story of the narrator, and for the reader it feels like he or she is the one narrating it.

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With all the good things of the book, it just did not live up to the hype I had when I read the first one. There is this what they call the second book syndrome especially when it is a series. It definitely caught this one. I still love it though but not as much as I love book one. The magic was just not at par to the first book. This is common though to series and I think it is healthy. Although not all book series caught this syndrome, hello A Court series by Sarah J. Maas 😁 and Legend series by Marie Lu to name a few good ones who got lucky and skipped the second book syndrome. The ending was again a cliff hanger and we have a third book coming up. I hope Gods & Monsters, the title for book three will redeem it.

I look forward to what happens next, that ending scene needs some explanation!😮 I cannot wait for next year’s release of book three, Gods & Monsters!!

Book Rating:

🧡🧡🧡 •5

Check out Blood & Honey on your favorite online bookstores now!