Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies

Sisters of Light and Shadow #2

by Breanne Randall

Dark secrets. Deadly choices. A destiny that can’t be outrun. Welcome to Shadowcraft Academy.

Eléa Deniz has dreamed of her home in the French countryside for the last four years after nearly dying in the Forgotten Forest. But when she finally returns, she finds the estate has become host to the Shadowcraft Academy, an elite graduate school where a world of mysteries and power plays await. It’s there she discovers a secret about her magic that’s not just a threat to the established order, but a prophecy that could change everything. What’s worse, her father is the school’s enigmatic and ruthless headmaster with an agenda of his own—one that could tear their world apart if she can’t find a way to stop him.

As alliances shift and her power is tested, Eléa becomes torn between Alex, her stoic first love whose loyalties are as murky as his past, and the brash, irreverent Logan, who challenges her to see herself in new ways. Faced with her father’s schemes, a secret society, and the weight of her own magic, Eléa must decide: Will she embrace her fate, or fight to reclaim her power and forge her own path? Destiny is calling... and it demands a price.

Genres: Fantasy

384 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 26, 2026

About the author

Breanne lives in the sleepy foothills of Northern California with her husband, two daughters, and a slew of farm animals. When she’s not writing, you can find her wandering the property searching for fairy portals or serving elaborate stuffed animal tea parties.

As a journalist, her work has been featured in Good Housekeeping, Fit Pregnancy, Disney Family, Bustle, Brides, et. al. A seasoned traveler, she imbues her stories with the magic and culture collected from the over forty countries she’s visited.

Reviews

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 solid stars!!

I received this book from the publisher, Dell/Random House Publishing Group, via NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book and made the decision to read this book because of the authors declaration that the MMC was written based on Dean Winchester. I have been an avid supernatural fan since I was 16 (I’m now 36)! So, I decided to give this book a chance.

I will also note that I did not read book one coming into this book. I was not confused in anyway. I did have questions about the magic system, but I will not fault the author for this because it could very much be my fault since I didn’t read book one. I made the decision to read book two without reading book one because I read that these were standalone’s in an interconnected series.

- ☝️standalone in an interconnected series
- witches 🧙 & wraiths
- 🪄magical academy in a magical house 🏡
- cursed 🤬
- ⭐️⭐️multicultural diversity (gender, race, languages, traditions, culture)
- ❤️‍🩹 trauma and healing
- finding oneself 💪🏻
- ❤️ emotionally mature MFC
- the men… one based on Dean Winchester from Supernatural 😜

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. There were several surprises and twists throughout the book that kept me hooked. Most of them I did not see coming, well done to the author!

Starting with the characters:

The MFC: The MFC had a childhood trauma history and the abusers were her grandfather and father. She also had a male best friend whom she was in love with, but one day he just disappeared. She was devastated by this and, when she turned 18 years old, she moved away to the United States to live with her brother and his fiancé since her childhood love was gone. Overall, this was a very well balanced, healthy, emotionally mature, and optimistic woman. I LOVED this MFC. FINALLY an emotionally mature MFC 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 She was thoughtful, usually did not make impulsive decisions, but did on occasion because she was a human, making her very realistic. She saw the good in people and challenged others to also see the good in people. I thought that the author created a very realistic dynamic with this MFC, particularly her thoughts and emotions about the two men in her life. Often, when we are attracted to and/or love someone, logic doesn’t play a big role. That’s what happened in this book with his MFC, and again, it was realistic to the human condition of emotions.

I’m about to go on a little bit of a rant, but overall, I loved this MFC. It was just this one piece that irritated me. One of my pet peeves is the word “abandoned” when that is not what happened. It’s actually an incredibly toxic word often used in relationships to manipulate and gaslight others. Specifically, people with equal status, power, and resources cannot abandon each other. They can leave, but not abandon. For example, parents can abandon children, a husband making the only money in the family can abandon his wife, and animal owners can abandon their pets, etc.. But, friends who have the same resources and status cannot abandon each other. There is a psychologist who does a lovely job talking about how toxic the word “abandonment” is in relationships and why it’s a super red flag, particularly for the person saying it.

Now, if someone leaves randomly without warning, I can see how that is devastating, but that’s still not abandonment. We need to get better at using language around when abandonment is actually happening. So, to see that the word abandonment was used in this book by the MFC in regards to her friend who was of equal status, power, etc., was disheartening for me as a reader. The MFC uses the word abandonment to weaponize her feelings towards Alex. She clearly had no idea why he left and she took it incredibly personal, fine she was a teenager, I get that. But, now she’s an adult and she’s still stuck in this toxic role of being the one who was abandoned because he left without telling her. 🙄

I go on this long point because, as a previously mentioned, this MFC was rather mature. The author established a very thoughtful and emotionally intelligent woman. So, to have her shift into this emotionally toxic word/place I was a little bummed. Again, this is just a pet peeve of mine. The MFC does move past this word and I was able to let it go. However, I did want to mention it in my review for those who also think the word abandonment is misused.

Moving on: The MFC was stuck between her attraction to Alex, her childhood best friend that she loved, and the new, intriguing American, Logan. She knew the knew Alex had a mask on that was pushing her away so she pushed back. All while Logan was fun and fresh and didn’t hold her back; rather, he was always supporting her in her growth and independence. He had her back no matter what. Normally, I am not a big fan of love triangles because I find them done poorly. However, the author did an excellent job with this love triangle. I really loved both MMC‘s and could feel the MFC‘s emotions. There were so much depth written about her and her feelings, I really enjoyed this.

Logan: Now, the Dean Winchester from Supernatural coded character, Logan. American accent, skeptical, dry humor, “bad boy,” cynical, often used sexual banter, no shame, arrogant, presumptuous, loved pie, had a flask, and wore a necklace on a leather string. The MFC assumed he drove a vintage car and started bar fights; yep, the author got all that right! He jumped right into conspiring with the MFC and they had such fun banter. He said “son of a b*+*h,” classic statement of Dean’s. Loved all of it!! Logan’s humor, personality, sexual comments, and banter was exactly everything I wanted it to be, especially in serious situations he was still cracking jokes. Seriously, I LOVED this. Logan also mentioned his father taught him everything about hunting and his mother died young, which he saw happen. Then, some of the hints to Supernatural were lovely, like the comments about trapping in a salt circle, iron, and pentagrams, as well as hell hounds. I absolutely loved this character, I just had to say that again.

A warning/thought: the author did, however, copy Supernatural and I don’t know how to feel about that. Logan said “saving people, hunting things, that’s the family motto.” Changing “business” to “motto” was not enough. I wish she had been a little more creative when using the classic Supernatural statement.

Alex: Alex was the MFC’s childhood best friend and first love. He was incredibly mysterious, kept secrets, and wore a mask almost the whole book. Alex did not have a really big part in this book until the very end, even though his presence was really important to the plot and the MFC. The little parts of the story where he was present, they were tension filled and hot.

Relationships:

The MFC and Logan: These two were a great pair. I loved all the small moments between them. I especially loved when the MFC stood up for Logan when her brother‘s best friend, Malik, was being a jerk. I also loved how Logan used humor and satire to stand up for himself, not anger. I loved the moments between the MFC and Logan because Logan always believed in her and reminded her that her found family was unconditional and it did not matter what power any of them had or what they did, including doing bad things, because they would always have each other‘s backs no matter what (very Dean statement). She really needed someone like him to push her to grow and find herself. What made me sad was that, EVERY SINGLE TIME the MFC and Logan would have a moment together, she would think about Alex. I interpreted this as the author was foreshadowing who the MFC would choose. Also, I thought about how, if I broke down Dean’s character (again whom Logan was written after), Dean always chose his family over the girl. So, my guess while reading was that Logan’s character was needed to help push and support the MFC, as Dean does in Supernatural, but they would not end up together.

The MFC and Alex: Lets start from the point when the MFC meets up with Alex four years after they last saw each other. The MFC was so desperate to see and touch him again. I cringed a little bit, I wanted her to have more of a backbone and stand up for herself, not be this desperate “why did you leave me” person. The interactions between them after their first meeting continued to have the MFC using a more desperate approach with him to get him to open up because she just wanted him to love her again. We, as the readers, and the MFC, could see that he did want her, but he kept his big wall of cold feelings up. This created so much heat and tension between them when his mask would slip because we all knew he still loved her too. Alex was keeping secrets and wouldn’t budge a good chunk of the book for mysterious reasons. FINALLY the MFC grew (with support from her friends and Logan) and started focusing more on what Alex needed and less on her feelings. She started being a stable support person for him by verbally telling him that she knew him and loved him, no matter what he had done thus far in his life. I addition to her unconditional support of him, she started to stand up for herself and not put up with his crap, this made me so excited. Alex was being protective of her and shared nothing, as he believed it would keep her safe. She challenged him back by growing as a person, developing her magic, and overall being independent, no matter what he wanted. She finally believed in herself, showing Alex his need to protect her was not warranted nor wanted. Eventually, the dynamic shifted, and he finally opened up to her.

There was a shocking revelation about the men and I WILL NOT SHARE ANYTHING. But, let me tell you, you’re likely wrong, I was, which I am so happy about! Well played! EVERYTHING made sense when this twist was revealed. I was getting a little antsy with the MFC for dragging along two men, was starting to think I may lose respect for her. Nope, respect still intact. Again, it all made sense!

Friends: the friends were strong, supportive, and diverse. The banter and camaraderie with all of them was great. They added to the plot and were very critical to the MFC‘s growth. They had unconditional love and support for each other, well, they were also willing to call each other, all of which was beautiful.

The story:
- The author is quick to kill people off! I was shocked!!
- There was a twist at 40% I didn’t see that one coming. Then, it’s historic progress, there were several other twists that I did not see coming. Again, there is a surprise with the MMC‘s.
- Overall, the pacing was moderate throughout. It did slow down in the middle, which got a little boring. However, it picked back up and got intriguing again.
- this is a well rounded, heart filled story
- there are themes intertwined into the story that are important to think about in our real world, such as bigotry, discrimination, racism, and power going unchecked by one man. The message about how we need to come together to find the solution as a team was not missed by me.
- the characters are diverse in many ways, including one transgender character. I loved this! There are different cultures, languages, ethnicities, sexualities, and traditions represented.

The plot: the plot is about the MFC finding herself, healing from her trauma, and fighting for the future. The story had a great blend of plot, individual character development, relationship development, romance, and magic. Overall, each character finds themselves, fights the patriarchy, heals both physical and emotional wounds, and finds their place in a better world.

[Jordan Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book combined so many of my favorite things into one. Witchcraft. Elite academia. Secret Societies. A spicy love triangle. Curses that must be broken and hierarchies that must be challenged. And, most importantly, a flannel wearing, pie loving, fluently sarcastic, Dean Winchester inspired male character. What more could you need?

Much like Breanne Randall’s previous two books, I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I love when a book ends up having a plot twist that I don’t see coming. The sarcastic wit of some of the characters had me laughing out loud at several different points, and I just genuinely think this author knows how to write stories about witchcraft in such a unique way, to where it’s unlike any other witchy books I’ve read before (and I’ve read a lot). I loved the community and friendship, and I’m happy to say that Breanne has done it again with a great read.

Side note, there is something about Breanne’s books that make me immediately crave the things she writes about. In her first novel, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic, I baked the rum soaked peach muffins from the recipe and literally haven’t stopped thinking of them since. In her second book, Spells, Strings and Forgotten Things, I started craving tea so badly (and I’m a coffee girl.) This time, I was only a few chapters in when I read about croissants and immediately had to order a chocolate croissant. I think that speaks to the magic of her writing, even my stomach wants to be pulled into the stories 😂

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Thank you NetGalley and Breanne for the ARC opportunity**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The moment I read “Dean Winchester MMC,” I stopped processing all other information and immediately added this to my TBR. And wow — the MMC was completely Dean-coded. The blending of Dean’s personality with the MMC was done so well, and it was genuinely fun catching familiar quotes woven into the story. Supernatural has always been a favorite of mine, and Breanne absolutely nailed the vibe.

And then there’s the château. The magical château. It felt like a warm, cozy hug straight out of Hogwarts. I loved that it was essentially its own living being — honestly, I found myself wishing I lived in a magical house that brought me tea and croissants on demand.

The food descriptions deserve their own moment. I had zero idea what some of the dishes were, so I found myself Googling recipes mid-read. A book has never made me this hungry before. The level of detail made everything sound incredible, and it really highlights how strong Breanne’s descriptive writing is overall. The imagery was so clear that I had no trouble seeing everything in my mind’s eye.

This book was a perfect blend of love, food, magic, found family, and just the right amount of spice. The plot kept me engaged, and I genuinely couldn’t predict what was coming next — which I loved.

The only reason this isn’t a full five stars is some word repetition that started to stand out to me. That’s very much a personal pet peeve, but it did pull me out of the story at times.

Overall, this was a cozy, magical, and wildly enjoyable read — and I’ll absolutely be picking up more from this author.

[J 'Fey Enigma']

***Note: Read from the uncorrected proof copy from NetGalley.

Breanne Randall never fails to convey emotionally charged dynamics, adventure, and eloquent wordsmithing! Her delivery is direct without sacrificing detail or beauty — every word is a distinct, graceful, and expressive choice, and not a single one is wasted. I've been particularly enthralled with Breanne Randall for some time, so I apologize in advance for any fan-girling found within this review. I am so thrilled to see her novels and her dreams come to fruition. I, personally, loved the touch of the playlist in the opening pages, appreciated the author's note warning for possibly triggering content, and loved the included recipes that have become a staple in her work. And a Dean Winchester-coded character and love interest? Yes, please.

In Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies, we follow Eléa Deniz, younger sister to Lucien Deniz from Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things, as she traverses her past, present, and future in her family's sentient Château d'Ancy-turned-Shadowcraft-Academy, where magic, mystery, and dark secrets unfold.

A fantastic tale is woven within these pages. Old friends reunite to share in the story, and new ones are emblazoned into memorable existence. Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies is a stunning blend of suspense, enchantment, intrigue, spice, growth, and revelation.

Buckle up and settle in with some pie.

[JoAnne Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Breanne Randall and NetGalley for an ARC of Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies. This is a fun and fast read. I contemplated what to rate this novel, but ultimately decided on 4 stars, simply because I enjoyed it. This is the sequel to Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things, and takes place four years later, so I do suggest reading that before this one.
I enjoyed catching up with old characters and meeting the new characters. Alejandro, especially, is a gem and could have read a whole novella from his point of view. The twists were fun, but I did predict them all. However, I blame my ADHD brain for the predictions that always spoil books and movies for me.
This is a fast paced book, so I did find myself wanting more development. Logan was so clearly a Dean Winchester mold, the battle at the end had major vibes from another movie (I won’t mention as to not spoil), and major Harry Potter vibes emanated through the pages. I think Breanne’s greatest accomplishment in her writing, though, is her ability to describe the food. In every book of hers, I find myself cravings foods I’ve never eaten before.
As mentioned previously, I thought this was a fun read and emotions hit towards the end, which upped my rating. 4⭐️ 1🌶️

[Kaylin Kapelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew instantly this was going to be about 5 star read for me. Breanne Randall just KNOWS how to write a cozy witchy novel.
Honestly it’s a crime it’s not being published until the end of May because everyone needs to get their hands on this!!

It made me smile, feel all the feels and cry. Pause for battle scenes and anxious actions. The interesting instant love/ triangle that was pulling Elea in two different directions: this instant connection with a not know of American and her child hood best friend whom she’s always felt more for: but with a cost of him disappearing all those years ago and being so guarded she didn’t want to have to wait around for him to change his mind about letting her in again.

Family history is unwoven, new societies and witch history- tying her life in gold springs to that of her home in the French countryside. Constant Little gifts from the chateau, writing and sketching in her notebook to calm her nerves.

I couldn’t get enough and I am so thankful to have received an early copy through netgalley.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Breanne Randall posted that she was writing a book with a male main character inspired by Dean Winchester, I immediately followed and signed up for her news letter to receive updates! I was so excited for the opportunity to read the arc!

Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies is book #2 in the Sisters of Light and Shadow series but can also be read as a standalone. This was my first Breanne Randall book and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing so I will be going back and reading the first book in the series now as well.

This book grabbed my attention from the very beginning and never let me go. The author explained the magic-system well and it stayed consistent throughout. I loved the concept of the book as a whole and look forward to more books from her in the future.

Dean Winchester, Dark Academia, a doting magical château, and a well-written love triange. What more do you need?

[RubyReadingBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies. I've just placed my preorder for this wonderful standalone followup to the first Sisters of Light and Shadow book, Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things.

Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies follows the story of Eléa Deniz, who I find a both very relatable and likable FMC. Eléa's story begins with her return to her childhood home, which has been transformed into a magical academy. Dark secrets, incredible tension and yearning, and things that aren't quite what they seem--this book really has it all!

It's witchy dark academia that is at once super cozy but equally a suspenseful page-turner. I love the two MMCs Alex and Logan and how much they contrast on the page. The book also features a magical/sentient house, something I didn't realize I absolutely love in a book.

Breanne Randall is quickly becoming a favorite author--I was seriously hooked immediately by chapter 1! The book's premise is so compelling--and wow it's a joy to read!

[Dani Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Note: This review is of the uncorrected ARC from NetGalley*

This is Breanne Randall’s best work so far! The time jump from Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things to Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies makes sense and provides solid ground for understanding Eléa’s motivations for returning home. The reintroduction of characters we saw in a different light in the previous story set the scene for her homecoming and bolstered her reasons to stay at the Academy.

Eléa’s love interest(s) left me rooting for them both for different reasons, so you can imagine my happiness with the conclusion of their story. The family dynamics in the story are a strong reminder of just how far one is willing to go to keep those they love safe and how certain power dynamics can ultimately be at odds with that willingness.

This book was a great conclusion to the duology and I look forward to reading more work from this author in the future!

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so many good things to say I don’t even know where to start! I guess I’ll start with my appreciation of the author and her writing voice. Wow. I haven’t read a book this good (in terms of plot and writing style) in a long time. From start to finish, I was captivated by the plot and the characters. (I might be a bit biased because I do love the “magic academy” subgenre so much.) The writing was descriptive, creative, engaging, well-researched.

The plot (and plot twists), the chemistry between all the characters, the inclusivity, the cultural connections (that actually seemed researched and legit), the banter... it feels like you're genuinely inside the plot. As if you're the one witnessing everything and narrating it for the book. Absolute chef's kiss! I can’t wait to see Randall’s future work.

{•Thank you to NetGalley and Breanne Randall for the ARC in exchange for a (completely) honest review.•}

[Eden Huntsman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t judge a book by its cover. This book cover says sweet and fluffy to me… this book is way mor Ethan the cover. It has amazing characters, a plot that has you always trying to guess what is next and who is doing what. It has a sprinkle of spice but it doesn’t even matter how little spice there is because the story carries itself. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and can’t believe just how much I needed to read this. Threat many things to relate to in this book from different characters. The FMC hits home for me in a lot of ways and I am so glad she was able to get the ending she deserved. Absolutely LOVED these characters and I can’t wait to read more from this author!!

4⭐️

[Kookie9200 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book!

I couldn't put this down. As much as I loved Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things, this book is even better. I mean, it has a Dean Winchester coded male main character! I loved the hints and nods to Dean, but Elea's self discovery is what made the book. I loved the themes of empowerment, discovery, and found family. Honestly, I have been waiting on bated breath for this book, and I didnt disappoint! Don't even get me started on the twist! Put simply, I love this book and will be buying it immediately.

[Rebecca Chlopek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this cozy story so much. I truly felt transported to an elite French mansion/academy. It felt both romantic and a bit nostalgic in how I had read fantasies as a teenager and wished this independence and magic in my own life. The twists and turns, I did not see coming (not that I normally do). I enjoyed the story but I LOVED the characters. Flawed and beautiful. Thank you Breanna Randall!

[Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this was a fun ride! There’s dark forces, dark academia, family secrets, secret identities, a Dean Winchester coded mmc (really honestly this was all I needed in my life) the supernatural vibes make this feel nostalgic while the story itself is new and keeps you glued to the page. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for this arc!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. The wraiths were scary and it reminds me of ACOTAR. The use of magic in this book was fantastic. The pacing was a bit slow but I still enjoyed it. There’s a lot of action building. If you like ACOTAR because of the creatures, this one is for you. The story won’t relate to ACOTAR but the creatures would remind you of it.

[Lari Jonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
After reading the first book I was so excited to hear that a second was coming out. I love the cozy feeling you get with the way this author writes, and makes you want to curl up right along with the characters. The last 35% had me in awe, and I could not put it down.
Big thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early✨

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breanne Randall absolutely killed it with this upcoming sequel!! Laughs, plot twists, anxiety, and an hea round out a beautiful story.

[Charly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m still finding the words for this one - will give a full review in a day or two. I received an ARC copy through NetGalley and am so thankful for the opportunity!