She’s the last member of a cursed and deadly clan.He’s the crown prince with a dangerous secret.Together, they’ll save the empire. Or destroy it.Decades ago, the High King of Sundolia waged a war that vanquished the Serpent clan and drove them out of the empire, reducing them to nothing more than legends spoken of in occasional frightened whispers.But they did not leave peacefully. Their parting … nothing more than legends spoken of in occasional frightened whispers.
But they did not leave peacefully.
Their parting gift included curses that now rest within the empire’s soil, beneath the shade of its jungles, treading through the waves of its seas. Growing more and more dormant as the years pass under the rule of that increasingly tyrannical high king.
Until Alaya—a young woman with a hidden Serpent mark who shouldn’t exist—accidentally wakes one of them up.
Then another.
And suddenly she finds herself exiled from her adopted village and left with no choice but to seek the truth about her lost clan and the so-called curses they left behind. About her true home. About a power, stolen from the Serpent goddess herself, that is supposedly resting in that home. It is the sort of power that could help her overthrow a king, expose the lies he’s told, and put a stop to his wars.
The crown prince of Sundolia claims he wants to put a stop to those wars with her. That he only wants to help her find that power so he can undo the horrors his father has created. All they have to do is find a way to trust each other.
But the closer they get to that power, the more complicated the truth—and the trust— becomes. The more dangerous Alaya’s waking power seems. And the more she begins to wonder: Can you still be the hero if you were born a curse?
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This is such a rich world. I picked it up after falling in love with the Shadows and Crowns series – I wanted to get that extra understanding of the world S.M. Gaither created. The story is incredible (and obviously still unfolding) and I begged for the moments when the characters interacted with each other. That sort of dynamic is only just beginning and I look forward to picking up the next!
serpent is right
This story is just as addictive and captivating as, The Song of Marked. The mythos S.M. Gaither has created is absolutely astounding. Her stories just pull you in. And her writing is just like the serpent: winding, slipper and o so unpredictable. You will never see the snake when it strikes. I highly recommend you give this a read.
Oh my! This is one crazy ride. It is a stunning story that is filled with drama, suspense, action, and mystery. It had me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. The descriptions are vivid as they allowed me to see more of the picture that this wonderful artist has painted. Alaya was so incredibly strong and loving for the ones in her life. She and her group go through so many trouble times. The writing was superb as it weaves the tale that is beautiful and stunning.
It is an amazing story that just keeps drawing me further and further into it. The ending of the first book was epic and has me excitedly anticipating what is going to happen next.
This is an interesting fantasy read with strong characters and tons of action. The author does a great job developing the story with all the twists and mystery and moves it quickly and smoothly with descriptive writing. It’s well written and is an enjoyable read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
For such a beautiful cover and interesting idea and world behind the book, I am sad to say that the actual story did not live up to it. At all. Believe me when I say I really wish it did with the potential and fantasy aspect it showed. Unfortunately there were just too little in it for me.
While the world and all the myths and gods were an unique idea it didn’t come off great on the pages. I found it hard to grasp and follow, mostly because it just spewed details after details at me. It also didn’t help that the plot in itself was very slow paced and so focused on the fights and the overly in-depth facts about the mythology, giving me an extra difficult time finding the interest to the actual plot. The saving grace could, and should have been the characters. Sure, there were scenes where they helped progress the story or added a bit of life to it, like meeting the snarky prince. Overall though I found the characters pretty one dimensional. This probably due to the fact that the story gave no character development or distinct personality to the main characters.
Instead of the characters moving the story along and developing a chain of events, the plot moved around them while they stood still trampling in the same place. Ayala was throughout the entire book naive, insecure and afraid of her own powers. Sade was the constant bitter companion, while Kian gave very little but a constant presence. The only character that did show some personality was the prince with his charm and burden, but mostly at the beginning. It at least gave the romance some hope and I did like those kind of moments, albeit few, between him and Alaya. They kind of disappeared behind the overly detailed and repetitive fights, but when they peaked through it gave some grace to the book.
Because of the writing I am not one hundred percent sure of how to rate this book. With the romance and the twist at the end it was leaning towards three stars. However, there were just too many issues and inconsistencies in the story for me to give it that. For example, it made no sense whatsoever why Ayala revealed her mark to the soldiers, or how she was so blasé and naive to danger when she supposedly grew up fighting. That with everything else I have brought up the rating lands at two stars.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
There’s lots to enjoy about this book. First, the works building is excellent with its intricate society structure and hierarchy denoted by markings. Next of course are the characters. Alaya is herself nicely layered and fascinating. It’s a pleasure watching her develop as she deals with what’s thrown at her, and the supporting cast of characters is equally strong. Finally, the plot, well written and full of adventure for our heroes to go through. As noted, lots to enjoy. I’m glad I downloaded this one and got the chance to do so. Definitely recommended.
The world building is rather complex, with different clans being “guided” by different gods and goddesses, but a glossary in the beginning makes it quite easy to understand. The characters feel thought-out and I really like Alaya and her friends Sade and Kian. The Rook prince I was a bit unsure about to begin with, but he grew in to his role eventually.
There are some twists in the book (I approve!) and the pacing is good. The ending is a cliffhanger, so naturally I wish I could read the next book at once! If you enjoy a good fantasy with some curses in the mix you should give this a read!
I received an eARC of this book via the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
First can we all take just a moment to drool over that cover?! It’s stunning and y’all the story matches. The Queen of Cursed Things by S.M. Gaither is the first in a planned trilogy about a young woman with a deadly secret. This is high fantasy at its best, and if that’s your thing, then you don’t want to miss it!
Alaya is an orphan living in a small town on the outskirts of the kingdom. She has spent her life in hiding, hiding her soul mark which identifies her as a part of the Serpent clan. The Serpents are believed to be extinct, killed off by the current emperor and are considered dangerous. As a result, Alaya’s mother taught her a spell to hide her mark. Now at 17, she works in secret with a group of rebels trying to protect the outskirts from the mad emperor. When her mark is revealed though, she is taken to the palace and any that stood to protect her are too. There she learns about her mark, the magic she possesses, and the destiny she is meant to fulfill.
Alaya is easy to like and easy to empathize with. At every turn in her life, she has always made the choice that benefits others, even when she gets herself captured. Yet there is a prophecy surrounding her, one that says she is a curse. Her very existence will bring ruin. But how? Well she begins to realize this as her mark awakens curses laid in the land.
The crown prince is also harboring a secret about the emperor. His secret is much worse than Alaya’s and he wants her help to kill the emperor. The prince is an interesting character. He isn’t at all what I thought he’d be and surprises me at every turn of the page. Now whether or not I trust him is yet to be decided.
In addition to these two, there are two other main characters, Alaya’s childhood friends Kian and Sade. Sade is feisty, cunning, and never fails to surprise you. Kian is described by Alaya as gentle and soft to her own rough and hardened edges, and that’s a great description of him. Kian is the balancer between Alaya and Sade, but he is also home.
The plot is fast moving after you get past the first third of the book. I’ll warn you, it’s a slow start with lots of character names, descriptors and world-building thrown at you. However it is worth it in the end. The world building is fantastic, vivid and beautiful. I can’t wait to dive into book two and learn more about the kingdom these four are trying to save and Alaya’s role in it.
Overall I enjoyed this book. It’s a wonderful start to the series, and the world-building alone is enough to recommend it. The relationships among the characters are complex and grow throughout the book. I can’t wait to see where the author takes them throughout the series. If you enjoy high fantasy, I highly recommend it.
4.5 stars
I want to preface this review with a explanation as to why I took away 1/2 star – I saw the book cover (yes, I was judging by the cover) and immediately wanted to read the book. It took me a few days to find the time to actually start The Queen of Cursed Things and in that few days, my mood had changed and I wasn’t that enthralled with the idea of the book. I started reading and was not thrilled, not because the writing was bad or the plot wasn’t good, but just because I wasn’t feeling the genre at that moment. I forced myself to continue and I am glad I did, but that first 15% was hard for me. After that I loved what I read. Another reason for the lose of 1/2 star was that although the book is in third person throughout, i sometimes got lost as to which “she” I was reading about. I got lost a few times because of this and that was a little frustrating.
This was my first time reading a book by S.M. Gaither. The Queen of Cursed Things was a well written tale. I liked the flow of the book and the descriptions were so good I was lost in the world S.M. Gauthier created. Alaya is fascinating, an enigma and yet someone you can relate to. The Rook Prince (you don’t find out his name til about halfway through the book, so I won’t mention it here) is intriguing and his situation of being torn between his promises to his mother and his hatred of his father make him seem so human. I wish S.M. Gaither had described Kian a bit more. He had only a few places where the focus of the story was on him and as a reader, I never could quite grasp his mindset and emotions. From the get go I did not like Sade. I just felt like she was a jerk. I am torn on whether that was intentional or just my feelings. But I did have an idea of who she is and that is due to great writing.
I am not sure what would count as a spoiler, so I am just going to finish this out with if you like Fantasy books, I would definitely read this series. Highly recommend.
this is why she can’t have nice things….she unveils her mark…Action from the start will see how she survives her king in the sequel..can’t wait
This is a spellbinding read that grabbed me from the first page to the last. There is lots of twists and turns. The World building is fantastic,. The Author brings out the Characters so well you feel like your right there with the characters because the scenes are written so well. This is definitely a read I recommend.
Shauna Joesten
The Queen of Cursed Things by S.M. Gaither is a wonderful story that I have read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series that I havve fallen in love reading. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about fantasy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.