Mahurin, Shelby. The Scarlet Veil. HarperTeen, 2023. 978-0-063-25875-4. $21.99. 640p. Grades 9-12.

Celie Tremblay is making history as the first woman Chasseur. As a huntsman, she reports to her captain and fiance, Jean Luc. Although she assisted her friend Lou, a witch, in the defeat of Morgane, Jean Luc and her friends treat her as a fragile doll that needs to be protected, rather than an equal. When bodies are found in Belterra, drained of blood, Jean Luc tries to keep Celie out of the investigation. However, she is determined to establish herself in the role of a Chasseur and prove that she can help. When she is mistaken for her friend Coco and abducted by vampires, their King, Michal, takes a great interest in Celie. He brings her to his home, the hidden island of Requiem, with the plan to use her as bait to get to her friends. Celie wants to protect them at all costs, so she makes a bargain with Michal. Since he’s investigating the same murders as she is, Celie agrees to help him. As they search for the killer, she becomes inevitably drawn to Michal and the darkness she once feared. 

THOUGHTS: Although Mahurin’s previous trilogy featured  witches, The Scarlet Veil is very much a vampire novel. As the start of a new duology, I do think it’s important for readers to start with the Serpent & Dove trilogy before picking up this one to have a better understanding of Celie and her friends. The events of Gods & Monsters shaped Celie as a character, and I loved watching her grow into her own person throughout the novel. Readers will enjoy the slow burn, enemies to lovers storyline between Celie and Michal, and fans of Sarah J. Maas or any vampire novel will thoroughly enjoy this YA romantasy. 

Fantasy