A Curse of Gold is a fantasy adventure read complete with Greek Gods, pirates, mythical creatures and curses! This is book two in the series but can be read it as a standalone. There are some references to past events from book one but not enough to take away from this book. I enjoyed the story. It’s a great read that will take you to faraway places. The characters were pretty great as well. Kora is a great character! I loved her quick thinking and her determination to accomplish her goal while still caring for her friends. The rest were fun and had me smiling. This is my first Annie Sullivan book and it won’t be my last! I will be looking into the first book. I give this 4 stars!

As the sequel to A Touch of Gold, I was interested in Kora's journey and how she would try and break her father's curse.

The beginning was slow in pacing and the middle felt oddly rushed, but the ending was perfect. It was a strange mixture. I had a little bit of trouble getting through the beginning, although I'm not sure if it was the books fault or if I had to become reacquainted with the world. We get to see more of the mythology this world is centered around, but I found myself irritated with every interaction between Triton and Poseidon. I could tell the author was going for a "better than you" literal god complex, but it came across as petty and whiny, which did not read well. I was so over Triton and his antics by the end of the book.

Overall, I liked the book. I thought it was fun getting to see the mythology come to life and how these characters could overcome battles with gods and playthings. But Triton and Poseidon had me so annoyed during their scenes that I didn't want to read about them at all.

**I received an advanced copy of this book on Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own**
I'm starting off by saying, I kinda forgot what happened in the first book since it's been so long since I've read it, so I had to do a little refreshing of the mind. After that though, I easily fell right back into the world that Annie Sullivan has written.
This book started off with a bang. Almost immediately action was coming from all over the place and I have to admit, it was a bit confusing. Almost instantly Kora and Royce are off on more adventures, one right after the other. They never really get a break.
The character development was lacking in this book, but I think that's mostly due to Kora developing into the leader she needed to be in book one. She did develop a tad more, but it's not very noticeable in this one. And it doesn't seem needed either. She's already become a strong leader, this book is about proving that to her people (who honestly seem to be a bunch of jerks). If anyone needs some development, it's Hettie. She had so much anger built up inside...she really needs to let it out.
What I liked most about this book is the amount of mythology that's present. There's so much of it and it made my mythology loving self so happy. And while I'm pretty sure this is just a duology, I really wish there would be another book because I am not okay with what happened with Triton.
Overall, this is a really great book and if it is truly the ending, I think it ended well. Though I would like to know if Kora and Royce end up married (I mean, I bet they did and if it was subtly mentioned and I just didn't catch it, I guess I don't deserve to know.)

Though unsteady in the beginning, A Curse of Gold is definitely an improvement over its predecessor. The strength is in the cast of characters, those newly introduced overpowering the original cast; Triton and Lenny are great additions, with a strong presence (and Triton and Kora unintentionally have better chemistry than Kora and her actual love interest; I was actually kind of disappointed that they didn't end up together). I would've liked a little more description throughout, something that just makes it feel a little brighter, rather than every sentence being a statement, some sections of the plot dragging along, suffering from monotonous sentence structure that feels a little lifeless, but the climax is a burst of energy in the narrative - even though it lacks a sense of urgency because of its predictability, there's a glimpse of Sullivan's potential there.

It's a little more Greek than the series' first installment, too, but in a way that feels... messy. Gods are namedropped and mythological creatures are interspersed throughout the narrative, but it feels very surface-level, thrown in haphazardly to make up for the lack-of in A Touch of Gold; none of it just comes across as very believable. I don't mind revisions to mythology, but I definitely think it needs to somewhat echo the original work, to honor it; these are real cultures and religions, and to an extent, it seems like Sullivan just tossed some names in for flavor instead of genuinely working to correct the errors from the first book. Maybe I'd like it better with a little more diversity (there seems to only be one character implied to be a character of color; everyone else is described as pale and blue-eyed), and would be more willing to forget the issues I have with the book, but it just continues to feel too much like an English-based fantasy world for my enjoyment.

A Curse of Gold is the continuation of the story of Princess Kora, daughter of King Midas, who shares her father's curse of her touch turning things--and people--to gold. When minions of the very god who cursed her father, Dionysus, come after Kora determined to kill her, Kora and Royce and all their friends must band together once again to find the mysterious island of Jipper and put a stop to Dionysus' plans to free the titans and destroy all of Lagonia. But to do so is to come face to face with capricious gods, a mysterious oracle, and fearsome mythical creatures. Kora must use everything she's learned about herself and her powers to put a stop to Dionysus' plotting once and for all, and to prove to her country that she can be the leader that leads them into prosperity.
Annie Sullivan has created a really fun and unique duology based on ancient Greek legends, one that is so filled with action and high stakes that it kept my heart racing. I gotta say, I forgot how swoony of a book boyfriend Royce was. He was so wonderful to Korra, supporting her and always trusting her and loving her. They are such an underrated OTP. I also loved how exciting this book was and how it got more and more twisty and action-packed as the story went on. I think that this book and its predecessor were a really unique and special piece of work, full of heartwarming and reliable characters and a vividly imagined world. A Curse of Gold is a story of a girl who uses the very thing that makes her different to save the world that regards her with suspicion. A very enjoyable ride here.

A Curse of Gold is a book two, so please know there are spoilers for book one below.

I really enjoyed this book, but I did like A Touch of Gold more. This was a fast paced, quick read. Kora and Royce are still together. Hettie is trying to deal with the grief of her dad dying and with what he did. Dionysus is set on killing Kora. She needs to find a way to stop him. Royce and Kora go find the Oracle. She shows Kora the death that will come if Dionysus makes it to Lagonia. Royce gathers his men and they leave by boat. The group finds out that Dionysus is on Jipper, but no one can get there. Kora and Royce decide they need to talk to Poseidon, but they first have to find Tritan. Jipper moves fast and no ship can anchor to it. It also rises and sets with the sun.

There are a lot of challenges along the way. Titan proves difficult to work with and Kora is constantly trying to find ways to outsmart the Gods. She knows that one wrong word in a bargain can backfire and change everything. There are sea monsters, snakes, poison, venom, rough waters, and dangers on land. We get to see Kora and Royce's relationship grow with every challenge though. The give each other strength and support.

I loved Tritan. He was so arrogant and clueless with humans, but I adored him. Grax was another favorite, too. I loved Titan's relationship with Grax.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my review copy.

Though I find the world building, magic and characters in this series fascinating....the greek mythology in this sequel was questionable to me.

This book starts a few months after the end of the first one and things seem settled at first. But it very quickly devolved into deaths and a quest and it all seemed to be happening a little too quickly. I know the book is less than 300 pages but it really could've done with more.

And onto Dionysus. I didn't mind the not too accurate greek mythology in the first book as it did seem like a world of it's own. But this one goes into Dionysus being a villain and his back story and it just didn't really fit what I know of him and it just didn't really work.

It's a shame as I was excited to read this but if you enjoy fast paced books with well written characters and you don't care much about Greek mythology. You might like this.

A Curse of Gold starts off just a few weeks after book 1, and I was happy to see my favorite characters again. The action starts in the first chapters, and keeps ramping up the entire book!

If book 1 was about Kora maturing as a person, A Curse of Gold is about Kora maturing as a queen. The theme of defining what a leader means is woven through the whole book, and again I enjoyed Kora's journey of discovery while on a journey to deal with the big villain (Dionysus himself this time).

I enjoyed seeing Hettie and Phipps again, as well as new characters to fall for, including Lenny and Titan. I like that Hettie showed how grief can truly change a person, though it was hard to see her behave so negatively for most of the book, since she was my favorite from book 1. Annie Sullivan weaves even more mythology through this book, having Kora actually meeting gods, the Oracle, Gorgons, and a herd of Pegasus! I definitely enjoyed the Pegasus the most, and felt a thrill of nostalgia as that had been my most wanted pet as a young child.

This was another solid fantasy, and a strong ending to Kora's story which thankfully provides the closure that was missing from book 1. I recommend this for fans of fairytale retellings and adventure stories!

Thank you TBRToursandBeyond and Netgalley for providing this free ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. I read this book in one day because I could not put it down! I know I enjoyed the first book when I read it, but I absolutely loved this sequel! The author does a really good job of reminding the reader of what happened in the first book (which is good because I’ve read so many books since then I couldn’t remember exactly what happened), but I would still recommend reading both of them (plus, that way you get to read two great books!). The gang is back and this time the stakes are higher, the danger is greater, and the adventures are more intense.

I really love the characters from this book! Kora is a great main character and I loved seeing her character arc as she learned about being a leader and what that entails. Royce is a great guy, and while I would have loved a little more romance, I appreciate that the romance is sweet and clean.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves YA fantasy; it is a wonderful addition to the genre and I look forward to seeing what the author publishes next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"I know what I’m doing this for. For Lagonia. For my father. For us. For moments like this."

The world building in these books are so well written and I love Greek Mythology, and A Curse of Gold definitely stepped it up with more of it!

I’m a sucker for romance so I was a little disappointed that this didn’t deliver the heaping dose that I was looking for. The romance that started in book one was so cute to me and I felt it had the potential to thrive in book two. I do understand that the main theme in the book isn’t romance, though.

I felt like some of the best and most action packed parts of the book seemed to fly by a little too fast. The writing didn’t seem “rushed” per se but I did think we could’ve had a couple more pages with more detail to give us that intense “OMG” feeling.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I totally didn’t know it was only a duology haha, but it ended perfectly. I highly recommend you read this book if you’re looking for an easy read, or if you’re a Greek Mythology fan!

3.5/5 🌟’s

I haven’t read the first book, but I thought the character developments were bland. Obviously this being book 2, I missed out on the development of them in the first. However I really didnt like this book, it wasn't very exciting to me. I hope others like it more than I do.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really liked this book! Like the first book I read by Annie Sullivan it has just the right mix of action and adventure. Now I need to read the first one!

I thought this was a great sequel to touch of gold. I also found this read to be so fun because it really dived more into the mythology elements much more in this book. I also liked how we got to see more mythical creatures and it was def more of adventure story. This novel had a really nice balance between romance and adventure. I struggled sometimes with the pacing in the middle but overall, it was a fun read and def would read more by this author in the future.

The characters and the plot just aren't for me. The writing was annoying. This book evidently didn't click with me.

I got so excited when I saw an Annie Sullivan book on Netgalley, but I really should have checked which book in the series this book is... I really couldn't get into this book, because they kept referring back to the first book. Note to self: don't read a second book in a fantasy series when you haven't read the second one.

Writing style: I really liked the writing! It was your typical YA writing style, but that's totally not a bad thing. I really wanted to be into this book so I could read more of the writing, but I really couldn't deal with missing half the story and the layout of the e-arc was too weird for me to read it comfortably 🤷🏻‍♀️

Characters: This is very hard to review when you start the second book without the knowledge of the first one 😅 Everyone felt very flat to me, but they might have been so colorful and nice and well thought out in the first book and I would never know.

Story: I only read 10% before I DNFed it because the layout was bugging me way too much. I could have probably gotten further in this second book in a series if the e-arc layout wasn't set up so funky.

So yeah, I had to DNF this book. I've read a couple of reviews that said the book wasn't as good as the first anyway so I really wasn't going to waste my time reading this. I currently don't have the money to get the first book or I might have read it first, but it really wasn't in the cards for me.

I loved this book so much! I read the first book and loved it and have been dying to read this book since I read A Touch of Gold. I was not ready to leave the world when I finished this book.
The character dynamics were really fun to read. Triton is amazing, and I cried at the end of the book and during his hero moment. I loved seeing Kora grow and her character arc was really good. I also loved Phipps and Lenny, they are the best! The world building and the back stories that went into this novel, brought the book and transported me to Lagonia.
Overall, this was a fantastic book and I hope to see more of this world!

This is the second book I've read by Sullivan, and it was.......meh.

The plot, or maybe the characters - I can't decide, felt too similiar to her orevdious works and I felt bired throughout.


Preteens will probably like this read!

I really enjoyed both of Annie's previous novels so I was super excited when I was approved for A CURE OF GOLD. I honestly think this book was so much better then the first book in the series and highly recommend it

(8/13/2020) Thank you to Netgalley and Blink for providing an e-ARC of this novel! (4 stars)

If Triton walked up to me in all his half-naked, abs galore, cocky glory, I would fall in love with him and turn into a Temptress. RIP to Kora but I'm different.

In all seriousness I really enjoyed this novel (and I really hope that there'll be a sequel because there is a lot of potential for one! That ending!!!!!!!). It was stewed more in the mythology and that made it feel a little bit different than its predecessor which isn't a bad thing! It introduced us to several gods, of which Triton became a regular face amongst the gang. He's got a tough, mean exterior at first but Sullivan really develops him into an admirable guy as the story progresses. And I love Royce but I am not gonna lie, I would probably fall under Triton's spell (not even needing other external forces to work their magic on me).

The characters were all really great in this one. You see what the aftermath of the first novel does to a few of them and although your heart hurts for them, it is great to see how they overcome their inner turmoil.

Kora is fantastic in this novel. She really has come into her own and she is sososo brave and selfless. I want to emphasize that I love how Kora is a gentle soul, untrained her whole life for these situations but she never gives up. And although she has her power, she is not overpowered (because I am so sick of seeing OP MCs and their OP mates). She is strong in other ways and I love her heart and love for others.

Royce felt a little absent in this novel although he's there. I guess his presence fell a little flat for me but he was there for Kora when it mattered. Their love for one another is very cute and I know that they'll have love everlasting. Hettie and Rhat are also a fantastic couple. I only hope that Triton can find his true love (I hope a lot of things for him buttttttttttt I am not saying anything - fingers crossed for the implication of that scene in the epilogue).

I love Sullivan's writing style. It's so easy to read but still very beautiful and descriptive.

Overall this was a very fun read that tugged at my heart strings. I hope to see more MCs like Kora in YA stories (and I hope we'll get to see more of Kora too!)

This was a solid follow up to A Touch of Gold. We follow Kora, Royce and his crew on a journey to break the curse her father bargained for, creating the current mess they are in. Kora is strong and determined and Royce is her perfect counterpart. I absolutely love Triton and his sarcasm. Hettie is still reeling from her father's betrayal and needs to work through emotions but Kora stands by her side and shows her support. Lots of dangers and I was happy with the ending.