- Title: Curse Breaker
- Author: Audrey Grey
- Publisher: Starfall Press
- Release Date: August 12, 2019
- Genre: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy Horror, Y/A Coming of Age Fantasy
- Format: Kindle, Audio
- Rating: 4 Lattes
- Heat Level: Medium Roast
Blurb
All magic has a price.
Haven survived the Devourers, but she isn’t any closer to breaking the curse. Meanwhile, her forbidden magic rages brighter and more dangerous every day.
To control her powers and stand a chance against the Shade Queen, Haven made a bargain with two enemy immortals. Now her waking hours are spent fighting alongside the Sun Lord, but her dreams belong to the Shade Lord.
Only the closer she ventures into the wicked Shadow Kingdom the more her magic shows itself–and the more she struggles with whom to trust. The golden but wounded Sun Lord or the darkly charismatic Shade Lord.
Both are off-limits.
And both have the ability to save her . . . or destroy her.
With the Shade Queen closing in and Bell’s time nearly up, Haven will sacrifice everything to break the curse–but will it be enough to stop the mortal realm from falling into darkness forever?
First impression
Having read and enjoyed Oath Taker, I was eager to see how the story continued and how the author’s style improved. I was not disappointed by either. Some of the annoying habits I mentioned in my review of Oath Taker were eliminated which helped the story move along more smoothly.
What kept me reading (or didn’t).
The action picked up considerably in this installment, and all the set up from book one paid off. Haven’s motley crew hung together despite some bad choices, and it was good to see how they made the decision to trust one another even when it cost them dearly.
Sun Lord Archeron wasn’t my favorite person, and for several new reasons, I dislike him even more. It’s his loose morals and willingness to use Haven’s confused emotions to get what he wants that really makes him a jerk in my book.
Shade Lord Stolas isn’t as prominent in the story as I hoped, and it isn’t until the very end that he has any real influence in the story, though it does nicely set him up for more in the next book. And I really hope we get more of him in the next book.
I am solidly #TeamStolas!
After taste
As I mentioned in my review of Oath Taker, this one feels a little more on the younger YA side as it feels and reads much like A Court of Thorn and Roses – with A LOT less sensuality! If you are looking for a good alternative to that series, this one will fit the bill. There was one scene that contained sexual contact, but I did not consider it graphic when compared to ACOTAR or ToG.
Overall impression
I like where the story is going, and I look forward to finishing the series. The romance and group dynamic themes are very troupe-y, but the magic and world building is interesting enough.
Quotes or Highlights
Troupe-y romance plot case in point –
“Do you know, the Solis believe there are two soulmates for everyone? One to teach you how to be strong. And one to teach you how to love. Most of us only find one soulmate . . . some of us never find any. But finding both . . .”
About the Author
From Ms. Grey’s Amazon Author Page:
Audrey Grey lives in the charming state of Oklahoma, with her husband, two little people, and four mischievous dogs. You can usually find her hiding out in her office from said little people and dogs, surrounded by books and sipping kombucha while dreaming up wondrous worlds for her characters to live in.
Purchase links
Curse Breaker is only available through Amazon.