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Chronicles of Curses #1-3
Chronicles of Curses Books 1-3 Box Set
Loved fairy tales as a kid and never quite grew out of them? Love your fantasies written with hard-working heroines, snarky heroes and a dash of romance? Look no further!
Snowstorm King The Tower Without a Door
A curse. A seduction. A betrayal.
What do you do when winter never ends?
Eventually, talking to yourself gets a little boring.
The Chronicles of Curses box set compiles together the first three fairy tale retellings by H. L. Macfarlane into one all new package. Featuring bonus chapters for each story and an exclusive four chapter preview of the first book in the related Bright Sprear trilogy, Prince of Foxes, this box set is not to be missed by old and new fans alike!
The books contained in this box set are:
Snowstorm King The Tower Without a Door
Book blurbs:
A curse. A seduction. A betrayal.
Upon discovering the truth of her birth, Scarlett Duke is sent to live with her grandmother in the woods. Desperately trying to reconnect with the family who have turned their backs on her whilst fending off marriage proposals from multiple suitors, Scarlett instead finds herself increasingly distracted by the attentions of Adrian Wolfe, a travelling merchant who saved her life two years prior on her sixteenth birthday.
But Adrian may not be all he seems.
The con-man Adrian is determined to be rid of the curse placed upon him by the old witch Heidi Duke after he attempted to sell her a useless spell. When he finds the perfect way to force the woman to lift the curse: seducing her grand-daughter, Scarlett, the last thing Adrian expects is to uncover a murderous plot involving the Dukes, all the while falling prey to the shy, innocent charms of the young woman he sought to use for his own selfish means.
What do you do when winter never ends?
Tempestuous, hedonistic Kilian Hale does not wish to be king. Only a curse cast by his father on his deathbed ties him to the throne until his elder brother, Gabriel, returns from war.
Spurned for not possessing the blonde hair and blue eyes of the people of Alder, Elina Brodeur seeks to win their approval by requesting an audience with their cruel, lazy king. But Kilian is not interested in the town’s pleas for extra provisions to help them through the particularly harsh winter, and time and again turns Elina away.
Yet the king soon discovers that he’s met his match in Elina, who strikes a deal with Kilian to get what she wants. But as provisions run low and tensions run high, Kilian struggles to get rid of the crown he never wanted whilst Elina tries to deny her growing feelings for the king she swore to hate.
Eventually, talking to yourself gets a little boring.
After being locked away for twelve years in an enchanted tower, Princess Genevieve finally decides that enough is enough. She’ll climb out of the window of the tower and…
And that’s where her plan ends. For Genevieve knows nothing of the world - not even the way back to the royal palace and her beloved mother.
- GenresFantasy
Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2023
9 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
H.L. Macfarlane
25 books235 followersFollow me on Bookbub! https://bit.ly/HLBookb
NOTE: H. L. Macfarlane is currently on a publishing hiatus to focus on her mental health. She hopes to return with new titles in early 2026 and appreciates your understanding in the meantime.
Hayley Louise Macfarlane hails from the very tiny hamlet of Balmaha on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland. After graduating with a PhD in molecular genetics she did a complete 180 and moved into writing fiction. Though she loves writing multiple genres (fantasy, romance, sci-fi, psychological fiction and horror so far!) she is most widely known for her enemies-to-lovers STEM rom-com, The Unbalanced Equation, and her Gothic, Scottish fairy tale, Prince of Foxes – book one of the Bright Spear trilogy.
NOTE: H. L. Macfarlane is currently on a publishing hiatus to focus on her mental health. She hopes to return with new titles in early 2026 and appreciates your understanding in the meantime.
Hayley Louise Macfarlane hails from the very tiny hamlet of Balmaha on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland. After graduating with a PhD in molecular genetics she did a complete 180 and moved into writing fiction. Though she loves writing multiple genres (fantasy, romance, sci-fi, psychological fiction and horror so far!) she is most widely known for her enemies-to-lovers STEM rom-com, The Unbalanced Equation, and her Gothic, Scottish fairy tale, Prince of Foxes – book one of the Bright Spear trilogy.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 27, 2024
The Chronicle of Curses Box Set
HL MacFarlane
Audiobook
The Chronicle of Curses box set is a wonderfully curated set of three books with HL MacFarlane's artful and distinct take on some beloved fairytales. I love fairytale retellings, and these stories were right up my alley as they were full of drama, mischief, strife, romance, and, of course, the bones of the original tales we love so much. We have Big, Bad Mister Wolfe, Snowstorm King, and The Tower Without a Door in this box set. The first three books are in HL MacFarlane's Fairy Tale World. There was a bit of open-door spice but nothing overwhelming or out of place.
Big, Bad Mister Wolfe was a fun take on Little Red Riding Hood, full of curses, magic potions, red capes, and romance. The sudden revelation of Scarlett's true heritage is seen in her living with a grandmother she's always loved but in a place where a secret and deadly wood surrounds her. Owing her life to the mysterious merchant, she spends the next few years trying to learn as much as she can about him while fending off offers of marriage from the other men of the small town. The mysterious merchant, Adrian Wolfe, is a sneaky conman selling tricks and potions that land him cursed without any way of removing said curse until Scarlett comes into his life. I loved the secrets and underhanded actions of some of the characters and the plot twists that arose towards the end of the story. It pulled me in and kept my attention piqued.
Listening to the Snowstorm King was an introduction to A Snowqueen, a fairy tale I had never heard of before, and I enjoyed the author's gender-swapped take with Killian cast as the Snowstorm King. I enjoyed listening to Kilian and Elina's problems, as one was misunderstood and forced into a life he never wanted. She was an outcast, the terms of her birth setting her on a path of being ridiculed, ignored, and disliked by the town due only to her paternal DNA. Elina refused to give in to Kilian's childish demands, and he routinely found himself surprised by her independent nature.
Of the three novels in this omnibus, A Tower Without A Door was my favorite. Princess Genevieve and wizard Julian Thorne were the couple that quickly rose to the top, and their story was one I immensely enjoyed. Having been locked in a tower without a door, Evie spent the last several years alone, with only herself for the company, until one day, when she tries to escape, a man's arms come through the window to grab her from her perilous position hanging off her hair against the tower. Then, she meets the wizard Julian Thorne, whom the building is named after. She asks him to take her back to the palace to be reunited with her family, and against his initial decision, he agrees to take her, and they set off. Their journey back to the palace is one of adventure, excitement, and realization of a conspiracy that could tear them apart. I liked that their relationship grew slowly as they got to know each other and were full of relatable behaviors. I, like Evie, would also be trying all the food I could in the small towns on the way to the palace.
"He resorted to finding constellations in her freckles just as he had done the first day he'd met her."
Alexander Bevan is a narrator whom I was not familiar with before this audiobook, and I enjoyed his narration. His voice was even and easy to listen to, and the inflections were perfectly placed throughout the reading. His voice is simple and smooth-toned at average speed, but it also sounded great, sped up to 2x where I was listening. He has a British accent that fits well with the characters and different emotions in the book, and I enjoyed his narration enough to look for more of his work.
Overall, I enjoyed the stories from HL MacFarlane and the narration of Alexander Bevan.
HL MacFarlane
Audiobook
The Chronicle of Curses box set is a wonderfully curated set of three books with HL MacFarlane's artful and distinct take on some beloved fairytales. I love fairytale retellings, and these stories were right up my alley as they were full of drama, mischief, strife, romance, and, of course, the bones of the original tales we love so much. We have Big, Bad Mister Wolfe, Snowstorm King, and The Tower Without a Door in this box set. The first three books are in HL MacFarlane's Fairy Tale World. There was a bit of open-door spice but nothing overwhelming or out of place.
Big, Bad Mister Wolfe was a fun take on Little Red Riding Hood, full of curses, magic potions, red capes, and romance. The sudden revelation of Scarlett's true heritage is seen in her living with a grandmother she's always loved but in a place where a secret and deadly wood surrounds her. Owing her life to the mysterious merchant, she spends the next few years trying to learn as much as she can about him while fending off offers of marriage from the other men of the small town. The mysterious merchant, Adrian Wolfe, is a sneaky conman selling tricks and potions that land him cursed without any way of removing said curse until Scarlett comes into his life. I loved the secrets and underhanded actions of some of the characters and the plot twists that arose towards the end of the story. It pulled me in and kept my attention piqued.
Listening to the Snowstorm King was an introduction to A Snowqueen, a fairy tale I had never heard of before, and I enjoyed the author's gender-swapped take with Killian cast as the Snowstorm King. I enjoyed listening to Kilian and Elina's problems, as one was misunderstood and forced into a life he never wanted. She was an outcast, the terms of her birth setting her on a path of being ridiculed, ignored, and disliked by the town due only to her paternal DNA. Elina refused to give in to Kilian's childish demands, and he routinely found himself surprised by her independent nature.
Of the three novels in this omnibus, A Tower Without A Door was my favorite. Princess Genevieve and wizard Julian Thorne were the couple that quickly rose to the top, and their story was one I immensely enjoyed. Having been locked in a tower without a door, Evie spent the last several years alone, with only herself for the company, until one day, when she tries to escape, a man's arms come through the window to grab her from her perilous position hanging off her hair against the tower. Then, she meets the wizard Julian Thorne, whom the building is named after. She asks him to take her back to the palace to be reunited with her family, and against his initial decision, he agrees to take her, and they set off. Their journey back to the palace is one of adventure, excitement, and realization of a conspiracy that could tear them apart. I liked that their relationship grew slowly as they got to know each other and were full of relatable behaviors. I, like Evie, would also be trying all the food I could in the small towns on the way to the palace.
"He resorted to finding constellations in her freckles just as he had done the first day he'd met her."
Alexander Bevan is a narrator whom I was not familiar with before this audiobook, and I enjoyed his narration. His voice was even and easy to listen to, and the inflections were perfectly placed throughout the reading. His voice is simple and smooth-toned at average speed, but it also sounded great, sped up to 2x where I was listening. He has a British accent that fits well with the characters and different emotions in the book, and I enjoyed his narration enough to look for more of his work.
Overall, I enjoyed the stories from HL MacFarlane and the narration of Alexander Bevan.
December 1, 2019
Well-Done Retold Fairy Tales
Before I dive into my review, I have to admit that I enjoy modern retellings of classic fairy tales. The old stories are full of themes that still resonate today, and the images are so familiar, such a part of our culture, that we already have a way into the stories and can thus enjoy the author’s individual take. The current crop of retellings or adaptations of classic fairy tales run the gamut from very poorly written to exceedingly well done. I'm happy to say that this author tends toward the latter part of the spectrum. In fact, as soon as I started reading, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the author had adopted a somewhat omniscient tone that is actually quite reminiscent of reading the original fairy tales themselves. I think this is the first modern author that has attempted this, let alone done it successfully. I thoroughly enjoyed this set of books, my introduction to this author, and I will be looking forward to reading other books by her.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
Before I dive into my review, I have to admit that I enjoy modern retellings of classic fairy tales. The old stories are full of themes that still resonate today, and the images are so familiar, such a part of our culture, that we already have a way into the stories and can thus enjoy the author’s individual take. The current crop of retellings or adaptations of classic fairy tales run the gamut from very poorly written to exceedingly well done. I'm happy to say that this author tends toward the latter part of the spectrum. In fact, as soon as I started reading, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the author had adopted a somewhat omniscient tone that is actually quite reminiscent of reading the original fairy tales themselves. I think this is the first modern author that has attempted this, let alone done it successfully. I thoroughly enjoyed this set of books, my introduction to this author, and I will be looking forward to reading other books by her.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
November 30, 2019
I do not like romance stories nor do I like fantasy but I sure love this authors fairy tales. All three stories are wonderful but I love when a con man is out conned so to speak. Mr Wolfe is not getting away with his shenanigans so this was my favorite. But the other two stories held great adventure as well with the princess in tower and Elina and killian Great stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 15, 2025
The Chronicle of Curses by H L Mcfarlane, is an interesting take on fairy tales with a twist. This is an omnibus of the first three books:
Big Bad Mr. Wolfe
In an alternate universe,the Big Bad Wolf is a Cassanova who has been cursed by Red Riding Hood's grandmother. Circumstances of her birth have denied Scarlett Duke her rightful inheritance, and she's sent to live with her witch of a grandmother. She's a vengeful witch who practices with powerful herbs, poisons and imparts powerful spells. She cursed Adrien Wolfe for an unknown indiscretion, so he's forced to live his life as a werewolf. When Adrien spots Scarlett on her way to grandmother's house, he knows exactly what he's going to do to take his revenge on Grandma and the curse. As with many happy endings, the cursed witch meets karma!
Snowstorm King
This is a take on Frozen, with Killian, a hedonistic king, who never wanted to be king, who sits impatiently waiting for his older brother to come back from war to take his place on the throne. But Killian's father cursed his younger son on his deathbed to remain in the house until Gabriel is home. Killian loses all interest in the townspeople and lives a stagnant and unhappy life. Elina is a beautiful young woman who's shunned by the town for her exotic look. She has never felt accepted nor included and she feels ostracized for the circumstances of her birth. She goes to see Killian to ask for provisions to help the townspeople through a devastating winter and, for the first time in forever, he is fascinated by a woman. Elina grows to love him and, much to his chagrin, Killian realizes that he loves her, too. Alas, there is a problem with his brother Gabriel that has kept him from coming back to ascend the throne....sometimes there's a woman involved!
The Tower Without A Door
This story is a study in the blind leading the blind into a trap, with a cast of characters intertwined in ways that are more than a surprise. Princess Genevieve has been banished to the tower from where there is no escape. Her father, the king, found that his wife, the queen, was involved with his brother and believes that Genevieve isn't his daughter. After 12 years in that tower, she finally found a way out, with her long braids to support her, but she gets caught up in the window and is simply hanging by a thread (of her hair.) Julian Thorne is a wizened wizard who sees that Genevieve needs help and once she's safely on the ground, she asks that Julian take her back to the castle and to the family that abandoned her. Neither one has any idea of the death, destruction and shock awaiting them. With a level of violence I wasn't expecting, there is finally a happy ending. This omnibus of the series is in part delightful and fascinating and a highlight for me, is the reappearance of Scarlett and Adrian who share some secrets and some potions.
The narration by Alexander Bevan is very well done. His dynamic, well-modulated voice, constant pace and inflection bring each of the characters to life with a unique personality and attitude.
Big Bad Mr. Wolfe
In an alternate universe,the Big Bad Wolf is a Cassanova who has been cursed by Red Riding Hood's grandmother. Circumstances of her birth have denied Scarlett Duke her rightful inheritance, and she's sent to live with her witch of a grandmother. She's a vengeful witch who practices with powerful herbs, poisons and imparts powerful spells. She cursed Adrien Wolfe for an unknown indiscretion, so he's forced to live his life as a werewolf. When Adrien spots Scarlett on her way to grandmother's house, he knows exactly what he's going to do to take his revenge on Grandma and the curse. As with many happy endings, the cursed witch meets karma!
Snowstorm King
This is a take on Frozen, with Killian, a hedonistic king, who never wanted to be king, who sits impatiently waiting for his older brother to come back from war to take his place on the throne. But Killian's father cursed his younger son on his deathbed to remain in the house until Gabriel is home. Killian loses all interest in the townspeople and lives a stagnant and unhappy life. Elina is a beautiful young woman who's shunned by the town for her exotic look. She has never felt accepted nor included and she feels ostracized for the circumstances of her birth. She goes to see Killian to ask for provisions to help the townspeople through a devastating winter and, for the first time in forever, he is fascinated by a woman. Elina grows to love him and, much to his chagrin, Killian realizes that he loves her, too. Alas, there is a problem with his brother Gabriel that has kept him from coming back to ascend the throne....sometimes there's a woman involved!
The Tower Without A Door
This story is a study in the blind leading the blind into a trap, with a cast of characters intertwined in ways that are more than a surprise. Princess Genevieve has been banished to the tower from where there is no escape. Her father, the king, found that his wife, the queen, was involved with his brother and believes that Genevieve isn't his daughter. After 12 years in that tower, she finally found a way out, with her long braids to support her, but she gets caught up in the window and is simply hanging by a thread (of her hair.) Julian Thorne is a wizened wizard who sees that Genevieve needs help and once she's safely on the ground, she asks that Julian take her back to the castle and to the family that abandoned her. Neither one has any idea of the death, destruction and shock awaiting them. With a level of violence I wasn't expecting, there is finally a happy ending. This omnibus of the series is in part delightful and fascinating and a highlight for me, is the reappearance of Scarlett and Adrian who share some secrets and some potions.
The narration by Alexander Bevan is very well done. His dynamic, well-modulated voice, constant pace and inflection bring each of the characters to life with a unique personality and attitude.
July 14, 2021
Not that good
Overall: I had high hopes for this collection after reading the Brightspear Trilogy. I had been truly interested learning more about Adrian Wolfe and his origins and getting a peek into a fun, misty-magical world. Instead, these books were an example of telling and not showing, cliches, and very similar main characters.
Book one: This was actually not too bad. In fact, it was probably my favorite of the three. It had the best description and because it was first, the characterization was fresh. There were some weird scenes with a wolf character (no further description to avoid spoilers) that I think were supposed to be sexy that just struck as confusing.
Book two: This was probably my least favorite. I found it strange how easily the two mains fell into bed with one another given how much displeasure they gave each other. The build up just wasn’t there. This book also is guilty of an author not doing medical/anatomical homework, or at least an author not translating a medical scene well for an audience. I will, however, admit that the ending was creative.
Book three: This book was the worst offender of telling and not showing to the point that at least once the characters may as well have been talking heads. Yet, sometimes the book included glorious descriptions. I could not have asked for more beautiful descriptions when it came to clothes.
These books were an author not ready to be published, or at least books in need of more polishing before their entry into the world. None of them are downright bad, but they just aren’t that good either.
Overall: I had high hopes for this collection after reading the Brightspear Trilogy. I had been truly interested learning more about Adrian Wolfe and his origins and getting a peek into a fun, misty-magical world. Instead, these books were an example of telling and not showing, cliches, and very similar main characters.
Book one: This was actually not too bad. In fact, it was probably my favorite of the three. It had the best description and because it was first, the characterization was fresh. There were some weird scenes with a wolf character (no further description to avoid spoilers) that I think were supposed to be sexy that just struck as confusing.
Book two: This was probably my least favorite. I found it strange how easily the two mains fell into bed with one another given how much displeasure they gave each other. The build up just wasn’t there. This book also is guilty of an author not doing medical/anatomical homework, or at least an author not translating a medical scene well for an audience. I will, however, admit that the ending was creative.
Book three: This book was the worst offender of telling and not showing to the point that at least once the characters may as well have been talking heads. Yet, sometimes the book included glorious descriptions. I could not have asked for more beautiful descriptions when it came to clothes.
These books were an author not ready to be published, or at least books in need of more polishing before their entry into the world. None of them are downright bad, but they just aren’t that good either.
October 23, 2024
Audiobook: I was entertained by these three retellings of three fairy tales contained in one box set. I liked that the author kept some of the elements of the three fairy tales so each story could be recognized as to which fairy tale they were originally. I, also, liked that the author's creative twists produced new stories which I enjoyed. I appreciated that all three love stories were tempestuous and emotional, and that the protagonists were varied and personable. There were some steamy scenes in each of the tales, so I don't feel that they would be acceptable for younger audiences. I enjoyed Alexander Bevan's narration as his performance enhanced my enjoyment of the stories. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.
November 25, 2020
A wonderful collection of stories of fairy tales which will pull you in from the page to the very last page. Fall in love with all the characters
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 15, 2024
Loved these adventures, and getting to know characters we get to see in further works by the author. Meaningful, fun, with low burning passion for love and life. Highly recommend
January 20, 2020
These were fun, quick reads. The characters were well developed and the story was fun. If you like fairy tale retellings, you'll love this!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 11, 2020
This is a nice well developed story with great characters, and an entertaining story line. This a my voluntary review of this ARC book.
December 9, 2019
Who does not like a great fairy tale?? These are well done and very impressive! I enjoyed reading all of them!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews