Scan barcode
pragmaticallypassionate_reader's review against another edition
2.0
Where do we start with this one? I want to have a nice, concise little review, but I gotta ramble.
I had such a hard time with Serpent & Dove. I mean, what's not to like? Witches vs witch-hunters, a 'forbidden romance,' and a French-inspired world.
But I didn't like Lou very much, Reid irritated me, the magic made no sense, the plot meandered, and the world-building was minimal.
I won't be too harsh because I know this was a debut. I also listened to it on audiobook, which may have contributed to some of my bland feelings, because fantasy can just be really hard to follow on audiobook for me (I tend to be a rather visual person).
I simply would like to explain what bothered me in this book, soooo, bullet points:
* Characters felt flat. Really all of them. Lou, Reid, Coco, Ansel, etc. Nothing grabbed me about any of them. Dialogue felt forced and contrived for plot purposes. Reid especially got really weird and inconsistent at the end.
* Romance was unbelievable to me. I'm not even gonna critique the marriage of convenience, cause it did seem to fit in the world of the Chasseurs. But spending 2 weeks hating each other and then having gushy feelings? Ehhhh, I don't know.
* There was a lack of world-building. I couldn't picture hardly any of the places the characters were, and lots of contextual details seemed to be left out.
* The magic was not clearly defined. I don't need Brandon-Sanderson-level logical magic systems to be happy. But there were a lot of inconsistencies, and most aspects of the magic weren't explained, or were explained way too far into the story.
* Oh, also, nothing happened until like 60% through the book. It was very slow with no direction for most of the book. Lou and Reid had to get married? Great. Why are we just watching them talk about how they hate each other and fight over who sleeps in the bathtub for like 100 pages? Angelica's Ring. What's that? Why are we stealing it? No one knows because it's never really explained.
So, yeah. Serpent & Dove just didn't do it for me as a fantasy book. It felt more like a romance book set very loosely in a fantasy world. If that's what you're looking for, then this book is for you. I am still undecided whether I will read the next book to give the whole series a try.
I had such a hard time with Serpent & Dove. I mean, what's not to like? Witches vs witch-hunters, a 'forbidden romance,' and a French-inspired world.
But I didn't like Lou very much, Reid irritated me, the magic made no sense, the plot meandered, and the world-building was minimal.
I won't be too harsh because I know this was a debut. I also listened to it on audiobook, which may have contributed to some of my bland feelings, because fantasy can just be really hard to follow on audiobook for me (I tend to be a rather visual person).
I simply would like to explain what bothered me in this book, soooo, bullet points:
* Characters felt flat. Really all of them. Lou, Reid, Coco, Ansel, etc. Nothing grabbed me about any of them. Dialogue felt forced and contrived for plot purposes. Reid especially got really weird and inconsistent at the end.
* Romance was unbelievable to me. I'm not even gonna critique the marriage of convenience, cause it did seem to fit in the world of the Chasseurs. But spending 2 weeks hating each other and then having gushy feelings? Ehhhh, I don't know.
* There was a lack of world-building. I couldn't picture hardly any of the places the characters were, and lots of contextual details seemed to be left out.
* The magic was not clearly defined. I don't need Brandon-Sanderson-level logical magic systems to be happy. But there were a lot of inconsistencies, and most aspects of the magic weren't explained, or were explained way too far into the story.
Spoiler
(what are patterns? how does Lou see gold chains/threads/strings for her magic sometimes? these types of things. Literally, Coco's magic made more sense than our main character's magic.)* Oh, also, nothing happened until like 60% through the book. It was very slow with no direction for most of the book. Lou and Reid had to get married? Great. Why are we just watching them talk about how they hate each other and fight over who sleeps in the bathtub for like 100 pages? Angelica's Ring. What's that? Why are we stealing it? No one knows because it's never really explained.
Spoiler
(or used? why aren't we using the magic, invisibility-inducing ring more? sounds rad and very useful.)So, yeah. Serpent & Dove just didn't do it for me as a fantasy book. It felt more like a romance book set very loosely in a fantasy world. If that's what you're looking for, then this book is for you. I am still undecided whether I will read the next book to give the whole series a try.
30dollarbookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
madeleinedavis97's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
myknos's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
SO BORING!
danidavar's review against another edition
3.0
2,5 ⭐
Una historia que va a tener 0 unidades de relevancia en mi memoria. Ha sido entretenida, pero sin llegar a engancharme ni querer coger el libro en mis ratos libres.
La historia de amor entre los dos personajes no me interesaba en lo más mínimo, y no he llegado a creerme en ningún momento que se pudieran enamorar (me ha parecido un poco insta-love, para ser sincero).
Respecto al mundo... tampoco ha sido nada innovador. Me ha dado la sensación de que muchas escenas de magia eran ilógicas o no cumplían las normas que la autora nos había presentado desde un primer momento.
En general, ha sido una novela muy juvenil y que se lee bastante rápido, pero que para mi gusto decae con el avance de las páginas. No creo que siga con la trilogía.
Una historia que va a tener 0 unidades de relevancia en mi memoria. Ha sido entretenida, pero sin llegar a engancharme ni querer coger el libro en mis ratos libres.
La historia de amor entre los dos personajes no me interesaba en lo más mínimo, y no he llegado a creerme en ningún momento que se pudieran enamorar (me ha parecido un poco insta-love, para ser sincero).
Respecto al mundo... tampoco ha sido nada innovador. Me ha dado la sensación de que muchas escenas de magia eran ilógicas o no cumplían las normas que la autora nos había presentado desde un primer momento.
En general, ha sido una novela muy juvenil y que se lee bastante rápido, pero que para mi gusto decae con el avance de las páginas. No creo que siga con la trilogía.
hellobookmate's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this book so much! I was torn between wanted to know how it ended and not wanting it to end
calliesmom's review against another edition
4.0
4.5⭐️
I'm absolutely obsessed with this enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, magic focused world. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book
I'm absolutely obsessed with this enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy sunshine, magic focused world. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book
maywriter13's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
13_dear_reader_13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75