Book Club - Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
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In this episode of Literature on the Rocks…
we’re back for our book club discussion of Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin, digging into the bigger themes that lingered long after we closed the book. While the magic and romance sparked mixed feelings for us, the conversations around power, choice, and survival gave us plenty to unpack.
We spent time talking about the rigid control of the Church and the limited space women were allowed to occupy in Belterra. Lou’s refusal to stay quiet or obedient led us to question how we would survive in a world where safety often depended on submission. Would we play by the rules to stay alive, or risk everything to keep our autonomy?
Lou and Reid’s forced marriage also sparked a surprisingly deep conversation. Starting a relationship out of necessity rather than choice sounds like a recipe for disaster, yet watching their dynamic evolve made us wonder how much connection can grow from shared circumstance and trust built under pressure.
Of course, we could not resist diving back into the witchcraft itself. Choosing between covens had us weighing power versus balance and instinct versus control. Whether blood magic or natural magic is more tempting says a lot about who we are, and we had strong opinions.
To wrap things up, we traded our cocktail for a mocktail that still feels magical, layered, and worthy of a coven gathering.
Coven Oath Mocktail
Ingredients:
1 oz elderflower syrup
½ oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz pomegranate juice
Sparkling water to top
Gold luster dust
Directions:
In a shaker with ice, combine elderflower syrup, lemon juice, and pomegranate juice. Shake well and strain into a chilled glass over fresh ice. Top with sparkling water and add a pinch of gold luster dust for shimmer. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and sip while deciding where your loyalty lies.
Listen in to hear where we landed on power, love, and magic and whether this witchy world ultimately won us over.
