Castle of the Cursed is a dark gothic romance story that is filled with family secrets, fantastical happenings, and a complex storyline. This atmospheric story is twisty with many threads that need to be pulled to understand the scope of what is happening at Castle la Sombra. Even once I understood who the family was and their connection to the Castle, there was a lot to unravel. The author does not let up from the start. There are monsters, secrets, magic, and a dark family history. I could feel our female character, Estela's, emotions deeply. Her connection with Bastian and their need to work together to save more than just themselves was another nice layer that created tension in an already tense setting.

Thank you Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest reivew.

The first few chapters drew me in and had me quickly reading for more. The descriptions of the castle were incredible, making the castle itself feel like a character. Then it felt like way too many things were thrown into the mix. Did we have an unreliable narrator? Cursed castles or vampires? Blood magic or dimensions? Also there was such a huge case of instalove.
The atmosphere and descriptions throughout were great but just a case of too much for 1 story.
Thank you to the publisher for providing the free copy for review.

This was a great young adult gothic fantasy! I was immediately captivated by the author’s writing and the overall storyline of this book. This was such an original story that held my attention from start to finish. This book had a great atmospheric setting and some good plot twists. Overall this was a wonderful young adult read.

Heads up that this book does have content warnings.

The stone walls kept the cold trapped inside. She felt the chill all the way into her bones as she wandered the halls. This place felt menacing, sinister; as if it were harboring a great evil. Each hall she turned down, each door she peered into… the weight of the world seemed to be crushing her shoulders… this place claiming its stake of her soul.

Castle of the Cursed is a YA gothic fantasy following Estela after the loss of her parents as she is taken in by an estranged aunt. This aunt lives in a castle that’s been cursed for centuries and when Estela arrives she’s determined to find out what this curse is and how to break it.

I really enjoyed the gothic elements of this book and the mystery of the curse. The dark, eerie setting gave off a bit of horror vibes. I did feel the romance was a little off… a bit rushed. I felt the characters could have been developed a little more to make their connection stronger. Overall though it was a really good read.

If you’re a fan of gothic fantasies, family curses/secrets, and vampires, then you’ll want to check this one out!

I wanted to like this book, but it was a huge miss for me.

This read like an adult version of Twilight, with a slight horror element.

The story had a lot of suspense and twists, but the twists weren't really worth it.

This is a 2.5 rounded up.
I felt like a lot of this story wasn't fully fledged out, the characters drove me nuts.. Felipe, you need to get over yourself. I wasn't able to immerse myself in this story, if I wasn't confused I was annoyed.
The redeeming qualities for me was the relationship between Estella and Sebastian- yes it was fast but they were sweet.. and the ending with Sebastian's 'food' LOL... I loved that.
Unfortunately this one wasn't for me.

“Castle of the cursed” is a gothic YA tale surrounding Estela. When her parents fall prey to mysterious circumstances surrounding their deaths, she is sent overseas to live with her estranged aunt in a Spanish castle.

Soon she becomes suspicious of her parents past, old family secrets, tales and mythology that she begins to suspect are actual truths, however she can’t tell where she is suffering from delusions or if certain events and individuals in fact exist in reality.

I enjoyed the mysteries in the plot and the search for answers and discoveries to uncover the actual truths of the town. It was unclear who had good intentions and who could be trusted.

I also enjoyed the side romance plot that didn’t take away from everything else going on. There’s a lot of cultural references and use of languages and translation within the book and I enjoyed the escape into another country rich with history and intrigue.

Thank you to Romina Garber, St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the EARC!

Publish date: July 30th

I honestly don’t know what to think of this book. I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed Estela’s character and how she had to find resilience within her self to survive her tremendous grief. I enjoyed the enigma that is Bastian. I enjoyed how Bea was written, it was quite easy to hate her from the very beginning.

The plot twists kept on coming! It definitely kept me on my toes, kept me guessing all the way to the very end. Even the epilogue had surprises.

The only negative point I have to share is how fast the relationship between Estela and Bastian grows. I’m sure as a teenager I would have been all about it. Now as an adult, reading a YA book, I’m not so convinced. But as this book was written for teens, it makes sense not everything about it would necessarily work for me.

While I loved the concept, I did not enjoy the actual book very much. I am somewhat a mood reader, so it is possible that I was just in a weird headspace. I had trouble connecting with the characters and thought the pacing felt uneven. The gothic vibes were fantastic, but I wanted to be more invested in Estela’s journey than I was.

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC of this book. all opinions are my own.

I wish I could put into words how much I enjoyed this. What a great book. Highly recommend.

As a lover of everything gothic, I can say Romina Garber did a great job building up the atmosphere here, from the crumbling castle setting to the town full of people who seem just a bit off. Ultimately something just didn't click with me and I bowed out around 35%.

Castle of the cursed is a book that keeps on giving. It starts out one way and ends in another. It has perfect paranormal gothic vibes with a dash of horror. It keeps a good pace throughout and is unpredictable.
I really enjoyed reading this novel.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Unfortunately like a lot of other early reviews, I just had a hard time staying interested in this one. Dnf right before the 40 percent mark. I think the right audience would love this book but that isn’t me. I think this would have worked better as an adult book.

Castle of the Cursed is an incredibly unique fantasy novel with a little bit of mystery, a little bit of horror, and a little bit of romance. The only way I can accurately describe it is by calling it mash up of What the River Knows, Dracula, and Kingdom of the Wicked, with a dash of Coraline and A Deadly Education. I know that’s a lot of comps, and I’d love to elaborate, but doing so would give away some major spoilers.

While I was drawn in to the plot at the beginning, the story was very slowly paced. Additionally, the more I read, the more outlandish the plot became. In some ways that’s classic gothic literature, but I kept wondering if the author was having trouble developing the ultimate storyline.

There are so many great themes in the book - topics of grief and depression, family, and finding your inner strength. Unfortunately, for me, these were overshadowed by my lack of connection with the plot. I think a tighter focus on developing all the characters would have helped make the story more engaging, especially better utilization of Felipe’s character. Additionally, I would have liked a great emphasis on the romance, or doing away with it entirely. I get the sense that the ending twist would be the same with or without Sebastián’s character, which makes me wonder if he was necessary at all. I think this book tried to take on too many things. I do think it will find its audience, but just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This dark gothic romance started out intense, with a tragedy that changes everything for our MC. Orphaned just shy of 18, grief-stricken Estela doesn't even speak anymore, so consumed by depression - and guilt. When a Spanish woman sends a letter claiming to be her maternal aunt, she's shocked to find out she has any family, let alone an ancestral mansion, la Sombra, in Northern Spain. Left with little options, and entirely intrigued as to why she was never informed she even had Spanish heritage or why her parents lied, she finds herself in Spain. The family castle turns out to be a possibly sentient cursed home shadowing a small village that is isolated from much of anything. It's also haunted by the ghost of a boy (or is he?) only she can see.

The setting of this story was perfection, as I love Spanish culture and could very easily picture the architecture, village and even the cuisines and language as Estela learned her mother-tongue and tried native food. Garber weaves descriptions and emotions freely, eliciting an authentic experience. The creepy vibes of the castle and the mystery of its lore added a delicious dark vibe. You wanted to uncover the various layers and find the hidden trap doors, secret rooms, and sordid past.

The more we learn, the more questions arise. Though this made the story intriguing, unfortunately, the more that gets uncovered, the more it also got a bit convoluted and some answers just got absurd. The romance between Estela and Sebastian felt rushed, and I didn't understand the chemistry so the romance didn't feel fully-formed. The narrative got strange the more details were revealed about the curse and Estela's past. It went from gothic romance to a horror/-sci-fi genre.

I think Garber handles the grief and the depression immensely well. The topics of suicide and grief made the first half of this book emotional and purposeful.

Unfortunately, the second half just felt like too much at once, making it difficult to follow or even understand and maybe a tad outlandish for my tastes. The secondary characters and even her aunt didn't feel developed and I couldn't feel attached to any of them. Overall I think it had a lot of potential, but it fell flat for me.

What worked: Intriguing paranormal world-building where a girl finds she plays a part in a tragic past. This novel introduces readers to Estela who after a horrific accident ends up in Spain with an aunt she knows nothing about. The gothic atmosphere grows with evocative hints of her true heritage. There's a cold aunt who is insistent on Estela taking a black seed instead of the meds from back in the States. A huge creepy castle with many secrets. And a shadowy personage who demands to be released from a spell. The problem is only Estela can see him.

Add to all this is the grief Estela carries from losing the only family she knew.

Lots is going on in this novel. A mystery behind the tragic death of her parents and others on a subway where only Estela survives. Why does her aunt have the blood supply of the small town? Mysterious locked rooms inside the castle. And the shadowy personage Sebastian, who she finds out is a vampire from a multi-dimensional universe.

The sinister purpose behind the castle is slowly revealed which includes Estela's part. A part she can accept or deny with deadly results.

At times the pacing slows with the telling of the castle's history and the other realm. The chemistry between Sebastian felt forced and too sudden. One minute he wants to kill Estela and the next she longs for him. Felipe, her Spanish tutor, had a stalker quality to him. Also, the reclusive uncle came out of nowhere. I felt this took away from an otherwise engaging unique paranormal tale.

Secrets, blood, and betrayals meet Estela where she needs to solve not only the mystery behind her parent's death but find hope in her future.

Summary:
After Estela's parents fall victim to a mysterious death, she is consumed to uncover the truth. Estela has no choice but to live with a distant relative in their ancestral Spanish fortress, la Sombra. The castle holds secrets, like a boy who claims to be imprisoned within the castle. The two embark on a journey to unravel mysteries, their partnership evolving into a tangle of romance interwoven with distrust. Estela is followed by a shadow, pulling her into a monstrous world.

Review:
I was drawn at the beginning of the book. I was very interested in Estela and the tragic situation. The writing was descriptive and eerie. This book was the essence of a historic gothic tale. The characters added to the mysterious, devious element and the storyline. Estela begins to break and is unsure of her reality, while her aunt treats her poorly. It was unnerving to have the one person who is to be your caregiver treat you as if you have a mental illness and with disregard. It does have several twists and turns throughout the story, which I was surprised to find out. The main issue I had was the romantic relationships. I understand it added to the plot, but it gave me the ick. There were too many triggers for a YA book. The book has several triggers listed, which you should review before reading. I recommend it if you love gothic stories and enjoy illuminative writing.

I received an ARC audiobook copy from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

I did not vibe with the writing style or the main character. it was a struggle to get through. the ambience was lacking despite it being set at a castle in spain.

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this one bc it is a fantasy horror...but I ended up really enjoying it! The only thing I didn't care for was the insta-love but this is YA and I understand why it was included in the story.

You can check out more thoughts in my April Wrap-up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGl7T9PBJas&ab_channel=KatrinaBrown

Thank you, NetGalley for this arc!

This book follows Estela through some traumatic points in her life, and as she makes some choices to try and reclaim parts of her life and connect to her past as she works through the grief of having lost her parents. (I'm avoiding spoilers so this description is very vague)

It's difficult for me to rate this book fairly, but I will endeavor to do so. As an adult in the place that I am, I did not enjoy this book. The biggest reveal for me was that Estrela was turning 18, as at some point in the book she shifted to being 14 in my mind. Some of the twists were well executed and I enjoyed them, but I just found that the book was written in such a fast paced way while holding your hand that the payoff wasn't there for me.

I think this book would have benefitted from slowing down to earn the relationship building and drama. Had I read closer to thirteen I would have given this four stars, it fits the bills for a lot of things I loved at that age and the hand holding would not have been as noticeable for me.

Ultimately this is not a bad book, but it has scenes to make it feel older while being written to skew younger YA.