Shelby Mahurin
First off, I’d like to say that The Scarlet Veil is a spin-off of the Serpent and Dove trilogy. This means that characters from the Serpent and Dove series are present, and The Scarlet Veil may contain spoilers for the trilogy. I recommend either reading that trilogy first or checking out some recaps. There are recap videos on YouTube by the author, as well as written summaries available. This will give you a sense of who the previous characters are, how they relate to each other, and their connection to Celie.
The story
Six months have passed since Célie took her sacred vows and joined the ranks of the Chasseurs as their first huntswoman. With her fiancé, Jean Luc, as captain, she is determined to find her foothold in her new role and help protect Belterra. But whispers from her past still haunt her, and a new evil is rising. One that Célie herself must vanquish unless she falls prey to the darkness.
My opinion
I want to scream, I loved this book so much. Literally, every page brought me joy and excitement.
When Celie stumbles upon a dead body, her life turns upside down; she gets wrapped up in what seems to be a serial killer who is targeting people from Belterra. Celie has her ideas about who it could be, and she is going to do everything she can to keep both the people she loves and innocent ones safe.
The Scarlet Veil is a rich fantasy with witches, magical creatures, romance, and a murder mystery. It’s a story about finding the strength and confidence within yourself.
Celie is a fragile but strong MC who is determined not to let events of her past keep her small and filled with anxiety. Even though we see her struggling a lot with nightmares and flashbacks, Celie tries her best to regain herself and to find new strength to face the day. This is something I really admired about her. Celie isn’t the typical badass female main character; she’s soft, hopeful, and believes in the good of other people.
In The Scarlet Veil, there are quite some characters. There’s the original squad with Lou, Coco, Reid, Beau, and Jean-Luc. But we’ll also be introduced to a lot of new faces. A swoon-worthy, morally grey character and some other side characters that will bring that found family feel with them.
I loved Shelby Mahurin’s writing. Even though the book is over 600 pages, it never felt dull. Shelby took the time to make sure the reader can immerse themselves in the world, with the characters and really just fall in love.
Final thoughts
The Scarlet Veil has a lot of dark and gothic vibes, a deliciously slow-burn enemies-to-lovers with a forced proximity scene that I won’t be forgetting any time soon. I can absolutely see The Scarlet Veil becoming the next big hype!
Thank you so much Sandra @boekenzuurstof for reviewing this book for my blog! Want to read more reviews from her? Go check out her own blog.
Thank you so much @harper_reach for this ARC of The Scarlet Veil in exchange for an honest review.
Title: The Scarlet Veil
Author: Shelby Mahurin
Pages: 640
ISBN: 9780008582456
Publisher: HarperCollins
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