In a single moment, her life was no longer her own… exhausting at best, and deadly at worst. Every day becomes a nightmare that Sparrow is afraid she will never escape.
But then she catches the attention of the Empress herself. A woman of immeasurable cruelty and power—the woman with the ability to change Sparrow’s destiny forever…
Don’t miss The Child’s Curse, the exciting prequel to the Touching Time Trilogy.
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She is a street child who needs to steal to survive but one day she touches an object which sends her through time . She is left with a power which soon become noticed by the empress. What will happen? How will her life change? See how it will
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’m gonna miss Sparrow. Such a beautiful soul.
She pickpockets so she can help feed her family. She also has a gift – she can travel through time . Is it more of a curse or blessing for her. She had to learn to live with this
And her mother, the horrible things she does…
And then her life changes.
Enjoyable story gave some insight for the series. Mysterious Far East…
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story is the precursor of the “Touching Time” series which I was also allowed to read with an ARC. While reading that series, I regularly asked myself the question; Where does Jiaya come from? This book tells the story of Sparrow who becomes Jiaya.
How she grows up as the eldest daughter of 3 children, how she helps her mother to support everyone and when she has her first vision after touching an object. And how she is eventually sold on to the Empress
An asset to read when you want to read the books in the Touching Time series. I don’t mind that I read it afterwards, but if I had read it before, I might have understood more about Jiaya when she got older.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a prequel that fills in gaps and explains how and why Jiayu becomes who she is. Her family is poor and the only way they survive is by skills that Sparrow (Jiayu) learned. Then her gift awakens and log becomes complicated. This is another incredible story in this world of traditional China. The gloriglorious colour, poverty, life as a poor child are almost too real to be comfortable. An incredible story line, great characters, realistic settings make this book and this series a great adventure to undertake. This is a short read and a rivetting one. I loved all of it and can’t wait for more from this world. A little bit of the supernatural in the abilities that Jiayu has and a lot of the culture of China make for lots of reading enjoyment. Good things do indeed come in small packages.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this short prequel to the Touching Time trilogy. It was a short, easy read, with a lot of explanation leading up to the trilogy. Sparrow/Jiayi was such a complex character, and it was interesting to see how her story began.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sparrow has the power to go to the place an object has been in the past simply by touching the object, and she can stay there as long as she can hold her breath. Her mother sold her to a fortune teller who renamed her Jiayi, Then the fortune teller sold her to the Empress. This book is the prequel to The Emperor’s Seal.
I enjoyed this book and loved the Trilogy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book is a prologue to book 1 and follows Sparrow as she realizes she has a gift/curse. It shows her journey from her upbringing to her noticing her gift, and finally to the presence of the empress. I thought it was a good, short read that really highlights Chinese culture.
„The Child’s Curse“, Amanda Roberts prequel to her “Touching Time Trilogy”, is a short introduction to Jiayi, a main character in the aforementioned trilogy, as she is still known as Sparrow and trying to make a living by pickpocketing in the streets. Sparrow has a rare gift, mystical visions that allow her jump through time and space, a gift that she uses to tell fortunes and earn money to support her family.
Conceived as an origin story for Sparrow/Jiayi, the plot does a very good work in explaining the character, her faculties and overall personality, it also explains how Sparrow ended up in the Forbidden City and eventually became Jiayi.
It is well-written novella, that provides some new insights into the trilogy arc-story, and can be read independently before, after or even in between the book of the Trilogy.
The Child’s Curse by
Amanda Roberts.
On the streets of Peking, Sparrow survives by picking pockets and stealing food from street vendors, until the day she tries to steal an item that sends her hurtling through time, awakening a power in her she cannot control or understand.
Sparrow is forced to use her “trick” to tell fortunes, an endeavor that is exhausting at best, and deadly at worst. Every day becomes a nightmare that Sparrow is afraid she will never escape.
But then she catches the attention of the Empress herself. A woman of immeasurable cruelty and power—the woman with the ability to change Sparrow’s destiny forever…
A good read. Likeable story and characters. Hope to read more. 4*.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.