This book was brilliantly done. Incorporating aspects that I never would expected in a fantasy. It's full of weirdness and I mean that in the best way possible.
Chelsea and Dagda are two complicated characters. I didn't necessarily like Chels but I didn't hate her either. She's in the grey area. Chels put her safety above all others, she acted rashly and she never learned her lessons but Chels wasn't a bad person, she did look out for people some of the time. She has some growing to do.
Dagda was totally unexpected. I thought he was going to be this big bad fae king but the man was such a gods darn romantic he made my heart swoon. Yes he kept secrets and made bad (and I mean really stupid) decisions but I liked him a lot. The kind of devotion he showed Chelsea was breathtaking.
Curtis has created a complex world that has vivid descriptions and in great detail. There's a history that's explained in little tidbits throughout the book, from the families to the politics to the issues at hand. As for the magic aspects, I loved the variety of supernaturals, there are the common ones like ogres, sorcerers, banshees, and more then there were some I never even heard of. It was great to know about unique supes. Plus it had all the trappings of a good fantasy, a magical library, angsty romance, tournaments, court politics, and deadly encounters. It really was an exciting read.
Normally I'm neutral when an author drops readers right in the middle of something at the start of the series but I have to say I liked it this time. It's obvious that some serious stuff had already gone down and we had to play catch up but it added to the story, trying to figure everything out and Curtis didn't make it too complicated for us. Curtis put her own spin on a fae fantasy I love the unique details she added and how I came across things that I haven't read in a fantasy before. The story gave off the best witchy vibes and it somehow worked.
What was that ending? Half of me feels like the story is complete while the other half feels like another shoe is going to drop because some plot lines were not wrapped but it's a standalone. Either way, it was worth it. A Dark and Lovely Devastation was a marvelous read, I will most certainly be checking out Curtis's other work.