Get in witches, because we’re about to relive all of Serpent & Dove‘s deliciously wicked glory. Whether you’re trying to remind yourself what happened before you dive into Blood & Honey or just need to remember a certain prince’s name, our official Serpent & Dove recap is here!
So, let’s get to revisiting all the magic and romance that went down in the first installment of this enemies-to-lovers, witch and huntsman fantasy.
In case it wasn’t clear, there are going to be a TON of spoilers here. In fact, if you haven’t read Serpent & Dove, this entire article is one giant spoiler. You’re going to be spoiled for how Lou and Reid ▇▇▇▇. And about how Coco ▇▇ two ▇▇▇▇, while we sat there in total awe, reading the passage over with our jaws on the floor. And we can’t forget Ansel ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ about Lou. And Beau ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇. This is our official…
And now that that’s out of the way, let’s get started!
What Happened in Serpent & Dove?
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Dame Blanche: A Dame Blanche is a witch who channels her magic through the land, and whose power adheres to the sacred rule of “nature demands balance.” Dames Blanches’ magic manifests in golden threads visible only to the wielder, and these threads represent the different trades that witch can make; more skilled and clever witches will notice more threads and realize more abstract trades. Dames Blanches can usually move through society undetected if they so wish.
• Dame Rouge: A Dame Rouge is a Blood Witch. They get their magic from within themselves, and so are not beholden to the rules if it requiring balance. The magic of the Dames Rouges is therefore wild. It can be unpredictable, and is more feared by their society. Most Dames Rouges have scars marring their arms from the self-inflicted wounds of previously casted enchantments.
• Chasseur: Chasseurs are the huntsmen sworn to the Church. Their mission is to keep the world safe from the witches who inhabit it, and they see themselves as morally superior to the women who supposedly use their wits to sow chaos in society. Each Chasseur carries a Balisarda, which is a special knife able to kill witches. As there are a limited supply, there are only an exact number of Chasseurs at any given time—with more initiates in training, waiting for positions to open from either death or retirement. The Chasseurs follow the orders of the Archbishop.
• Louise le Blanc: Lou is a Dame Blanche on the run from something, hiding from Chasseurs and her old coven alike on the streets of Cesarine. She tries not to use her magic too often out of fear of being discovered. Throughout the story, we find out that she is the daughter of the infamous witch Morgane le Blanc, and at 16, escaped sacrifice at her mother’s hands.
• Morgane le Blanc: Lou’s mother, and the current La Dame des Sorcières. She is terrifyingly beautiful and feared, on reputation alone, throughout Belterra. She has a vendetta against the king and wishes to return her witches to power.
• Reid Diggory: A Chasseur who takes his duties as a huntsman incredibly seriously. Reid was abandoned as a baby on the steps of the Church, so views the community that has raised and trained him as more family than most. He ascended to the rank of captain after years of training.
• Jean Luc Toussaint: Another Chasseur, Jean Luc is Reid’s oldest friend. He was brought to the Church at the age of three, so the two grew up together and shared many things—a bedroom, friends, respect, anger. Recently, their relationship has been tainted by jealousy.
• Célie Tremblay: Always a very polite and proper girl, Célie and Reid were sweethearts growing up. However, she rejected his proposal after her sister was killed by witches. She told him, heartbroken, to dedicate himself to the hunt.
• Coco Monvoisin: A Dame Rouge. Coco is Lou’s best friend, closest confidante, and another witch hiding from her past in Cesarine. Despite the things she’s left behind, Coco gives off a much more carefree air and still tries to enjoy herself at any possibility.
• Ansel Diggory: An initiate of the Church and Chasseur-in-training also orphaned as a child.
PART I
• A Witch Does What She Has to Do: Lou and Coco prove themselves to be amazing from the start. They begin planning a heist for a magical artifact—Angelica’s ring—and for some reason, we get the feeling this isn’t the first time they’ve done this.
• Are You a Good Witch?: We meet Reid in the middle of battle. While it’s clear that Lou and Coco are just trying to get by in peace, the witches Reid is up against very much want to throw the world around them into chaos. And as Reid is captain of the Chasseurs, it’s his job to take them down.
• Not Exactly Friends: On the night of the heist, Reid is one of the Chasseurs on the case. Lou is the criminal and he’s there to stop the crime. It is not a match made in heaven. Célie is also there, as Angelica’s ring happens to be in her father’s possession.
• Vanishing Acts: Lou manages to escape thanks to Angelica’s ring, which has the power to turn her invisible. Unfortunately, she and Coco must split up, as the Chasseurs know a witch was involved in the heist.
• We Have to Stop Running Into Each Other Like This: Lou and Reid bump into each other once more shortly after, this time backstage at a show where Lou has been hiding out and tracked. In an attempt to apprehend her, still unaware that she’s a witch, the two end up in a compromising situation when their struggle lands them in front of the whole theater.
• I Now Pronounce You: To cover up the impropriety of their fight, the Archbishop comes up with a solution displeasing to both sides—marriage! But for their own reasons—Reid to save his reputation, and Lou for the protection of the Chasseurs—they agree.
PART II
• Newlyweds: Unsurprisingly, their marriage does not start on the right foot. Lou gets pleasure from teasing her uptight new husband, and Reid finds himself caught off guard time and again. And that’s without knowing that she’s a witch!
• Ansel: Because he deserves his own recap note, we meet Ansel, a young Chasseur-in-training. Reid summons him to watch Lou. While his beliefs stem from what the Church has taught him, he isn’t as closed-minded as the other, more senior Chasseurs around him.
• Surprise, B#&ch: Incredibly restless, Lou decided to explore the Tower she now lives in with Reid. She’s forbidden, particularly, from entering the infirmary, so naturally she’s most curious about it. When she sneaks in, she runs into Coco (!!!), who took the identity of a healer to find her friend and ensure her safety.
• Opposites Attract: Though the hostility remains between them, Lou and Reid begin to warm up to each other under the guise of keeping up appearances. They have a marriage to sell, remember? They even go on a date or two. He shares the embarrassing (to him) fact that he likes to read romance novels, and finally our ship starts to sail.
• Mother Dearest: Things take a turn, however, when Madame Labelle comes to Lou with a warning. An older witch with many connections in and out of the city, Madame Labelle has learned that Morgane is coming for her. Lou does not take the news well. It turns out, not even hiding out in a Church is safe.
• We’re Having a Ball: The whole crew—Lou, Reid, Coco (still pretending to be a healer), and Ansel—attend the king’s ball, where we finally meet Beau, a playboy prince and one of the king’s many sons. As easygoing as he is, there is an immediate attraction between him and Coco, and Ansel is not happy about it.
• Walls Come Down: Unable to deny their attraction and ever-growing feelings, Lou begins to open up to Reid about her past (on the run, not as a witch) and Reid offers her a ring. A steamy scene on a rooftop follows. Neither expected to be so content with their situation, and things seem too good to be true…
• Daddy Issues: At a celebration, Lou and the Archbishop witness a street performance… that accuses the Archbishop of having been seduced by a witch. And not just any witch: Morgane. The performance reveals that Morgane bore his child meaning the Archbishop is Lou’s dad. He confirms he knew along! He explains that it’s why he forced Lou and Reid’s marriage, in the name of keeping a protective eye over her, but she doesn’t have time to process this. The performers reveal themselves to be witches and attack.
PART III
• All Hell Breaks Loose: In the ensuing chaos, Lou, Reid, and Ansel have to fend off the witches. Lou has no choice but to use her magic, saving them all at the cost of revealing to Reid that she’s a witch. He feels lied to, deceived, and sends her away—and when she takes off on her own, Morgane captures her.
• The A Team (Sort of): Still reeling from the revelation but filled with regret, Reid teams up with Ansel and Coco, who finally reveals she’s a witch as well, and, surprisingly, Beau and Madame Labelle. They each have their reasons to save Lou, too. Her sacrifice would kill off the royal line! Obviously, Beau would prefer to live. Madame Labelle reveals her own connection to the royal line, admitting that she bore a son by the king: Reid.
• The B Team: The Chasseurs are also on the hunt, though it’s clear their plan isn’t to save Lou. They’re ready to slaughter the witches that attacked. Oh, and the Archbishop was also taken in the chaos, so they want to rescue him back.
• One Final Twist: Reid and co. sneak into the witches’ camp but are caught rather quickly. There’s a big fight, and just as Morgane slashes Lou’s throat, Reid’s utter despair awakens magic of his own. It appears men can be witches. Without fully understanding wha the’s doing, he uses his magic to sacrifice the Archbishop’s life for Lou’s.
• All Hell Braks Loose (Again): The Chasseurs arrive! Our band of heroes, with Lou in their custody, flee from the Chateau with the dire understanding that everyone inside wants them dead. They take refuge in La Fôret des Yeux. Surrounded by enemies, they need a plan to survive.
- Ready to find out what happens next? Start reading Blood & Honey here!