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Marie and the Mouse King #3
Curse and Crown
When the winds bring her unsettling news from the emperor’s war, Marie leaves home once again to find Dietrich Lang. This time, she’s going to make sure they can stay together, even if it means dragging generals into dreams and facing the emperor himself. But even when you can fly and move between worlds, it’s not so simple to turn armies aside and catch kings—especially when the dream world still has unrevealed secrets…
Hawk and Hound is the magical and action-packed conclusion to the Marie and the Mouse King trilogy in which everyone goes a bit feral, Marie and Dietrich get a happily ever after, and some other folks get their just rewards.
Hawk and Hound is the magical and action-packed conclusion to the Marie and the Mouse King trilogy in which everyone goes a bit feral, Marie and Dietrich get a happily ever after, and some other folks get their just rewards.
- GenresFantasy
ebook
Published September 1, 2023
4 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Irene Davis
8 books17 followersIrene Davis was raised in the wilds of Alaska, where she spent winter nights huddled in bed reading fairy tales. She has since lived on three different continents and read many, many more fairy tales while also collecting a surprising amount of knowledge about salmon, Soviet animation, and improvised self defense weapons. Currently, she can be found in a Seattle coffee shop, where she works on novels in between research rabbit holes and conversations with strangers about how handsome her dog is.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 4, 2025
4.5/5 stars
A perfect conclusion. The author wrapped up this series so perfectly. I actually really, really enjoyed this book and this series as a whole. This book was much more interesting to me than the second book, and dare I say, that I may have liked it *slightly* just slightly better than the first???
Tons of cute moments, but also still was action packed. I love that the author took inspiration from the Napoleonic Wars and the original backstory for the Nutcracker. It was just so well done!
I wish more people knew about it, because this series as a whole was so unique, thoughtfully put together, had cute romance with a driving plot still. I just truly really enjoyed it. Will definitely be re-reading, despite the second book not being my favorite.
A perfect conclusion. The author wrapped up this series so perfectly. I actually really, really enjoyed this book and this series as a whole. This book was much more interesting to me than the second book, and dare I say, that I may have liked it *slightly* just slightly better than the first???
Tons of cute moments, but also still was action packed. I love that the author took inspiration from the Napoleonic Wars and the original backstory for the Nutcracker. It was just so well done!
I wish more people knew about it, because this series as a whole was so unique, thoughtfully put together, had cute romance with a driving plot still. I just truly really enjoyed it. Will definitely be re-reading, despite the second book not being my favorite.
December 17, 2022
Book 3 of this series was infinitely more interesting than Book 2 for me. I liked how Marie came into her own and found her inner strength. I also enjoyed how she didn’t learn to overcome her impulsiveness but rather to accept and embrace it. Thoroughly satisfying conclusion with a shout out back to the original source material (the Nutcracker) and tied up all the loose ends that placed this version in a historical context. Lang is a great love interest without being overly flowery. My only issue was with the relationship of young Drosselmeier and Princess Paula Maria…in book 1, Marie concluded that he was a child trapped in a body that never had the chance to grow up. In my mind, that equated to a little boy around 9 or 10. If that was so, then how do you explain the adult love between him and the Princess? Just an observation.
December 24, 2022
"Curse and Crown" is the third and final part of this retelling of The Nutcracker.
Wanting to follow the original story of ETA Hoffman, Irene Davis was partly inspired by the historical situation of the Napoleonic wars (in Germany and Russia) to give us a greater background of what happens to Marie, Dietrich Lang (the Mouse King), the young Drosselmeier (the Nutcracker). I was very intrigued with the premise that Marie is attracted to Lieutenant Lang, who is the Mouse King but in human form.
For this third installment, Marie decides to go in search of Lang and will have to overcome several obstacles in order for them both to get their happy ending.
It was very satisfying as a Christmas read even though this book does not take place in winter, but I feel a sort of continuation/retelling of the Nutcracker, for me it tasted very good.
Wanting to follow the original story of ETA Hoffman, Irene Davis was partly inspired by the historical situation of the Napoleonic wars (in Germany and Russia) to give us a greater background of what happens to Marie, Dietrich Lang (the Mouse King), the young Drosselmeier (the Nutcracker). I was very intrigued with the premise that Marie is attracted to Lieutenant Lang, who is the Mouse King but in human form.
For this third installment, Marie decides to go in search of Lang and will have to overcome several obstacles in order for them both to get their happy ending.
It was very satisfying as a Christmas read even though this book does not take place in winter, but I feel a sort of continuation/retelling of the Nutcracker, for me it tasted very good.
December 30, 2025
4.5 stars
I great conclusion to the series. This book wraps ups the events that began in the first book. Even though the first book can be considered a standalone, this book gives a better conclusion to the Nutcracker story as well as all of the characters stories that were in the original book.
My only nitpick was that there were times Marie got on my nerves. There were times where she seemed selfish or inmature.
Only kissing in this book
I great conclusion to the series. This book wraps ups the events that began in the first book. Even though the first book can be considered a standalone, this book gives a better conclusion to the Nutcracker story as well as all of the characters stories that were in the original book.
My only nitpick was that there were times Marie got on my nerves. There were times where she seemed selfish or inmature.
Only kissing in this book
November 12, 2024
What a wonderful ending. It honestly could not have turned out any better if I wanted it to. For not only the main characters to find themselves in the end and have old feuds die but ancillary characters as well makes this such a wholesome ending to a wonderful story.
January 5, 2025
I genuinely enjoyed this trilogy. I wish more people knew about it! I loved the characters, and Lang definitely was my favorite. This was a perfect lighthearted read!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews