The Chosen and the Cursed

by Isla Bloom

The Chosen & The Cursed is a spicy romantasy set at Ethari University, a prestigious school where six powerful houses rule. Inside these ivy-covered halls, enemies become lovers, Soulmates collide, Professors cross lines, And no one escapes untouched. With tropes like forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, love triangles, and roommates-to-lovers, Ethari is where fantasy, romance, and a little unholy obsession collide. If you’re into magical schools, steamy slow burns, and dangerously hot love interests… pack your bags, youre heading to Ethari.

Genres: Smut

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2025

Reviews

[Pia Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC read… This debut was really a great way to meet these characters. One book with multiple stories that keep you intrigued all the way through.

First let me say, what I have read has been very well thought out and gives just enough leaving a reader wanting more of these characters. The introduction story “Wicked Little things” with Lyrix was a perfect way to grasp the attention of the readers. Hidden magic behind the walls is not the only thing going down 😮‍💨.
Now… One of my favorites….

“Under the Bayou Moon”
For a southern girlie who loves folklores and listening to the elders talk about seers, and black magic, I’m a sucker for any story from the low country of South Carolina to Louisiana! This was spot on for me.
A traditional sense of a Bayou story with a twist! A soul takers and tethered spirits.

Fantasy, Spice and everything wicked.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Arc Review✨
Thank you to the author Isla Bloom for sending me this amazing digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

-All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Chosen & The Cursed is a sultry, spell-laced fantasy anthology that swept me off my feet and into the hallowed, chaotic halls of Ethari University—where power, passion, and pandemonium fuse with electrifying intensity. Isla Bloom introduces six standalone yet beautifully interwoven tales, each spotlighting magicborn students from diverse diasporic heritages as they navigate love, lust, legacy, and the weight of what it means to truly belong.

In each story, the tone shifts from breathless longing to heart-gripping suspense in an intoxicating rhythm. Rivalries crackle with tension, forbidden flings ignite with reckless heat, and fate-weary bonds anchor readers in a resonance of timeless yearning. Whether it’s fated lovers drawn together by cosmic threads or fiery betrayals that scorch the soul, every chapter delivers a distinct flavor of emotional conflict—always grounding the fantastical in raw, unforgettable humanity.

The anthology’s strength lies in its sheer emotional range. Bloom crafts powerful heroines and heroes whose desires—romantic, magical, personal—feel both timeless and urgent. The emotional stakes are threaded through the vivid academic setting of Ethari University, a place where spells are part of the curriculum and every whispered secret pulses with potential. This is fantasy romance elevated—not only steamy and seductive, but deeply reflective of identity, power, and the legacies we inherit.

It’s rare for a collection to be both intensely sensual and richly grounded, but The Chosen & The Cursed balances the arcane with the visceral, striking a perfect chord for readers hungry for more than a spark—they want flames. Isla Bloom delivers not just stories, but experiences—each one lingering like magic on the skin long after the page is turned.

🧙‍♀️ Academy Setting
— Welcome to Ethari University: where spells are studied, secrets run deep, and love is so not on the syllabus (but happens anyway).

🔥 Enemies to Lovers
— Some of these romances start with snark, spells, and side-eyes before things heat up... deliciously.

✊🏽 Powerful Heroines
— Each story features a fierce magicborn woman carving out her own identity, strength, and space in a

🧬 Legacy & Inheritance
— Characters are caught in the web of magical lineages, family secrets, and the pressure to live up to a legacy — or break it entirely.

🎓 Dark Academia Aesthetic
— Spells in ancient libraries, candlelit rituals, whispered confessions under moonlight... perfection.

🧿 Diasporic Magic & Mythology
— Deep cultural roots woven into every spell, curse, and bloodline — rich, beautiful, and fiercely original.

[Melissa Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

‼️ TRIGGER WARNING ‼️ This is smut. If that is not your genre, please do not read this. 😅
⚠️ mild spoilers ahead ⚠️

I spent most of the past week on the sick and shut-in list, which was perfect because I’ve been so looking forward to reading this book and being sick gave me the opportunity to read it cover to cover over the course of a few days. It ended up being a great read that I could barely put down!

So, this anthology is giving me Harry Potter meets HBCU, but make it smut 🫦, and I STAN! The author did a great job of packing lots of character development and world building into six short stories. Each of these novellas has the potential to be fleshed out into really strong stand-alone novels, so I’m really looking forward to watching this world and these characters grown and develop.

The sex scenes are 🔥🥵. This lady’s imagination is diabolical 😈! Magical water clitoral stimulation? Um, yes please. And I never thought vampires feeding on one another would be a huge turn-on, but here we are 🤷🏽‍♀️. I do have questions about the logistics of being fvcked by a merman though 🧜🏾‍♂️. Where does his dique hide when he transforms 🍆? I’m trying to decide which of the men are my favorite book boyfriend, but the their personalities are all *chef’s kiss* 👩🏽‍🍳. Except Malix, but I still like him because apparently I like toxic men 🥴. Kofi or Luka for book boyfriend of the year though 🏆.

I think “Hex Me Till the Morning was my favorite, which is perfect since it’s my house story ☠️.
“Books to read and naps to take” is me so clearly I’m in the right house. So much yes for the ancestral communication energy 💫🔮. I love how descriptive the scene when Ayana got pulled into the dimensional gateway was . I kind of felt like I was reading the manuscript for a marvel movie in the best way 🎥 🍿. Also, I really want to be on the Spellball Cheer Squad 📣 🤸🏾.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I’m looking forward to reading more by Isla Bloom!

[Ellice Gould · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start off by saying that I was so excited to read this book... and I was definitely not disappointed. There aren't many fantasy books out there where the main character is part of the diaspora. Even rarer when the whole book's cast is a part of it. The representation healed a little part of me that was missing from reading other fantasy series. Anyway, let's get into it!

Welcome to Ethari University where fantasy meets academia and the professors are VERY hands on! This book was a fun read! It's an anthology type book set in the magical university of Ethari. The various anthologies revolve around FMC in the different houses of Ethari: Lyrix of House of Bloom, Selene of House of Tide, Nyahra of House of Blood, Ayana of House of Bone, Mara of House of Flame, and Zola of House of Spirit.

The anthology that I was most excited to read was Mara's. She is a badass, independent, take no prisoners graduate level student belonging to the House of Flame. She is powerful and knows it, but has a secret that could make all her hard work getting into prestigious Ethari all for nothing. Mara is unapologetically herself as she finds herself forced to spend time with the university "Golden Boy" Malix. With the trope of this anthology being "enemies to lovers", I was expecting Malix and Mara to not get along too well in the beginning, however enemies is not what I would call them. Mara doesn't dislike Malix over anything that he's done, but what he represents. He is popular, self assured, calm, and controlled. He is Mara's opposite in every way. My only criticism is that I wouldn't call this "enemies to lovers" but "opposites attract".

Isla's writing style is very easy to read and engaging. Her spicy scenes are definitely SPICY! However, I feel like there could have been more to the stories. Hence my 4/5 star review.

Overall, I recommend this book for a fun read!

[Preshia Washington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely stunning! The six anthologies included in this book all take place at Ethari University; It’s a school made by the diaspora AND FOR the diaspora. As someone who went to an HBCU, these stories made me (honestly quite) jealous that my Uni didn’t have any magical classes I could use to channel my inner House of Blood magic (but there are several cemeteries on the campus so maybe some House of Bone studying really did go on there—iykyk).

Isla Bloom (QUEEN) put so much thought and effort into each facet of the magical realm created within each story in such a unique way. I grew up reading A LOT of fantasy novels, but never one I was able to see myself be included in; she wrote in a way that was so careful and thoughtful—you can tell Isla did her homework tying in every different element of magic together (bloom/earth, tide/water, blood, spirit, fire and bone/necromancy) and weaving them together so seamlessly into each short story. I wish it was longer!

Oh… and the spice level is SPICING. Each story has a different romance trope that is sure to make the readers swoon and crave more. From why choose to forbidden romances, this book has it all!

I absolutely cannot wait to read whatever else Miss Isla Bloom has in store for us. I can’t wait to see what other stories come from this universe; she set the stage for so much more magic and passion in the Ethari U Universe and I will be here for it all 👏🏾 of 👏🏾 it 👏🏾.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jaquina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The synopsis of this book had me so excited that we grabbed it for our book club right after it dropped, but it pains me to say this didn’t really work for me in any way.

I think the premise of each story individually is interesting, but the execution didn’t work in this format. Individual novellas or just longer stories maybe across 2 anthology volumes would have given this room to shine. The pacing was just not something I enjoyed, and from chapter 1 to the end of each story I felt a lot was missing. Too much was jammed into too little space.

A glossary or something would have helped immensely since a lot of things get randomly mentioned on page that the reader had no insight into. All of the houses and their capabilities could have used some more defining.

Editing could be improved throughout the stories both logistically and technically.

Now, obviously in a novella time is of the essence, BUT the insta-love in these was nuts. Insta-lust is one thing, this was soul altering love for people who never spoke before 2 days ago. Not for me. The entire thing lacked tension in my opinion.

The smut was fine. I prefer my book p*rn with good plot, so it was kind of underwhelming to me but I think plenty will find it sexy and stimulating.

There are people who will love this book, I’m just not one of them. If the author puts any long form stories out I would give them another read because I thought there were some great ideas here.

[Storybook Princess · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC*** Let me tell you, this book is the perfect blend and mix of magic, smut, supernatural beings and plot! The characters are in college but this is for adults to read and enjoy with all the spicy 🌶️ smut scenes. This is like the Hogwarts for black supernatural excellence! If you love reading paranormal romance full of magic, spells, love, vampires, sirens, faes, dreamwalkers and witches then this is the book for you! I love how magic plays a huge part in each of the 6 stories and the characters everyday lives. There are 6 different stories with 6 different tropes, so there is something for everyone inside of this book. Some of my personal favorite tropes in this book were “why choose, grumpy/sunshine, and the slow burn” 🔥 You will not be disappointed if you love the supernatural and paranormal genre like me!

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was given this book by a friend who was really excited for this to come out, they want me to read it first to see if it's worth it and I can say it absolutely is not. If you can get past the Editing issues, formatting problems and terrible writing then it would be the fact that this book is 6 novellas and none of them are complete stories. Each story is even more confusing than the last, you get no background on this "school" or any of the "families" it's a bunch of immature magic type people doing things they shouldn't be doing and some steamy scenes thrown in to call it a romance book. I'm still confused on how the first couple got together so quickly! I think given some time and education the author could rewrite each of these into full books to flesh out these stories better, the potential is there.

[Raynasha Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of these stories had me hooked from the very first chapter! They all were such uniquely different stories while being so clearly part of the same universe. You could picture everything happening in real time. The way the author set up the world building and introduced the lore in specific situations is a particular highlight of mine. The characters were charming and intriguing in a way that made you root for them even when they were being stubborn, and each story left me wanting more of this world and these characters. The spice was insane and kept getting better the more you read. I’m definitely recommending to all my book friends and even some who are not 🤭!!.

[Paulene · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chosen & The Cursed is a great fantasy ride into the magical campus of Ethari University, travel with the students on their paths to greatness and exploration of life, love, and lessons. This book had everything I love—magic, romance, and plenty of spice. The world was fun and easy to fall into, with just enough danger to keep the story moving. The romance was swoony, the banter had me grinning, and when it heated up… let’s just say the payoff was worth it. If you like fantasy with a mix of adventure and steam, this is the book for you.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[kadeshur strickland · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was interesting.
there are 6 parts with each part featuring their own main characters. they all attend the same university and have their own issues that they solve within 6-10 chapters. it's filled with insta love and hea. every story felt like it had potential to be more but they never connected. I would have liked it more if each FMC were friends and their sections were about them and their challenges. the book was good unsure if it was a starter book and we will get more of these story lines in another book... great pallate cleanser of you need a break from another genre

[N'Kelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a spice filled page turner! The stories are standalone and can be read in any order but the the flow through the different lives is seamless. I absolutely loved the story to Kiss a spell breaker. I hope this is not the end of their stories! I absolutely need to know what happens next with Kofi!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marie H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pageturner that pulls me in! The characters are written in a beautiful way, it’s like I get to know them just enough to see who they are and see them grow. My only complaint - I would love to see a full series with these people, getting to know them even better and see how they explore the world even further!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lenette Otis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of 6 novellas that could easily stand on their own. The descriptions and illustrations brought the characters to life. The fact that it's not composed of your "usuals" is 🔥. There's vampires, mermen, lots of spice, mingled with magic at Ethari University. Looking forward to reading more from Isla.

[MOmo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting. Started out great but grammatical and mechanical errors stole its shine. Also the build up to the first sexual session was confusing. Like I don't get it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ashlee Tolbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

One star for each story. I was disappointed to say the least when reading this. It was not what I expected and I was wanting more from each story. It felt unfinished and now that I’m done - I don’t get the point of splitting up the book into three stories that didn’t connect with each other.

[ABAgail · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm updating my review. I was "given" a poorly edited ARC of this book and never received the physical copy of the book that I paid shipping for. This happened to several other people on her "hype team" as well.

As far as I can tell, this book is no longer available.

The stories were great and tied intimacy in with magic, but I suspect that it was written by more than one person or AI. The author has probably changed her pen name is on to attempt to scam others under the guise of writing smut for Black women. I don't appreciate my time being wasted and I hope the author gets the karma coming their way.