Collin Dailey is a trapped man: struggling to make a living as a fisherman, deep in debt to the gangster he does business with…and shackled to his destiny as a Curse Keeper. Sworn to guard the sealed portal to hell, Collin yearns to escape the dark duty that binds him. But his dream of outrunning his tormented life may be an impossible one. After all, he can’t turn his back on centuries of sacred tradition—or ignore his iron-fisted conjurer grandmother and her dire prophecies of a terrifying enemy bent on destroying him.
When the fearsome creator god Ahone reaches out with a tempting offer, Collin may not be able to resist. If he breaks the curse that barricades the demon realm, he’ll be liberated forever…as long as he can survive a confrontation with his deadly counterpart.
In the new prequel to the Curse Keepers series by New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank, a young man must decide between seizing his own coveted freedom and sealing humankind’s doom.
This Is Your Destiny is #0.7 in the Curse Keepers series by Denise Grover Swank.
In this short novella we really get a good look at Collins’s life and what made him the man we have gotten to know in this series. I knew his life hadn’t been good but had no idea at how bad it really was. His alcoholic, abusive father who hated his fate of being the Curse Keeper. His mother who struggled with severe depression. We meet his younger brother Conner. I think this shocked me the most. At the man his brother had become but still, the sense of responsibility Collin felt towards him. And then his Grandmother. She is the one who spent her life preparing Collin for his fate.
The entire book is from Collin’s POV. His life is a mess. He owes money to the lone shark he works for. His old fishing boat is barely running yet he refuses to sell it. And we get to know first hand his own struggles with dealing with his destiny.
Collin is visited not once but twice by Ahone in the form of a glowing orb of light over the water. Ahone tells him he must find the other Curse Keeper and break the curse. Both Ahone and his Grandmother paint Ellie as being super powerful and capable of destroying him. Little did they know (or maybe they did) that she had no memory of her own destiny. Ahone tells Collin that once he breaks the curse, he can then reseal the gate and he will be free of the curse forever. This promise is just too good to pass up. It’s all he’s ever wanted, to be free of it.
But is Ahone being honest or is he tricking Collin? And, it’s obvious his Grandmother knows more than she is saying. If you have already started this series or are thinking of starting it, this is really helpful in understanding Collin. I have had such a love/hate relationship with him throughout the series. His life really does seem to have been cursed. But when he took Ellie’s hand that day and opened that gate, little did he know the future he had just set in motion for himself and Ellie.
This is a prequel novella to the Curse Keepers Trilogy. Taken from Collins perspective. We get glimpses of him from childhood to just before meeting Ellie. While this book had me feeling sympthetic toward him it also shows even more information that he knew about but never shared! He must have gotten that behavior from his grandmother. She had many secrets and I felt we just begin to scrape the surface of what she knew.
His father I hate!! I thought I hated him before but with how he treats Collin.....GRRR! No parent should treat their child that way!
Overall I was not as thrilled with this book as the previous. partly because I was never a Collin fan to begin with so reading his story was not something that excited me. Also by the time I read this there was not much new to glean about the story. Interesting to understand more what he did comprehend all along but nothing exciting in this. Yet if you read this before the last book, it sort of has spoilers too. So be warned. Read at least the first novel or this will make no sense.
This is Your Destiny is another amazing short story tie-in to the Curse Keepers series, this time focusing on Collin and telling his side of the story and his involvement with the curse. I loved being able to learn more about Collin and finally see things from his point of view. This short story made me even more excited to get my hands on the 4th book of the series and see how things are finally going to turn out!
I absolutely loved getting the chance to read about Collin's childhood and this story gave a ton of insight to what it was like for Collin growing up. After reading about his abusive childhood and everything that he'd gone through I have a whole new respect for Collin and I love him even more than I did in the first place! We finally get to see what gave Collin his bad boy streak and what led him down the road to a life of petty crimes. Reading about his life, as well as the relationship between him and his mother and brother, really gave me a whole new perspective on Collin and parts of the series in general.
This short story also gives more reasoning behind why Collin allowed the gate to be opened in the first place and what drove him to his decision. While reading the full length novels about Ellie it's hard to understand why Collin would want to unleash the demons and gods behind the gate, but this story finally gives us reasons, and very relatable ones at that, as to why he allowed them all to go free. I feel like after this story I really understand Collin and everything about his life has made me just that much more sure that I want him and Ellie to end up together!
Another fantastic short story set in the world of the Curse Keepers I have no doubt in my mind about recommending this one to fans of the series. I loved the chance to get inside Collins head and see Ellie and the curse from his point of view. I'm hoping we get to read more from him in the future!
I received a copy of this novel via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have long been a fan of Denise Grover Swank's books and have loved the Curse Keepers series. In the series, Collin creates strong feelings in the reader. This novella (which is set as a prequel) answers so many questions about why Collin is the way he is. If you are a fan of the series, this is a must read. If you're not yet a fan, start with book 1, The Curse Keepers
I loved this one. I love Colin! I loved a little story in his POV. I really liked getting his back story. I didn’t read these books through my first read of the Curse Keepers books but I’m so glad I went back and read them. A lot of info that I didn’t realize I was missing.
Collin’s POV was good to see. Part of me wished it was sooner and I would have loved to see more of his POV with his interaction with Ellie after. It all makes sense on how everything unfolded prior to the breaking of the curse. I enjoyed it however I want more. Curious what the next series will entail on if continues their stories.
This book explains SO much! I am glad that we got to read the prequel last - it just helps to tie everything together. From Collin's view, we discover his motivation, his relationship with his brother, mother and father. He was put into a tough situation at an early age and he did only what he knew to survive and support his mother and brother. Those decisions are starting to impact his life now and he is forced to do things that he may have never considered before. A great little book that just helps to sew this series up.
**Possible spoilers ahead! Please do not read if you have not read the first three books and two novellas of the The Curse Keepers series!**
**My review is based on my NetGalley copy**
This novella answered almost everything I wanted to know about how Collin F. Dailey ended up in the restaurant with Ellie Dare Lancaster to break the curse in The Curse Keepers. After reading this one, I absolutely understand his intentions in all three books released so far. I also understand why he is always so reluctant to share his information with Ellie <--- this is something I always wanted to know! I’ve always wanted to reach through the book and slap some sense into him!
There’s a lot of manipulation and lies that comes with all of the gods and monsters of this world and it’s absolutely infuriating! Obviously they can’t all be straightforward with their intentions all of the time, so we’re left with characters who are struggling to make sense of it all. That’s where Collin seems to be stuck. Before this novella I always loved to HATE Collin, but now I don’t quite feel the same. My opinion was already changing in The Curse Defiers. He was made to believe that the Dare Keeper was essentially being trained to kill him one day, so he did his best to guard himself around Ellie. I think most of us know that isn’t at all the case, but Collin had no way of knowing the truth of the matter going in.
I think the timing of this novella is perfect, too. Reading this before The Curse Defiers would have given too much information too soon. I enjoyed the backstory of Collin’s family. We’ve always seen so much of Ellie’s and NOTHING of Collin’s. His whole family is so terribly splintered, but I wonder if his grandmother or brother will come back to play a role in future books? His grandmother’s knowledge could be useful if she can set aside what she thinks she knows about the Dare family and their role in the bigger picture. I would like to see him repair his relationship with Connor, his brother. I would also like to know what exactly happened to Collin’s father since the mystery of his disappearance remains (not that anyone misses him)!
I always thought that the two Keepers should work together, and now I’m sure of it. Everything I’ve seen thus far tells me they need each other whether or not they like it. Both Collin and Ellie have a lot of work head for them. They’ve got to somehow piece their lives back together while fighting crazy gods and monsters. I’m sure it’ll be one heck of a ride! I am absolutely excited to see where the series goes next! *****FIVE STARS*****
*I received a copy of this book from 47North and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I used to live in North Carolina and in 7th grade, you are required to take a North Carolina history class. I fell in love with the Lost Colony when I took that class. I have always been fascinated by it and interested in everything about it.
I have loved reading Denise Grover Swank's take on the Lost Colony and what happened to it. The series has been fantastic. The supernatural element that surrounds the Lost Colony in this series is so eerie and gripping. I stay connected to the page, hanging onto every word.
The romance aspect with the two main characters is interesting because everything works to push them away from each other. You don't know what is going to happen to them as they seem to have a volatile love/hate relationship.
This installment is Collin's story about how he became a curse keeper. I love Denise's novellas for her series that she writes. They are always informative and really give you added content that is important to the story. They definitely are not calorie laden fillers.
I crave more from Denise about this series. I can not wait to learn more about the Curse Keepers and the Lost Colony. Highly recommend this series.
This is Your Destiny is a novella that is a prequel to the Curse Keepers Trilogy. It's from the perspective of Collin Dailey leading up to meeting Ellie. I feel that TIYD, although a prequel, is best read after The Curse Keepers first book. It goes into a lot of detail on many things that are brought up in the first two books. If only reading this beforehand, those small snippets may not mean much, but as background to questions I had after reading The Curse Keepers and The Curse Breakers, it was very helpful and even enlightening. I had more than one O-M-G moment while reading this!
Collin is a loner in the series, so it was great to get some background information on him, including his parents, grandmother and brother. I liked being able to see the way he was trained since childhood for his "destiny" and what his unfortunate home life was like.
This is Your Destiny is a must-read if you're reading The Curse Keeper trilogy.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
well this explains a lot! now we begin to see what a rotten life Collin has had and why he is the way he is. Poor Ellie was always going to be in for a rough time if Collin has always been told she will overpower him in the end and he has been deceived by the gods from the very start. I loved reading this novella as it gets me thinking what could happen in the next story in the series.
I'm so glad Ms. Swank gave us this book because now I can say that I do understand where Collin comes from and why he is the way he is and his entire personality.
This book shows us Collin's backstory, right from when he was a child and how the Curse shaped him and had an effect on not only him but his entire family.
I actually felt for little Collin as even though he has a grandma who teaches him everything needed about the Curse but his parents were not exactly caring. Especially his dad, an arrogant drunk and his mom who is unable to have a backbone.
The author really took us inside Collin's mind and also showed us the events that lead to Collin doing the things he did.
Wow... I read this one in one session because it was that good and although you get the nerves thinking how these happenings will shape the coming future.
Oohh... Looking forward to and excited to dive into the third book.
Wow! After reading the whole series and seeing what Collin did, it is surprising and eye-opening to see what he was taught and thought about the curse before the series began. It just goes to show you that there are two sides to every story and that two different sides can see one situation so very differently. Of course, now I would love to see at least the first book from Collin’s perspective, and what he thought when he actually got to know Ellie, but I’m so glad that I got to see this snippet at least! It really helps put Collin’s actions into perspective and I really think it was a great addition to the series!
This is Your Destiny is the third novella in the Curse Keepers series that gives Collin's background and perspective. I like Collin so I was excited to be able to read his point of view and feelings. This book helped readers understand his feelings towards Ellie and the curse, especially in the beginning of the series. Collin can definitely be frustrating throughout the series so it was nice to understand his behavior, actions, and thoughts. I love being able to read another character's point of view because it can provide a better understanding of the individual and this novella definitely complements the series.
Again I think this group of 3 short stories should have been in one book like the first book of the series. Instead of having to pay extra for each little morsel of information. These little morsel fills in a lot of information about the series can be read with out having to spend the extra money. I think the author is wrong for making us pay extra for the complete storyline!!!
Like This Changes Everything, this short story gives the reader insight into the characters in the series. This story is told through Collins perspective and adds dimension to his character. We learn how his grandmother taught him about the curse and how the curse effected his family through the years. It leaves the reader wanting another story, to see where Collin's relationships go with with his brother, and of course with Ellie.
We spend the entire series focused on Ellie. This book is all about Collin and his journey to becoming Curse Keeper. I love this book because it helps me to understand why Collin made the decision he did in the first book. While I don't think he did the right thing, I understand why he did it. I really enjoyed getting to know Collin more intimately and learn about his troubled past. As always with Denise's books the writing is wonderful and everything is so descriptive.
Great addition to the Curse Keepers Series! This is a short story that is told from Collin's POV. It tells the story of Collin and why he broke the curse and we also learn a little bit about Collins childhood. If you are a fan of the Curse Keepers Series than I definitely recommend reading this short story.
I love this book. It was about Collin and what happened leasing up to breaking the curse. It made me love and hate Collin. Hes very complicated and so it the role he plays. Its nice to see backstory, it rounds out the picture of the characters. I cant wait for more Collin and Ellie.
This is the story of Collin before we meet him in Cheese Keepers. It tells us why he made some of the decision he made, and gives us a little bit of his history and what shaped him into the man he became before he meets Ellie. It is very interesting to see his side of things and his family's version of the curse.
Fantastic!! I need more. It was so helpful to get Collin’s story. I have always loved Collin and hope if we get more Curse Keepers stories that Ellie and Collin will end up together. Knowing Collin’s backstory makes me love his character even more. His story explains so much about Collin’s behavior and why he always seemed to be hiding something from Ellie. Did I mention I need more?
When I read the Chosen Keepers Series, I did not see this novella. Wanting to reread the series, I saw This is Your Destiny. I’m so glad I did! Wow! What a fantastic lead in to the series. This book shares Collins dilemma, his relationship with his brother and grandmother. A great read.
I absolutely love these novellas and this one may be my favorite. The novellas are short and yet story packed. All 3 give detailed info that's hinted at in the Curse Keeper stories. They are riveting. I received the last one by signing up for the author newsletter and I'm so glad I did. It's Collin's story to tell and I loved it. I wish there were more to the whole series. So good
This short story about Collin leading up to the breaking of the curse was great. Seeing where Collin comes from and what the Manteo line passed down. And fitting pieces of the Collin puzzle into place. But I still have more questions and I can't wait for more Curse Keeper books!
Well... well... well... in this novella we learn about Collin and his past. It helped me understand Collin's behavior and the choices that he made throughout the series. So happy Denise decided to create a novella around Collin. This was a great addition to the series.
This book is a must read to know more. I love how it goes into detail about Colin Daley. You get his side about what happened and how it all came to be. It answers why he went into ellies place of work and broke the curse. I think it was a great way to end this series.
I like that this is from the man’s point if view. It explains why he did some of the things he did and why he did not share but the barest information. I can’t wait for the next book.
I really liked this! It was from the point of view of Collin, and we don’t get his side in the curse keepers. It was such a great glimpse into his life and his decisions. It also made the end of the trilogy that much more meaningful.