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Was Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin the first full price book I've bought all year? Yes. Did I have to buy the hardcover so it would match my copy of Serpent & Dove? Yep. Did I drop everything I was doing to read it? You betcha. These books are so beautiful together that I almost don't care that I was left wanting after finishing Blood & Honey. I read the first half of Serpent & Dove over several days, and the second half in an afternoon. It's the same experience I had with the sequel. I read so little fantasy these days that I forget how much world building and how many characters there are to keep track of. Even though I read S&D earlier this year, I felt like I could have used a reread to really be ready for B&H. There were things I loved: Lou is still as foul mouthed and badass as ever, and I felt like Reid got the characterization I was missing in book one, but the story suffered. Lou and Reid circle each other the whole book without ever really addressing their issues, and while I didn't guess the ending, it also didn't leave my jaw on the floor. I know this sounds harsh, but I also know that there's clearly a third book in the works. I'm counting on that to bring everything together. via Instagram https://instagr.am/p/CFHhAfIgNse/