Garden of the Cursed: 1

Product Information

Because for the past few weeks, Marlow had been growing more and more convinced that she was being followed. Coincidence after coincidence—seeing the same old man pass by the spellshop where she worked some days, and again browsing a crayfish stall at the Swamp Market. A messenger boy that Marlow had seen not twice but three times in a single day earlier that week.

I loved the Age of Darkness trilogy and was so hyped for Katy Rose Pool’s next series since the announcement! It just sounded so fun, and the fake dating trope definitely didn’t hurt either. In Garden of the Cursed, a cursebreaker reluctantly agrees to help break the curse of the old friend who snubbed her a year ago, which turns into a fake relationship so she can investigate a lead on her mother’s disappearance. The blade pressed into her skin, and Marlow bit down on a pathetic whimper as Bane leaned into her, his breath on her cheek as warm and wet as a summer storm.I don't want to give too much away about this romance. But I loved it, it was slow burn for sure. The characters make it 100% worth it. Their banter and interactions are genuine. The plot was interesting. Pool did a good job of weaving together Marlow's mother's disappearance and Adrius' curse. While the two weren't necessarily connected, several people pop up in both cases as suspects, which was fun. The pacing was consistent, and the story never really stalled. We were constantly in a new place in the world, or the case. All these little discoveries at well-time intervals saved this book. Guess she figured out what the rest of us already knew—you can’t wash the swamp off the swamp rat.”

Marlow is a fierce and brave protagonist. Smart, snarky, and a bit antagonistic, she’s determined to find out what happened to her mother who disappeared a year ago. But when Adrius comes to her for help, she finds it hard to say no to the male who broke her heart all those months ago. I love Adrius too, though his character is more difficult to understand, as he remains an enigma for much of the story. He definitely has the broody, moody bad-boy attitude that I love in a MMC. Other characters, including Marlow’s best friend and Adrius’s friends and family, are also quite compelling, and I’m excited to see where their stories lead. The narration by Jennifer Blom was enjoyable and I thought she did a wonderful job as Marlow. Some of the characters were voiced similarly though and there were times when it was challenging to distinguish between characters. Marlow has learned by now that in a city steeped in secrets and lies, not everything is as it seems. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide who to trust—and how high a price she’s willing to pay for the truth. Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillian's Children Publishing for the advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own. Garden of the Cursed is one of the most original fantasy novels I’ve read in years. Masterful world-building, a deftly developed mystery, and a compelling romance round out this sharp, intelligent read.” —C. L. Herman, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the All of Us Villains duologyJust a reminder that this will be a SPOILER discussion for chapters 1-4 of Garden Of The Cursed , so make sure you read or are finished this section before continuing. In this enemies-to-lovers romantasy mystery, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with a powerful noble to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother's disappearance.

But it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. This case had dragged on for almost two weeks, and time was up. Tonight was the grand premiere of The Ballad of the Moon Thief, and if its prima ballerina had any hope of performing, Marlow was going to have to brave the danger. All in all this was a solid start to a series with a great cliffhanger. A fun diverse cast, lots of growing room for future books, and just enough reveals to keep you guessing! When the author Katy Rose Pool reached out to me via my bookstagram account asking if I wanted an advanced reader's copy of this book because of my support of her other books, I immediately said yes. Her Age of Darkness series is so well done and has such an amazing cast that I was so excited to see what her next book had in store, even if she mentioned that it was built for a different sort of audience. It turns out, this story was built exactly for my tastes as well.Except later that evening, Marlow finds her cat playing with the invitation to the Regatta, and it's host piques Marlow's interest in an older case she's been working on. The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life. Before Thaddeus can succeed in harming Marlow, a woman who Marlow has sensed following her comes into the corridor and intimidates Thaddeus into standing down. When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow's old friend and scion of one of Caraza's most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

Tell you what,” he said conspiratorially. “I’ll let you choose what we take from you, how’s that? A few ounces of blood, perhaps? Or I could take your nose, so you’ll stop poking it where it doesn’t belong. Or maybe you’d rather I take some of your memories—all your memories of dear old mommy, perhaps?” I really liked it! And I will 100% be reading book 2 next year. A book that totally took me by surprise. Marlow made a slow circuit of the speakeasy, cataloging each face: The soothsayer reading some bright-eyed young woman’s fortune, the bracelets on her arms jangling as she shook a bowl of runestones. A man drinking alone, gaze darting around the room as though worried someone might catch him there—an off-duty cop, or a cheating husband, Marlow guessed. A group of gamblers clustered around one of the tables, arguing over dice. Nothing short of genius .” —Jennifer Lynn Barnes, #1 New York Times -bestselling author of The Inheritance Games series, on Garden of the Cursed Bane flashed a crocodile grin, advancing. “Speaking of, I wish the boss was here now. But don’t worry—I’ll be sure to describe your screams in detail to him later.”In Garden of the Cursed, a romantic, enemies-to-lovers fantasy mystery, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with a powerful noble to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother's disappearance. This edge-of-your-seat novel is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron. This is such a unique YA story and wasn't like others I have read before. Marlow and Adrius are such strong characters, that I instantly fell in love with. The magician system also isn't something I have seen yet in books. It was an interesting twist on magic with the more political power you gave the more access you have to it. I’m not 100% sold on the second chance-ish friends to enemies to lovers romance between Marlow and Adrius and I felt more frustrated than anything with them most of the time. I tried to keep in mind that they’re just teenagers, but it became increasingly difficult since they never talked to each other and the same miscommunication kept happening over and over again. The book ends with an interesting reveal and cliffhanger, but it’s not a cliffhanger that will leave you feeling gutted. Jordan's Thoughts: I like a no-fuss immediate jump into action, and this first chapter doesn't disappoint.