Curse & Kingdom

Curse & Kingdom #1

by Ember Blackthorn

They invited me to their masquerade.

Three cursed brothers—
One a warrior.
One an assassin.
One a prince.

I’m just an ordinary, nerdy, twenty-three-year-old girl. (I mean, my hobbies include writing fanfiction and caring for my collection of succulents.) I don’t know anything about magic. And I have no idea why these brothers want me.

But as they draw me into their enchanted world, they tell me I’m the only one who can save them from their curse.

I only hope my heart is prepared for what’s to come.


CURSE & KINGDOM is an ongoing fantasy romance series full of spicy romance, lush magic, and enchanted, oh-so-sexy heroes.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Ebooks, Fantasy Romance, Fae, Why Choose

472 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2022

Reviews

[Courtney Holcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curse and Kingdom by Ember Blackthorn is an enchanting read that immerses you in a world of magic and intrigue. The characters are well-developed, each with their own unique struggles and growth throughout the story. The plot is engaging, intertwining themes of love, betrayal, and destiny. Blackthorn's writing style is vivid, making it easy to visualize the fantastical settings and intense emotions. The pacing is well-balanced, keeping the reader invested without feeling rushed. Overall, it's a captivating tale that fans of fantasy will thoroughly enjoy.

Actual Rating 3.75 Stars.
Characters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scenes ⭐⭐⭐

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw that this book was free on Amazon and decided to try it out. Within the first five pages I had already decided I loved it. I never use the highlighter function in the Kindle app, but there were just so many hilarious snippets that hit way too close to home and I found myself highlighting sentence after sentence. Such as this one:

In the time they’d been talking, I’d shoved half of the remaining cheese in my mouth. Unfortunately, contrary to what my subconscious apparently believed, a stomach full of cheese wasn’t helping me understand this any better.

The story was super fun and engaging and I didn't ever feel like it was too slow. It was well written and had a great balance of humor and seriouness. My biggest knock against it was probably just Goldie's helplessness, but I assume that will be changing in the next book. Also, the big reveal at the end was so obvious, and I remember being like, "oh, that's interesting that there's a chatacter named Esmer and one named Esmerine. That probably isn't a coincidence." But then still being SHOCKED by it. So, I don't know if that's good on Blackthorn, or if I'm just a total dummy...

I am still on the fence about this whole polyamory/why choose/whatever love thing is going on. I am a serial monogamist, and typically am not interested in reading anything more "exciting," but I'm cautiously optimistic.

I cannot wait to continue the series. I am SO glad I randomly found this book and decided to give it a chance.

[Iman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ (ganz knapp) hatte das Buch eig schon dnf‘ed aber hatte dann doch nochmal Lust es fertig zu lesen. Die Romance Story war ganz gut mit interessanten Charakteren, aber der Fantasy Teil war dagegen leider eher schwach. Die FMC kommt neu in diese Welt und weiß offensichtlich nichts. Hätte mir gewünscht, dass man mit anderen POVs den Leser*innen ein bisschen mehr Information gibt.(Aber hab auch grade TOG gelesen also ist es im Vergleich obviously schlechter)
Außerdem mochte ich den Reveal am Ende nicht. :/

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this originally through KindleVella and went absolutely feral for it when I saw it in ebook format! Following Marigold and the Boys through this adventure is so addictive I can’t wait to jump over and keep reading!

I love every bit of the adventure between the two worlds and the developments between Goldie and each brother 😏 and honestly I’m obsessed with what’s gonna happen next! And that BOMB dropped at the end of Chapter 50?? Ember I was NOT prepared!

10/10 recommend for anyone needing a new fantasy with some drama, romance, and danger thrown in! 💜

[Floris.Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

I failed. Couldn't keep reading after 53% of the book.
It was a good start and had potential, but there is just something missing. I don't get swept up in it and want to keep reading, just no.
Maybe it's me, maybe it's the book. We'll never know.

[Lei Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to read more of this series. I could not put this book down. The characters have me hooked and looking for more!!

[Ashley Heider Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5

Is this book perfect? No. Is it the best written? Also no. But did I absolutely eat it up? YES.

This was my first time reading a reverse harem, and I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I’ve always loved a good love triangle, so this felt like the natural next step—and it delivered. Sure, there were things that bugged me (if I never see the word shiver again, it’ll be too soon), and there were a few eye-roll moments, but I was fully hooked and already can’t wait to dive into book two.

I liked all the brothers and definitely have a strong feeling about where it’s headed. The world-building is straightforward but vivid enough to feel unique without being overwhelming.

Messy, fun, and addictive in the best way.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book from the start. I downloaded it for free from Amazon and thought I’d give it a try. I read ACOTAR and loved the fantasy side but found it slow. Where this book had me from the start.
The world building was great.
The characters were great. It was well written and kept me wanting more.
A couple of times I thought I knew where the book was heading but I didn’t expect the ending until a couple of pages before it was revealed. I can’t wait to buy and read the second book.

[Mariana Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

[Mei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got me hooked! I downloaded the sample from Amazon and it had me so hooked I bought all three books that are currently out.

There is some spice BUT the romantic relationships ebb & flow and really develop at a slow pace. There are numerous times when she & a brother are interrupted before consummating. Then there's a blood bond that pretty much kills any spice.

The three brothers are cursed and can't return to their homeland unless they find the person that can open a portal. Even when they return home they realize the curse on their power is still in effect. And someone seems out to kill Marigold.

They all seem smitten with our FMC right away in their own way. But I believe their curse revolves around their ability to love and be loved.

Octavian - who gave his heart to another (But first to give our FMC the most attention)
Radven - who can't love
Alastor - doomed to not be loved by another.

There is some OW drama. Octavian's "former love" (plays into the story) and Radven randomly hooking up with someone. (which isn't mentioned to our FMC)

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an okay read. I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest though. I was only like 20% in and there was already so much happening which is where it became intriguing.

Marigold comes across as a quirky sort of character but for her age she did seem sort of naive/ a bit sheltered for parts of the book where it was basically common sense/ knowledge. Her character got told about her essence and being of both worlds but didn’t really try to understand the use of it or try to tap into it or to learn more about it.

I’m not sure if this book was supposed to be reverse harem or what but Marigold was so annoying. Like girl, you’ve ‘known’ them for 3 days and I swear she was ready to drop the L bomb on Oak. But then they had a little tiff and she was kissing the next bloody brother (radven). Like I’m surprised she didn’t have a moment with Alastor, but I’m gonna assume that it will probably happen in the next couple books.
Her online friends, I don’t know, the whole aspect was okay, it was a bit boring to be honest. Esmer.. I don’t know how she did not make the connection. It was plain as daylight.

The ‘3’ brothers were far more interesting than Marigold. If I were to carry on I feel like my favourite out of the 3 would honestly be Radven and Alastor, sorry Octavian.

Personally though, I felt like we didn’t really get to know the brothers that well ~ unless you get to know them more in the other books.

[Faith Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. I loved this book. I would give it more than 5-stars if I could. It ended kind of on a cliffhanger, but it wasn't one that was upsetting. It just made you want to immediately start reading the next in the series.

The characters were all so believable and loveable (even Alastor towards the end). World building was done as the story happened and you don't even really notice it. Also, the writing was smooth and flowing with what seemed to be professional editing.

It was light romance only and RH only in that there were three guys the girl was interested in. I guess you could call it slow burn, though there were kisses pretty fast with two of the guys. Maybe in the next book there is more romance? It doesn't really matter that much to me as long as it's even partially as good as this book is.

Highly recommend. NO HEA, due to light cliffhanger leading to the next book.

[Sidney Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ This book was interesting. A little bit slower, which makes sense for a first installment, and the magic system was all new— no Fae (though they are mentioned as legend) but instead just powerful people who could use essence. It was interesting to see the two worlds, one earth and one Therador, and all of the beasts and magic things that lived inside Therador. Where it loses stars for me is a lot of it wasn’t explained (seemingly to come later) and there was a whole lot of running from danger, making it all feel unstable. However, that was true to the main characters experience and definitely translated. Additionally, the brothers & the main character were too connected in romantic ways— she should’ve just picked one. I’ll be reading the next books to finally figure out some things and see where this is going — it ended on a cliffhanger!

[Outi · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.75 stars

I found this on Kobo for free and having no expectations I kinda ended up enjoying the journey. It's definitely better than ACOTAR, for those who are fans of similar books.

The early parts of the book suffer from "tell, don't show" type of writing, but the plot sucked me in and I stopped caring about it. When things picked up I couldn't stop turning the pages. But... I couldn't get over the virginity obsession, just nope. And the amount of times Marigold was described as a girl, often a naïve or innocent or some other condescending adjective type of girl. Ugh.

The plot twists were also so obvious but that didn't bother me too much. It passed the time and maybe one day I'll find out how Radven is doing.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book during a “fill your Kindle” event a while ago and it was languishing in my library until I decided to give it a chance. I wish I had read it sooner. In fact, after I read it I went ahead and bought the rest of the books in the series. I almost never do this, too risky. But this book was so well done I thought it was worth the risk.

It is well written, Marigold is a lovely main character. Earnest, sweet and definitely naive. But you can’t have a good growth arc without somewhere to start right? I found myself cringing with her, smiling with her and crying with her. The “brothers” are also well done, definitely not cardboard cutouts.

I also thought the author did a good job describing the world around them. I felt like I could see Therador and everything that happened there. A really good read all in all.

[Abbie Riddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting, fun read!! I enjoyed this. It took me a bit longer to read only because I had so many other books open at the same time. A mortal woman, invited to a party she doesn’t belong at. Sucked into a magical world of curses, secrets, betrayals and trial with three “brothers”.

Simply fun. I did laugh at some of the town names (Ring-Around-the-Hill. I enjoyed the sheltered innocence of the MC and overall just enjoyed the book.

I’m not even sure how this came to be on my shelf, but I was pleasantly pleased

[Leslie Hutchings · Rating 4 out of 5]

***3.5
It took me a hot minute to get into the full story. There were parts that really captured my attention, and others where it took all my will power to pay attention. It's a predictable, but fun story. The characters are just like you'd imagine. And I figured out who the one character was wayyy before the end of the story. Without reading the other books, I feel like I already know exactly what is going to happen, minus a few details. I'm not sure which brother to root for, but I've always loved the name Alastor. Not sure I am invested or intrigued enough to read the rest of the series.

[Lauranne Msl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je l'avais téléchargé y'a lonnnngtemps gratuitement via Amazon, et même s'il était bien noté, j'en attendais pas grand chose... Après quelques chapitres, j'ai vite vu la trope du triangle amoureux arriver, avec quelques petits clichés, et j'ai cru que j'allais lever les yeux au ciel... MAIS au final I was giggling and kicking my feet !!!! hihi
Le world-building est assez basique mais ça suffit, l'aspect romance prend souvent le dessus de toute manière (en espérant que les ambitions de la perso principale aillent quand même au-delà de ça dans le tome 2)

[Kyleigh Borges · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a fantastic ending, that might have me continuing the series at a later date.

But this book just didn't have me running home to dig into it. I loved the characters, and the premise of the storyline. But it moved so slowly for me I think or maybe it was all the secrets with little to no full-blown answers. That might not be a niche for me.

Also killed the word "shiver" for me. I wish there was a better way to describe the feeling of magic for her.

[NanJen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good. I’m not the big fantasy reader so I did put it down a few times. It was really interesting but kind of on the long side. (Good or bad I can’t really tell) good story with good twists and mystery. I think I will continue the series (definitely if its free on kindle)
The story ends on a cliffhanger that I spottet two chapters before it happened, not good but still a good turn of events. I can’t wait to know what happens next.

[Tory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this on Amazon's Kindle Vella --- a fun option of reading the novel chapter by chapter, as the author writes each one. I enjoyed Curse & Kingdom, Marigold, her friends, and the Crestwood brothers, and their adventures so much that I immediately ordered the paperback when it became available (5 days ago) so that I can re-read it in traditional book format. Looking forward to more!!!

[Avanlea Cary · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I LOVED IT. I’m actually so stressed about the ending right now. What are we going to do about Esmerine. Did she do all this? Know that Marigold was close to the brothers? Fucking Oak is missing his heart and she’s hiding away? What is going on. Why would she want her friend caught up in that. OMG starting book 2 now.

[Angel Hollifield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for me

I gave it 4 stars because if you're looking for a light, fluffy fantasy with some spice, written for 20 somethings, you'll like this. It's not bad, but I didn't really care about the characters. A lot of the writing choices read very young. There's some plot holes and pacing issues. It's not my cup of tea. But I would have liked it as a very young adult.

[Kirsty Vermeer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Intriguing start

Slow to get there but turned out to be an interesting read. I am looking forward to book 2. The writing was stilted and too wordy towards the start, but flowed better at the end. The story and magic system so far is interesting and I am looking forward to seeing what's to come in book 2

[Alice Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curse & Kingdom is everything I want in a fantasy romance and more! From the very first page, I was hooked by the premise a seemingly ordinary young woman suddenly swept into a magical world, caught in the lives and curses of three dangerously captivating brothers. A warrior, an assassin, and a prince? Yes, please.

[Tifani Dyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ate this up. World building, likeable FMC, but freaking loved the MMCs, tension building, light smut (with the promise of more in later books)

Definitely fantasy with romance built in. I’m glad the series is already finished so I won’t have to wait, I’m ready to dive into book 2.

Also this might be worth a re-read because the way I went through this…..I may need to go back 😂

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. It has enough story line to keep me engaged and enough smut to keep it hot like its all teasing and flirty and im hear for it. And the MFC is freaking funny. I had my hubby laughing with me at her banter. Any way great book now I have to go dive into the next cus that ending yall....🙃

[Jenny]

I don't rate books I don't finish. The idea was pretty cool and I had high hopes. It was really hard to suspend my disbelief. It was too jaring trying to merge the present day with the fae. It wasn't successful in my mind.

[Haley Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a book/ series that is just a overall good time this is it! Def had some moments that had me kicking my feet and enjoying the banter and conflicts! Overall, I’d say very underrated and a little astonished the Romantasy community is not talking more about this series💜

[Mari r. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally couldn't get this book off my hands or out of my head! I love everything about this book and the characters. It felt like I was on a roller coaster, the ending definitely had me at a chokehold!