Series: Serpent & Dove #3
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 beforeโand none more so than Lou.
But this is no longer the Lou they thought they knew. No longer the Lou that captured a chasseurโs heart. A darkness has settled over her, and this time it will take more than love to drive it out.
โI am capable of great evil.โ The words hung in the air between us, as sentient as the mist. They waited, coiled, for my response. For my clarification. For my own truth.
I looked directly in her eyes. โWe all are.โ
I may not have been the most vocal about it, but I am not the biggest fan of this series. I just chugged my way through it since I got the ARC for Serpent & Dove. I thought maybe I could come to like it since itโs so well loved but itโs good to know I guess that thatโs not the case at all.
Set in the aftermath of the crazy conclusion of book 2, Iโm still a little quite salty about the death of a main character. Thankfully, they make a cameo appearance in some capacity in this one so thereโs some closure to their story, but Iโm still upset because theyโre my favourite of all of them.
Lou upsets me most of the time. I just canโt stand her. Iโm sorry if you loved her character, but she seems so over the top and unnecessarily trying to rile people. I understand she hasnโt had it easy in life with, you know, her mother trying to kill her and all that, but I lose my patience with her often.
Reid isnโt all that much better, but at least I enjoy him more. Together, their relationship is fun entertainment but I didnโt understand this enemies to lovers romance because they seem like such fundamentally different people. I suppose Iโm not one of those people who think opposites attract (and last).
So why isnโt this rated lower? Great question, friend.
First, 1 full extra star rating was given because I listened to this as an audiobook. I very rarely listen to audiobooks but this was a great book selection to do so. The actors voicing Reid and Lou had very entertaining voices they gave each other and it just made the drier sections of the book pass by quicker. I have to applaud them for that in some way.
Second, I donโt love Reid and Louโs relationship in any way – I stand by my opinion that there are better enemies to lovers stories out there and I donโt love the trope enough to love any couple that comes to be because of it – but the romantic angst in this one was on point. There was a reason why there was drama between them that was relevant to the plot and played a major role for what needed to happen in their final battle against Louโs mother.
Third, Shelby made one good messaging point in this book and the series that no one is righteous. Reid the holy chasseur seeking out witches and the witch who saved another from their suffering on the stake are equally capable of great evil and good. Itโs a choice to make, over and over again. That was something Lou and Reid had to learn about themselves, beyond the upbringing and world they grew up in. I think thatโs something that resonates deeply with me and I do appreciate that.
The ending wrapped up in a way I think gave proper closure to these characters if you loved them throughout the journey they took. The climax felt like it went by too quickly (we were all waiting on this since the BEGINNING of book 1), but others may be satisfied with the big battle with Morgane.
All I can say is, Gods & Monsters wasnโt for me, but at the same time, I will be fair in saying it wasnโt the worst out there. I can see why people love it, but these were the reasons why I couldnโt.
Overall Recommendation:
Gods & Monsters is a conclusion to a beloved series I just still cannot fully fathom. Listening to the audiobook version made the slower middle parts more bearable but the climax, the penultimate battle against Louโs mother and her band of witches, fell a little flat after all the set up that went into it. Iโm still not on board with Reid and Louโs relationship, but I will admit at least the romantic angst in this last book was relevant to the plot and entertaining in that way. But most of all, the most positive thing I have to say about the book, is the message that we are all capable of great evil. Itโs the choices we make that matter. If thatโs the one thing I can hold onto from this series that didnโt hit it for me, I will take it.
Down the Rabbit Hole 