Cursekeeper

Library of Fallen Souls #1

by Alexandra Christo

From the bestselling author of To Kill a Kingdom comes a sweeping romantasy in which a human guardian for a library of curses and a Fallen Fae form an uneasy alliance to unravel a dark conspiracy that threatens war.

Torn from her home and forced to train at the brutal Forge as a child, Thalia Marrow has only ever known the life of a Scion—one sworn to guard the Library of Curses. But on the night she crosses paths with an enigmatic Fae, the Library is ransacked and her brother is taken by demons, leaving Thalia as one of the last Scions still alive.

Desperate to find her only family, Thalia follows the bloody trail to the mysterious Soren—a ruthless warrior who was cursed and banished from the Fae world. Everything about him is dangerous. Everything about him calls to her.

Bound by necessity, the warrior librarian and the Fallen Fae must now work together to uncover what happened at the Library and unmask the shadowy new demon leader unleashing curses across the realm. But in the decadent, treacherous city of Delfs, not all is as it seems. As the threat of war rises and Thalia’s feelings for Soren grow, so too does the truth of his bloody past—and the curse that could destroy them both.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Adult, Fantasy Romance, Demons

Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 3, 2026

About the author

Alexandra Christo is a British author whose characters are always funnier and far more deadly than she is. She studied Creative Writing at university and graduated with the desire to never stop letting her imagination run wild. She currently lives in Hertfordshire with a rapidly growing garden and a never-ending stack of books. Her debut novel To Kill a Kingdom is an international bestseller and her Young Adult fantasy books have been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide.

Reviews

[Maeghan 🦋]

HUGE thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc! I know this isn’t due until Nov 3rd but I’m in a slump and I really want to read this one 🥺

I was really excited to read Alexandra Christo’s new novel as her title To Kill a Kingdom was the book that got me back into reading in 2022. One of my brothers had gifted me this book for my birthday of that year, so I was feeling quite nostalgic.

The Cursekeeper follows Thalia, a guard to the library of curses. She’s a workaholic & she loves what she does. Her brother is her only friend because she’s been outed by society as her mother assassinated the previous queen. The Fae & mortals of this world work together but hate each other.

I really wanted to love this one because I was super excited for it, but sadly, I felt that the execution was its biggest problem. It was very one dimensional. A lot of things are thrown together without it being tied properly, which makes it seem very convoluted. The worldbuilding was overly complicated for no reason and had multiple info dumps every second page. There were a few inconsistencies and dialogue issues that hindered my reading experience.

My biggest gripe has to do with the characters. At the end of the day, the only thing that stood out about the two mc’s were how much they loved their siblings… I couldn’t really tell you what else was noticeable about them. Caring for your siblings is a commendable trait but you’re also a person outside of this… which didn’t feel like it was the case for them. The fact that she was outed by society, that her mother committed treason or that she loved her job were mentioned at first but then never brought back. We didn’t get to see her struggle with all of those things. The only character I loved was Oriel but he was a side character. He was the only layered character.
The romance, for me, came out of no where. They had the same goal, so I think I would’ve understood if they’d had a purely sexual relationship but the romance part was extremely forced. I thought she had more chemistry with Oriel than Soren. I skipped the sex scenes. The fmc gave me the impression of being aromantic so what came afterwards felt forced & unnatural.

The story did feel directionless, for the most part. The beginning was interesting as the fmc is in a library of curses, but this lasted for about 5%. The rest of the novel is mostly spent hiding. I kept wondering where it was going & what they were doing exactly. At some point, I’d felt that some events had happened a few days ago but it was mentioned that they spent months in a spot… but what were they doing for all that time?

I have a feeling the ending was supposed to be shocking but it was very obvious for me. I had no attachment to the characters so even while some were actively dying, I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything ; which is out of character for me.

Overall, I wasn’t left impressed with this read. I do think the execution was its biggest issue.

[Rea ♡ㅤ✧]

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Alexandra Christo for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.25/5⭐️

Thalia Marrow is a Scion, part human, part fae. Protector of the Library and its cursebooks within. Thalia and her brother, Evren, were trained in the Forge from a young age to become Scions. It’s their sole job in a world full of fae, demons, and humans. Protect the cursebooks from falling into the wrong hands, and keep the humans safe from the other species.

When the Library is attacked, Evren captured, and almost all the other Scions killed, Thalia is left to find who stole the cursebooks and who has her brother. Her journey entangles her with one of the Fallen Fae, Soren, who promises to help her if she helps him break his curse. They come to a reluctant truce and agree to work together to save their people.


Overall, it’s a decent romantasy. The idea was wonderful, a librarian protecting curses, battling demons and fae, while also falling for one. I thought the plot twists were good! I knew a few of them were coming, but some really surprised me! I liked the characters well enough, but the side characters really stole the show and made the story feel whole. The banter and yearning between the two main characters was fun to read also. Plus, Thalia is 25 in this book, which I thought was great! It’s nice to have a female lead in a fantasy book that isn’t 18-20.


Sadly, it doesn’t feel like it’s anything new. While the concept started out sounding new and unique, it ended up feeling very familiar. It’s made a very big deal about Thalia being a “warrior librarian” and “protector of the library” but that was barely shown in the story, seeing as the library was attacked and she was basically in hiding. The beginning of the story really slowed the pace of the story down. I feel that it was crammed with dialogue and information dumps. I had trouble keeping up with the hierarchy of species. There was human, fae, scions, demons, fallen fae, and then entire lines of fae royalty. High Autumn Prince, Low Spring Princess. Which were all very interesting, but I truly could not understand it with the way it was presented and explained. It was a lot of information dumps that didn’t end up explaining things very well. Some parts of the world building were good, but there was also a lot of scenes cut in ways that I was lost to the location the characters were in. Then I had trouble imagining said locations, which did sadden me as someone who loves to mentally picture each character and place. There was a few inconsistencies in the magic systems and ‘if this character has this power, why didn’t they use it here?’

The ending did still surprise me, and has me wondering what will happen in book 2! Cursekeeper sadly just felt underdeveloped to me, something just on the cusp of being very remarkable.

[AmdynReads]

I knew from the blurb that I would like this book (warrior librarian? Heck yes!) but I didn’t know I would become deliciously immersed in this story from beginning to end. Easy 5 ⭐️ for me.

🙏🏼 Thank you Atria Books & Alexandra Christo for allowing me to read this ARC. This is my honest review.

What to expect:
👫Dual POV
🫂Found family
😈Treachery & betrayal
⚔️ True enemies to lovers (She almost kills him.)
💀Body horror / grusome deaths

So many monsters & beings:
👹Demons
🐺 Unguibus (werewolves)
🧟‍♂️ Spiritus (possessor, reanimate the dead)
🐉 Ignus (fire breathing dragons)
🧝🏻‍♂️Fae (with varied powers)

The blurb:
Thalia Marrow was trained her whole life to be a guardian of the library. Only this library contains no ordinary tomes, but powerful books of curses that can be unleashed as weapons. When the library is attacked, her brother is taken, along with three curse books. Thalia must form a tentative alliance with Soren, a dangerous Fallen fae who was banished from the fae realm. She knows the Fallen can’t be trusted, yet finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. They work together to uncover a sinister plan of a mysterious demon leader and discover the situation is much more dire than anyone realized.

What I did NOT see:
🚫 miscomunication trope (there were secrets slowly revealed)
🚫 third act break up
🚫 love triangle
🚫 games & trials
🚫 insta love (it was slow & delicious)
🚫 grumpy x sunshine (more like murderous x stabby but on opposite teams)

Thoughts:
THIS is how a Romantasy should be done! The slowest burn- the hatred to distrust to tentative alliance, flirty banter, the thoughtful gestures, the depth and friendship they developed, the yearning, the restraint and then the dam finally breaking. It all left my heart achingly full.

I WISH I could include quotes in this ARC review because I highlighted SO MANY! I found myself smiling & blushing at Soren’s flirtiness… phew, this man! 😮‍💨 He is just the perfect amount of forward, says what he is thinking unapologetically and sometimes it made my knees weak! I also found myself laughing at the fae inner circle hilariously bickering with each other, which broke up the seriousness & intensity of the story.

The violence, action and plot twists kept me completely on my toes the entire time, not knowing what would happen next. The magic was unique and the worlds were sweeping but done in a way I haven’t seen before.

The ending has me panting like a dog for book 2. I must know what will become of Soren, Thalia, the fae and the realms. There are so many moving parts - necessary but terrible alliances formed, and I can’t wait to see what will happen next.

[Kaylee]

*Review of advanced copy received from NetGalley

*SPOILER FREE*

If you enjoy books with an unique magic system, yearning, and high-stakes, Alexandra Christo’s “Cursekeeper” is the book for you! This masterpiece kept me on the edge of my seat! Lately I have been unable to find any romantasies that keep me hooked, but this one just raised the bar!

Alexandra Christo has done it again! “To Kill a Kingdom” was fast-paced and kept me hooked right off the bat, so I should’ve known that Cursekeeper would do the same!

Thalia Morrow is a Scion for the Library of Curses, sworn to defend and protect the library. But when an unknown threat attacks the library, killing all Scions except Thalia and kidnapping her brother, Thalia is left to uncover secrets that have been buried.

Thalia’s search leads her to a mysterious warrior, Soren, and the two join forces to find Thalia’s brother. But Soren, banished from the fae world, is more than he seems, and Thalia finds herself falling for him, even if it means putting herself in the face of danger. As Thalia’s feelings for Soren grow, more danger lurks in the shadows, waiting to be uncovered.
The more I read, the more I became obsessed with Thalia and Soren! The tension between the two characters was outstanding and I could not put the book down! As more characters were introduced, I began to fall in love with every single one (by the end of the book I realized maybe I shouldn’t have fallen in love with certain ones😂)! Every character is just so intricate, and each one has their own story. What I would give to be able to read it again for the first time!

And the ending?? Literally icing on the cake! I don’t want to spoil anything, but I would’ve read the book just for the ending! I cannot wait for the next book to be released, I seriously need to some closure here! I am not okay after that, and I predict that I will soon be entering a book slump😂.

Overall, I would highly recommend Alexandra Christo’s “Cursekeeper” to anyone who loves an epic fantasy with twist and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

SPICE- 🔥🔥🔥
BANTER-🗣️🗣️🗣️
STAKES-⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️

[meg *ੈ✩‧₊˚ (semi ia)]

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a physical copy and also ebook arc in exchange for an honest review!

I read the blurb and was automatically interested. Female warrior librarian? Fae? Demons? Sign me up to read. What I did not realize was how completely beautiful and how immersed I would be in the book start to finish, I mean I could not put this down until I finished! Now I'm left with a hole in my chest wondering when the next book will be out cause I need more, like now.

This was also such a beautiful romantansy with not only that, but an amazing plot of war and destruction. The best of both worlds for people who love a good storyline and also romance, neither one outshines the other and perfectly mixed together making you want more of both.

The banter? The yearning? Chef's kiss truly.

I also really enjoyed the family bickering of the fae's and help bring some humor in such a tragic timeframe.

Also, the plot twists??? Usually, I can guess some of them in a book or how they lead up to it, but this one? I felt like I was always on the edge of my seat not being able to anticipate what was coming next or who the bad guys were. I was truly surprised and it's the first time in awhile I felt like that.

Literally on my hands and knees begging for book two to see what happens to our main characters after the tragic state they have been left in.

[Amanda Blanche]

3.5/5 ⭐️

Very lucky to have received an advance e-copy of this book releasing in November 2026.

This book had some great elements to it, but some of the plot development and pacing was just a little too slow at times for me. But overall it was good, good characters, good plot twists.

This story takes place in a human realm - in a magical library filled with curses. The library is protected by descendants of fae gods. These protectors (scions) prevent fae, demons and other creatures from assessing these curses and using them. Thalia and her brother Evren are Scions, raised and trained to protect the library. One night, everything changes when the library is attacked, curses are stolen and Evren goes missing. Add in a spicy fallen fae MMC and a story filled with intrigue and secrets - and you have a story that keeps you guessing till the end.

[Chloe]

**This ARC was provided by Atria Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Cursekeeper is a fun romantasy with a really cool premise. It follows Thalia, who’s the guardian of a massive ancient library filled with millions of curses, which immediately hooked me.

The beginning of the story is strong and the world pulls you in right away, but as it goes on, things starts to feel a bit more generic. A lot of the plot points are pretty easy to guess early, so there weren’t many moments that really surprised me.

That said, Thalia is a strong, capable FMC, and the witty banter throughout the book was a highlight.

As I got further into it, I noticed a lot of similarities to ACOTAR, so if you’re a fan of that vibe, you’ll probably enjoy this.

Overall, it’s not the most original story, but it’s still an entertaining read. I think fans of Quicksilver and ACOTAR will have a good time with it.

[Julianne Dell]

I never enjoy writing negative reviews, especially for ARCs, because I know how much work goes into writing and publishing a novel. In fact, this is my first one-star review. I don't give ratings like this lightly, and I genuinely don't enjoy doing so. But I also believe ratings should come with context, and unfortunately I struggled with this book from beginning to end.

For me, the biggest issue wasn't one or two awkward sentences—every book has those. It was that I encountered the same types of problems consistently throughout the novel. I was constantly stopping to reread passages, trying to understand scene descriptions, or wondering if I had missed something important.

Some of that came down to editing. There were continuity issues, confusing action sequences, grammatical errors, and awkward phrasing that repeatedly pulled me out of the story. A few examples that stood out were lines like "Soren's smile flinched," "the soft rumble of his voice kissed against my skin," and "Almost stoppered my breath." There were also action sequences that became difficult to visualize, such as a dragon emerging from a mountain and then descending on the characters even though they were already airborne, a character described as "tumbling upwards," and another scene where the characters are established on a lookout post before suddenly being described as running, without any clear transition. Individually, these moments may seem minor, but they occurred so frequently that they became a pattern rather than isolated issues.

My other concern was the writing itself. The dialogue rarely felt natural or substantial. Many conversations consisted of only a few short exchanges before moving on, which meant the characters never developed distinct voices. I felt more time could have been spent developing the dialogue, as stronger conversations would have made both the characters and their relationships more compelling.

I also found the worldbuilding more complicated than it needed to be. There were four different types of demons to keep track of, but I never felt those distinctions meaningfully impacted the plot. Instead, they added terminology without enough narrative payoff.

The biggest disappointment for me was the villain reveal. A great twist makes you want to flip back through earlier chapters and realize the clues were there all along. Here, I never got that feeling. Instead of being surprised, I was confused because I didn't feel the reveal had been sufficiently foreshadowed.

There were also several larger story choices that left me with questions. A major revelation about the main character's family felt like it should have had far greater consequences than it ultimately did, and I was often unsure how some of the world's established rules were meant to work because they didn't always seem to be applied consistently.

This wasn't a book that lost me because of one major flaw. It lost me because nearly every aspect of the reading experience—from the prose and dialogue to the editing, continuity, worldbuilding, and plotting—needed more development. By the end, I felt like I was reading a draft that wasn't quite ready for publication.

If I'm being completely honest, I was genuinely surprised to learn this was being traditionally published and potentially selected for a book box. Given the number of issues I encountered throughout the novel, I expected another round of developmental editing and copyediting before ARC reading. I don't say that lightly, especially because I know how much work goes into writing a book and how subjective reading can be. But for me, the manuscript simply didn't feel publication-ready.

There are ideas in this story that I genuinely liked, and I can absolutely see the potential. That's what makes this review disappointing to write. I wanted to enjoy this book, but the execution never lived up to the premise.

[Selene]

Thanks so much to the author and publisher for my arc. The options are my own.

This is a fun , fast past ride with tons of twists and turns and a touch her and die mmc. Really loved how our fmc was both badass fighter and soft librarian. You really fall in love and root for these two! Now to try and wait patiently for the next book!

[Megan Rainey]

I received an early arc for this book. I can say without a doubt I throughly enjoyed this book. I laughed so much and I was so invested in these characters! This book has two POV’s with both the MFC & the MMC. This book has Fae, demons, gods, and bad a** librarians! The snarky comebacks were my favorite.

[Marisa]

Thank you so much for the ARC!

I absolutely loved this romantasy. I loved the unique magic system and world. It was very refreshingly while still maintaining my favorite parts of romance within the fantasy. For once I never found myself frustrated by a books main characters. They were well written and very clever. It also ended in such a unique way. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves ACOTAR, Quicksilver, and Jennifer Armentrout.

[ReReads]

I had SUCH a good time with Cursekeeper. This was one of those books where I genuinely kept wanting to pick it back up because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

I loved Thalia as our FMC, and the slow burn between her and Soren was SO good. It actually felt like a slow burn, and I loved watching their relationship develop while Thalia still had her own story happening outside of the romance. And the twists and reveals really worked for me—there were things I suspected, things I absolutely did not, and I had so much fun watching everything come together.

My only little complaint is that there were maybe one or two scenes that moved a bit too quickly for me. And I want to be clear: I don’t think the STORY was rushed at all. Everything felt fully developed. There were just a couple of individual moments where I found myself thinking, wait, stay here! Give me another beat! I wanted a little more time to sit in what had just happened before we moved on.

But that is genuinely my only real criticism. I loved Thalia and Soren, I loved the world, the reveals worked for me, and by the end I was already like… okay, so when exactly am I getting book two?

Such a fun read and an easy 4.5 stars from me.

Thank you so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Amanda Bauer]

Cursekeeper completely pulled me into its world! The world building was easily one of my favorite parts. There was so much depth woven into the setting, magic, and overall atmosphere that it made the story feel immersive without becoming overwhelming.

I also really enjoyed the way the story developed. The plot continued to build naturally as more pieces of the world and characters were revealed, keeping me invested and wanting to know what was coming next. I loved watching everything slowly come together as the story progressed.

Overall, Cursekeeper was such an engaging fantasy read with fantastic world building and strong story development. Definitely one I’m glad I picked up, and I’m excited to see where the story goes from here!

4.5 ⭐️ 2 🌶️

[Jessica]

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the eARC - I am obsessed with this book!!

Cursekeeper by Alexandra Christi is like Quicksilver and ACOTAR had a baby. I loved everything about this book from the magic system (which was unique and easy to follow) to our FMC and MMC. There were multiple plot twists that threw me completely off kilter . I struggled to put this book down because I kept wanting to find out what happens next. The relationship between our FMC and MMC I also really enjoyed. It was spicy, but also felt mature with no real miscommunication. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!! 5⭐️

[Lisa Rumsey]

***This was an ARC read provided by Atria Books via Netgalley, thank you for the chance to do an ARC read!***

My review will focus on the plot rather than editing, spelling errors, and punctuation issues.

This was a decent book and a good debut into the adult fantasy/romantasy genre, it has a cool world and a different magic system then you see in most romantasy books. It starts in the human world in a library of magic, curses, and monsters that are guarded by an elite group of people called Scions. These are half human-half fae who are imbued with magic to protect the library. The fae and the humans fractured after a war and the humans are protecting these books from the fae, demons, and the lighteater. The FMC's brother gets kidnapped on a night where she stops a fae from stealing some of the curses rom the library. The story follows her as she hesitantly works with the fae who broke into the library to rescue her brother and protect the library.

Thalia our FMC was awesome, I really liked her character. She was witty, badass, and the way her character behaved fit with the premise of what a scion is in my opinion. I also liked our MMC, Soren, although he did follow the typical romantasy formula for an MMC (minus the shadow daddy powers lol). He was ruthless, misunderstood, broody, sarcastic, overprotective, extra powerful, etc. What I did find, though, is that the romance aspect was rushed and shallow. I wish it had more depth and yearning, there is definitely the right aspects but they needed more massaging and time I think. I would say based on the progression of the relationship between the characters that this would be more YA based (especially if some of explicit romance is removed). However, where I think the author excelled was in the secondary characters. Oriel may have been one of my favourite characters to be honest, he was funny, witty, dry humoured, and blunt. Ever the politician for sure! I really liked him. And Astir... well played friend, well played.

The pacing of this book was quick, you can expect that there will be some quicker, attention grabbing moments and then some slower areas interspersed in there. So bear that in mind when you're reading it. I did like the way it ended because it did leave itself open to a second book, which i think could be really really good if that's what the author wanted to do. This was an easy read that is perfect for when you're looking for the rainy day read, this will definitely resonate with fans of ACOTAR and Starside.

A few things to keep in mind that kind of pulled me out of the book until I got used to it. First, the use of 'Scion'.... it felt almost disconnected with the rest of the plot, however, as I progressed in the book and it became less of a sci-fi reference in my own mind this wasn't a big deal, just a heads up that it might break some of that flow at the beginning. And, some of the plot twists were a little formulaic, however, that in itself is not a bad thing, and many readers prefer that format. But just things to consider if you tend to like more traditionally styled fantasy books.

All in all the book pulled me in pretty quickly and kept my attention, I would rate it 3.5 stars!

[Vicky]

I tried reading this book, but couldn’t get into it it was too slow for me, and it seemed to drag too long the conflict was there, and the characters weren’t all that bad, but the story didn’t do it for me I would’ve liked this story, but I couldn’t finished it the dialogue was cliched at times and predictable the characters suffered from the same things Soren sounded like the typical romance lead, but more cliched you could tell what kind of character he was going to be from the get-go those that you mostly see in those steamy romance novels, not a very developed character the story started good in the beginning, but I slowly loss interest.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher for the arc.

[Katie]

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley, Atria Books/ Penguin Books and the author Alexandra Christo, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for sending me The Cursekeeper. This is book one in the Library of Fallen Souls series, I am guessing it will be a trilogy but I couldn’t find an exact answer. I have not read any other books by this author so this was a first for me!

Things you’ll find:
Reluctant allies
Fae, vampires, demons and other magical creatures
Elemental magic
Family and deep sibling attachment
First person POV and switching of POV chapters
Political intrigue
Betrayals and secrets

Our FMC, Thalia is a soldier and warrior but she is also a bookworm at heart and dearly loves her job protecting and guarding the magic Library, it is her entire identity. The library is filled with curses and other magics that help the humans keep the Fae and Demons from overrunning their kingdoms and autonomy. She is a Scion, a human and part Fae/ descendent of Fae Queens. The Library is attacked and almost all the Library guards (Scions) are slaughtered and her half-brother kidnapped. She will do anything to find him, he is her whole family. She reluctantly becomes allies with Soren, a Fae General who has lost his court, a Fallen, in order to find her brother and the stolen Library curse books. His people are now without their home and court, they are cursed, have limited Fae magic and are hunted by the Scions and humans. He is looking for access to the Library to find his curse and break it so he can avenge his murdered twin sister.

The family ties are very strong in this book. Both Thalia and Soren are deeply driven to protect their loved ones, to the extent of self-sacrifice and self-sabotage. Some of the side characters are exceptionally developed, Oriel especially. The banter between some of the side characters is really good and this is the only “comedic” bit of the book. The author’s bio describes her as “an author whose characters are always funnier and far more deadly than she is.” I think this inaccurately sets a premise for this book. It is not funny, rarely has any situations that are funny nor does it have “funny/ comedic” characters. The hate/ snark banter made me laugh just because some were really good one-liners but other than that it wasn’t funny per se. I won’t spoil it but there were a few characters that evoked soooo much dislike and hate from me as the reader!!!! Oh my gosh, they were awful, I wanted to crawl through my Kindle and smack them!!! But that is a sign of a good author, that I could not stand these characters!!!!

There is a lot of room for character development. Thalia is a little underdeveloped but she is slowly evolving as the story heats up. Her entire identity is her job guarding the Library. She feels she has no other purpose in the world. After the theft and kidnapping, she only wants to protect the Library, rescue her brother and recover the missing books. She is very myopic, and believes everything she has been taught about the Fae, Demons and her kingdom and the humans. She has a huge chip on her shoulder due to being a child of a traitor, her mother was executed for treason. This is brought up several times and while we never learned why her mother did it, I’m sure it’ll be revisited in future books. I didn’t find the world difficult to understand, there is a lot of development but it is given at fairly slow ratios throughout the book. It did take a long time for me to fully understand how the Library and curses worked but the world is fairly straightforward and easy to grasp.

This is a three chili pepper read IMO. I just rate with my heart! It has a few detailed scenes but they aren’t super kinky or too wild. It does rate higher on the blood and gore side, it has scenes of torture and injuries and of course, TONS of emotional trauma and devastation. It is very high stakes.

I very much enjoyed reading this book, it was a little on the longer side but I couldn’t put it down. It has some of my favorite microtropes. I love MMC who secretly do little things for the FMC. Such as bringing her tea in the morning or supplying her with books because she misses reading and her library. Was it perfection? No, there were a few wording phrases, descriptions and dialogue missteps that I hope will be edited but it didn’t bother me tremendously. I read very quickly and am pretty forgiving, especially for book 1 of the series. But I enjoyed it enough that I would read it again and I will be continuing the series!

[♡︎.ᐟજ⁀➴ Erie]

💃🏻📚✨ 4.25 Stars ✨📚💅🏻

Thank you to Atria for the ARC! 💜

Okay but a magical library filled with curses? A warrior librarian? A banished fae with secrets? Alexandra Christo knew exactly what she was doing when she handed me this premise. 😌📖✨

Cursekeeper pulled me in immediately. The Library of Curses is such a fun concept and honestly one of the most unique fantasy settings I've read in a while. Millions of dangerous curses locked away, Scions sworn to protect them, and then absolute chaos when everything goes wrong? Sign me up. 💃🏻📚🔥

Thalia was exactly the kind of heroine I enjoy reading about. She's capable, stubborn, loyal, and willing to throw herself headfirst into danger for the people she loves. Her relationship with her brother was one of my favorite parts of the story and gave the stakes real emotional weight. ❤️

And then there's Soren. 👀

Because of course there's a cursed, dangerous, morally questionable fae warrior lurking around looking all mysterious.

The banter between Thalia and Soren was easily one of the highlights for me. The tension was tensioning. 💅🏻🔥 Their dynamic kept me turning pages, and while I wouldn't necessarily call it the slowest slow burn ever written, I was fully invested in watching them dance around their feelings.

The worldbuilding was strong without feeling overwhelming, and the mystery surrounding the stolen curses, missing brother, and hidden agendas kept me engaged throughout. There were several twists that landed well for me, and by the final chapters I was flying through pages because I needed answers.

Now, was every reveal completely shocking? Not always. There were a few moments where I suspected where things were heading, and the pacing occasionally slowed in the middle. But honestly? I was having too much fun to care very much. 🤷🏻‍♀️✨

What really worked was the atmosphere. This book feels like classic romantasy comfort food. Curses. Fae. Secrets. Betrayals. Dangerous attraction. A heroine discovering the truth about her world while falling for someone she probably shouldn't trust. It's a recipe that works for a reason. 😍

📚 What you'll find:
✨ Magical library
🖤 Cursed artifacts
🔥 Fallen fae MMC
⚔️ Action and mystery
💃🏻 Strong heroine
💕 Banter and romance
👀 Secrets on secrets on secrets

The ending absolutely has me ready for book two because I need answers and closure immediately. Alexandra Christo once again proved why she's an auto-read author for me.

If you loved To Kill a Kingdom, enjoy romantasy with strong worldbuilding, or just want to spend time in a library that's significantly more dangerous than your local one, definitely pick this up. 📚✨🖤

[Beth]

Thank you so much to Atria Books for the physical ARC and NetGalley for the e-copy of Cursekeeper! I had such a fun time getting lost in this dark, dangerous world of curses, fae, magic, and betrayals.

Cursekeeper is the first book in the Library of Fallen Souls series, and it sets up what feels like a much bigger story to come. This is a dark, high-stakes romantasy with a strong warrior FMC, a powerful fae prince, deadly curses, magic, and a library filled with cursed books. The concept of a library created to house books containing curses was one of my favorite parts of the worldbuilding.

Tropes & vibes:
✨ Dark romantasy
✨ Dual POV
✨ Slow-burn romance
✨ Human warrior FMC x Powerful fae prince MMC
✨ Fae magic, curses & cursed books
✨ Sibling bonds

I really enjoyed Thalia and Soren together. Their romance is definitely a slow burn and there is plenty of tension between them. I also really enjoyed the dual POV. Getting both Thalia's and Soren's perspectives added depth to their relationship.

The sibling relationships were another part of the story that stood out to me. There is clearly a lot of history and complicated feelings between them, and while I enjoyed those relationships, I also felt like there is still quite a bit we haven't uncovered yet. I'm hoping the future books dig deeper into that history because there definitely seems to be more beneath the surface.

The pacing worked well for me, and I never felt like the story dragged. There was always something happening, whether it was dealing with curses, uncovering secrets, navigating a villain, or watching Thalia and Soren's relationship slowly develop.

An area where I wanted a little more clarity was the villains and the larger conflict. At times, I wasn't completely sure who the main threat was supposed to be, and it felt like that changed throughout the story. That said, since this is the first book in a series, I'm hoping some of those questions are intentionally being saved for future installments.

Overall, Cursekeeper was an entertaining start to what looks like a promising dark romantasy series. I loved the cursed books, the library, the warrior FMC, and especially the slow-burn dynamic between Thalia and Soren. There are definitely unanswered questions going into the next book, and I'm curious to see how the world, the sibling relationships, and the larger conflict develop.

If you love dark romantasy, fae princes, strong warrior heroines, magic, library of curses, slow-burn romance, and plenty of secrets, add Cursekeeper to your TBR! 🖤
4.5 stars!

[Felixe Cameron]

Advance copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Thalia is a Scion, a human with Fae blood tasked with defending the library of curses. One night, the library gets attacked, some of its curses stolen and its scions killed. Thalia's brother gets kidnapped as well, so she sets off to find him and the missing curses. In the fashion of a typical romantasy MC, she proceeds to find this Super Handsome Fae Guy, Soren. What happens next isn't too hard to guess. They form an "uneasy" alliance to find the culprit of the attack. Cue the instalove romance.


This book is kind of hard to review. On one hand, I really liked the concept and characters, but on the other, it's actually every other romantasy under the guise of an original magic system.

Thalia is your typical perpetually angry FMC, badass until she enters the proximity of Soren, the Very Handsome Love Interest, who has absolutely nothing original about him. Sarcastic? Check. Tragic backstory? Check. Very Handsome and Special and Strong and Powerful? Check.
Because they were so incredibly clichéd I didn't connect with them as much as I would have liked, but I still liked them. I liked the side characters a lot more, though, especially Soren's brothers. Astir was great, and Oriel is what made this book three stars. Thank you, Oriel. Your sarcasm was a definite highlight of this book.

The world building was fine, if a bit underdeveloped. Thalia made multiple references to her Scion powers, but I didn't see much evidence of her powers. As far as the Fae's powers went they were pretty well explained, though sometimes the explanations were a little vague.

Since this is romantasy, I suppose I should talk about the romance part. This, I'm sad to say, was the main weak point of the book. Soren and Thalia had zero chemistry or relationship development, one second hating each other, the next thinking about how much they would like to kiss eack other. After about two days, Soren decides to nickname Thalia Goddess, and she's apparently okay with that despite having met the guy two days ago.

But I'm making it sound as if I hated this book. Which I didn't, not at all. All the characters, even the ones who just appeared for a bit of time were interesting, and I didn't dislike any of them. Except the villains, I guess, but that's kind of the point. Also, the book was fast paced, never boring, so I was able to read it for long periods of time.

All in all, a solid read.

[Yolanda]

Cursekeeper is emotionally brutal in the best way possible, and if you’re even thinking about picking it up, just know you need to prepare yourself. This book will hurt you, and you will thank it for it.

I don’t even know where to start because there is so much to love, but the premise alone had me hooked. Thalia, a mortal, is tasked with guarding a library full of curses, which is just as fascinating as it sounds. These aren’t just objects sitting on shelves, they’re dangerous, and tied to a world much bigger than she is. Then she meets Soren, a Fallen Fae cursed to the mortal realm, and because of a series of events I refuse to spoil, the two are forced into an uneasy alliance. What starts as reluctant cooperation slowly turns into something much deeper, layered with tension, distrust, and moments of connection that felt completely earned.

The characters are where this book truly shines. Alexandra Christo has created characters that feel real and complex. Thalia is strong but not unbreakable, determined but still vulnerable in ways that make her incredibly relatable. Soren is exactly the kind of morally gray character I love, guarded, sharp, and carrying more weight than he lets on. Watching their dynamic evolve was one of my favorite parts of the book. Their banter is quick and clever, but it’s also balanced with quieter moments that give you insight into who they really are.

And the side characters? Just as well done. No one feels like background noise. Each character has their own motivations, their own voice, and their own role to play in the story. It makes the world feel full and alive, like everything matters.

Speaking of the world, the world-building is fantastic. It’s introduced gradually, woven into the story instead of dumped all at once, so you’re constantly learning without ever feeling overwhelmed. The magic system, the curses, the different layers of this world, it all unfolds naturally and keeps you engaged the entire time.

And that ending…

I am not okay. I genuinely wish I had waited to read this because now I need the next book immediately. The emotional damage is real, and I am absolutely not prepared to sit here patiently.

This book is immersive, character-driven, and full of quiet devastation. I loved every second of it.

[Anna ☆]

Thank you to Atria Books for the eARC!

Thalia Marrow is a Scion, a guard specially trained and sworn t0 protect the magical Library of Curses. The Library holds books filled with demon and fae made curses, and is the main source of power the human kingdoms can hold over the fae. While a peace treaty shakily keeps war between the human and fae at bay, a rebel sect of fae known as The Fallen are still considered a threat and are hunted by the Scions. One night, the Library is attacked and ransacked, leaving nearly every Scion of the library dead and Thalia's dear brother, Evren missing. Thalia manages to seriously injure a Fallen inside the Library and ends up following his bloody trail through the heart of the Dels. At the end of the trail she meets Soren, shunned by fae society and who's curse resides within the Library. With no other choice, Thalia and Soren team up. Thalia wishes to find out who attacked her library and took her brother and in return, she'll steal and destroy the book which holds Soren's curse. As things begin to be uncovered, it becomes more apparent that not everything is as it seems and a dark conspiracy is at play that Thalia has no other choice but to help thwart.

I had a lot of fun with this one! I really enjoyed the world and thought the concept of warrior librarians guarding a cursed library was SO cool. The fae of this world have a unique twist as well with them being sort of similar to vampires, but instead of blood they are able to feast off of human emotions in order to regain or amplify their powers. I ended up rather liking Thalia as a main character as well. She's strong, determined, cares deeply for her brother, and has a lot of quips that I found amusing. While I did enjoy Soren as a character, he tends to follow a lot of the typical trends that are common in romantasy nowadays and he didn't stand out much to me. This book actually tends to follow a lot of romantasy tropes not just with Soren, and I felt it hurt how unique of a world and premise is here. Luckily, there is still plenty unique things to enjoy that still make for a very fun journey. I originally went into this thinking it may be a standalone, but with that ending I think it's fairly clear this will at least be a duology. All in all, if you're a big fan of the romantasy genre, this'll be a great book for you and I recommend you pick it up!

[Alyssa]

2.5 stars, rounding up to 3. There were definitely things I liked about Cursekeeper, but the slow and inconsistent pacing ultimately kept me from loving it.

First, I really appreciated that the FMC is 25 and a more mature heroine. She's highly skilled, capable, and isn't immediately intimidated by the terrifying, powerful immortal warrior MMC just because he's dangerous. I enjoyed the dynamic between them, forced alliance gradually becoming something more.

And, a sentient library?! I love that concept and I wanted MORE of the library, its magic, its secrets, and how it came to be.

While this may be an unfair comparison (I was reading the physical copy of Steelborn while also reading this ebook), the first 30% of this story gave me MAJOR Steelborn vibes. A morally gray FMC, a powerful cursed immortal male warrior, reluctant allies, hidden magic, political factions, a mystery to unravel, a MMC who needs something from the FMC, and a heroine whose motivation is ultimately tied to saving her brother(s). There were a lot of elements in Cursekeeper that felt very derivative, even though these books were written/published around the same time. I had trouble remembering which book I was reading, and ultimately enjoyed Steelborn more.

Honestly, I might have been able to move past the repetitive tropes and familiar storyline of this book if it wasn't for the slow and inconsistent pacing. This reminded me a LOT of Rain of Shadows and Endings in the worst possible way. There was just SO much talking.

Talking about the mystery.
Talking about what they should do.
Talking around information.
Arguing.
Bickering.
Tension.
More talking.
And then somehow we're having another conversation about something we already talked about three chapters ago.

At a certain point I was sitting there like: PLEASE. JUST. DO. SOMETHING. The frustrating part is that the book has all the ingredients that should make it really exciting.... I just wanted the story to move through those things instead of constantly discussing them.

Great premise. Borderline interesting characters. Sentient library left me wanting more. But please give me more ACTION and less talking about the action. I was so bored, I will not purchase this book or continue on if this becomes a series. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book.

[Dasha]

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC.

Sooo... This is the most average romantasy book you could find. DNF at exactly 50%.

TL;DR:
- Cliché "badass" FMC
- Unrealistic relationship dynamics (too quick for 0 reasons)
- Promising fantasy plot, but there's little of it
- There is spice, and likely a lot of it in the parts I haven't read

This one looked very promising and I really wanted to love it, but I quite literally fell asleep with my PocketBook in my hands right at the start of the first sex scene. This is how bored I was. I am 100% sure there will be (and already are) people who love it, but for me it was too unrealistic and... immature, perhaps?

The start of the book is very slow with lots of infodumping that interrupts dialogues and action happening in the story. I hoped it would get better, and it kinda did at first, but then all my hopes deflated at quite honestly the most unbelievable romance dynamics between the main characters.

MMC starts calling the FMC "Little Goddess" on the second day of their acquaintance. We all know where this is going, right? There was little to none bonding/soul-pouring or any life-changing events in the two weeks they knew each other, at the end of which he claims that she is "sacred". What the heck happened? Does this ever happen in real life? Maybe between 12-year-old children it does, but with a centuries-old fae? I would've laughed the man in the face and would be wondering what kind of scam he's planning against me if that happened in real life, and I'm 22.

The FMC is also a very cliché "badass" sassy girl of 25 who sounds like she's a 15-year-old teen. Little to add here, you all know the type.

The fantasy plot could be promising, but it's all in the background in this book and I doubt it will change in the remaining 50%. This is primarily a Romance novel, fantasy plays a very small role here.

Overall, this is a book that takes everything happening in the mainstream Romantasy novels and averages it down to what we can read here. Won't say I don't recommend it to anyone. I can see how some people might enjoy it, so if my review didn't turn you down, go ahead and read it.

[Selah]

Thalia is a Scion, tasked with protecting a mythical library that contains the original copies of all the curses in the world. When the library is ransacked and curses are stolen she finds herself making a bargain with a renegade Fae named Soren. If he helps her track down whoever attacked the library she'll destroy the book that contains his own mysterious curse.

I enjoyed this one. The romance was spicy with a good amount of tension and banter; it moves pretty fast for the first book in a series but that's not a detraction. It was great to read a book where the romance didn't move at a slow pace and avoided feeling insta-lovey at the same time. I could see Thalia and Soren falling for each other instead of just being told that the feelings were there, which is my number one requirement for a Good Romance.

I've always enjoyed Alexandra Christo's world-building and Cursekeeper is no exception. I love that we find out more about the world naturally, over the course of the story; no giant info dumps here. I feel like there will be more to uncover about the world in coming books. I would've liked to learn a bit more about the library itself but that's a minor quibble. We have a world full of Humans, Fae, Demons, Gods and Goddesses, Magic, Curses and even Dragons, and I loved it.

One thing I loved is that the book puts a lot of emphasis on the love and bonds between siblings, highlighting how important they are and how deep that love can go. It's nice to see representation of relationships in a Romantasy book outside of romantic ones. Both Thalia and Soren have deep love for their siblings and it's one of the things that creates a strong compatibility between our two main leads.

I loved the overarching plot here, it's suspenseful and engaging and it kept me guessing for most of the book. I did figure out some of the twists before they happened but some truly caught me off guard and I loved that. The ending cliffhanger is a little diabolical but it's a perfect setup for the next book, which I will be reading when it comes out. Four stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this book before its publication date.

[Ashley | A Pair of Readers]

Alexandra Christo -- I see what you are doing there -- delivering me this fun, new fae fantasy romance. This new trilogy definitely has me intrigued. I loved the concept of a world where humans, fae, and other magical beings excited in a tenuous harmony on the brink of explosion. I also really liked the backstory of the fallen -- the fae that waged a failed coup and were banished from their court. It was an interesting twist!

I really enjoyed the library setting of this book as well as the portrayal of Thalia (FMC) in the role as Library Scion. Thalia's fierceness has been built over her family's reputation and her own childhood issues. She is stubborn, salty, and sassy. I think it played so perfectly in introducing us to this world of the Cursekeeper -- especially as she needs all those traits to survive. I also think Alexandra did a great job of creating a flawed, but growing character in Talia. She has some learning to do across the board and I loved watching that develop throughout the course of the book. I am also intrigued to what the character development bloom even more in book two!

I also loved the twists and turns in this book -- some that you see coming, some that are tragic and a couple that will have you speed reading to the end of the chapter. The author sets up this world feeding you little nuggets and pieces of information, while drawing you in. Some of it might seem familiar, but I think Alexandra has more in store for us now that she has established this dangerous world our characters exist in and I am excited to see how she flips some of this familiarity on its head in book two.

And I cannot forget about some of our other characters, including MMC - Soren. Oh he is fun. Mysterious, morally tinged, and sexy -- Alexandra delivers us an devious but emotional charged MMC that will sympathizing with his story. He is another one I cannot wait to see more of in book 2! And of course, the side characters -- because books are made on side characters. My favorite is Oriel -- the Prince of High Spring -- who has the quips, but is also well rounded as a character. I must protect him at all costs.

Overall, Alexandra has a fan in me with this book and I am excited to see where this all goes next!

4.5/5

[Nicole (literary_nics)]

A library full of curses, a banished Fae with a grudge and a librarian who fights with her fists. I was never going to stay calm about this.

Thalia Morrow is a Scion. She was forged (literally, at a place called the Forge) into a warrior librarian whose whole job is guarding the Library of Curses. Then an unsettling Fae visitor turns up and the Library gets ransacked. Curses go missing. Her brother is taken by demons. Suddenly Thalia is one of the last Scions left alive, and her only lead is Soren: cursed, banished from the Fae world and very much out for vengeance. So they make a deal. He helps her track down the stolen curses and her brother, and she helps break the curse on him. Very professional. Very transactional. Nobody is catching feelings in the treacherous city of Delfs while hunting something called the Lighteater. (Everybody is catching feelings in Delfs.)

Where this book shines is the premise. Curses as catalogued, shelved, guarded objects that turn into weapons the second they get loose is a delicious idea, and Christo builds the whole world around it. Thalia isn't a damsel who knows a few spells. She's a trained soldier with a library card, and her protectiveness over her brother drives every choice she makes. It gives the plot real teeth. Soren is brooding in the way that actually earns it: the more you learn about his bloody past, the more the "tense alliance" part of this tense alliance makes sense. The yearning is the main event. It builds through bickering, reluctant trust and so many almost-moments that I started taking it personally. Christo has always been great at sharp, witty dialogue (hi, To Kill a Kingdom), and it carries over beautifully to adult romantasy.

✨ Trope Chaos Check ✨
✨ Enemies to lovers (reluctant allies who absolutely do not trust each other, at first)
✨ The bargain: you break my curse, I find your brother
✨ Cursed, banished Fae with a vengeance agenda and a past
✨ Warrior librarian FMC (the dream career, honestly the only career)
✨ Sister on a rescue mission for her missing brother
✨ Yearning so thick you could shelve it
✨ Demon-haunted city of Delfs + a big bad called the Lighteater

★★★★ A cursed library, a banished Fae and a heroine who'd burn the realm down for her brother. Book two can't come fast enough.

Thank you to Atria Books for the ARC and for trusting me with a library full of curses. I'll be returning my library card never.

[Cheryl Farrell]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Cursekeeper" by Alexandra Christo is a book I can see becoming the next big hit. Thalia is fun, hardworking, resilient and strong. Soren is a troubled, misguided, mysterious fae warrior. We follow their journey to uncovering the secrets that is threatening to tear their worlds apart.

What I liked best about this story was the way that it unraveled. There's alot of times where I can see what's going to happen next (and I still enjoy the journey) but some of the twists really surprised me here. There were scenes where I had to stop reading to handle a real life situation and caught myself still thinking about the book and what was going to happen next. Alexandra has a lovely flow to her writing, I never felt like I found a good place to pause, and I loved the way that she built the world through alot of conversation. Like uncovering alot of how the fae world functions by having it talked about by Soren and Thalia. I like the bonds that Soren shares with his brother as well. Alot of times I feel as though books will gloss over characters having eon long relationships, but truthfully I would expect people to forgive almost anything of a sibling they've known for 1000+ years!

The reason I knocked off a star is because although I enjoyed the buildup of tension I found how quickly Thalia gave into her feelings for Soren to be unrealistic to the character casting that was given to her. In the beginning of the novel she HATES fae and then within a few weeks/ months she starts to fall in love with him? I understand she starts to see the way she's been brainwashed but it still feels too rushed and I think them getting together at the end of the book would be more satisfying. I also don't like the trope that once they sleep together once they both become obsessed with sex and think of it constantly. They are in the library (snuck in actually!!) as fugitives and on a serious time crunch and thinking about sex. Just blegh.

Overall I'm looking forward to what comes next and will definitely be keeping an eye on this author. I think people are going to eat this up

[Nicole V]

*I read this book as an ARC Reader exchanging an early read for a review but I try to give my most honest opinions*

A book about a warrior librarian and a fae prince? A WARRIOR LIBRARIAN?! I mean what more could you ask for in a romantasy? This book delivered, gave me tingles and gets five stars from me.

✹☽ synopsis ✹☽
Thalia, the warrior librarian, must partner with her Fae enemy, The Prince of Winter, to find her kidnapped brother and stolen books filled with curses that could destroy her world.

✹☽ spice level 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
Thalia and Soren’s chemistry is off the charts in this book. In this enemies to lovers novel, the author gives us the tension needed between both characters and perfects this trope as Thalia starts to realize that her enemy is not the monster she believed. Once you get halfway, you’ll get all the scenes involving bookcases your dirty mind can conjure.

✹☽ obsessing over ✹☽
Ok this book is GOOD. The romance between Thalia and Soren is steamy. The warrior librarian is a feisty blade, wielding heroine. The plot twists of courtly intrigue keeps coming. It’s truly got everything you want in a great start to a series and I cannot wait for the sequel.

✹☽ could’ve been better ✹☽
Some parts of the plot are a little confusing and complicated. The story reveals itself in layers and you have to pay a little more attention in order to realize the depth of the plot twists.

✹☽ character development ✹☽
I loved the whole cast of characters, especially Soren. His backstory has beautiful depth and sorrow woven into it. Thalia is also a fierce, badass heroine who would do anything to save her brother. The supporting cast of characters fills in the story with excellent dialogue and tells a story of friendship and family.

✹☽ world and story ✹☽
Fantastical. We have underground fae palaces and different realms of fae, humans and demons. The story itself is fast-paced and action packed, with all scenes actually furthering along the plot. I loved the sentient library and all the seasonal palaces within the book.

[The Fabled Librarian🖤]

I went into Cursekeeper by Alexandra Christo thinking “okay, warrior librarian + fae prince… I’m listening 👀”—and somehow still wasn’t prepared for how hard this book would hook me.

First of all, a WARRIOR. LIBRARIAN. Thalia is out here shelving cursed books by day and slicing through enemies by night, all while trying to find her kidnapped brother. Enter Soren, the broody Winter Prince she absolutely should not trust—and yet… the tension? IMMACULATE. This is enemies-to-lovers done right: sharp banter, slow-burn suspicion, and that delicious moment where “I hate you” quietly turns into “oh no.”

And when I say chemistry? I mean bookcase-related life choices will be made. 📚🔥

What really sold me though is how much this book packs in. You’ve got:
✨ A sentient library full of cursed books
✨ Underground fae palaces (yes, plural)
✨ Court politics and betrayals layered like emotional damage cake
✨ A fast-paced plot that just keeps twisting

The world-building is rich and a little chaotic in the best way—like you’re constantly uncovering new rules, new histories, new secrets. It does ask you to pay attention (this is not a “skim and vibe” read), but the payoff? Worth it.

Soren deserves his own paragraph because WOW. That man is carrying angst, guilt, and hidden softness like it’s a full-time job. Meanwhile, Thalia is fierce, stubborn, and just impulsive enough to make you yell at the page—but you’ll love her for it anyway.

Are there moments where the plot gets a little tangled? Sure. Some side characters blur together, and you might occasionally flip back like “wait… who just died?” But honestly? I was too busy having fun to care.

This isn’t just another fae romantasy clone—it carves out its own space with a fresh premise (cursed books that only affect fae?? obsessed) and delivers a story that feels both familiar and new.

Final verdict:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A twisty, steamy, banter-filled ride with a stabby librarian and a morally conflicted prince. Add to your TBR immediately—and I’ll be waiting (impatiently) for book