An Uncommon Curse

Curses and Curtains #1

by Devan Barlow

Susan never intended to be the villain in someone else's fairy tale. Except it turns out her fiancé is a cursed prince, whose true love just showed up to restore his memory. Now, their story has been made into a musical, with Susan as a tap dancing enemy of true love. And the musical is only days away from performing in a magical theatre that will make the show's version of events into reality. With the help of friends both old and new, Susan must find the mage who cast the curse before that fateful premiere. Reclaiming her old life will require a show-stopping performance, otherwise the curse will make her into a villain forever. A novel of approximately 90,000 words. 

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 11, 2023

Reviews

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fantastic story that I thoroughly enjoyed! I loved the characters and the friendships that came up throughout the book and look forward to reading more in this series!

[Helen Whistberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and original take on the old fairy tale curse trope. What happens when you get caught up as a secondary player in the story of a curse that wants to turn you into the villain of the piece (no matter how kind and innocent you actually are)? This is the nightmare scenario for Susan, whose supportive role in a prince's curse is being immortalized in a musical production that will magically turn her into a real-life villain (one who sought to thwart the course of true love, no less!) A quest adventure ensues that sees her teaming up with a series of magic bureaucrats and magic wielders in an attempt to break the curse before the musical makes its premiere and sets her fate in stone.

There is a generous helping of humor, compassion, and thrills to be found within these pages, although for my tastes, it could have been edited down some. There are a lot of characters and a lot of magical battle set pieces which, while all well-done and interesting, became a bit of a jumble for me, but I imagine there will be many readers who will find this a plus rather than a minus. Definitely an enjoyable read for anyone who loves a fresh perspective on magic and fairy tales with everyday hero characters that are endearing and who you can't help but root for even though the odds of success seem stacked against them.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Uncommon Curse picked me up and whisked me along into the plot like the curse itself drags Susan along. A bit more worldbuilding explanation at the outset would have been nice - it's very much learn as you go - but it works because Susan and the other characters are just as clueless and learning as they go too. After a while, I just went with the flow. A very enjoyable adventure and a very novel idea.

[OldBird]

An amusing and creative use for fairy tale tropes mashed up with musical madness.

[Stephanie Caye · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world and characters drew me right in after a chapter or two, then it became hard to put down! The magic system is intriguing and unique and the fantasy world was fascinating—I loved how integral the theatre and musicals were to everyone’s lives. Just a fun, engaging story all around.