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A Curse Carved in Ink
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50 copies available
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A dazzling standalone romantasy debut steeped in Chinese vampire folklore and a delicious queer love triangle, for fans of She Who Became the Sun and Daughter of the Moon Goddess.
All Zhenya has ever wanted is to escape the monotony of her tiny village with her best friend Shuhua. But Zhenya must care for her grandmother, whose madness haunts their crumbling family bookstore – and she won’t abandon her, madness and all.
But when her grandmother dies, everything falls apart. For she was never mad – she was cursed. And with her death, the curse has passed on to her one remaining Zhenya. It screams to be fed, but no matter how hard Zhenya tries, she is powerless to stop it. Even when it demands that she kill Shuhua with her bare hands, trapping her soul in an eternity of torment.
As Zhenya grapples with Shuhua’s death, she’s confronted by two immortals of ancient Kaijun, the broody judge of hell, and Yaori, the flirtatious goddess of death. Together, they drag Zhenya to Diyu – hell itself. To free Shuhua’s soul, Zhenya must journey through the ten layers of Diyu, undertaking trials that will test her in unimaginable ways.
It’s terrifying. And to complicate things further, Zhenya finds herself torn between Kaijun and Yaori, grappling with feelings she doesn’t fully understand. But she can’t afford to be distracted, not when the only way to break the curse is to destroy it herself.
All Zhenya has ever wanted is to escape the monotony of her tiny village with her best friend Shuhua. But Zhenya must care for her grandmother, whose madness haunts their crumbling family bookstore – and she won’t abandon her, madness and all.
But when her grandmother dies, everything falls apart. For she was never mad – she was cursed. And with her death, the curse has passed on to her one remaining Zhenya. It screams to be fed, but no matter how hard Zhenya tries, she is powerless to stop it. Even when it demands that she kill Shuhua with her bare hands, trapping her soul in an eternity of torment.
As Zhenya grapples with Shuhua’s death, she’s confronted by two immortals of ancient Kaijun, the broody judge of hell, and Yaori, the flirtatious goddess of death. Together, they drag Zhenya to Diyu – hell itself. To free Shuhua’s soul, Zhenya must journey through the ten layers of Diyu, undertaking trials that will test her in unimaginable ways.
It’s terrifying. And to complicate things further, Zhenya finds herself torn between Kaijun and Yaori, grappling with feelings she doesn’t fully understand. But she can’t afford to be distracted, not when the only way to break the curse is to destroy it herself.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 31, 2027
About the author
Tzeyi Koay
1 book102 followersTzeyi Koay (🔊 Zee-Kway) is a Chinese-Malaysian lawyer turned fantasy writer based in Australia. She grew up in a small village surrounded by the stories and traditions that would later inspire her work. Her debut novel draws on her family’s practice of traditional folk religion and the Chinese vampire dramas she watched with her grandmother.
Tzeyi studied at the University of Melbourne, where she initially trained to be a psychologist before pivoting into law. When she isn’t writing, Tzeyi can be found singing and nurturing her ever-growing collection of books (fun) and chronic illnesses (less fun).
You can connect with her on Instagram and TikTok under @tzeyikoay. She is represented by the wonderful Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary Agency.
Tzeyi studied at the University of Melbourne, where she initially trained to be a psychologist before pivoting into law. When she isn’t writing, Tzeyi can be found singing and nurturing her ever-growing collection of books (fun) and chronic illnesses (less fun).
You can connect with her on Instagram and TikTok under @tzeyikoay. She is represented by the wonderful Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary Agency.
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September 9, 2026Chinese vampire folklore? Say no more.
*One of Allurial contenders for January*
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author, Tzeyi Koay for an early ARC.
Publication: January 26, 2027
*One of Allurial contenders for January*
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author, Tzeyi Koay for an early ARC.
Publication: January 26, 2027
June 6, 2025
I was the lucky recipient of a very early version of A CURSE CARVED IN INK, and I believe the fantasy genre has just gained an instant classic.
ACCII is a dark, luscious epic of curses, love, and redemption against the vibrant backdrop of a Chinese mythology-inspired underworld. The hell Tzeyi Koay has created was made of layers, which is a perfect parallel to the many strengths of this book that work together to create a stunning whole.
To simply call this book a fantasy would be a disservice. It is magical, fantastical, and the gods she crafted are truly other in such a delightful way. However, this story reads almost like a deep character study in a fantasy world because the relationships of the main character, Zhenya, are completely fleshed out. Whether it is her connection to her family, friend, or new “connections” made in the underworld, they are heartbreakingly honest and unflinching. And these include probably one of the best platonic connections I have ever read that truly captures friendship in its purest form.
Zhenya is viciously flawed and astonishingly, imperfectly human. Her journey is not “the chosen one”…it’s the cursed one, and Koay captures her struggle and the pain that she has endured. The gods she meets have quickly become some of my favorite fantasy characters and are what I hope is waiting in the afterlife.
The author has used deep, original metaphors and detailed dives into the true emotions of these characters to tell what feels like a fantasy fable that could have come straight out of Zhenya’s bookshop. There were lines that made my heart ache, banter that made me laugh, and smart one-liners that made the hairs on my arms stand up. The Chinese mythology is woven into a truly lush backdrop that allows readers to become fully immersed, whether or not they’ve ever heard legends like these before. And. There. Is. Poetry!
If you don’t like rhyming poetry, you will still love this. If you love poetry, you will DIE for this (and know that according to this book, there are some really hot gods on the other side). I am a tough critic with rhymes, and I want a t-shirt made of nothing but the Koay’s creepy prose. If the tell-tale heart climbed out of the floorboards, possessed innocents, and started talking, it would sound like this. It is a genius callback to the poems of classic fantasy, but horrifying.
This may be Tzeyi Koay’s debut, but it reads like the epic of a seasoned pro, which undoubtedly will be what is to come. This book is for every person who has fought to smooth their jagged edges, who has learned that love and loss are intertwined, and who has found a light in a darkness that they may or may not have made themselves. Fantasy’s future is carved in the pages of ACCII.
ACCII is a dark, luscious epic of curses, love, and redemption against the vibrant backdrop of a Chinese mythology-inspired underworld. The hell Tzeyi Koay has created was made of layers, which is a perfect parallel to the many strengths of this book that work together to create a stunning whole.
To simply call this book a fantasy would be a disservice. It is magical, fantastical, and the gods she crafted are truly other in such a delightful way. However, this story reads almost like a deep character study in a fantasy world because the relationships of the main character, Zhenya, are completely fleshed out. Whether it is her connection to her family, friend, or new “connections” made in the underworld, they are heartbreakingly honest and unflinching. And these include probably one of the best platonic connections I have ever read that truly captures friendship in its purest form.
Zhenya is viciously flawed and astonishingly, imperfectly human. Her journey is not “the chosen one”…it’s the cursed one, and Koay captures her struggle and the pain that she has endured. The gods she meets have quickly become some of my favorite fantasy characters and are what I hope is waiting in the afterlife.
The author has used deep, original metaphors and detailed dives into the true emotions of these characters to tell what feels like a fantasy fable that could have come straight out of Zhenya’s bookshop. There were lines that made my heart ache, banter that made me laugh, and smart one-liners that made the hairs on my arms stand up. The Chinese mythology is woven into a truly lush backdrop that allows readers to become fully immersed, whether or not they’ve ever heard legends like these before. And. There. Is. Poetry!
If you don’t like rhyming poetry, you will still love this. If you love poetry, you will DIE for this (and know that according to this book, there are some really hot gods on the other side). I am a tough critic with rhymes, and I want a t-shirt made of nothing but the Koay’s creepy prose. If the tell-tale heart climbed out of the floorboards, possessed innocents, and started talking, it would sound like this. It is a genius callback to the poems of classic fantasy, but horrifying.
This may be Tzeyi Koay’s debut, but it reads like the epic of a seasoned pro, which undoubtedly will be what is to come. This book is for every person who has fought to smooth their jagged edges, who has learned that love and loss are intertwined, and who has found a light in a darkness that they may or may not have made themselves. Fantasy’s future is carved in the pages of ACCII.
they-told-me-to-read-it
July 19, 2025Rec via Kamilah Cole
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September 14, 2026unfortunately i think this is a book where i would be more better off waiting for the audiobook to pair with the ebook! i made it to 51% but im not getting invested the way i had hoped to, plus i have begun to feel a little like i am running in circles. this book has a very beautiful world and lore that i want to absolutely love so this will be a soft dnf for now that ill revisit after pub day!
May 27, 2025
I am eagerly awaiting this book! I cannot wait to read it. Chinese vampire lore? Bisexual love triangle Romantasy? Trials and tribulations? A Hell setting and trying to free a soul?
Yes please and thank you! This is everything I need
Yes please and thank you! This is everything I need
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
[ 4.5/5 stars ]
Zhenya helps with her family bookstore while she takes care of her grandmother. When her grandmother dies, she finds out about a family curse and needs to journey through the ten layers of Diyu (hell) in an attempt to break away from her curse.
Heavily inspired by Chinese mythology, Koay doesn't waste time to plunge us into the lush world building layered with underworld, immortals, souls and spirits, jiangshi (Chinese "vampire"/"zombie") and timeless tales, which is alluring in a way that almost feel like a fairy tale, except that CURSE is deeply dark. I loved the path of redemption walked by flawed characters, who bear the scars of suffering and by clinging to relationships, find in each other healing.
The author examines love, grief, loyalty, friendship, duty, resilience, legacy and sacrifice in a plot of trials which fast-paced essence doesn't detract from a decent character study. Regardless of the serious tone, there's humor in the darkest moments and I also enjoyed the fun banter. By playing with the Chinese characters, what makes this novel stand out is the artistic touch embodied in the narrative that will thoroughly please those who appreciate a good Chinese poetry like myself.
At its core, this is about the burden we carry (from the inheritance) and who we had lost and who we had therefore become.
"All endings are beginnings in disguise."
Based on the author's own experiences, A CURSE CARVED IN INK is a spellbinding and cinematic romantasy that follows the cursed one path and defying fate. This is a seasoned debut that left me quite impressed and I am looking forward to Koay's future works.
ps: I would love to see a TV adaptation of this novel
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Atria books . All opinions are my own ]
Zhenya helps with her family bookstore while she takes care of her grandmother. When her grandmother dies, she finds out about a family curse and needs to journey through the ten layers of Diyu (hell) in an attempt to break away from her curse.
Heavily inspired by Chinese mythology, Koay doesn't waste time to plunge us into the lush world building layered with underworld, immortals, souls and spirits, jiangshi (Chinese "vampire"/"zombie") and timeless tales, which is alluring in a way that almost feel like a fairy tale, except that CURSE is deeply dark. I loved the path of redemption walked by flawed characters, who bear the scars of suffering and by clinging to relationships, find in each other healing.
The author examines love, grief, loyalty, friendship, duty, resilience, legacy and sacrifice in a plot of trials which fast-paced essence doesn't detract from a decent character study. Regardless of the serious tone, there's humor in the darkest moments and I also enjoyed the fun banter. By playing with the Chinese characters, what makes this novel stand out is the artistic touch embodied in the narrative that will thoroughly please those who appreciate a good Chinese poetry like myself.
At its core, this is about the burden we carry (from the inheritance) and who we had lost and who we had therefore become.
"All endings are beginnings in disguise."
Based on the author's own experiences, A CURSE CARVED IN INK is a spellbinding and cinematic romantasy that follows the cursed one path and defying fate. This is a seasoned debut that left me quite impressed and I am looking forward to Koay's future works.
ps: I would love to see a TV adaptation of this novel
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Atria books . All opinions are my own ]
September 18, 2026
Thanks to the author and publisher for my arc. The opinions are my own.
This is not a romantasy in the typical sense, there is a romance but it takes a back seat to a story that is a beautifully written case study in life, death and grief. This made me really stop and think several times and, as you fall in love with the characters you also find yourself thinking hard about life overall. Def ugly cried .
This is not a romantasy in the typical sense, there is a romance but it takes a back seat to a story that is a beautifully written case study in life, death and grief. This made me really stop and think several times and, as you fall in love with the characters you also find yourself thinking hard about life overall. Def ugly cried .
September 29, 2026
A wonderfully written romantasy filled with twists, turns, and suspense. The mythological elements were an amazing blend between traditional stories and Tzeyi Koay's imagination. There's a love triangle, a series of quests, and some spice, but none of it feels cliché or overdone. A Curse Carved in Ink is perfect for anyone who loves a good genre blend filled with humor, tragedy, loss, romance, and hope. 4.75/5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2026
I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A Curse Carved in Ink is perfect for fans of Daughter of the Moon Goddess and One Dark Window.
It's filled with thought-provoking words of wisdom on grief, life, and what it means to be human — written with the flow, poetry, and artistry I've come to love in this genre.
At times I could only read a little at once, because it made me stop and sit with the nuggets of truth inside it.
It's hard to believe this is a debut. It reads like the work of a well-seasoned author, and I look forward to many more stories from Tzeyi Koay.
A Curse Carved in Ink is perfect for fans of Daughter of the Moon Goddess and One Dark Window.
It's filled with thought-provoking words of wisdom on grief, life, and what it means to be human — written with the flow, poetry, and artistry I've come to love in this genre.
At times I could only read a little at once, because it made me stop and sit with the nuggets of truth inside it.
It's hard to believe this is a debut. It reads like the work of a well-seasoned author, and I look forward to many more stories from Tzeyi Koay.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Atria Books for the eARC!
Zhenya's life has never been conventional. After losing her parents at a young age, her only living relative is her grandmother, who's health and mind have been on the decline for years. Even though Zhenya's own desires conflict with her responsibility to care for her grandmother, she will always put her Popo first. The only sort of solace Zhenya has is with her best friend, Shuhua, who has been by her side since childhood. Suddenly with no warning, Popo unexpectedly passes away, leaving Zhenya to learn the unbearable truth. Her grandmother was never mad, but slowly losing herself to a curse. A curse that has now fully claimed her grandmother in death and moved to take Zhenya as it's next host. Unable to maintain control of it's hunger, a tragic set of events is set into place that ultimately leads to Zhenya unwillingly taking the life of her dear friend, Shuhua. Overcome with grief and guilt, she suddenly finds herself whisked away by two gods to Diyu, this world's form of hell. Kaijun, The Arbiter of Balance and Yaori, The Goddess of Death are determined to be rid of Zhenya's curse as it threatens the very balance of their world. With their assistance, Zhenya must go through the many layers of Diyu and complete multiple trials in order to have the power to banish her curse. While grappling with the decreasing control of her life and body, Zhenya must also untangle the feelings that have begun to surface for both gods that have cohabited her life in Diyu. The entire world hangs in the balance of Zhenya's actions, as she is the only one who can vanquish this curse.
A Curse Carved in Ink is a heartwarming tale of life, love, and loss that absolutely took me by surprise and had me holding back tears by the last page. Zhenya is a resilient and determined main character, who's deep affection and loyalty for those she cares for shines throughout the story. Her whole life has been one tragedy after another, but her ability to still love and push through it all is both touching and inspiring. The love that develops between her, Kaijin, and Yaori, is as sweet and tender as the peaches that grow in Diyu. Every one of them have gone through immense trials and doubts of their self worth, but each are shown they are deserving of the love they receive. As for the world, the Chinese mythology woven throughout Diyu is done beautifully, truly making it feel lived in and magical. Tzeyi Koay's prose truly shine throughout the novel, creating a reading experience that is poetic, lyrical, and full of heart. For a debut novel, her writing truly blew me away. This novel wasn't what I was expecting at all when I went into it, but I'm leaving more than happy with the journey I went on. A Curse Carved in Ink is truly special, and I hope it receives the love it deserves come release.
Zhenya's life has never been conventional. After losing her parents at a young age, her only living relative is her grandmother, who's health and mind have been on the decline for years. Even though Zhenya's own desires conflict with her responsibility to care for her grandmother, she will always put her Popo first. The only sort of solace Zhenya has is with her best friend, Shuhua, who has been by her side since childhood. Suddenly with no warning, Popo unexpectedly passes away, leaving Zhenya to learn the unbearable truth. Her grandmother was never mad, but slowly losing herself to a curse. A curse that has now fully claimed her grandmother in death and moved to take Zhenya as it's next host. Unable to maintain control of it's hunger, a tragic set of events is set into place that ultimately leads to Zhenya unwillingly taking the life of her dear friend, Shuhua. Overcome with grief and guilt, she suddenly finds herself whisked away by two gods to Diyu, this world's form of hell. Kaijun, The Arbiter of Balance and Yaori, The Goddess of Death are determined to be rid of Zhenya's curse as it threatens the very balance of their world. With their assistance, Zhenya must go through the many layers of Diyu and complete multiple trials in order to have the power to banish her curse. While grappling with the decreasing control of her life and body, Zhenya must also untangle the feelings that have begun to surface for both gods that have cohabited her life in Diyu. The entire world hangs in the balance of Zhenya's actions, as she is the only one who can vanquish this curse.
A Curse Carved in Ink is a heartwarming tale of life, love, and loss that absolutely took me by surprise and had me holding back tears by the last page. Zhenya is a resilient and determined main character, who's deep affection and loyalty for those she cares for shines throughout the story. Her whole life has been one tragedy after another, but her ability to still love and push through it all is both touching and inspiring. The love that develops between her, Kaijin, and Yaori, is as sweet and tender as the peaches that grow in Diyu. Every one of them have gone through immense trials and doubts of their self worth, but each are shown they are deserving of the love they receive. As for the world, the Chinese mythology woven throughout Diyu is done beautifully, truly making it feel lived in and magical. Tzeyi Koay's prose truly shine throughout the novel, creating a reading experience that is poetic, lyrical, and full of heart. For a debut novel, her writing truly blew me away. This novel wasn't what I was expecting at all when I went into it, but I'm leaving more than happy with the journey I went on. A Curse Carved in Ink is truly special, and I hope it receives the love it deserves come release.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a stunningly beautiful and haunting story about Chinese folklore, curses, love, grief, generational inheritance, loss, and legacy.
From the very beginning, this book pulled me in. The foreword note from Tzeyi drew me in like a moth to a flame and touched me so deeply that I knew I was going to love this book before I even started it.
We follow Zhenya, a young woman in a small town who seems deemed to lose everything and everyone. She’s the caretaker of her grandmother, who is not herself anymore, and the little bookstore they run together. The town has cast out Zhenya and her family for the darkness that seems to follow them, and the only reprieve in Zhenya’s life is her best friend Shuhua. When Zhenya’s grandma passes, things change for the worst. Strange things start to happen, the urge to kill grows like a seed in Zhenya’s mind, and it becomes hauntingly clear that a curse was passed down to Zhenya that inevitably had taken her grandma. Unfortunately, it also takes Shuhua, but by Zhenya’s own hands. Left with grief and the burden of her own actions, Zhenya meets Death, who is quite beautiful, and is taken into hell to complete 5 trials to rid the world of this curse.
What exactly is this curse? The jiangshi, who longs not to be forgotten and feeds on the souls it can capture via its host.
While in hell, Zhenya finds happiness for the first time in a long time, and makes friends along the way. We watch her learn, grieve, and relive her trauma for the hope that her lineage no longer has to suffer this curse, and that it won’t swallow the world. Each character we meet along the way has something to teach not only Zhenya, but us as the reader. I was deeply touched by every character in this, for each was important in their purpose.
I found myself in tears at the end of this book. It had so much to say about familial trauma, what we pass down to others, the loss of loved ones, and how we are remembered. As someone who has a little existential crisis now and then about my future, knowing there will be insurmountable loss as part of it, and wondering how long it will be until I’m forgotten once I’m gone, this book offered a lot of love to me. It shows us more beginnings than endings, that we are not what is passed down to us, and reminds us that even though we all will lose the things we love, that we were blessed to have loved them in the first place. I’m truly grateful to have gotten to read this.
Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.
From the very beginning, this book pulled me in. The foreword note from Tzeyi drew me in like a moth to a flame and touched me so deeply that I knew I was going to love this book before I even started it.
We follow Zhenya, a young woman in a small town who seems deemed to lose everything and everyone. She’s the caretaker of her grandmother, who is not herself anymore, and the little bookstore they run together. The town has cast out Zhenya and her family for the darkness that seems to follow them, and the only reprieve in Zhenya’s life is her best friend Shuhua. When Zhenya’s grandma passes, things change for the worst. Strange things start to happen, the urge to kill grows like a seed in Zhenya’s mind, and it becomes hauntingly clear that a curse was passed down to Zhenya that inevitably had taken her grandma. Unfortunately, it also takes Shuhua, but by Zhenya’s own hands. Left with grief and the burden of her own actions, Zhenya meets Death, who is quite beautiful, and is taken into hell to complete 5 trials to rid the world of this curse.
What exactly is this curse? The jiangshi, who longs not to be forgotten and feeds on the souls it can capture via its host.
While in hell, Zhenya finds happiness for the first time in a long time, and makes friends along the way. We watch her learn, grieve, and relive her trauma for the hope that her lineage no longer has to suffer this curse, and that it won’t swallow the world. Each character we meet along the way has something to teach not only Zhenya, but us as the reader. I was deeply touched by every character in this, for each was important in their purpose.
I found myself in tears at the end of this book. It had so much to say about familial trauma, what we pass down to others, the loss of loved ones, and how we are remembered. As someone who has a little existential crisis now and then about my future, knowing there will be insurmountable loss as part of it, and wondering how long it will be until I’m forgotten once I’m gone, this book offered a lot of love to me. It shows us more beginnings than endings, that we are not what is passed down to us, and reminds us that even though we all will lose the things we love, that we were blessed to have loved them in the first place. I’m truly grateful to have gotten to read this.
Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley & publishers for the arc of the book 💙💜🐉✨️
»»——— ᢉ𐭩 ———««
This is what we call a perfect bisexual rep and beautifully it was integrated with our three main characters, I just love Zhenya, Yaori and Kaijun, their dynamic and relationship was everything to me. First of all let's appreciate how beautiful the poems were, yes I loved them myself personally it added such a whimsical yet eerie touch to them!!
Now focusing on plot first, it was solid honestly a curse attached to a girl and then two deities who are from hell are here to help Zhenya out with things and save her from bringing harm to the world, and on that journey there are trials and some feelings blossoming between our 3 characters, the curse itself was just a girl which reminded me of this kdrama Revenant that I watched some years ago, in this book and in that kdrama both I thought it will be a demon some harmful man, but it's just girls with a lot of pain and hurt they faced that made them turn into this harmful and scary thing. But the sacrifice of one of the characters and Zhenya help get rid of the curse.
About the characters honestly Yaori is my most fav one I won't lie, I love how despite her back story and the abuse she faced as a woman even as a god of death she is so lovely, so kind and so compassionate, I just love her, she is the best girl ever and her scenes with Zhenya are my fav ever throughout the book.
Kaijun I like him as well ofc, but with a personality like him and what he went through when he was a mortal it makes sense, and eventually him warming up to Zhenya was when I started to like him.
Love love Zhenya, I related to her a lot, and I loved despite how she lost her best friend and grandmother and a conflicted childhood and loss of parents she stayed so strong with a curse inside her who was literally manipulating her profusely, she was such an amazing main character.
The last chapters made me tear up I won't lie, how Kaijun became human and Zhenya had to leave Yaori behind but Kaijun and Zhenya lived happily ever after and had such a cute life till they grow old and loved each other till the end and omg the epilogue, I just cannot, how on her deathbed Jun was there for her, how she told him to take his meds and how he kissed her when she said goodbye and from her one lover she went to Yaori and how they will be together because a person like Zhenya was perfect to cure curses.
Such an amazing and well executed plot this was honestly, I really enjoyed the book a lot!!!💜
»»——— ᢉ𐭩 ———««
This is what we call a perfect bisexual rep and beautifully it was integrated with our three main characters, I just love Zhenya, Yaori and Kaijun, their dynamic and relationship was everything to me. First of all let's appreciate how beautiful the poems were, yes I loved them myself personally it added such a whimsical yet eerie touch to them!!
Now focusing on plot first, it was solid honestly a curse attached to a girl and then two deities who are from hell are here to help Zhenya out with things and save her from bringing harm to the world, and on that journey there are trials and some feelings blossoming between our 3 characters, the curse itself was just a girl which reminded me of this kdrama Revenant that I watched some years ago, in this book and in that kdrama both I thought it will be a demon some harmful man, but it's just girls with a lot of pain and hurt they faced that made them turn into this harmful and scary thing. But the sacrifice of one of the characters and Zhenya help get rid of the curse.
About the characters honestly Yaori is my most fav one I won't lie, I love how despite her back story and the abuse she faced as a woman even as a god of death she is so lovely, so kind and so compassionate, I just love her, she is the best girl ever and her scenes with Zhenya are my fav ever throughout the book.
Kaijun I like him as well ofc, but with a personality like him and what he went through when he was a mortal it makes sense, and eventually him warming up to Zhenya was when I started to like him.
Love love Zhenya, I related to her a lot, and I loved despite how she lost her best friend and grandmother and a conflicted childhood and loss of parents she stayed so strong with a curse inside her who was literally manipulating her profusely, she was such an amazing main character.
The last chapters made me tear up I won't lie, how Kaijun became human and Zhenya had to leave Yaori behind but Kaijun and Zhenya lived happily ever after and had such a cute life till they grow old and loved each other till the end and omg the epilogue, I just cannot, how on her deathbed Jun was there for her, how she told him to take his meds and how he kissed her when she said goodbye and from her one lover she went to Yaori and how they will be together because a person like Zhenya was perfect to cure curses.
Such an amazing and well executed plot this was honestly, I really enjoyed the book a lot!!!💜
September 24, 2026
Thank you very much to the publisher and to NetGalley for this advance copy!
This is a stunningly well-written book, and even more impressive for a debut. The prose flows amazingly, and while there were perhaps too many similes and metaphors for my personal taste, I can't deny that the result is lush and evocative. Landscapes, food, and clothing in the realm of Diyu were so vivid as to feel real.
Zhenya, with all her flaws, was an absolute delight to experience the story with. Funny and intelligent, though quick to anger, she was stubborn and curious enough to withstand—and besot—the celestials she found herself among. Her development, and the development of Kaijun and Yaori, was very well-paced across the course of the book, and all three had true flaws and nuance to them. I also appreciated how distinct each of their speech patterns were: between the modern-day girl, the reserved bureaucrat, and the flirtatious goddess of death, it was always easy to tell who was speaking. Their relationships with each other (pre-existing, as well as those which developed) felt genuine. This was a very character-driven book, and they were so deserving of it. I loved them all—of course the main cast, but also Luqi held a very special place in my heart.
I'm not typically a romance reader, but I did enjoy this one. While there was an instant attraction which I don't usually like, I can't exactly blame Zhenya for finding literal gods really, really hot (I'm sure I would too). Deeper feelings developed slowly over the course of the book and were built on a foundation of mutual respect and admiration through the events that occur, and the relationship ultimately felt earned.
The themes of this book were surprisingly tender and emotional. There was so much to explore here, and Tzeyi Koay did so with exceptional skill. Generational trauma, loss, grief, acceptance, and love in all its forms were some of the most prominent to me. I loved how strong the women were: they never relied on men for their rescue or healing, and this was instead achieved through their own strength and with the support of their friends and family.
Overall this was an incredibly strong debut. Well-crafted and refined, lush and evocative, tender and emotional: I can't wait for everyone to read A Curse Carved in Ink, and I can't wait to see what Tzeyi Koay does next.
This is a stunningly well-written book, and even more impressive for a debut. The prose flows amazingly, and while there were perhaps too many similes and metaphors for my personal taste, I can't deny that the result is lush and evocative. Landscapes, food, and clothing in the realm of Diyu were so vivid as to feel real.
Zhenya, with all her flaws, was an absolute delight to experience the story with. Funny and intelligent, though quick to anger, she was stubborn and curious enough to withstand—and besot—the celestials she found herself among. Her development, and the development of Kaijun and Yaori, was very well-paced across the course of the book, and all three had true flaws and nuance to them. I also appreciated how distinct each of their speech patterns were: between the modern-day girl, the reserved bureaucrat, and the flirtatious goddess of death, it was always easy to tell who was speaking. Their relationships with each other (pre-existing, as well as those which developed) felt genuine. This was a very character-driven book, and they were so deserving of it. I loved them all—of course the main cast, but also Luqi held a very special place in my heart.
I'm not typically a romance reader, but I did enjoy this one. While there was an instant attraction which I don't usually like, I can't exactly blame Zhenya for finding literal gods really, really hot (I'm sure I would too). Deeper feelings developed slowly over the course of the book and were built on a foundation of mutual respect and admiration through the events that occur, and the relationship ultimately felt earned.
The themes of this book were surprisingly tender and emotional. There was so much to explore here, and Tzeyi Koay did so with exceptional skill. Generational trauma, loss, grief, acceptance, and love in all its forms were some of the most prominent to me. I loved how strong the women were: they never relied on men for their rescue or healing, and this was instead achieved through their own strength and with the support of their friends and family.
Overall this was an incredibly strong debut. Well-crafted and refined, lush and evocative, tender and emotional: I can't wait for everyone to read A Curse Carved in Ink, and I can't wait to see what Tzeyi Koay does next.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved this book so much! I absolutely devoured it, I didn’t want to put it down, it’s so beautiful, moving and interesting. The author does a wonderful job vividly describing her world with such evocative, lyrical prose. I found the mythology incorporated fascinating, the overall plot captivating, and the characters themselves so beautifully written they pulled me right in almost immediately. The characters, especially our FMC, are very relatable, and at times the story is so bittersweet it hurts. Pretty sure I cried at least three separate times during this novel, it’s that good. Also, it has a queer love triangle! Our FMC is torn between another FMC and a MMC (and rightfully so, I love them both!) so it’s fitting that I read this during bisexual visibility month, love the story and the representation. Highly recommend this book, it was an unexpected delight, and I’m honored that I was able to read an ARC. It comes out in January 2027, please read it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5 stars this was so freaking beautiful overall (This is the type of ending I want those 3 characters in the Legendborne cycle to have if they do end up as a throuple, but I know it isn't gonna happen) This was so poetic and had so many layers I wished I had a physical copy of it so I could write down quotes.
Characters:
Zhenya: Oh Zhenya... she's such a flawed and complex character that I wish some MCs are instead of the perfect "chosen one" like no this time the MC the cursed one instead
Kaijun: I didn't like him at first but once you get to know him he warms up as the story goes and he and Zhenya are really cute together
Yaori: Such a baddie and a queen I loved her and I'm glad she and Zhenya are happy in the afterlife right now
Setbacks
No setbacks! This was a beautiful story that I'm almost sad its a standalone but the author made a good call because the ending wrapped up things nicely
Characters:
Zhenya: Oh Zhenya... she's such a flawed and complex character that I wish some MCs are instead of the perfect "chosen one" like no this time the MC the cursed one instead
Kaijun: I didn't like him at first but once you get to know him he warms up as the story goes and he and Zhenya are really cute together
Yaori: Such a baddie and a queen I loved her and I'm glad she and Zhenya are happy in the afterlife right now
Setbacks
No setbacks! This was a beautiful story that I'm almost sad its a standalone but the author made a good call because the ending wrapped up things nicely
September 27, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exhange of an honest review.
No matter how much I ponder, I cannot find a single flaw in this book. Everything feels like exactly where it should be.
I truly loved the prose. The lyrical writing is so beautiful, esp the poetry. Each line is sugar to my tongue.
The chemistry between Zhenya, Kaijun, and Yaori is just perfect! Their banter is everything to me. They balanced each other so well, and together they fit perfectly. It lightens the story even though it is tragic and heartbreaking.
I’m glad they got a happy ending bc they deserve it. After all they went through, they all deserve love and happiness.
No matter how much I ponder, I cannot find a single flaw in this book. Everything feels like exactly where it should be.
I truly loved the prose. The lyrical writing is so beautiful, esp the poetry. Each line is sugar to my tongue.
The chemistry between Zhenya, Kaijun, and Yaori is just perfect! Their banter is everything to me. They balanced each other so well, and together they fit perfectly. It lightens the story even though it is tragic and heartbreaking.
I’m glad they got a happy ending bc they deserve it. After all they went through, they all deserve love and happiness.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25/5
Koay writes beautifully. If you love flowery writing, poetry, and metaphors, this is for you. A Curse Carved in Ink is an Asian Fantasy full of curses, redemption arcs, and emotional heartache. We love a good LGBTQ rep too. There IS a love triangle between Zhenya, Yaori, and Kaijin, and where I deducted my stars because I know some readers do not enjoy that trope (neither do I). There is still enjoyment in their relationships, though, so don't let that deter you from picking this up!
Thank you, Atria Books eGalley, netgalley & Simon & Schuster for an earc!
Koay writes beautifully. If you love flowery writing, poetry, and metaphors, this is for you. A Curse Carved in Ink is an Asian Fantasy full of curses, redemption arcs, and emotional heartache. We love a good LGBTQ rep too. There IS a love triangle between Zhenya, Yaori, and Kaijin, and where I deducted my stars because I know some readers do not enjoy that trope (neither do I). There is still enjoyment in their relationships, though, so don't let that deter you from picking this up!
Thank you, Atria Books eGalley, netgalley & Simon & Schuster for an earc!
September 4, 2026
Thanks NetGalley and author for giving me this opportunity to read this gorgeous book.Characters loved,trials loved,story absolutely loved everything was so beautifully written and finally the cover art and edges are stunning I can’t wait to get a physical copy of this beautiful book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A huge thank you for this ARC from NetGallery. Overall I give it a 4.6/5. I could not put it down. Energy vampire, Chinese folklore, characters with depth, and with a creative emotional twist? Sign me up! My only issue was despite the love triangle it felt like one was obvious and the other forced. Even though I loved it the end made me sad for the remaining character. For a standalone I enjoyed this read a lot. The world building and descriptions felt vibrant and created a lovely mind image of the things encountered.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so much Tzeyi Koay for sending me an ARC of your book. I am voluntarily leaving a honest review.
Full RTC. This book is heartwarming, heartbreaking, poetic, and breathtaking.
Full RTC. This book is heartwarming, heartbreaking, poetic, and breathtaking.
September 7, 2026
4.25 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Tzeyi Koay for an ARC copy!
This was an absolutely beautiful and very well written standalone fantasy. I fell in love with almost every character that was introduced to me throughout this book. The Chinese inspired folklore was beautifully written and I loved learning about every piece of it. The love triangle was awesome but honestly, the love and grief is what pulled everything together for me. The depth of the love and grief was immense. I read this book in two days because I did not want to put it down.
This is an amazing debut novel by Tzeyi Koay and I will be recommending this book to everyone who will listen to me!
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Tzeyi Koay for an ARC copy!
This was an absolutely beautiful and very well written standalone fantasy. I fell in love with almost every character that was introduced to me throughout this book. The Chinese inspired folklore was beautifully written and I loved learning about every piece of it. The love triangle was awesome but honestly, the love and grief is what pulled everything together for me. The depth of the love and grief was immense. I read this book in two days because I did not want to put it down.
This is an amazing debut novel by Tzeyi Koay and I will be recommending this book to everyone who will listen to me!
Want to Read
September 16, 2025I’m seated.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am struggling to put into words just how deeply A Curse Carved in Ink affected me because this book was so much more than the fantasy adventure I expected. Tzeyi Koay’s debut feels like stepping into a beautiful, haunted dream where grief, mythology, magic, and love are tangled together so tightly that separating one from another feels impossible. Diyu is extraordinary, with its strange beauty, layered realms, supernatural beings, and trials that feel both dangerous and enchanting. Every part of the setting feels deliberately imagined, and I could practically see the world unfolding around me. The writing has an almost hypnotic quality to it, and there were passages I wanted to linger over simply because they were so beautifully constructed.
Zhenya completely stole my heart. She is not some polished heroine who always knows what to do, and that made her journey all the more powerful. She is grieving, frightened, angry, guilty, and desperately trying to hold herself together while a curse slowly threatens to consume her. Her love for her grandmother and Shuhua gives the beginning of the story such emotional weight, and what happens to them follows Zhenya into every corner of Diyu. I felt her sorrow and frustration so intensely that there were moments when I had to put the book down and breathe. Watching her move through those emotions while slowly discovering her own strength was one of the most rewarding character journeys I have read in a fantasy novel.
And then there are Kaijun and Yaori, who I absolutely adored. They could not be more different, yet somehow the contrast between them makes the entire dynamic work. Kaijun has that restrained, intimidating presence that immediately made me curious about him, while Yaori brings warmth, confidence, and a wickedly charming energy. Their individual histories and relationships with Zhenya are beautifully woven into the larger story, and I became completely invested in all three of them. The romantic elements never overshadowed the deeper emotional bonds in the book, which I appreciated immensely. The friendship between Zhenya and Shuhua especially deserves recognition because it felt genuine, complicated, loyal, and heartbreaking in a way that made it stand out.
The curse itself was such a fascinating creation. I loved that it wasn't simply a convenient magical obstacle but something that felt almost like its own character. The riddles, poems, and eerie messages added another layer of tension to the story, and I found myself trying to interpret every little clue alongside Zhenya. The trials through Diyu gave the plot momentum while also allowing the characters to confront pieces of themselves they would probably rather leave buried. There is a wonderful balance between the external danger and the internal battles, and the mythology gives everything an additional sense of grandeur.
What truly surprised me, though, was how emotional this book became. I expected beautiful fantasy and mythology, but I did not expect to become this attached to these people. The story explores loss, devotion, forgiveness, self worth, and the complicated ways love can survive even after terrible things happen. I laughed, I worried, I hurt for these characters, and yes, I absolutely cried. There are also little moments of humor and tenderness tucked between the darker scenes, which made the emotional highs hit even harder. The poetry throughout was another favorite element and gave the novel a distinctive voice that I will remember.
If I have one complaint, it is that I wanted more time for Zhenya’s romantic relationships to develop naturally. Some of those feelings seemed to arrive faster than I personally expected, and I would have loved additional moments that allowed the connections to deepen gradually. That said, once I became invested in the characters, I stopped caring quite so much about that hesitation because the emotional payoff eventually won me over completely. And that epilogue? I adored it. It gave me exactly the kind of closing note I needed after everything Zhenya endured and left me sitting there with the biggest smile.
For a debut novel, A Curse Carved in Ink is astonishing. This is the kind of book that reminds me why I love fantasy in the first place. It transported me somewhere completely unfamiliar, introduced me to characters I became fiercely protective of, and wrapped everything in prose that felt lyrical without losing its emotional punch. I finished it feeling like I had actually been somewhere, rather than simply read about it. Tzeyi Koay has created something genuinely special here, and I am already excited to see what she does next. This book found its way straight into my heart, and I have a feeling it is going to stay there for a very long time.
Zhenya completely stole my heart. She is not some polished heroine who always knows what to do, and that made her journey all the more powerful. She is grieving, frightened, angry, guilty, and desperately trying to hold herself together while a curse slowly threatens to consume her. Her love for her grandmother and Shuhua gives the beginning of the story such emotional weight, and what happens to them follows Zhenya into every corner of Diyu. I felt her sorrow and frustration so intensely that there were moments when I had to put the book down and breathe. Watching her move through those emotions while slowly discovering her own strength was one of the most rewarding character journeys I have read in a fantasy novel.
And then there are Kaijun and Yaori, who I absolutely adored. They could not be more different, yet somehow the contrast between them makes the entire dynamic work. Kaijun has that restrained, intimidating presence that immediately made me curious about him, while Yaori brings warmth, confidence, and a wickedly charming energy. Their individual histories and relationships with Zhenya are beautifully woven into the larger story, and I became completely invested in all three of them. The romantic elements never overshadowed the deeper emotional bonds in the book, which I appreciated immensely. The friendship between Zhenya and Shuhua especially deserves recognition because it felt genuine, complicated, loyal, and heartbreaking in a way that made it stand out.
The curse itself was such a fascinating creation. I loved that it wasn't simply a convenient magical obstacle but something that felt almost like its own character. The riddles, poems, and eerie messages added another layer of tension to the story, and I found myself trying to interpret every little clue alongside Zhenya. The trials through Diyu gave the plot momentum while also allowing the characters to confront pieces of themselves they would probably rather leave buried. There is a wonderful balance between the external danger and the internal battles, and the mythology gives everything an additional sense of grandeur.
What truly surprised me, though, was how emotional this book became. I expected beautiful fantasy and mythology, but I did not expect to become this attached to these people. The story explores loss, devotion, forgiveness, self worth, and the complicated ways love can survive even after terrible things happen. I laughed, I worried, I hurt for these characters, and yes, I absolutely cried. There are also little moments of humor and tenderness tucked between the darker scenes, which made the emotional highs hit even harder. The poetry throughout was another favorite element and gave the novel a distinctive voice that I will remember.
If I have one complaint, it is that I wanted more time for Zhenya’s romantic relationships to develop naturally. Some of those feelings seemed to arrive faster than I personally expected, and I would have loved additional moments that allowed the connections to deepen gradually. That said, once I became invested in the characters, I stopped caring quite so much about that hesitation because the emotional payoff eventually won me over completely. And that epilogue? I adored it. It gave me exactly the kind of closing note I needed after everything Zhenya endured and left me sitting there with the biggest smile.
For a debut novel, A Curse Carved in Ink is astonishing. This is the kind of book that reminds me why I love fantasy in the first place. It transported me somewhere completely unfamiliar, introduced me to characters I became fiercely protective of, and wrapped everything in prose that felt lyrical without losing its emotional punch. I finished it feeling like I had actually been somewhere, rather than simply read about it. Tzeyi Koay has created something genuinely special here, and I am already excited to see what she does next. This book found its way straight into my heart, and I have a feeling it is going to stay there for a very long time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*4.5 stars rounded down to 4 for Goodread's rating system.
Set mainly in Diyu, the realm of the dead, where immortals reside, keeping the balance of the world in tact, and shepherding souls to the next stages (whether that be good or bad), you are drawn in to this fantastical otherworld, and you find yourself absorbed in the mystical atmosphere. I really enjoyed the landscapes of Diyu that the author created and was very intrigued by the individual layers where each trial was held, and found that it gave the book a really strong foundation. I think without a strong setting in a fantasy book, things can fall apart fairly quickly, but this was set up super well and provided such an interesting backdrop to the story.
Our main character, Zhenya, explores Diyu with two immortals, Kaijun and Yaori, helping her through the five trials that are meant to rid her of the curse she has unfortunately found herself bound to. The idea of the curse was great, because I feel like I am rarely reading books in the fantasy genre that handle this kind of "magic system", if you could refer to it as that. The way the curse functioned and how it interacted with Zhenya was super interesting, and I also love anything speaking in riddles and poems so this was such a plus. The poems the curse spoke to Zhenya throughout the book really added an extra element of mystery that made you want to decode the curse just as much as Zhenya.
As for the characters and their experiences, I found that the author wrote their relationships and emotional scenes really well. I loved the relationship between Zhenya and her grandmother, and her best friend, Shuhua, the relationships between the immortals that unfolded throughout the story, and added to the layers of history in the books world. I liked that we got some depth from the side characters as well in between all this because it really added a great amount of emotional impact that had me tearing up in places.
As for Zhenya in particular, the author depicted her emotions, especially guilt, very well. Like, yeah, if I'd had to go through all this, I too, would be having some confusing, consuming emotions and thoughts swirling around in my head. Zhenya actually handled it way better than I could have. There were times where I was biting my nails thinking "NO GIRL, DON'T DO IT", and other times where I thought "actually y'know what, same!". I found her to be a very relatable character, and I think if you're someone who feels emotions to the extreme or gets what it's like to be overwhelmed with everything going on in your head, you will find Zhenya pretty relatable. Through the book there weren't many times that I felt frustrated with her either because she had some very good reasons!!
Kaijun was my favourite because... what can I say, I love a man who reads, plus long white hair... I don't know what you want me to do. You're asking the impossible of me to NOT like him. I think he was a good character to have in contrast to Yaori, a contrast that Zhenya brought up herself a good few times during the book. Where Yaori is all warmth and flirtation, Kaijun is considered cold and proper. Both were fun to read along with and I felt that they balanced out the dynamics in the book quite well.
I think the one thing that made me not give the book a full 5 stars was that the relationships Zhenya developed with the two immortals felt slightly rushed, and possibly insta-love? I felt that there wasn't enough build up to them for it to make sense to me. Though, I did really enjoy their relationships later on in the book, I would have really loved if there was something more to them in the beginning and middle stages to convince me more. There were scenes that were meant to show the reader where the relationships were developing and I just wasn't picking up on it, despite other characters in the book making comments about how obvious it was. Again, as I got through the book more, I grew to really like their relationships, but it did take me a while.
What I absolutely loved was the epilogue. I love a well written epilogue, and this was definitely that. It totally made the book for me and I think it's so worth sticking around for to see how everything pans out.
Overall, a seriously well done debut that deserves to be on your radar if you are a fan of Chinese mythology, but also just fantasy in general. I had a great time reading this one and will definitely be keeping an eye out for any books Tzeyi Koay may write next!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set mainly in Diyu, the realm of the dead, where immortals reside, keeping the balance of the world in tact, and shepherding souls to the next stages (whether that be good or bad), you are drawn in to this fantastical otherworld, and you find yourself absorbed in the mystical atmosphere. I really enjoyed the landscapes of Diyu that the author created and was very intrigued by the individual layers where each trial was held, and found that it gave the book a really strong foundation. I think without a strong setting in a fantasy book, things can fall apart fairly quickly, but this was set up super well and provided such an interesting backdrop to the story.
Our main character, Zhenya, explores Diyu with two immortals, Kaijun and Yaori, helping her through the five trials that are meant to rid her of the curse she has unfortunately found herself bound to. The idea of the curse was great, because I feel like I am rarely reading books in the fantasy genre that handle this kind of "magic system", if you could refer to it as that. The way the curse functioned and how it interacted with Zhenya was super interesting, and I also love anything speaking in riddles and poems so this was such a plus. The poems the curse spoke to Zhenya throughout the book really added an extra element of mystery that made you want to decode the curse just as much as Zhenya.
As for the characters and their experiences, I found that the author wrote their relationships and emotional scenes really well. I loved the relationship between Zhenya and her grandmother, and her best friend, Shuhua, the relationships between the immortals that unfolded throughout the story, and added to the layers of history in the books world. I liked that we got some depth from the side characters as well in between all this because it really added a great amount of emotional impact that had me tearing up in places.
As for Zhenya in particular, the author depicted her emotions, especially guilt, very well. Like, yeah, if I'd had to go through all this, I too, would be having some confusing, consuming emotions and thoughts swirling around in my head. Zhenya actually handled it way better than I could have. There were times where I was biting my nails thinking "NO GIRL, DON'T DO IT", and other times where I thought "actually y'know what, same!". I found her to be a very relatable character, and I think if you're someone who feels emotions to the extreme or gets what it's like to be overwhelmed with everything going on in your head, you will find Zhenya pretty relatable. Through the book there weren't many times that I felt frustrated with her either because she had some very good reasons!!
Kaijun was my favourite because... what can I say, I love a man who reads, plus long white hair... I don't know what you want me to do. You're asking the impossible of me to NOT like him. I think he was a good character to have in contrast to Yaori, a contrast that Zhenya brought up herself a good few times during the book. Where Yaori is all warmth and flirtation, Kaijun is considered cold and proper. Both were fun to read along with and I felt that they balanced out the dynamics in the book quite well.
I think the one thing that made me not give the book a full 5 stars was that the relationships Zhenya developed with the two immortals felt slightly rushed, and possibly insta-love? I felt that there wasn't enough build up to them for it to make sense to me. Though, I did really enjoy their relationships later on in the book, I would have really loved if there was something more to them in the beginning and middle stages to convince me more. There were scenes that were meant to show the reader where the relationships were developing and I just wasn't picking up on it, despite other characters in the book making comments about how obvious it was. Again, as I got through the book more, I grew to really like their relationships, but it did take me a while.
What I absolutely loved was the epilogue. I love a well written epilogue, and this was definitely that. It totally made the book for me and I think it's so worth sticking around for to see how everything pans out.
Overall, a seriously well done debut that deserves to be on your radar if you are a fan of Chinese mythology, but also just fantasy in general. I had a great time reading this one and will definitely be keeping an eye out for any books Tzeyi Koay may write next!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have complicated feelings about this book. I adored the world building. The descriptions of Diyu were gorgeous and so vividly detailed I had no problem imagining them. I found the trials to be interesting and reflective. I liked the lore of the jiangshi. I liked Zhenya, Kaijun and Yaori as characters. The bones were there, but it just didn't come together in a way that left me satisfied.
The story suffered from the romances in the first half of the book. Zhenya felt too quick to fall for them, and subsequently stop falling for them. Kaijun and Yaori conveniently stayed out of each others way for much of the book, so it felt like Zhenya was just ping-ponging between them. Whenever things seem to be progressing with Kaijun or Yaori, Zhenya basically gets shoved to the other. The story is trying to convince you that Zhenya is falling for both, but I really only felt it with Yaori. I understand that Yaori and Kaijun offer two different kinds of love, but during the story it felt more like she was reminded she liked Kaijun when she saw him again, but otherwise didn't think of him much. I think we could have benefitted from another 50 pages or so of building each relationship. It wasn't until the last two chapters that I felt she cared for Kaijun really at all - but the ending did have me bawling like a baby so I obviously cared about both romances in some capacity.
For a story about a devastating curse, we sure did have a lack of the jiangshi. I loved the beginning of the book where it was invading her mind and controlling her actions, and the terrifying imagery we got with that. But once she enters the Bloom, it gets dialed down a significant amount. They explain why in the book but it doesn't really feel like the jiangshi is getting stronger until right before the fifth trial, and it's mentioned almost in passing, we don't have to sit with it or the consequences for long. However, I found the ending confrontation with the jiangshi to be very action packed and fast paced, and I really enjoyed how it concluded.
The trials were great in that they are introspective and not your typical fighting trials like you see in so many fantasy books. However, I was disappointed by how quickly Zhenya got through each one. We are told that if she fails, she will be stuck repeating the trial. So much emphasis is put on Zhenya that she must succeed or they will all be doomed, that no one has ever even done these trials before, I expected more of a struggle for Zhenya to complete them. I also found the final trial to be off putting, and it did make me question Kaijun and Yaori's motives. I think this story could have taken an interesting turn leaning into that, but alas, we did not grapple with that at all.
I struggle with this because what this story gets right, it gets RIGHT. The world building is great and ethereal and unique. The jiangshi and it's physical effects on its host are terrifying and haunting, shout-out to Popo for holding it down all those years (honestly would love a novella on Popo and how she managed). While I wasn't convinced of the romances in the first half, the last two chapters really had me sobbing while reading it so the ending of the story was basically perfect in my eyes. I think overall it's a very unique story that is beautifully written. Now, why TWO celestial beings would fall for a mortal girl who has a terrifying curse attached to her that could doom them all is beyond me, but it's fantasy so it gets a pass.
Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the ARC!
The story suffered from the romances in the first half of the book. Zhenya felt too quick to fall for them, and subsequently stop falling for them. Kaijun and Yaori conveniently stayed out of each others way for much of the book, so it felt like Zhenya was just ping-ponging between them. Whenever things seem to be progressing with Kaijun or Yaori, Zhenya basically gets shoved to the other. The story is trying to convince you that Zhenya is falling for both, but I really only felt it with Yaori. I understand that Yaori and Kaijun offer two different kinds of love, but during the story it felt more like she was reminded she liked Kaijun when she saw him again, but otherwise didn't think of him much. I think we could have benefitted from another 50 pages or so of building each relationship. It wasn't until the last two chapters that I felt she cared for Kaijun really at all - but the ending did have me bawling like a baby so I obviously cared about both romances in some capacity.
For a story about a devastating curse, we sure did have a lack of the jiangshi. I loved the beginning of the book where it was invading her mind and controlling her actions, and the terrifying imagery we got with that. But once she enters the Bloom, it gets dialed down a significant amount. They explain why in the book but it doesn't really feel like the jiangshi is getting stronger until right before the fifth trial, and it's mentioned almost in passing, we don't have to sit with it or the consequences for long. However, I found the ending confrontation with the jiangshi to be very action packed and fast paced, and I really enjoyed how it concluded.
The trials were great in that they are introspective and not your typical fighting trials like you see in so many fantasy books. However, I was disappointed by how quickly Zhenya got through each one. We are told that if she fails, she will be stuck repeating the trial. So much emphasis is put on Zhenya that she must succeed or they will all be doomed, that no one has ever even done these trials before, I expected more of a struggle for Zhenya to complete them. I also found the final trial to be off putting, and it did make me question Kaijun and Yaori's motives. I think this story could have taken an interesting turn leaning into that, but alas, we did not grapple with that at all.
I struggle with this because what this story gets right, it gets RIGHT. The world building is great and ethereal and unique. The jiangshi and it's physical effects on its host are terrifying and haunting, shout-out to Popo for holding it down all those years (honestly would love a novella on Popo and how she managed). While I wasn't convinced of the romances in the first half, the last two chapters really had me sobbing while reading it so the ending of the story was basically perfect in my eyes. I think overall it's a very unique story that is beautifully written. Now, why TWO celestial beings would fall for a mortal girl who has a terrifying curse attached to her that could doom them all is beyond me, but it's fantasy so it gets a pass.
Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I rate this book a 5 stars, I absolutely loved this book it was such a pleasure to read this, I can’t believe this is a debut authors book, because so how detailed and atmospheric and beautiful the world building and writing was.
Such a romantic and beautiful book that has truly touched my heart.
I received this e book arc from Simon and schuster from @netgalley.
I applied for this book because the books premise had elements of Chinese folklore and similar vibes to authors books like Sue lynn tan, which I love.
I would like to thank Simon and schuster for letting me read this ebook arc.
This book will be released on 2nd feb 2027.
From start of the book writing is so good and lyrical.
The author really did well to write the world is so lush and atmospheric, as you go through the book you really get transported in that world of zheyna where she lives In the village as well be introduced to the scenery of hell/Chinese underworld.
It was nice to see her dynamic with her grandmother known as popo in this book, and how she managed the bookstore with her grandmother.
We get to see Zhenya hardship with looking after her grandmother as she was need of constant care and Zhenya did believe her grandmother was slowly going mad.
We did begin to see that we got to see the last moments Zhenya got to have with her grandmother and how she died.
Soon after Zhenya grandmothers death we got to see the changes into her seeing things and having these changes where it affects her wellbeing.
We do see how her friend shuha impact on her life and after when shuha is not alive which is heartbreaking to see how much loss and grief Zhenya has gone through with death of her parents and shuha and her grandmother (popo).
Then we get introduced with Kajin where he arrives to see Zhenya.
Kajin is the magistrate of the ten courts of diyu and arbiter of balance aka the ten courts of hell (judge of hell).
As he expresses to Zhenya she has the power that is life threatening.
Kajin was able to explain what was happening with the grandmother and with Zhenya and how he wanted to help her and take her to the underworld to help contain her power.
Zhenya gets to know the power she has transferred from her grandmother to her known as jaingshi claw, which was living in Zhenya blood whispering and controlling her.
Kajin takes Zhenya to diyu known has hell/chinese underworld.
I loved the world of Hell the authors created is atmospheric and whimsical and got know two prominent immortals that reside in Hell called yaori death herself and Kajin the judge of hell.
We got to know the inner workings of hell and the court and everything in hell had meaning included a lot of Chinese fork lore while Zhenya journey to the various aspects of the underworld with Kajin and kaori.
I loved the trials in the book which Zhenya had to take part in with the help of Kajin to pass along to help her get closer to removing the curse of the jiangshi claw.
I Loved hearing more the backstory of Zhenya, that helped uncover more of her life and her parents and grandmother.
Also, we got backstory of Kajin and the type of life he led and how he come to be In hell.
We did see queer relationships in this book, where Zhenya did have end up developing a connection with both Kajin and yaori. I personally found Kajin and Zhenya scenes with each other so 🥰 .
Normally don’t read books that have alot of queer aspects but more straight relationships, but in this book it was so interesting how Zhenya connections was with yaori and Kajin individually.
Such a romantic and beautiful book that has truly touched my heart.
I received this e book arc from Simon and schuster from @netgalley.
I applied for this book because the books premise had elements of Chinese folklore and similar vibes to authors books like Sue lynn tan, which I love.
I would like to thank Simon and schuster for letting me read this ebook arc.
This book will be released on 2nd feb 2027.
From start of the book writing is so good and lyrical.
The author really did well to write the world is so lush and atmospheric, as you go through the book you really get transported in that world of zheyna where she lives In the village as well be introduced to the scenery of hell/Chinese underworld.
It was nice to see her dynamic with her grandmother known as popo in this book, and how she managed the bookstore with her grandmother.
We get to see Zhenya hardship with looking after her grandmother as she was need of constant care and Zhenya did believe her grandmother was slowly going mad.
We did begin to see that we got to see the last moments Zhenya got to have with her grandmother and how she died.
Soon after Zhenya grandmothers death we got to see the changes into her seeing things and having these changes where it affects her wellbeing.
We do see how her friend shuha impact on her life and after when shuha is not alive which is heartbreaking to see how much loss and grief Zhenya has gone through with death of her parents and shuha and her grandmother (popo).
Then we get introduced with Kajin where he arrives to see Zhenya.
Kajin is the magistrate of the ten courts of diyu and arbiter of balance aka the ten courts of hell (judge of hell).
As he expresses to Zhenya she has the power that is life threatening.
Kajin was able to explain what was happening with the grandmother and with Zhenya and how he wanted to help her and take her to the underworld to help contain her power.
Zhenya gets to know the power she has transferred from her grandmother to her known as jaingshi claw, which was living in Zhenya blood whispering and controlling her.
Kajin takes Zhenya to diyu known has hell/chinese underworld.
I loved the world of Hell the authors created is atmospheric and whimsical and got know two prominent immortals that reside in Hell called yaori death herself and Kajin the judge of hell.
We got to know the inner workings of hell and the court and everything in hell had meaning included a lot of Chinese fork lore while Zhenya journey to the various aspects of the underworld with Kajin and kaori.
I loved the trials in the book which Zhenya had to take part in with the help of Kajin to pass along to help her get closer to removing the curse of the jiangshi claw.
I Loved hearing more the backstory of Zhenya, that helped uncover more of her life and her parents and grandmother.
Also, we got backstory of Kajin and the type of life he led and how he come to be In hell.
We did see queer relationships in this book, where Zhenya did have end up developing a connection with both Kajin and yaori. I personally found Kajin and Zhenya scenes with each other so 🥰 .
Normally don’t read books that have alot of queer aspects but more straight relationships, but in this book it was so interesting how Zhenya connections was with yaori and Kajin individually.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of A Curse Carved in Ink! I can't express enough how much I enjoyed this novel. For starters, it's a standalone. Which is fantastic. Secondly, although it is marketed as a love triangle....it 100% is not a love triangle. As the novel went on, I was concerned about how this "love triangle" would resolve because usually they end with one character becoming so unlikeable that the protagonist then picks the other option. I'm so glad to say that isn't what happens in A Curse Carved in Ink.
The novel follows Zhenya, a woman whose bloodline is cursed to be possessed by an evil spirit who wants their host to consume the qi of everything and everyone around them. Once she loses her best friend, Zhenya resolves to break the curse. She is aided by the goddess of death, Yaori and a magistrate of Diyu, Kaijun. Together, the three of them must ensure that Zhenya can survive five trials of Diyu to gain the power needed to break the curse once and for all. The thing I loved most about Zhenya is that she isn't perfect. She is human with all of the selfish and selfless thoughts/actions that come with it. She isn't unlikeable. She is just human and perfectly flawed because of her humanity. Honestly, one of the most relatable protagonists I've read this year.
A Curse Carved in Ink is absolutely soaked in poetry. It has gorgeous prose and actual poetry that propels the story forward. It's about generational trauma and the curses (traumas, vices, ect.) that we inherit from our family. It's also about grief. The grief we suffer for those we have lost and the guilt we carry about those loses. Despite the heavy nature of those themes, it is also about hope and courage. The hope for something better and the courage to finally break the cycle (curse). There is also romance.
Zhenya is torn between Yaori and Kaijun. Both of them are immortal beings, so the prospect of a happily ever after isn't overly in the cards. Unlikes other novels with two love interests, A Curse Carved in Ink makes sure that both love interests know about each other and instead of jealousy, they understand and support Zhenya's feelings for the other. It's almost like a why choose. However, it's only Zhenya that has two hands. I thought the romance was well done and was a decently slow burn for both Yaori and Kaijun. I'm definitely happy with how the ending played out for all three of them.
Frankly, my only issue with this novel is that the last few chapters felt a tad rushed. And part of that is probably because I wanted to linger in this beautiful world with these characters just a little bit longer.
Overall, if you like a good why choose, Chinese mythology, poetry, and a flawed protagonist then this book is for you!
The novel follows Zhenya, a woman whose bloodline is cursed to be possessed by an evil spirit who wants their host to consume the qi of everything and everyone around them. Once she loses her best friend, Zhenya resolves to break the curse. She is aided by the goddess of death, Yaori and a magistrate of Diyu, Kaijun. Together, the three of them must ensure that Zhenya can survive five trials of Diyu to gain the power needed to break the curse once and for all. The thing I loved most about Zhenya is that she isn't perfect. She is human with all of the selfish and selfless thoughts/actions that come with it. She isn't unlikeable. She is just human and perfectly flawed because of her humanity. Honestly, one of the most relatable protagonists I've read this year.
A Curse Carved in Ink is absolutely soaked in poetry. It has gorgeous prose and actual poetry that propels the story forward. It's about generational trauma and the curses (traumas, vices, ect.) that we inherit from our family. It's also about grief. The grief we suffer for those we have lost and the guilt we carry about those loses. Despite the heavy nature of those themes, it is also about hope and courage. The hope for something better and the courage to finally break the cycle (curse). There is also romance.
Zhenya is torn between Yaori and Kaijun. Both of them are immortal beings, so the prospect of a happily ever after isn't overly in the cards. Unlikes other novels with two love interests, A Curse Carved in Ink makes sure that both love interests know about each other and instead of jealousy, they understand and support Zhenya's feelings for the other. It's almost like a why choose. However, it's only Zhenya that has two hands. I thought the romance was well done and was a decently slow burn for both Yaori and Kaijun. I'm definitely happy with how the ending played out for all three of them.
Frankly, my only issue with this novel is that the last few chapters felt a tad rushed. And part of that is probably because I wanted to linger in this beautiful world with these characters just a little bit longer.
Overall, if you like a good why choose, Chinese mythology, poetry, and a flawed protagonist then this book is for you!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A CURSE CARVED IN INK: 5 ⭐️/ 5
Thank you SOOOO much to Netgalley for this arc and thank you Tzeyi Koay for writing this lovely book
okay first of all I just gotta say: wow. second of all: i am notoriously hard to please when it comes to Romance or Romantasy books but this genuinely was so satisfying to read. I was *genuinely* invested in the beautiful relationship between Zhenya, Kaijun and Yaori AND the relationships between Zhenya and her Popo and Shuhua
I was a little hesitant with getting into this book because im not overly fond of the trope of "oh you thought she was mentally ill?? NOPE!! it was a curse after all!" But I think this book was truly wonderful
While reading this book I was also simultaneously learning more about the Chinese Underworld, Diyu, as well as Chinese Hopping Vampires, the jiangshi. I love when Mythology is done well. I am SO hard to please with Mythology retellings but this was amazing
Zhenya was such an interesting character and i loved seeing her be flawed and raw and watch her try to cling onto her relationships with Yaori and Kaijun after losing everything. It was so hard to read but also very relatable
Yaori was a very fun and bubbly character. I thought she was so interesting though I was a little irritated that all the 'relationships drama' about staying in the Diyu was between her and Zhenya and then Kaijun acted as the reasonable one who talked Zhenya down and got her to listen to reason. Like WHY am I always reading this with sapphic couples 😅
anyways. I loved Kaijun. I loved him SOOOO much and I was gagged at the end. He's my favorite. Im such a sucker for the stoic archetype and here Koay had me ROOTING FOR THE MAN!! me! a lesbian! the audacity 🤣
I think for me Guowei stole the show. He was so interesting and flawed and yeah makes sense hes Zhenyas ancestor LOL. Theres something about a divine role of retribution that I just really vibed with. and oh god his death?? i almost started crying 💀 that was MY MAN and I loved his character. SUCH a good character
Koay had such a gift of crafting such nuanced and amazing characters. Truly I loved them all. AND she also delved into family curses and family trauma in such a delicious way that was so satisfying to read. I am HARD to please with Romance books because I always care about everything else BESIDES the Romance happening but she did it! She had me invested!! AND ROOTING FOR A MAN, MIND YOU
Such a wonderful book. I will probably buy myself a physical copy when Im not destitute lol. Anyways I am so excited to see what else Koay brings to the table
Thank you SOOOO much to Netgalley for this arc and thank you Tzeyi Koay for writing this lovely book
okay first of all I just gotta say: wow. second of all: i am notoriously hard to please when it comes to Romance or Romantasy books but this genuinely was so satisfying to read. I was *genuinely* invested in the beautiful relationship between Zhenya, Kaijun and Yaori AND the relationships between Zhenya and her Popo and Shuhua
I was a little hesitant with getting into this book because im not overly fond of the trope of "oh you thought she was mentally ill?? NOPE!! it was a curse after all!" But I think this book was truly wonderful
While reading this book I was also simultaneously learning more about the Chinese Underworld, Diyu, as well as Chinese Hopping Vampires, the jiangshi. I love when Mythology is done well. I am SO hard to please with Mythology retellings but this was amazing
Zhenya was such an interesting character and i loved seeing her be flawed and raw and watch her try to cling onto her relationships with Yaori and Kaijun after losing everything. It was so hard to read but also very relatable
Yaori was a very fun and bubbly character. I thought she was so interesting though I was a little irritated that all the 'relationships drama' about staying in the Diyu was between her and Zhenya and then Kaijun acted as the reasonable one who talked Zhenya down and got her to listen to reason. Like WHY am I always reading this with sapphic couples 😅
anyways. I loved Kaijun. I loved him SOOOO much and I was gagged at the end. He's my favorite. Im such a sucker for the stoic archetype and here Koay had me ROOTING FOR THE MAN!! me! a lesbian! the audacity 🤣
I think for me Guowei stole the show. He was so interesting and flawed and yeah makes sense hes Zhenyas ancestor LOL. Theres something about a divine role of retribution that I just really vibed with. and oh god his death?? i almost started crying 💀 that was MY MAN and I loved his character. SUCH a good character
Koay had such a gift of crafting such nuanced and amazing characters. Truly I loved them all. AND she also delved into family curses and family trauma in such a delicious way that was so satisfying to read. I am HARD to please with Romance books because I always care about everything else BESIDES the Romance happening but she did it! She had me invested!! AND ROOTING FOR A MAN, MIND YOU
Such a wonderful book. I will probably buy myself a physical copy when Im not destitute lol. Anyways I am so excited to see what else Koay brings to the table
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
(3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4/5).
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.
What a stunning work!
First of all, the prose is beautiful, lush, and atmospheric. Every sentence drips with care and sumptuous imagery, and paints a world so vivid and loved. The atmosphere was really well-done - dark, somber, and a touch of unsettling horror, but with slivers of hope. This is really credit to the writing style. I loved the inclusion of short poems throughout the work (and how that ended up being plot relevant).
The world is intricate and fascinating, and the kind that I wanted to spend more time to explore. As a lover of C-dramas, it was so easy to picture everything in a cinematic lens. I also enjoyed how Zhenya's curse is explored and described, and how it could be seen through the lens of generational trauma. I felt so bad for her throughout the novel, that I really rooted for her to succeed and find happiness.
In general, it was well-paced, and the unraveling of the secrets of the curse was so satisfying. That last quarter was genuinely my favorite part of the novel -- the reveals, the climax, and the satisfying conclusions to it all. It was intense, earned, and tied all of the themes and plot points together in a way that was both cinematic and epic in scope, but also intimate and tender in its handling of the conflicts and interpersonal dynamics of various characters.
For all of this novel's strengths, I unfortunately found the romance fairly underwhelming. While I believe their closeness and growing friendship, I just don't find any of the romances very compelling. Perhaps it's the lack of the page time given to the romantic development, split as it were with the world-building, the plot, and now the two love interests. I like all the characters, to be clear, I just found the romance heavy sections less interesting than all the other aspects of this novel. But maybe this is just me. I was more invested in Zhenya's relationship with a certain other character , than I was in her romances, which felt more bland in comparison.
Overall, I loved this atmospheric fantasy novel with a fascinating setting, an intricate and satisfying plot, and a main character that's easy to root for.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC.
What a stunning work!
First of all, the prose is beautiful, lush, and atmospheric. Every sentence drips with care and sumptuous imagery, and paints a world so vivid and loved. The atmosphere was really well-done - dark, somber, and a touch of unsettling horror, but with slivers of hope. This is really credit to the writing style. I loved the inclusion of short poems throughout the work (and how that ended up being plot relevant).
The world is intricate and fascinating, and the kind that I wanted to spend more time to explore. As a lover of C-dramas, it was so easy to picture everything in a cinematic lens. I also enjoyed how Zhenya's curse is explored and described, and how it could be seen through the lens of generational trauma. I felt so bad for her throughout the novel, that I really rooted for her to succeed and find happiness.
In general, it was well-paced, and the unraveling of the secrets of the curse was so satisfying. That last quarter was genuinely my favorite part of the novel -- the reveals, the climax, and the satisfying conclusions to it all. It was intense, earned, and tied all of the themes and plot points together in a way that was both cinematic and epic in scope, but also intimate and tender in its handling of the conflicts and interpersonal dynamics of various characters.
For all of this novel's strengths, I unfortunately found the romance fairly underwhelming. While I believe their closeness and growing friendship, I just don't find any of the romances very compelling. Perhaps it's the lack of the page time given to the romantic development, split as it were with the world-building, the plot, and now the two love interests. I like all the characters, to be clear, I just found the romance heavy sections less interesting than all the other aspects of this novel. But maybe this is just me. I was more invested in Zhenya's relationship with a certain other character , than I was in her romances, which felt more bland in comparison.
Overall, I loved this atmospheric fantasy novel with a fascinating setting, an intricate and satisfying plot, and a main character that's easy to root for.
September 16, 2026
This is a lushly detailed standalone romantasy debut from Koay that takes the reader on a journey through the ten levels of Hell, which is more romantic than it sounds on the surface. Giving shades of the myth of Orpheus, Zhenya, a social outcast cursed as the vessel of the Jiangshi’s Claw, loses her best friend and unrealised love interest and embarks on a journey that takes her to Hell and introduces two new love interests: Kaijun, one of the Ten Magistrates, and Yaori, the Goddess of Death. After a long set up, we jump into five trials and meet a cast of vibrant characters in the realm of gods, demons, and the dead.
There’s a lot for readers to enjoy with Koay’s clear language and gift for exciting and fanciful details. As someone of Chinese heritage, I recognised many of the character archetypes, the structure of Hell, and the cultural touchstones that Koay weaves together, and I appreciated how her language makes these concepts accessible to a general English language-first audience. I also really enjoyed how the jiangshi almost always spoke in poetry, and I particularly liked how Zhenya’s bookstore family business played into the story.
Unfortunately, a lot of the character interactions and Zhenya’s own internal dialogue tends to be very tell not show. I did enjoy how her initial attractions to Kaijun and Yaori were so different, but I also found her initial dislike for Kaijun to be reliant on enemies to lovers tropes in a way that felt like a trope speedrun. On the other hand, I was fully on board with Yaori and Zhenya’s relationship and consistently found their interactions to be rewarding and intriguing. I think that this book will certainly find its audience, especially with such a beautiful cover that itself is a strong selling point.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this advance reader copy.
There’s a lot for readers to enjoy with Koay’s clear language and gift for exciting and fanciful details. As someone of Chinese heritage, I recognised many of the character archetypes, the structure of Hell, and the cultural touchstones that Koay weaves together, and I appreciated how her language makes these concepts accessible to a general English language-first audience. I also really enjoyed how the jiangshi almost always spoke in poetry, and I particularly liked how Zhenya’s bookstore family business played into the story.
Unfortunately, a lot of the character interactions and Zhenya’s own internal dialogue tends to be very tell not show. I did enjoy how her initial attractions to Kaijun and Yaori were so different, but I also found her initial dislike for Kaijun to be reliant on enemies to lovers tropes in a way that felt like a trope speedrun. On the other hand, I was fully on board with Yaori and Zhenya’s relationship and consistently found their interactions to be rewarding and intriguing. I think that this book will certainly find its audience, especially with such a beautiful cover that itself is a strong selling point.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this advance reader copy.
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