Writing: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5

The Scarlet Veil was such a good read. I loved the Serpent & Dove series and this one was no different. I loved seeing all the characters again and I also loved all the new characters. Celie was such an interesting character from Serpent & Dove and I am glad we get a series from her POV. The only thing I don’t like is I have to wait for the second book to come out.

I received an arc and am leaving an honest review.

Coming back to Shelby’s world felt like coming home. I love this universe, and these characters more than I can properly express. And Celie! She will always be the character that surprised me most because somehow, Shelby made me love her as much as, if not more, than Lou.

Her character arch is the best character arch I have ever read in any book, and I would literally die for her. Getting to see that inner growth from inside her perspective was an absolute delight. She is definitely the character for the deconstructed “good girl” and I am just so in love with her.

Well that was a cliffhanger ending. Ugh, after 600+ pages the book had me very invested in these characters only to leave me with that ending. I was surprised by how much of the Serpent and Dove trilogy was used to launch the backstory for this book. I'm glad I read Serpent and Dove or I would have been confused. It was kind of dense at times and probably didn't need to be 600+ pages, but it was a good book.

I loved this book. I love a big book and I'm so happy it was as long as it was because I felt like I got to experience so much. Michal and Celie had such chemistry and I was squealing over their moments. I loved when he was an evil vampire overlord but still so romantic. Jean Luc was garbage and I'm glad Celie came to realize that. My critique is that sometimes Celie went ooc and slipped into a generic, foolish female lead in a ya role. When that happens my enjoyment goes down, but the author always manages to bring it back. I think the author also confused the word intelligence with ingenuity, creativity, or openminded. Because Celie was not "intelligent" she repeatedly made poor choices, especially at the end. But she was trying. And I try to give her a pass with the self-righteous behavior because of her upbringing, though the end was hard to excuse. So if you can overlook the occasional foolish and self-righteous behavior used as a writing device, this book is 100% worth the read.

I definitely went into this one a little skeptical BUT Holy shit, did it ever surprise me. I enjoyed Serpent & Dove but didn't love it BUT this definitely may end up being a top fantasy read for me. I feel like I don't read enough vampire books and everytime I read one I'm like frig I need to read more. Ok anyways, enough about me.

Cèlie Tremblay surprises the entire Kingdom when she becomes the first huntswoman, she especially surprises the captain - her fiance. Although she is part of the huntsman, she isn't treated like one and is left in the dark about most things. Which is how she finds herself being stalked and captured by a killer. While everyone is searching for her, Cèlie finds herself opening up and feeling more and more like herself.

SERIOUSLY, this book was absolutely AMAZING and that ending had me shocked and needed the next book IMMEDIATELY. Like seriously, where the f*ck is book two, I need it now

“I am so tired of being afraid” 🥀

Célie Tremblay has been THROUGH it, and she’s had enough. Enough of her weakness, enough of being a joke at Chasseur Tower, enough of Jean Luc’s suffocating protection, enough of being perceived as a pretty, porcelain doll on the verge of fracturing.
•
So what does Célie do? Investigate a series of gruesome creature murders alone, at night, in an isolated forest, and finds herself abducted by the creatures of childhood tales and nightmares: Vampires.
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And OH, these vampires are gorgeous, cold, lavish, gothic, and ruthless. These aren’t your mama’s sparkly vamps with the skin of a killer! Nope, these vampires are crafted of legend and violence. They’re delicious. 10/10 highly recommend 🖤🩸

Gah this book was SO GOOD. I savored it and really did not want it to end. And that ending? MY GOD HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK???

I loved returning to the world Shelby created in Serpent and Dove, but this time, stakes feel higher and we expand past the borders we became familiar with in the original trilogy.

The new cast of supporting characters were delightful, the vampires were terrifyingly horrific, the romance, SO SWOONY. And Celie? I love her so much.

I need the next book ASAP PLEASE AND THANK YOU

I devoured the pages, desperate to get to the end. My hunger for this book and the characters in it is insatiable. From the writing style to the exquisite word building, from the captivating storyline to the colourful characters in it, this book was truly the full package for me. I simply can’t wait for the book 2 already.

I finally finished it. I wanted to love this book but it dragged so much it was like trying to cut out all the cacophony to get to the good parts and there were so few good parts, it sent me in a reading slump till I dragged my feet to finish it. I usually DNF a book at this point but I still gave this book a chance in vain. All the ceaseless talk and talk and monologue and dragging just got to be too much.
And that ending? Really? That ending showed how a bunch of super powerful supernaturals were somehow all useless?
Very disappointing.

Thank you Netgalley and Harpercollins for an e-arc of The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin in exchange for an honest review.
I am finally back where I belong, my beloved world of Belterra and my vampire era!
Shelby Mahuin did an amazing job filling in the gaps in between The last book of her Serpent and Dove Series, Gods and Monsters, and this book. Though I think reading that trilogy prior to reading this book would be a good idea and will definitely help with the Belterra’s politics, history, and world building, it might not be necessary for everyone.
I an obsessed with Celie and her journey making history as the forst female inductee into the Chasseurs. She is determined to show everyone that she is not fragile or broken despite her past trauma.
This book is a fantasy that is perfectly laced with romance, mystery and learning who you are and what you’re made of.
Perfect fall/spooky season read as this book edges slightly darker than I thought it was going to. And I loved every dang minute of it!
5/5 stars!

Thank you, Nick ellie for an early copy of this book! First of all, I absolutely adore Shelby Mahurin and everything she freaking writes. Second of all how dare she!? That ending!!!! I was literally waiting for a really good vampire book for a while and I finally got it. I absolutely love diving back into the world serpent and dove with this new spinoff series featuring Celie and Michal. The angst and the friendship support everything in this book. I absolutely adore Odessa and Dimitri with all my heart. Also that freaking ending. Talk about a bigger cliffhanger. I will never stop raving about this book absolutely one of my all-time favorites.

“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥.”

“𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺”

Witches ✅
Vampires ✅
Ghosts ✅
Murder Mystery ✅
Angsty Romance ✅

This book checks all the boxes for an amazing spooky read!

After being peer pressured by my fellow book besties to “drop what I was doing and read this book immediately”, I have to agree that this is a book you need to read ASAP!

There’s a lot of world building and character history that makes up the first 35-40% of the book, but once the action kicked in, I couldn’t put this book down! I found myself deciding that sleep was secondary to my need to finish the book. It was worth every minute of lost sleep, BUT that cliffhanger had me screaming in frustration and messaging my book besties to ask how they could knowingly do that to me! So fair warning, there is a major cliffhanger!

If you are looking for something spooky to read than this is your book!

The Scarlet Veil is a return home to the city of Cesarine and characters we came to love, but it is anything but comforting. While this vampire romance set in the world is a spin-off and could be read on its own, I highly recommend reading the prior trilogy. You’ll be caught up on the series with the information provided, there are a lot of spoilers and more depth to the world and characters you learn about in S&D.

With that, I was never the biggest Celia fan or Jean Luc, but I came to pity her for what all she has been through in S&D. Then The Scarlet Veil came out with more of her tragic background and gut punching revelations for her past and I just wanted the best for her.

Which came in the form of Michal. Dark and dangerous is my type and the way they two of them collided had me kicking my feet. I’m begging for the next installment of the series already because the impending promise of them was not enough. The mystery and intrigue, the bread crumbs that quickly escalated to expand upon what we knew about the world, the allure of Requiem. Everything about this book captured the essence of the S&D series while adding in a vampire romance reminiscent of the vampire media Iarc up on as a young teen.

I would give my blood to read the second book already.

And also give all of Jean Luc’s blood for way less because he continues to be the most infuriating.

This is marketed to be a spin off of Mahurin's prior series, it works more as a continuation with a different lead than a true spin off. I don't think it would flow very well without having read Serpent and Dove first.
Serpent and Dove, which started as a strong enemies to lovers but lost steam in the later two books into a melancholy slow drag, Scarlet Veil continues at the same leisurely pace the original series left off.

In “The Scarlet Veil”, we get to see the continuation of Célie Tremblay’s story after the events of the Serpent & Dove trilogy as she becomes a Chasseur and embarks upon an investigation in Cesarine where she crosses paths with vampires, ghosties, all sorts of creatures, and it’s one hell of an atmospheric ride with appearances from old, beloved characters, and with the addition of new favorites!

While the whimsy of the Requiem—where Célie’s journey takes her in this book—and the introduction of captivating new characters were exciting to read about, I have to say, my favorite part of this book was just getting to see more of Célie. She starts off in Serpent & Dove as a character you want nothing more than to dismiss, but once Gods & Monsters rolls around, you really get to see how multi-dimensional she is. What “The Scarlet Veil” did, though, is expose her for the relatable heroine she is, the one you see yourself in and the one you want to root for. I just loved this journey for her.

Aside from that, I really liked seeing the mystery format this book takes, as it’s a bit different from the trajectory of Shelby’s previous books. It was fun, suspenseful, and I really truly did not at any point see where the mystery was going or where it would end up. The vibes are also immaculate, as they always are from Shelby. I feel like if you want a good vampire book for fall that taps into favorite aspects of older vampire media, this is the book for you. Throughout “The Scarlet Veil”, settings and, I don’t know, just the vibes were so reminiscent of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, Interview with the Vampire… and, yes, The Vampire Diaries. Everything you already love about vampires is here, but there’s also so much fresh life breathed into the genre (see what I did there?).

I will say, “The Scarlet Veil” has a slower start compared to Shelby’s other books, but the set-up of our new characters and world requires some groundwork to be laid out first. With that in mind, the romance is also very slow-burn in this book, but, I don’t know, I felt like the pacing worked, like it was a perfect fit for a more gothic fantasy sort of book!

I’m not going to delve into too much else because it’s really difficult without spoiling, but I just wanna say… that ending… lmao, y’all are gonna hate Shelby for the ending in this book because I know I do😀 So, have fun with that!

One last thing, though. The biggest question you might have, is whether or not you need to read the Serpent & Dove trilogy in full before starting “The Scarlet Veil”. And, like… noooo, I guess you don’t have to do that, but I genuinely wouldn’t recommend it. I think it helps a lot to have the background of the other three books first, especially in relation to who Célie is as a character and how she has evolved thus far. And, like… THE OTHER BOOKS ARE SO GOOD, I PROMISE, WHY WOULD YOU WANNA SKIP THEM😭 Seriously, I say this so often, but it’s still true two years later: Gods & Monsters is the best finale to a series I have ever read, and that is the book which really jumpstarts Célie’s development as a character. So, do with that information what you will!

I was dumb and didn't realize you need to read the Serpent and Dove series before this one, so I apologize for that and will definitely be coming back once I finish that series! But I enjoyed the first one and this one has vampires so I'm assuming this will be a win for sure

This was the first book I read by this author. The Scarlet Veil started off very slow. It took me awhile to really get into the story but overall it was just very concentrated. I didn’t connect with main characters. I had high hopes for a new vampire book but I just didn’t connect with it unfortunately.

I read serpent and dove and loved it, and I liked this as well, but I think a lot of that was immaturity in my reading tastes. I'd like to think since then my reading has matured, and so has Shelby Mahurin's work for sure, I just don't think we matured in the same exact direction. More like we t0ok 75% of the journey together, but took different forks at the last turn. This was so close to being a perfect book to me, but something about the immaturity of the main character and her being a BIT too dumb for my tastes didn't land as much as I wanted it to. Still an immensely fun ride, and one I will be eager to continue in hopes that the main cast gathers a bit more intelligence along the way.

I loved this book! Maybe even more than her original series that it spun off of. The world building is great and I love the vampire storylines as well as the twist at the end.

For anyone nursing that Serpent and Dove hangover, Scarlet Veil is the cure for you, following Célie Tremblay's story following the series. If you are picking this book up for the first time, it does provide some spoilers for the trilogy prior to it. In some series, the order is not specific, but I would have been disappointed had I read this before Serpent and Dove.

The great thing about this series is that we have the same cast of characters from the beloved trilogy; while their stories are evolving, we can appreciate why they are in the place they are because of that understanding from previous books. I'm so glad Célie has this book. While she might not have been my favorite character in Serpent and Dove, she grew on me towards the end of the series, completely stealing my heart in Scarlet Veil.

The writing is just as lyrical and beautiful, There's murder, there's romance, there's vampires, could a girl ask for more?