The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin

Ever since Shelby Mahurin introduced herself into the world of fantasy YA fiction, readers have been captivated by the mix of adventure, drama, surprises and well-crafted characters that seem to pop right off the pages of her books.

After the release of the three-book Serpent & Dove series, Mahurin made sure that she secured a spot in the world of YA high-fantasy books. Not only does she create worlds that we can see vividly as we read, but her characters deal with issues that we can relate to, even from her make-believe setting. Between times where humor takes center stage, to captivating romances and moments of danger, she knows how to make all of it work. This results in a perfectly prepared story.

In The Scarlet Veil (HarperTeen), readers are thrust into a gothic and dark world, set in the same world as Serpent & Dove, but featuring even more dark romance and intrigue.

Vampires And Darkness

Mahurin’s novel immediately sweeps us into the main character Célie Tremblay’s world. In this book, Shelby Mahurin is giving Célie, who appeared in her previous books, a chance to take center stage.

Célie is tired of people not believing in her magical skills, even after the events of six months ago, when she found the immeasurable strength to escape and murder a sorceress that was incessantly harming her. After this traumatic event that keeps her constantly remembering dark times, Célie decides to take a sacred vow. This makes her responsible for protecting her surroundings from evil; she refuses to let others deal with such horrors. She especially wants to get rid of those who utilize magic as a dangerous weapon to harm others.

While Célie knows she can accomplish this, it seems people want to keep her in a box, protecting her from the recent trauma. Jean Luc, a captain who is also her fiancé, believes that Célie is not cut out to protect others from evil magic and does not agree with her decision to take the vow. 

Jean Luc’s desire to hold Célie back creates a compelling dynamic between the two. Readers will find themselves interested in their outcome as a pair, especially those who have read the series and know how they connected in the last book, Gods & Monsters.

The Scarlet Veil shines with deep themes about the realities that come with accepting one’s power and trying to break free from life’s constraints. In the end, the world might be harsh and some goals can be hard to accomplish. But Célie is a powerful girl who wants to escape the chains that bind her to others and their opinion of her.

Readers will enjoy following Célie from Belterra to a dark underworld, where she tries to solve a number of killings, save others and find answers. While there, she realizes that the one creature who lures her into darkness might be the one that she needs. She will learn a lot about her world — more than she ever expected to.

Those who pick the book up to read will breeze through, enraptured, forgetting that it’s just shy of 700 pages. It’s engaging and goes by quickly, with its mix of action, adventure and uncovered secrets.

An Edgy and Immersive Story

Though The Scarlet Veil is fantasy, the lessons and the characters are true to reality and will stay with readers. The edgy romance presented in the story is captivating, and Shelby Mahurin mixes the perfect dash of drama with starring roles for vampires and dark creatures. 

Célie is still learning to be herself and what it takes to move on from others’ views of her, and readers will find it easy to love her story and her personality. The book is eerily and Gothically gorgeous, featuring engaging prose and characters that know what it means to be brave. 

The Scarlet Veil is a seductive story that will keep readers thinking of the characters and the world past the last page as they are reminded of the importance of power and inner-strength.