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.
Until One of Us is Dead: Reid
byMahurin, Shelby
The chapter opens with Reid and his companions navigating a dense, sunless forest as they journey south toward the swamp of Le Ventre. The group’s dynamics are tense, with unresolved conflicts simmering beneath the surface. Ansel and Lou remain silent, their rift reopened now that immediate danger has passed, while Beau lightens the mood with his usual self-absorbed humor. Reid, burdened by shame and anger, observes the group’s interactions but avoids addressing the growing tension, focusing instead on their physical surroundings and the challenges ahead.
During a brief stop for food, the group’s underlying conflicts come to a head. Ansel requests training, prompting Lou to criticize the Chasseurs’ traditional combat philosophy as outdated and impractical. She argues that survival demands ruthlessness, not gallantry, and insists Ansel must adopt a more brutal approach. Reid bristles at her dismissal of Chasseur methods, defending their emphasis on discipline, strategy, and moral conduct. Their debate highlights the ideological clash between Reid’s structured upbringing and Lou’s street-hardened pragmatism.
The tension escalates when Lou challenges Reid to a sparring match to prove her point. Reid refuses, dismissing the idea as unfair and beneath his dignity, but Lou taunts him, questioning his confidence and strength. Her use of magic to unsettle him further blurs the line between physical and psychological combat. The confrontation becomes a power struggle, with Lou aiming to dismantle Reid’s pride in his training while Reid clings to his identity as a Chasseur, even as her magic begins to affect him.
The chapter ends with the standoff unresolved, leaving Reid grappling with Lou’s provocations and the unsettling influence of her magic. Their conflict mirrors the broader tensions within the group, as loyalty, trust, and differing worldviews collide. The scene sets the stage for future confrontations, both physical and ideological, as Reid’s beliefs are tested against Lou’s unorthodox but effective methods. The chapter masterfully blends action, dialogue, and internal conflict to deepen character dynamics and advance the story’s central themes.
FAQs
1. How does the physical environment of Le Ventre reflect the group’s emotional state in this chapter?
Answer:
The chapter describes Le Ventre as a “cold-water swamp” with thick trees blocking sunlight, rugged terrain, and muddy ground. This harsh, oppressive environment mirrors the tense emotional dynamics within the group. Reid notes the silence is only broken by their footsteps, paralleling the unspoken conflicts between characters. The lack of sunlight reflects the darkness in their relationships, particularly between Lou and Reid, whose shame and anger “smolder” like the dim lighting. The difficult journey southward symbolizes their increasingly complicated interpersonal struggles, with the worsening conditions foreshadowing greater challenges ahead.2. Analyze the contrasting philosophies of combat presented by Lou and Reid. What does this reveal about their worldviews?
Answer:
Lou advocates for an amoral, survival-based approach to combat, arguing “there’s no place for morality in a fight” against threats like bandits or Chasseurs. She dismisses Chasseur traditions as “archaic” gallantry and emphasizes pragmatism over honor. Reid, however, values the Chasseur code of skill, strategy, and discipline developed through years of training. Their debate reveals fundamentally opposed worldviews: Lou’s street-hardened perspective shaped by necessity and deception versus Reid’s institutional belief in structured martial principles. This clash extends beyond fighting styles - Lou sees morality as a liability in their dangerous world, while Reid still clings to his Chasseur identity despite his changing circumstances.3. How does Beau serve as both comic relief and a narrative device in this chapter?
Answer:
Beau provides levity through his vanity (“damn, I look good”) and exaggerated complaints about their surroundings, offering respite from the group’s tension. However, his humor serves deeper narrative purposes. His barb about Ansel’s poor swordsmanship (“not-so-valiant attempt”) forces open the conflict about combat skills that Lou and Reid later debate. His observation that Ansel is “still bleeding” physically manifests the group’s unhealed emotional wounds. Beau’s self-absorption ironically highlights others’ issues - his comment about everyone’s “pining” underscores the romantic tensions between characters. The chapter uses his humor to simultaneously diffuse and expose the group’s underlying fractures.4. What significance does Lou’s manipulation of Reid’s knife hold in their confrontation?
Answer:
When Lou takes Reid’s knife and angles it to reflect sunlight, this becomes a powerful symbolic act. The reflected light suggests she’s forcing Reid to see things from her perspective, while the stolen weapon represents her challenging his combat philosophy. Her physical control of his blade mirrors her growing influence over him, emphasized when her magic begins affecting his body (“my muscles began to relax”). The empty sheath by Reid’s heart mentioned earlier gains new meaning here - Lou is literally and metaphorically disarming him, stripping away his Chasseur defenses. This knife interaction crystallizes their power struggle, with Lou demonstrating she can weaponize both physical tools and emotional vulnerabilities.5. How does the chapter use bodily reactions to convey unspoken emotions between characters?
Answer:
Physical responses substitute for verbal communication throughout the chapter. Reid’s “lip curled of its own volition” when challenged, revealing subconscious anger. Lou’s skin flickers and voice changes when provoking Reid, her magic manifesting physically as emotional intensity rises. Ansel’s bleeding arm becomes an outward sign of inner vulnerability. Most strikingly, Reid describes Lou’s silence as weighing on him physically, while her touch makes his blood pound and then cool - showing both conflict and attraction. These bodily reactions create a visceral layer of meaning, conveying emotions the characters won’t or can’t articulate, particularly between Lou and Reid whose relationship exists in this charged, physical space between hostility and intimacy.
Quotes
1. “There’s no place for morality in a fight, Ansel. Not with bandits or bounty hunters. Not with witches. And not with Chasseurs, either. You’re one of us now. That means you’re no longer meek or defenseless.”
This quote captures Lou’s harsh philosophy of survival and marks a pivotal moment where she challenges Chasseur ideals of honor. It represents the central conflict between Reid’s disciplined training and Lou’s ruthless pragmatism.
2. “Trickery might work against bounty hunters and common criminals, but against Chasseurs, skill and strategy were necessary. Fundamentals built upon through years of careful study and training.”
Reid’s internal monologue reveals his deep-seated belief in traditional combat values, contrasting sharply with Lou’s approach. This showcases the ideological divide between them that fuels their confrontation.
3. “I can’t fight you. It wouldn’t be fair.” / “I agree. Not fair in the slightest. But I fear Ansel isn’t the only one in need of a lesson today.”
This tense exchange demonstrates the growing power struggle between Reid and Lou, with both characters interpreting “fairness” differently - Reid from superiority, Lou from tactical advantage.
4. “Her skin flickered, and her voice deepened. Multiplied. Just like it had in the pub. Blood pounded in my ears. Without my Balisarda, I could feel the pull of her magic beneath my skin.”
This vivid description of Lou’s magic at work creates a climactic moment where Reid’s physical and ideological control slips, foreshadowing their inevitable confrontation and his vulnerability to her power.