Samuel dreamed of being a lot of things, but a monster trapped in a forest realm never entered his mind. The Blacknoc Curse wasn’t supposed to be true, only a children’s story meant to persuade them away from evil. Yet, here he was tasked with hunting cursed kids. There’s nothing left for Samuel except the horror surrounding him.
Layla, a young girl tormented by the same curse, is dropped into … dropped into the terrifying forest every night, running from the monsters intent on taking her life. She meets Samuel and vows to save all the children, especially Samuel, from their torment.
Working together can they defeat the Blacknoc Curse?
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This book has a little of everything, fantasy, romance and of course monsters, captivating and exciting. I couldn’t put it down until I finished it and new what happened to Samuel and Layla. I really enjoyed how the poems were worked into the story, nicely done. I look forward to more books from this author.
Curse of the Blacknoc Witch earns 5/5 Mmmmonsters…Compelling!
“No matter how awful we are we all deserve another chance.”
—Samuel Fawcett, “The Curse of the Blacknoc Witch”
I’m not sure that this statement is true in every situation, but I do believe in second chances. I started this book once, wasn’t sure it was for me, so I put it down. However, I decided to give it a “second chance,” and I have succumbed to the tale: engaging, compelling, and thought-provoking. For the past three years, the monster, once named Samuel Fawcett, has been living within the forest, a realm unseen by humans, cursed to hunt punished children, devour them, and spit them out renewed as monsters to hunt and devour. But, a month ago, he changed, not in his monstrous demeanor but in his attitude. He hopes in his small way to save some of the children, however brief, since the next night the curse will return them to be hunted. How can he stop the vicious cycle…the curse? In the distance, he hears a more girlish scream, one he’d never heard before in this hell. What had she done wrong to deserve this punishment? Samuel can’t save them all, but still he sets to save her, to save Layla Marlowe. The night abates, he dissolves into the earth, to sleep, to wait, to rise again at night, and hunt not to destroy, but to protect. Layla returns to her grandfather’s house, but only until the next night when she again will find herself in the forest, hunted, and Samuel, hunted himself because he chooses to protect whom he can, will find her. However, Layla will not succumb to hopelessness, she will seek an answer, a way to break the curse and save Samuel, save the others, before it’s too late. The librarian. The book. The curse. Ghosts. Monsters. All this leads to a treacherous journey for redemption, for forgiveness, for love!
The drama is reminiscent of a Beauty and the Beast or a dark Grimm’s fairy tale adventure with monsters, curses, good versus evil, and a fool’s journey to break the curse and restore those infected. Tori V. Rainn has penned a well-developed tale with descriptions that bring to life the evil forest, the monsters, the villages, and the characters. The dialogue and inner thoughts do best to illustrate emotions and personalities and gives the reader insights. The narrative is shared between Samuel’s first person perspective and Layla’s. It is different…enjoyable, and not difficult to follow. I did find the names of the monsters—Ugly, Nitwit, Slobber—too comic and in contrast to the seriousness of the “curse” that has engulfed them. It is unclear if Samuel himself named the monsters he battles as a description of their behavior, and since he can’t communicate with them, he doesn’t know their human name. It isn’t long; I was compelled to finish it, reading well into the late hour. I felt at the end, the final task needing to be completed, went too quickly. It seemed the journey Samuel needed to take required more peril, more obstacles. I would have liked the Blacknoc witch to find her own peace, a way to forgiveness, a “second chance.” However, I greatly enjoyed the book, a surprising delight, a modern fairy tale of good, evil, redemption, and love!
A curse. Redemption. Love. Beautiful prose. A wonderful portrayal of two unlikely allies joining forces. I’m looking forward to more book by this talented author.
I really enjoyed this book. The story grabbed my attention from the start and held it throughout. It’s well written with well written characters. A book I didn’t want to put down. I’m looking forward to more from this author and would recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Bad children being forced to run from evil creatures every night against their will? Monsters eating children alive and spitting them out into monsters? How dark and gruesome! This book captivated me from beginning to end. The world building in the forest is phenomenal, with small bits of humor thrown in there that made me chuckle. I loved Samuel’s determination to save children from an inescapable doom and Layla’s bravery as she fights off monsters and tries to break the curse.
This book has a dark Grimm’s fairy tales type of feel to it with fun little riddles along the way. Every scene in the forest, my heart was in my throat as I wondered what would happen next. The cover is stunning, the story gripping. This was a wonderful read and I really enjoyed it! I highly recommend.
Curse of the Blacknoc Witch earns 5/5 Mmmmonsters…Compelling!
“No matter how awful we are we all deserve another chance.”
—Samuel Fawcett, “The Curse of the Blacknoc Witch”
I’m not sure that this statement is true in every situation, but I do believe in second chances. I started this book once, wasn’t sure it was for me, so I put it down. However, I decided to give it a “second chance,” and I have succumbed to the tale: engaging, compelling, and thought-provoking. For the past three years, the monster, once named Samuel Fawcett, has been living within the forest, a realm unseen by humans, cursed to hunt punished children, devour them, and spit them out renewed as monsters to hunt and devour. But, a month ago, he changed, not in his monstrous demeanor but in his attitude. He hopes in his small way to save some of the children, however brief, since the next night the curse will return them to be hunted. How can he stop the vicious cycle…the curse? In the distance, he hears a more girlish scream, one he’d never heard before in this hell. What had she done wrong to deserve this punishment? Samuel can’t save them all, but still he sets to save her, to save Layla Marlowe. The night abates, he dissolves into the earth, to sleep, to wait, to rise again at night, and hunt not to destroy, but to protect. Layla returns to her grandfather’s house, but only until the next night when she again will find herself in the forest, hunted, and Samuel, hunted himself because he chooses to protect whom he can, will find her. However, Layla will not succumb to hopelessness, she will seek an answer, a way to break the curse and save Samuel, save the others, before it’s too late. The librarian. The book. The curse. Ghosts. Monsters. All this leads to a treacherous journey for redemption, for forgiveness, for love!
The drama is reminiscent of a Beauty and the Beast or a dark Grimm’s fairy tale adventure with monsters, curses, good versus evil, and a fool’s journey to break the curse and restore those infected. Tori V. Rainn has penned a well-developed tale with descriptions that bring to life the evil forest, the monsters, the villages, and the characters. The dialogue and inner thoughts do best to illustrate emotions and personalities and gives the reader insights. The narrative is shared between Samuel’s first person perspective and Layla’s. It is different…enjoyable, and not difficult to follow. I did find the names of the monsters—Ugly, Nitwit, Slobber—too comic and in contrast to the seriousness of the “curse” that has engulfed them. It is unclear if Samuel himself named the monsters he battles as a description of their behavior, and since he can’t communicate with them, he doesn’t know their human name. It isn’t long; I was compelled to finish it, reading well into the late hour. I felt at the end, the final task needing to be completed, went too quickly. It seemed the journey Samuel needed to take required more peril, more obstacles. I would have liked the Blacknoc witch to find her own peace, a way to forgiveness, a “second chance.” However, I greatly enjoyed the book, a surprising delight, a modern fairy tale of good, evil, redemption, and love!