I came into this story without having read the Serpent & Dove trilogy, while I’m sure having read that would bring me closer to the recurring cast of characters, I thought this book provided enough context so it can stand very well right on its own. Truly this book shined so spectacularly on its own. i cant technically say this is also a filler because its the last book, but it definitely has that feel for the bulk of it. i honestly dont know why this series wasnt kept as a duology. adding another book made the last two feel stretched out too thin and suffer content-wise. how it should have been: the last 1/3 of ‘blood & honey’ plus the first 1/3 and last 1/3 of ‘gods & monsters.’ it would have been a great conclusion like that! Somehow I understand why people didn't vibe with Mahurin's first series because it wasn't everyone's cup of tea, really. But at the same time, I don't see why people keep saying that this was better because (to me at least) it looks like the same beautifully artistic, slightly darker than maybe it should be extension of a great witch story...but this time with vampires! if this isnt a confession😭 (too bad it was just a scene in his head) BUT IF THIS DOESN'T MAKE THE FACT THAT ENDING WORSE??? itll truly break him that he had no choice but to make célie a vampire as her death was so unfair and he'd rather a vampire célie than a dead célie🥲

I was a little annoyed with Celie throughout the book. She was always trying to stand on her own, but then she would make horrible decisions. ESPECIALLY at the end. I was so mad when she basically forced Michal to deal with the Necromancer on their own when the whole group is available. What. Are. You. Doing? Shelby Mahurin is the author of the Serpent and Dove series. Serpent & Dove was her debut novel. She is also the author of the upcoming vampire romance book, The Scarlet Veil, which is set in the Serpent and Dove world. How Many Books Are in the Serpent and Dove Series?We have murder mysteries and gothic castles, and deadly beautiful creatures - and at the heart of it all the beginning of a love story you can sink your teeth into. Let me tell you my villain origin story, something that this book series did not even bother to have. I want to classify this series as plastic Fantasy Romance. Yes, plastic Fantasy Romance. It was great to see everyone from the first series, though I would have liked to see them more. Always a fan of Lou and Reid. But I also enjoyed all the newcomers so it balanced out. You'll have a better understanding of the characters, their relationships, the world-building, the magic system if you read Serpent&Dove first. Célie, and all of her friends, have been through a lot, and you won't be able to fully grasp any of it if you just start with TSV. The ending was pretty anticlimatic. They've gone to so much pain and shit. I went through so much just to finish this series and hoping the end will save it, but no sir that did not happen. Everything was super convinient. The villains were all handled extremely easily, like they are not the most powerful man and woman in this world and some even the oldest. They've lived for centuries and this is how they are defeated really? Morgane is supposed to be this super evil and smart villain and this is how it ends for her. Really? Disappointing is an understatement. The ending was so rushed that the author didn't really bothered to make it satisfying. Everything wraps up? That seems to be good enough. No need for it to actually be a great ending.

I loved Célie, I loved Michal, I loved the entire cast. I loved the storytelling, the gripping hold it possessed me with with its chilling sightings of spectres, grief, and heartbreak. I loved it all. Reid Diggory: A Chasseur who takes his duties as a huntsman incredibly seriously. Reid was abandoned as a baby on the steps of the Church, so views the community that has raised and trained him as more family than most. He ascended to the rank of captain after years of training. If ever there was a textbook on how to write the perfect finale to a series, Gods & Monsters would, in my mind, indisputably be the perfect example to cite. It wasn’t until finishing Gods & Monsters that I realized, wow, I haven’t read any final books in a series that I truly and throughly enjoyed. Somehow, Shelby Mahurin wove a book that is not only full of action, romance, and laughs, but she also somehow wrapped it and the entire series up in such a tidy and satisfactory way that I’m actually wondering if witchcraft is a side-hustle of hers.

In fact, Célie has already undergone such a huge transformation by the start of this. Gone is the clingy ingenue and in her place, a determined young woman who intends to protect herself (and others) by taking up a balisarda and becoming the first woman Chasseur (which I thought was pretty badass of her.) ALSO THIS MICHAL'S WORDS FROM THE B&N BONUS CHAPTER??? his words make it even more heartbreaking that now célie is a vampire😭 I smile--because I know, in this moment, my strength has never been like the others'. I am not cunning or fearless like Lou, nor am I strategic or disciplined like the Chasseurs. No. I am Célie Tremblay, Bride of Death, and my strength has always and will always be in my loved ones. My friends. I don’t think I can say too much about the love interest without getting into spoilers, but prepare to add him to the list of your favorite broody heroes. Their relationship has serious Feysand meets Phantom of the Opera vibes, and I could not have enjoyed it more. The side cast of characters was just as amazing as the secondary characters from the first trilogy, and I can’t wait for everybody to meet them. The fandom will certainly not be disappointed.

Yes, I did love the vampire story and the way they were acting and how they all have been constructed like a little Frankenstein's monster out of so many pieces of what is like to be a vampire in other well-known stories (such as Twilight and Dracula and maybe even the Vampire Diaries, who knows!!). Célie is the type of heroine we don't see often as a lead in a fantasy book - soft, kind, gentle, her mind is her strongest weapon, and her strength is the people she loves. It's very interesting to take her away from everything she's ever known and make her realize she can survive on her own. I think the only reason as to how I managed to finish this mess was the audiobook. It wasn't a great audiobook by any means, I can't say I liked the narrators (both Lou and Reid had their own narrators) and the performance wasn't the best either. I've listened to quite a few audiobooks at this point and I can see this is close to the bottom of my list from favourites to least favourites. But at least it helped me get through the novel. I usually listened while also reading along, but I have to admit there were times when I just didn't really care enough to bother understanding what I was listening to. no because when célie spoke of this... it hit HARD. like it really takes so much courage and strength to give all your pieces to someone because... what if they dont accept every part of you?? there's always that small possibility and to have to deal with the possible pain and heart break that would come with it?? so its safer to just not give someone all of you and avoid that chance of rejection😭🥹 I love them together so much omg and barely anything even happens between them in this book. The romance is so torturously slow burn and I loved every minute of it. They better end up together or I swear —A Witch Does What She Has to Do: Lou and Coco prove themselves to be amazing from the start. They begin planning a heist for a magical artifact—Angelica’s ring—and for some reason, we get the feeling this isn’t the first time they’ve done this. Walls Come Down: Unable to deny their attraction and ever-growing feelings, Lou begins to open up to Reid about her past (on the run, not as a witch) and Reid offers her a ring. A steamy scene on a rooftop follows. Neither expected to be so content with their situation, and things seem too good to be true… All Hell Braks Loose (Again): The Chasseurs arrive! Our band of heroes, with Lou in their custody, flee from the Chateau with the dire understanding that everyone inside wants them dead. They take refuge in La Fôret des Yeux. Surrounded by enemies, they need a plan to survive. I read this book hoping it will be better than the second one. But i was wrong. Very wrong. It was even worse. I originally rated it 2 stars, but I'm actually gonna lower it to 1 cosideirng how much I hated it. As much as I loved a couple of things, it cannot save it from thsi rating. It just cannot. I was miserable while reading it. I do not recommend this series. You can go for the first book. But consider it a standalone.