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Curse of the Fae Queen

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A Huntress of Faeries. Five cursed Fae Princes. An evil that will destroy the world.

When Eighteen-year-old Neara saves a villager from the clutches of a deadly faerie, the Fae Queen sends warriors to abduct her dying father in revenge. To gain his freedom, Neara must venture into the Shadowlands and obtain three enchanted objects under the supervision of the bestial Prince Drayce.

As Neara and Prince Drayce grow closer, she discovers the Queen’s scheme to release an ancient evil and enslave the mortal world. To thwart these plans, she must break the curses of five Fae Princes, but the cost of doing so is her Father’s life.

Torn between saving the human realm and saving her father, Neara must navigate this treacherous world and choose between love, liberty and power.

Curse of the Fae Queen is a reverse harem fantasy adventure for fans of A Court of Thrones and Roses and A Song of Ice and Fire!

390 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2019

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776 people want to read

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Delia Castel

7 books126 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for Cece ❀Rants, Raves &Reviews❀.
306 reviews1,139 followers
September 24, 2022
** Update : This book has been rewritten and revamped into Curse of Fae King

Below are my original thoughts and review from when I first read this early (2019) edition:
_________________________________________________

If you like fae, then you definitely try this. Period mama.

Beginning is kinda basic formula: heroine with secret. Parental figure who only divulges *the bare fucking min information*. Heroine breaks one of the rules to help people. Boom !!

Father? CAPTURED

Heroine? TRAPPED IN A MAGICAL LAND

LEGENDARY fae qUeStS

ADVERSARIES FORCED TO BE ALLIES

EVIL QUEEN

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Neara is blessed with Sight to see Fae. She uses that sight to protect her village. But one day… the fae figure out that she can see them and the book spirals off into a whole adventure

One thing that I really loved about her … is how she wasn’t a fucking idiot 


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She knew the fae were tricky and decided to play their game even better than them. She wasn’t allowed to hurt them? Well she don’t gotta save em. Fae couldn’t lie? Well she fucking can.

“No need to ration it.” Amusement laced his voice. “These water skins provide an endless supply.”
I tilted the canteen, making sure to drench his jacket. An annoyed snarl reverberated in his throat, but I ignored it”


Each of the task test her, and Neara begins to realize that she as more abilities than just seeing fae

The world building:

We got an evilll queen yalll *snaps*

“Every one of the gentry who opposed her now lives a cursed existence. Queen Melusina turned the Winter Court to ice, transformed the Autumn Court into beasts, cursed the Summer Court to an eternal sleep, and cast the Spring Court under water.”

The different courts have been PUNISHED and the queen has turned them all into their worst selves. Essentially, this book is one BIG FAE TRICK, and I adored all of it!

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I love how this first book really set up the heroine to first be introduced to the fae world, work on immediate issue, to build up to the MAJOR plot that the series going to be focused on. That’s just some good goddamn writing. The heroine was my kind of sassy and capable. Each task pushed her, forced her to confront her weaknesses then she REFUSED to let that weakness stop her

The writing was BEAUTIFUL *chef’s kiss*

“Wind, like mighty fists, hammered on my limbs.
Wind, like vicious fingers, pulled at my hair.
Wind, like frantic claws, scratched at my skin.”


It was a perfect blend of world building, without being excessively descriptive. Comedy, without taking away from adventure. Romance *without instalove. The trifecta !!!

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One of FAVORITE scenes was the one with the fuuuucking Riddler, it killllled me

“He must have seen the decision in my eyes because he said, “What is your answer?”
I widened my stance, hand between the openings of my cloak, ready to pull out my dagger in case he struck.

The Keeper’s jaw dropped. “Fre—” He massaged his temples. “This is most embarrassing.”
“Did I get it right?”
“Yes and no,” he replied.
“What does that mean?”
“I had another answer in mind, but it seems stupid now. Yours fits much better, doesn’t it?”


I fucking dieddddd, the Riddler thought her answer was better than his original, and he was all embarrassed *iconicccccc*

Now... My Main critique… the love interests

Bitch.
If you say this a reverse harem… then give me a goddamn reverse harem

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In this book, there was only one main love interest for our heroine. Sure it impliedddddd we getting more in the series. But you couldn’t even start us with two??

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Overall, I can’t believe this isn’t on more people’s radar. For the first of the series, it set up the world beautifully that I cannot WAIT to see where it’s going, and how the author might add some more twists and turns. The love interest was flawed, driven, and I wanted to slap then kiss him at the same time. The harem I guess is TBD which was lameeeee but I excited as FUCK to travel around to the different courts and meet the rest of the squad *hopefully in the next book pretty please??*

I really hope the author carefully works to differentiate the cultures and buildup of each court so that they aren’t all basically the same with just a different color scheme *cough pathetic don't do it pls* While beginning had some YA vibes with the setup, I hope the second brings the adult with more sexy, more intriguing, more bitching characters. For real tho, anyone who read this book pleaseee message me so I have someone to rave about it with!!

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Profile Image for Rhiannon Chillingworth.
835 reviews220 followers
February 25, 2019
I'm a bit unsure how to rate this... Maybe 3.75...

It was well written and well paced, with good world building. However, whilst it is classed more like NA than YA the main character was a bit too YA in her attitude and reactions to things. It got on my nerves at times, particularly towards the last part of the book.

For those looking for RH, there is none in this book, but this is something that will happen in later books, as the plot makes clear.

I'd definitely recommend people give this a try. I have a very low tolerance of YA and I think had the main character been a little more mature it would have been a solid 4 stars for me.
Profile Image for Michelle .
2,128 reviews304 followers
February 11, 2019
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Curse of the Fae Queen is a the first in a new adult fantasy series by the same name from author Delia Castel. Curse of the Fae Queen starts out in a human village, with our human main character, who has been taught to fear the fae. Neara is trying to help her and her father leave her doomed city, when an attack from some Fae sends Neara and her father into the Fae realm. Through secrets and bargains with different Fae, Neara is sent on a quest to retrieve three items for the Queen. I love quest style adventures, and this one was the perfect mix of danger and tons of secrets. Curse of the Fae Queen is the type of novel, where all of the characters have secrets of their own that you need to uncover. I love novels like that. And I know there will be even more in the books to come, because we haven't even met all of the main characters yet!

Neara and Prince Drayce are our two main characters in book one of this series. One of the things I liked most about the Delia Castel's fae world is the number of courts there are! In this world, the realms are divided into different realms- The realm of the living, which encompasses the human world, and the four seasonal fae courts (Summer, Winter, Autumn, and Spring) and the realm of the dead which encompasses the night court, the otherworld courts. Prince Drayce is the heir to the otherworld throne.

The four princes of the seasonal courts are each cursed. They are going to play a much larger role in the next book, and I am super excited for that because we didn't get the chance to meet them yet in this novel, other than through other characters. I can't wait to see what kind of a role they are going to play and what I am going to think of them. I was a bit hot and cold with Prince Drayce. Overall, I mostly liked him, but he certainly annoyed me more than once.

If you are a fan of fae adventure tales, Curse of the Fae Queen may be a new series that you want to check out. I enjoyed this book, and it is set up to be a really cool series. The author did a fantastic job with the world building, and I can't wait to meet the other fae princes.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Profile Image for Tonja Drecker.
Author 3 books236 followers
February 8, 2019
Danger lurks around every corner in this fast-paced tale, where a young woman tries to escape the most secretive and vicious creatures, which most humans don't know exist.

Neara, now eighteen, and her father have been trying to hide from the fae for as long as she can remember. Most people don't believe they exist, but she has the rare ability to see them—something which makes her a target if they ever find out. But soon Neara and her father will be free of the years of living in fear; all they have to do is gain passage on one of the ships and settle across the sea. It's only a few days away, but when Neara sees a fae torturing the mayor's daughter in the most distasteful and public way and has the intent of driving her to suicide, Neara can't just stand by. After the rescue, she's sure she didn't get caught, but when three high fae arrive at her door and beat her father, she knows she'll be lucky to survive.

While fitting the reverse harem genre, this tale encompasses so much more. Neara is a scared young woman with a strong sense of right and wrong. Although she hides, she can't let people suffer either. She has a bit of a harsh personality at times, but in general, she's trying her best to do what's right while surviving—an almost impossible balance in her circumstances. While the fae are gorgeous, they are not to be messed with. The game Neara plays is very deadly and trust is almost an extinct word. There is intriguing, secret plots, and twists which leave a gasp of surprise. Even the reader isn't sure what the character's true intentions are until the last page.

Action is laid thick and keeps the story going full speed ahead. Yet, the author does a nice job building the world and laying out a fairly solid foundation. There are battle scenes, but much of the tension also lays in the dangerous games each character plays. It's hard not to root for Neara as she attempts to find a way to save her father and later, humanity without loosing herself. The dance on this tight-rope is tense and hooks.

As to the romance, it's there but it's a game in and of itself. Nothing with the fae is easy, and neither is love. While this is a reverse harem, it is a very slow burn one—something I appreciate. Only one love interest is presented in this first book, while the others are quickly mentioned but left to simmer for later tales...adventures I'm looking forward to. This is not a hot love but takes time. There is a 'hotter' scene toward the end, but not over the top for Young Adult reads.

In other words, fantasy/fae friends are going to love this book as well as slow burn romancers and those who enjoy a bit of reverse harem possibility thrown in. It will be fun to see where the series goes from here.

I received an ARC copy, enjoyed every moment, and am leaving my honest opinion and thoughts.
Profile Image for Lisa.
Author 2 books122 followers
March 13, 2019
Great Fae story!

I was enthralled from the first page to the last! Great characters! Absorbing plot and world building! Love this book!
Profile Image for Danielle.
111 reviews
February 22, 2019
New to author

I loved this book from beginning to end. I could not put it down! The writing is superb and I loved the story wholeheartedly. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to know what happens next. In the meantime, I think I’ll de our the rest of her books. Definitely an author to follow.
Profile Image for Inga Lady Of Bookland.
286 reviews72 followers
January 14, 2020
I loved Curse of the Fae Queen by Delia Castel because it was amazing :)
*Note. I received this book in exchange for a honest review in the blog tour for Curse of the Fae Queen. So I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Let's start with world-building as the author did a great job with it. The world was well developed, magical and in a way unique, even it does include some of the classic fairy lore elements (which can be found in another faerie books), because of this the beginning felt a bit slow, however, it was still intriguing, and the story became fast paced adventure about 20 per cent into the book.

The story starts in a small village of the human's world with a human girl, Neara, who has a unique ability to see fae. She knows that they are dangerous and treacherous creatures, and she can never let them know about her special sight. However, not everything goes as planed and she ends up in the realm of fae, where she is sent on dangerous quest with Prince Drayce by the queen of fae.

The characters were intriguing as each of them had their own secrets and mysteries, which was something that we had to figure out, therefore, you could never know whom to trust, this added an extra layer, curiosity and twists to the story. I liked Neara (way more than Feyre from ACOTAR) as she was brave, witty and with a good heart, but at the same time she is ready to do what ever is necessary to survive and save her father. I liked Prince Drayce for the most part of this book, as he was who he was, a mystery with dark secrets.

The other love interests, four fae princes, were only shortly introduced, so I'm looking forward to meeting them in the next book. Curse of the Fae Queen is a part of a reverse harem series, however, this book only introduced this element but didn't explore it in a deeper level yet. This story had a slow burning romance with a low heat level, as there were just a few steamy scenes, but non the less, it still was an enchanting love story. Neara was not ready yet for more than one guy in her life ;)

The writing was compelling, even though there were a few grammatical mistakes,  however, I read an ARC, so I hope that those will get fixed.

There was adventure, danger, curses, and action, mystery, magic, and romance, which created a captivating and entertaining story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot as it gripped me from the very beginning till the end and I can't wait to be back in this fascinating world. I couldn't share with you my favourite quotes because they contained spoilers, so I had to work with what I had. I loved Curse of the Fae Queen, and I would definitely put it up there with Sarah J. Maas and Holly Back's faerie books.

Full review: https://journeyinbookland.wordpress.c...
Profile Image for A. Hoyle.
266 reviews36 followers
June 5, 2019
I try so hard to like Reverse Harem books (but Monogamy is bae) and I really liked this book! I'm a sucker for tales of the fae, mates, etc, and was glad this book wasn't really RH. I won't read the other books because it makes no sense to make me fall in love with a character and then expect them to sit around while Neara dates around. Or worse, that they'd join in on said dates.
Profile Image for Debbie Eyre.
5,893 reviews116 followers
February 22, 2019
Omg! I loved this well written, fast paced, action packed read that just hooks you from the start! I love the world that the author has built and love the characters as well as totally adore Neara our mc! I adore fairytales and fae and this did not let me down! I would definitely recommend this!
Profile Image for Raj.
750 reviews64 followers
February 15, 2019
Fae RH books are fast becoming my new addiction and this one without exception is feeding that appetite really nicely.
Profile Image for Erin Dall.
280 reviews3 followers
February 23, 2019
Enjoyable read with twists

This book reminded me a lot of A Court of Thorns and Roses mixed with The Cruel Prince. Love the characters and their dynamic of hate/love and all the schemes.

A little disappointing on the reverse harem aspect since it didn’t exist but I have a feeling it’ll be included in the next book!

I need to know what happens next!!
Profile Image for Paige.
1,863 reviews90 followers
February 10, 2019
Disclaimer: I received this book from Rockstar Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.5/5

Publication Date: February 14, 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Recommended Age: 16+ (love and violence and sexy fae men)

Publisher: ---

Pages: ---

Amazon Link

Synopsis: A Huntress of Faeries. Five cursed Fae Princes. An evil that will destroy the world.

When Eighteen-year-old Neara saves a villager from the clutches of a deadly faerie, the Fae Queen sends warriors to abduct her dying father in revenge. To gain his freedom, Neara must venture into the Shadowlands and obtain three enchanted objects under the supervision of the bestial Prince Drayce.

As Neara and Prince Drayce grow closer, she discovers the Queen’s scheme to release an ancient evil and enslave the mortal world. To thwart these plans, she must break the curses of five Fae Princes, but the cost of doing so is her Father’s life.

Torn between saving the human realm and saving her father, Neara must navigate this treacherous world and choose between love, liberty and power.

Curse of the Fae Queen is a reverse harem fantasy adventure for fans of A Court of Thrones and Roses and A Song of Ice and Fire!

Review: I thought this was really good book! I enjoyed the book and I thought all the characters were very well developed. The book is fast paced and action packed. The plot was interesting and I really enjoyed how the world was built. Definitely a fairy book I prefer over SJM and Holly Black.

However, the book is a reverse haram so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but only one love interest in presented in this book while there are others that are presented but not explored yet in this book, but will be in the others. The book was really slow in spots.

Verdict: If you like fairies you’ll like this.
11 reviews
July 17, 2020
I really did not enjoy this book. It was so close to being in my DNF pile. The start of the book seemed promising. I was really excited to learn about Neara's history, learn more about her father, and learn more about the fae world in general.

But soon after the scene where she meets Drayce, the book went downhill. The world building was lacking, the rules of magic was not clearly defined, the love story development was lacking, and just in general there were a lot of things that were unclear in the book.

Overall, I felt that the plot was good (even though it was predictable, the double twist included) but the way the story was written needs improvement. I cannot pinpoint exactly what the book lacked, but by the time the book ended I was kind of glad.

The main character was immature and I was confused everytime Drayce had to explain something to Neara.
For example, while Drayce was explaining his relationship with the queen and his relationship with Neara, (which is sketchy by the way and NOT addressed later in the book) he says:

“She married my father, the King of the Otherworld. If she hadn’t devoured his essence and left him a dried husk, I might have been your step-brother.”

I don't understand. She is still his step mother even though he killed his father. So technically YES they are step siblings. But I'll roll with it and pretend they're not... Because he claims they're not.

Overall, the idea of the book was good. Things need to be paced better, and maybe change the word choice used throughout the book to convey the message clearer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lore.
44 reviews
May 18, 2019
Fast pace, good book but....

Ok this is a good book don't get me wrong but the MC is such a whiny little bitch. She starts out with a backbone in the first few pages but then she must have list it somewhere between taking down 2 few and getting on the freaking flyin horse. Not giving names so not a spoiler. But really the MC needs to be a bit stronger considering it sounds like she was raised to do all the stuff she was terrified to do, at 18 in the days they are set in most women were married so she was a whiny little girl who I had to remind myself wasn't 13 because that was how she acted.
The author did a good job with the telling of the story, BUT there were times where it just drolled on. I like a good story as much as the next person but there are times to much detail can be put into things.
I would say that this book would be for individuals around the age of 17 and up just due to violence, and the nature of the story line. I say 17 because, a few younger minds wouldn't be able to put things of this nature together correctly and also with the RH theme as well as the 1 "mating" that isn't descriptive it is for a more mature audience than the usual YA reader.
Profile Image for Reena.
956 reviews3 followers
February 14, 2019
Where the Fae are involved, nothing is what it seems...

Nothing is what it seems in this engrossing tale Delia Castel has delivered. Although it might seem a bit slow to start, that is not the case. It hooks you right from the beginning and leads you on a roller coaster of an adventure. Wonderful and well-fleshed out characters, not matter of their part in the story, plot twists that keep you on the edge of your chair, wonderful world building, curse-breaking, intimate moments between the heroine and the hero and the promise of a RH.

I'm a fan of mythology, no matter its origins. The "Curse of the Fae Queen" is brimming with celtic mythology, not only when it comes to the Fae, but creatures and monsters as well. Ms. Castel has combined all mythology elements and made them part of the story, unfolding another great and unique world. I can't wait for more!!!
Profile Image for Chelsey.
767 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2019
Faeries for the win

This was amazing! Seriously, why is this not topping Amazon's charts? I have always been a bit obsessed with fae stories and this one checked all the boxes.

Drayce is the best kind of antihero. I really couldn't decide if he was good or bad up until the very end. Neara was a bit whiney and obsessed with running away in the beginning. But she definitely grew into herself by the end. I can't wait to read more in the series. I hope the next book comes out soon!
Profile Image for Ashley Shvetsova.
261 reviews4 followers
June 1, 2019
Great read

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot line was good. It was a fast and slow read. I found it took me a bit to get fully invested in the story line but once I was it flew by. I found the characters to be complex and intriguing. I will admit that while I found the ending enjoyable I also felt it was almost cliches the whole I’ll follow you to the ends and love you no matter what kind of irked me. I await the next book and the stories to follow eagerly.
Profile Image for Nico Nico Ni.
354 reviews10 followers
March 3, 2019
Highly entertaining. The concept is interesting but it has ACOTAR vibes. My main issues were the word choices and the repetition of certain phrases to emphasize the same feelings or emotions. Another issues were the metaphors that were used. They just didn't work. However, I believe that the series is fun and highly entertaining.
Profile Image for Taylor.
143 reviews7 followers
February 7, 2019
OMG FINALLY ANOTHER BOOK TO GET ME OUT OF MY SJM HANGOVER. this is like a court of thornes and roses meets maze runner.... at least to me. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Love loved loved it and i really hope there is a sequel and that is comes out soon! IT CANNOT END
1,281 reviews5 followers
February 18, 2019
Interesting

This was an interesting story. The concept was intriguing and I'd love to see where it goes. The storyline was enjoyable and the characters were entertaining, I really liked Neara she grows up quickly in some areas. Hopefully the next story won't be to far away.
Profile Image for Bethany Strobel.
Author 26 books600 followers
February 25, 2019
Wow! This is the first book I've read in months that I didn't want to put down. Castel's world building is original and refreshing, and the action keeps you turning the page. Trust me, this is one you'll want to read long into the night.
44 reviews1 follower
March 9, 2019
An interesting world

I have enjoyed discovering your feet world and look forward to more exciting adventures . I always enjoy the different take people create for this imagery world.
Profile Image for Franchesca Giglio.
42 reviews
April 9, 2022
Please save your time and don’t even read this book. I thought going in that it was going to be a standalone but it wasn’t and she just never finished the series and then I guess she like started the series again on a new name and like changed certain parts of the story.
17 reviews5 followers
February 19, 2019
This was a rollercoaster of a book that kept me engaged but that left me uncertain of my actual feelings towards the book at the end, however I still look forward to the next one.
Profile Image for Irna.
29 reviews
February 22, 2019
THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. I LOVED IT SO MUCH! CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!!! ❤
572 reviews6 followers
April 1, 2019
Action and betrayal

non-stop action, love, betrayal, fae friends and goes made a great story. But, I didn't like the part about the four princes.
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