Dreyma's Curse

The Agapéd Bearer #4

by Hannah Taylor Lindsey

It’s been over a year since the Glory Spar shook the Kingdom of Boolavogue. King Caelum has been doing his best to reign and pick up the pieces, and Lisa has been helping amongst her fellow monster slayers. Life is returning to normal, but an unsettling truth presses upon Lisa. With high school graduation looming in less than a year, she grapples with the weight of her secret relationship with Cal. Pursuing him, her life as a Hunter will fade away, and she will be faced with the burden of becoming a Queen—a truth that would have to reach her mother.

As monster spawnings rise, people are mysteriously vanishing from nearby towns. Lisa ventures to discover the culprit, but fear begins to take its toll. Voices trail her down the halls. Nightmares morph with reality. Monsters roar where mere shadows remain. Foul magic is at play, the unseen relentlessly tormenting Lisa, and it won’t rest until her mind is drowning in insanity.

With the help of Gaius, Lisa goes on a quest to discover why she is being haunted by terrors, hoping to find a cure. What they discover is far worse than either could’ve ever imagined… and now, a curse is at play that could bring calamity to more than just her life.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Christian Fiction, Romance

604 pages, Paperback

Published May 31, 2025

About the author

Hannah Lindsey is the author of the Agapéd Bearer Saga, a YA coming-of-age fantasy with a wonderful mentor/mentee, the chosen one, and found family trope. And of course, tons of magic.

Hannah also illustrates her story and characters, showcasing her artwork on Instagram (@hmnnah.art) and on her website hmnnahart.com.

She lives with her husband in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

Books 1-4 of the AGAPÉD BEARER are OUT NOW!

Reviews

[Alissa J. Zavalianos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently recovering from having my heart torn out of my chest. I don't know where the organ is anymore.

RIP.

My official review:

✨Dreyma’s Curse✨

I didn’t expect to feel so emotional after reading this book. I knew it would end in a cliff hanger, but I hoped it would have been a happier finale…even though I just knew someone was going to die. And die they did.

I’m still torn up over it. Don’t know how I’ll recover. On that note; it’s amazing how we can grieve the loss of fictional characters when they are so expertly written.

All sorrow aside, this book was fantastic! It has just enough spook without it being *too* horrific (I’m very much a wimp, okay?) and the friendships and world-building always blows me away. Every. Single. Time.

When I think the stakes can’t get higher, they always do. I’m forever amazed at Hannah’s brain 😂

This 4th installment in The Agapéd Bearer series definitely feels like the transitional point in Lisa’s life, and Hannah executed it brilliantly! It’s filled with so much tragedy, but hope lies on the horizon, even if we can’t see it yet.

Of course, it’s an immediate 5 stars, but my broken heart screams otherwise (IYKYK😭) this is still my favorite series, but I am not okay 🙃

I am eager to read book 5 now, if not for some redemption, but for my heart to mend. (Please & thank you 🫶🏼).

Content:
Epic battles
Wholesome romance
Horrors & hauntings
Death 😭
Sacrifice
True love
Amazing world-building

[Sariah Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE AGAPED BEARER: DREYMA’S CURSE REVIEW🩶🪰

Every time I read an Agaped Bearer novel, I don’t think Lisa and her story can become more crazy, amazing, traumatizing, and wholesome than it already is. Time and time again I’m proven WRONG.

Book four of the Agaped Bearer Saga is everything I could’ve hoped for in a story. Incredible character development, INTENSE scenes that will make you want to claw your eyes out, a terrifying villain, gut punching emotions, more unique uses of the magic systems, and wholesome character interactions that will have you crying in your bed for hours.

My girl Hannah just never ceases to absolutely BRING the house DOWN with these books. It’s been such a pleasure to read all her novels and see how she’s developed with each one.

Dreyma’s Curse is beautiful, creative, shocking, adventurous, and heartbreaking. Hannah manages to slay in every category, you name it. You can tell with every word she writes that her work is fueled with a passion and love for her story. And that above all is why her books are just so incredible.

At this point Lisa, Gaius and Cal feel like family to me. This series has brought light and love to my life when times were really hard for me, and book four is no different.

In a world full of entertainment created for the sole purpose of money, The Agaped Bearer Saga will always be a series that stands apart from the crowd. Teaching its readers about what it means to love, the importance of family, sacrifice, honesty, hard work, determination and doing what’s right.

I will be raising my future kiddos on this series.

ENJOY THIS BOOK AND BRING THE TISSUES ITS GONNA BE A BUMPY RIDE😭🩶

[phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was the best and worst ending for a book ever😭
As a reader I loved the creativity and emotions that Mrs. Hannah made me feel, but as someone who loves all the characters in these books…that ending was heartbreaking. I’m not one to cry when reading, but chapter 59 had me sobbing (and while listening to the suggested song *tears* 🥺) I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in book 5…I’m actually really glad it’s not out yet, I need time to accept what happened and it makes the anticipation for book 5 more exciting. ⭐️💜

[Hadley]

Very very VERY soft DNF. I love this series and I think I’m going to love this book. but I’m not really in the mood for it right now.

[Noriboo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brb, I'm processing the ending before I can write my review 😭

[Aaron Comer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never cried so hard reading a book 😭

[A Good Girl's booknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

ᯓ★"𝓦𝓮 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓴𝓲𝓭𝓼, 𝓻𝓾𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓯𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭, 𝓵𝓪𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓦𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝓱𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓭."

WHAT JUST HAPPENED??! I feel shellshocked this book was thrilling, so so sweet and completely shattered me. It's a complete rollercoaster of emotions and y'all better have your tissues ready. Thanks so much to the author for this arc 💛

TLDR: this changed my brain chemistry and haunted me like Lisa was, so naturally you should go right ahead and read this‼️ This is the last book of Lisa's adolescence years so she's a senior now!! It's a heartwarming coming of age (still can't believe how grown they are now) book that's ALSO FANTASY with a very unique world and magic system AND does not shy away from the raw painful scars, the grief and consequences. One minute the most wholesome sweet moment is happening and the next the most shellshocking devestation occurs so this definetely kept me on the edge of my seat.

ok afer processing everything this turned out longer than I was aiming but there's just so much to unpack:

4.75 ⭐
Lisa still has the purest heart, sheer determination and kindness and I wanna give her a hug because the stuff that happens to her-
Just saying, she has some epic outbursts/monologues that I 100% support because girlie's going through it. She's kicking badass with her powers and there's epic fight scenes. Her and Cal are really feeling the pressure from their responsibilities and everyone's expectations (I got really worked up at specific horrid characters) I was just happy they had each other because they're the most sweet couple but also it goes so much deeper than that because of their history. The little romantic moments and gestures were everything AND THE STAR DATE??? Literally squealing alongside Lisa 🤭

Gaius 🥺 His bond with Lisa just keeps growing stronger especially because he basically watched her grow up now. This man will go to the ends of the earth to protect her and the father-daughter bonding trip was gold I'm so glad we got to see more on Odette, this book we get really deep into her life and struggles and finally find out more about her past and oh my god I want to give her a hug too 💔 There's some adorable moments with Tuff (yes the glainie gets character development its amazing) He has an attitude now and its the most hilarious thing ever. Also was not prepared for Celine's to be all grown up too and she's so mature now.

The villain is awe-inspiringly creepy and I love and hate her at the same time. It genuinely gets very intense and one *particular scene* had my jaw dropping because I honestly thought it was all over because she is VISCIOUS. As always the politics and worldbuilding was. I really like lore so I ate up all the tiny details on hexes and curses. Also we meet more guardians‼️

Now let's not talk about the ending because I'm still numb 💔 Hannah Taylor Lindsey is a sneaky mastermind in writing because THERE'S PLOT TWISTS WITHIN THE PLOT TWIST SO JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING SHE HITS YOU WITH SOMETHING ELSE AND THEN THAT HURTS EVEN HARDER BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. Yes there was foreshadowing but I did not even fathom it as a possibility 😭 And then the author's note was like another punch to my gut.

.༶•⛧┈♛"𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮 𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾. 𝓐𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼. 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼..𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓾𝓻𝓽𝓼 𝓾𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓷𝓭"•⛧

Horizons, Pt.1 - Live at
the Old Fruitmarket (Rura)
5:31: ──♡───── 6:04

[Catarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly was not prepared for this book. Hannah has gone beyond what I could’ve possibly imagined for Lisa’s journey. I’ve seen our main character grow from a child to a young adult, and with each year, the challenges she faced became more mature and utterly chilling.

This book? Unfathomable. It left me in shambles. By the end of the book, I had a raging headache from how badly I ugly cried. It took me 3 business days to get my bearings again and to rehydrate myself. And to be honest? I’m still not whole. Will I ever be again? Yes, once I get the next installment in my hands.

Lisa’s journey is emotional and addicting. This character is full of love and possibilities, along with so many other characters that you meet along the way. Hannah has a talent in creating deep and compelling characters to the point that they feel real. Their interactions are organic, and you can’t stop yourself from attaching yourself to them in even the smallest of ways.

I wish I had more words to express the things this book did to me. But I think you’d understand best just by picking it up and throwing yourself into the Agapéd world. I assure you, you won’t regret it.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ummmm, holy feels! If you're looking for a crazy roller coaster of emotions, here you go. I'm so in love with this series. The characters are near and dear to my heart, and I love the introduction to new characters as well.
Not to mention the multi points of view gives the reader full insight and adds just that much more connection to the characters.
The plot of this book is intense, and I was so here for it! Then add in the magic, adventure, and mystery. This really is the whole package. Hannah is fantastic at taking you on this journey for this coming of age hero, fulfilling you with such wholesome relationships, while at the same time, you want MORE OF IT as a reader. It's spectacular and a must-read!

[Carmen R. Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

1/3/2025 Alright guys… I got the illustrated edition, it’s beautiful. But I’m getting closer to the dreaded Chapter 59 that everyone is flipping out about and I’m scared… I saw the illustrations I read the comments so I know who dies… books normally never make me cry, but let’s see how this one goes. I’m currently on page 524 and Lisa is just beginning her final battle with the villain. I’m trying to suppress all my emotions right now so I don’t end up sobbing over Chapter 59… if it ends up actually making me cry I’ll be genuinely impressed because Sunrise on the Reaping and The Sword of Kaigen didn’t even make me cry. I try to remain emotionally numb to books but… I DON’T KNOW IF I’LL BE ABLE TO HOLD UP AGAINST THIS ONE!😭

‼️⚠️MAJOR SPOILER WARNING ⚠️‼️

1/4/2025 I just finished the book about five minutes ago. This was definitely the most emotional novel in the series so far. I didn’t end up crying (but I was close. My eyes were watering). I was really moved by this story.

I’m going to discuss the plot and character development beginning with my favorite character, then my second favorite character, then my third favorite character, etc.

Lisa: Lisa continued to be the kind, immeasurably brave protagonist she’s been through the past few books. She became much more mature and had an impressive amount of character growth. She had to experience some of the harshest realities of being human in this book, the main one being the loss of someone she loved so dearly. She endured torment from a horrid, malevolent Draumer named Dreyma who cursed both her and Caelum’s intertwined hearts to die at the same moment she was supposed to. Lisa was also faced with a situation where she truly believed her only option was to pay the ultimate price and sacrifice her own life to save the universe from the wicked magic of the Fallen that was using Dreyma as its wielder. These are just a tiny taste of the trials Lisa had to experience in this book. As you can imagine, she is devastated by the end and has immense healing that needs to take place in the upcoming novel. I don’t know how that’s going to unfold, but I can say this: I really just want her to be ok. I want her to find her haven and be able to succeed and find happiness.

Gaius: Gaius stepped into the adoptive father role even further in this book. He is my second favorite character, right under Lisa. Even though the novel is not told from his POV (there are a couple chapters that are), he is an incredibly well rounded and developed character. That is very difficult to pull off in a novel with only one main first-person POV. The chapters that were written from his perspective were intriguing and delightful to read. He has his own clear voice that I hope to see much more of. Something I really enjoyed about Gaius in this book was his ever-growing love for Lisa. I can’t wait for the moment where he calls her his “daughter” for this first time (I desperately hope that happens). It was insinuated that a romance between him and Odette (Lisa’s mother) might become a future plot line in later novels if Odette ever truly learns about Lisa’s magical life. It would be so precious if she and Gaius fell in love.

Odette: Odette’s backstory near the end of the book broke my heart. I love her so much. She’s such a wonderful mother figure. She’s truly one of the best I’ve ever come across in fiction, and I’m not just saying that because I’m obsessed with this book series. She proved again and again what he means to sacrifice for your family. She embodied such selfless love towards Lisa and never failed to support her and be there for her. So often in fiction, parents are portrayed in a negative light or they aren’t even present. I think it’s so valuable and important that this series does the opposite of that. It supports the idea of family and how much of a vital impact it has.

Caelum: I knew he was going to die going into this book because I read the author’s Instagram comment section and found spoilers.😭

I’m going to share a small opinion that I have on this character. It’s not valid, it’s just how he originally came across to me personally. I wasn’t able to connect with Caelum on the same level that I connected to Gaius. I don’t know if it was the fact that I had spoilers he was going to die so my brain forced my emotions to distance from him, or if I just haven’t read enough romance novels to fully appreciate the love story he and Lisa shared. I felt like he was a little rude in The Agapéd Bearer: Hunter Wars when he asked Lisa to accompany him during the Hunter Ball to keep the other girls from talking to him. He didn’t ask her to the Hunter Ball in the first place because he thought Lisa didn’t like fancy things and I also thought that wasn’t a very nice assumption. I felt like the Hunter Ball officially began their relationship and that that wasn’t a very humble way for him to show interest in her, so my view of their romance didn’t start very positive. He obviously showed that he loved Lisa as the series went on (I mean he literally died for her as I’ll go on to explain), but there were a few moments where I felt he was acting a little cocky towards Lisa in the beginning. In this novel, The Agapéd Bearer Dreyma’s Curse, I didn’t understand why he accepted (even if reluctantly) his little sister Celine’s offer to take the burden of the throne from him. I understand that being king was extremely difficult for him especially since he had to deal with the aftermath of loosing his father and the curse on his and and Lisa’s heart, but if he couldn’t handle the throne, then his 11-year old sister would certainly have a lot of suffering ahead of her as well if she took over. As a big brother, I just felt like he shouldn’t have accepted her offer of wanting the throne because it made him seem like he was ok with giving such a massive burden to her just so he could be with Lisa and be a Hunter. It just seemed a little irresponsible. Things like that made it difficult for me to relate to him fully.

Alright, now here’s what I loved about Caelum.

Caelum truly loved Lisa. So much so that he thought she was more valuable than his own life. Like Odette, he embodied selfless love during his decision to give himself up for her in order that she would live. “Agapé” is a Greek word that means “selfless love” or the most powerful form of love in the Greek language. I can see the beautiful theme of unrestrained love that Hannah Lindsey is weaving into her books. It’s truly beautiful and so, so powerful. Caelum laid his life down by taking on the full curse that was originally split between both his and Lisa’s heart. This curse could only be broken if both the curse placer (Dreyma) and the curse receiver died at the same time. This originally prohibited Lisa from being able to kill Dreyma and save the universe from Armatia’s dark magic. Caelum took the full curse upon his own heart so that when Dreyma was killed, he would die, and Lisa would live. Lisa had no idea that he planned to do this. As she was fighting Dreyma, she believed that if anyone was going to die, it was going to be her heart, not Caelum’s. That was utterly soul-crushing to read.

I genuinely hope that Caelum comes back somehow if it would serve the story well. If not, then I completely understand the author’s decision and will trust that she’ll still write the story masterfully and beautifully. I’m heartbroken that he died…🥺 I can’t see Lisa finding anyone else like him. I wondered what would happen if she started liking Ayker, but he doesn’t seem as cool as Caelum did. I have a theory that Caelum will come back to life because I saw the author made a drawing of Lisa in a wedding dress.👀 It was a very fancy wedding dress, like one I would expect royalty to wear.

Tuff: Tuff is adorable. He is the cutest little guy and he deserves the world. What more is there to say?
Tuff had his own little character arc where he learned how to be braver. He even learned how to read and write!

I genuinely love this book series and hope that more people find it. I hope it has at least hundred thousand reviews on Goodreads one day. In all honesty it deserves a million. I’m trying to spread the word. I got one of my friends at youth group to read the first three books and she loved them! I also was reading one of the illustrated editions at school and all the little kids were looking through it and my friends and one of my teachers were even asking about the book because they loved the front cover.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very rare for a book to make me cry this much, but it was very good.🥲 Looking forward to the next one when it eventually is published!💛

[Jonathan Kinsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate it. I hate it so much.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time with this because the acknowledgement at the beginning had me an anxious mess (iykyk). And oh my gosh was my anxiety anxiety-ing the last 20% of this book.

These characters are some of my favorites. Even though it’s a fantasy setting, they feel more realistic than other series’ MCs tend to. Lisa, Cal, and Gaius are some of my favorite fictional people ever. ❤️

Also the way I think I know what’s going to happen because I’m so clever and then whoopsie daisy I’m DEVASTATINGLY WRONG????? I will be seeking compensation for my mental state at the end of this installment. Y’all. I’m not kidding. The way I was emotionally eviscerated by Hannah Lindsey should be a felony. A FELONY.

So completely and totally wrecked by this story but still chomping at the bit for book 5.

Pick 👏🏼 this 👏🏼 series 👏🏼 up! 👏🏼

[Kysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think I have sobbed as hard reading a book before. Normally my eyes get damp and I consider it crying (for me it is). But this one I sobbed, shoulders shaking, heaving breaths. I’ve never had to get the Kleenex box before for tears with a book. And then I proceeded to use 10 Kleenexes.
This description is making it into my review to show how utterly incredible this book is. Each story in this series has grown amazingly - the character arcs, the world building, the writing. My heart has been utterly captured by these characters and this story.
Book 4 switches from middle grade style to young adult and it is heavy. It hurts so much but I can’t imagine not going on this journey. And even if each future book in this series makes me sob as much I’ll keep on reading.

[Leonie C. Z. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: The Agapéd Bearer, Book 4 – Dreyma's Curse) by Hannah Lindsey

Quick context (why my experience with Book 4 comes with baggage and love)

I finished Dreyma's Curse yesterday (as an audiobook, like I did with most of this series), and I’m still sitting here like… wow. This book felt like an emotional ambush in the best and worst way. I honestly can’t remember the last time a story hit me this hard.

I discovered Hannah Lindsey through her Instagram illustrations. Those stunning images of Lisa stepping into a magical world that looks luminous and dangerous at the same time. The visuals drew me in first, and then I followed the story through the books.

With Books 1–3, I was probably one of the more critical readers. I loved the world, the cast, the emotional core. You can feel the heart in these books. Yet I did struggle at times with pacing, certain stylistic habits, and moments that felt over-explained. Still, I stayed, because this series never felt like a cold “product”. It felt personal. Earnest. Like something the author genuinely cares about.

Now that I finished book 4: this is a comeback.

Spoiler-free verdict

Dreyma's Curse feels like the moment this series grows up. The tone shifts from “kind-of cosy fantasy adventure” into something noticeably more adult. The threats are harsher. The themes are heavier. The stakes are higher and crucially, they feel real. This book doesn’t just raise the stakes; it follows through and makes you pay.

What impressed me most is the authorial growth. Between Book 3 and Book 4, Hannah Lindsay’s writing feels like it has levelled up. A lot of the things that held the earlier books back are massively reduced here: less constant re-explaining, less “hand-holding” narration, fewer interruptions that remind you what someone looks like or what you should be feeling. This book trusts the reader more. It gives scenes space to land. It gives you room to breathe and ironically, that extra room is exactly why the emotions hit like a truck.

This doesn’t mean the book is flawless. I still have some criticisms (and I’ll get to them). But overall: if you’ve loved the world and characters while sometimes wishing the execution was tighter and more mature, Book 4 is the payoff.

Spoilers from here onward

If you haven’t finished Dreyma's Curse, please stop here.

Dreyma: the villain I feared would be a cliché and why she wasn’t

I want to start with Dreyma, because I went into this book with a very specific worry. I was genuinely afraid she’d end up as a cliché, the “Bellatrix Lestrange template”: a woman whose whole personality is just manic sadism, theatrical cruelty, and chaotic giggling. The kind of villain who exists mainly to be “delightfully unhinged”, without any real inner gravity.

And yes, Dreyma does have flecks of that energy. There are moments where you can sense the theatricality, the menace, the enjoyment of power. But what surprised me (in the best way) is that she isn’t a copy. She has her own shape. Her own presence. And more importantly: she doesn’t feel like a character that “popped into existence” the second the plot needed a Big Bad.

The book repeatedly hints that Dreyma has a real past. A life that existed long before Lisa collided with her. That she was once a magician, a person with a place in the world, not a cardboard cut-out labelled evil. The reveal of her old name, Aurora, did a lot for me. It’s one of those tiny details that makes a villain feel anchored, like there’s a whole untold story behind the mask.

And that’s honestly what I’m hoping for going forward. Even if Dreyma is “gone” by the end (at least the book frames it that way), I desperately want her existence to leave a shadow. I want her history to matter. I want the series to explore how a “normal” magician becomes Dreyma. What happened, what broke, what tempted her, what she lost, what she chose. Because this book made me feel that Dreyma wasn’t born a villain; she became one. And that’s always more frightening and more interesting..

Celine Sonon: from “comedic relief” to quietly formidable

Celine is, strangely, one of the characters who stayed with me the most after finishing the book, precisely because I didn’t expect it. Up until now she often felt like she existed in that “comedic relief / sweet side-character” lane: the younger sister, the chaos goblin, the Apple Cider smuggler, the enthusiastic Lisa admirer, the one who brings warmth and lightness into scenes that otherwise revolve around big stakes.

But Book 4 forces a realisation andnot only for Lisa, but for me as a reader: Celine has been growing up in the background while everyone was looking elsewhere.

Book 3 ends with the death of her father, King Bolthor, and you can feel how deeply that loss destabilises her. The fear of being alone, the clinging to Lisa, the sense that the world is no longer safe. Celine sleeping only when she isn’t alone doesn’t read like “cute clinginess”; it reads like a child trying to survive the terror of loss.

And then comes that moment that made me sit up straight: Celine offering to take on the role of Regent. It almost feels like it comes out of nowhere and yet it lands as completely believable, because you realise it only feels sudden due to our blind spot. Lisa is shocked. The people around her are shocked. And I felt that shock, too because, like them, I’d subconsciously kept Celine mentally filed under “little sister”.

Celine sees Cal being crushed by responsibility. She sees him eroding under a burden he never wanted. She realises the kingdom needs someone to hold the structure together and she steps forward. This choice reframes her entire role in the story.

It also feels tragically fitting, because Celine’s “lot” throughout the series has been to be somewhat peripheral. She's not the heir, not the magical powerhouse, not the centre of prophecy. She’s been present, but easy to overlook. And now, with that one decision, she shows everyone that she wasn’t passive the whole time. She was becoming someone.

Now… here’s the part where my heart somewhat wants the story to hurt in a very specific, narratively satisfying way.

I want Celine to stop existing as a character whose primary function is to soothe Lisa. I want her to have her own emotional truth, even if it’s ugly. Celine has lost her father and her brother in the chaos that surrounds Lisa’s role as Agapéd Bearer. Yes, Lisa didn’t “want” this. Yes, Lisa is shattered. But Celine does not get the luxury of running away. Lisa gets to flee, to disappear, to seek a reset. Celine is trapped inside the kingdom and the consequences. She has to hold the pieces. She has to stay and rule through grief. She doesn’t get to pack her things and “find herself”.

And I think it would be incredibly compelling if Celine genuinely blames Lisa and feels betrayed by her departure. Lisa has been reassured so often by people saying “it isn’t your fault” that her guilt stays mostly internal. I want that conflict externalised. I want Lisa to face someone who doesn’t just offer unconditional forgiveness.

Celine turning into an antagonist (not a cartoon villain, but a human being embodying grief, anger, and betrayal) would be such a powerful way to make consequences real.

Odette: the hurt girl behind motherhood

I was genuinely grateful for Odette’s development in Book 4, because it finally gives her what Books 1–3 mostly didn’t: a full sense of personhood. Previously, Odette felt like the dream-mum archetype. Young, cool, loving, emotionally intelligent, endlessly supportive. She was Lisa’s soft landing place whenever the magical world became too much. A constant. A pillar.

There were hints, of course: the strained relationship with her own mother, the longing for a partner, the sense that she wanted love but couldn’t quite find someone. But those details stayed on the edges.

Book 4 changes that. Odette is no longer just “the safe place”. She becomes a person with history, vulnerability, desires, and fear. And Lisa begins to grow out of that childlike image of her mother as an unshakeable, flawless, unbreakable woman. There’s a quiet realism in Lisa realising: my mother isn’t just my mother, she’s a human being who existed before me. That’s such a universal step in growing up, and I thought the book handled that shift beautifully.

The revelation about Lisa’s conception is devastating and it reframes Odette’s emotional world completely. Lisa is the great love of her life, the brightest thing she’s ever had… and also inseparably tied to trauma. The coexistence of love and pain here is brutal. And I respected the book for going there and allowing Odette’s relationship with Lisa to carry that complexity.

Yet, I struggled with how the book treats substance use and judgement in the “earth” side of the story, especially through Lisa’s reaction to Skylar smoking marihuana. Lisa’s response felt extremely rigid, as if the discovery itself is enough to label Skylar as “bad”, and by extension, to distrust Drew as well.

Now, people can dislike drugs. That’s not the issue. What bothered me is that the narrative doesn’t really challenge Lisa’s moral framing and because of that, the story drifts toward an imbalance where Odette (rightfully) receives deep empathy for her struggles as a single mother, while Drew and Skylar receive comparatively little “benefit of the doubt” before we even truly understand them.

We don’t know what happened to Skylar’s mother. Drew could be a genuinely overburdened single father, doing his best while working and trying to keep a teenage son afloat. Skylar could be a young man who is lost, who hasn’t found his place yet and who may be coping badly with grief or instability. That isn’t automatically moral failure; sometimes it’s just youth, confusion, and pain.

Yes, later we learn Drew cheats on Odette, but what bothered me is that Lisa’s judgement came long before that. She had already decided what kind of people they were. And the story doesn’t interrogate that early judgement as strongly as it could have.

There is also a big missed opportunity, as Lisa spends large parts of this book using a magical forgetting potion to sleep, to numb herself and to cope. And that’s not “evil”. It’s understandable. It’s her trying to keep her sanity.

But if Lisa can do that with magic, it creates a glaring thematic parallel to what Skylar might be doing with marihuana. A non-magical attempt to quiet the mind, escape unbearable thoughts, find sleep. Skylar doesn’t have potions. He has earthly substances. The book could have made this an intentional moral reflection. Lisa recognising her own bias, realising that coping isn’t always pretty, and that labelling Skylar as “worthless” is a way of protecting her own fear rather than seeing his humanity.

Instead, Lisa’s bias is not meaningfully challenged by other characters, the plot, or the narrative itself and that felt like a wasted opportunity.

Back to Odette, who learns the truth about Lisa's magical life two times in this book. Both scenes are emotionally enormous. Odette panicking, overwhelmed, forced to see that her daughter is carrying injuries and horrors she never knew. And both times, the forgetting potion resolves the situation rather quickly.

I understand the desire to keep Odette partially outside the magical world for now. But emotionally, I wanted Odette to keep that truth, to be brought into the magical world earlier, to have her own arc with it, perhaps even interacting with Gaius, becoming an active participant in rebuilding Lisa’s trust and helping heal what has been shattered.

Gaius: tenderness, fatherhood, and a betrayal that damages reality itself

Gaius is, in many ways, the emotional backbone of this entire series and Book 4 finally makes it clear, that he has become her father figure and that Lisa has become like a daughter to him.

The moment where Lisa realises this (after saving his life, after fearing she might lose him) was genuinely moving. It explains why their bond feels so central, why it carries such weight, why losing him would feel like losing the last stable ground.

And that’s exactly why the later rupture is so painful.

Gaius commits an enormous breach of trust: he lies to Lisa, takes her memories, and decides over her head after she explicitly said no. Yes, he does it to protect her and the magic inside her. Yes, you can understand the motive. But from Lisa’s perspective, it’s a betrayal of the worst kind. Not just “you lied to me,” but you violated my autonomy. You didn’t just manipulate my emotions; you manipulated my mind.

I genuinely believe this changes their relationship forever. Even if they reconcile (and I assume they will), trust after something like this becomes hard. If someone can remove your memories, you don’t just forgive, you start doubting your own reality. You start wondering: Did he do it again? Is what I remember even mine? That’s a profound kind of damage.

I also found it meaningful that Gaius doesn’t become fixated on finding Lisa at the end. He lets her go, as if he finally recognises she isn’t a little girl anymore, and that he doesn’t own her, even if his love for her makes letting go almost unbearable.

And I loved that Gaius is not written as the cliché possessive father figure when it comes to Cal. He doesn’t fall into “no one is good enough for my daughter” tropes. Instead, he actively supports Lisa and Cal, even organising dates, recognising how much Cal means to her, and treating Cal like his own young man rather than a threat. It’s such a refreshing departure from the usual father-daughter dynamic clichés.

Cal: love written gently, then torn away mercilessly

Cal has always been present in Lisa’s life, not as a shallow “love interest,” but as her equal. Her best friend. The person who understands her responsibility and loneliness in a way few others can. Their bond is mutually formative.

To me, book 4 portrays a romance that is slow, gentle, and deeply intimate without rushing toward “spicy payoff.” In a landscape full of romantasy that feels like it’s sprinting toward explicit scenes as quickly as possible, Lisa and Cal feel… pure. Their love is soft. It develops naturally. It feels like something that grows in the spaces between danger rather than something forced onto the plot.

And then Cal sacrifices himself with the help of Gaius and Lady Ariella. He transfers Dreyma’s curse from Lisa’s heart into his own, saving her from death and in doing so, shattering her life completely. I cannot overstate how hard this scene hit me. I was crying in my kitchen while cooking, and my flatmates genuinely thought something was wrong, because I was sobbing so hard.

In many stories, a character dies and it feels narratively “tidy”. Tragic, yes, but also like the character’s story had reached its natural endpoint. With Cal, it feels like a future is violently cut off mid-breath. Cal doesn’t want Lisa trapped by the crown; he doesn’t even want to be king. He wants to hunt monsters with her. He wants a life with her. Then Celine offers to take the crown and suddenly this future is within reach. The kingdom accepts their relationship. The family accepts it. The obstacles you feared would destroy them simply… don’t. It feels like everything is finally aligning. And then the story hits the wall like a lorry at full speed. Cal dies. Just… gone.

Part of me desperately wants Cal to come back, because my heart wants relief. But I also know that bringing him back could cheapen what book 4 achieved: real consequences, real loss. So I’m left wanting a miracle and also respecting the author for refusing one.

Lisa: the cost of naïveté and wonder

I have liked Lisa since the beginning. That dreamy, wide-eyed, naïve girl with the big blue eyes who wants to believe in goodness. I felt protective of her. I enjoyed her hopefulness. But I also sometimes found her frustrating, because her optimism could feel almost too protected by the narrative.

She made mistakes, but those mistakes were often softened, excused by circumstances, shifted onto other people, or framed in a way that kept Lisa from fully carrying responsibility. I think Book 4 is brilliant because it finally breaks that pattern.

Lisa makes a devastating mistake rooted in her own blind idealism and lack of questioning, accidentally cursing her heart. The book does not let her remain the protected, “always forgiven” heroine. Even when others try to comfort her, Lisa herself recognises it: I should have known. I could have known. I didn’t read what I should have read. I didn’t question what I should have questioned. She realises that her naïveté didn’t just hurt her. It cost lives and destroyed futures.

What I loved is how that realisation shapes her grief. After Cal dies, Lisa doesn’t just mourn; she becomes almost feral about knowledge. She devours books. She tries to eliminate ignorance from her life as if ignorance itself is a weapon that killed him.

The depiction of her grief felt astonishingly grounded. It shows grief as something that rewires you, not something you “process” neatly with a few comforting hugs. The book refuses to resolve her pain quickly. Something breaks in Lisa (in her heart, in her worldview, in her relationships, in her sense of what magic even means) and it stays broken. She leaves the kingdom, the Keepers, the magical world that once felt like home, because she cannot survive in the same shape anymore. It sets up Lisa becoming more cautious, more cynical, more morally grey. Not evil. Not cruel. But no longer willing to trust blindly. No longer the first to run into a burning house without thinking. And that’s the Lisa I’m now desperate to follow: a girl who is no longer a girl, who will never return to the naïve beginning, and who has to rebuild herself in the aftermath of irreversible loss.

[B.G. White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars. All the stars. None of them. I don’t know. Nothing will erase the trauma I have experienced reading this book. 💀

**this review has major spoilers**

I have been shattered into a thousand pieces. My heart and soul and mind have been broken in ways I didn’t think possible.
So um.
This book is good. Until it’s not. I stayed up an hour past midnight with headphones on and fighting tears and the heavy weight pressing down on my soul.
I don’t even know what to say in this review guys 😭😭 my heart is so unwell.
First of all, I adore seeing Lisa grow up throughout this series. Getting to see her mature and change — experiencing all these different emotions and growing in her relationship with her mom, Gaius, and Cal (🤧) — is so heartwarming. The characters literally fly off the page and I never knew how attached I could be to literary characters until this series. Like, I have never read something that has wrecked me so hard and made me question whether I need therapy after reading a frickin book.
The hauntings Lisa experiences in this book were crazy creepy but so good at the same time. I loved our new characters too — except for Dreyma obviously. I hate this villain with my whole heart. She was so well written… so maniacal and just disgustingly sinister.
And then we have Cal. As Lisa would say, my gosh — My whole HEART IS JUST --
Okay. The sweet moments between Cal and Lisa are so so wholesome. I loved getting to see them grow together and play with the idea of a future together. (Notice my choice of words? 🤧) But Cal was just too good for this world. And I should have known Hannah wouldn’t make it that easy. (*cries in a corner*) And if I’m being honest, I knew what was going to happen to him (cuz someone spoiled it for me) and I knew people would die… but I was still not expecting the emotional wreckage of my heart. Like.
Ugh.
I can’t bear it.
But at the same time, that was such a Cal thing to do that it made so mad.
There were very specific things that wrecked me the most about this though. First, we have the dedication. “To you. I’m sorry, it had to happen.” LIKE WHAT?? And her author note tore me apart. The fact that Hannah knew this from the beginning shattered my soul and erased every hope I had that there would be some way Cal would come back.
I love you Hannah, but I feel so betrayed 😭😭😭😭 I thought Cal and Lisa would get married… it was all going to work out…
How can you do that to me??? 😞
What made me even sadder was that the next books are what she originally envisioned for this series. Like Cal was never supposed to be her true love from the beginning… 🥺🥺
We all know that Lisa gets married (cuz it was hinted on Instagram with her wedding dress design and all that). And then Hannah told us that her wedding will be the most beautiful thing ever —
BUT WHY????? A wedding without Cal?? 😭😭😭😭 I don’t understand 😭😭😭😭💔💔💔
This is genuinely the most tragic book I have ever read. Excuse my overuse of emojis.
But in all honesty, I am so excited for book 5 and I will be preordering. So much happened to Lisa in those last few chapters. It was so sweet and exciting and depressing at the same time.
First off, we have new characters Hannah’s introduced us to on Instagram that I already love. We gotta see what on earth Lisa ends up doing while she heals. And don’t think I’m moving on so quickly, but I’m curious to see Lisa’s true man (if it really isn’t Cal 🥲) since Hannah also hinted at love. But my favorite thing, is that she promised us that book 5 will be wayyyy happier and give us (and Lisa obviously) the healing that we need to move on with our lives. 🥲🥲🥲
I just refuse to imagine Lisa with anyone else because I’m just like… dead inside at the moment.
Anyway, this review was insanely chaotic, but that’s what happens when you read The Agapéd Bearer. Love is worth the price of sorrow. IYKYK.
In all sincerity, I did love this book and it was written so well. It’s so bittersweet, but I won’t be rereading it for a very long time. I don’t think I can handle the trauma again. 😃

⚠️TW: This is probably one of the heaviest books I’ve read… definitely a YA, ages 15+ in my opinion. Lots of torture, mental trauma, explicit injuries/violence/physical abuse, intense grief, and horrific elements (like walking corpses). There’s mentions of drinking/drugs, cheating (and a couple “half-naked” people), r*pe, and a reference to p*rnography.
No spice or language.
The darkness isn’t there for the sake of darkness, however. Through it all, the characters learn that the Light always overcomes the Darkness, even when it’s hard and you can’t seem to see the end. So despite the sadness and heaviness, it’s so good and deep, and shows that while life is tough and we have struggles to overcome, it’s so worth it. ❤️‍🩹

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Agapéd Bearer: Dreyma's Curse is a book that I have greatly anticipated reading since I finished the third book in the series and 1st heard of its development!

I can 100% say this book blew my expectations away. It's an amazing turning point in Lisa's story where we begin to see that she is no longer that young girl who entered a wonderful world of magic. While it still has that amazing sense of adventure and wonder, this book specifically takes a bit of a spookier turn than the previous three books, in the sense that we see Lisa dealing with specters and ghosts of those she's lost. Not to mention moments where she has to relive some of her worst nightmares. And while I don't want to say too much, we also get to see her having to deal with some more grown-up situations and decisions. Seeing Lisa become a young adult had me tearing up. I have loved reading these books and being able to relate in some way to Lisa's internal struggles throughout the series. These books truly have become a comfort to me.

I absolutely love Hannah's way of writing Lisa's story and its characters. Many of my favorite moments from the book are the moments between all the lovable characters. Her writing makes them feel so real, as if I'm right in the room with them. I absolutely loved that we got to see more of Lisa's relationship with her mother. I love Odettes' character and her love for Lisa. And oh my goodness, don't even get me started on Gaius and Lisa's father-daughter relationship, it literally makes me tear up just thinking about it. literally so sweet. I love them so, so much. And Cal and Lisa, they as well. Some of those sweet scenes between the two literally had me giggling and kicking my feet. Their story in this book was definitely more of a bittersweet one than the previous books, but the themes we see throughout the story and relationships between these characters make these books, probably, one of my most favorite series I have ever read.

I am still reeling from the rollercoaster of emotions this book has brought me. I cried, guys. But I am so excited for others to read it and for the story's continuation in the future fifth book. I 100% will be reading these books to my kids in the very far future.

[Iza's Book Tower · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the end of an era 🥲 Can't wait for the next books! 🥹❤️
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🌶️ Clean, emphasis on the emotions, kisses only
💬 Mild, "crap" and invented cuss words
❗Death, blood, violence, severe injuries, grief, loss, depression, horror and hauntings, talk of being drunk and rape (in the past, only briefly)
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My thoughts:
Hannah is a genius! 😭👏 When I tell you IT'S ALL CONNECTED! Everything in this series, doesn't matter if it's awesome or heartbreaking, MAKES SENSE! That makes it all the better and all the worse at the same time 😭 Dreyma's Curse is truly a wild ride, with even higher stakes and more serious topics we only lightly touched in the previous books. Lisa slowly enters adulthood, faces darker things than ever and I LOVED every second of it! I'll keep talking about those characters 'till the day I die!!! ❤️ They really make me feel seen and understood and their relationships are GOALS. Hannah created a masterpiece I will forever recommend! And after this heartbreaking, soul-crushing, beautiful ending I will impatiently await next volumes, distracting myself with other books in the meantime 🥲Please, please, PLEASE, everybody, go read The Agapéd Bearer Saga!!! ❤️
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Btw, THIS COVER?! 🤯😍 Stunning! 👏💛
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Stay safe and know that you are worth living for. ~ The Agapéd Bearer Saga

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was way more than I expected when it came to the emotional aspect. Not for the faint of heart that is for sure. Its ending has certainly left me with a numb feeling in my heart. This book had so many good moments, so many traumatic moments, and moments that make your heart bleed out.

I eagerly await the next book in this series. Even if my heart may feel heavy now I want to see Lisa’s adventures continue till its end.

[Tessa Tollenaere · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐ !

What an absolute rollercoaster this book was. The vibes were different from the other books and eeriness/haunting vibes the author wanted were definitely there. I literally was anxious in some chapters!

That said: WHAT WAS THAT ENDING HUH?! I don't know at this point if I'm intrigued or if I hate it. I'm grieving is what I know for sure😭

[Dami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book felt like living through a hurricane of emotions and I loved every second of it.
My expressions were so wild that I think my siblings will forever see me as that weird book person and honestly? Worth it.

Hannah has done it again. She didn’t just write a book, she wrecked me in the best possible way. From the moment I met Lisa in Book One, I was enchanted by her world. But now, after following her journey across the series, I’m even more deeply invested.

Lisa's journey in this book? Earth-shattering. We’ve seen her slay monsters before, but in Dreyma’s Curse, she battles internal struggles. The tension is relentless, the stakes are sky-high, and the emotional devastation is… unbearable.

Dreyma’s Curse isn’t just a story it’s a full-on emotional event. It’s raw, gorgeous, devastating, healing, and full of moments that will leave you absolutely destroyed (and begging for more).
Y’all are not ready. Bring the tissues. Stare at the wall. Cry. Hug the book. Just get ready, because this ride is BRUTAL. 😭

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHY DID CAL DIE?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??
It was such an amazing book, but Cals death made me start tearing up. I definitely recommend it though for people that don’t like spice and like magic.

[Camvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking . I think I cried at least three times while reading this book. I knew that at some point Lisa's glorious youth would culminate, but I never thought it would be in such a shocking way. Magic, adventure, tears, sacrifice, found family, true love, and action are what awaits every reader. I'd like to share my experience as an early reader of the arc (thanks, Hannah Lindsey!).

This is currently one of my favorite fantasy series. Starting with worldbuilding, the system is one of the most original I've seen in a while. I was taken aback by how the magic that was so cozy in the first books showed one of its most dangerous sides in this fourth installment. The monsters that seemed so distant in Gaius's illustrations came to life through curses. The villain, Dreyma, was genuinely one of my favorite parts, despite everything she did. Filled with both strangeness and cruelty, you never knew what her next move would be (only what she revealed).

Another plus was seeing the past of beloved characters who seemed untouchable: Gaius and Odette. My heart goes out to them because they managed to move forward after horrific experiences. In a world that can be cruel, not even magic can save you from facing certain battles. Everything has its limit. The scars that appeared in this book through vulnerability, trauma, and grief were painful to read. Lisa was never truly alone, but even she couldn't stop herself from breaking. How much pain can a person endure? Chapters 59 and 60 will always bring tears to my eyes.

Regarding the main conflict, it was well handled. Tip: PAY ATTENTION to the small details. They will be very useful. I also liked learning more about the political context of the kingdom and the royal family (Celine, I adore you). Plus, FINALLY there was more backstory about Lisa's human family (I'm so grateful because I've been waiting for this since the first volume). On the other hand, about romance… TRUE LOVE EXISTS… Caelum is the best boy. I'll just say: you don't know what it's like to feel joy or pain without having experienced both.

Meanwhile, in my opinion, there are certain details that could have been better. There will be mini-spoilers below (nothing that relevant):

SPOILER WARNING:

If Lisa was considering going to college and applied, what would she be studying? I know her focus was on the magic realm, but I still have that question.

Why is she still friends with JK? At this point, I just can't make sense of it.

Maybe it would have been better to dig a little deeper into Caelum psychology/mindset.

That she made me cry more than three times 😃😭


In short, it was a great read. Lisa learned from life, won, and lost. I feel like I grew up with her in part. Dear readers, stay tuned for the release date.

[Marie Pesantes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book could have easily been a five-star read for me. The story, the world-building, and the emotional depth were all incredibly strong. However, the ending felt very disappointing. First, my favorite character suffers far too much and for nothing (Cal), and knowing that I will never see him again is genuinely painful. Second, I really didn’t like how the ending was resolved or how Gaius behaved at the end… it almost feels as if all the sacrifices made throughout the story were meaningless. Overall, the book is still good, but those small details at the end make the entire plot feel weaker than it should have been

[Tammy's Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I don't know how to even start this review, I'll just say this is a work of art, Hannah Taylor Lindsey. Congratulations!!

There are a lot of authors that can write a great story, but very few authors get to show and connect the emotions and character growth of their characters with the readers. Lisa is one of the characters that through every part of her story, the narrative allowed me to experience her joy, anger, and grief, so thank you for letting me experience firsthand the start of Lisa's adult life.

Next, I'm amazed by the way Lisa's universe keeps growing with each book, with the other characters stories and the development of book 3 to book 4, and the Gaius chapters were placed in great moments within the story, so we (the readers) can understand the narrative from different perspectives. It's awesome to learn different aspects of Gaius and his connection with the new characters.

Another amazing aspect is the fighting sequences; they're beautifully written and not too complicated or in a quick way, allowing our imagination (as readers) to flow by the way each action is connected with the character's thought, and since the fighting style with each character is unique, it's easier to imagine it. 

My favorite genre is fantasy, so I love the world-building, so with each book from the Agapéd Bearer Series, it grows with our FMC. And with book number 4, it adds a new genre to the mix: thriller, a tad of mystery or crime.

A little warning: this is a much more mature chapter in Lisa's life, her thoughts and determination grew with her, which brought many (so many) new difficult challenges to her life, so prepare as you read: comfort beverages (to avoid dehydration), a safe place (so you can cry your heart out), and a lot of calming breaths (helps with part III).

Amazing work, Hannah Taylor Lindsey, I'm left on the edge of my seat and waiting for the return of Lisa's story with the next book, (please show us readers mercy and add a lot of comfort for Lisa and Gaius).

So after my essay, if you're a reader looking for a new reading universe to explore, my recommendation is The Agapéd Bearer Series; it's filled with comfort, found family, character growth, magic, and more. By their hand, you will begin to learn to enjoy who you are, and if our extraordinary Lisa has done amazing things while at the start of her story, we readers can too. 

[Julia Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars only because…my heart is broken💔

Edit: okay, I’ve had time to process the ending and all the things before. Hannah has outdone herself with the emotional turmoil in this book. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much grief from a story before. Seriously, I’m not okay. I finished the book yesterday and am still sad. Even struggled to sleep T-T.

Hannah’s writing effortlessly flows in a way that has you seeing everything vividly, as if it were real. The connection to the characters is one so pure and full of love, bound to bring tears when they face trials. Dreyma’s Curse is no doubt darker than the first three, tackling mind manipulation, anxiety, depression, and extreme levels of stress, as well as death and violence. It unsettled me in a way I didn’t expect, especially the heartbreak. Yet, there’s a promise and glimmer of Light even then.

I’ll be honest, I’m not happy with how things ended and I hope the author makes up for it T-T. I’ve never been this shocked and upset by a conclusion of a book. But Hannah never fails to utterly capture my attention with her stories to the very last page, even when my eyes are too blurred to read the words.

I am currently going through the stages of grief and I pray I recover soon. These characters and stories may not be real, but they’re written in a way that make them seem as though they are. I’m a little bit afraid to read her next book, but she promised it’d be happier. So, Hannah, I will hold you to that promise!

Despite how you shattered my heart, thank you for taking me on another fantastical journey.

Recommended Age Group: because this book tackles heavier topics, I would advise no one under the age of 14-15 to read. But either way read at your own discretion. It’s an amazing book but heart-wrenchingly so.

Trigger Warnings:
Anxiety, implications of depression, violence, death, torture, mention of rape, possession

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey Hannah- did you kiss the brick before you SMASHED MY FACE IN WITH IT??

[LightningTail97 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even know what to say 😅 One thing I can say for certain is that this is quite possibly the most heartbreaking book I've ever read, but it was also one of the best books I've ever read. I think the easiest way is for me to break this review down in parts.

CHARACTERS:
I really enjoyed some of the new characters we got to meet! Beast was my favorite among the new ones, I think. His personality is a good balance of serious and goofball. I also loved the magical animals he could summon!
Dreyma was a great antagonist as well. I still think Seytzer is my favorite out of the bad guys we've seen, but Dreyma was a close second. She was, however, the cruelest villain. Which makes for a great story, I think.
I loved the development we got with the existing characters as well! I enjoyed getting Gaius' POV more in this book! I also enjoyed that he was a big character in it. Along those lines, I really liked seeing more of Ekron. He's grown on me throughout the series!
Lisa and Cal, I think, had the most development. It was so fun to see Lisa more confident in this book! In the past few, she's been more anxious and nervous. In this one, she felt much more developed. Cal hit a lot of development at the end of Hunter Wars, and it was nice to see that development carry over into this book. It was interesting to see how he struggled with being king throughout this book! And I really enjoyed the concept of their Twynkling (I think that's how it's spelled) which allowed us to see both of their emotions even if we only read from Lisa's POV. Finally, I loved seeing the little secret moments we got of her and Cal together. They were so sweet!

*SPOILER WARNING. IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS, SKIP TO CONTENT WARNING*

Now the heavier stuff of this book 😅😭 I gotta respect Hannah's guts, to be honest. The book broke my heart, but respect to the author who had the gall to get us attached to Lisa and Cal's relationship all throughout the last book only to kill him in this one. I hate it, but props to you Hannah! Not many authors would do that. Especially to a main character. What's even sadder is the autgor's note, where it's revealed that the poor guy was doomed from the beginning. Which makes me think he won't be coming back, but one can hope.
What might be difficult to grapple with is the idea of Lisa finding someone else to love. We've spent four books getting attached and watching her and Cal grow, it'll be hard to move on. Honestly though, if it's done right, it could be great. As long as Cal isn't forgotten (some series do that. They kill a character and everyone is sad for a while until, suddenly, they just stop mentioning said character). I don't think Hannah will do that, though. She's a great author. And I trust that she won't just pretend Cal never existed. And though he died, which absolutely sucks, I like the way he did it. He died in a noble, meaningful way that felt right for his character.

*CONTENT WARNING*
Language - None! Unless you count the word "bollocks" which used to be vulgar but is not used in a vulgar context within the book. It's used as a form of surprise.
Spice - None! Just kisses and cuddling.
Violence - I don't remember a lot of gory violence, but Hannah herself does warn that the book is violent for younger readers, which I could see. There are hauntings and potentially scary visuals, but nothing too bad in my opinion. Just be careful! Everyone is different.
Magic - Nothing about the magic made me overly uncomfortable. Dreyma does use dead bodies as puppets before turning them into monsters, but it's nothing graphic or gross.
Other - This book is very heavy emotionally. I underestimated it when I went in, so be very warned. When fans say it's heartbreaking, they're right. The book has a lot of grief, heavy anxiety, and depression. There are mentions of weed, bongs, sexual assualt, and p*rn (though nothing explicit, these books are clean, after all). Just be prepared! This book is not like her other ones!
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Overall, the book was beautiful and devastating at the same time. Hannah writes amazingly. And I forgot to mention above, but I always have loved how she writes fight scenes. They're so intense everytime! Heartbreaking book, but at the same time it's most definitely a five out of five stars! And I'm kinda glad the next won't be released until around May, it gives me time to recover 😆

[El Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑬𝑳'𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 ✧ ・₊°࿐

𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖: I had the absolute honor and privilege to be an ARC reader for this book, however I'm still in recovery. I finished this book, what, ten? Twenty? Thirty minutes ago?? Time has been lost to me since I read Chapter 59 (if you know you know ) and finished the book. What a way to wrap up Lisa's adolescence.

On a brighter note, I made a bingo card for this book, and I can proudly say I got BINGO four times throughout the span of this book.

While the ending is what shook me the most, the rest of the book is just as thrilling as I knew it would be. Every few chapters felt like the next episode of a TV series; pacing was fantastic. I was so pleased by the abundance of Gaius chapters in this one - readers have only ever known one chapter of non-Lisa POV every book, so seeing more from Gaius' eyes was such a treat.

Hannah Lindsey has such a way of making me emotionally invested in her characters and she never fails to make me bawl my eyes out (I do not cry to books. This series is the singular exception). And the way she seamlessly weaves one point to the next - point A to point B to point C and all the way to Z - never fails to make me forget how much time is passing in the book, covering Lisa's entire senior year of high school.

I'll confess: I was uncertain about this series being in first person when I picked up Wishing Stars, but I'm so glad it was here for Dreyma's Curse. I loved being able to see the inner workings of Lisa's mind in this book, especially as this is the most psychologically-conflicting (is that a phrase? like psychological horror-esque wordage?) book in the saga thus far. Lisa was just as relatable in this book as she was in all the rest perhaps even moreso for I too am delusional and I am beyond eager to see where her journey takes her next.

(i already have a bingo square ready for book 5: orange book cover lol)


𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: I genuinely don't think I can write notes for this. I think one thing I would have liked was a clear recap on what the Embassy, but I don't know if that's just because I haven't touched the Agapéd Bearer since September or not lol. I was able to get the gist as the story went on, however, so maybe this note is unnecessary? I may come back and edit this review once I've recovered from all the emotional damage inflicted and provide proper constructive criticism if I see fit. But regardless, beautiful work as always, Hannah.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Just a heads up: I mean the next line in a joking tone, in case it doesn’t read that way...)
HOW. DARE. YOU.
First, I have to say: watching Lisa grow over the course of the last three books has been a joy. And it just makes this ending hurt all the more. Her sure trust and unshakeable image of Gaius have been broken. You have humanized the Keeper of the stars even more in her eyes. A realization some daughters have, realizing the man she views as a father and hero is a human with weaknesses, and not the marble pillar she envisioned. Her relationship with him throughout the series is amazing and developed beautifully. It is such a sorrow to see them going through this rough patch.
Now. You introduce prince Caelum from book 1; show him grow throughout three books along with Lisa. Share in becoming a better young man, thanks to her. A steady friend to have and train with. Give them an adorable friendship and budding romance through the first three books, culminate into a loving relationship in book four only to rip all that away and leave poor Lisa, depressed, drowned in guilt and broken in trust with Gauis and then just end the book! You let us watch Cal grow up over four years, grow stronger and mature, become king, love Lisa with all his heart and then KILL him.
And your author’s note? A small piece of plaster on the metaphorical emotional wound on my heart from those last few chapters. Lisa was already struggling; being the Agaped starting to lean more into being a serious responsibility than just admiring magic; the double life starting to get strained with those reveals to her mother; the curse and how the Fallen had trapped and emaciated her for three months and now...now she’s heartbroken, dwindling, fighting to stay distracted and forget and she hasn’t even reached twenty yet. What do you have to say for yourself?
I knew beforehand Cal was gonna die because I, unfortunately, read the synopsis of the fifth book while still reading the third. Yet I still cried at chapter 59. The redirect with Gaius was a good twist for anyone unaware. And I listened to the note at the bottom and went and looked for the song to play while reading, which made it even worse! I could barely read through the tears. The illustrations throughout are wonderful to see. You truly went in, killed and tortured your darlings, all for the sake of a good story.
I have enjoyed this literary journey immensely and have already preordered book 5. Thank you for sharing your story and art. I look forward to seeing how far Lisa Robbie will go.