Gods & Monsters: Shelby Mahurin

“The word is familiar, like the exhalation on a laugh. The breath before jumping, the gasp when you fly instead. It’s a sigh of relief, of irritation, of disappointment. It’s a shout of anger and a cry of passion. It’s… me.”

Brief Synopsis:

We find Reid, Coco, Beau and the others at an abandoned-looking church when Gods & Monsters begins. They’ve been traversing their way to the Chateau (Morgane’s home) because not-Lou is hell-bent on getting there and “destroying” Morgane once and for all. Reid was all for finding some other strategy, but Coco had also decided that this may be the best plan of action, so off they go. They enter the church and it does indeed seem empty. They’re all so worn down and exhausted from running and evading for days now that they all instantly lay down. All of them except for Beau, who’s letting his stomach think for him, and takes off for the scullery to try and find something edible.

Not-Lou hasn’t gone totally undetected. Reid obviously can feel something off about her, but he’s chalking it up to mourning, which they’re all doing. Coco doesn’t seem like she’s stopped crying in days, though nobody’s actually witnessed a tear in a while, and a somber mood hangs over them all. They’ve lost one of their own, one that most of them would easily admit was the best of them. That’s not something goes away easily, and so Reid is trying to give grace to not-Lou, but it’s been hard.

When Beau comes rushing back into the room, telling them it is once again time to flee, they panic. They’re too late, though. The priest of the old church sees them all and instantly knows who they are. The most surprising part? He helps them. He’s not about to totally ally with them or anything, but he isn’t turning them in either. He tells them they are just kids and he doesn’t want them to starve. He allows them some food and tells them they can at least stay for the night, but it can’t be any longer than that.

Coco and Reid end up having a pretty intense conversation about Ansel and grieving, but they’re interrupted by Beau, who tells them that not-Lou hasn’t blinked in like an hour. Reid keeps trying to make excuses for her, but they’re wearing thin. This spectral dog that’s been following them shows up and then two seconds later a familiar voice yells for them all to watch out. The statue they’d been chilling by pops off and falls, just about maiming them. Who was the voice? It's… Celie.

I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but I really wasn’t expecting her to be in the story any more than she already has been. She tells them that she’s tired of sitting around and can’t rest until Morgane is brought to justice. Though they’re all very hesitant to help her out, they also can’t just abandon her, so she’s along for the ride! …yay? I guess time will tell. They’re also informed that she was attacked by what they like to refer to as a “nightmare” which kind of just seems like a boggart from Harry Potter, basically taking the form of anyone’s worst fear to overpower them. The priest tells them that the villagers are going to burn the lighthouse it’s hiding in to the ground by sunrise.

This doesn’t sit right with Reid, who suddenly has a thing for not killing things or people when others want to. I know, pot: meet kettle. He’s trying though, guys. He convinces the others that they actually want to help this “nightmare” and they venture to the lighthouse before the towns people. It isn’t a creature at all, though. It’s Thierry. Remember him? Toulouse’s twin, and they were both lost when they went into the catacombs? He’s obviously been tortured, and he tells them to beware of not-Lou. She tries to take off, but Reid chases her, and they finally figure out that she’s actually Lou possessed by Nicholina.

Also, the catacombs: remember the awful scene when Morgane killed Ansel and Coco’s tears set everything on fire? It’s still on fire. Her fire is magic and they’re having a hell of a time putting it out, which is actually pretty beneficial to Labelle, who’s still trapped by the king. He’s going to use her magic to try to put out the fire and they’re pretty sure if it wasn’t for this little fact, he would’ve had her publicly burned by now.

Coco tells everyone that saving not-Lou isn’t as simple as just exorcising Nicholina out of her. Their souls have connected and to sever one will sever the other. They think some enchanted waters may help though, so they set off for them. Meanwhile, Nicholina isn’t fighting back too hard or acting too worried about this because the waters are close to the Chateau, where she wants to be anyway. Lou is also still in there, and she finds out that Nicholina has possessed and kept a ton of souls that just live inside her now, including Etienne, the sibling of Gaby that was burned by Morgane in the last book.

They’re getting closer when Nicholina uses some of her magic to make some crows (ravens? I can’t remember which) attack the group. They’re not sure what they’re going to do until a literal dragon comes and saves them and then transforms into another person from Claud’s troop: Zenna. Though they say that Lou isn’t their first priority and they’re going to save Toulouse, Reid understands and everyone parts amicably, with Zenna’s partner Seraphine also assuring that if they can kill Morgane in the process, they will be sure to do so. From here, the search for black pearls is on.

A black pearl is the payment for passage into the magical waters (it’s a very French name so just bear with me guys). They’re having a hell of a time finding it, and in the meantime, Lou is working her ass off inside her own mind (Nicholina’s mind?) to just stay herself. Town and town again they can’t find the pearls, until they all venture in together and find the same old woman that helped Lou and Reid before, magically at a stand that has three pearls available. She tells them this is a beneficial number, as humans cannot traverse the magic waters, so Beau and Celie will have to sit this one out.

Oh, also, while looking for the pearls, Reid discovers that Celie has some of the poison in a syringe that they use on witches and they have a pretty intense argument. I still don’t know how I feel about her. Anyway. The old woman agrees to give the pearls to them if they trade favors. One such favor? Coco and Beau have to kiss. These two have been dancing around their emotions for quite some time now, so when they do kiss, they really get all into it. It isn’t necessarily a good thing, though. When they finally break apart it seems like things are even more tense than before between them.

Reid is given some seeds and told that he must plant them sometime, somewhere. I know, ominous. They do get to part with the pearls, though, and they finally reach the waters. Coco informs them that she and Lou used to mess around in this area when they were children, and that they know the man that guards the waters pretty well. When he manifests, they realize that it’s Constantin, who is a really important part of history. Reid is actually really put out by the fact that Coco knew who he was this entire time and hadn’t told them, and it feels really foreshadow-y.

They drink the water, they tell their truths, they dunk into the water. The battle is on now, between Lou and Nicholina. They keep trying to drown each other, both literally and with memories. They drag each other through some of the worst things they both have been through in their lives, and I’m not going to lie, it’s a pretty even battle. Which has a lot to say about Lou, since Nicholina has lived a lot longer than she has. Also, something else comes to the forefront that makes it seem like something more is going on with Coco, and can Lou stop being betrayed already? Please and thanks.

It all comes to a head when Nicholina presents the memory that Lou is sure she isn’t ready to face yet, Ansel’s death. Now you guys, I’m telling you, I was so insanely emotional the entire time that I read Ansel helping Lou out. I literally read it through twice and cried both times. If there was anything in the universe that could’ve made me love Ansel more, it was this exact thing. He tells Lou that she can’t give up and helps her to “defeat” Nicholina. It would seem like Lou could leave right away, right? But she doesn’t. She stays and has a long, serious conversation with Ansel, one in which he calls her his best friend, and it absolutely gutted me. I told my husband I don’t think I’ve been quite that emotional with a scene since I read Finnick dying in Mockingjay.

Ansel tells Lou she shouldn't choose to stay with him, and they’ll see each other again. He seems so much stronger and more assured, and he tells Lou he just wants peace. She grants him that and leaves. She and Reid swim to the surface together, and it’s literally not a moment of peace, because here comes Morgane and La Viosin, Josephine, who freakin’ killed Constantin. Morgane tells Lou the jig is up and it’s time for her to finally come and meet her maker, and they have Beau and Celie hostage. They force them to begin battling each other, drawing a lot of blood, and Lou feels like there’s literally nothing that she can do. She’s about to meet her mother on the shore, when Reid performs some magic of his own, making both him and Morgane fall unconscious.

When this happens, Coco uses some of her blood magic in the waters, and summons someone from the underwater city. This someone turns out to be Angelica herself, which is also La Viosin’s sister and Coco’s freaking mom. Apparently, this was Coco’s big secret and I’m so relieved because while it was a big something to keep from your best friend all these years, I was honestly expecting it to be something so much worse. She helps them in making La Viosin and the other’s leave, but she also tells them two things. One is that Reid won’t wake up until he's ready (whatever the heck that means) and that they’re not going to leave the waters without talking to Isla.

Isla is one of Claud’s siblings, a god, and the one that’s been protecting Angelica for all this time. They venture to her underground kingdom, full of weird, outdated riches, octopi, shipwrecked treasure and the most peculiar but strangely beautiful merpeople, called melusines. The only one that finds a fully welcome reception is Celie, who charms them all with her regal behavior. Coco, Lou and Celie share a really beautiful “girl power” moment while they’re in this underwater palace, and I really enjoyed it. I find myself like Celie more and more as this story trudges on.

At dinner, Isla pretty much destroys Lou in front of all of her people and Lou’s loved ones (Reid is still unconscious) while also showing Lou that she’s begun to take Morgane’s place as the ruler of her coven. She ultimately finds a really condescending way to let Lou know that the melusine will not be helping them in their crusade against Morgane unless Lou is successful in stealing back Angelica’s ring for them.

Back on land, Celie brings up the age-old fairytale that kissing the one that’s enchanted asleep will bring them back to life if it is a true love’s kiss. Though skeptical, Lou tries it out. Alas, Reid wakes up! However, Reid has pretty much forgotten everything. Loving Lou, meeting her, meeting ANY of them. He can’t remember anything outside of being a Chasseur, loving Celie and hunting witches. Lou and Reid can’t catch a break and I’m just exhausted of it. He tries to flee back to Cesarine and turn them all in, but he’s intercepted on the way, and Jean Luc saves him and tells him they have to go back and protect the others. He tells him that by “pretending” to ally with Lou and the others, it will protect Celie, which is really all that Jean Luc cares about at this point. I CAN’T decide whether I hate him or not.

Coco and the others tells Lou that she can’t give up, that she has to convince Reid that he loves her all over again. Her heart is absolutely aching, but she agrees and begins trying to work through his prickly exterior to his warm interior while they go and search for the ring. Surprisingly enough, they succeed in breaking into the chateau. One of the reasons this is accomplished is because Lou finally completely begins to tap into her power as the ruler of her coven. I know there’s a fancier title for it, guys, but just bear with me. They pretty much go invisible and break in.

On their way, they almost run into Morgane, Josephine and Nicholina. Though they’re invisible, Nicholina sees them. They’re pretty sure she’s about to sound the alarm, but she literally just tells Lou hello and goes on her way. The crazy one helped them? Plot twist. They also run into Manon, remember? The one from the coven that used to be Lou’s friend and literally killed her lover because Morgane told her to? She’s another one I don’t know what to think about but I’m tiring of her. Lou transforms into the crone, because she is pretty sure Manon will think that she’s Morgane, and tells her to go and have some tea before bed.

Somehow this makes Manon realize that it’s Lou and while they successfully retrieve the ring and are about to leave, Manon corners them and lets them know the alarm has been sounded. They have to break out through a high window, which is of course Reid’s nightmare. While on the roof, he slips and almost falls, and Lou saves him. They flee to a local inn, where Jean Luc is gifted with whiskey from the owner. Seeing a great opportunity, Beau tells Lou those remaining awake (the two of them, Jean Luc, and Reid) should drink and play truth or dare, thinking it may awaken some of Reid’s actual memories.

Unfortunately, though some truths are spilled, all the evening really results in is a massive hangover for those who participated and jealousy from those that slept through the fun. When they make it back to the enchanted waters, Angelica has had enough and tells Lou, Coco and Reid to sit their asses down while she tells them the history of the witches. It’s basically that they all began as blood witches like Coco and they lived in harmony. Then those such as La Viosin became power-hungry and started dabbling in darker and darker magic. Eventually, Angelica cast them out of the chateau.

However, they began to fight back and eventually defeated Angelica, then casting her out. She’s hidden all this time, but the time of reckoning is now. She tells Lou that she and some of the melusine that wish to fight will be ready in a few days’ time. She also shows them how Labelle is being treated by the others and watches as Father Achille unsuccessfully attempts to help her. She’ll be burned within the week and is basically being used as bait to get the others back to the city.

Which, of course, they have to do. They’re also gifted a boat and take off for Cesarine at once. They craft a plan where they purposefully get caught with Jean Luc at the helm. Reid and Lou also have an extremely ~steamy~ moment on the boat that definitely had me blushing a little bit and really hoping for their romance for the first time in a while. Don’t get me wrong, I figured that they were endgame after all, but it took me a while to really root for them again like I used to. Reid falling in love with Lou all over again really helped solidify things.

Once they get there, things almost instantly fall apart. The king is tired of Jean Luc and his insubordination. He incapacitates Lou and Reid for real, locks them up in a cell they’re unable to break out of, and lets them know that they’re going to burn at sunset with Labelle. Feeling really and truly screwed this time around, Lou and Reid talk and talk in their cell. Then they do more than talk in their cell. When the time comes for them to be burnt, they’re taken down to the stakes and wake up tied to them. Alas, the rest finally come for them. Beau is disguised as Achille and takes the fire from the king. Unfortunately, Beau’s kind of clumsy and he literally ends up setting everyone on fire with hellfire anyway.

They’re all up in flames when Coco begins crying. Her tears begin to put the fire out, but a significant amount of damage is already done. With the tears and the fire, Reid is able to break through the spell and he finally remembers everything. He remembers Lou and how much he truly loves her. Unfortunately, this means that Morgane remembers Lou as well, and this is when the shit really hits the fan. Absolute pandemonium breaks out and it is full on war in the streets.

Guys, a lot of things happen during this battle. A lot of people don’t make it out alive, many of them that we may have wanted to. It does end with Lou finally triumphing over her mother, and she, Reid and the rest of the gang have to slowly rebuild their entire lives and try to fill in the pieces that those they lost left behind. The final chapter skips ahead a while, and it’s from Ansel’s point of view, and it’s just BEAUTIFUL.

My Rating:

Solid 10/10. I do not have any sort of a difficult time letting you all know this is an instant classic series for me and I can’t really decide if I loved this one or the first better. I’d LOVE an entire side story with Ansel in the afterlife, because it seems as if it was just starting to get really interesting for him.

Devastation Rating:

Firm 6/10. We lost a lot of people, and it wasn’t easy. Such is war, unfortunately.

Favorite Quote(s):

“I loved him the way we all love things we shouldn’t – to excess. He hurt me in the way those things always do.”

“At my dumbstruck expression, he grinned, the same sheepish grin he’d given a thousand times and the same sheepish grin of which I wanted a thousand more.”

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Until next time <3