The Scarlet Veil

July 17, 2023
Set in the same world as Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove series, this rollicking fantasy duology starter follows 18-year-old Célie Tremblay’s pursuit to be taken seriously as an ancient paranormal society’s only female hunter. Célie worries that her PTSD and lack of strength, necessitating that she use lightweight weapons, make her seem less capable than her male counterparts. This feeling is worsened by her continual exclusion from missions by commanding officer Jean Luc, who is also her fiancé. Célie is further infuriated when Jean Luc sidelines her from the hunt for a serial killer who exsanguinates his victims, most of whom aren’t human. Determined to launch her own investigation, she visits one of the crime scenes, where a case of mistaken identity results in her abduction to Requiem, a hidden isle home to an array of mystical beings that’s ruled by a ruthless vampire king. The worldbuilding’s reliance on details from the original trilogy is likely to confuse newcomers. Still, horror-inflected action, puckish humor, and heady romance enliven both the twisty central mystery and Célie’s journey of self-discovery. Main characters cue as white; the supporting cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic.

September 15, 2023
Grades 10-12 C�lie is a huntswoman, and the first woman of the church-backed Chausseurs. The job is not without its downsides: she's engaged to marry her captain, Jean Luc, and she feels he treats her differently than he does the men. And while she does approach hunting differently than they do, her ideas very often snare their quarry, whatever it may be. When bodies drained of blood begin to appear throughout Celandine, reminding C�lie of her terrifying past, she's is determined to help find the murderer and see them punished, despite Jean Luc's insistence that she not get involved. In her search for the murderer, she comes upon a coterie of Les �ternels--vampires--and is stolen away to their world, where she must pretend to be someone else to survive. C�lie was a side character in the trilogy that began with Serpent & Dove (2019). Now she takes center stage, though fans of Mahurin's debut trilogy will enjoy cameos from her first set of heroes. For them, this new series starter is a must.

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September 15, 2023
In this vampire thriller set in Mahurin's Serpent and Dove series, the darkness a young woman fears most is hungry for her blood. Six months ago, C�lie Tremblay helped kill a terrorizing sorceress after enduring unspeakable horrors at her hands. Scarred but not broken, she took the Chasseurs' sacred vow to protect her world from evil magic. She is hell-bent on proving herself, but even bronze-skinned Jean Luc, her captain and fiance, acts like she's fragile, and she cannot abide being treated like a doll. Striking off on her own, pale, green-eyed C�lie is plunged into a world she thought only existed in fairy tales and nightmares. With unlikely allies by her side, she must confront an evil so strong that it's sickening even the realms beyond life. Mahurin crafts a heady, convoluted tale that could have been several hundred pages shorter. The story walks a thin line between serious gothic horror and spoof. Though the plot leans heavily into its clich�s, it delivers some genuinely shocking twists, and it's all too easy to become invested in C�lie's plight. She is a willful, headstrong, and eminently relatable narrator whose emotional outbursts, impulsivity, and keen wit frustrate and delight in equal measure. The romance elements feel neither forced nor entirely natural, but regardless, they make for compelling drama. A colorful cast of supporting characters does much to enliven the richly vivid setting. A story to sink one's teeth into. (Paranormal. 14-18)

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