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Cursed: Black Swan
“Let’s get one thing straight—I’m a fixer. You need someone murdered? Then hire an assassin. You need something stolen? Call a thief. But if there’s something no one else can do, or a job that no one else wants, then you talk to me.”
Nathaniel specializes in the strange, the weird, and the dangerous. But no matter how far he runs, he can’t leave behind his bloody past, nor the ghosts that chase him.
His latest job was supposed to be simple—recover the sword Black Swan. Except there’s no such thing as a simple job. When the operation goes bad, the Crucifiers, the Crooked Hand, assassins, and Crusaders are all hot on Nathaniel’s trail...for a sword he doesn’t even have. All he has to do to get it back and set his world right is to find the woman of his dreams... and kill her.
Nathaniel specializes in the strange, the weird, and the dangerous. But no matter how far he runs, he can’t leave behind his bloody past, nor the ghosts that chase him.
His latest job was supposed to be simple—recover the sword Black Swan. Except there’s no such thing as a simple job. When the operation goes bad, the Crucifiers, the Crooked Hand, assassins, and Crusaders are all hot on Nathaniel’s trail...for a sword he doesn’t even have. All he has to do to get it back and set his world right is to find the woman of his dreams... and kill her.
306 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2015
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392 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 13, 2016
Really enjoyed the noir gritty feel of it. Bit puzzled by the ending -- I wanted more explanation of what it all meant, but that's just me. Still a great read, regardless.
February 17, 2017
An exciting read - loved it from beginning to end. McFadden builds an interesting, unique, and gritty world. The anti-hero was surprisingly likeable in his humanity despite his penchant for killing as part of his work as a "fixer" - his character pulled me in. And the secret living inside him was fascinating. A must read.
May 31, 2016
From the moment I opened this book, I was hooked. The character is a sarcastic "fixer" with a predisposition for killing--not quite an assassin, but definitely on the wrong side of the law.
The story got my attention immediately. It was incredibly well-written, free of the grammar and punctuation errors that drive me up the wall, and overall a very solid book. The characters were intriguing, and I LOVED the main character's back story. Truth be told, all his back story (the prison, the life as a prince, etc.) would make one heck of a series. But as a standalone book, it's truly a fascinating read.
My only complaint is with the ending of the book. After the massive build-up of the character, the cursed sword, and the villain, I was sorely disappointed with the climax and the way the author chose to end the story. What started out as a book focused entirely on the main character and his story ended up with a "save the world" plotline that I didn't like. Not that it wasn't well-written, just not how I wanted to see the story end.
Anyone who enjoys the grimdark/dark fantasy genre will love this story!
The story got my attention immediately. It was incredibly well-written, free of the grammar and punctuation errors that drive me up the wall, and overall a very solid book. The characters were intriguing, and I LOVED the main character's back story. Truth be told, all his back story (the prison, the life as a prince, etc.) would make one heck of a series. But as a standalone book, it's truly a fascinating read.
My only complaint is with the ending of the book. After the massive build-up of the character, the cursed sword, and the villain, I was sorely disappointed with the climax and the way the author chose to end the story. What started out as a book focused entirely on the main character and his story ended up with a "save the world" plotline that I didn't like. Not that it wasn't well-written, just not how I wanted to see the story end.
Anyone who enjoys the grimdark/dark fantasy genre will love this story!
August 16, 2016
This was a really enjoyable book. The main character was sharp and tough, and unexpected in many ways. The setting evoked Lies of Locke Lamora on many occasions for me, which is wonderful because I really enjoyed that book and haven't found many like it. I would love to see more of this world in the future. The book left me with a lot of intriguing questions and a great many hopes for where it might go next.
Totally worth the read.
Totally worth the read.
November 10, 2015
A world as dangerous as it is exciting. A hero with an unforgiving past who commits crimes for a living. A fast paced action adventure with plenty of twists and turns. A real page turner with plenty to please and surprise.
October 28, 2015
I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of this book and highly recommend it! Engaging characters, a unique world and excellent writing. Get it now!
April 27, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this.
October 28, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyable book! I found myself unable to put the book down and read it all in a day!! The main character was engaging and funny ( even though he didn't always mean to be) and had a dark and girttty edge to him too. A great read for anyone who enjoys a swashbuckling adventure that has a dark and twisted love story mixed in.
March 1, 2016
Gritty world-building and lots of action. A heist job to steal an epic magic sword --the Black Swan of the title--goes badly wrong and leaves Nathan scrambling to get it back. Some amusing bits, some gory bits. What I liked most and kept me turning pages was the mystery of The Dark, a lethal force which resides inside of Nathan and is always trying to get out...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews