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.
The Missing Prince: Lou
byMahurin, Shelby
Lou, Coco, Ansel, and Nicholina journey through an eerie, sentient forest where the ancient trees seem to breathe and watch them. The atmosphere is tense as Coco reveals her aunt feeds the trees her blood to ensure their loyalty. The group presses forward, sensing the camp before seeing it, with the acrid scent of blood magic overwhelming Lou’s senses. Nicholina’s silence and the forest’s oppressive presence heighten their unease, setting a foreboding tone for their arrival.
Upon reaching the camp, they find a bleak scene of threadbare tents and gaunt witches huddled around fires. The witches’ haunted expressions and desperate demeanor contrast sharply with Lou’s expectations of a powerful alliance. Ansel notices male witches, sparking curiosity about their magical abilities, while Lou grapples with Reid’s absence, feeling his lack deeply. The camp’s dismal state raises doubts about Coco’s aunt’s strength and their prospects for safety.
Nicholina’s erratic behavior escalates as she alternates between eerie silence and manic threats, snapping at Lou with unsettling violence. Coco intervenes, asserting authority over Nicholina, who reveals they will share a single tent. Ansel’s nervous reaction and Lou’s sarcastic quip lighten the mood momentarily, but the underlying tension remains. Nicholina’s unpredictability and the camp’s grim conditions leave the group wary of what lies ahead.
The chapter closes with the group preparing to face Coco’s aunt, Josephine, though their exhaustion and the camp’s unsettling environment weigh heavily on them. Lou’s internal conflict and Ansel’s unease highlight their vulnerability, while Coco’s strained demeanor suggests deeper tensions. The forest’s malevolent presence and the witches’ desperation foreshadow challenges to come, leaving the reader with a sense of impending danger and uncertainty.
FAQs
1. How does the author establish an eerie atmosphere in the forest setting, and what specific literary devices contribute to this effect?
Answer:
The author creates an unsettling atmosphere through personification and sensory details. The trees are described as “watched us, waiting, listening” and “seemed to breathe,” giving them sentient qualities that heighten tension. The “glittering crystals of snow” and “faint touch of wind” add tactile imagery, while the “eerie quiet” and voice reverberation emphasize unnatural silence. The “shadows that crept ever closer” use visual darkness and movement to suggest lurking danger. These devices collectively transform the forest into an active, watchful entity that unnerves both characters and readers.2. Analyze the significance of blood magic in this chapter. How does its portrayal reflect the witches’ relationship with nature and power?
Answer:
Blood magic is introduced as both a source of power and a grotesque necessity. Coco reveals her aunt “feeds [the trees] her blood,” suggesting a symbiotic but violent pact where nature demands literal life force for loyalty. The “sharper, acrid scent” of blood magic burns Lou’s senses, portraying it as physically corrosive. This reflects the witches’ strained relationship with nature—they dominate through sacrifice rather than harmony. The gaunt, weeping witches around the campfire further show the exhausting cost of such power, contrasting with Reid’s untapped male magic mentioned earlier.3. How does Lou’s internal conflict about Reid’s absence reveal his character development?
Answer:
Lou’s admission that Reid’s absence makes him feel “out of sorts” and like “part of me was missing” shows uncharacteristic vulnerability. Earlier chapters depicted Lou as self-reliant, but here he acknowledges dependence—Reid’s “steady presence” provided emotional grounding. The visceral simile “cut through me like a knife” contrasts with Lou’s usual sarcasm, revealing depth. His restraint in not snapping at Ansel (despite irritation) further demonstrates growth in managing emotions. This foreshadows Lou’s evolving understanding of connection as a strength rather than weakness.4. What does Nicholina’s shifting behavior reveal about the power dynamics among the witches?
Answer:
Nicholina’s erratic actions—alternating between silent menace (“flat, expressionless” eyes), childish rhymes, and violent snaps—reflect hierarchical tension. She obeys Coco’s orders (“Enough… That’s an order”) but undermines authority through unpredictability. Her warning to Lou (“Never address us… Or we will gobble you up”) asserts dominance over outsiders while testing Coco’s control. The performance for Reid versus her true demeanor also suggests witches manipulate perceptions. This instability hints at a fractured community where power is maintained through fear and unpredictability rather than clear leadership.5. How does the description of the witch camp subvert traditional fantasy tropes about magical societies?
Answer:
The camp defies glamorized magic tropes through grim realism: “threadbare tents stitched from animal skin” and witches with “gaunt cheeks” and “hungry eyes” portray deprivation, not majesty. The inclusion of men—a rarity in this magic system—challenges gendered power norms. One witch weeping while gripping her hair humanizes them beyond villainy or mysticism. Unlike typical hidden utopias, this is a survivalist enclave where blood magic smells “acrid” and burns throats. These details reframe magic as a desperate, corporeal struggle rather than effortless wonder, aligning with the novel’s darker themes.
Quotes
1. “The trees watched us, waiting, listening to our footsteps in the snow. They even seemed to breathe, inhaling and exhaling with each faint touch of wind in our hair. As sentient and curious as the shadows that crept ever closer.”
This opening passage establishes the eerie, animate quality of the forest, setting the tone for the chapter. It introduces the supernatural elements of the world and creates a sense of unease that persists throughout the scene.
2. “‘Pretty lies or ugly truth?’ ‘The uglier, the better.’ She didn’t smile. ‘She feeds them her blood.’”
This exchange reveals a dark truth about Coco’s aunt and her relationship with the forest. The blunt admission about blood magic demonstrates the harsh realities of this world and foreshadows the unsettling nature of the witches’ camp.
3. “‘She isn’t my sister.’ Without looking back, Coco swept aside a branch and plunged into the trees, effectively ending the conversation.”
This terse statement highlights the complex dynamics between the characters and suggests deeper tensions within the witch community. It marks a turning point where Coco’s mood darkens as they approach her aunt’s camp.
4. “‘Never address us, little mouse. Never, never, ever.’ Sudden life flared in her gaze, and she lunged, snapping her teeth viciously.”
Nicholina’s violent outburst reveals the dangerous instability of her character and the threat posed by some members of the witch community. This moment creates significant tension and establishes the precarious nature of the protagonists’ situation.
5. “‘Tent, tent, tent. A single tent is what I meant. One tent to share without dissent—’”
Nicholina’s disturbing sing-song revelation about their sleeping arrangements creates both tension (between the characters) and dark humor. It demonstrates her unstable nature while also forcing the group into closer proximity, which will likely impact their dynamics.