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The Curse-Breaker Series #4
Curse-Maker: The Tale of Gwiddon Crow - Curse-Breaker Series
What if the only way to save yourself was to beg help from the person whose life you have destroyed?Gwiddon Crow is a young, vicious Curse-Maker who haunts the Winterly Wood of Albain, free from all laws, unchained from the suffering of her past. Her master, Gwiddon Baba Yaga, calls upon Crow to cast a curse upon the tiny kingdom of Astrum, and destroy the great seal which protects it from Baba Yaga's ally, Mordred the Draid. But the curse goes terribly wrong.Now, Crow is trapped in Astrum, alone with its resentful, blind prince--and the unbroken Seal is slowly draining her life. She must find a way to free herself from her own spell...But the only way to do that may lie with the prince whose kingdom she has destroyed.A stunning and spectacular original fairy tale continues Alydia Rackham's epic Curse-Breaker series. If you enjoy magic, mystery, and the power of true love, you will relish this tale.Experience this thrilling story when you read “ The Tale of Gwiddon Crow” today.
- GenresFantasyFairy Tales
255 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 29, 2019
About the author
Alydia Rackham
131 books145 followersYou don’t have to be afraid when you read my books. Well—you might be terrified for the hero, because his arch-nemesis has him at gunpoint with his back to the river Thames, demanding that he hand over the code that could spell the downfall of Europe…
But you’ll never have to squint, worrying that the romantic scene is about to get FAR too steamy—or that, in a tirade, someone is about to spew a stream of obscenities that will make you want to shut the book and go take a shower.
I don’t write sexual scenes in my books. EVER. And I do not use profanity. EVER. And yes, God lives in my stories. He is the deep foundation—you can FEEL Him.
Yet, I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that WITHOUT ANYTHING risqué, you can still have the adventure of a lifetime between these pages. You’ll hold your breath, you’ll laugh, you’ll sit on the edge of your chair, you’ll stay up till two in the morning pinned to the page—and you might even cry. In fact, I’ll bet on that. And I HATE it when writers are lazy and tacky and beat you over the head with some philosophical or theological point they’re trying to make, instead of just TELLING THE STORY. So, I avoid that at all costs. Still not sold? Well, give one of these books a try. Go ahead—any of them! Whether we’re speeding through space, breaking through the ice on a frozen river, galloping on a chariot across the desert or running up the Asbru bridge chased by wolves…you’re still safe with me.
But you’ll never have to squint, worrying that the romantic scene is about to get FAR too steamy—or that, in a tirade, someone is about to spew a stream of obscenities that will make you want to shut the book and go take a shower.
I don’t write sexual scenes in my books. EVER. And I do not use profanity. EVER. And yes, God lives in my stories. He is the deep foundation—you can FEEL Him.
Yet, I can prove without a shadow of a doubt that WITHOUT ANYTHING risqué, you can still have the adventure of a lifetime between these pages. You’ll hold your breath, you’ll laugh, you’ll sit on the edge of your chair, you’ll stay up till two in the morning pinned to the page—and you might even cry. In fact, I’ll bet on that. And I HATE it when writers are lazy and tacky and beat you over the head with some philosophical or theological point they’re trying to make, instead of just TELLING THE STORY. So, I avoid that at all costs. Still not sold? Well, give one of these books a try. Go ahead—any of them! Whether we’re speeding through space, breaking through the ice on a frozen river, galloping on a chariot across the desert or running up the Asbru bridge chased by wolves…you’re still safe with me.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 31, 2025
Content:
Profanity: None. They use in-world lingo for 'curses'.
Violence: High mild-low moderate. There is a blood spell in this so there is a handful of blood on screen at one point. Some wounds from falling/fighting with bleeding head wounds, stab wounds, burns, cuts, and bruises. Nothing is graphically described, only to the point where the reader understands what has happened in fights or accidents. There are a few flashback moments described of physical abuse. It's stated that a father beats his wife and children, with a very small scene of attack described in flashback resulting in BIG spoiler: .
Sexual: High mild. There are a few on the mouth kisses, mostly one-sided, but consensual. A few kisses on the head, hand, hair etc. There is a scene where a female character is naked bathing, and the male comes in to check on her, but he's blind and can't see anything. It's not sexual at all. There is a statement of 'being in bed with' someone, which is taken literally and the character is offended and denies that she's never been in bed with anyone, until it was explained as an expression. One off-hand comment on how a married couple can 'start making a family now' as a bit of a joke/flirt moment.
Triggers: Child abuse/death/neglect talked about in past tense. Betrayal of a caretaker. Alcoholic parent. Specifics: HUGE SPOILER
Just an aside: This deals with religious themes more heavily, unlike the previous books, which it was lightly touched on.
This was first and foremost a story of redemption for the main character, crow, a witch and apprentice to Baba Yaga (not that Baba Yaga). Crow is quite obviously brainwashed right from the outset when we meet her, thinking she understands the world and how it all works, and that her actions and hatred are all just. When she sets out to fulfill the wish of her master and honorary grandmother, Baba Yaga and Mordred (yes, that Mordred) she finds herself bound up in her own curse and trapped in the castle with the person she just cursed.
Enter Krystian, prince of Astrum and guardian of the seal that Crow just tried to decimate. Due to symptoms of the curse, Krystian and Crow are the only to sentient beings in the castle, and Crow is unable to leave, and Krystian is blind and can't leave the familiar paths of his home. Krystian is immediately smug about how wrong the curse went, and totally open and honest about how he has everything to gain while Crow has nothing at all of worth. Then they both make a realization about the situation, and there's only one solution they can come up with to break a curse like this: they have to try to fall in love.
Krystian, having been raised in a loving family and environment has all he needs to attempt to love the witch that cursed him, but Crow's background is all abuse, abandonment, pain, and hatred. She has no idea what love is personally, only what she's read in fairy stories. The majority of the book is the two of them trying knocking heads, Krystian trying to break through her walls, and Crow fiercely defending them and having a pretty intense growing period as she learns all the lies she's been told, and discovers how frightening it can be to let someone else in.
I found myself a bit disbelieving of Krystian's willingness to just decide he was going to love Crow in an attempt to break the curse on his nearest and dearest. The thing that made it palatable was that he didn't fall for her fast. It was really quite slow, and he struggled. But the more she told him, the more he forgave her piece by piece, even as he grieved the curse. The way he approached her was rather ingenious, and fun. I enjoyed their relationship. It was believable, even though it was only a few weeks in the grand scheme of the story (it felt a lot longer).
Crow's character arc was the heart of the story. Her redemption came as she was shown the truth, both in word, and through the deeds of Krystian, who confused and scared her with his goodness. The religious aspect of this was the strongest of the four books in the series, talking of The Source, and the elven king (a Christ figure) who died and was resurrected in the past history of this world. There is an entire scene dedicated to a sort of 'accepting Christ' moment.
I was a bit confused and disappointed that there wasn't more Camelot in this. In fact, it's still a sort of side plot happening elsewhere. So, it seemed a weird choice on the author's part to include Arthurian lore without really going there (besides popping Mordred, Merlin, and a few name-drops here and there).
It was still an enjoyable read. Though the series feels very unfinished, this book was whole unto itself. There was just so much foreshadowed, like the author was leaving it open to return to the world at some point, but I don't know if that will ever happen, as it's been a while now.
Profanity: None. They use in-world lingo for 'curses'.
Violence: High mild-low moderate. There is a blood spell in this so there is a handful of blood on screen at one point. Some wounds from falling/fighting with bleeding head wounds, stab wounds, burns, cuts, and bruises. Nothing is graphically described, only to the point where the reader understands what has happened in fights or accidents. There are a few flashback moments described of physical abuse. It's stated that a father beats his wife and children, with a very small scene of attack described in flashback resulting in BIG spoiler: .
Sexual: High mild. There are a few on the mouth kisses, mostly one-sided, but consensual. A few kisses on the head, hand, hair etc. There is a scene where a female character is naked bathing, and the male comes in to check on her, but he's blind and can't see anything. It's not sexual at all. There is a statement of 'being in bed with' someone, which is taken literally and the character is offended and denies that she's never been in bed with anyone, until it was explained as an expression. One off-hand comment on how a married couple can 'start making a family now' as a bit of a joke/flirt moment.
Triggers: Child abuse/death/neglect talked about in past tense. Betrayal of a caretaker. Alcoholic parent. Specifics: HUGE SPOILER
Just an aside: This deals with religious themes more heavily, unlike the previous books, which it was lightly touched on.
This was first and foremost a story of redemption for the main character, crow, a witch and apprentice to Baba Yaga (not that Baba Yaga). Crow is quite obviously brainwashed right from the outset when we meet her, thinking she understands the world and how it all works, and that her actions and hatred are all just. When she sets out to fulfill the wish of her master and honorary grandmother, Baba Yaga and Mordred (yes, that Mordred) she finds herself bound up in her own curse and trapped in the castle with the person she just cursed.
Enter Krystian, prince of Astrum and guardian of the seal that Crow just tried to decimate. Due to symptoms of the curse, Krystian and Crow are the only to sentient beings in the castle, and Crow is unable to leave, and Krystian is blind and can't leave the familiar paths of his home. Krystian is immediately smug about how wrong the curse went, and totally open and honest about how he has everything to gain while Crow has nothing at all of worth. Then they both make a realization about the situation, and there's only one solution they can come up with to break a curse like this: they have to try to fall in love.
Krystian, having been raised in a loving family and environment has all he needs to attempt to love the witch that cursed him, but Crow's background is all abuse, abandonment, pain, and hatred. She has no idea what love is personally, only what she's read in fairy stories. The majority of the book is the two of them trying knocking heads, Krystian trying to break through her walls, and Crow fiercely defending them and having a pretty intense growing period as she learns all the lies she's been told, and discovers how frightening it can be to let someone else in.
I found myself a bit disbelieving of Krystian's willingness to just decide he was going to love Crow in an attempt to break the curse on his nearest and dearest. The thing that made it palatable was that he didn't fall for her fast. It was really quite slow, and he struggled. But the more she told him, the more he forgave her piece by piece, even as he grieved the curse. The way he approached her was rather ingenious, and fun. I enjoyed their relationship. It was believable, even though it was only a few weeks in the grand scheme of the story (it felt a lot longer).
Crow's character arc was the heart of the story. Her redemption came as she was shown the truth, both in word, and through the deeds of Krystian, who confused and scared her with his goodness. The religious aspect of this was the strongest of the four books in the series, talking of The Source, and the elven king (a Christ figure) who died and was resurrected in the past history of this world. There is an entire scene dedicated to a sort of 'accepting Christ' moment.
I was a bit confused and disappointed that there wasn't more Camelot in this. In fact, it's still a sort of side plot happening elsewhere. So, it seemed a weird choice on the author's part to include Arthurian lore without really going there (besides popping Mordred, Merlin, and a few name-drops here and there).
It was still an enjoyable read. Though the series feels very unfinished, this book was whole unto itself. There was just so much foreshadowed, like the author was leaving it open to return to the world at some point, but I don't know if that will ever happen, as it's been a while now.
July 11, 2021
A true masterpiece
This is a wonderful story. I am not sure it’s based on any particular fairytale but it reads like one. The main character Crow is relatable, and you learn with her. Fantastic, read it, you won’t regret it!
This is a wonderful story. I am not sure it’s based on any particular fairytale but it reads like one. The main character Crow is relatable, and you learn with her. Fantastic, read it, you won’t regret it!
December 2, 2019
This book was totally great.
July 21, 2020
Loved this tale of redemption! So good! Anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series!
February 6, 2024
Content:
This is an absolutely beautiful tale of redemption and forgiveness. A great conclusion to the Curse-Breaker series. All the other tales have focused on those that break curses. Now we see it from the point of view of a curse maker.
Crow is a hardened, misguided and pitiable character who grows on you. She has known hardship and only the illusion of love from Baba-Yaga who raised her. Once Crow gets caught in the castle with a curse that has gone awry, her character building and true story begins.
This story abounds in symbolism and the message is uplifting and encouraging. There is hope for everyone willing to make the choice to accept forgiveness, turn from their wrongs and to take the right path forward. Crow’s path is not easy. When prince Krystian comes into her story, the true transformation begins. He personifies love and forgiveness even though she has only brought heartache and destruction to his life. Her transformation is beautiful.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Krystian and Crow. They both have choices to make that change the course of their own stories. It is neat how Krystian continues to seek out Crow and how he brings peace and love into her cold world.
Perfect end to a great series!
This is an absolutely beautiful tale of redemption and forgiveness. A great conclusion to the Curse-Breaker series. All the other tales have focused on those that break curses. Now we see it from the point of view of a curse maker.
Crow is a hardened, misguided and pitiable character who grows on you. She has known hardship and only the illusion of love from Baba-Yaga who raised her. Once Crow gets caught in the castle with a curse that has gone awry, her character building and true story begins.
This story abounds in symbolism and the message is uplifting and encouraging. There is hope for everyone willing to make the choice to accept forgiveness, turn from their wrongs and to take the right path forward. Crow’s path is not easy. When prince Krystian comes into her story, the true transformation begins. He personifies love and forgiveness even though she has only brought heartache and destruction to his life. Her transformation is beautiful.
I really enjoyed the relationship between Krystian and Crow. They both have choices to make that change the course of their own stories. It is neat how Krystian continues to seek out Crow and how he brings peace and love into her cold world.
Perfect end to a great series!
May 21, 2019
Excellent and imaginative story!
Rackham has written other tales of the good guys, the curse-breakers, now we get the perspective of the bad guys, the curse-makers. Some idea of the how's and why's along with the accompanying deception and lies that result in destructive hatred. We also get a Wonderful story of Redemption wrought through pain, suffering, bloodshed and tears. There may be pain in the night, but Joy comes in the Morning!
Rackham has written other tales of the good guys, the curse-breakers, now we get the perspective of the bad guys, the curse-makers. Some idea of the how's and why's along with the accompanying deception and lies that result in destructive hatred. We also get a Wonderful story of Redemption wrought through pain, suffering, bloodshed and tears. There may be pain in the night, but Joy comes in the Morning!
January 1, 2021
I have loved the world building of this whole series and each unique character. The weaving of redemption, sacrificial love and forgiveness is so powerful throughout this book. Gwiddon's story arc is well paced as is the development of her relationship with Krystian. Another beautiful love story and fantastic story telling.
Content:
Sexual: kissing
Violence: mild/medium (non-graphic)
Language: none
Content:
Sexual: kissing
Violence: mild/medium (non-graphic)
Language: none
June 14, 2019
This time, we get a protagonist from the other side of the spectrum. Crow has lived her entire life in the darkness, and the only one who gives her glimpses of light is someone who cannot see. Beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews