An interesting story full of twists, turns, fun characters and overall a book I would consider reading time and time again.

I picked this up on a whim after not hearing too much about it and i’m so glad i did! I recommend everyone gives this book a go! It’s full of magic, adventure and I just loved it

4.5 stars!

I would like a second book please… haha right now

This was one of my highly anticipated reads of 2023 since I discovered snippets being shared by Kate on instagram. I was intrigued pretty quickly.

I really like Aya and Will as the main characters. I can’t wait to learn more about them and what they do in the future. Aidon and Josie are awesome and I love to see all of their dynamics. With Tova mixed in, we have a group who can achieve a lot together. I hope haha
The world they are in is such a cool one and I would love to learn more about the wolves and other kingdoms. Since I keep saying it, I can’t wait for everything in book 2. Definite recommend!

I received an eARC through NetGalley.

INCREDIBLE debut fantasy novel!!!

I received this ARC in return for an honest review.

I have followed the development of this novel on booktok for probably over a year and a half. I was incredibly excited to receive an advance readers copy and could not wait to dive in. Ordinarily I am a VERY fast reader, but The Curse of Saints was so well written, I just took extra time allowing myself to become fully immersed in its world.

The author is an amazing storyteller with vivid world building, character development and unique systems of magic. The FMC bad MMC are both strong and relatable. They are perfect examples of the morally grey characters I find myself drawn to with captivating personalities that are both relatable and flawed. The slow burn romance is filled with tension and you never seem to know from page to page who exactly you are rooting for. I enjoyed that the romance aspect was not the absolute forefront of this story - The plot is rich as well.

The pacing and dialogue are smooth and steady and SO colorful and I was immediately able to bring the story to life in my minds eye as easily as if I was watching on screen. The plot is interesting, complicated and constantly keeping you on your toes throughout the book. The characters are all multi-faceted and just when you think you have someone figured out, the author slips a little extra surprise in there to knock you down a notch. The system of magic and complexity of the world history in the backstory are fresh and compelling. This is easily one of my favorite reads so far this year, and will find it incredibly difficult to top. While the book does not necessarily end on a cliff-hanger, I will advise that it ends in a way that you will be eager to grab the next installment. I Absolutely cannot wait to read the next book!!

I would recommend this book for fans of Sabaa Tahir, S.A. Chakraborty, and Mary Pearson.

Tropes:
enemies to lovers
Slow burn
Touch them and die
Burn the world for you

The Curse of Saints is, at its heart, a story about how you project what you hate about yourself onto other people. It's like Robert Bly's " A Little Book on the Human Shadow" became a fantasy novel, complete with its lesson about how you have to eat your shadow, i.e. love that version of yourself via understanding this person you hate (that's really the part of yourself you hate), in order to grow up.

The world building was actually shockingly thorough; I don't know why I was expecting more generic 'fantasy world' but it definitely delivered on a well-thought-through world. I suspect it was because I've been following the author on TikTok for nearly a year and I'd assumed the primary focus was the romance, but let me assure you, the actual fantasy plot is just as important and well structured as the romance plot. The world felt extremely real, and I loved the details (the Vendaleh!) about both Aya and Will's homeland as well as the one they were visiting.

Aya and Will are excellent protagonists, and while I did grow exasperated with them at points (JUST KISS ALREADY DANG IT), them not wanting to give in to their feelings was very much in line with their characters' arcs. Also, for those of us who remember another TikTok famous author's book where many of the popular scenes cited in various videos were not in the finished book, Kate Dramis delivered on all of the promised scenes virtually verbatim which was a delightful surprise.

My only complaints are that the book dragged in the middle a bit pacing-wise, and weirdly that the book ended a bit too neatly. There were several plot threads that were tied up quite nicely, and now I'm a little worried on the author's behalf about what the plot will be in the following two books -- like where do you take these characters and this situation from here? Regardless, I am looking forward to finding out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy!

PLOT: Magic, complex characters, and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers? Sign me up. There was just enough mystery, tension, and political intrigue to keep me reading, and when everything unraveled, I could finally see the small, brilliant bread crumbs that'd led me there in the first place.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Aya and Will were likable, and watching their journey unfold was highly rewarding—but the supporting characters really won me over. As the reader, you get small glimpses into one of their perspectives, and it adds more flavor and depth to the story (especially the climax). I actually wouldn't mind seeing them take on a larger role, equally as important as our two protagonists.

Aya's growth was handled very well. The core of her character didn't change but was definitely challenged and stretched when she found out that not everything was as it seemed. She was headstrong, but kindhearted—doubtful, but resilient. She was far from perfect, sometimes slightly exasperating, and it made her very human.

WORLD BUILDING: The magic system in this book was fairly easy to follow, but interesting enough that it didn't feel stale. The gods-given affinities were deeply interwoven with religion and ominous prophecies, which helped set up the conflict quite nicely.

ROMANCE: Aya and Will carried heavy secrets. It's really no surprise that there was so much tension between them, considering their rocky history. However, as the book progressed, and their relationship slowly started to shift, it became clear that they would burn down the world to keep each other safe. (Note: Kate Dramis does slow burn justice.)

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: Sometimes, the dialogue felt a little stilted and too modern—which is fine, because this is a fictional world, but I just didn't vibe with it. There were also a few times when the narration did a lot of "telling" instead of "showing." These moments may have been stronger with less explanation. However, the book's strengths easily outweighed its weaknesses, and I have no doubt that the author's writing will only continue to improve. I'll definitely be purchasing a hard copy.

Okay wow this was a lot and I mean that in the best way. The affinities (gods-given abilities), the setting, the enemies to lovers romance (my favorite trope obvi), and the plot.

Now I don’t want to give too much away and honestly this book has a lot to unpack so I’ll make it short and sweet.
Summary:
Aya, also known as the the Queen’s Eyes, is a spymaster with the affinity of persuasion. Aya has dedicated herself to a life of discipline, duty, and loyalty to protect her kingdom from dark magic ever returning. And although she has taken an oath to ensure her kingdoms safety, there is one person she can’t stand and he so happens to be the queen’s Enforcer, Will.

Oh does she loath Will, may we even say hate? (But we all know how that goes) Exploring why he has the ability to get under her skin so thoroughly is a road Aya ignores at every turn. Dodging it with cold expressions and threats, definitely knives to the throat kind of threats.

After tragedy strikes, Aya unleashes a power that hasn’t been seen in over five hundred years. Losing grasp on her beloved control, Aya is forced to work with Will to discover who she is. If she is truly a protector of her kingdom or sent to bring it to ruin.

Thoughts:
Now I’ve been waiting for this book for a little under a year and it exceeding my expectations. Like I said, it’s a lot to unpack because the world building, various affinities, and politics were a tough grasp but I loved it. It was not entirely easy to read at first, which had nothing to do with the writing, it was just a completely different realm that this first book is introducing. It gets easier as you go and by 25% I was engrossed in the setting and characters.

Aya is a strong and feisty FMC whom I adored. Will’s personality and banter was a great match to Aya’s fire, you really can’t help but look forward to their sparring.

“It was as if his darkness had called to hers, and she hadn’t been able to resist responding. And for that, she hated him.”

It’s truly hard not to love both MCs. The romance between the two is a sloooow burn, the tension between the two is noticeable from the start and it only builds throughout the book. Exhibit A:

“Did you take on more than you can handle?’ She expected him to step away. To back down and leave. But he bent his head towards hers, his voice low. ‘I can handle every bit of you.”

I mean, GODS, the tension was too much for me to handle at times! But I am 100% here for it and will be here for it for the rest of the trilogy. We also get his POV immediately and I LOVE it. Will is a complex character like Aya and I think I would’ve cried if we didn’t have his POV. Oh but there’s more. Another POV is later introduced (not spoiling) and it’s the cherry on the top because my theories are off the walls right now.

Since this is the first book, it is a ton of world building and introducing a lot of (what I’d assume as the reader) main characters for the next two books. It leaves us on a happier note, while also knowing that there is much more to come. Which brings me to the epilogue because that comes immediately after said happy note. It wrecked me to the core and wanting book 2 like now.

My only wish for this book would be to include a map. A map would help a lot with understanding the layout while getting into the politics of war between neighboring kingdoms.

This is a book I would definitely recommend if you want to immerse yourself in a realm different from most books, have a deep appreciation for morally grey characters, and are in need of a badass FMC that enjoys putting a knife to someone’s throat.