The Cursed Witch

Timecaster Chronicles #1

by R.L. Perez

Brielle Gerrick can’t access her magic. In an effort to awaken her powers, she gets sucked into a time portal—to a castle in Spain in the year 1735.

The castle is attacked by demons. Their leader is a shape-shifting vampire named Leo Serrano, an arrogant creep who enjoys taunting Brielle.

When Brielle’s dark powers awaken, the others in the castle turn on her. They try to capture her and uncover the source of her magic before it unleashes itself.

Desperate to escape, Brielle must put her trust in Leo and his coven of vampires. She'll do anything to master her powers and get back home.

Even if it means surrendering herself to her enemy.

★★★★★ "I am a big fan of R.L.’s world building, her characters’ banter, the sweet romances, and the way she writes strong women who are truly finding their place in the world. I loved Brielle and really thought this story was fun and unique! Can’t wait to read the rest of the series." - Joss Walker, New York Times bestselling author of Tomb of the Queen .

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires, Ebooks, Witches, Time Travel

478 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 10, 2021

Reviews

[Jade Gale · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay.

2.5⭐ I didn't hate it. The concept is cool. I disliked the relationship between Bri and Leo a lot. One chapter he was saying he thought of her as a sister and the next he has the hots for her? Weird.

[Avrial || Bookish.and.blissful · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel might sound like a vacation until you add the shape-shifting vampire who calls the FMC "little nightmare."

𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨:
✻ Time travel romance with witches and vampires
✻ 2020 Florida teen sent to 1735 Spain
✻ Coming of age meets discovering your powers
✻ Time loop mysteries with dark magic
✻ Supportive found and blood family dynamics

𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒: strong start, lulls mid-book, speeds up at the end
𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒: reads like solid YA fiction, could have used some trimming imo
𝑚𝑜𝑜𝑑/𝑎𝑡𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒: YA with some light and dark moments
𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒: mystery unraveling with time loop mechanics

𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙 ★★★.75 | 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠: REALLY REALLY liked it, didn't love it | 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑒: kisses only

𝒔𝒐, 𝒍𝒆𝒕'𝒔 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕...
🔮 Brielle is a 16-year-old Cuban witch in 2020 Florida whose magic hasn't manifested into a special gift yet. The council decides she's too dangerous and sends her through a portal to what should be a sanctuary. Plot twist: she ends up in 1735 Spain, trapped in a time loop with other troubled witches.

⌛I picked this up as part of my Dreamers & Readers Festival prep, and it turned out to be a pleasantly surprising time travel story. As a through and through Star Trek Fan, I’ve seen time loops done really well…and really bad. But this was solidly good.

✨ What really worked for me were the world-building elements and the exploration of how this all unraveled. The world is clear and easy to fall into, with enough twists and surprises to keep things interesting. The storyline made it hard to put down at times, especially in the beginning when everything felt fresh and exciting.

💔 My biggest issue? Brielle is 16 years old. While her character is fun and conniving in ways that suited her, she often didn't act her age, and there were some questionable attraction moments that felt uncomfortable given she's supposed to be a teen. This is solidly YA, which left some things to be desired for me as an adult reader personally.

🦇 The supporting characters were equally interesting. Leo’s character adds some darker tones to the entire book. Though, I do think his POV could have been cut because it didn’t add much for me. His chapters felt unnecessary and only served to info-dump things Brielle could have learned herself. Scrapping his perspective would have added mystery about his true intentions and feelings, making the story tighter overall.

🕯️One of the book's strongest elements is how it handles family themes. Brielle comes from a supportive, loving mixed-magic family and her constant thoughts about her parents and older sister feel authentic rather than forced.

🌙 The ending was satisfying enough that I wasn't angry about needing to buy the next book, but I liked it enough that I'll probably read the sequel eventually. The book needs some editing polish, but the bones of the story are solid with lots of elements that build into something special.

Fair warning: this is YA through and through, complete with teen angst and coming-of-age struggles. If that's not your vibe, you might want to skip this one. But if you're looking for an easy, enjoyable time travel romance with vampires and witches discovering their abilities, this delivers on that promise.

Definitely picking up a signed copy when I meet R.L. Perez at the festival in March!

Content warnings: torture, violence, kidnapping, abuse, dark themes

[Jessica Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 tbhhhh

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cursed Witch is book one of the Nightcaster Chronicles, a series that involves time travel, the supernatural and a smattering of romance.

The story opens in modern-day America with Brielle, the teenage daughter of a lightwitch and a demon. She is unable to access her true powers and her local coven fear she is being influenced by a dark power. They banish her through a portal to a place rumoured to be able to help her.

Brielle finds herself in a castle in eighteenth century Spain where other teenagers are also held. But they are bound in a yearly time-loop into which they battle monsters. Already approaching all she finds with caution, Brielle meets a vampire when he breaks into the castle; soon she has more questions.

I spotted this book when it was free on Amazon and really enjoyed the story. Brielle brought good fighting skills with her from her own time which were believable. I also liked her character development and how she discovered more about her own magical skills. The story continues in book two which I decided to continue reading and I can say that it is a worthy second book.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I actually was going straight into the second book when I stopped myself to write this review. It is the first of three books of the Nightcaster Chronicles. I have read that this is a spin-off from one of her other series. I did not read that series (but will after reading the first in this series) and did not find it difficult at all to follow the first book of this new series.

Brielle is a witch, but she did not have an affinity like all the other witches have. She never has been able to tap into her affinity and you find out why as you read. Leo is a vampire/shapeshifter and is exactly what you would want out of your vampire love interest. I am not even a big vampire fan (Love my werewolves) but I love Leo. It is more of an enemies to lovers and leaves you wanting so many more Brie and Leo moments.

I did find myself trying to guess what I thought was going to happen next and being pleasantly surprised by how many scenes played out differently than I would have predicted.

You get to read in Brielle's POV and Leo's POV which I really enjoyed. It was also a fairly quick read and sometimes is exactly what you need. Especially, if you are like me and have a full time job with a toddler. There isn't always time to get involved in a super long 800 to 1000 page book.

If you love a female character who can take care of herself, enemies to lovers, a creative magic system, vampires/demons, and some time travel thrown in then this is a series you should read.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a book by R.L. Perez before, however, I am so going to read her previously published and definitely the ones to come!

This novel was so unique and beautifully written and had so many things I love! Time travel, witches, vampires, oh my!!! Plus, not to spoil anything, but some other unique supernatural creatures that one does not normally see.

This novel follows Brielle, who is a 'broken' witch and does not know how to get her powers working the right way. Then one day the counsel accuses her of potentially being a long known curse and they want to be able to solve the problem and it is nothing that Brielle, or her family, expects.

Again, an amazing novel that I just wanted to keep reading and kept me entertained to the very last page. I am super excited for the next novels to come!

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cursed Witch: A Paranormal Enemies to Lovers (Nightcaster Chronicles Book 1) by R.L. Perez is such an awesome story that I have had the privilege to read and OMG!!!!! YES A MUST READ!!!!. This is book number one in this awesome start to a brand new series and I am on the edge of my seat wait to read the next story. I can hardly wait to read more I am so excited I love this story. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about witches, vampires, shifters and the paranormal.

I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I loved this! A fast paced, intriguing storyline that sucked me in and would not let go! Action packed, full of drama, mystery and suspense, this story is truly magical and the world building is awesome! A shape shifting vampire and a power less witch, a time travel portal, magic and fantastic chemistry, this entertaining and exciting read will have you on the edge of your seat and leave you wanting to read the next book as soon as it comes out, I know I will!

[JL · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously love R. l. Perez's rich, descriptive and vibrant writing style! I totally couldn't help but fall in love with Brielle and Leo! I'm so excited that this is only book 1 and am looking forward to the next one. Ms. Perez writes such gripping characters and stories that leave you wanting more!!

[MsGem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm actually really annoyed because this could've been five stars. The plot, the idea? It was so good. But the execution killed me. I'm sick of bad writing and stupid pet names. Like wtf is a 'Little Nightmare'??? The mmc was fine until abt the 2nd half of the book. The fmc made me so angry. I hated how she thought. She said once 'I looked feminine. Weak.' Tf you mean being feminine is weak??? I also took more than two hundred pages for me to figure out the love interest for some reason. I did think she was gay at one point too for some reason? I might've actually preferred that, or no romance at all. Not all the characters were bad: I liked Izzy and Guadalupe and Ronaldo. And the setting and overall plot was fine. Idk if I would recommend though. 3

[Nina Lax]

DNF at 50%
The beginning was a really fun time, the writing wasn´t the best but I didn´t mind. The magic school vibes were so cool at first but I did not get what I wanted. I wanted WITCHY VIBES and this book just didn´t deliver.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5/5

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A witch who is more than a witch (surprise).

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can knock off yet another book for my summer reading challenge now, and this was a fun, albeit grim, choice of book. So, shall we dive in?

Let's go...

POV: First person
POV Character(s): Brielle, Leo
Verb Tense: Past
Trigger Warnings: torture, violence, kidnapping, abuse, dark themes
Spice Level: none, kisses only (so far)

This is the first book in a series, and I grabbed it recently during a Stuff Your Kindle event that was a great opportunity to find yet more books for my Indie Fantasy Addicts summer reading challenge. I picked this book for two reasons: I already have two books by R.L. Perez that I got from other freebie events, and it noted on this particular event that this book had diversity representation (either through the author or book itself, the event doesn't specify).

So let's dive into this interesting and dark story. Brielle is a teen in 2020 Florida, a witch in a mixed family of light and dark magic users. She, her mom, and her sister Angel are light magic users, while her father is a dark magic user or warlock. They live in an area with a heavy Hispanic presence and are Cuban, and Brielle speaks both English and Spanish. She's always been a little different from her family because her magic hasn't manifested in a giftedness yet, and there's been unrest because she hasn't become a Seer or Jumper or some other special witch. She can use spells and even write spells, but because she hasn't manifested a gift, there's some concern about her as she ages.

We meet her on her birthday as she's heading out to hunt demons in a local nightclub. She's gritty but cute, filled with the anxiety of teen life mixed with a sense of frustration that she has nowhere she belongs, and she eases the anxiety through acting out. So she's heading out to hunt demons.

The crux of the story lies in the curse of Lilith, which has been taught in the grimoires. The curse of Lilith falls on a witch with no giftedness, and Brielle is a prime candidate as a teenager. Thus, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the council in her area decides she's a danger to them because she might be the cursed witch who will be taken over by Lilith and wreak havoc on the world when she can't control her powers anymore.

Now this is where it gets fun and surprising. Brielle is taken to a portal and sent into it, presumably to a sanctuary that will work with her to uncover her powers and make sure she isn't the cursed witch. There's one catch. The portal sends her to a manor home in Spain... in the 1700s.

I was pleasantly surprised by the time travel element in this book, and I say that knowing I usually find time travel distasteful. It was interesting that Brielle and other troubled witches have all been sent to this manor home in Spain in the 1700s and no one in the future seems to know this is where they're sending all their teens with issues accessing and using their magic. But not only are they trapped in the past, they're also trapped in a time loop that keeps everyone locked in the same year in this lone Spanish town, and at the end of the year, Lilith's monster comes, ravages the town, and resets the time loop. There's also an odd comment made by one of the characters that whenever a new person comes through the portal the time loop resets back to January, which isn't explored much, and I kind of wish it was touched on more than in this just one-off comment. Like why don't the characters in the manor home who are aware of the time loop have conversations about the time change? I just imagine that they'd be super thrown off if it was mid-August and then boom, someone comes through the portal, and tomorrow it's January and cold again. But maybe that's just me.

There's a lot that happens in this book, and I'd describe it as grim dark because the themes are pretty dark and depressing. But it's well written, and I actually quite enjoyed meeting the characters.

The main characters are Brielle, of course, and Leo Serrano, a vampire and dark magic shapeshifter, who leads the coven opposing the count who rules in the manor home. Leo is unaware of the time loop when we meet him, which makes for some fun moments, and he has no idea he's been reliving the same year for, like, 300 years now. (Although, the laws of time are weird, so I'm going to have to think of it as parallel universes if I continue the series, I think, unless the time travel gets dropped altogether.) He's also desperate to assail the manor home with the members of his coven so he can save his older brother, Ronaldo, who's a prisoner there, but every time he musters his forces, he gets rebuffed by the count and his mages.

The dynamics of Leo's coven are interesting. There's a group of human donors who are seen as part of the coven, whether they live in the caves with the vampires or go back to their villages to care for their families. The coven has a rule that no one ever take the blood of an unwilling person, and so the Donors are all willing to give their blood. The vampires give their own blood to Donors in exchange, and the vampire blood acts as both a bond between vampire and Donor and a drug to the Donor, giving them strength and clarity. Leo seems particularly insistent on not killing people if he can avoid it, and the vampires as a whole seem to have this desire to spare the Donors from becoming vampires at their deaths, which apparently happens if they take too much vampire blood over the course of their lifetime.

Meanwhile Brielle meets a colorful cast of characters in the manor, including the Count (whose name is too much for me to remember, lol), Riker, and Izzy. Riker and Izzy have both come from Great Britain and Australia respectively in times closer to the future Brielle is used to, but both of them are far enough removed that things like cell phones are astounding to them. I liked both Riker and Izzy, though I suspected Riker would be flaky. He kinda was, not gonna lie. He was a clear red herring love interest, but he also seemed to be particularly chummy with the Count and went on missions with him. I loved how fiery Izzy was and how she became a good friend to Brielle over the course of the book and seemed to only be on her own side and not care enough to follow the Count's rhetoric.

The book had a really fun plot, and I liked watching Brielle's growing horror as she learned she was perhaps the cursed witch who Lilith would take over. I liked the relationships she made with the people of the time, the fight she had for Leo anytime he showed up, and her constant wish to be with her parents and older sister. Brielle comes from a supportive and loving family, and there's this awesome sense that her parents and sister are super important to her, despite how she rebelled in little ways when she was home. She misses them, wishes to see them and spend time with them, and she thinks about how they might handle situations she's in. It's just really nice to see the themes of family in this where the people involved are actually in loving, supportive families.

Even Leo's love of his brother and sister is really special. His love is a bit of a darker theme because he's watched some horrific things happen to his family. The count kidnapped both his siblings, and he's been desperately trying to get to them. He loves and cares for them, he thinks of them often and references his brother's rule-abiding but reckless nature often.

So yeah, the themes of family in this were actually really nice in what was often a dark book.

The only thing I didn't care for is my constant complaint, really. The denouement was, yet again, lacking for me. There's the big, climactic battle, and Brielle faces off against Lilith while Leo and the coven face off against the count and his mages and the unfortunate teens who have been cursed to do the count's bidding. I would have liked a little more about Brielle's fight against Lilith and to see how that played out more, and then I just want more denouement! I'm begging authors to--please and thank you--give me more than a one chapter denouement! (I say that knowing I'm doing something similar in a book I'm writing, which makes me a hypocrite.) I think the issue I had is the last chapter ended on Leo keeping vigil at the comatose Brielle's side while waiting for her to wake up after the battle. It's been two months, and all we get is the short conversation they have when she does wake where he tells her things ended on a good note and the cursed witches at the manor have had their curse broken and things are well. I feel like it was just a tell-not-show kind of way to wrap things up before diving into the next book, and I'd have been happy with even a little more.

Overall, I liked this book, and I'll probably pick up the sequel and see how it continues, and I'm even into the time travel concepts introduced here and want to explore those more. So yeah, it was a good start to a series!

[Devika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for a voluntarily and honest review.
Original review posted on my blog Boekensteeg

The Cursed Witch is the first book in the Nightcaster Chronicles and the fourth book by R.L. Perez. She previously released the Timecaster Chronicles which is made of three books.

When Brielle Gerrick comes home on her sixteenth birthday, a few government employees are waiting for her. Because her magic has not yet shown itself, it is feared that Brielle is the feared cursed witch. The cursed witch will be taken over by the evil Lillith in her sleep and will destroy everything. To prevent this, Brielle was sent almost 300 years back in time to the castle Castillo de Coca and the year 1735.

The castle is regularly under attack, and on the first attack Brielle is bitten by the vampire Leo Serrano, the leader of the vampire coven. While Brielle's magic slowly start to reveal itself, fear strikes. She is looking for more information about the curse. Will Brielle be able to control her magic? Will she ever come home again?

The cursed witch is a book full of drama, mystery and magic.

The story is mostely told from Brielle. In addition, some chapters are told from Leo. This way, you get to know both Brielle and Leo well. Both Brielle and Leo are adventurous and both are eager to unravel the truth.

I really enjoyed the different characters that appear in the book, and enjoyed reading how Brielle adapted to the time she ended up in

After reading the synopsis I was very curious about this book and had high expectations, but the story does not fully meet my expectations. The tension that is present in the description only emerges late and superficially in the book. In my opinion The cursed witch is more of a mysterious fantasy.

Because of presence of the big amount of mystery, I wanted to keep reading. The ending of the story came as a real surprise to me and certainly made me curious about The fallen demon, the next book in this series.

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is literally tell not show

[Aggie Marchel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this was certainly a book.

The story itself is interesting, but the writing was not great. I think what perturbed me the most was the fmc being sixteen and the mmc being significantly older. I felt like Stanley in that one episode of The Office where he yells "That little girls is a CHILD!" any time Leo had tension with Brie. I genuinely don't understand the reasoning behind her being a child. She easily could have been 18 and made this less creepy. Like. She's a SOPHOMORE in high school 🤢.

I guess if the other books find their way onto kindle unlimited I'll read them but for now I'm stopping with this book.

[Aizlynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally I'm not a fan of time traveling fantasy, but I really enjoyed this. The characters are interesting and multi dimensional. I enjoyed the world building and use of Spanish and Latin. There is a deeper lesson involved in this story It really questions what good and evil are and what they look like. Nicely done.

[Ashley Basile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! YA books can be hit or miss for me, but the action was good and the romantic undertone is there to build on. Very good! I'll keep going with the series. I want to see what plays out with our MCs - I'm 'shipping Leo and Brie! ❤️

[Kimberly Spanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked, didn't love.

It needs a tad bit of editing, but I enjoyed the story. I liked that it ended in a way that didn't make me angry I had to purchase the next book, but I liked the book enough to read the next one eventually.

[Susan Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

No spice

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember being much younger and death and cruelty being just storylines. Bad guys did bad stuff, and good guys won. Now, as an adult, those kinds of scenes upset me. Maybe, because I have seen how cruel the world really is, or maybe because I have read enough authors to know that the good guy won't always win.

This story starts off with Bri in her hometown, and she's chasing a demon. We find out that she can't access her powers, but she can write spells and that she is a total badass. Cut to her family. Her sister suffers from seizures, and her father is a demon living by the law. For some reason, in this magical reality, if your magic hasn't shown up by a very young age(I don't know how old, maybe 16? I forgot by the end) they kick you through a portal. Ok. Seems a bit extreme.

Anywho, Bri ends up at this house, and when she gets inside, she learns she has time traveled. I really hate time travel stories, but except for a few scenes, I could ignore that part of the plot.

I spent a lot of this story hating the idea that we are supposed to be okay with Bri never seeing her family ever again. Again, I assumed this was because younger readers are usually less sensitive, but let me tell you, dear readers, that whole plot gets very good!

This book is told through the perspective of two people. The first is Brielle, the other is Leo. Leo is a demon. The Count ( the guy in charge of Bri's rehab prison) makes it clear that the demons are the enemy. We as readers have to guess that something else is going on, or why would the author tell half the story through his perspective. So when Bri and Leo first meet, it is chemistry at first fight. You can just tell that this is going somewhere.

Bri becomes friends with Riker and Izzy. Izzy is a tremendous friend. She is the kind of friend that you are beyond blessed if you ever have, and I hope she is in the next book as well.

The whole storyline in the dungeon had me weeping. I couldn't believe that this was what the story would be. Why would you write that?
Then again, with the current obsession with Fnaf, Huggy Wuggy, and other bloody scary games, I guess what happens down there should be expected.

It's so hard to review a book with so many twists and turns, but if you aren't sensitive like me, this really is a cool read. Leo and Bri are both badasses. They are also both sensitive lovers of their families. It has so many layers and is so well written!

[The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adore how he author played with the idea of two souls in one body with this novel. While I’ve come across the concept in other fantasy works, this one stands out as very carefully conceived and came with some well-placed and unexpected twists. I also really appreciated the twist on good guys and villains, which was delightful and made for some exciting surprises.

Brielle was an interesting enough character, and her objectives made her someone I wanted to root for. I also liked the way Leo came across as a tortured, morally grey hero over the course of the twists and turns in the storyline.

However, what really didn’t work for me was the believability of the historical setting. If the count really anted people to dress and behave in accordance with the times, then I don’t for one minute buy the idea that the household would conduct business in English. It’s 18th century Spain for goodness sakes. Everything ought to have been in Spanish and an “adapt or die” attitude taken, especially considering where things went later on in the book. Then there are also a number of inconsistencies…

like Brielle coming home from demon slaying activities to a cozy “tea” setting where the hook for the story is delivered, but no one comments on the blood, dirt and damage to her clothes or the injury on her leg. No, thats completely forgotten until after she’s evicted and thrown through a portal. Or the fact she bests a vampire-demon-shifter in hand-to-hand combat while wearing a dress with all the layered petticoats stylish in the 1730s and is also wearing a corset (not stays which would be more likely in Spain at that time) that had been ostensibly tightened earlier in the day to the point where she was struggling to breathe just walking, but she ran fine once the attack happened.
There were many, many more inconsistencies like this and ahistorical slip ups that kept on jarring me out of the story, which is a shame, because with a bit more consistent research and attention to detail, I could have absolutely loved this book. As it is, I give 3.5 stars for an original idea with some fantastic twists, relatively good adversaries-to-lovers, and a decent world, but unfortunately the execution just didn’t work for me.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

📚 If you like strong FMC, prophecies, portals, time travel, mystery adventure, shapeshifters, vampires/demons/warlocks, banter, family loyalty, and a splash of romance then this novel is for you!!

⚔ Characters: I was captivated by how fierce and independent Brielle was for her age. She felt relatable and I enjoyed her banter with Leo. I liked how the two characters didn’t have an insta-connection and their relationship slowly developed. Do I wish they had some romance, sure, but the story was still great. I suspect the next book will have more romance. I was rooting for Riker at first because he was soooo kind and loyal to her and they shared a steamy kiss but then something happened at the 50% mark that made me change my mind. But his character redeemed himself and I then I didn’t know whether I was rooting for Riker or Leo. I guess book two will have the answers. Either way, I enjoyed the main characters and the secondary characters, and I cannot wait to see how they develop in the series.

📖 Plot: What a captivating and unique fantasy story! I am the type of person who likes to guess how the book is going to end especially when the book is laced with plot twists. However, I could not figure this book out. 😊 The mystery of figuring out the curse and what is going to happen next kept me on my toes. The pace was steady and world building was easy to follow. The foreshadowing was done well.

Brielle is a 16-year-old who is born from a mother who is a witch and a father who is a warlock, however, she is showing no powers. The coven has decided that Bri is a danger to society because she could possibly be the next ‘Lilith Cursed Witch’ so they sent her through a portal to a castle run by Count Antonio de Silva in central Spain in the year 1735. As she understood it ,the one cursed needs to die or else everyone else dies. No pressure! The story follows Bri and her quest to figure out how to break the curse without alarming others that she may be the next ‘Lilith Cursed Witch.’

[Cay · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not quite a 3⭐️, but also not a 2⭐️ -so voting up but let’s say it was a 2.5-2.75 ish

The storyline is good, in the sense that there’s a lot of elements that really build everything into something special.
The world is very interesting, it’s clear and easy to fall into, and the characters are nice to get to know -both good and bad sides.
There’s loads of twists and things happening, and even if time passes it’s written through nicely pacing wise. The storyline made it hard to put down at times.

The reason why this isn’t a full three nor any higher, is simply because of the writing.
Especially at the start it felt like I was reading fanfiction, and I’ve read more than my fair share of that in my life. It didn’t equal bad fanfiction, don’t get that wrong, because if this had been fanfic it would’ve been one of the better (not best, just better) ones. It read like a story written for fun, without being edited or proofread more than once. And regardless of that, of being a bit put off at times by the writing, it was fun to read.

I think one thing that would’ve improved this story already, would’ve tilted it to the three stars, would be scrapping Leo’s POV. It didn’t add, only informational and that’s something that could’ve been learned through Brielle, either because she knew such things already or learning it alongside her. It would have also added some mystery, both in what he truly thinks of her and whatever else was going on on his side.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brielle is a young witch who has lost all her powers, and cannot join her mother's coven and is not accepted in the world of the magicals, in fact she is sent through a portal for retraining. She finds herself in a castle with other misfits in the year 1735 in Spain and the castle is ruled by a count. The trainees are expected to be tested by the count's mages and re-trained by them, however the count is searching for something else, and when her dark powers arise she is in great danger. She is accused of being the cursed witch of legend, the one Lilith took over and the one who brought destruction on the city. Her own friends turn against her and she is close to losing her life unless she escapes and goes to the vampire coven run by Leo Serrano, a shapeshifting vampire, who till then she had considered a demon and her enemy. Can she trust him to aid her to save their world from the great disaster which was bound to be unleashed or will he and his coven be the death of her? I love that Brielle is such a strong warrior who never gives up not even when she does face Lillith. I love the slow romance building up between her and Leo and the strong bond of friendship she built with Issy who stood by her in her greatest hour of need. I look forward to reading book 2 of this very exciting and thrilling series.

[Azari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I want to keep reading the series, it's just that moments are overshadowed by a current scene happening to Brielle usually, like she'll pass out and have a battle in her mind or whatever while in a physical battle and it's just? It feels written moreso for a movie than a book but I appreciate seeing what's happening as Brielle battles with Lilith or her Phoenix, but I'm also just like what is happening to her body outside. Especially bcs then important things are glossed over, like other characters. It's so focused on Brielle, it's almost too much. The confusion with Lilith vs the Phoenix gets repetitive especially at the end when it's pretty clear to the reader which is which. I think the book was trying to go the route of "is it Lilith controlling the Phoenix or is it the Phoenix" but it's pretty obvious? Since their goals don't align at all. Also what ARE their goals and why? Why is Lilith just hellbent on destruction like that's just. She just wants that. No explanation ig. And why doesn't the Phoenix want that? Ig it gets explored more in the other books. Overall pretty average, I love parts of it and other parts are more questionable but I enjoyed it overall!

[Tamara Mussio · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a very nice story, not so shocking on the plot twists.
Brielle, the FMC, it's ok. I think I am just tired of these strong women, who cannot share their feelings for fear of hurting the people around them. She is 16 years old in 2020, I don't really think that can apply. Also, she has OCD? was that necessary, on top of all the things she has?
The FMC is the typical bad guy who is actually nice and caring, nothing special..
The main issues in this book were 2: the amount of time the author uses the same three damn verbs! (suck in a breath, balled my fist, knitting the brows)... FF sake open a damn Thesaurus and find a synonym!
And the lack of descriptions of the characters, they are so rushed I got to the end of the book and, when the MMC said he moved the FMC blond hair away from her face, I was stoned.. There was not a single description of the FMC so I imagined her as I wanted....
this said, it is a nice light story to spend some time, I enjoyed, but there were some things here and there that pissed me off so bad.

[Suzanne (Fiction, Stardust, PinkiePie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a rather interesting story right from the beginning that kept me hooked up on the flow. Brie is a tough girl with a right sense and a mind to speak and keep to herself, who fights when needed but lets go to admit she was not right. Loved the time loop, got me back almost the excitement l had with Miss Peregrine’s. Nix is an adorable creature who brought the extra fire to the story., pretty unexpected turn. I thought in the beginning that the Rieker romance was lame but luckily ut was not meant to be.
But the Count has been the best!!! Seriously he had so many secrets and surprise hidden even till the end that he tottal has stolen the entire show. Even when there was a vampire included with a silk gown in a library. A vamp who reads is an extra eye -rather mind-candy!!! (Just immagine how many books he could have read and how many story related questions he could answer even if he was technically a junior for a vamp with his baby age of 65 human years!)

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
Witches, demons, vampires, dark magic vs light; I was hooked from the beginning. The Cursed Witch is a high-brow, intelligent, epic fantasy novel in the vein of A Discovery of Witches with a little bit of Shadowhunters style action thrown in for good measure.
Intricate world building and an amazing level of detail with double crossing characters, leaving the reader with no idea who to trust. I did find the plot surrounding Brie and the other souls a little convoluted and difficult to follow at times, which did affect my reading and comprehension. There were some typos and spelling errors dotted about, which made me wonder if this was a translation?
Despite this, without a shadow of a doubt, I will be reading the rest of the series, and quite possibly, everything Perez has ever written.