Review: Gods and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin

BOOK STATS

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Title: Gods & Monsters
Author: Shelby Mahurin
Series: Serpent & Dove #3
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Audience: YA/NA
Format: Hardcover
Length: 624 pages
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: July 27, 2021
Source: Personal collection
Recommended for fans of: ACOTAR, From Blood and Ash

SYNOPSIS

The spellbinding conclusion to the New York Times and IndieBound bestselling trilogy Serpent & Dove. This stunning fantasy take on French witches and forbidden love is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

Evil always seeks a foothold. We must not give it one.

After a heartbreaking loss, Lou, Reid, Beau, and Coco are bent on vengeance more than ever before—and none more so than Lou.

But this is no longer the Lou they thought they knew. No longer the Lou that captured a chasseur’s heart. A darkness has settled over her, and this time it will take more than love to drive it out.

MY THOUGHTS

The best thing about this series is the characters. I absolutely adore the found family and the romance, and I’m sad my time with them is over.

Despite my love for the characters, I had a few issues with this conclusion. I was not a fan of a particular plot device that created unnecessary conflict between Lou and Reid when there were so many other potential sources of conflict that could’ve been explored. Considering the length of the book, the story should’ve been way more epic. Even though the book was building toward a final battle, the journey felt disjointed, and the final battle didn’t completely make sense to me.

I would give the plot three stars, but the way Shelby Mahurin writes characters deserves four. The epilogue gave me all the feels. This isn’t a perfect series, but I recommend it to readers looking for a witchy fantasy romance that’s perfect for spooky season!