I feel like this author has a lot of promise. What I struggled with was the sense that things were set up and dropped so quickly. Aya as a spy, the wolves bonding, it made the pacing feel strange. I also wanted more of a build from the relationships. It felt like the interactions were built as set pieces or tropes (knife to throat, dancing in a bar, etc) and existed more for that than to build the connection between them in more nuanced ways. I loved the idea of all of the characters but the execution fell flat to me. That said, I think if you are a fervid fantasy romance reader, this could very much be your thing and I think there's a lot of potential for the series to get stronger as it goes!

VERDICT Debut author Dramis’s new series has lots of potential, introducing an exciting world precariously balancing good versus evil magic in kingdoms ruled by ordinary humans.

I was provided an ARC of The Curse of Saints and was very excited to dig in to this highly anticipated release. The first 25% focused heavily on world building, verging on info dumping. I was starting to get concerned but OH was it worth it. This book is worth the read for fantasy/paranormal romance fans. The central romance is very intriguing and believable, and the book features an interesting and very original magic system.

There a couple of inconsistencies regarding power use, but I suspect they’ll be justified in later books. For example, the FMC heals her whole body with a surge of unexpected power use (including old scars) but complains about an achey wrist from a previous break a few chapters later.

After the first 25% or so, the book is mostly exposition and action, with a side of character development. It became a quite the page turner! All the travel scenes are short, which is nice, and a rarity for this genre which tends to prioritize journey over destination. I look forward to additional installments in this series because I feel very invested in Aya and Will’s story.

This book was good! It’s perfect for Throne of Glass lovers.

The romance was enjoyable, the storyline was enticing, overall enjoyed myself.

I found the pacing a little slower than I normally like and the world building could have been better, but this wasn’t enough to distract from the story!

I’m starting to enjoy slow burn and this was done well!

4.5 ⭐️

I really didn’t know what to expect going into this book. I didn’t expect Celaena Sardothien vibes and I certainly didn’t expect a relationship that I was wholly invested in and rooting for!

The world: this world is crazy. There’s mentions of other kingdoms but Tala is extremely devout to the gods. I would’ve liked a map in the book just so I could see where these other kingdoms are in relation to Tala since there is talk of war.

The Magic system: it was similar to other magic systems in other fantasy books but there are some small differences which I found refreshing. People with magic are called Visya. Each only have one gift. I do like that there are wolves called the Athatis and that they are bonded to some Visya. I wish the author would’ve expounded a bit more info on that. Why are they bonded? What does being bonded really mean? I have questions.

The characters: there are many characters in this book but the main 2 are Will and Aya. Both are in the Queen’s “tria” which is like her top 3 advisors.

Aya is an angry thing but she’s clever, fierce, brave, and very loyal especially to those she loves.

Will is a sweetheart. He has so much going on underneath and you don’t see hardly any of it until midway through the book.

The banter between the 2 and the flirtations had me cracking up and melting from the tension. This is a true enemies/rivals to lovers. Aya hates Will.

There is another POV we get which I don’t really wanna say in case of spoilers.

There are plenty of Villians in which I cannot believe the plot twists that were in this book. I was gasping with my mouth open! Like whaaaaat.

Overall, I highly recommend this book! I really enjoyed reading Aya and Will’s journey and I cannot wait to get more answers in the next book!

Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book I’m exchange for an honest review.

THIS WAS DELIGHTFUL, 4.5! I had recently tried to read some other adult fantasies and thought the worlds were so confusing and I couldn't get into them, so I was starting to feel dumb - but this world was complex with a fascinating magic system, and it was done WELL. Just enough info given at the exact right times.

The romance is a very central part of this book, and I thought the slow-burn was done sooooo well and I loved both characters' motivations.

Really excited for book 2!!!!

The Curse of Saints is full of adventure, mystery, magic, deception, and desire. I couldn't put this book down! It had me captivated from the very beginning with a great set of characters, each with their own interesting roles and personalities that made me want to know more about each of them and their backgrounds. The story follows Aya, the Queens's eyes, as she embarks on a quest to discover ancient knowledge to help understand her own power and the darkness she fears will consume her. With a slow simmering romance and a will they won't/ they trope the book keeps you hanging on, hoping that Aya can work out how to control her power, her anger, and find a way to help the realm in the approaching war. The Curse of Saints is perfectly set up to become a series and I truly hope there is a second book coming as I'd love to read more with these characters and worlds.

The pacing of this book killed any joy i had during reading it. I think it needs about 2 more rounds of edits and possibly a sensitivity reader to really looking into some of these characters and their trauma. I understand a tragic past is a easy way to make up for a lack of a backstory but I thought it was really poorly done here.

ℕ𝕠 𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕗𝕒𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕝𝕝

Finally out of my fantasy slump 🥳

I was so SO excited for this one, and it did not disappoint! I saw a tiktok way back when, and immediately signed up for @katedramis newsletter so I could get updates, because I didn’t wanna forget about this book!

Fast forward: I got an eARC from netgalley. I hit a fantasy slump so while it may have taken me awhile to actually get to reading this, once I started I couldn’t stop.

I loved the world building in this and found it so interesting. The star of the show was obviously all the tension between Aya and Will though. I am, quite simply, obsessed with the two of them.

I think all great fantasy series have secrets. And this was certainly no exception. I enjoyed how the secrets are constantly alluded to, and we get little pieces of the puzzle bit by bit. My mind was spinning trying to figure everything out as I read.

And it had my absolute favorite: a giant clusterf*ck at the end where you go “what the HELL????” and question everything about certain characters.

I cannot wait to see where this story goes next!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the synopsis, I was stocked when I found out I was approved for a copy of this ARC. The plot and tropes are exactly what I love in a book. The one trope I wasn’t too sure about, was the enemies to lovers one, and it wasn’t exactly what I expected, but I really did enjoy the progression of the relationship between the two characters from a difficult, fraught and angsty dynamic into something more vulnerable, etc. I will say after initially reading some of the other reviews, I was worried, but after I got into the book I was pleasantly surprised at how much i enjoyed the dynamic and progression of the romance.This book is marketed as a fantasy romance, and it certainly had a strong romantic subplot, but I felt as though that wasn’t the main plot line in the story - which is my personal preference. The story was packed with action, adventure and intrigue. There were equal parts adventure and court politics involved. Some of the plot twists were somewhat easy to predict, but a few things kept me surprised.

The world building was well paced, though I think there could’ve been a lot more to unpack in this world, and what the reader got was likely just enough to keep the story flowing well. I do wish we had gone more in-depth with the lore, but I am hoping that the world opens up in the sequel, as most sequels often do open up the worlds and the lore. I did find the magic system fairly easy to follow and the novel has a glossary, however, since we only received enough to keep the story flowing, I found myself second guessing how the magic really worked. I really enjoyed that there was a different strength/type of magic that each magic user, or Visya, innately had, and how that was explained. I wish we’d gotten more of the different magical factions and especially of the Vaguer.

The atmosphere and the writing are closely interlinked for me in this novel. I found the writing fun and accessible, while lending nicely to the angst and mystery of the plot and subplot points. I really enjoyed Aya and how she battled through her own traumas and struggles, it was nice to see a strong character with complex internal struggles and doubts as well as the manifestation of them within her own powers. I also really enjoyed Will, but however, did not find him as menacing as I think he was made out to be. From my perspective, he always seemed softer and had his attention on Aya more than any ordinary nonchalant person would be. Though that did not take away to how I enjoyed his character, and he complexities around Will’s own internal struggles and communication with Aya. I did enjoy and find believable the characters arcs of Aya and Will and the progression of their own relationship. The one downside that I was expecting, was the absence of much spice. Unfortunately, we got one spicy scene towards the end, but nothing truly spicy. I enjoyed Aidon and Josie as well and I am looking forward to hopefully seeing more of all four characters in the sequel.

Overall, this was a fun read! I’m not sure if it is one that I will come back to again and again - that remains to be seen when I have the entire series - but I am looking forward to reading its sequel when it becomes available.

3.75 stars. I was a bit skeptical going into this with other reviews I have seen but let me tell you guys they just didn’t know what they were talking about, or reading with their eyes closed and thinking caps off. This book was marketed as a romance fantasy and for people who love this genre: this is for them. The story building is not too heavy but just enough to get the gist of things, the characters are enjoyable more coming on them later. Okay, on to the world building. While it’s not very in-depth you do get the gist and while it definitely could have been a.) better or b.) woven into the story better I still was able to understand what was going on.

As for the characters:
aya: loved her! It’s rare to see characters struggling with the strength of their power or the worthiness or lack of the feel. Aya’s character explored the unworthiness she felt and by that the struggle she had with her powers very well. It’s refreshing seeing a character not knowing what to do with all this immense and sudden power she has in her.

will: love my little enforcer <3. also seeing a lot people not understanding where his sudden love came for Aya but again they must’ve being reading with their eyes closed because it’s stated in the book. “Everything I have done is to protect you” and then goes onto to state how every choice he has made since she entered the dyminara has been for her. There was no sudden love for him it was always there.

Aidon: no other words than I love him. Loved his povs. Can’t wait for more from him

This had a promising start with a stabby, strong-headed main character who I thought had a lot to show off. However, that assumption quickly derailed. There were a lot of issues with the characterizations throughout this story. A lot of plot points were utilized to add to depth to the story and character arcs felt forced and didn't seamlessly fit with the direction the story could've taken. Because of that, I found myself feeling frustrated with the characters, their dialogue, and their actions. A great premise, but the execution didn't work for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the digital ARC of this wonderful, bingeable, delightful story.

This truly had all the perfect bits and pieces. The characters were complex and interesting, the pacing was truly excellent, that slow burn I adore and plenty of suspense.

There definitely were some surprises that weren’t that surprising, but this was a fun read and kept my interested and enjoying myself the entire time. This has the formula for everything that makes for an enjoyable read and as someone who reads to escape, that’s exactly what I look for in a story. I don’t want to feel like I’m wading through muck to get to the good stuff and this serves that by diving right in and weaving a complex but digestible story.

I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment.

I knew I wanted to read this book the moment I saw it (though, to be fair, I saw the UK cover which has an awesome golden wolf motif which I think is a much better fit than this cover, but oh well). The description itself is also right up my alley. Always love a good rivals/enemies-to-lovers story. Add on top of that a badass spy heroine who, whoops, discovers she has new powers and is more than she seems. Does this sound like a very tried and true plot description for fantasy stories, especially romantic fantasy? Yes, it does. Did this put me off in any way whatsoever? Absolutely not. Sometimes things are popular for the simple fact that they’re awesome, and that’s all I have to say on that.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. But there was still quite a lot to like about it. For one thing, I thought the world-building and history of this world was fascinating. Our main characters (the story was multi POV, which was something I wasn’t expecting and more on that later) each are born with powerful abilities. But due to a horrible war that required a terrible sacrifice years and years ago, magic users must always work for the protection and betterment of those around them and are never allowed to rule. I really enjoyed the slow reveal about how this particular history has influenced the various characters in this book, and how so many decisions are based around the fears of a similar power rising or a similar sacrifice being needed.

I also liked the action elements of the story, particularly in the beginning of the book when quite a lot happens in quick succession. We had a few early scenes where we see Aya’s skill as a spy master at work, and we also get some intense magic wolves action scenes. Which, of course, who doesn’t love magic wolves? Unfortunately, some of the strengths of this early section lead directly to some of my struggles with the rest of the book. For one thing, said magic wolves quickly disappear from the entire story, which left me wondering why they were included at all? I mean, they’re introduced as having bonds to Aya, Will, etc., and show up in several early scenes as important, unique creatures, and then they just…disappear for the rest of the book. You could literally take them out of this story and it would make zero difference to the overall plot.

Further, I was very disappointed to see Aya’s character quickly fall off her strong start as a master spy. After her magic flares up in unexpected ways, she seems to lose all sense of her original abilities. As the story continues, she and Will travel to a foreign court where they are supposed to be working to bring their allies onside for a brewing conflict. Aya, as a spy, should have invaluable abilities to bring to this mission. But, instead, she spends the entire time fretting about her powers and fighting with Will. Indeed, she blunders several times in ways that make no sense for a woman we are meant to believe is one of the top three advisors to her queen and a master of her craft.

This wasn’t helped by my increasing frustration with these fights between Aya and Will. Their rivalry and animosity starts off well enough, but as the story continued, it began to feel increasingly unbelievable and silly. Aya is a grown adult and a woman who, being a spy, should have an incredible read of people. So the number of times she flips back and forth from trusting Will to literally threatening to kill him (seriously, she does this flip flop at least 4 times over the course of the book, and, I can’t emphasize this enough, the “flop” side includes literal death threats/murder attempts even though she was trusting him just pages before) starts to become a serious detriment to my ability to respect her as a character.

For his part, I could never quite understand Will’s reasons for such extreme levels of secrecy. Once all of the truths are revealed, it’s never quite clear why he had to keep Aya so much in the dark to the point where he was almost intentionally making her hate and distrust him. So, yes, neither of these two characters really worked that well for me at various points. Which was made all the more frustrating because I think they each started off very strong and had a lot of potential!

Also, bizarrely, a third POV character and the sad hints of a love triangle showed up on the page about two thirds of the way into the book. This was honestly so abrupt a shift in the story that I had to flip forward a ways to confirm that yes, indeed, we were introducing a third POV and this wasn’t just an interlude. This was near the two thirds/half way point of the book, if I remember correctly, so it was just a really strange and abrupt shift. I didn’t have any problems with this third character on his own, but there was simply no recovering from the fact that his story started up so significantly behind the other two. We already were firmly in the heads of Aya and Will, and now here was this third character that was meant to compete with the two of them with his own chapters. It was an odd choice. I think it would have worked better had he been introduced right in the beginning alongside Aya and Will, thus creating an even playing field between the three. Or, honestly, left him out entirely. I’m not quite convinced that his POV really even added much to the story as a whole.

All of this said, I probably will continue with this series. The writing itself was strong, the world-building was intriguing, and even though I struggled with Aya and Will at times, I do feel that the author’s character work was pretty decent. I was frustrated with this particular story, but there seems to be a lot of room for growth and there were a few side characters who I would love to read more about in future books. If you’re a fan of romantic fantasy, especially if you enjoy angsty enemies-t0-lovers story arcs, this might be a good one for you!

Rating 7: While a bit wobbly on the character front, this romantic fantasy will likely still appeal to those looking for an interesting fantasy world and an angst-ridden love story!

Link will go live July 12

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, Sourcebooks Casablanca for a free e-arc in exchange of an honest review.

I was a little hesitant going into this as it sounded very similar to a book that came out early this year that i read and thought was just ok.. that being said the book was a YA and id wished it was more adult.

This is the adult version that i wanted!
The magic system is really interesting.
Love the dynamics between the characters
Slight Love triangle
Dual POV
Hate to love

The whole book in general did a really good job in setting up for the series (some might hate that and thinks its a waste but i appreciate those books). My only "criticism" would be that id wanted the relationship to feel a little more adult... however it does leave off with the indication that i will get what i want in the next book. Looking forward to the next one as i have MANY questions that i need answering!

Thank you for the ARC!

The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis was a solid “enemies to lovers” fantasy romance centering on Aya, spymaster to the Queen. The world is interesting, the characters dynamic. The pacing was a bit wonky… There was an unnecessary third POV I felt did not contribute to the storyline, and convoluted the romantic dynamic… I did not feel the love triangle added to the story. I think Dramis’ writing shows a lot of promise and I look forward to reading her work in the future.

I received an ARC of The Curse of Saints from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Spies and death and romance, oh my!

The Curse of Saints was a fun read for me. Perhaps I shouldn't use the word "fun" as that makes it sound light and airy, everything that this book was not, but it's fine. There was political intrigue, betrayal, murder. All things that I apparently sum up as "fun."

Though I feel the story dragged a bit in the beginning, the pacing picks up considerably once a specific event occurs, and I couldn't put the book down. So much was happening that it was almost hard to keep track of. However, it kept me on my toes, and I never felt like I was getting bogged down by too much. I'll also say that every time I thought I knew where things were headed, we took a quick left turn down a completely different path that I wasn't expecting. Though nothing was ever so shocking that I couldn't believe it, I was surprised on multiple occasions, and I think that was my favorite thing about this story. The reveals were perfectly timed and kept me coming back.

Now, I really wanted to give this five stars. And I almost did, even with my reservations about the believability of Aya and Will's relationship and the continual screwups from two people who were supposed to be two of the most powerful people in their kingdom. I was willing to overlook those because I genuinely loved this book. But. I could not get past the lack of internal motivations from all of the characters. I didn't understand why they were doing what they were doing. I have no idea why Aya joined the special sect of people (I cannot remember the name, and I'm too lazy to look it up) or why she's so loyal to the queen. I have no good idea why Will did half of the things he did (saying you're doing it for the sake of someone else is all fine and dandy, but why did you, Will, why?). I have no idea what the queen's motivations were, like at all. I have no understanding of her character, and she plays a significant role. I don't understand Natali, Aidon, and Josie. And Dominic? Okay, so him, I kind of understand.

I'm hoping that the next book will tell me the why of things, so I don't have this problem again. Because I will absolutely be reading the next one. Despite my misgivings about some aspects, I truly enjoyed The Curse of Saints, finding it an immensely "fun" read.

Firstly, let me begin by saying that I freaking love Kate Dramis!! I have been following her for quite a while on IG and I have rarely ever seen an author be so much in touch with her readers. The live, the reels, the dm... She does it all, and it is very inspiring to see how much she cares about us. Also, the amount of work she put in to create the magic system and the world is insane. So, when she did an ARC ''giveaway'' on Netgalley, I was so hyped to read her book. However, I hit a reading slump while reading The Curse of Saints and was really bummed about it. It took me nearly two months reading this, and it never happened to me before. The age-old question : did Ì like the book? Yes and no. Strap in people, you are in for a wild ride.

I really loved the magic and the world building in this book, but it was such a big info dump at the beginning that it was too much for my brain. They are so much types of power : Sensainos, Persi, Saj, Incend, Zeluus, Anima… It is hard to keep up! Hopefully, there is an index within the first pages to help me, and we do not meet all the different kinds of person right away. My other pet peeve was the fact that Aya, the main character, is supposed to be this cold/heartless spymaster but each time we followed her in a mission she ends up getting caught or followed by someone. She is the Queen third best ''soldier'' how is she so bad? This is the only thing she does! I did not find her that heartless either, as she often did the ''right'' thing and fought for the people she loves.

I was led to believe that this was going to be an enemies to lovers book. For me, the angst/tension between Aya and Will was not entirely it. There were some good scenes where I wanted to scream to Aya and Will to kiss. However, the reason for Aya hating Will was somewhat good but what were his motivations? Not sure... Like I said, I think the word play with one another and the sassy remarks was good, but that was it. Did their love transcend me? No not really. Was I happy to see their relationship develop? Yes, oh yes, because I am a sucker for an enemies to lovers story. Also, why was it a love triangle/ love arrow at some point? That felt unnecessary.

Other than that, it bothered me so much that between a chapter to another 2 weeks could have passed. Like WTF? I get it, you want your characters to have enough time to grow, experience life, and strengthen their relationships and blabla, but I wanted to see the action or something... Can you please fill me in on what happened during those 2 weeks? It's something that is done recurrently throughout the book, and it threw me off...

Now for the superb part : I freaking loved the twist she pulled at the end. Was I confused? Shit, yes. But when I figured out what just happened, I liked it. In retrospect, this book was a 3,5/5 stars for me. Still, so many things could be improved, but I look forward to the second instalment in this trilogy and to see how much Kate Dramis writing's will grow.

Such a strong start with excellent world-building but sadly all that potential dwindled. The love triangle felt very forced which seemed to change the dynamic of the story.

Overall it's an okay book but ultimately a forgettable one that I wouldn't read again or read further into the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for allowing me to read this book.

On paper The Curse of Saints is everything I want in a book, but sadly I was disappointed in the story. I thought the characters were flat. It was also confusing following along to the multiple point of views. Additionally, I didn't really understand the magical system. However, I did really enjoyed the politcal aspect of the book. Overall, I don't think this book was for me.