In Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove, Reid Diggory is a gifted Chasseur; a sworn member of the church whose duty is to hunt and burn witches. Lou le Blanc is a dangerous witch in hiding who has fled from her coven and steals what she needs to survive. Reid and Lou are sworn enemies until a twist of fate forces Reid and Lou into holy matrimony.
Serpent & Dove is one of my favourite books, so I compiled a list of 10 books that fellow Serpent & Dove fans will probably enjoy. I thought Serpent & Dove fans would like these books because they are also in the romance and/ or fantasy genres and they have similar themes/plotlines as Serpent & Dove (e.g. good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, quest for power, change versus tradition, fate versus freewill, desire to escape, and appearance versus reality).
1. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
After Jude’s parents are murdered, Jude and her two sisters are kidnapped and forced to live in the High Court of Faerie. Jude is disliked among the fey (especially by Prince Carden) because she is human; so, Jude must resort to tricks and violence if she wants to climb up the Court’s hierarchy. But, when betrayal threatens the safety of the Court, Jude must make an unlikely alliance to save her sisters.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, quest for power, and change versus tradition
2. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
When a young scholar named Diana uncovers a bewitched manuscript (Ashmole 782) in the Oxford library, she sends it back to the stacks because she doesn’t want anything to do with her witch heritage. But, when daemons, vampires, and other magical beings begin appearing in the library, Diana discovers that Ashmole 782 is an important and powerful document that was hidden because it is highly coveted. While trying to stay safe and uncover the secrets of Ashmole 782, Diana befriends a vampire and geneticist named Matthew Clairmont.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against veil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, and fate versus freewill
3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
After Feyre kills a faerie that looks like a wolf in the forest, she is kidnapped and taken to live in with her captor in a faerie court. As Feyre starts to grow closer to her captor (the High Lord of the Spring Court named Tamlin), she uncovers dangers threatening both the faerie lands as well as her family in the human world.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, and fate versus freewill
4. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
During his final year at the Watford School of Magicks, Simon Snow (a.k.a. the chosen one) attempts to defeat the Insidious Humdrum (an evil creature who creates magickal dead spots) and figure out whether or not his handsome roommate (Baz Pitch) is a vampire.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, quest for power, and fate versus freewill
5. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
A retelling of “Beauty and the Beast”, Prince Rhen of Emberfall is cursed by an enchantress to repeat the autumn season until he can get a girl to fall in love with him. Harper, a young girl with cerebral palsy who will do anything to help her sick Mother, is stollen away from her family in Washington D.C. and is forced to live with Rhen in Emberfall. As Harper starts to settle into her new role as a Princess, she eventually gets torn between helping her struggling family in Washington and saving her new home in Emberfall.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, fate versus freewill, desire to escape, and appearance versus reality
6. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
After tragedy strikes in the Shadowhunter world, Julian Blackthorn, his younger siblings, and his parabatai (sworn fighting partners who cannot have romantic relationships with each other) Emma Carstairs are left to fend for themselves. While struggling to care for the younger children, Emma and Julian must stop major demonic events from occurring within the city and resist their growing romantic feelings for each other.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good versus evil, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, and appearance versus reality
7. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The first son of the United States (Alex) and Prince Henry hate each other. When disgraceful photos of the pair are published, Alex and Henry are forced to pretend to be best friends in order to salvage their reputations. But, when friendship starts to turn into a romantic relationship, Alex and Henry must determine what they are willing sacrifices in order to be together.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, fate versus freewill, and appearance versus reality
8. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
When Alina’s best friend is injured while their regiment is crossing the shadow fold (a darkness filled with monsters), Alina uses a dormant power to save his life. As a result, the Darkling brings Alina to the royal court to train with the Grisha (magical elite). As, Alina’s unique powers grow stronger, she uncovers secrets that could be the key to destroying the shadow fold and ending the war.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, secrecy and lies, quest for power, fate versus freewill, desire to escape, and appearance versus reality
9. The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
After finally breaking the curse that weakened her magic and confined her to the marshlands for years, Elena struggles to return to her former role as the vine witch at the Château Renard vineyards; especially since Elena’s beloved vineyard is now in the possession of Jean-Paul Martel (an amateur vigneron who believes in science, not magic). In order to save her home from the evil hexes covering the vineyard, Elena will have to hide her identity while secretly planning her revenge against the sorcerer who cursed her.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, and appearance versus reality
10. The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
Bookworm Becca and star football player Brett start fake dating in order to get their friends off their backs. Shortly after, Brett’s perfect world falls a part and Becca reveals her continued to struggle to overcome pain from her past. As a result, Brett and Becca discover that they have more in common than they expected and the lines between real and fake begin to blur.
Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, secrecy and lies, and appearance versus reality
I’m so excited to read The Discovery of Witches. I hear it’s a great book 🙂 great post!