The Cursed Prince

Dark Caress #1

by Richard Amos

an alternate cover edition can be found here

Beautiful. Dangerous. Cursed.

I am Prince Valance, seelie fae and heir to the Faerie Throne. I have a reputation for my unusual beauty as well as my deadly inclinations.

A reputation I enjoy cultivating.

I have no particular interest in the throne, yet I would never let it fall into the wrong hands. Especially unseelie hands. Any creature aligned to the unseelie court deserves a thousand agonising deaths.

Nothing would please me more than to see the unseelie fae obliterated from existence forever.

What a wonderful dream.

When a human male sworn to that other side crosses my path, I find myself intrigued by this gruff, handsome creature I take as my prisoner.

Kormac hates me as much as I do him. He wants to bring me down, full of loathing, longing to see the current seelie regime crumble.

Despite my hate and the temptation to end his life, there is something about the human that stirs my desires. Something delicious, something delightfully forbidden.

What would it be like to know his touch?

But curiosity is a dangerous thing, as is this deadly game I find myself trapped within.

My life is about to be changed forever.

If only I had seen the darkness coming…

The Cursed Prince is the first book in a Dark Fantasy trilogy with a slow-burn MM Enemies to Lovers Romance that unfolds as the series progresses.
Enter a violent world of warring fae and deadly magic, where two souls collide, and nothing is as it seems.

This book contains graphic scenes that some readers may find upsetting.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, M M Romance, Fae, Paranormal, Dark, Enemies To Lovers

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2021

About the author

Richard Amos is an author from England who is constantly lost in the worlds he writes about, and the ones in the queue yet to be written. He also has more books in his house than anything else, and is never without a book (and chocolate) in his hands when he's not writing. He’s a proud nerd who loves to dance. Hard.

Richard writes M/M Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance, all with tons of kick-ass action, adventure, twisty plots, and yummy times.

🔗 https://linktr.ee/richardamosauthor

Reviews

[Achim]

Sorry but had to DNF at 47%.

Should have been right up my alley as it's a fantasy about fae and a variation about the war between seelie and unseelie. It's even supposed to be a dark fantasy, enemies-to-lovers with some quite good reviews telling about unpredictable twists and turn and political scheming, so I just had to have it.

Unfortunately already the start was quite sobering while getting introduced to Prince Valance, who's one of the MCs but also an aristocratic douche with a penchant for torture for fun, a strong believe in the rightness of slavery and an insatiable, careless libido. In fact he has all the qualities for a great villain. I despised him so much that the later efforts of the author to show him as a reliable friend and victim of a real unfriendly family situation was completely lost on me. I only could agree to Kormac's verdict:
Oh, poor him. What a sad, troubled life living in a palace, always winning battles, with plenty of servants to wipe his ass for him. Poor, poor prince.

Kormac, on the other hand, I might have grown to like, although at the moment I left the book he still was a lot more brawn than brain and even his swearing was only repetitive instead of imaginative but there was potential (alas not for the swearing).

You could say, that Valance villainous qualities are an indication that it's a dark fantasy and I shouldn't be bothered by it, probably he growth out of it or the author provides an believable explanation or a better use/ outlet for it during their adventure. Don't know about that, only know that in other dark stories I read so far, there was something compelling about the badness or it matched seamless with the world-building or there was a characteristic which while it didn't balance the dark side, made it bearable or even interesting until I rooted for the bad guy. Here: nada, only self-righteous hedonism.

Maybe it becomes a good story later on and I just should have forced myself through some more pages but … *shrug*

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say that opposites attract and in this book you couldnt get more complete opposites than Prince Valance and Kormac. More so because theyre sworn enemies. Its an interesting dynamic between the both of them and throughout the book the plot twists keep you gripped as you try to work out where these two stand with each other. Yes its dark in places and some of what Valance does to Kormac in the course of this book didnt still well with me i stuck with it and things changed in it as well as my opinion. I couldnt help but be curious to what would happen with Valance and Kormac's relationship and how it will progress. I enjoyed reading this book and im looking forward to the next one

[Richard Amos]

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

*insert "finally some good fucking food" jpeg here*

I read the whole thing in one sitting.

Do you know how long it's been since I've read an entire book in one sitting, no stops, no skimming through scenes, no nothing but good *vibes*???? It's been a while. I've been in a draught; I've been parched.

Now listen, this book nor the author gives you a warning of the triggers that this book contains (which I think it should have) so I am giving them to you in detail: Torture that is described in detail, gore that is described in detail, murder that is described in detail, heads, arms, tongues and god knows what else getting chopped off that is described in detail, one of the MC having sex and sort of mushy scenes with other characters that aren't the other MC, three scenes of bugs (spiders, ants) crawling all over people, secondary characters dying, some dubious consent, I think and I can't remember anything else.

God help me I loved every single thing. This is the definition of enemies-to-lovers-but-not-so-much-lovers-as-of-yet. There is genuine hate between the MCs (and with good reason). There is some sexual attraction but its not something the author shoves in your face every few seconds (no random boners thrown at your face every time the characters look at each other). Delicious slow burn very well done.

I want more.

[Zsuzsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing and the storyline are an absolute hot mess, but still a really nice read

[Crystal Tran · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was an interesting read? the writing was good, and i actually have a general interest to continue reading the series, but i hesitate to recommend this book or even call it good. to start, the world-building is weak. maybe i wasn’t processing the words properly, but all i really understood was that there were 2 major groups- the seelie vs the unseelie and theyre at war for some reason. what the reason is, im not sure. why those two groups exist, im not sure. there’s allegedly 4 courts, but ang real exposition explaining any of that is basically nonexistent. some of the seelie have power, but the powers aren’t really explained? i’m guessing they’re some sort of elven folk? idk, it seemed like a cool fantasy world but it was really hard to string anything about it together, and you would think the first book in a series would offer more explanation.

the main characters are on opposite sides of the conflict- a seelie prince and unseelie rebel prisoner. i loooved this setup bc i love a true enemies to lovers arc- but i just could not root for it. Prince Valence did some really fucked up stuff that just made it really hard to deem him as a character worth rooting for. he has a penchant for torture, and just looking at the stuff he puts Kormac, the unseelie rebel, through, it’s pretty unforgivable and there’s no real reason provided as to why we should see passed that. i suppose he’s meant to be an anti-hero but even anti-heroes are meant to be likable. maybe he’ll be redeemed in other installments, but it’s gonna take a lot for me to get over all the insane torture he was putting people through (especially when the “lore” provided no real reason as to why he would wanna torture unseelie people so bad).

the plot is also not really there? i get this is one installment of a trilogy, and the plot we get in the last like 25% is a lot more interesting and picks up a better pace, but the entire first 3/4 was just a bunch of nothing. just each character kinda meandering wherever and complaining about the other when that time could’ve been spent idk providing some much needed lore!!!! or actually delving into some interesting plot.

despite all of its weaknesses i was inexplicably compelled by the writing and i flew through this book. maybe this is a guilty pleasure idk but im definitely curious to read on! i just hope the pacing of the next book is better

[JJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow
Another brilliant series I can see happening.
Bang you straight into the story
The Prince (valance) is he good or bad you will find out
Kormac (human) rebal not going to fell in love with the Prince really again we found out.
RICHARD has a beautiful way to take by the hand throw the story like you watching it unfold which I love.
Magic, Elements earth wind fire water I find amazing.
Shadow magic ,the dark side Autumn winter darkness I love to.
2 main character died upset me story just started but are there dead RICHARD may bring them back with magic hope so.
Now Valance +Kormac story journey begins and Valance is not a Prince on this journey (as long as he remembered this)
I believe a beautiful love story will begin. Valance ❤ Kormac will give in to what fate and magic will bring them. And can't wait to find out about the dark side of Valance.
So looking forward to the next book
Thank you RICHARD Amos I loved ever page ❤

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading this author for a while, and I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started reading this series-opener. Boy, was I wrong! This is an interesting book filled with love/hate moments and so many twists and turns. Just when I thought I knew where the book was heading, it would take a completely different turn. I really can’t say too much because I could spoil all those twists and turns. What I can say is that this was an interesting and well-written book with a lot of action, plot twists, and characters that make you want to learn more. After that intriguing ending, I want to find out what happens next. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

RIchard is definitely my fave at world building thats for sure, and how he builds connections with characters its like your actually in the book with these two going though all the pain and trials that have brought them together. You can feel the love between val and kormac even though they can't see it just now. I'm so looking forward to book two 😍

[Bizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billed as a dark fantasy trilogy, this is book one in the story of a fae prince and a human employed by the prince’s biggest enemy. I struggled to get into this book, which drops you into a fight scene immediately and throws way too much information at you at once about who the various sides are in the conflict and what they stand for. The story would have been much better served by drawing out the worldbuilding. The characters also use a ton of modern idioms like “get to the next level” and “clap back,” which were incredibly distracting and actively hindered my ability to imagine this world. I also got some vague “Captive Prince fanfic” vibes from the general descriptions and roles of the two MCs, though thankfully both characters evolved in different directions over time. (For example, the fae prince thinks of himself as a schemer but he’s very easily distracted by his dick, which was a nice subversion of the cool, calculating badass trope.) All of that said, the setup turned out to be interesting enough that I’d like to see where the story goes. We’ll see if I’m still interested in March when book two comes out.

[Anne Barwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m already hooked on this series, and looking forward to see how Valance and Kormac move forward from the nasty events of this book. Dark fantasy is a good description for this book as the author doesn’t pull punches in describing the dark side of this world and its inhabitants. There were several moments that I thought, how will Valance come back from this?

The world building is fabulous and detailed, yet each bit enfolds as it needs to for the plot. It’s also very political with each side doing what it takes to either keep, or take back, control, and it’s understandable why the humans want the seelie to lose the throne. However, there’s an undercurrent that not everything is what it seems and that both sides are working on a truth that has been bent and adjusted to suit the real puppet masters. I liked how the three main sections of society come together to make up this society and how that interaction drives the plot.

Valance is an interesting and layered character. He is brutal and enjoys torture a little too much on one hand, yet respects those beneath him, and follows his own form on justice, on the other. His relationships with his friends show a different side to him, and their fates something that won’t be easily dismissed. I suspect his truth is going to unravel very quickly, and then there’s the mystery of why he looks the way he does. Although he took a while to warm to, I want to see what he’s like out in the world.

I liked Kormac right from the start, although he’s totally in over his head. He goes through a lot in this story, both physically and emotionally. Slow burn is putting it mildly. The plot twist about his and Valance’s connection is cleverly done, and I want to see how it works out, and why they’re on this quest. Like all good fantasies that part of the story is coming together slowly although the story itself hits the ground running and doesn’t stop.

As I’ve come to expect from this author, the first book ends with more questions than answers, and I’m intrigued and already hanging out to find out what happens next.

[Yunga2013 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the beginning of a series with an intriguing and enchanting title Dark Caress. And dark it is - a dark fantasy. I was a bit scared there would be too much gore involoved, but it was fine, just enough gore to create proper atmosphere.
The author uses Scottish myths to create his world. War between seelie and unseelie courts is in the center of this story. And two people on its opposite sides: prince Valance, an heir to the spring court, a strikingly beautiful fae despised by his family and Kormak, a human who wants the prince dead and unseelie on the seelie throne. What can come out of such an opening? I am thrilled to find out. As usual for Richard's books, it will be a slow burn romance brcause he is very thorough with his character making them alive and real in spite of the jenre. It's an enemies to lovers story which I always enjoy and boy, enemies they are! At some point I started asking myself: and how the honey is he going to make them lovers? OK, that's not so hard, but how is he going to make them fall in love? We just have to wait and see. I have all the faith in this author and his talent.
So, magic, adventures, angst...all of that in abundance and in the center - two men thrown together by fate and trying to navigate their way and complete the quest bestowed upon them.
I highly recommend this book to all the fantasy lovers: Richard builds such amazing worlds, so vividly potrayed. There will be action and more action, some fae politics, and a slow burn romance I am realy, really curious about,

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cursed Prince is a great start to Richard Amos's new series. This first book in the Dark Caress series is not for the faint of heart, but it is a deliciously good story. Valance is a Sidhe fae, but he looks nothing like the rest of them. His coal dark eyes give him away the most, and his difference is what puts a target on his back. Unseelie send humans to try and create chaos in their steps to bring war to the fae of Summer, but what Valance has no idea of knowing is that the human and dark shadow user he captures are going to bring such destruction and violence to his life.
If you are a fan of this author you are going to want to grab this book. It is so good! You'll have devoured it before you even know it and will be left begging for more. There are some seriously dark and twisted elements in this book, but I have to say I loved it. My heart broke for Valance with all of the death that has followed his family and how they were brutally taken from the world. Valance has held it together pretty well though. I like how there is a particular order to how the kingdom is run as well. It creates something unique that is rarely seen when it comes to hierarchy.
One of my favorite elements of this story? The orchid garden. Loved it. LOL! Beautiful and disturbing at the same time. Valance is an interesting character and I'm curious to see where things go from here.
I'm rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I can't wait to read the next book.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. While I’m a fan or fantasy, I have never delved into stories about the Fae before - so I can’t comment on how accurate or faithful the Fae are portrayed in this since I have very little prior knowledge.

That said, I did enjoy reading The Cursed Prince. The story is quite fast-paced, though I did find the first half to drag a bit. Things went downhill pretty quickly after the festival, with events taking place that didn’t make much sense - both to us as readers and to our main characters, Valance and Kormac. I thought it added a bit of a lighter feel when both of them would argue with themselves about the disconnect of what they are doing vs how they SHOULD be feeling. Thankfully, some things were explained by the end, so we’re not left with a major cliffhanger.

As for characters … I liked Kormac from the start, even if nothing really stood out about him. He’s a human who’s more braun than brain, a good warrior, a caring friend, and loyal to the unseelie cause. Valance, on the other hand … the titular seelie Cursed Prince leaves me a bit undecided as of now. Hedonistic and privileged, but also talented in combat and magic, as well as fiercely loyal to his friends. And while he’s not as cruel or power-hungry like his brother, he doesn’t shy away from torturing those he deems “unseelie scum”. A walking contradictory at times, keeping slaves yet treating them kindly.

[AshPenny37 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel a little bit like this is Groundhog Day. Another day, another series opener by Richard Amos, another gushing review from me going on about his imagination and amazing world-building skills.

So, this time we have a dark fantasy setting in a magical (elemental and light/dark magic) universe with a clearly developed yet delicate political unrest where, naturally, different factions are doing everything they can to gain the upper hand. I love the way in which there are roots in celtic faerie lore but the treatment is different to other Fae books I've read before. This really comes across in the brilliantly descriptive style…not just for the physical environment, but the action and emotional state of the characters, too. There are some dark themes and events here (bit of a trigger warning for the death of significant characters) and the reader's left in no doubt of the impact on our MCs, Valance (the cursed prince of the title) and Kormac.

I'm absolutely on board with pretty much anything that incorporates both opposites attract and forced proximity tropes, so this story just worked for me, especially (again) because of the imaginative and original way in which Valance and Kormac meet and interact. I don't want to go into what I like about it or either of the guys as that might lead to spoilers, but I cannot wait to see how they develop as individuals as well as how their bond grows.

The Cursed Prince is an easy 5* for me. It's darker yet garners a deep emotional investment in seeing in what comes next for Valance and Kormac, and one thing's for sure - I bet things will definitely not be what they seem, as promised...bring it on!

An ARC was provided by the author. This is my honest review.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This M/M fantasy is a great series starter -set into faerie, the deadly games of the courts, humanity being enslaved, and uprising wreaking havoc in the Seelie court. Valance, the odd prince of the Rosestar family, royals of the Seelie, managed to capture a human and a shadow sorcerer, however the price might be too high. And he hasn't started to fully uncover the depth of fae manipulation and power quest yet... after all, among the royals he might be the only one with heart in the right place. But how to preserve it under the curse?
I really enjoyed the story. I love fae and the endless possibilities how to depict them, and this series has a unique feeling to it. Their grace, power, skills, and cruelty are notorious, and with the addition of the mysterious quest and deadly curse, it is a very engaging read. The book was fast paced and with well-crafted characters, so I am already looking forward to book two.

[Andrea Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richard has one of the most amazing imaginations around and he has switched direction with this book going for a darker fantasy setting but it still has all the oddities his imagination thinks up plus the amazing world building.
Lots of twists and turns to the extent that you never see where this book is leading and just when you think you have it you realise that actually you don’t - so expect the unexpected.
Also this is very politically based which again is a new direction for this author plus Valance and Kormac are form different sides and have completely different personalities so it makes for an interesting dynamic that us well played on.
If you love MM fantasy with a slightly dark twist then this one is for you.

[Tara Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, this author is amazing at creating complex and interesting fantasy worlds. I never know what to expect and it is never boring! There were so many plot twists I had to keep reading into the night to find out what would happen next. The characters I loved in the beginning, I wasn't so sure about by the end. And the ones I was sure were the good guys, were definitely not. A good amount of this book was setting the stage, introducing characters, and building the intrigue. I can't wait to continue Valance and Kormac's journey in the next book! It is so nice to read original stories that don't just follow the typical tropes.

[Danielle Beguiled Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Prince Valance and all his beauty. Enjoy the Prince's extravagant dalliances with the Merfolk and guards, HOT!! Of course the story includes the never ending faerie war between Seelie and Unseelie. Whose side is right and whose side is wrong? When did the humans get involved? How could the human, Kormac be so strong? How and when did our beautiful prince get cursed? When will enemies become fated friends? Want to know, read this 1st book in the series to find out. I promise you will not be disappointed. The book is so well written that by the time you are done you will not know who you will side with.

[Jennifer Soppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Branches into fairie

Valance, a Seelie prince, and his two best friends encounter Kormac, a human, and Ren, a shadow magic wielder, in the forest outside of Summer City. As the story progresses a fight is waged, a loss is felt, and in an unfair twist feelings start to develop. Ruchard Amos branches into fairie in The Cursed Prince, creating a fantasy world filled with magic, humans, and all types of fae. The journey becomes so convoluted, it’s a wonder anyone will make it.

I read this book with my Kindle Unlimited subscription and I received a free copy of the book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

[Velascus · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much could've been cut. Background details stacked chapter after chapter overwhelm, and plenty of scenes didn’t bring anything new to the plot.
I have to admit, however, the first chapter was stealthily spectacular. It drew me in quietly and completely; by the time Valance's relentlessly draining arrogance grew so frustrating that I wanted to defenestrate him, discarding this book was no longer an option - though, pardoning my illogical thinking, I questioned myself the whole way through. But danu am I grateful I stuck it out.
Possibly looking forward to book two, albeit reluctantly - if that's possible.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cursed Prince was one of those books where I wasn’t really sure how I felt about it, but then around 70% shit hit the fan and I was invested.

I am 100% into the whole enemies to possibly lovers/abuse of power thing Valance and Kormac have going on—it’s very will they/won’t they and I love it so much. I also loved the plot twist involving the two of them, because I was not expecting that at all but I'm dying to see how it plays out.

I’m definitely intrigued to see where this Valance and Kormac’s story goes, and can’t wait to read more of this series!

[Patdbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a wonderful first story in a great trilogy. It is not an easy read as the brutality of races is exposed throughout. It is a book and series you need to be prepared to keep with. The two main characters are a fae prince and a sworn enemy kormac . Thrown together by higher powers whose end is not clear, they are tied together by a bond that they, on the one hand, want to fight and the other hand can't. The secondary characters are interesting, and no one is spared. An all time favorite. Read it and enjoy. Stick with it.

[DMCechak · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Seelie and Unseelie worlds clash in this exquisite rendering of opposites attract, and hate, and fight their feelings, as well as declaring war on each other.

Richard Amos brilliantly writes about not only the darkness prevailing in the Fae world, but the struggle that that darkness can claim fir the hearts of of Prince/MC and his enemy.

Found this book to be stimulating, in oh so many ways.

[Herma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kudos, Richard. The first series of Dark Caress, The Cursed Prince was such a brilliant story. The world building is beautiful with magical fantasy world. The characters are well rounded and feel realistic filled with great, layered characters and the plot is amazing too. If your looking for a good book to really make you think check this one out!
I would recommend this book to anyone who looking for a gentle introduction into the fantasy genre.

[Trent · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's probably closer too a 4 for me personally but I had to round down only because some of the *spicy* scenes at the start felt a little forced and misplaced. The book starts of with action but slows down a little then BAM straight into it. I will be finishing this series for sure. Have high hopes for where book 2 will go. My only gripe is the lack of reaso ing and explanation for 1. Old lady here and there and 2. The Curse and what it makes the other *need* to do.

[Joy Whiteside · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an extremely wonderful read that grabbed me from the beginning and there was no putting it down until the last page was read. It moves along at a great pace, has awesome characters that you will love and by the end feel as though you know them personally and a story that will not disappoint. This is a must read.

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valance is a seelie prince who does not want to rule. Kormac is trying to stop the fae from ruling. Can these two fight the attraction that they feel.for each other and give into it. This book has a great storyline and draws you in. Richard Amos once again has a great story that keeps your attention. I can't wait to see where this book leads for these characters.

[J.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

No spoilers of any kind included.
So this will be all that I say about The Cursed Prince and that is I thought it was a good story and I’m going to leave it at that.
So yes I do recommend this book.




*An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the author, publisher or a promotional service and I have voluntarily chosen to write a fair and honest review*

[Demetra Roussakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy wow. What a great start to this series. Both Valance and Kormac have a love/hate relationship. Valance is seelie and Kormac is human. Lots of intrigue and political shenanigans going on. If you love magic and different houses of elves, you will love this. Cannot wait to see what the next book brings.

I received a copy of this book for my review