A Curse of Breath and Blood

The Mind Breaker #1

by K.W. Foster

'A Court of Thorns and Roses' meets 'Six of Crows' in this thrilling new fantasy romance.

A queen turned mercenary. A long-lost love. An ancient evil reborn. With her home kingdom destroyed and her family considered dead, Aelia Springborn makes a living, using her abilities to break minds for anyone with enough coin. Content to live a life in the shadows, her world is turned upside down when her former lover, Caiden Stormweaver, tracks her down at the edge of the world with a proposition she can’t refuse…. help him thwart her former husband, King Gideon, from obtaining the deadly army of the Alder King.

With a chasm of hurt between them, the pair strikes a deal; once their mission is complete, Aelia will wipe his memories of their relationship, releasing them both from their tumultuous past.

Bound by magic and aided by friends, Caiden and Aelia set off on a journey to save the continent from ultimate destruction. However, as their mission progresses, Aelia and Caiden find themselves reigniting the flames of their past. But in Moriana, breaking a bargain is deadly.

Things become even more complicated when Aelia meets Tharan Greenblade, a charming playboy whom she cannot help but fall for. With the threads of their fates entwining, the trio will be forced into a high-stakes game that will test their loyalties and raise the dead.

Don't miss this adult romantasy debut combining the dark fairytale atmosphere of Nettle and Bone with the heart-stopping romance of A Court of Thorns and Roses and the found family dynamics of Divine Rivals. With tension at every turn, this novel explores the sacrifices we make to save the ones we love.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Adult, Magic

404 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2024

About the author

K.W. Foster is the author of deliciously haunting and spicy fantasy romances featuring morally grey women and the men (and women) who love them. Originally from the Midwest, she now resides in the Mid-Atlantic with her husband and two big fluffy dogs. Follow her on Instagram @authorkwfoster

Reviews

[Mel🌻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

“You are beautiful to me, Aelia Springborn. Your scars are a testament to your strength. Wear them with pride.”


✨Fantasy
✨Spice
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Who did this to you?
✨Second chance love
✨Found family
✨Magic
✨Love triangle
✨Quest
✨Forced proximity
✨Multi POV
✨Forbidden love


Guys you need to go read this book now. Not me thinking this was a standalone but it turns out it’s a series and I need the second book now but I have to wait because it’s not even been written yet 🤣

Spoilers below

Aelia the (FMC) gets reunited with her ex Caiden as he has information to help try and track down Aelia’s sister who has been missing for 5 years. He has to help Aelia despite there differences/ past as he made a blood oath with her mother to protect her.

We learn that Aelia and Caiden used to be past lovers but weren’t allowed to be together and lots of things have happened in the past (which I won’t spoil) that has resulted in them both hating each other. We learn that Aelia fell in love and married Gideon because he tricked her and he went on to abuse/ control her until she finally managed to escape after the years of control.

Enter the forced proximity during the mission to find Aelia’s sister where surprise surprise Caiden and Aelia end up having a heated argument which ends with them making an oath for her to wipe all his memories of her from his mind 😭 After this as they are forced to spend more time together they end up rekindling things and declare their love for each other only for Aelia to be forced to wipe all of Caidens memories (yes I did sob during this scene)

Enter Tharan who is everything 😮‍💨 I absolutely love the relationship between Aelia and Tharan. I love that they can be completely honest with each other and I feel as if Tharan loves Aelia for who she is now and they are growing together and sharing all of their scars. Whereas although I do like Caiden I feel like he loves the old Aelia before her trauma. Can’t wait to see what happeneds I want more Aelia and Tharan.

Quotes I loved:

“I’ve wanted to kiss you every day since the first time I laid eyes on you”

“I love you,” I said, looking into Caiden’s blue eyes. “I know you won’t remember, but I hope your heart keeps the memory your mind won’t.”

“I will find a way back to you” He kissed me passionately. “I love you, Aelia. I loved you even when I hated you, and I will keep a space in my heart for you until the end of time.” A promise he couldn’t keep.

“I closed my eyes. Nothing like having your romantic history laid bare in front of your current lover, your husband, and your ex-lover, who’s mind you erased”

“You are beautiful to me, Aelia Springborn. Your scars are a testament to your strength. Wear them with pride.”

Thankyou Netgalley for this Arc, this is my honest review.

✨

Pre-reading: This is my first ever Arc 🤭

[[CLOSED.] · Rating 2 out of 5]

i genuinely wanted to like this book and it was very good in the first 15-20% but then the book started to get more and more confusing making me lose interest. there was a major lack in the world building and it felt like the characters had no distinct personalities. there were also multiple character introductions and i didn't know how any of them fit within the story. one of the main things i was confused about is the romance that's supposed to be within this book. the pov's were of aelia and caiden so i was sure that it would be a second chance romance between them. but then after 30%, i went to read some of the reviews and everyone was talking about aelia with another man. i did see towards the end the potential that aelia has with that apparent mmc but i feel like it was out of nowhere bc there was no emotional or intimate connection. that also leads to the fact that i don't know a lot about the character's background or how they become what they are making it hard to care about what happens to them within the story. however, the overall plot of the story has potential so i think it would have been better if the book was longer especially since it's a fantasy so the characters and world could've been more developed.

[Faerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐3.8

Offering a unique blend of whimsy and darkness, 'A Curse of Breath and Blood' intertwines high fantasy with a thoughtful exploration of real-world issues.

The narrative centres on Aelia, a troubled psychic battling an addiction to fairy dust. The plot features a richly diverse array of mythological creatures that will delight fantasy readers. However, while the realm’s potential is evident, certain aspects feel a little underdeveloped, suggesting intriguing possibilities for future exploration.

Fast-paced and high-stakes, the writing delivers a compelling and action-packed experience. Although a few scenes may feel somewhat rushed, the prose remains accessible and exciting.

Aelia defies conventional heroic archetypes; she is a mature character grappling with a traumatic past and a turbulent quest for genuine affection. Her morally ambiguous portrayal is both chaotic and authentic, offering a heartfelt exploration of her inner struggles. The fraught romance between the leads is both tragic and compelling, sprinkled with mildly spicy moments while prioritising story progression. The protagonists are complemented by interesting supporting characters, leaving ample room for future developments.

The novel skillfully integrates fantastical elements - such as sylphs, mermaids, and a menacing kraken - with a nuanced approach to more serious themes, such as: trauma, addiction and heartbreak, creating a narrative that resonates on multiple levels.

'A Curse of Breath and Blood' stands out for its unique combination of high fantasy and emotional depth. While the world-building could benefit from further development in future installments, this debut is a strong start to the series. The book offers a fresh, layered story that will appeal to high fantasy readers who appreciate unconventional characters.

"Sometimes it is easier to sink into the roles already given to us than to fight for a new one."

Genre:
-High Fantasy
-Romance

Tropes:
-Forbidden Love
-Forced Proximity
-Fantasy Species
-Love Triangles
-Anti-Hero

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[blank ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺]

This was a solid 3/3.5 star read until I hit the 35% mark where some head hopping happens. For context, head hopping is an instant DNF for me.
The few typos and repetition I found I could deal with since this is an ARC and will likely still go through some changes, but I don’t expect head hopping to be fixed in time for release, unfortunately, though I would be very willing to give this book another go if it were.
If it doesn’t bother you too much and you like Romantasy with an older protagonist you will most likely enjoy this book.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Manda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I really enjoy romantasy books, and was looking forward to this one. I liked the idea of mind bending and thought it was a cool power. So...down to the nitty gritty...things I had issues with

-The world building is just not there. You kind of are all of a sudden just existing at places or in something.
-To build on that-the sudden facts also occur where all of a sudden the book states something and I went back and could not find anything related and hadn't missed anything.
-Some characters had more depth than others, and I feel like a book needs a good balance of plot and character development. We see what our FMC is experiencing, but even with Multiple POV the rest of the characters except maybe Tharan remain surface level. We don't even delve deeper into Aelia's scar and what she experienced while with Gideon.
-The jump at the end to the big emotions was a bit left field for me. The relationship needed more development to drop that.

The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me, but I'd say as the last third of the book started picking up. I enjoyed it more once things were actually happening...even thought it still felt disconnected. I will prob read the next one to see if the writer works out the kinks in this one. For this one, I unfortunately rate it 2.5.

[Trisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was...fine. It had a LOT of potential, but a lot of things just fell flat for me.

There is virtually no worldbuilding for this book--you are thrown directly into the story, then given a time jump. With that time jump comes no explanation as to what happened or how we got to the point that we did. It *kind of* gets explained as you go through the story, but not in any meaningful way. Being that there's no world building, this is paced VERY quickly and similarly to YA titles--before the 50% mark, our FMC almost dies literally 5 times. I counted. But there's so much action constantly happening, that we don't get any character or relationship development. We're told who our characters love, told that they love each other, told that they have thoughts and feelings, but aren't really SHOWN anything. It makes the second half of the book feel VERY insta love to me.

All of the characters have a lot of potential to become more than just 2D background characters, but no one really does. I was most disappointed with the villain of the story--we're literally told he's bad and awful, but we don't actually see him DO anything bad or evil until almost the end of the book. If you want me to root for our MCs, I need to believe they have something to root against. And it just wasn't fully there for me.

HOWEVER, I DID love Aelia a lot--she's in her 30s, she's flawed, she's irrational, and she's healing from a lot of trauma. I think we got a great characterization of how she's coping with her trauma and what it did to her/how she's working on healing. Even though we don't get much info about the trauma itself. I can see how a lot of folks won't like her, but she definitely feels like a version of Aelin in Throne of Glass if she hadn't landed where she did, when she did.

This was a super-fast read because it's action packed, and the parts of the story/world that are there are interesting and entertaining. I just wish this had been divided into maybe two books (or given another 100 pages) and more time was taken to develop characters, the world, and relationships to make me more invested in the outcomes.

This is definitely for someone who likes YA Fantasy but wants a more "adult" feel, and doesn't want a lot of world building. Unfortunately, I'm just not that person so this wasn't my favorite read.

Thank you Netgalley and K.W. Foster for the ARC of this one!

[Rozanne Visagie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Our love died before it ever had a chance to live."

A Curse of Breath and Blood is a fantasy romance debut that will have you hooked from the first chapter! I literally wished I could skip my daily responsibilities and just read this book 😊
Intrigued by the description of 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' meets 'Six of Crows', I also want to add that there are some Lord of the Rings vibes. I was here for all of it 👌 The feeling this book gave me while reading is exactly why I love reading fantasy.

I will keep this spoiler free, but Aelia is such a fierce FMC. Being a telepath, she can enter people's mind and alter their memories, something that leads to paying a high price later in the story. My heart broke at that scene. There are different courts, magic, an epic battle, and side characters who I've grown to love. Amolie and Roderick are the best! I was so skeptical of Tharan at first, but now I love him! He progressed from side character to main character, I'm so ready to read more about him.

The story is mainly dual POV with a surprise chapter. There were moments that I couldn't read fast enough and moments where I didn't want the story to end. The writing is beautiful and descriptive, and I could easily picture the blacksmith and the castle. The writing is enchanting ✨️
Aelia does deal with addiction, so please be aware of the TW before starting to read this book. The story deals with some heavy topics at times, sacrifices, and loss, but Aelia surprised me so much by how her character developed. The story is far from over for her. From a traitorous queen to a queen that rules armies and captures hearts. I love her! Now I desperately need book 2 after reading that epilogue 😫

“We are not our labels, Aelia. You should know that by now. Sometimes it is easier to live in the armor we build for ourselves than let the world see who we really are.”

Many thanks to the author for gifting me an electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️


Huge thanks to K W Foster for giving me an ARC of this book.

This book has great potential. It has a great plot, great characters and an interesting development. The FMC is very flawed and had trauma from her past and her abusive husband (who’s a king) and also her first love who she was forced to leave, her sister is allegedly kidnapped by said husband and she’s trying to save her with the help of her first love.

Due to the trauma, Aelia begins to have addictions, using drugs and s*x to cope with her abuse.

Her powers were also really interesting. She’s a telepath and can destroy people’s minds or erase their memories but not her own.

However the book was really fast paced and I would’ve appreciated more context and world building. We’re literally thrown into the story clueless and I was really confused for the first half part of the book.

It does get better though and the plot was really intriguing, especially the plot twist at the end which made me really curious about the next book!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give A Curse of Breath and Blood 4.5 stars but don’t want to do it a disservice of rounding down to 4! And I’d give it a 2.5 on my spiciness scale 🌶️ (it takes quite a lot to phase me)

Now for the rationale!

I did, admittedly, have a bit of a hard time getting into the book. I was overwhelmed with all of the characters and places we were introduced to right away and worried I wouldn’t be able to keep track! Once I got used to that style of scene setting, it didn’t bother ne anymore. I just knew to only realllyyy pay attention once I’d seen a name or place a couple of times.

I LOVE how real Aelia is! First of all, a FMC in her 30s?! Yes, please! The challenges she faces with family and addiction made her so much more real and relatable, even if those aren’t specific issues you face. I think there was even one part where her knees creaked getting up 😂

The spice was a nice little bonus but was not over done and fit well within the plot. The scenes were kept pretty concise and weren’t overtly graphic, in my opinion.

Which leads me to the love interests 👀. Yes, interests, plural. I don’t want to spoil anything but her self-awareness of knowing she falls for anyone who pays her attention 😮‍💨

I went into this book quite blind and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it! I can’t wait for the next book in the series - who could with an epilogue like that?!

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Do not let them break you, Aelie.”

Thank you to the author for this arc!

NOTE: before picking up this book, you will NEED to read the History of Moriana blurb from KW Foster’s website. It’ll ensure everything makes sense, as this is an extremely fast paced romantasy! Do NOT scroll to the next blurb about character info until you’re about halfway thru the book; it contains spoilers.

Aelie is our 30 year old traitorous queen with an extremely unique gift, which you’re introduced to up front. From royalty to mind-ripper for hire, she struggles with mental health issues, ptsd, relationship trauma, and addiction. Be sure to read the content warnings before diving in, but I really loved seeing all of this represented in a fantasy book! Babes is also bi <3

The mmc’s are equally flawed and beautiful (team Tharan 👀). It was refreshing to not endure a miscommunication trope at any point; they all acknowledged each other’s shortcomings and reacted accordingly based on their own character. Also, forest magic?! Sign me UP.

This is the first installation of a new adult romantic fantasy trilogy, with a very fast-paced plot and a satisfying ending that leaves readers ready for book 2!

[Pernille A Prolific Page Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reads like skipping stones on water. It only skims the surface without getting to the deeper feelings of the characters, their emotional settings are either, 1. neutral, 2. slightly emotional or 3. teenage-hormone fueled extremes. Sometimes it feels like actions have been skipped or you had a blink-and-you-missed-it while reading and that is super frustrating because I kept thinking "when did that happen? Where did he come from? What are you talking about? What's your reasoning behind that conclusion?How can you draw the blanket around yourself while he is still on top of you after he absolutely killed the mood, wait, when did he move off the bed?" It was really jarring because it happened throughout the book. Also, the way it was described that Gideon, the a**hole, abusive husband, was killed but then they suspected he was resurrected, and then it was taken for granted he was alive, and then he was stabbed and electrocuted until his eyes burst, but still he wasn't dead?! I could not keep up, so many things didn't make sense.



Aelia is 30 and have lived an extremely hard life, surviving an abusive marriage, but it broke her and she turned to drugs, drink, and mercenary life to pay for her new life as a pariah, also known as the Traitor Queen (I'm not sure what she did to gain that reputation). She has her DEMONS okay! Yet she acts like a teenager. I'm all for being free with your sexual partners but going from an abusive marriage to use sex to forget, to then almost hop straight into bed with her former lover. I feel like she should get some therapy because it does not seem like she has a healthy relationship with sex. At least she acknowledges that she can't function without being with someone - codependency is something she needs to work on. As well as using sex as revenge. Girl, you need to figure out who you are as a person and not let yourself be defined by who your partner is.



The only side character I actually like was Tharan: he is likeable and seems sincere, where all the rest are glorified teenagers. One and all even the FMC. I cried when Aelia removed Caiden's memories because it's a really cruel thing to happen to someone, not because I actually liked them. They were stupid enough to make that oath when their emotions ran hot without the slightest thought to the consequences it might have for the future. I mean, they might need to work together in the future, so building a relationship, even a platonic one, all over again just seem like the dumbest thing to do.

The author failed to describe the intricacies and horror of being in abuse relationship, the feelings and reactions you get from being in withdrawal, she just goes cold turkey, and it's only mentioned when she has any teenage emotional outbursts. Everything is super superficial to me. When you write about these things you should also have a strong grasp on terminology so the readers don't suddenly starts using the wrong words thinking it's correct because they read it in a book. So, what is it? The author used "love dumping" when in fact it is LOVE BOMBING . My theory is that "trauma dumping" and "love bombing" got mashed together which might just be a mistake, but still not one I think should be made when it's this subject.



Yes, I do.

As a last addendum, false advertisement when saying "Six of Crows" - it may have been several years since I read it but I don't see the resemblance anywhere. I might have blinked when it happened, though. I'll grant them the "Court of Thorns and Roses"

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest opinion

[Mrs. Pendragon Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, a tremendous thank you for this ARC. All options are my own.

Secondly… HOW DARE YOU end the story like that and just walk away, leaving us poor readers dangling over the edge of that epilogue cliff! There I was, flipping the pages with wild abandon, only to realize the pages had stopped, and my heart was left teetering on the brink of despair. The pit in my stomach? Oh, it’s still there, and it’s growing roots.

Now, onto the characters, chef's kiss! What a marvelous, well-crafted cast! Aelia, our 30-year-old heroine, is refreshingly complex, steering far away from the 18-year-old, starry-eyed love-at-first-sight clichés. This novel is a breath of fresh air, with characters who’ve lived, stumbled, and picked themselves back up again. Aelia's ten-year journey of struggle and regret is written with the kind of depth that resonates deeply, especially when she’s dealing with that royal disaster of a husband.

The world-building? The conflict? Absolutely splendid. Every twist and turn had me glued to the pages like a hobbit on second breakfast. If you’ve ever imagined mixing a dash more romance and a hearty helping of drama into the world of Middle-earth, then buckle up, because this book is it!

[Joanna]

DNF @ 45% - I will likely not be revisiting this one. If you are curious about my reasons for not finishing see below but there may be spoilers...

Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC. Unfortunately this did not work out for me but I wish her all the best!

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Right away when I started reading I felt that I was dropped in the middle of a story, trying to play catch up with details I didn't have. At 24%, a friend directed me to the authors website where you can find a very convoluted world map, a history of the continent and a character cheat sheet. I did not read this because personally, I think material like that is great as a reference but it should be optional. There shouldn't be required reading beforehand to understand the story. The lack of actual world-building within the pages of the story is alarming.

There were multiple instances where something was said and I had to backtrack because I was confused...
- At one point Aelia says "I've been clean for weeks" and I literally said out loud, weeks?! because I had no idea that much time had passed within like half a chapter.
- Caiden confesses to his friends that Aelia kissed him. Again I went back because I didn't remember that happening. "I leaned into him. The smell of sweet liquor permeated his lips. I slid my thumb down his jaw." ... no mention of an actual kiss.
- Someone named Erissa is mentioned 6 times before we're informed she is Gideon's elven mage
- In a Caiden POV chapter he is with Lucius who slips into wraith form, leaving Caiden in a bedroom. So it abruptly switched to Lucius POV as he looks for the scepter..
- When Caiden Tharan and Aelia are escaping the caves, Tharan conjures mushrooms for Caiden to eat to replenish his energy. Caiden asks "how do I know these aren't poisonous?" to which RODERICK responds "his ring, the band will glow if there is poison near." --- this one bothered me SO MUCH because first, Roderick wasn't present in this scene. So I thought okay maybe its a typo she put Roderick instead of Tharan however how would Tharan know about the ring? Roderick was there when Caiden got the ring, not Tharan.

To top things off, the character name choices were.....interesting and often reminded me of other character names

Aelia (Aelin)
Nysemia (Nyhemia)
Morta (Mora)
Lyra (Lyra)

[Bryanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded up to 4)
🫑

While it took me a hot minute (roughly 40%) to actually get into the book, this was VERY good in the second half. There were a few things I wasn’t the biggest fan of (like the love triangle, the jump between first and third person, and a few others) I didn’t hate this book. I actually really liked it despite my nitpicking.

Aelia had a unique gift and that made her pretty interesting. I liked the fact that she could go into people’s minds and not just read their thoughts but rifle around in their memories, change them, erase them.

Caiden honestly bothered me. Something about him and the way he acted just made me so mad. I much preferred Tharan. THAT MAN was is a much better choice.

The whole quest of saving Baylis took up much less of the book than I thought and I wish they focused more on that and less on the romance or the revenge on King Gideon. Also, it would have been nicer to know more about Aelia and Gideon’s marriage. We didn’t get much insight into that and it would have been nice to know more.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad book. The ending threw me for a fucking loop and that’s the only real reason I’ll read the next one. I just need to know what happens 😂

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕀 ℝ𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜: ARC E-Book
ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖: Medium
ℙ𝕣𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪: Medium
𝔼𝕟𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕋𝕪𝕡𝕖: Expanded
•
𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 𝕠𝕟 𝕎𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕥𝕪𝕝𝕖: This was written so well and paced perfectly! The mixture of work building along with story telling was amazing.
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤: “Hope is a dangerous thing. It blinds us to reality.”
&
“Love blinds even the most careful planners.”
&
“A broken girl makes for a willing victim.”
&
“We are not our labels, Aelia. You should know that by now. Sometimes it is easier to live in the armor we build for ourselves than let the world see who we really are.”
&
“You are beautiful to me, Aelia Springborn. Your scars are a testament to your strength. Wear them with pride.”
𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣: Chapter 32
𝔽𝕧𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣: Aelia speingborn: I absolutely loved Aelia’s sassy personality. Her story is also so heartbreaking and I totally can relate to how she copes with her trauma. I felt so much for her and can’t wait to see where her adventure continues to go!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: This book really blew me away! It kept me hooked the entire way. I fell in love with Aelia & can’t wait to see where her story continues to go. The whole vibe of this book was it for me. It had some darker parts that made the story go so deep and I absolutely loved how it all came together by the end. There was still so much left open for the next book I can’t wait! I absolutely loved the story so much!! And that ending was insane 🤯 I did like Tharan over Caiden so I was happy with her ending up with him at the end but I feel like the whole game is going to change in book 2!! I can’t wait!!

[✧ Beanie Reads ✧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @20%
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ebook ARC!

This book... Exists. It didn't make me angry or anything, but I just found it so... meh? I thought the writing painfully barebones, with over-the-top moments, telly writing, and far too many simple sentences (sometimes ones that felt oddly tacked on to moments). I couldn't tell you almost anything about the world except that there's a drug called dust, sylphs and elves exist, and people have magic.

For example of what I mean by barebones, there was a sentence like "A fireball crashed through the window, catching everything on fire" and then just a character yelling to run away. The only set up to this was a character mentioning they needed to go. It just felt so... lackluster and badly paced and... nothing. I don't need books to be complex. I don't need (or usually want) purple prose. But this just felt on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

It wasn't absolutely horrendous, and I do like the "rep" of people resorting to drugs to cope with mental health. It's a horrible thing to do (for your mental and physical health), but with how oppressive mental health can be, many do, and it's nice to show that (and likely later on the escape from the drugs). Buuuuut the desire to show the bad outcome of poor mental health does not a good character or book make U^_^

So yeah. Not for me. I could probably read on as the writing is so quick and simple, but I don't really have a reason or desire to.

Hope others can enjoy this book, because all books deserved to be loved by someone <3 That someone just isn't me here.

[Amber's Book Cave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. I found it interesting enough to finish it, but could use more editing (I read an ARC version so take that with a gain of salt).

Chapter 28 said the word "tent" 13 times within 5 paragraphs... I never want to hear/read the word tent again. ⛺️

[Book Hoarder Coffee Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review time!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was lucky enough to receive the eArc copy of the upcoming release "A Curse of Breath and Blood" by @authorkwfoster

Let me begin this review by saying that sometimes I feel like the romantasy world is a bit oversaturated with 18 to 20 year old fmc, who are often hard to relate to.

A Curse of Breath and Blood is here to change that. The fmc is a 30+ year old who has been through a lot. We get a little of her backstory and with that we can see her evolution from a naive youngster full of dreams of love to the hardest, most badass heroine.💪

This book has a love triangle which never even approaches cheating, which I really did enjoy.
Its a fine line sometimes and the author rode that line beautifully, throughout the book you find yourself as confused as the fmc, as both love interests are swoon worthy 😍 and the banter, omg the banter...

I loved this book and cannot wait until it releases so I can see all the posts of people who will love it just as much as I did 😄

Easy 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Release date: September 2024

Thank you so much for writing this book @authorkwfoster and for creating a fmc I can truly relate to ❤️

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for letting me read this as an ARC!
Ok so if I didn’t follow this author on instagram, I wouldn’t have thought this was their debut novel. The writing style is a bit different than what I feel like I normally read but I LOVE THAT. This was definitely a page turner, if I had more free time I would have finished this in a day easily but responsibilities get in the way of that 😂.
The pacing of the story was really nice. I feel like within the 340+ pages you get a nice even look at everything going on so nothing seemed rushed or over saturated.

🤎Let’s talk tropes. 🤎
I LOVE that our main character is 30. The prologue starts her off as this young girl in love and then we do a decent time skip and she is now 30 and broken. She goes through hell and has her own ways of coping. Definitely a morally grey fmc and I am so here for it.
We have a love triangle. Team Caiden or Team Tharan? Idk who to choose I can only imagine how hard it is for Aelia to choose. You have someone with passion and history and the memories of who you once were. Then you have someone you just met, has more of an understanding of who you are today, witty banter and judgement free. I say why choose. But who knows how it’s going to play out as the series continues. I’m just here for the ride.

Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ we get a good on page action scene but nothing crazy and most of the scene are off page. However the author has confirmed that we will get more spicy as the series continues. It’s like a reward.

Overall this book has a little bit of everything that I enjoy when reading fantasy romance. The world building was spread out through the entire book rather than bogging down the first half. I love the setting because we get to see tons of magical creatures, centaurs, satyrs, elves, etc. The villain is someone you will LOVE to HATE. The main characters are very much their own characters and have so much personality. The supporting characters all have their roles and you get attached to them as well. Just really good and I can’t wait for the next book.

Ok so without spoilers. READ THE EPILOGUE! Dear gods it made my skin crawl!!

[Amy | romantasy.myromanempire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
1.5 🌶️

So overall I liked the story and do plan on continuing the trilogy. Mostly because of Tharan 😅

This wasn’t a 4-5 star read for me because I didn’t vibe with the writing style, I felt like the transitions were awkward, the timeline was all over the place and the character development was just glossed over. I felt like there was a lot of potential for some really great healing arcs but it lacked depth. I also wouldn’t call this spicy at all. There was one open door scene that ended prematurely 🥴

Things I liked were Aelia & Tharan’s banter (though it was also kinda instalove) and the world/magic system was interesting even if I feel like it could have been fleshed out more. The epilogue intrigued me and I plan to give book 2 a chance.

Thank you to the author for the advanced reader copy!

[Cait Ireen | caitireenreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/5

Mercenary, Traitorous Queen, Queen of the Dead… Aelia Springborn goes by many names. Years of living on the road and turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms have turned Aelia into a shell of the queen she once was. After hearing that her sister, Baylis, has been kidnapped by her estranged husband, Gideon, Aelia turns to her ex-lover Caiden for help. Their quest starts out contentious, as the two ex’s can’t stand to be around each other, and Aelia’s passion for life is at an all time low. What follows is the quest to recover her sister, alongside Caiden’s court and Tharan Greenblade, the bastard son of the Alder King. Together, they hope to rescue Baylis and learn to cope with the growing feelings between Aelia and Caiden & Tharan.

This was a fun read! The world building was quite extravagant and was handled beautifully in a short amount of time. I loved both of our MMCs, and honestly couldn’t tell you who I’d choose between the two… and I’m normally a complete simp for a second chance romance! The quest was fun to follow, and that cliffhanger at the end was wild! Can’t wait to see what K.W. Foster comes up with next.

I recommend this book for lovers of fantasy with fun world-building, a delicious love triangle & a cliffhanger-lite which leaves you wanting more!

Tropes in this story:
✨Strong, mature FMC
✨Second chance love
✨Love triangle which was compelling!
✨Quest with multiple stages
✨Only one bed
✨Fantastical world building with humans, sylphs & elves

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via the author, but my review is all my own.

[✩₊*Shelby ⋆ ☾⋆ LiteraryFaery ⁺₊✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Curse of Breath and Blood is book 1 in the Mind Breaker series by debut indie author @authorkwfoster, a trilogy featuring a 30-something heroine with telepathic powers!! I read the audiobook read and I LOVE how immersive this dark romantasy felt from start to finish. Immediately from the prologue, I was swept away by the fast-paced action and fantasy world. Totally bingeworthy and well performed by both narrators!

What to Expect:
—🌶️🌶️.5/5
—Dual POV Chapters
—Enemies-to-Lovers
—Slowburn Romance
—Second Chance
—Morally Grey FMC
—Reformed Bad Boy MMC
—Who Did This to You?
—Only One Bed
—Political Intrigue
—Mental Health Rep
—Love Triangle
—Botanical Magic

Huge thanks to the author and Aethon Books for gifting me a copy. All thoughts above are true to my own experience as a reader.

[Taylor Chitwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really, really wanted to like this. But I felt like I was missing SO much information. The whole thing felt very anticlimactic. I hated Caiden through every single bit of the book - I actually really disliked every character except the FMC and Tharron. There wasn’t really a plot twist I couldn’t guess since it follows pretty much every popular romantasy storyline. The FMCs trauma was extremely overlooked and I was getting really pissed off every time someone told her she’d had a “choice” - especially Caiden, who knew about her scars and the torture she endured. Plus just so much missing info I couldn’t connect with anyone except the FMC, who didn’t deserve to hate herself as much as she did, and as much as everyone else seemed to.

[kiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

(E-arc Review)

OMG I literally feel like this book was made for me!! A romantasy book with a strong fmc, a fascinating magic system ANNNNNND A LOVE TRIANGLE? 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 I ate it up.

I LOVED our FMC, Aelia. I loved reading about the complexity of her character & also appreciated how she was 30! I thought having an early 30s main character was so refreshing! Her power of telepathy was so intriguing (but also heartbreaking 😭)

I also really enjoyed both of our MMCs! I love a love triangle trope & this one is done heartbreakingly well 😩 I truly don't know who I loved more 😭 I think I might be Team Caiden though 🤭 (I love a second chance romance ok!!)

This story was so captivating & beautifully written. I 1000% recommend adding it to your TBR & picking it up this September!!! 🖤

**this is a dark fantasy romance so check trigger warnings 🫶🏻

TROPES:
💖 mental health rep
🏰 love triangle
⚔️ complex, morally grey FMC
🖤 dark romantasy
🗝️ second chance romance
🌸 botanical magic

Release Date: September 17, 2024

Thank you to the Nerd Fam and Aethon Books for the gifted book!!!!

[Deirdre Megan Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 4.5
Thank you The Nerd Fam and Aethon Books for the gifted book. . The reviews aren’t great and this just proves that reading is subjective. I loved this book. I can’t wait for book two. The story is redemption, love, enemies, complication and more. So much in one fantasy book.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I would like to declare myself as fully and unapologetically, Team Tharan.

Now that that’s out of the way:
I thought this was a solid fantasy romance that kept me entertained. As with most fantasy worlds there is a lot of world building that needs to happen while still moving the plot/ characters forward. And for the most part, I think K.W. Foster did a good job of finding that balance. There was one area of the book that felt a little too rushed for me. And while I wish that that portion of the plot had been given some more time, I was still able to enjoy the story as a whole and did not find the rest of it to feel too rushed.

I enjoyed the love triangle. Even though, I believe that one is clearly better for Aelia than the other! (Please do the right thing and have them be end game! 🙏🏻😂) - I think the choice between a shared past vs. a new start is one that is very relatable. I could easily put myself in Aelia’s shoes and understand why she was drawn to both Caiden and Tharan.

I love court politics in fantasy and this world gives you plenty of that. Overall, I thought this book was a great set up to a new series!

Thank you to K.W. Foster for reaching out to me and sending me an ARC of this book. My review is voluntary and my honest opinion

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantasy At Its Best!

Thank you for sending me an eARC copy for an honest review. I hope to become an ARC reader for your next book, and I hope the wait won't be too long because I desperately need the next book as soon as possible. Debut novel?! Excuse me, Miss K. W. Foster. You have easily made it to my top favorite author list, and I can't wait to see what else you come up with. I finished reading this book within 24 hours. Days later, I am still captivated by the characters and storyline. It truly pulls you in and makes you feel as if you are a part of the story. The epilogue left me screaming at my Kindle and a loss for words.

[Amanda Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! I loved that the heroine wasn’t this picture perfect main character. She was really flawed— she fell into a forbidden love, had to leave it to marry a King, ended up a traitorous Queen, and went on a mission with the former forbidden love to kill the King/her husband. On the journey, she meets Tharan, who has a playboy reputation but really it’s just to keep people at a distance.

I think Aelia put it perfectly when she said that she tends to fall in love with anyone who shows her affection. Because she has just been used so much. I think she and Caiden really do love each other, but as the book goes on, I felt that he was more of a great past/first love and Tharan is her future.

Caiden represents too much of her past, and even with his memories wiped of her (not a spoiler, it’s a plot point), she still remembers him as her past. Meanwhile Tharan is fresh and new and powerful, and more in line matches the power she is manifesting. I think he’ll be good for her; though she’ll need both of them for what’s coming next based on that epilogue .

Thank you R&R Book Tours for the copy for review!

[Reaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of promise. I wished we dove deeper into character development though. It all read very shallow and I never fully grasped the characters and their identities. I loved how Aeila was 30. That was definitely refreshing. The romance was sort of all over the place; but that’s okay. It was messy but filled with lust, longing and drama.

[Persephone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly don’t know what to say. This book is incredibly fast paced, yet it truly captures your attention. You can’t help but fall in fascination with the characters. They are well rounded, motivated and have their own history to carry.

We follow Aelia, a woman that has been through so much. She might only be 30 (oh my God, an actual adult FMC!?) but her life has been filled with suffering and pain, most at the hand of her husband. Being tortured, turned from human to non-human by illegal magic, emotionally manipulated and torn to pieces - she still manages to find her escape. She is branded the Traitorous Queen, and from a life of a princess and queen, she’s turned into a drug addicted mercenary with severe PTSD, who rips people’s minds to shreds for money. However, her past haunts her in more than one way, and the people she loves the most is in danger once again. Her sister has been taken by her husband, and to free her, Aelie is forced to face her past in more ways than one.

Aelia suffers tremendously and several times I was just begging for her to catch a break.

While there was a bit of a love triangle happening, it was so refreshing that there wasn’t any miscommunication or treachery. Secrets? Sure! But all acts make sense and work well with the characters and story. I really enjoyed the friendships and loyalties through the book and well, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat!

I’m so incredibly grateful I was given the chance to read this arc and I honestly can’t wait for the next book!