Cursed Under London

Cursed #1

by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

The hilarious first novel in a cosy and inclusive historical romantasy series by the writer of Horrible Histories
Two strangers.

Two Londons.

Two hearts that won’t stop beating…

In an alternative Elizabethan London, Fang awakes from his death to discover he is not quite human anymore. In fact, despite having somehow acquired the power of immortality, he’s also not quite vampire, zombie, werewolf or any of the other supernatural beings who roam the twin cities of Upper London and its underground counterpart, Deep London.

A jaded traveller from the Ming Empire, Fang is desperate to find a way to reverse the spell and get on with being dead when he stumbles upon Lazare de Quitte-Beuf, a theatrical Frenchman who is afflicted with the same mysterious condition. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two men set out to undo the strange magic that binds them. As they are drawn further into the shadowy world of Deep London, they unearth a dangerous plot which they appear to be right in the middle of…

And, surely, when in grave danger, the worst thing they could do would be to fall in love, wouldn’t it?

Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance, LGBT, Historical Fiction, Queer, Fiction

304 pages, Hardcover

Published July 10, 2024

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

Urban fantasy set in an extremely modern-sounding fantasy Elizabethan London with dragons, alchemists, zombies, undercity, fae etc. Apothecary, failed actor and mysterious loner collaborate to help a lost half fae child in the face of some quite sinister villainy and also bureaucracy. There is loads of queer UST and some quite daft pining (daft in a good way).

I enjoyed this a lot, and there's some excellent lines, but it felt a little rushed. It's not often I wish that books were longer, but I feel like the author needed to relax more into this and let the world and the characters breathe a bit more. The plot is fairly linear so I get why you'd want to keep the pace up, but the characters are charming and the narrative voice very likeable and it could definitely have afforded to be a bit more expansive in the writing.

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bursting with whimsy, wit and a chaotic cast of loveable characters, Gabby Hutchinson Crouch’s cosy historical fantasy was an absolute delight from start to finish, I don’t think I’ve laughed quite this much in ages.

Set in an alternate Elizabethan England, where real historical events and figures collide with the supernatural—in strange and marvellous ways I found incredibly entertaining. We follow two recently deceased but not quite dead strangers (Fang and Lazare) as they embark on a quest to reverse the mysterious curse that now afflicts them.

From the (sort of tame) human streets of Upper London to it’s shadowy supernatural equivalent below ground, which sees our MCs run into deadly rival gangs, vampires, ogres and even a Zombie Christopher Marlowe. Fans of fast paced, Neil Gaiman-esque adventures will definitely want to consider checking this out.

I loved protagonists, Fang and Lazare who I found a lot of fun to explore. Their banter was soo really entertaining and helped showcase their grumpy/ sunshine dynamics and palpable chemistry to perfection!

The rag-tag cast of supporting characters were really endearing too, in a bickering found family type way that had me utterly invested in their antics. Especially Amber (the dragon) who stole my heart with her polite and very earnest request to eat one of our MCs in the opening chapter

Obviously humour is very subjective so just wanted to say, though I loved the humour that Hutchinson Crouch has expertly woven into this, it does border on being more on the juvenile side which I know won’t be to everyone’s tastes.

But if, like myself, you love a little humour-filled absurdity (or enjoyed TV shows: Horrible Histories, Good Omens, or What We Do In The Shadows) then you’ll probably really like this.

Also a huge thank you to Blackcrow PR and Farrago books for the finished copy.

[Sapir_library ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 2.5 ⭐ rounded up

My thoughts of the book 💭
I recently read "Cursed Under London" by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, a cozy fantasy novel about two men living in 16th-century London. Despite their constant brushes with death and various supernatural creatures, they miraculously manage to avoid transformation and form an alliance with a determined dragon named Amber and a character named Nell, all to unravel the mystery behind their unusual circumstances.

While the fast-paced, dynamic plot kept the characters constantly moving, I had a few issues with the book. Although it is a humorous novel, I found the stakes too low. Additionally, I did not quite connect with the world that was projected in the book, which was Elizabethan England. I was initially intrigued by the book's synopsis, which mentioned vampires and other paranormal creatures, and the cover and title of the book certainly captured my attention. However, I feel that the story could have been modeled differently to reflect better the period in history and may be presented with more depth.

Furthermore, the level of language used in the story did not reflect the same level of speech that was presented back in the 16th-century Elizabethan era. Many of the phrases and figures of speech leaned more toward modern English, which I found to be a bit off-putting.

Overall, "Cursed Under London" was an excellent idea for a book, but it could have been improved with more depth and attention to detail. Perhaps a revision is needed before publishing it.

[Georgie-who-is-Sarah-Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Excellent fun, and I rattled through this in a sitting. Sympathetic characters, and a plot I could broadly follow.
Crouch's writing is thoroughly engaging. I was drawn in on the first page, when one of the MCs is lying in a gutter on the point of death, and a small dragon turns up.

‘Don’t mind me,’ said the creature in a husky, friendly voice after a while. ‘I’m not going to start until… you know. I would never. Just, I smelled the blood, and wanted to get here first and call Baggsie.’

The last part, introducing a new player, was important and over-rushed. But I will happily look out for book 2 .

[Ianthe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this book in Russel Square, left in the most gorgeous tree with a purple ribbon around it and a sticker with the text "Take this book, Read it & Leave it for the next person to enjoy. #ibelieveinbookfairies"

[Svea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute and cozy little fantasy with a cool cast of characters and an interesting mystery plotline! In "Cursed Under London", we follow two men in a version of 16th century Elizabethan England that includes fantastical creatures such as dragons, vampires, zombies or ghouls. These two men have one big thing in common: Both died during a vicious attack by gangsters, and both somehow managed to un-die immediately. This convenient coming-back-to-life incident also gives them new powers - Lazare, a French actor living in London, gets some big vampire wings, while Fang, as mysterious and grumpy as one can be, can suddenly create rather disgusting illusions. This strangeness is also what brings them together in order to find out what happened to them, and on their journey to that goal they are accompanied by a tiny dragon and an apothecary.

The characters were all well-written enough to care for them and want them to succeed. Their dynamic is a lot of fun, and the romance between Lazare and Fang is enjoyable as well. The pacing here is a little off (it's a big case of instalust that very quickly turns into love, which didn't feel earned) but the banter is worthwhile.

What dampened my enjoyment heavily was the world building.
Most notably, there is just no reason whatsoever to make Elizabethan era London the setting of your novel if it's not recognizeable at all. Throwing in some known names, like Elizabeth herself or a really weird version of Christopher Marlowe is just not enough to establish a setting. At no time did it feel like I was actually in 16th century England. The characters speak in a way too modern language, there are anachronisms all about, everyone is openly queer with no repercussions, and this would be fine if Hutchinson Crouch had decided to just built her own fantasy world. Even a fantasized alternate universe 16th century England has to be reminiscent of real life 16th century England or it just doesn't make sense as a setting.
The plot was also a bit meandering with really low stakes, and the big villain wasn't built up well enough to make the final revelations and the big fight interesting. It was alright, all in all.

I'd give this 2,5 stars, rounding up because I enjoyed the general feel and vibe of the story and the characters were mostly fun to hang out with. I probably would have enjoyed it more had it been set in a fantasy world.

Many thanks to Farrago Books and Netgalley for the arc

[Ditte]

Dnf @ 39%

Not for me. I accidentally fell asleep while reading and though I continued again afterwards, I was sadly not any more interested in the story.

Thanks to Black Crow PR, and the publisher for the ARC

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an urban fantasy set in an alternative Elizabethan London where supernatural creatures live amougst humans (Upper London). But don't be looking for the tudor dialogue as you'll not find it here.
Fang and Lezare awaken from their deaths and are not human anymore. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two strangers set out with a Welsh woman and a dragon to find a way to reverse the curse.
I loved this. This is the first time I had read anything by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch - one of the Horrible Histories writers.
There's a lot of dark humour, which I love, especially the scene where Fang and Lazare are fighting vampires, and it's hilarious. I was laughing out loud at this.
Oh yeah, and Christopher Marlowe is a zombie. 😄
I'll definitely be reading the next one.
Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for the ARC

[Genevieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light-hearted and fun Elizabethan alternative historical fantasy with a heavy dose of romance

💖 first in a trilogy
💖 mlm grumpy x sunshine romance
💖 found family

The fantasy element was really cool! England is divided into two halves - upper (above ground, where the humans are) and deep (below ground, where supernatural creatures like zombies, vampires, and dragons live), although in Upper London there is often mixing of two sides.

The story starts as two human men are separately attacked by a street gang and left on the verge of death. But then they both transform into supernatural creatures which are not quite living but not quite dead. Brought together by an adorable little dragon, they decide to figure out what caused their changes together and enter the world of Deep London.

Although this was advertised as a romantasy it felt more like a fantasy with insta romance - like they are trying to kiss a hundred pages in and sharing a bed less than 50% of the way through. The romance was cute, I just prefer more slow burn romances so maybe this is a me thing, but I wanted more tension and angst.

This is advertised as laugh out loud funny, but it didn't really have me laughing. It was still enjoyable though.

Overall, the concept was cool, it was really short, I liked the fantasy side of it but I wanted more tension and building up of the romance. I enjoyed it but I haven't really thought about it after finishing it so I don't know if I'll continue the series.

Thank you to Farrago and Black Crow PR for a proof copy of this book!

[Mads · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF’ed at 50%. I really liked the premise of this book, however it didn’t really pull me in at any point. I think there were too many stories going on at once for me to really get into the world the author was building.

Thank you Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, Farrago Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unconvincing and under-utilized Elizabethan setting for a dark comedy that, for me, was too dark and not comedic enough, involving undead, fae, dragons, and sentient police birds.

The author has chosen to just use modern speech rather than attempt anything remotely Elizabethan for the dialog, and I think that's a good call; 99.9% of authors (probably more) aren't capable of doing Elizabethan dialog that's remotely authentic, and those who are capable still shouldn't, for the sake of the readers who are not familiar with the literature of the period. (The 99.9% who can't do a good job with it also shouldn't, for the sake of the readers who are familiar with the literature of the period, but this doesn't always stop them trying, sadly.)

The author has also chosen not to attempt to avoid anachronism, or else has done a poor job of avoiding it, probably the first one; it's amazing just how many everyday things have been invented or discovered since the reign of Elizabeth I. Business cards, for example. The fact that fish contains fatty protein and that might be good for a hangover. Boiling your water before using it to wash wounds, I would imagine. Off ramps, definitely. Passports as something every traveller needs and has. Hypnotism. Dating. Shopping bags? Not sure. Coffee, it turns out, was known in Britain by the late 16th century, though it would still have been a rare curiosity.

Even though I think the choice to use modern speech is right (both because I doubt the author could have pulled off accurate Elizabethan speech, and because even if she had, it would have made the book harder to read), I do think she could have avoided the worst anachronisms if she'd wanted to, and that the book would have been stronger for it. The anachronisms turn the Elizabethan era into scenery flats rather than a realized setting. The greatest drama of that day was fully capable of anachronism in the service of the art, and is none the worse for it, but really, the Elizabethan setting here goes to waste for lack of effort. Take out a couple of historical characters that everyone's heard of (Kit Marlowe and Shakespeare), who have minimal impact on the plot, and a brief cameo from Elizabeth herself at the end, and there's not much Elizabethan left. Honestly, very little would have changed if it had been set in almost any other era up to the early 20th century.

Speaking of the plot, I saw the resolution coming a very long way off and wasn't even mildly surprised when it arrived, with minimal assistance from the supposed protagonists, who had just been shown to be largely ineffectual puppets throughout the whole book.

Mechanically (bearing in mind that there may well be another round of edits to come after the pre-release version I read via Netgalley; I hope there is), there are some issues too. The book as a whole needs more hyphens, a few more apostrophes, and not quite so many commas (and some of them in different places, like before a term of address). A number of the excess commas are not unequivocally wrong; they're at places that are, at least, grammatical boundaries, but ones that normally wouldn't be marked with a comma. Some are, of course, between adjectives that are not coordinate, because just about everyone gets those wrong at least some of the time.

There are point of view shifts within a chapter, generally considered poor craft if you are writing in third-person limited, which the author seems to be doing.

I requested this book from Netgalley because I remembered enjoying another book by the author ( Glass Coffin ), though I think had it confused with another book by a different author, and I'd forgotten that I'd also read another book ( Wish You Weren't Here ) from this author that I didn't much enjoy because it was too dark. This one was also darker than I prefer, with an extended torture scene that I skimmed, and not as funny as I would have liked, and between that and the anachronisms and the shonky mechanics, I didn't love it. But I didn't completely hate it, and I enjoyed the hard-working, world-weary police swan Dame Isobel Honkensby (reminiscent of early Sam Vimes, though without as much personality), and a few other incidental moments along the way, so it just squeaks in for three stars.

[Finn Lampe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy for review from NetGalley
---
I didn't really like it that much. It didn't really grasp me at the start and it was very hard to get into. It is funny, but not to my taste.

[Kassu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Set in an alternate history London with supernatural creatures, this novel brings an adventure, mystery and romance with a sort-of-discworldy humour. I liked the story, sometimes I was thinking about giving it 4 stars but eventually decided to be a bit stricter.

People are saying this is cosy fantasy, which it probably is, but this is an adult novel with plenty of violence and some sex, so I think cosy might be a bit subjective, maybe I'd just say humorous. And the writing is funny: it's not absurdly humorous all the time, but still heavily comical. No complaints about the humour, it's pretty much what was promised.

There are several good supporting characters in addition to the two leads, I really enjoyed the diverse cast. We get some of their POVs here and there too.

I have a bit mixed feelings about the romance. While I think these two men are a good pair and there were some nice moments of Lazare dodging Fang's absolute self-sabotage, the ending felt a bit too inconclusive. It's not a cliffhanger ending and I know this is a first book in a series, but I've recently read so many great serials with satisfying endings, that I can't help feeling a bit let down.

The mystery plot was intriguing, though it became rather evident, and the protagonists were bumbling around stupid a bit too long. Though I still consider all these flaws pretty minor and am interested in continuing the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Cursed Under London' is a delightful romp/cozy mystery set in an alternative London where mortals live in the Upper world (ruled by swans) and the fae, vampires, zombies and other creatures of the dark world live underground. Fang and Lazare were both mortals who were killed and, well, did not die. They are not one of the established undead and yet they both have new powers and seem to be immortal. They join forces, along with Amber, the mediocore-sized dragon, and Nell, the apothocary, to find the source of their curse. Along the way, they stumble into a bigger mystery and find themselves in scraps and a fight to safely deliver a stolen fae item home.

I am usually skeptical when a book is described as "hilarious" but I really enjoyed this. It's fun read and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Duckworth Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Catherine Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Cursed Under London' was delightful. I honestly could not keep my book away. It was my first book from this author and let me tell you, I am curious to read her other series. It was well written and the characters were well developed and endearing. I can't wait to read more about their adventure.

[sacredcoffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I was going to give this book 4 stars but, after some time to sit with it (and having just finished the sequel), 5 stars felt more appropriate. I do not think this book is perfect, and I have a short list of colour-coded passages I can point to as things I disliked or found flawed. Regardless, it left an unexpected impression on me and the immediate impulse to reread it.

I purchased this book when after realizing the ARC I'd requested was its sequel. While I considered going in blind, I was immediately intrigued by the characters and the recent events they'd endured; my curiosity towards both overpowered the struggle I was having with the Elizabethan fantasy setting peppered with more modern slang and concepts.

It was the best decision I could have made. Gabby Hutchinson Crouch's has an incredibly strong authorial voice, and the friction I typically feel towards such anachronisms was worn down by their consistent use and the overall comedic tone. Once I acclimated to the setting, I had no trouble getting invested in the story and its incredibly charming cast. While the approach won't be to everyone's tastes, I'd recommend that people who are frustrated by more random and accidental inconsistencies give it a chance.

There are the occasional sentences that go on for an impressively long stretch, but the author's iron grip on grammar and punctuation ensured that it remained a stylistic touch where weaker writing might have become grating or hard to follow. The book has an incredibly strong opening, as does its sequel, and Cursed Under London wastes no time in establishing its alternative history setting in a way that never felt grating or overly expository. I also found myself taking note of how well each character is introduced to our little ensemble cast; Fang being our first point of view character is especially interesting, since we're immediately shown the gentle and empathetic core of a character who spends much of the story trying to present himself as anything but.

There's a revelation that comes in the second half of the book that leads to a series of very dark chapters. The author's lighthearted flourishes give way to some very skillfully chosen lines that are painfully precise; the descriptions aren't gratuitous or indulgent, but there is no room for misinterpretation. While I had the ending somewhat assured to me when I read the first chapter of the second book, and correctly predicted how some of the tension would resolve itself, that did absolutely nothing to soothe the festering dread those chapters (and four repeated words in particular) instilled in me. I'm often moved by what I read, but I can count on one hand the number of books that have actually brought tears to my eyes. Cursed Under London has made that short list.

I think it's another testament to the writing that I didn't find the shift in tone, or what it introduced to the story, to be either jarring or unwelcome; the potential for human cruelty in the setting was well established, as were the ways our leads had been (and could be) hurt. While much of the aftermath is left for the second book, I was impressed by the very delicate balance between the comedy I've praised and the quiet moments of vulnerability... and that the tone could be salvaged after so heavy a series of chapters.

I leave discussions of the book's cultural and racial representation, as well as how the historically inspired xenophobia is handled, to people from those backgrounds and communities. What I do feel I can speak to is my enjoyment of how queerness is portrayed in the setting: it's safest to assume that a character is bisexual until proven otherwise. The cast often do likewise when flirting, which implies to me that the majority of the population is somewhere on the queer spectrum. I found this easy to embrace in a book where a not insubstantial portion of the population is also bat-winged vampires; their census data was never going to be perfectly realistic and that's not what I came here for. It feels like the story knows which social and personal issues it wants to explore, and Lazare and Fang narrowly dodging sodomy charges or grappling with internalized shame aren't among them. I'm content with that.

I hope these books can find a wider audience. There's plenty about the series to love, and I'm so shocked that I couldn't find any fanart yet that I'm seriously considering remedying that myself.

[Magdalena (magdal21) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Cursed Under London" is a cozy fantasy novel centered around two men living in the 16th century London, Lazare and Fang. They both seemingly meet their demise but miraculously avoid death or transformation into vampires, werewolves, zombies, or other supernatural beings. To unravel the mystery behind their peculiar circumstances, they join forces with a charming dragon named Amber and a witty Apothecary named Nell. As the story unfolds, the characters find themselves entangled in increasingly complex situations, while a budding affection develops between Fang and Lazare.

The premise of this book is quite intriguing. I enjoyed the concept of Upper London, where regular humans reside, contrasting with Deep London, inhabited by supernatural beings. Additionally, the novel is fast-paced, with a dynamic plot that keeps the characters constantly on the move. However, what truly sets this book apart is its humor. The dialogue between the characters is infused with so much wit that I found myself giggling throughout. The banter between Fang and Lazare is particularly delightful. Additionally, I appreciated the other characters, especially Amber the dragon. It's not easy to weave together a romantic arc and a found family trope seamlessly, but the author executed it magnificently in this case.

I have two small issues with this book, which are probably personal preferences and may not be a bother for other readers. Firstly, as it's a cozy fantasy book, I felt that the stakes were a little too low for me to become fully invested. Secondly, I didn't quite connect with the fact that the world depicted was modeled on Elizabethan England. While I understand that it's a fantasy and historical accuracy isn't necessary, I would have liked to feel more of the spirit of that era. It felt like the setting was chosen primarily to feature specific characters living in 16th-century England, such as Kit Marlowe or Elizabeth herself, rather than for thematic or world-building reasons. This universe could have been modeled on any other period of history, or even the present day.

Still, I very much enjoyed this book because of its humor and excellent writing. I would recommend it to urban fantasy lovers, as well as readers seeking books similar to those by T. Kingfisher, but with even more humor.

Thank you NetGalley and Duckworth Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Faye Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cursed Under London is the first book in a historical romantasy series set in an alternative Elizabethan London. In Upper London, home of humans, Fang and Lazare both wake from their untimely deaths to find themselves no longer fully human. Fang and Lazare team up with Fang's friend Nell (a Welsh apothecary) and Amber the tiny dragon to try and reverse the curse upon them. The mystery takes them down into Deep London, home of everything distinctly not-human!

I loved the Discworld/Rivers of London tone to this book. The blurb isn't exaggerating when it says that this book is hilarious - I laughed out loud many times, and even had to read out quotes to my Terry Pratchett-loving husband to explain my outbursts. My favourite quote is probably:
'They were masked, but we do have a physical description of John,' continued Peanut, quickly. 'Um... "Gorgeous, just really nice eyes and hair, fit arms, bum like two tennis balls squeezed into a sock".'

It was just so easy to read, and the humour never felt forced. I read this book in one go, just hours after getting the ARC because a historical paranormal romantasy is like my holy grail, and as soon as I started reading it, I was sucked right in. The plot was super strong - there is absolutely no filler in this book and so it's just comedy, heart and action all the way through.

I am so glad this is a series, because I can't wait to see more of the alternative/fantasy Elizabethan world, and I definitely need to see what happens with/to these characters next! The central group were all interesting and fully fleshed out and they weren't just caricatures which could have easily been done. I loved how inclusive the world was, and it was just so heartwarming even with all the death and chaos happening around the characters. To say I am rooting for Fang and Lazare is an understatement. This was my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be my last!

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Monnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a magical London in the early 17th century, a mysterious curse brings two foreigners back from the dead, with inexplicable powers attached. With the help of a small dragon and a Welsh apothecary, they set out on a quest to break their curse, and discover the dangerous plot that binds their fates together. 

A lot of the ideas in this story are fresh and intriguing, and the mystery of what happened to Lazare and Fang does a good amount of leg work to keep the reader's interest for the first half of the book. I appreciate the premise of a magically-integrated society and all the implications that come with it. A lot of questions come up surrounding how, exactly, such a society works within the world at large, and the author does a good job at balancing the plot with world-building details woven throughout to give a full, fleshed out picture without too much exposition. I especially love the idea of the Tube being the entry to a magical city-nation beneath London, where the laws of the human-dominated world above don't apply. 

Lazare and Fang have a fun dynamic, and I enjoyed their interactions. I love a good foil! However, I do think Lazare's feelings in particular develop too quickly, while Fang's seem to lag so much it becomes somewhat tedious to be in his head. Still, the strength of the story definitely lies in their personalities colliding and revealing each other's faults. The other characters range in their dimensionality, but none are as developed as our two main protagonists. I won't speak too much on the villain to avoid spoilers, but I found their motivation and overall plan to be a little odd and very obviously flawed; I'm shocked none of the characters immediately clocked the limitations of their scheme.

The plot itself, while promising, is lacking in execution. For much of the first half of the book, the characters move the plot forward by just brainstorming ideas of what to try next. We move from one scene to the next with little sense of urgency, or else very contrived urgency; there are many moments throughout the novel where it's obvious that the story calls for the characters to make a specific decision, but the circumstances don't really justify that decision. Let's just say the author needs to get us from point A to point B, but the ride is a little bumpy. 

I have mixed feelings about the writing. Stylistically, it is simplistic and lighthearted, meant to be funny while still injecting some pathos into the more serious moments to keep it from getting too silly (aiming for the Terry Pratchett-esque style, I would wager). Sometimes the author nails this, while other times they miss the mark. The quality of writing fluctuates line to line, with some parts being quite well-written and moving and others being awkward and jilted; and although this is ostensibly adult fiction, those times where the author doesn't stylistically stick the landing read almost middle-grade. Also - and this might be a personal gripe - I found the constant anachronistic language to be irritating. This is London in Shakespearian times (Shakespeare is an actual on-page character), and the slang and turns of phrases are far too modern. 

There is a lot of potential in this book, and as a whole it is as heartfelt as it is whimsical. While I think the plot needed some work, and the style wasn't really my cup of tea, there is still a lot to love here.

[Char · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for letting me get an early copy of Cursed Under London in exchange for my honest review! 🖤

One thing a book has to do to get a high review from me is hold my attention enough for me to want to continue reading when I'm at home, as I do most of my reading at work. Unfortunately, this book just didn't get me to that point. Cursed Under London suffers from a lack of originality; its characters are familiar archetypes found in most works of the 'cozy fantasy' genre, including in fanfiction -- which is what this felt like a lot of the time. That's not to say that reading like a fanfic is a bad thing by any means, but to get anything higher than 3 stars, the writer at least has to make me care. It also suffered from a bit of a tonal problem; I wasn't always sure who this book was written for in terms of audience age range.

I admittedly did enjoy the setting and the concept of 'two' Londons, one for humankind and one for the undead. That was a lot of fun to read about and I'm sure in the inevitable sequel, there'll be tons more to explore throughout this intriguing world. I also really got on with the humour in this book -- I'm not at all surprised that Hutchinson Crouch wrote for the Horrible Histories series; that brand of British comedy came through and worked well in contrast to the rest of the prose.

Ultimately, I'd recommend this to people who are looking to read something light and charming, but not necessarily all that memorable.

[Bailey Cowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book, and I am glad I pushed through to the end!
Cursed Under London is a story of intrigue, mystery, magic, love, and found family.

Things I loved:
The banter was highly amusing and engaging, the ease between the characters and their humor was fun to read.
I appreciated the character's complexity and history, the way they seemed a to truly have flaws.
I liked the second half of the book a lot, the pace picked up quite a bit.
I loved the concept of how London as a city was set up, and the magic systems.

Things that were not my favorite:
I almost did not finish this book several times because the first half of it dragged so so much. It took me a long time to be able to tell which characters were talking when / who was who.
Once the plot picked up about 50% of the way through I finished the book in under a week, but the first half took me a month. The last bit of the story, and the character's themselves are the reason why I went up to 3 stars.
Sometimes the dialogue felt forced, and stilted or unnatural.

Overall, glad to have gotten to read this book!
I would like to thank NetGalley, Duckworth Books, and Gabby Hutchinson Crouch for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Toby · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

I found this so boring, which is crazy because a story about gay people accidentally becoming wanted criminals, acquiring a kidnapped child and going on a found family bonding trip to make sure she was unkidnapped really should have been great, right up my alley but nuh uh I guess.

The writing, at least until the very end really let shine the fact that Gabby Hutchinson Crouch is quite used to keeping the attention of those under 12 and I personally found it so grating. It felt like a middle grade book masquerading as an adult one, using mentions of sex and pubs as an 'Look! I'm so adulty!'. And the dialogue jumped between Elizabethian and modern day speech which I guess was meant to be funny? It just pulled me out of the story honestly.

The worst part was that the couple had no chemistry at all? I did not feel anything between them, so much that I was actually confused when they started 'liking' each other. Also, it seems so weird for the author to just to make the Villian go back in time give Fang sexual trauma based on being groomed as a young queer man just as an aha! From the villain. I dont know, with a lot of women fetishing gay/queer men it felt icky to me.

[Caylie Ratzlaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

I will preface this by saying this novel is not for just anybody. You need to have a particular brand of absurd humor (or liking books like that) to enjoy this one. You have to be able to detach from any rational thinking to just kind of...accept the book and what it tells you. Elizabethan England for really no reason as an urban fantasy? Okay! Dragons casually eating people, but only in Deep London where it's legal? Okay! People suddenly unable to die leading a ragtag band of 3 people and a tiny dragon on a quest? Okay! Gangs? Okay! Giant magical swan/geese police? Okay!

Anyways, yeah, were there plot holes? Yes. Did it really need to be set in Elizabethan England? Not as far as I can tell, but Marlowe being a zombie was interesting. I also think this does build more to other novels per the ending, so I think it could come -- the setting -- into play more...especially with the Dragon Queen of Wales and other locations also mentioned.

anyways, this was a delight.

[Nikky Raney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch drew me in with the magenta cover. It boasts to be “The unputdownable first novel in a new Elizabethan romantasy series.”

I’ll admit - I had no trouble putting this down; it was one of those books that I had to motivate myself to get through… the fact that I was buddy-reading this with my friend helped me to not DNF. I am glad that I stuck it out, because there were some funny moments and I did enjoy parts of this story, but I didn’t love it as a whole. I do not think that I would choose to continue reading this series - as I’m not totally invested in story, but I would be interested in reading more from this author!

I think there’s totally an audience for this book & that there are going to be readers who pick it up and fall in love, deeming it worthy of five stars. Unfortunately that wasn’t me. I think I’d recommend this book to romantasy lovers like myself and see if you enjoy it!

Thanks so much to NetGalley & Farrago Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Elodie Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, witty, funny and adventurous, anything you could want in a dark fantasy with a pinch of romance!

Follow weirdly immortal, ghoul but not ghoul, vampire but not vampire, Fang and lazare. With some help from Nell the apothecary and Amber, the little fiery but sassy dragon, on a quest to find out why Fang and Lazare died but didn’t actually die. (Probably the most horrible sentences I’ve ever written, but trust me the book is worth it)

On their journey they encounter many many otherworldly beings, and maybe find some answers to their many questions.


This was easily a five star read for me, the witty responses, the fight or flight behavior (so relatable), the little romance snippets, the tension and obviously AMBER!! I love her to bits!
I can’t wait for everyone else to fall in love with these characters as I did!

[Becki Newens · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Sometimes, people just adopt someone, or love someone to pieces, and there’s nothing you can do.”

What can I say about this book, it wasn’t a book I would usually pick up. But it was one of my book clubs chosen books for the month. I did thoroughly enjoy reading this book. The only thing that let it down slightly for me, knocking it from a 5* to a 4* was the ending.

The ending felt somewhat rushed, I would have liked to have seen a happier ending for them all. I spent the book willing Fang and Lazare, for Fang to finally let him in…to let him love him in a way that he had never had before, but it wasn’t to be.

On another note however Amber, truly has my heart and deserves all the pig hearts.

[kingboycar · Rating 2 out of 5]

[received an arc from netgalley, thank you!]

tropey and a little...juvenile. most of this book was either extremely underdeveloped or predictable or both, which became frustrating after i started to predict the plot beat-for-beat by comparing it to most 'cozy fantasy lit' that's come out in the past five years. the worldbuilding is straining very hard to be layered and complex but it's just clearly cobbled together from other stories. the book keeps trying to pull you back with humor but it's just unengaging! and overdone!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good example of “crack treated seriously.”
Irreverent, lighthearted, super charming, highly absurd.
The audiobook is narrated by the author which is an extra delight. I loved hearing how the author intended the dialogue be delivered. They brought so much added life to it.
And such a tender core to this book, wow.
This is a very sweet, highly silly story about some weirdos discovering they were lovable all along.

“Sometimes people just adopt someone. Or love someone to pieces and there’s nothing you can do.”

I’ll happily read anything this author writes.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5☆
I really wanted to LOVE this book, but unfortunately I didn't click with it.
I think it lacked world building. Even though it was a urban fantasy, the deep london wasn't really described in detail. And jt was supposed to be set in the Elizabeth era, but it was very hard to imagine that as it wasn't described and they used Morden language and slang. There was a also a few points in the book that really confused me and I thought I was missing something. Not everything was explained very well. I guess all the above is expected from a 255 page fantasy. Also, the romance really want romancing which was a big feature in the synopsis.
I think this book had great potential if it was longer.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating- 3.5

Review to follow. Huge thanks to Black Crow PR and NetGalley for the ARC