Curse of a Name

by Xenatine

437 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2026

Reviews

[Christine Manzari]

PERFECT FOR FANS OF:
• Enemies-to-Lovers
• Forced Proximity
• Deadly Trials
• Magic and Mayhem
• "Who did this to you?"
• Found Family
• Strong FMC
• Elemental Magic

[Chelsea Drumm]

I enjoyed so many aspects of this book! Jumping back and forth from present day to life in the past with her family helped me both feel connected with characters she was meeting and learning to trust currently but also feel the bond Jynx has with people we don't get to see in the present day but who make up such a big part of who Jynx is as a person. I really enjoyed the magic system in this book. The idea of another person being able to hold and wield another person's power (and therefore hold power over them) is so interesting to think about from a magic perspective, but also the political ramifications of controlling a group of people that way. The romance had some decent chemistry and tension between the MCs and was mostly fun to follow. I like cliffhanger endings that leave me demanding for the next book (and answers!) which this book had, but the ending felt strange to me, finishing one trial, but still ending in the middle of a competition. This was overall an entertaining read! Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

[Entisar Ali]

3.5 stars rounded up
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
An intriguing dark fantasy built around a compelling premise: Emberlings enslaved for their fire magic, auctioned off, and forced to fight for survival. Jynx's voice is sharp and emotionally raw, and the world building around the Emberling lore and brutal gladiator tournament feels detailed and well realized. Her dynamic with Bastian develops with a natural, competitive edge, balanced by unexpected moments of softness that give their bond some real texture. The pacing and character development don't always match the strength of the premise, and the emotional payoff doesn't fully land. Jynx occasionally leans into familiar not like other girls territory. Still, this offers an atmospheric read with a strong voice and an inventive magic system worth exploring.

[Timitra]

Rated 3.5 Stars

Curse of a Name was an interesting and intriguing read. There was action and adventure galore. I loved the whole Emberling thing, the magic system, the world and the social construct. However, the info dumping was a bit much even with it being told as stories it became tiresome after a while. The characters were ok for me. I liked Jynx but found her a bit immature at times. As for Bastian I'm still on the fence about him. I'm not too sure how I feel about the budding romance between them but what I'm sure about is wanting to read the next book as I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. I didn't love, love it with it but I enjoyed it.


Copy provided by publisher through NetGalley

[Lissa G]

Unfortunately, Curse of a Name ended up being a DNF for me. I made it nearly halfway through, but I found myself struggling to stay invested in the story and ultimately wasn't feeling enough of a connection to the characters or the overall direction to keep going.

There are some interesting ideas here, particularly the concept of the Emberlings, their magic, and the gladiator tournament, but the execution just wasn't pulling me in the way I had hoped. At 46%, I felt like I was forcing myself to continue rather than genuinely wanting to know what happened next.

This wasn't necessarily a case of the book being bad—it just wasn't working for me right this moment. DNF for now at 46%.

[Sarah Friedt]

I absolutely loved this book! The yearning and found-family vibes were completely addictive and had me wanting to keep reading nonstop. 🥹

And the chemistry between Jynx and Bastian?! Top tier. Their banter was so good, and I was eating up every interaction between them. 🔥

The little glimpses into Jynx’s past also gave her character so much more depth and helped me understand who she is and why she is the way she is. It honestly made me love her even more. She’s such a strong FMC, and I can’t wait to see how her story continues to unfold.

Now I just need the next book ASAP because I am not ready to leave this world yet! 😭📖

[Josephine Larkspur]

3.5, but rounded up,

I was lucky to get to read this book due to NetGalley, but it was mainly because I felt like I had become a little narrow-minded with my choices, so I tried to go back to my roots. This was not my sort of book, but despite that, this is a very well-written book for people it suits. The voice of Jynx is fantastic, and there are so many times when I was reading this book and I had to put it down because I almost felt too much. If I read this book ten years ago, I would have given it a 5/5, but unfortunately I am a little more broken. I skipped a few bits, but the list of trigger warnings (which I really appreciated) meant that I was prepared going into this book.

This book does wonders at creating the world, setting up the lore, and has fantastic description work. The relationship between Jynx and Bastian was natural; they had a bit of a competitive edge to them, which read well, but Bastian had his soft moments. Jynx was a tad too much like 'I'm not like other girls' for me, but that has become a little normalised in this genre.

I would recommend this book, but it's probably not a book I will re-read or carry on with the rest of the series but that's because it's just not for me.

[Helen]

The relationship between Jynx and Bastian was a bit much.

Overall, This wasn't a bad read—it simply never reached the emotional payoff I was looking for. The ideas behind the story are compelling, but I found myself wanting stronger character development and a smoother execution to fully bring them to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Chloe]

I love the way this book is written. The overall flow is very addicting even when there isn’t action 🥳 All the characters are so fun and unique I just want to give all of them a little kiss ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️