The Third Curse

The Knights of Caerleon #2

by Claire Luana, Jesikah Sundin

Five cursed knights. A dying land. An enchanted bowl shrouded in myth and legend.

Irish warrior and fifth knight Fionna Allán agonizes over an impossible choice. Either she saves her father and sister by betraying the three knights and king she loves, or she chooses her heart and dooms her family to death. Determined to find another way, Fionna strikes a bargain with Arthur Pendragon. She’ll join his Grail Quest in exchange for his promise to ransom her family.

Arthur is convinced that Fionna is a key to finding the legendary Grail. The mythical bowl is the Kingdom of Caerleon’s only hope to break Morgan la Fay’s curse, the dark spell now sickening Arthur’s people and withering his green lands. But the Grail will not yield its secrets easily. To find the relic, the five knights must undertake a perilous journey to the Scoti Kingdom of Alba and into the depths of the misty Otherworld and beyond.

Each knight’s honor will be tested—and so will their hearts—as Arthur, Lancelot, Galahad, and Percival’s love for their fifth knight grows more entangled by the day. But no trial shakes their tightening bonds more than an unexpected discovery. A third curse. A truth so devastating, the revelation may tear them apart and grant Morgan la Fay the power she craves over Caerleon and all of Briton.

The Third Curse is an Arthurian Legend Reverse Harem Romance of betrayal and fated love.

Suitable for readers aged 18+

Genres: Reverse Harem, Fantasy, Fae, Romance, Medieval, Magic, Royalty

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2018

About the author

Claire Luana grew up reading everything she could get her hands on and writing every chance she could. Eventually, adulthood won out, and she turned her writing talents to more scholarly pursuits, going to work as a commercial litigation attorney at a mid-sized law firm. While continuing to practice law, Claire decided to return to her roots and try her hand once again at creative writing.

She has written and published five series, the Moonburner Cycle, the Confectioner Chronicles, the Mythical Alliance, the Knights of Caerleon, with Jesikah Sundin, and the Faerie Race, with J.A. Armitage. She lives in Cle Elum, Washington with her husband and two dogs. In her (little) remaining spare time, she loves to hike, travel, binge-watch CW shows, and of course, fall into a good book.

Check her out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/claireluana/

Reviews

[*❆ Kαɾҽɳ ❆* · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sequel, now we see the tale of the five brave knights, on their quest to save their land, break the curses and find the Holy Grail

Fiona and the four knights are now on a quest, but it will take them a lot of courage to battle the forces that they are faced with, including their desire for their fair and beautiful knight, especially Lancelot

With a curse so deep that hangs over Lancelot, will he ever feel true love once again with anyone?
And what of Fiona's family? Will she ever see them safe again?

You will just have to get your hands on this series and find out! You'll love every moment, especially the steamy ones ;)

Received a copy from the authors themselves, for an honest review, thank you!

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Third Curse!

I never thought I would enjoy books like this, but they really have a little bit of everything. Faerie curses, celtic legends, funny and personable knights...and this book turned up the heat in the harem quite a bit! I also enjoyed the banter between the characters. Even though it has been a few months since I read the first book, I was able to catch up pretty easily.

I would recommend for anyone 18+ who is looking for a fun twist on the Grail quest

[Alex (HEABookNerd)]

DNF @ 50%

Everything was going great in THE THIRD CURSE until two of the guys slept with other women. Yes, it's personal preference but I don't like it when an MC sleeps with someone else after getting involved with the love interest.

I could maybe make myself move past it for Lancelot because he's only shared a brief kiss with the heroine due to his curse and he's pretty antagonistic toward Fionna; though he has sex with the other woman mostly to make Fionna jealous and I don't really like those kinds of games. But Perceval has kissed Fionna a bunch and even watched her and Galahad have sex (Percival has to remain a virgin until they find the holy grail) and he joined in with some touching. He's even stated that he loves Fionna so why in the hell would he fool around with another woman, kissing her and making her come??? And then afterward he tells Fionna it was just some fun and didn't mean anything because she's the only woman he wants. Yeah not interested in excuses.

I had high hopes for this series because I really enjoyed book 1 and book 2 was gearing up to be really great but I just can't.

[Becky Moynihan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The steam-o-meter crept up a few degrees in this book, and so did my affection for each knight!
I loved the quest they went on to find the Grail, so full of action, adventure, and mystery. There was one part in particular that had me in stitches though. I seriously didn't want the scene to end! One minute the mood is somber and poetic, the next whimsical and downright silly. Loved it!
Fionna is the type of heroine I can root for with her equal bouts of strength and weakness that make her human and relatable. Same with the knights. Also, can Percy get any more adorable?
The Third Curse is a romping ride through rolling countryside, magical worlds, and twisted sheets.

[♡ Rosella Swan ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing from the first book, more depth, plot lines, twists, revelations, bonds. Things heating up even more. Betrayal, feelings, angst, tension, love all was explosive. I loved reading about their journey and quest though that cliffhanger has left me reeling and I'm anxious for an HEA.

[Tyffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire and Jesikah did a fantastic job of continuing their spin on the Arthurian legend. While I do feel like the pacing of this one was a bit slower, for me, the overarching story has me absolutely enthralled and I just LOVE their character cast. Every Knight has his or her own shining (and not so shining) character traits that bring them to life between the pages.

And not just during the spicy bits 😏 Which definitely amped up in this book 😏

Definitely recommend if you want a new take on an old classic, and if you don’t mind heated romance 😏

Tl;dr - A fantastic continuation to this clever reimagining—the colorful characters will drag you eagerly along on another romp through the pages.

[❀ Crystal ✿ - PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well damn I have so many thoughts about this one, I loved it as much as the first and yet again got sucked in and rEad it in a day.Im glad the men especially Arthur have forgiven Fionna for the most part. I’m glad Rh truth about the third curse is out and that Fionna knows the truth of her sister. However I had two issues with this book and one was the broads that pop out of nowhere and make Percival and Lancelot basically cheat on Fionna. Sure their not all 100% committed but wtf, Lancelot fucked one of those chicks and Percival came close (no pun intended). Oh boohoo Lancelot felt bad after the fact, it still happened and I’m really not ok with it. Also I don’t understand how easy it was to manipulate most of them again with fairy magic. They all aside from Galahad were drugged and basically date raped. Not to mention a whole nother book has gone by with Fionna wearing that necklace from the fae, obviously Morgana and no one especially Fionna has mentioned it or tried to remove it. Who knows what that thing is doing or does smh. At least they got the grail but again no one was concerned when the land healed for everyone except when Fionna took a drink. Umm hello, so many glaring issues smacking them in the face and they just go about their day. Lancelot was again a letdown. Sure he can kick some creature butt and put himself in harms way to protect his friends but when push comes to shove he tucks tail and runs. Ughh man up already. At least with the grail being found, it seems like much of the final book will deal with Fionnas connection to the knights and her hidden ancestry and how she is a Gwenvere. While there were parts I didn’t like, I was all over this story and was once again fascinated by this author’s manipulation and creation of her own Arthur and his Knights story. I cannot wait for the final book and would still highly recommend this.

[Tiera McMillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars. As far as continuing the series goes this wasn’t too bad. I do feel like a lot of the plot was filled with a smutfest but we did get plot progression as well as action. Really I feel like this might end up dragging out. It hasn’t started to yet but I can see the beginning signs as more information is introduced more and more problems are introduced as well.

In this 2nd story in the series we journey with our knights and king to retrieve the grail. Instead of just a quick grab and go of course we have to gather 3 artifacts in order to get to the grail. I will say I felt the author did a good job making the characters just “happen” across the artifacts instead of making it a real conscious effort so they were able to pick them up on the way. Our FMC has some secrets tho.. not secrets she is aware of but the guys can see it. It looks like in book 3 we are going to head to research her past as well as hold off Arthur’s sisters evil plans yet again. And we are a man down...

[Raj · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Morgana continues to unfold her evil plan,Lancelot becomes more and more unstable as the third curse tightens like a noose around his neck.Will he bolt to save his fellow knights or are they invincible together.The dark Raven is still controlling every move Arthur's knights make.The next book should be interesting.

[Lana | Libraryofabibliotaph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worthy sequel to the Fifth Knight. The story flows as it should, developing nicely. The quests, the characters, … loved it all. I’m still missing a bit more depth to the characters and story, like I mentioned in my review of book 1. Nevertheless I enjoyed this story a lot, it reads so smoothly! I’ll definitely be picking up more books about Arthurian Legends.

[Amber K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am definitely addicted to this tale!
Arthur & his knight's journey is getting more perilous as they try to save Caerleon and Arthur's kingship. Faced with fae magic, traps & curses, these knights continue to save others along the way. And gain help in their quest also. The audio narration is terrific and a perfect fit! I can't wait to see how this story ends!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. Extremely steamy, and lots of action. This series is really really fantastic and addicting. Some questions were answered, scenes you desperately wanted to see occurred, but still so much left to know and see... the curses are still in effect. I can't wait for book three already!

[Andra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in the Knights of Caerleon series

I'm enjoying the knights in this series on their quest to break a curse while ending on the cusp of a looming war. Along the way many romances and romantic conquests take place with some spice to them. Excited to see how the series concludes in book 3.

Great character development and growth and detailed world building.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Fifth Knight, with great character interactions and a gripping story to follow it along, and I couldn’t wait until the second installment of this Adult Reverse Harem Fantasy! Claire Luana and Jesikah Sundin have done it again, building on the character development and interaction.

Like last time, it follows King Arthur and his knights about a week after the end of The Fifth Knight, reeling from Fionna’s actions. The five knights need to venture for the Holy Grail to reverse the curse on the land before it’s too late. I enjoyed the world building and mythology that appears on this grail quest, which was well thought out and based once again on Arthurian lore. There’s a section at the end of the book which explains a lot of this, and I found it helpful. Once again, there’s enough of a diversion to feel fresh.

Once again, the prose is vivid and flows nicely, a tough job for a collaborated book. I like the pacing, as it switches between action/adventure and the romance and sexy times, which there is a bit more of compared to the first book. The character interactions were again, some of my favorite parts, especially with Lancelot, Fionna and Arthur, with their conflicted feelings on the various curses that inflict them and their land. While they still feel like friends, the tension is dripping between them as the journey continues. The plot is gripping, especially with the twists near the end, when it’s clear that their journey is far from over, and ends on clear cliffhangers.

I’m looking forward to the series conclusion to see how it all plays out. If you are into a sexy fantasy, I highly recommend it.

[Topsues · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book of The Knight Of Caerleon Series continues seamlessly from the end of The Fifth Knight book.1. Fionna has to make the hardest choice of her life. The other 4 knights still reeling from her betrayal. Can they trust her again, will they believe a word she says again.. more importantly can they get her in bed again. She loves them all in different ways, but not all of them are free to love her completely, we find more in-depth reverse haram scenes along with learning more about the characters themselves. Book 2. You ,will also find the battle continues as they fight to save Arthur’s beloved lands and the people in it. They find more monsters to battle than they bargained for as they continue to find the Grail they need to break the curse. As these two authors imaginations interweave, they create a world of legends that is easily envisaged. They give us betrayal, love, loyalty, mystery, mayhem and magic.... these characters are deceived, their lives threatened and loyalties questioned... you will be kept on the edge of your seat, turning the pages as fast as you can, as the anticipation takes over. This series holds your intention from the beginning with the intensity building over and over again... if you like fantasy, Fairytales and the Legend of King Arthur, be prepared for the Claire Luna and Jesikah Sundin twist. You won’t be disappointed. I’m excited to see what happens next. The cliffhanger ending was incredible and shocking. I can’t wait to visit with these knights again

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claire Luana and Jesikah Sundin have produced an “Arthurian Legend Fantasy” in their The Knights of Caerleon series that’s clearly loosely based on the classic myth but is different and highly imaginative. The love of Arthur, Lancelot, Galahad, and Percival’s for Irish warrior Fionna Allán, their fifth knight, is perfectly portrayed in a take that full of adventure, perfect evil (hello Morgan), and great world-building from Caerleon to the Scoti Kingdom of Alba. The Third Curse (Book 2), complete with its eponymous curse, is an epic fantasy adventure that’s a frankly glorious read. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Fantastic Read!

The Third Curse: An Arthurian Legend Fantasy (The Knights of Caerleon series Book 2) 4 Stars
By: Jesikah Sundin & Claire Luana ⭐⭐⭐⭐

******** May Contain Some Spoilers ********

I will try my absolute best to keep spoilers to a minimum or completely out of my review. Sometimes it can be hard to do so.

Book 2 is just as captivating a the first one is. The five nights must find the Blessed Grail. The action and adventure is enthralling. There are some really hot 🔥and steamy scenes. Fionna learns there are secrets about her life that she has too figure out. I wouldn't call the end a cliffhanger, but Arthur must choose between two very important things. 💜💜

•••••• I recommend this book/series! ••••••
~~ I have Kindle Unlimited, and I used that service to read this book. ~~

[Sarah Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like Arthur was super judgemental of Fionna. To me, it came across as if Arthur was just waiting for Fionna to screw up–because she's a woman–and he would use any mistake of hers to crucify her–no matter its severity. And, the fact that the rest of the knights just fell in line with Arthur's judgement (and unwillingness to contextualize Fionna's decisions) made me decide to just stop reading the series–I was getting way too pissed off.

On a side note, I think Lancelot and Percival will get together eventually.

Also, NOT SAFE: Lancelot in apparently in love with Fionna but has sex with an OW–and it is described: "ample bosom." I don't remember why his curse makes him stay away from Fionna... but it does.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took everything great about the first and built on it brilliantly. I really enjoyed the flow of the book. There's a lot more romantic scenes this time, but it doesn't feel at all out of place. The developing romances help build the story and the dramatic tension of the situation the characters find themselves in.

Once again, the lore was incredible to read. I loved seeing so many twists on Celtic myths and legends spread throughout the book. The authors have well-established rules for their magical world, and that makes it so much more fun to read. I can't wait to read the conclusion to this wonderful series!

[Katie Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent second book in the series! I received this book as an advanced reader copy for an honest review, and wow - I couldn't put it down. I love that there is a stand-alone quest that bridges the first book to the third, and I feel like I know each of the characters a bit better than in the first book. This delightful tale includes steamy sex scenes, laugh out loud antics, and intriguing side stories that include some lesser known celtic myths. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and genuinely look forward to reading Book 3.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

* I recieved an ARC in return for a honest review*

I read the first book, which I already loved. Now I have read the second book, and all I can say is WOW. I couldn't put this book down.

The characters are so well though of, each with their own background and history. In each chapter the characters become more and more. It is so well thought of and well written.

It was truly a joy to read this book, and I can't wait for the third installment to be released!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read

The Third Curse is the 2nd book in The Knights of Caerleon. As with it's predecessor The Fifth Knight I was pulled in and couldn't stop reading needing to know what happened next! I can't wait to find out what be falls King Arthur and his knights in the next book. Very curious as to what Fionna really is and how the cliffhanger plays out.
If you're debating this series get it!! You won't regret it.

[Jennifer Lil'n Dunski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very impressed by Jesikah and Claire! Again, I'm not big into historical reads, yet this series seems to drag you in from the very beginning. The storyline and world building is outstanding and the characters are growing and becoming more and more.... I'm loving every minute and can't wait for the next book!!!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Arthur retellings. Fionna is still trying to make up with Arthur after the betrayal in the previous book. We continue on the journey to find the grail and break the curse on caerleon. Morgana is still making trouble for them and Lancelot is still keeping his own secrets. I'm really enjoying this series and can't wait for the next one.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arthur, Lancelot, Galahad, Percival and Fionna the fifth knight are still on their quest to find the Holy Grail. Morgana 's messing with them all the way.
Things heat up between the five of them but Lancelot is still keeping a secret and Fionna is worried about her dad and sister.
I would highly recommend this book and series.

[McK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Definitely recommend this series. Can’t wait to read the final book.
-Multiple POV
-Lots of love and angst between the fierce female MC and her 4 men. The steam isn’t overshadowing the storyline though. It blends well and seems real. Longing between two of the knights is supposed to develop in the next book.

[Mimia The Reader]

I did what I said and I’m going to do the same for the next book. I’ve read other things by Claire Luana and enjoyed them very much. Must be the combination with Jeskiah that makes this not something I like tor read. And I didn’t even said anything about the feminist undertones that make no sense...

[Isa Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story line!

Hard to put this down. Love these characters (except Morgana, of course), the story is fantastic (except the part of the Fae necklace, ugh, why hasn’t Fiona taken it off already?! You just know there is a reason, I’m dying to find out.) I’m already dreading reading the last book of the series - I don’t want it to end!

[Shannon Seafish Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the 2nd of a great series - fantasy, romance, conflict, those pesky fae! The RH heat definitely turns up but the story itself is worth reading for any fantasy fan. I can't imagine a fan of Arthurian writing not loving every word.
It's a quick read, but so satisfying. And the notes at the end provided by the author - just absolutely fantastic! Looking forward to the final book!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still loving these five knights. They all have my heart and I'm starting on book 3 immediately. I'll admit I still get a little confused trying to keep all the lands, clans, and names straight, which trips me up enough to not be able to get lost in the story like I normally would. These relationships are definitely worth following, though.