I always enjoy historical fantasy, but with a wrinkle. Roman never falls, but then there is still the magic of the Celts to deal with. Fans of the first book will enjoy the series continuation.
Also big props for the title, there actually is something called the "Celtic Curse" relating to iron in blood, great touch.

Oh yay! I'm so glad I read this one! This is book 2 in this series, and I wasn't sure I was going to pick up the second book, as I wasn't totally invested in book 1. Book 2 was so much better though! I feel like the characters are easier to connect with, and the story is well developed! YA fantasy readers will absolutely want to grab this one!

Things I did not need in this sequel:
🟥 A love square - as soon as I saw Cassandra describing the scent of a new character, I knew we were getting another love interest
🧗🏻‍♀️ Another cliffhanger - most of the action is squeezed into the last 10% of the book and suddenly plummets to a stop for the supposed big finale. O'Connor got me to continue the series with this trick last time, but if she thinks she can fool me twice, she's wrong
🤢 "Amorous feelings" - I'm pretty sure the word "amorous" is actually used in the book.

I'm sorry, but this is such a mess. The world building is chaotic, the character motivations change every other page, and the "twist" at the end is just thrown in there to add more drama. I honestly didn't realize this was marketed as "new adult" (the random sex probably should've clued me in thought,) until I went to review it because the characters act like they're in their teens instead of their early 20's. The only good thing about this book is that it's fairly easy to skim. From the passages about Cassandra obsessing over Devyn's hands to the word soup of random proper nouns, there's a lot of fluff that less-than-engaged readers can easy skip over.

For all the talk of soul mates and true love, I'm not convinced any of these people actually love each other. First of all, a lot of the kissing and such happens because people are either under the influence of drugs or magic or because people are trying to distract people from their other feelings that are...causing them to use magic, which just seems weird and unnecessary. Second of all, the romance is mostly described by gooey feelings and flames igniting above their heads when they kiss.

I was so excited to be able to read this sequel, especially since I had gotten the first book last year!

I was excited to rejoin Cassandra, Devyn, and Marcus as they are caught and about to face punishment. Cass and Devyn are both so torn between love and duty, it was so heartrending to read. I was pleasantly surprised by the reveal of Cassandra's true identity, as well as her newfound powers, and I really enjoyed how much we learned about the Britons in this world and the true story of the events from the past. There is heartbreak, betrayal, and loss. We were able to see Cassandra become more confident in who she is, and not what society or other people think she should be. I hope to see Cassandra grow to fulfill her destiny in the next book!

So I wasn’t sure about this because I didn’t enjoy the audiobook version of Book 1. Cassandra came across as whiny and I couldn’t distinguish between the male voices of any of the older characters. This really hampered my view of the book and I rated it quite lowly. I just finished reading Book 2 and i enjoyed it so much, it almost makes me want to go back and read Book 1 again to see if my view will change.

The story picks up right from the cliffhanger at the end of Book 1. I knew from the blurb that they escape into the wilderness of Briton but I was curious to see how they would escape the stranglehold of Londinium. This book is really fast paced and a lot happens. We are introduced to a lot of new characters and some old ones and it’s interesting seeing them in their new environments. There is a lot of character development for Cassandra, Devyn and Marcus and we get more answers about their true heritage and powers. There are also a lot of other twists and turns that I personally think over complicates the plot but ... (shrug - who am I to tell the writer what to do with her story?)

The ending is shocking and devastating and i truly didn’t see it coming. Some things/relationships I suspected and I can’t wait to see how they are resolved in the next book. I am truly excited to read the next book and I’m loving this series!

I really loved the first installment of this series and was worried that it might suffer from "Sequel syndrome"...but in fact I think I like the sequel ever more!

The stakes are raised to the high heavens in this one, and we get to see so much more of the world. O'Connor fleshes out her world-building skills amazingly, and gives her universe a better "lived-in" feeling. A lot of the questions I had about how the world works in the 1st one were answered in this, too.

The plot pacing was also improved, and moves at breakneck speed keeping you hooked and invested throughout. As with the first, I adored the characters and thought that their growth in this book was amazing. They all really matured both in their ambitions and in their reactions to conflict. The love-triangle aspect also flowed easier and felt more realistic.

I didn't give this one five stars because I feel like overall the writing can be improved. Sometimes the way that the scenes were written left me confused and I'd have to re-read to understand what the heck was going on.

Excited for book 3!

The second installment of The Once and Future Queen continues what is definitely one of the most original series I have ever read. The Lady of the Lake is one of my favourite aspects of Arthurian legend and is, in my opinion, the least explored of all the features which is what makes this story so unique. Her abilities passing down through generations, descending from Arthur's time but outliving the legend is a compelling narrative.

The world-building here is brilliant. The alternate timeline is well-imagined and completely believable.
The level of detail of the lifestyle of the Britons is incredible and I found myself wanting to know more about the people's and the politics and how they've managed to preserve their way of life.

I definitely didn't see the ending coming, like Cass I was so sure of what I thought was going on but it also made so much sense as it unravelled. The storytelling here is masterful. I am now absolutely desperate to be able the third installment.

3.5 stars

I liked this book a lot more than the first one. It had more action, more plot, and new characters. We got to go beyond the walls of Londinium and see the rest of the country. Cassandra, Devyn, and Marcus are an odd group but they work together fairly well. Marcus and Cass still have their handfasting cuffs on so they have this tie to each other even though she loves Devyn and he doesn't seem to want Cass romantically either. I was happy we saw Bronwyn again and we met Gideon who is sort of an enigma.

The group traveled around a bit and we met Devyn's family and Cass's brother. There's so much going on in terms of who's allied with who and people wanting different things from Cass. I got a bit confused trying to keep track of the different people and royalties but the important people are easy enough to understand. I hated that everyone kept telling Cass that she and Devyn couldn't be together but without a good reason why. They're in love, he's her protector, what more is there?

Warning, the ending made my ugly cry. I was so sad and angry and if I'd had a physical copy of the book I might have thrown it. I'm definitely anxious to read the final installment so I can see how this ends.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I have voluntarily chosen to leave a review.

This is an alternate history where the Roman Empire never fell, and Britain is still under Roman control. It is being marketed to fans of The Hunger Games; however this book doesn’t have anything in common with The Hunger Games. This is actually book two in a series, and I did not read the first book, and you ABSOLUTELY have to read the first book to have any idea what is going on in this story. I’ll be honest, I DNF’ed this book at 32%, because I was lost by the story but I also had big problems with what I was reading. There is almost no background information given about this world, so I don’t understand why if the Roman Empire never left why do they only control the southern end of Great Britain (i.e. London)? Per the map in the book, the rest of the island is ruled by Britons (and the royal houses of Plantagenet, York, and Tudor are all mentioned). In this world technology reigns supreme and magic is forbidden by the Code, but also rulers want to control and use magic, which is why they joined Cassandra and Marcus in matrimony as they have “magical bloodlines”?? But my biggest issue is two examples of mind control for sexual purposes. When couples are handfast they are made to wear wristbands that are tied to each other, and make you sexually desire the other person. It also puts you in tremendous pain if you are too far away from them. Then when you have sex you are given “bridal tea“ which is a drug that makes you sexually excited. Since this is a YA book, I’m not really sure we should be encouraging giving partners drugged beverages. I know this is fiction, but come on.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wow. Where to even start! After the cliff-hanger of the first book I was desperate to find out what would happen next with our three main characters; Cassandra, Devyn and Marcus. You can read my review for Secrets of the Starcrossed here.

Curse of the Celts begins right where Secrets of the Starcrossed ended, and I was immediately transported back into the story. What I liked most about this sequel was the exploration of the Briton world. The first book felt very dystopian, which I loved but the world built in this felt almost like home. Cassandra spends much of this book searching for her true home, and I loved the development in this sense. The Briton world is a stark contrast to Londinium and we explored many places and family names that I recognise from history. We are introduced to the Briton lands on Samhain, a celebration taking place on 31st October. The lands are more magical, which got me very excited for the rest of this book as it set the scene for magic taking a larger role.

‘He’s done it. You’re not some random latent he found in the city.’

I loved the character development in this book! Cassandra is so much more confident and doesn’t rely on the boys to tell her what she wants. She has more of an idea of her goals and strives for them, she felt like a stronger version of herself. Devyn grew on me more towards the end of this book. At first, he felt very hot and cold, and he’s actions were very frustrating at times as he didn’t always consider the feelings of others. However, Devyn definitely redeemed himself in the second half of the book, as he appeared to recognise what was important to him and actually fought for it. I really liked Marcus throughout this book, and despite knowing that Cassandra loved Devyn, part of me wanted to know what a future with Marcus would look like. His character was appealing as we got to know him more deeply in this novel.

‘Anything is possible. You found me, after all.’

Along with a new world, there were new characters in this book, and Gideon was 100% my favourite. I loved his character and I enjoyed getting to know him throughout the course of this book. The chemistry between Cassandra and Gideon was amazing, and I also found myself shipping them together. Clara O’Connor has created an amazingly complex world with similarly complex characters, and I found myself wanting Cassandra with Devyn, Gideon, and Marcus! There were some other new characters but for the sake of spoiling, I am not going to talk about them, but I will say I loved them!

‘We cannot lose the lady again. If you lack a protector, I will offer you my sword.’

I recommend this series to lovers of YA dystopia and fantasy. The world-building is stunning in both books and the character development over the course of the two is great. The second book seems to embrace more elements of the fantasy genre than the first, but I could not recommend them more. I never wanted to put this down. Curse of the Celts definitely exceeded my expectations and I am now desperate for the final instalment after the horrible cliff-hanger! That ending made me extremely emotional and I now feel like I am in the middle of a great book hangover. As soon as it’s possible, I will be getting my hands on Legends of the Lake!

I very much enjoyed this book! It is a great second installment in the Once and Future Queen trilogy and I found it to be better than the first book.

Curse of the Celts stood out as more developed, mature, and action-packed than the first. Now that we have some base knowledge of the world the author was able to expand, taking us deeper and broadening the map. The world is much better developed and we are given the opportunity to learn more about the world that exists on the other side of the wall. As part of this deeper dive, we also come to understand a little more about the magic that Cass, Devyn, and Marcus possess.

There were also a number of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I always appreciate this from an author since it keeps me on my toes and engaged with the book.

Cass has grown quite a bit. She recognizes the Empire and the Code for what they are and is willing to do her part in bringing about justice. At times she seems to revert back to the character I was annoyed with in the first book, but she would snap out of it. As she begins to learn more about her true identity, we see her struggle to make sense of how she fits into the volatile politics of the Britons. She is unsure of the role she is supposed to play, but she is certain that whatever it is, she will be the master of her fate. I appreciated seeing her stand up for herself in this strange new world.

In addition to seeing Cass’ growth, I loved meeting the new characters. Now that they are on the other side of the wall, Cass, Devyn, and Marcus meet a slew of new characters, most of which are connected to Devyn in some way. These new characters helped to bridge some gaps and provided the opportunity to learn more about Devyn’s life before he left to infiltrate the Empire in search of the Lady of the Lake. It was great to have the curtain pulled back on him and learn more, especially because of his relationship with Cass.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the third and final one coming soon! For those who struggled with the first book, I recommend picking this one up and giving it a chance. It is more developed than the first book and leads well into the third. Fair warning, it does end in a cliff-hanger.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was not for me. It felt very young, and had issues for me. I did not finish it because I felt like I was forcing myself to read it, and I just didn't like it.

Oh do I ever love a good sequel! I couldn't wait to read this book and it did not disappoint! I think we can all agree that the fact that the publisher of this book being called One More Chapter is no coincidence, it drags you in and you can't put it down. I'm now impatiently waiting for the next book in the series!

Wow. Just wow. I thought I loved the first book in the series... the second book puts the first one to shame lol! (jokes.. I loved both). Boy are we ever taken on a whirlwind of an adventure in this one. I didn't know whether to give it 10 stars or no stars and anyone who's read it will know exactly what I mean!

This book kept me engaged from start to finish. There was adventure, mystery, and intrigue at every turn of the page, and the character development was amazing - it far surpasses that seen in the first book, in my opinion. We got to see a new side of Cassandra, one more mature and confident than in the first book. She knew what she wanted and didn't care about the consequences of retrieving it. I loved this more daring approach to her character. Devyn was drool-worthy as usual. I was a bit annoyed at his reticence with Cassandra yet again but felt that it was true to his character. Seeing the moments of humility in him really kept me going. And the introduction of new characters was tastefully done.

I did find myself a bit confused when trying to map out the surrounding lands after they left Londinium. There were quite a few territories mentioned and described and I had a hard time keeping track of the important ones and the alliances between each. I would love a map of the country if Clara O'Connor ever decides to put one out!

This author is a master of cliffhangers and this book is no exception. She has an art for keeping readers on the edge of their seats, and leaving them wanting more... so much more.. when finishing her books. I am beyond excited to read the third and final installment in this series and I am most definitely a fan of this author for life. Very excited to see where she takes her writing career at the conclusion of this series, but I for one, will be first in line for whatever she comes out with!

Curse of Celts
Thanks netgalley & onemorechapter for this ARC!

This is a 🌟🌟🌟 read for me. I don't usually dole out reviews for anything lower than a 3.5 because I just... Don't need that negativity in my life 😂

But as this is an ARC... This is a 🌟🌟🌟 mainly because of the frustration I felt throughout this whole book... Cassandra, our MC, is annoying AF. She's 22 but acts like a she's about 15 years old (tantrums, refusing to listen to others, caring about no one but herself and her love interest). Our surly love interest, Devyn, is 26 but acts about 16 (he makes me think of those teens who are all "you don't understaaaaaand") is so frickin surly and secretive I just wanted to give him a slap to get his shit together and just TELL THE TRUTH. Come on dude, you have come all this way to do a job and you are halfway to completing said job with not one, but TWO people in tow, communicate goddamn it and just tell them wtf is up! And don't get me started on Marcus who is actually pretty damn boring in this book. He went from being an interesting not-quite-a-bad-guy to just... Plain old boring. Until the last possible moment 😳

My final gripe was the writing, like the previous book, this felt vv YA in bits (I'm not sure if that's the intention considering the age of the characters?) which I had issue with in moments but considering the immaturity of the characters, I guess it worked?

Okay now I have got my complaining out of the way I did enjoy the story. Mostly.

The story was definitely interesting and certainly expanded the world a lot, I got Outlander (TV show! Haven't read the books) vibes when they were in the country and towards the end. It was nice to finally get confirmation on who Cassandra was and what she could do it was just a shame it didn't quite turn out how she hoped! It was great learning about the volatile politics of the Britons, the complicated histories and the pecking order but... considering they are these magical people's who have held off the Empire for so long left there wasn't quite enough magic in this book for me.

Also what the HELL is with the "Bridal Tea" again.

So anyway 🌟🌟🌟 for keeping me interested out of sheer frustration.

I will absolutely be carrying on this series just to find out how it ends! These goddamn cliffhangers 🤦🏾‍♀️

Sometimes, in a trilogy, the second book is a bit of a let down. You’ve waited so long to read more of the story and then you wonder what you saw in the first book. Not with this. Curse of the Celts is a worthy follow up. It certainly doesn’t disappoint. With the action moving from the city it has a historical, more mystic feel. I loved it and can’t wait for the next one.

The continuing journey of Devyn, Marcus and Cassandra. They are being tried for crimes against the code in a place where to use magic inside the walls is taboo. Penalty is to burn by fire. ( historically steeped in history) technically how accused witches were burnt. Magic is bad.

Your either Born free or not too. Your supposed to have a sense of duty and honor and follow the rules. You marry and fast which creates markings. Which doesn't allow you to stray far without pain.

Life and Death are the only options which really isn't likely the living wise. The likely option of escape is minimal. All loyalties can be questioned and so can motives. Powerplays are always in place. Old paths keep crossing with new stories to tell. These roots are steeped deep in history and modeled after romans, britons and more.

This is a knuckle biter for sure hang on tight

This arc was given to me by netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The second installment in the Once and Future Queen series starts right off where the first book ends and we continue our journey with Marcus, Devyn, and Cassandra as they escape the empire and head into the world of the britons. I enjoyed this second book more as it flowed much better than the first and the introductions of new characters went smoother as well.

Lots of surprises and action, this book keeps you on your toes wondering what will happen next!

Curse of the Celts is the sequel to Secrets of the Starcrossed and follows Cassandra as she navigates life outside Londinium, she and her friends have to find the Lady of the Lake, the only one who can stop the illness, but another threat is looming in the shadows, a betrayal that could burn down her entire world.

This book definitely did not suffer from middle book syndrome, there is a lot of action and magic straight away. I loved that we got to see more of life outside the walls and how different the Romans live to the Celts. Two festivals are included as well, Samhain and Yule, and I loved seeing them celebrated! Samhain especially was fun to read because the land became full of ghosts as the veil thinned. It becomes clear that although they are neighbors, the Romans learn hardly anything about the Celts so we get to see Cass and Marcus learn to quickly adapt to an unfamiliar environment, where the technology they're used to no longer works.

We got to see Cass start to learn about her magic and who she really is. I love all the scenes where magic is used and seeing Cass and Marcus become better at using it was really fun. I hope there's more of them discovering what they're capable of in the next book! All characters got some development and we got to learn about new characters that were only mentioned once it twice in the first book, I love everyone so far!

The best part of this was the plot, specifically the ending! Clara O'Connor broke my heart with the ending and I'm desperate for the final book now. I think the pacing was good, and I was never bored which is always great!

Overall all mythology and fantasy lovers will love this series!

I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to get my hands on book three. This book kicks off right where book 1 ended and it is non-stop action right the way through. It has me turning the pages deep into the night to find out what was going to happen and I was on tender hooks so many times. The ending, I definitely didn't see that coming. What a betrayal. I am expecting so much from book 3 and Cass's character following this.

The writing was absolutely flawless from the very first sentence and no word was unnecessary. I was pulled deep into this story and the world of Londinium and Briton. The characters grew and I felt a deep connection with them all. I loved Devyn and Cass's story and even Marcus grew on me as they moved through the borderlands. We got to meet new characters (Gideon) and some familiar ones too.

This book really did have everything. Danger, magic, heartbreak, discovery, family, secrets, and so much more. I became so engrossed in the world that I didn't want the story to end. I may have to wait until June to finish the series, but I know these are three books that I will be reading again and again and I have definitely found a new author to love. The emotional depth of the story reminded me of some of my favourite authors including Sarah J Maas, VE Schwab, and Jay Kristoff. I can't wait to read more from this author and add the paperbacks to my bookshelves.