Blood & Honey
“Blood & Honey” by Shelby Mahurin is the second installment in the “Serpent & Dove” trilogy, a young adult fantasy-romance series. Following a near-fatal encounter with the Dames Blanches, protagonists Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel become fugitives, fleeing from coven, kingdom, and church. The narrative revolves around their journey to secure allies while navigating escalating dangers, including deadly witches and internal conflicts. The book shifts tone from the first installment, focusing more on tension and survival than romance. Key themes include loyalty, sacrifice, and the struggle between destiny and choice. The novel ends on a cliffhanger, setting up the trilogy’s conclusion. With 528 pages, it expands the dark, magical world of Belterra while deepening character arcs and conflicts.
Sanctuary: Reid
byMahurin, Shelby
The chapter opens with a tense confrontation between Reid and Blaise, a loup garou whose son, Adrien, was killed by Reid’s fellow Chasseurs. Blaise reveals the depth of his loss, explaining how Adrien was adopted after his biological parents were slain and how Blaise’s mate later took his own life in grief. Reid, overwhelmed by guilt, struggles to respond as Blaise demands retribution for the bloodshed. The emotional exchange underscores the cyclical nature of violence and the personal toll it takes on both sides.
As the confrontation escalates, the environment suddenly shifts when ice spreads across the battlefield, a manifestation of Lou’s unchecked magical rage. Blaise and Reid are momentarily distracted by the unnatural phenomenon, which immobilizes both Chasseurs and loup garou alike. Blaise panics upon hearing his surviving son, Terrance, howl in anguish, and he rushes to his aid. Reid follows, realizing Lou is at the center of the chaos, wielding her power destructively while her companions try in vain to restrain her.
The scene descends into further chaos as Lou, seemingly detached and cold, manipulates the ice with terrifying precision. She taunts Reid with a stolen Balisarda, a weapon belonging to Jean Luc, who attacks her in a fit of rage. Reid intervenes, attempting to reason with Lou, who appears lost in her own power. Coco warns Reid that Lou must melt the ice, but Jean Luc’s violent interference complicates the situation. Reid is torn between defending Lou and aiding Coco, highlighting the desperation of the moment.
In the final moments, Reid manages to reach Lou, holding her and pleading for her to reverse the ice’s spread. Lou, though eerily vacant, responds to his touch and agrees to melt the ice, declaring her willingness to do anything for those she loves. The chapter ends on a chilling note, emphasizing Lou’s self-destructive devotion and the precariousness of their situation. Reid’s internal conflict and the looming threat of further violence leave the reader anticipating the consequences of Lou’s actions.
FAQs
1. What is the significance of Blaise revealing his son’s name to Reid, and how does this moment impact their confrontation?
Answer:
Blaise’s revelation that his slain son was named Adrien serves as a powerful emotional catalyst in the confrontation. By humanizing his loss—sharing intimate details like holding Adrien as a newborn and his mate’s subsequent suicide—Blaise forces Reid to confront the personal devastation wrought by his actions as a Chasseur. The shame Reid feels (“self-loathing burned up my throat”) underscores his growing moral conflict, making their fight not just physical but existential. This moment shifts the dynamic from predator/prey to a charged reckoning with guilt, as Blaise declares, “you owe me blood,” framing violence as both retribution and inevitability despite their mutual reluctance.2. Analyze Lou’s use of ice magic in this chapter. What does her behavior reveal about her emotional state and its consequences?
Answer:
Lou’s ice magic erupts as a manifestation of uncontrolled rage and trauma. The description of ice “devouring” the forest and her “hollow eyes” paired with a “cold smile” suggests she’s dissociated, wielding power destructively to protect Reid (“Did the ice save you?”). Her actions mirror her mother’s feared abilities, but the collateral damage—loup garou and Chasseurs alike trapped or maimed—highlights her dangerous instability. Reid’s horror (“What had Lou done?”) and Coco’s desperate pleas emphasize that Lou’s love, while fierce, has crossed into self-annihilation (“sacrifice her humanity”). The scene critiques the cost of unchecked vengeance, as her magic nearly kills allies like Terrance.3. How does the chapter juxtapose Reid’s past identity as a Chasseur with his current loyalties?
Answer:
Reid’s internal conflict is starkly illustrated through contrasts: his reflexive combat stance (“unsheathed a second blade”) clashes with his verbal plea (“I don’t want to fight you”). His visceral shame over killing Adrien—admitting he never knew the victim’s name—erodes his Chasseur ideology of dehumanizing loups garou. Yet when Lou threatens the pack, he physically restrains Blaise, prioritizing her safety over reconciliation. The chapter frames Reid as straddling two worlds: his ingrained violence surfaces (tackling Blaise, punching a Chasseur), but his choices increasingly align with protecting the marginalized, symbolized by his desperate attempt to “defend [Lou’s] back.”4. Interpret the symbolic meaning of the Balisarda in this scene. Why is its theft significant?
Answer:
The Balisarda—a weapon designed to kill magical beings—becomes a twisted trophy when Lou steals Jean Luc’s. Its bloody display (“lifted into the air”) inverts its purpose: now a witch wields it against its creator, symbolizing reclaimed power and cyclical violence. For Reid, it triggers dread (“realization dawned swift and brutal”), as the weapon he once used to hunt Lou’s kind now endangers his former comrades. The Balisarda’s shifting ownership mirrors the chapter’s themes of retribution and blurred lines between hunter/hunted, while foreshadowing Lou’s potential descent into the same brutality she opposes.5. Evaluate Terrance’s injury and Blaise’s reaction. How does this subplot deepen the chapter’s themes?
Answer:
Terrance’s “limp, distorted” body and Blaise’s panicked rescue (“gripping Terrance’s ruff between his teeth”) crystallize the chapter’s exploration of parenthood as motive and vulnerability. Blaise’s earlier monologue about familial love (“They deserved his love”) gains tragic resonance as he abandons vengeance to save his remaining son. This mirrors Reid protecting Lou, suggesting both men are driven by protective instincts that transcend factional hatred. The parallel underscores how war fractures families on all sides, while the visceral imagery of Terrance’s wounds forces readers to confront the physical cost of Lou’s rage—a consequence even Blaise’s grief cannot justify.
Quotes
1. “Adrien. His name was Adrien. My eldest son. I still remember the moment I first held him in my arms.”
This quote is significant as it reveals the deep personal loss Blaise suffered, humanizing him and the loup garou. It marks a turning point where the protagonist confronts the emotional weight of his past actions.
2. “So you see, you owe me blood.”
A pivotal moment where Blaise articulates the central conflict—revenge as an inescapable debt. This concise line encapsulates the chapter’s tension and moral dilemma.
3. “Her mother’s daughter, after all.”
This ominous observation about Lou’s magical power hints at her dangerous lineage and foreshadows her subsequent loss of control. It represents the theme of inherited power and its consequences.
4. “I know I lost your Balisarda, Reid, but I found you a new one.”
Lou’s chillingly sweet delivery of this line demonstrates her descent into ruthless vengeance. The quote captures her psychological breaking point and the horror of her transformation.
5. “I knew she would sacrifice her warmth—her humanity—to protect me from loup garou.”
This realization underscores the tragic core of the chapter: love twisted into destructive force. It reflects on how protective instincts can become monstrous when pushed to extremes.