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The Darker Woods #1
The Cursed Crown
My lips hitch up an inch as the hulking, slender man bends down to whisper in my ear. “A divided kingdom without a leader is weak. You will fall. You will fail. You will all die without my kindness, little girl.”
He expects me to falter, shiver, and drop my gaze to the ground like the flock of gentry buzzing around him.
My eyes widen in feigned dismay. “Kindness? Why did no one think to tell me you had any?”
I have to allow him that one concession: Rydekar is fun to tease.
He doesn’t even smile. I don’t think anyone has taunted him. “I have none. You will beg nonetheless.”
I just may, in his dreams. And in my nightmares.
No one was ever born less suited to ruling than Rissa, the thorn of the seelie realm—a half-fae so wild she’s spent the better part of a hundred years in the woods.
For all her flaws, she’s the last of the high court bloodline, and the southern king seems to think that’s reason enough to slap a crown on her feathered head. He needs her to unify the seelie forces. She needs him to forget about that nonsense.
In an effort to aid her people without condemning herself to a lifetime of misery, she sets off on a journey to find the one person with a stronger claim to the throne than hers: the cursed prince.
Sealed in the mountains of the Wilderness, under many spells, the heir of the first seelie queen is the only royal strong enough to protect the fae lands from their immortal invaders.
Surviving the untamed tribes and awakening a thousand-year-old prince seem a lot easier than ruling an entire kingdom where everyone hates her very nature.
And her choices won’t come without consequences.
He expects me to falter, shiver, and drop my gaze to the ground like the flock of gentry buzzing around him.
My eyes widen in feigned dismay. “Kindness? Why did no one think to tell me you had any?”
I have to allow him that one concession: Rydekar is fun to tease.
He doesn’t even smile. I don’t think anyone has taunted him. “I have none. You will beg nonetheless.”
I just may, in his dreams. And in my nightmares.
No one was ever born less suited to ruling than Rissa, the thorn of the seelie realm—a half-fae so wild she’s spent the better part of a hundred years in the woods.
For all her flaws, she’s the last of the high court bloodline, and the southern king seems to think that’s reason enough to slap a crown on her feathered head. He needs her to unify the seelie forces. She needs him to forget about that nonsense.
In an effort to aid her people without condemning herself to a lifetime of misery, she sets off on a journey to find the one person with a stronger claim to the throne than hers: the cursed prince.
Sealed in the mountains of the Wilderness, under many spells, the heir of the first seelie queen is the only royal strong enough to protect the fae lands from their immortal invaders.
Surviving the untamed tribes and awakening a thousand-year-old prince seem a lot easier than ruling an entire kingdom where everyone hates her very nature.
And her choices won’t come without consequences.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2021
312 people are currently reading
6157 people want to read
About the author
May Sage
143 books1,921 followersMay Sage is a USA Today Bestselling romance writer dabbling in different genres.
When she isn’t writing, she spends her time with her German Shepherd and her two Savannahs. She loves reading, ballet, running, and cake. Mostly, cake.
May Sage also writes longer fantasy romance novels as Alexi Blake.
When she isn’t writing, she spends her time with her German Shepherd and her two Savannahs. She loves reading, ballet, running, and cake. Mostly, cake.
May Sage also writes longer fantasy romance novels as Alexi Blake.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
February 22, 2022
“Once, there was a nightmare who loved a king. Once, there was a king who fathered a nightmare. The story of Rissa’s birth had traveled through the land like dust. A hundred years had passed and she still heard whispers of the monstrous royal child carried by the wind.”
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Magic and faes
✅🆗 Plot
🆗 Characters
🆗 Pace
🆗❌ Romance
2 or 2.5 stars
I think this book was too short to meet my expectations. The ideas are there, the plot is interesting, the characters are okay, but the execution and development are lacking. Everything is underdeveloped, and some events seemed to be thrown into the book just to add a little more action, or to add betrayal, when in fact it just didn't fit into the story.
Rissa is the heir of the throne of the Seelie court but has left the court behind 100 years ago. When a new threat arises, the high king of the Unseelie, Ryderak, court tracks her down and asks (more like forces) her to stand by him in an effort to unite both courts in order to fight off and survive the army attacking the fae lands. Rissa does not want to rule, but she accepts to follow Ryderak, only so she can leave on her personal quest to find the Cursed prince, who would be a much better choice to rule according to her.
The plot is interesting, but honestly not much happens for the first half of the book. The first chapters are great! The characters are interesting, there is a lot of tension between Rissa and Ryderak that was very promising for a hate-to-love relationship. But it just fell short. Rissa spent the first half of the book trying to fight Rye while finding him SO SEXY. She was introduced to the court, planned her trip, but even though it was an easy read, I felt that not much happened by the time I hit the 50% mark. It got better after that, but then it was the opposite, I felt that things were rushed and half-developed. Most of the plot revolves around the fact that Rye is trying to convince Rissa to become the High Queen she is meant to be, and Rissa,s quest to find the cursed prince, but then there is a political dimension that suddenly appears near the end where someone betrays Rye and attempt to steal his throne. It came out of nowhere and I honestly don't see what it adds to the story since this new villain was defeated quite quickly and easily. Making this book a standalone also wasn't the best of ideas. It should have been at least 2 books in order for it to be interesting and developed (and coherent).
The characters are quite generic and bland. Rissa is a nice main character, but she is nothing extraordinary. She is a nightmare, but we don't really see that side of her, it is just mentionned, but I don't think it changed anything in the story, besides the fact that the lords were condescending because of her "impure" ancestry. She went from being suuuuper opposed to the idea of being High Queen, to accepting her responsibility because it was for the good of the faes and the land, but we don't really see her change. The development of her character just suddenly happens near the end of the book, and we just have to accept the drastic changes in her goals/opinions.
The other characters are even less developed. They have no depth and I felt no connections at all towards them. Ryderak is proud and wants what's best for his land, putting his people's wellbeing before his own, but all he does in this book is try to intimidate Rissa, and try to find allies to fight off the humans invading from the West (I understood that they were fighting humans only near the end though, it was not really clear at first).
As for the romance... I am sad. I was hoping for a hate-to-love, especially with the first few chapters being so full of hatred, lust, and contempt between Rissa and Rye, but it fell short. Besides those first chapters, they have no chemistry! They spend little time together, then Rissa leaves for her quest, but of course, she can't forget the gorgeous god-like High King, and he can't get her out of his mind either, they even have those weird dreams where they can talk to each other... Rissa comes back to the keep after her quest is fulfilled and suddenly they love each other and they want to spend the rest of their life together. We didn't see their relationship evolve AT ALL. The romance almost came out of nowhere and even felt forced. There is also the issue of two secondary characters suddenly deciding that they want to "share body heat" and are all giggling and blushing, but it's okay because Rissa "really like the idea of them together"... But like the political betrayal that was added at the end of the book, this weird bond suddenly forming between these characters adds nothing to the story.
There is potential in this book, but I think it would definitely have been better with 100 or 200 extra pages in order to better explore the story and the characters, and also to make this story different than all the other YA fae fantasies that were written before. Having a nightmare with nature in her is a great opportunity to create something original, but overall this book was just another forgettable YA fantasy.
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March 4, 2021
3.5 stars upgraded to 4
Now here is a book that needed a book 2 at least.
The plot was great but there was so much information given that it bogged down the story but it was also fast paced, it made for a weird read.
The ending was way too rushed and I honestly didn't like it, again if this had been a duology I could see it coming together nicely but since it isn't it left things unfinished especially with the Sea Kingdom.
Now here is a book that needed a book 2 at least.
The plot was great but there was so much information given that it bogged down the story but it was also fast paced, it made for a weird read.
The ending was way too rushed and I honestly didn't like it, again if this had been a duology I could see it coming together nicely but since it isn't it left things unfinished especially with the Sea Kingdom.
February 28, 2021
Very fast paced and a little confusing towards the end, but I loved it. A perfect book to banish my book slump.
May 25, 2021
At first, it gave me The Cruel Prince vibes.
But then it added mates and an abbreviated magical journey. So it's quite a different beast plot-wise. Still, I stand by my initial impression. In the sense that the main characters are really reluctant to admit their feelings.
I do think things could have been better fleshed out, both in plot and character development, had the book been a little longer, but overall I enjoyed it for the short read that it was.
But then it added mates and an abbreviated magical journey. So it's quite a different beast plot-wise. Still, I stand by my initial impression. In the sense that the main characters are really reluctant to admit their feelings.
I do think things could have been better fleshed out, both in plot and character development, had the book been a little longer, but overall I enjoyed it for the short read that it was.
March 17, 2022
This is basically ACOTAR fan fiction (to be more accurate it's like an ACOTAR and Cruel Prince crossover fanfiction) but I'm not mad about it, I actually loved it. I feel like I should mention early on that I rate books based on how much I enjoyed them and that honestly, this one has lots of issues (pacing, plot, characters). This was pretty entertaining to me but if you care too much about specifics I don't recommend reading this.
Back to how this is basically acotar fan fiction, basically, all the characters are just copies of ones from acotar (Rissa = Feyre, Ryedekar (who goes by Rye) = Rhsand (Rhys), Khal = Cassian, Havryll = Azriel, Morgan = Mor, Teoran = Lucien). That's not to say that all the characters have the same relationships as acotar though!
The banter between Rissa and literally anyone was so good I think that was my main source of entertainment.
The plot twist was definitely unexpected but the way it was written was also so underwhelming. It's not "BETRAYAL???😲" it's more like "betrayal 🤷"
Rissa is somehow badass and powerful and thinks she is all that but also doesn't think she is badass enough to be queen? Doesn't really make sense.
What even is Ryedekar's role? Like what did he do in this whole book besides get Rissa to help in some way?
Where is Titus (Rissa's dad) and wtf is he doing?? He shows up for one scene that literally makes no sense.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THARSEN??? She let him out, he helped her, and then poof he's gone.
Almost nothing gets resolved but Rye and Rissa get their happy endings anyways so good for them I guess😭
SO MANY QUESTIONS AND ABSOLUTELY ZERO ANSWERS. I'm hoping there's a sequel that answers these questions but I really don't know.
IN CONCLUSION: This is a shitty but highly entertaining read. Like fanfiction.
Back to how this is basically acotar fan fiction, basically, all the characters are just copies of ones from acotar (Rissa = Feyre, Ryedekar (who goes by Rye) = Rhsand (Rhys), Khal = Cassian, Havryll = Azriel, Morgan = Mor, Teoran = Lucien). That's not to say that all the characters have the same relationships as acotar though!
The banter between Rissa and literally anyone was so good I think that was my main source of entertainment.
The plot twist was definitely unexpected but the way it was written was also so underwhelming. It's not "BETRAYAL???😲" it's more like "betrayal 🤷"
Rissa is somehow badass and powerful and thinks she is all that but also doesn't think she is badass enough to be queen? Doesn't really make sense.
What even is Ryedekar's role? Like what did he do in this whole book besides get Rissa to help in some way?
Where is Titus (Rissa's dad) and wtf is he doing?? He shows up for one scene that literally makes no sense.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THARSEN??? She let him out, he helped her, and then poof he's gone.
Almost nothing gets resolved but Rye and Rissa get their happy endings anyways so good for them I guess😭
SO MANY QUESTIONS AND ABSOLUTELY ZERO ANSWERS. I'm hoping there's a sequel that answers these questions but I really don't know.
IN CONCLUSION: This is a shitty but highly entertaining read. Like fanfiction.
March 29, 2021
2.5 ⭐️ This one was a hard one to rate and let me tell you why.
Rissa is a a nightmare. Who is a runaway from her country, even though she is the princess and next in line for the throne, who thinks she is a badass because she lives in her own by the woods.
• kudos for the nightmare, really cool idea.
Rydekar is the prince of another part of the lands that is in search of the aid of Rissa because he needs her to unfify the lands against human invasors (i got that they were fighting humans waaay into the novel 😂 )
Anyhow the story is really about Rissa accepting that she is a Queen and growing into her powers w Rydekar being a supportive partner or rather he just waiting for her to “woman up” because he doesnf want a whinny girl as a mate (she would be just a vulnerability 🙃)
I liked all of that, all of that was ok. A decent plotline, a fluffy read ... right?
Well...
This felt like i read a manuscript that was sended to an editor or something to see if it was interesting enough to keep developing it further into a novel. What I mean by that, is that it felt like there were cool ideas, cool characters and a descent plot that we never really understand or get to know because it was soo UNDERDEVELOPED
And I mean I understand that you cannot achieve all that in around 250ish pages.. but if you are not gonna explore this world, characters and motivations that you created then whats the point?
There were many similar things to other popular fae books and tbh I wasnt that bothered at the beginning but as it went on I hust found it annoying bc you dont even get a fleshed character here.
Overall:
Did I enjoy it? Yes?
Did it dissapoint? Yep, yep, yep.
The cover is gorgeous tho!
Rissa is a a nightmare. Who is a runaway from her country, even though she is the princess and next in line for the throne, who thinks she is a badass because she lives in her own by the woods.
• kudos for the nightmare, really cool idea.
Rydekar is the prince of another part of the lands that is in search of the aid of Rissa because he needs her to unfify the lands against human invasors (i got that they were fighting humans waaay into the novel 😂 )
Anyhow the story is really about Rissa accepting that she is a Queen and growing into her powers w Rydekar being a supportive partner or rather he just waiting for her to “woman up” because he doesnf want a whinny girl as a mate (she would be just a vulnerability 🙃)
I liked all of that, all of that was ok. A decent plotline, a fluffy read ... right?
Well...
This felt like i read a manuscript that was sended to an editor or something to see if it was interesting enough to keep developing it further into a novel. What I mean by that, is that it felt like there were cool ideas, cool characters and a descent plot that we never really understand or get to know because it was soo UNDERDEVELOPED
And I mean I understand that you cannot achieve all that in around 250ish pages.. but if you are not gonna explore this world, characters and motivations that you created then whats the point?
There were many similar things to other popular fae books and tbh I wasnt that bothered at the beginning but as it went on I hust found it annoying bc you dont even get a fleshed character here.
Overall:
Did I enjoy it? Yes?
Did it dissapoint? Yep, yep, yep.
The cover is gorgeous tho!
October 22, 2021
Lacked flavor.
The beginning was really good until it wasn’t...
too much rumbling, info dumping. The world building was interesting and beautiful but the story felt rushed and I didn’t care about the betrayals or the revelations because everything was so rushed! Lord it was awful. It should have been at least 2 books in order for it to be interesting and coherent! Worse idea ever to make this a standalone. I want my hours back, do yourself a favor and skip this.
I’m angry I can’t rate this lower than an one star.
The cover is gorgeous tho and the writing is really nice. But that’s almost it. Rissa could have been an amazing FMC but she wasn’t...
Urgh awful
The beginning was really good until it wasn’t...
too much rumbling, info dumping. The world building was interesting and beautiful but the story felt rushed and I didn’t care about the betrayals or the revelations because everything was so rushed! Lord it was awful. It should have been at least 2 books in order for it to be interesting and coherent! Worse idea ever to make this a standalone. I want my hours back, do yourself a favor and skip this.
I’m angry I can’t rate this lower than an one star.
The cover is gorgeous tho and the writing is really nice. But that’s almost it. Rissa could have been an amazing FMC but she wasn’t...
Urgh awful
February 27, 2021
First half, really good. I liked the characters, I was really into the plot, it was enjoyable.
And then.
And then something went wrong. The author(s) began throwing in plot twists with little explanation. Sudden betrayals and reveals with almost no backstory, explanation, or foreshadowing. Some things were resolved and some were not.
Overall, a very disappointing read.
And then.
And then something went wrong. The author(s) began throwing in plot twists with little explanation. Sudden betrayals and reveals with almost no backstory, explanation, or foreshadowing. Some things were resolved and some were not.
Overall, a very disappointing read.
July 19, 2021
So I read this book because I seen a one star review that said it was "porn". So me being me, I was like hell tf yes! Well, that reviewer must be a complete prude. Because this book had absolutely NO SMUT until 99% into the book. Literally the last two pages were the smut. And it wasn't even anything really crazy to call this book "porn". Lmfao.
Anyways, I still enjoyed the book. It's about a female fae who grew up the daughter of a king of a seelie court. Well, she ran away young to live in solitude in the forest because the nobles never treated her kindly. Many years later there's a war brewing and the High King of the Unseelie comes to find her because she's needed to bring the seelie together as the war is happening on seelie territory. Well, Rissa wants nothing to do with ruling. So she sets off to wake the sleeping crown prince of Mab who is told about in children's stories.
This was pretty good considering I was expecting something much different. But still, it caught my attention enough to warrant me finishing. :)
Anyways, I still enjoyed the book. It's about a female fae who grew up the daughter of a king of a seelie court. Well, she ran away young to live in solitude in the forest because the nobles never treated her kindly. Many years later there's a war brewing and the High King of the Unseelie comes to find her because she's needed to bring the seelie together as the war is happening on seelie territory. Well, Rissa wants nothing to do with ruling. So she sets off to wake the sleeping crown prince of Mab who is told about in children's stories.
This was pretty good considering I was expecting something much different. But still, it caught my attention enough to warrant me finishing. :)
May 26, 2021
2.5 -3 ⭐️
Creo que este libro tenía potencial, pero después de la primera mitad se volvió bastante meh.
The Cursed Crown es una novela que prometía. Tenía una buena sinopsis, tenía una buena portada y tenía elementos mágicos y Fairies. Sin embargo, creo que no aprovechó todo su potencial.
El inicio estuvo bien y los personajes eran interesantes, sobre todo, Rissa y Rydekar. Pero creo que el mayor problema fue la historia. En realidad, tiene un buen ritmo, se lee muy rápido al ser una novela corta, pero por ratos me pareció que perdía coherencia. Hubieron ciertos capítulos que resultaron confusos, aunque el final fue lo más confuso de todo. Fue raro. Cada conflicto se resolvía en un capítulo, así que también lo sentí muy apresurado.
Creo que si la novela hubiera tenido más páginas hubiera sido ideal para terminar de conocer a los personajes, ver su evolución y desarrollar un poco más el escenario y los elementos fantásticos que tenía para destacar. También me hubiera gustado un poco más de contexto sobre los personajes secundarios. Khal fue mi favorito, pero al final, apenas supe que sucedió con él.
Por último, debo decir que consideraba que la novela era New Adult, pero siento que también falló un poco en eso. El romance entre Rissa y Rydekar estuvo muy flojo y fue tan precipitado, que fue muy difícil que me lo creyera.
En general, The Cursed Crown es una novela con una historia bastante simple y ágil de leer. Los personajes son agradables, pero no se aprecia su evolución. Y el romance podría haber sido un poco más convincente.
Finally. Finally, he was treating her like his equal. Something to be feared. Something to be respected.
Creo que este libro tenía potencial, pero después de la primera mitad se volvió bastante meh.
The Cursed Crown es una novela que prometía. Tenía una buena sinopsis, tenía una buena portada y tenía elementos mágicos y Fairies. Sin embargo, creo que no aprovechó todo su potencial.
El inicio estuvo bien y los personajes eran interesantes, sobre todo, Rissa y Rydekar. Pero creo que el mayor problema fue la historia. En realidad, tiene un buen ritmo, se lee muy rápido al ser una novela corta, pero por ratos me pareció que perdía coherencia. Hubieron ciertos capítulos que resultaron confusos, aunque el final fue lo más confuso de todo. Fue raro. Cada conflicto se resolvía en un capítulo, así que también lo sentí muy apresurado.
Creo que si la novela hubiera tenido más páginas hubiera sido ideal para terminar de conocer a los personajes, ver su evolución y desarrollar un poco más el escenario y los elementos fantásticos que tenía para destacar. También me hubiera gustado un poco más de contexto sobre los personajes secundarios. Khal fue mi favorito, pero al final, apenas supe que sucedió con él.
Por último, debo decir que consideraba que la novela era New Adult, pero siento que también falló un poco en eso. El romance entre Rissa y Rydekar estuvo muy flojo y fue tan precipitado, que fue muy difícil que me lo creyera.
En general, The Cursed Crown es una novela con una historia bastante simple y ágil de leer. Los personajes son agradables, pero no se aprecia su evolución. Y el romance podría haber sido un poco más convincente.
July 8, 2022
It's okay. It is nothing special although it could have been.
The story lacked a bit of sustenance that would unify everything.
I was a little disappointed because I wanted something more, to love it with all my might.
The story lacked a bit of sustenance that would unify everything.
I was a little disappointed because I wanted something more, to love it with all my might.
April 30, 2021
Dnf... Just wasn't the right time for this one...
March 17, 2022
"Once, there was a nightmare who loved a king. Once, there was a king who fathered a nightmare."
We had a strong start and then it was a rocky road down from there. I felt this book was very under-baked. More like a starting draft. The beginning was well flushed out but that ending... I can't even with that ending. I swear my copy was missing chapters or something? There is no way that we just skip all of these events and then are just told what happens within one page??? That is not good plot twists or betrayal reveals. This book could have been something really good and yet I got this. Everything that could have made this book great were rushed and underdeveloped. Needless to say I was super disappointed.
We had a strong start and then it was a rocky road down from there. I felt this book was very under-baked. More like a starting draft. The beginning was well flushed out but that ending... I can't even with that ending. I swear my copy was missing chapters or something? There is no way that we just skip all of these events and then are just told what happens within one page??? That is not good plot twists or betrayal reveals. This book could have been something really good and yet I got this. Everything that could have made this book great were rushed and underdeveloped. Needless to say I was super disappointed.
March 5, 2023
I kind of wanted this to be a fuller story, but it was an overall sweet one.
Want to read
September 25, 2021why does the girl on the cover look exactly like emma watson??? this can't just be me...
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Book Blog | Writer Website | Twitter | Instagram
March 22, 2023
Una lettura piuttosto leggera, scorrevole, con capitoli brevi e un buon bilanciamento tra dialoghi e narrazione. Un po’ troppo rapida, forse. Mi è piaciuta la storia e il fatto che fosse incentrata sull’evoluzione della protagonista non ha potuto che rendere il tutto ancora migliore, ma ho percepito durante la lettura come se mancasse qualcosa, un approfondimento generale che, forse per fretta di concludere, non c’è stato.
I due protagonisti sono magnetici, così come lo sono tra loro; hanno caratteri differenti ma affini, sembrano fatti per fare scintille sin da subito, ma i loro caratteri difficili non fanno che allontanarli finché non comprendono che si appartengono. Mi è piaciuta questa alchimia tra loro, il respingersi ma attrarsi fino alla fine, ed è percettibile sin dal primo dialogo, che immerge il lettore in una narrazione sin da subito interessante.
Ciò che è risultato meno interessante è la prima parte, subito dopo l’incontro tra i due. Questa si fa infatti un po’ lenta e fatica a ingranare, tanto che nella prima metà sono andata avanti un po’ a rilento, mentre ho divorato la seconda in pochissimo tempo.
Sebbene abbia apprezzato molto i protagonisti, non mi sono davvero affezionata a loro nel profondo, forse sempre per via di quella sbrigatività di cui parlavo prima. Stessa questione per i personaggi secondari: non ho percepito granché dolore (dispiacere sì, ma niente di più) per la presunta perdita di uno di loro, né per il tradimento di alcuni personaggi che invece avrebbe dovuto fare effetto.
Alcuni fatti vengono un po’ campati per aria e non spiegati, non si sa bene che fine facciano certe figure importanti e nell’epilogo, ambientato moltissimi anni dopo, non viene specificato. Sarebbe stato davvero un ottimo libro se fosse stato sviluppato su più pagine; ciò non toglie che è comunque apprezzabile e che mi è piaciuto.
I due protagonisti sono magnetici, così come lo sono tra loro; hanno caratteri differenti ma affini, sembrano fatti per fare scintille sin da subito, ma i loro caratteri difficili non fanno che allontanarli finché non comprendono che si appartengono. Mi è piaciuta questa alchimia tra loro, il respingersi ma attrarsi fino alla fine, ed è percettibile sin dal primo dialogo, che immerge il lettore in una narrazione sin da subito interessante.
Ciò che è risultato meno interessante è la prima parte, subito dopo l’incontro tra i due. Questa si fa infatti un po’ lenta e fatica a ingranare, tanto che nella prima metà sono andata avanti un po’ a rilento, mentre ho divorato la seconda in pochissimo tempo.
Sebbene abbia apprezzato molto i protagonisti, non mi sono davvero affezionata a loro nel profondo, forse sempre per via di quella sbrigatività di cui parlavo prima. Stessa questione per i personaggi secondari: non ho percepito granché dolore (dispiacere sì, ma niente di più) per la presunta perdita di uno di loro, né per il tradimento di alcuni personaggi che invece avrebbe dovuto fare effetto.
Alcuni fatti vengono un po’ campati per aria e non spiegati, non si sa bene che fine facciano certe figure importanti e nell’epilogo, ambientato moltissimi anni dopo, non viene specificato. Sarebbe stato davvero un ottimo libro se fosse stato sviluppato su più pagine; ciò non toglie che è comunque apprezzabile e che mi è piaciuto.
July 2, 2022
Never have I ever wanted to finish a book so quickly. There is absolutely no context, no history and no progression through out the book. Every time something happens (e.g. getting her wings, or her twigs being able to be used) there is absolutely no context behind it and no reason for it either. When she and Thesan, who we were given the notion to be evil, were "bonded" (bruh 😭), he ended up saving her so he doesn't die in return. He was only in the book for two chapters and he had more importance than the main characters.
The only good thing about this book was the storyline, but even that didn't do the novel justice. RIP the time it took me to read this book.
The only good thing about this book was the storyline, but even that didn't do the novel justice. RIP the time it took me to read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2021
Overall: 2.5/5
Plot and themes: 2/5
Characters: 2/5
Writing style: 3/5
Attention-grabbing: 3/5
The Cursed Crown is a standalone fantasy romance set in the world of the fae. The Unseelie King sees a need to unite the thrones and he knows he can't do it without the lost Seelie Queen. Not really lost, more like a forced exit as she feels her differences shine through in the conservative Seelie Court. Rissa doesn't want to be their queen and will do just about anything, including waking her distant cousin from his eternal sleep, to get away from it.
I liked this book a lot more in theory than I did while reading it, if that makes any sense at all. We've got the fae and we've got the fated mates and the magic powers and everything but it all felt so randomly thrown together. It almost felt like we were jumping around and seeing pieces of things before we should have seen it. Like her nightmare soul-sucking powers? They were demonstrated in the first twenty pages and then never seen again. It was a little disappointing. I also wasn't vibing with the way we were just thrown into the idea of them being mates. I don't ever want characters to end up together if they're introduced to us as cousins it just felt wrong.
There were some good elements to it and I definitely think that it had the potential to be super interesting I just also think it didn't spend enough time on the most interesting elements. I think there was a lot more potential for there to be a sequel if the epilogue hadn't have been one of those things that just very abruptly seals these characters off to future endeavors (which was another thing that kind of felt like cheating the more interesting elements of the story). I love reading fae novels and I wouldn't necessarily say this one isn't worth reading it was just a little disappointing to me.
This review and all my others can be found at: https://aworldshapedbybooks.blogspot....
January 26, 2023
The page count really did this book dirty, it could have benefited soooo much from 150-200 pages more, or from it being a duology or series.
The world is compelling and the characters are interesting enough that if they had been developed futher I would probably have fallen in love with them, however it's all very two-dimensional and the ending is extremely rushed. 60% in the main conflict hadn't even started.
Still, I really enjoyed it. I had fun reading it, plus the cover is sooooo beautiful.
The world is compelling and the characters are interesting enough that if they had been developed futher I would probably have fallen in love with them, however it's all very two-dimensional and the ending is extremely rushed. 60% in the main conflict hadn't even started.
Still, I really enjoyed it. I had fun reading it, plus the cover is sooooo beautiful.
February 26, 2021
A romantic Fae adventure
This fairy tale was absolutely perfect. This enemies to lovers romance will have you edging till you get to the end in no time. Your only regret will be that it is a short read. Lots of courtly politics with war on the borders threatening the Seelie and Unseelie Fae to add conflict to the romance story. The h has to take on responsibility in order to help save the people. The H is responsible for pushing her into the position and fights his attraction in order to focus on war. This story’s focus is on the romance not the fantasy, but the steam could have been hotter. The connection between the characters was a little loose and required backstory and monologue. They didn’t really get together till the end and epilogue. Nonetheless it was pleasing to read.
This fairy tale was absolutely perfect. This enemies to lovers romance will have you edging till you get to the end in no time. Your only regret will be that it is a short read. Lots of courtly politics with war on the borders threatening the Seelie and Unseelie Fae to add conflict to the romance story. The h has to take on responsibility in order to help save the people. The H is responsible for pushing her into the position and fights his attraction in order to focus on war. This story’s focus is on the romance not the fantasy, but the steam could have been hotter. The connection between the characters was a little loose and required backstory and monologue. They didn’t really get together till the end and epilogue. Nonetheless it was pleasing to read.
February 27, 2021
3.5 STARS
I actually really enjoyed this book! There were some really good ideas in there, some stuff that completely took me by surprise in a good way, but the book needed to be like 500-600 pages for it to do those great ideas justice. In 230 pages, it all felt a little bit rushed unfortunately.
I actually really enjoyed this book! There were some really good ideas in there, some stuff that completely took me by surprise in a good way, but the book needed to be like 500-600 pages for it to do those great ideas justice. In 230 pages, it all felt a little bit rushed unfortunately.
February 26, 2021
Really good standalone that totally could also work as a series
The only issue that I had with this book was… I wanted more! I think this standalone would have made a fantastic series!
Rissa is perfectly content to live alone in the forest, an outcast from her realm, until Rydekar Bane, a sexy and angry memory from her past, demands she comes to take the throne that is rightfully hers against an age-old enemy.
Fans of high fantasy, enemies-to-lovers, and fae stories will be sure to love this book!
Sizzle: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 4/ 5. Personally, I would have liked to see Rydekar and Rissa’s love story start a little earlier (and span several books) but they had enough context and chemistry to make their relationship work.
Ship Factor: 🚢 I ship! Again, totally could have taken a multi-book series of Rydekar and Rissa! The epilogue gave them a nice HEA, which was great, but this book and this ship was so good, I would have loved to see a longer series.
Feminism fails: 0️⃣! One of the more interesting aspects of this book was the role of Rissa’s mother. While definitely heartbreaking for Rissa, it was interesting to see an example of a woman who broke outside of the “motherhood” role when she knew it wasn’t something for her. Should she have abandoned her baby? Probably not. But it made for a great, complex character.
The only issue that I had with this book was… I wanted more! I think this standalone would have made a fantastic series!
Rissa is perfectly content to live alone in the forest, an outcast from her realm, until Rydekar Bane, a sexy and angry memory from her past, demands she comes to take the throne that is rightfully hers against an age-old enemy.
Fans of high fantasy, enemies-to-lovers, and fae stories will be sure to love this book!
Sizzle: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 4/ 5. Personally, I would have liked to see Rydekar and Rissa’s love story start a little earlier (and span several books) but they had enough context and chemistry to make their relationship work.
Ship Factor: 🚢 I ship! Again, totally could have taken a multi-book series of Rydekar and Rissa! The epilogue gave them a nice HEA, which was great, but this book and this ship was so good, I would have loved to see a longer series.
Feminism fails: 0️⃣! One of the more interesting aspects of this book was the role of Rissa’s mother. While definitely heartbreaking for Rissa, it was interesting to see an example of a woman who broke outside of the “motherhood” role when she knew it wasn’t something for her. Should she have abandoned her baby? Probably not. But it made for a great, complex character.
July 24, 2021
Really badly written. Some of the plot is so disjointed that I struggled getting through it and had to go back through and reread sections. A bunch of plot holes and it lacked explanation of important things. The characters lacked personality. I almost DNF and I kind of wish I hadn’t.
October 4, 2021
Thank you so much to the Book Sprout, Twisted Mirth Publishing and the author for this book in exchange for an honest review!
This fantasy gave me all the good vibes I could desperately need for a fae fantasy, but I wish there was MOREEEE! I loved the plot and I loved the direction it was taking off to, but I felt that it just wasn’t enough to be truly perfect. It alluded to a LOT of really interesting ideas and images for where it wasn’t going to go. However, there was a LOT of meat filling missing from this plot and I kept questioning.... “WHERE’S THE BEEF!!?!”
The author had me hooked from the VERY beginning. I mean who can’t resist a main character that doesn’t give two flying fudges about people coming to kill her. Rissa is such a strong and fun character to read about and I was so excited for her and to read her journey. However, the author didn’t go into detail about how she got to where she was, what her powers really were, and why she didn’t want to be queen of her people. I mean for a first book in a series, this setup was okay, but the ending made it seem as though her story was over. So I am just disappointed and VERY confused.
The author really just breezed through this plot and it made me sooooo sad and desperate for moreeeeeeee......
The book either felt like plot points or the third of a series and I just can’t get over it because it could’ve been sooooo goooooood. I mean the concept, the book world, the magic, the characters, were so brilliant and perfect for a fae fantasy, but it just wasn’t long enough to truly soar! It has been such a long time since I’ve been so obsessed about a book and when this book didn’t go in the way I wanted.... I was so upset and am now having a toddler tantrum... sorry not sorry.
I just loved all of the characters so much and wanted to know all of their stories. The author gave us multiple perspectives, but I just wish she had given us more explanation about their backgrounds and their connections to the world and with each other. I couldn’t get too connected with the characters because of the lack of information or even enough time with them all.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I just felt it was unfinished or needed a sequel.
This fantasy gave me all the good vibes I could desperately need for a fae fantasy, but I wish there was MOREEEE! I loved the plot and I loved the direction it was taking off to, but I felt that it just wasn’t enough to be truly perfect. It alluded to a LOT of really interesting ideas and images for where it wasn’t going to go. However, there was a LOT of meat filling missing from this plot and I kept questioning.... “WHERE’S THE BEEF!!?!”
The author had me hooked from the VERY beginning. I mean who can’t resist a main character that doesn’t give two flying fudges about people coming to kill her. Rissa is such a strong and fun character to read about and I was so excited for her and to read her journey. However, the author didn’t go into detail about how she got to where she was, what her powers really were, and why she didn’t want to be queen of her people. I mean for a first book in a series, this setup was okay, but the ending made it seem as though her story was over. So I am just disappointed and VERY confused.
The author really just breezed through this plot and it made me sooooo sad and desperate for moreeeeeeee......
The book either felt like plot points or the third of a series and I just can’t get over it because it could’ve been sooooo goooooood. I mean the concept, the book world, the magic, the characters, were so brilliant and perfect for a fae fantasy, but it just wasn’t long enough to truly soar! It has been such a long time since I’ve been so obsessed about a book and when this book didn’t go in the way I wanted.... I was so upset and am now having a toddler tantrum... sorry not sorry.
I just loved all of the characters so much and wanted to know all of their stories. The author gave us multiple perspectives, but I just wish she had given us more explanation about their backgrounds and their connections to the world and with each other. I couldn’t get too connected with the characters because of the lack of information or even enough time with them all.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I just felt it was unfinished or needed a sequel.
March 6, 2021
I'm sad, the blurb was awesome, the cover art was awesome and other books from the author were awesome... so what went wrong here? It had all the elements but just felt very rushed. I'm a sad panda :(
Worldbuilding:
The world is amazing and has great potential to create many more beautiful stories.
I did, however, experience a bit of an information dump and didn't really get a feel for what it meant living in this world or being part of this or that court.
Character development:
The characters were awesome! Rissa, Ryedekar, Khal and all the others were absolutely great... I just didn't connect to them... at all :(
It was when I was about 1/3 into the book that I started wondering what was wrong. I read about the characters, I got some info here and there but I missed the feeling, the empathy I normally feel towards characters I read about.
Pacing and flow:
A lot is going on and while there is a good balance between all the action and conversations, it felt very rushed. I missed a good flow throughout the story, well, not that's not true, it was there, but as things were happening so fast after each other, you just didn't get the time to come to terms with what just came to pass. I often compare this part with an ocean on a normal day, the waves (some bigger than others) hitting the beach (or rocks) and retreating. This felt like the ocean during a hurricane.
The book:
The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There is sex described (if that is important to you).
The book is 226 pages long, spread over 36 chapters, told from Rissa's and Rydekar's point of view.
Final thoughts:
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book and all I can say is the book showed great potential. I mean, it really had everything it needed but felt very rushed. I would have loved for the book to slow down and let certain events/feelings marinate a bit before moving on. It was going too fast for me to build up a connection with the characters and this actually made me super sad, because you can just feel what could have been :(
Worldbuilding:
The world is amazing and has great potential to create many more beautiful stories.
I did, however, experience a bit of an information dump and didn't really get a feel for what it meant living in this world or being part of this or that court.
Character development:
The characters were awesome! Rissa, Ryedekar, Khal and all the others were absolutely great... I just didn't connect to them... at all :(
It was when I was about 1/3 into the book that I started wondering what was wrong. I read about the characters, I got some info here and there but I missed the feeling, the empathy I normally feel towards characters I read about.
Pacing and flow:
A lot is going on and while there is a good balance between all the action and conversations, it felt very rushed. I missed a good flow throughout the story, well, not that's not true, it was there, but as things were happening so fast after each other, you just didn't get the time to come to terms with what just came to pass. I often compare this part with an ocean on a normal day, the waves (some bigger than others) hitting the beach (or rocks) and retreating. This felt like the ocean during a hurricane.
The book:
The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There is sex described (if that is important to you).
The book is 226 pages long, spread over 36 chapters, told from Rissa's and Rydekar's point of view.
Final thoughts:
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book and all I can say is the book showed great potential. I mean, it really had everything it needed but felt very rushed. I would have loved for the book to slow down and let certain events/feelings marinate a bit before moving on. It was going too fast for me to build up a connection with the characters and this actually made me super sad, because you can just feel what could have been :(
November 15, 2021
3.5
I generally enjoyed this. I liked that Rissa stood up for herself, even when intimidated or overwhelmed. I liked that Rydekar let her make her own decisions, even when he disagreed with them. (By 'let' I mean he didn't try to stand in her way, not that he gave her permission. She neither needed nor sought it.) I liked the world and that the romance is fairly slow burn considering the whole fated mates angle.
Like so, so, so many such books Rissa is strong and capable. She's the heroine of this book and it's implied she and Rydekar end on equal footing. But up until that point, she's the younger, less informed, less capable of the two and wouldn't have achieved her greatness without his intercession. There always seems to be a point when the female character says or does something she later apologizes for, in such books, and there's almost always a point when she realized the male character was right all along. The author(s) may make him more or less smug about it, depending on how much of an alpha a-hole they are or aren't writing. But this plotting is so, so, so common. And it grates a little that this is the story we women tell ourselves so often. And The Cursed Crown is as guilty of this as any other. I'm noting it because it's on my mind, not so much because it's something to denigrate the book for. It is super common after all, even if I wish it wasn't. *shrug*
I did think the pre-epilogue ending was a bit anticlimactic and the epilogue felt tacked on and unnecessary. All in all, however, I'd be happy to return for more of Sage & Blake's books.
I generally enjoyed this. I liked that Rissa stood up for herself, even when intimidated or overwhelmed. I liked that Rydekar let her make her own decisions, even when he disagreed with them. (By 'let' I mean he didn't try to stand in her way, not that he gave her permission. She neither needed nor sought it.) I liked the world and that the romance is fairly slow burn considering the whole fated mates angle.
Like so, so, so many such books Rissa is strong and capable. She's the heroine of this book and it's implied she and Rydekar end on equal footing. But up until that point, she's the younger, less informed, less capable of the two and wouldn't have achieved her greatness without his intercession. There always seems to be a point when the female character says or does something she later apologizes for, in such books, and there's almost always a point when she realized the male character was right all along. The author(s) may make him more or less smug about it, depending on how much of an alpha a-hole they are or aren't writing. But this plotting is so, so, so common. And it grates a little that this is the story we women tell ourselves so often. And The Cursed Crown is as guilty of this as any other. I'm noting it because it's on my mind, not so much because it's something to denigrate the book for. It is super common after all, even if I wish it wasn't. *shrug*
I did think the pre-epilogue ending was a bit anticlimactic and the epilogue felt tacked on and unnecessary. All in all, however, I'd be happy to return for more of Sage & Blake's books.
March 18, 2021
This is the second book I read from May Sage and I have to say my review will be very similar to the book To Claim a King which I also read. There are many similarities between the books even though the story is different and I have basically the same problem with both books.
I loved the idea behind the book but I am kind of disappointed with the book overall. The pacing of the book is very fast, it makes for quick reading. The book should have been longer in my opinion in order to properly explore the story and the characters. Because it was short it felt rushed.
The worldbuilding was very short and I feel like we haven't found out that much about the world which is a shame! I would like to know more details. The main characters could have been more developed as well as the supporting character. The romance was a huge disappointment in this book, I feel like there was just no time for it... Rissa was a likable character but some of her behaviour was weird, it didn't feel right for her character.
As a reader, I need more explanation about the world and more character development.
Btw the cover is beautiful!
I loved the idea behind the book but I am kind of disappointed with the book overall. The pacing of the book is very fast, it makes for quick reading. The book should have been longer in my opinion in order to properly explore the story and the characters. Because it was short it felt rushed.
The worldbuilding was very short and I feel like we haven't found out that much about the world which is a shame! I would like to know more details. The main characters could have been more developed as well as the supporting character. The romance was a huge disappointment in this book, I feel like there was just no time for it... Rissa was a likable character but some of her behaviour was weird, it didn't feel right for her character.
As a reader, I need more explanation about the world and more character development.
Btw the cover is beautiful!
December 31, 2022
Was this the best book I've ever read? No. Did I really enjoy this book? Yes.
I really enjoyed this fun, fast fantasy read. It's short and jam packed with plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. This book is definitely a plot driven story, and I couldn't really describe any of the characters (Why I took off one star). There are a ton of characters, and they aren't exactly memorable. I also wish we could have had a little more.
The FMC is very immature and somewhat annoying in the beginning, but she does grow somewhat as the story progresses. I honestly didn't mind the immature FMC in this case (Which is unusual for me).
This is a fantasy romance that is heavier on the story and light on the romance (The love interests aren't even in the same place for half of the book), but I loved watching the FMC figure things out without the MMC having to come in and save her.
I really enjoyed this fun, fast fantasy read. It's short and jam packed with plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. This book is definitely a plot driven story, and I couldn't really describe any of the characters (Why I took off one star). There are a ton of characters, and they aren't exactly memorable. I also wish we could have had a little more.
The FMC is very immature and somewhat annoying in the beginning, but she does grow somewhat as the story progresses. I honestly didn't mind the immature FMC in this case (Which is unusual for me).
This is a fantasy romance that is heavier on the story and light on the romance (The love interests aren't even in the same place for half of the book), but I loved watching the FMC figure things out without the MMC having to come in and save her.
March 14, 2021
I’m so upset about how this ended that I might cry. Omg the potential this story had? The slow burn, the reunion, the whole war plot was so so good 😭 this could have been a great series! So I’m upset. I feel like someone stole something from me as I finished the last pages, the ending was so rushed. Nothing was tied as it should have, no one truly defeated and their romance, which was so good, felt just as rushed.
I’m giving it 4 starts for what it could have been, maybe this doesn’t make much sense, but alas 🥲
I’m giving it 4 starts for what it could have been, maybe this doesn’t make much sense, but alas 🥲
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