Fantastic story! This will pull you quickly into a new world and have you hooked. Love the concept and the characters. Looking forward to more books in the series

“A Cursed Son” by Day Leitao is a captivating dive into a world of magic, mystery, and unexpected twists. From the very first page, the story pulls you in and doesn’t let go until the final word. Astra, the protagonist, is a character I immediately connected with. Her depth, complexity, and fascinating magical abilities make her stand out in the fantasy genre.

What truly sets this book apart is its exceptional character development. Watching Astra evolve throughout the story was a real pleasure, and I’m eagerly anticipating her continued growth in future installments of the series. The dynamic between Astra and Marlak—initially an antagonist, then an ally—is another highlight. Their relationship, filled with tension, complexity, and subtle chemistry, adds an emotional layer that kept me completely hooked.

As a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, I was thrilled by how it was executed here. The gradual shift from adversaries to allies to something more felt natural and compelling, elevating the plot’s stakes and emotional depth. Marlak, while not your typical fantasy villain, is all the more intriguing for his unconventional appearance and rich backstory, making him an unexpectedly fascinating character.

One aspect I particularly appreciated was the cliffhanger ending, which left me hungry for the next book. While I would have loved a bit more world-building and explanation in some areas, it only fueled my curiosity and excitement for what’s to come.

Overall, “A Cursed Son” is a spellbinding read that promises an enchanting series ahead. With its richly developed characters, compelling plot, and tantalizing hints of a larger world waiting to be explored, this book is a must-read for fans of fantasy fiction. I can’t wait to see where Astra and Marlak’s journey takes them next and to uncover the secrets that lie ahead.

I was given access to this arc to read thanks to NetGalley. A fun romantasy. Great read. Would read more by this author.

The synopsis of this book was interesting, and the execution was also well done. The description was so good that it was easy to put down and pick it back up again. It was very enjoyable and I'm glad I managed to read it.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This book was not for me as I could not get into the writing style. The cover is absolutely gorgeous.

I enjoyed the relatable angst and overthinking of the FMC, which brought back fond memories of my early twenties and dealing with insecurities and anxieties. However, the pacing was a significant drawback for me along with the somewhat confusing magic system and worldbuilding, and the story feeling drawn out.

Although I didn't dislike the novel, it didn't quite meet my expectations based on the intriguing blurb. I'll still read the series cause I'm still curious to see how the story will continue.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to ARC read and review "A Cursed Son." I sincerely apologize for the delay in posting my review, life got a bit hectic, but I wanted to make sure I provided a thoughtful and honest assessment.

My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review their work.

A Cursed Son by Day Leitao is an enthralling enemies-to-lovers romantasy that captures your attention from the very first pages. The story revolves around a false princess and a fae prince, creating a dynamic and engaging plot filled with tension and romance. I found myself unable to put the book down, eagerly immersing myself in the richly crafted world and its compelling characters. The female main character (FMC) stands out as a particular highlight; her depth and complexity add layers of intrigue to the narrative, with her secrets and skills driving the story forward in fascinating ways. Leitao’s storytelling ensures that readers are fully invested in both the plot and the characters, making A Cursed Son a truly memorable read.

My goodness this was amazing!! I started this and couldn't put it down. Every page was better than the last and I need more stories set in this world!!

Unfortunately, “The Cursed Son” fell short of my expectations. While the premise of a cursed prince grappling with dark powers had potential, the execution left much to be desired.
Plot: The story felt disjointed and lacked a cohesive direction. Instead of building tension or intrigue, the plot meandered through predictable and repetitive scenarios. There was little in the way of genuine surprises or twists, which made the story feel bland and uninspired.

Characters: Lucius, the main character, was difficult to connect with. His constant self-pity and angst became tiresome rather quickly, and his character development felt superficial at best. Ayanna, who could have provided an interesting foil or companion, was underdeveloped and often seemed to serve as a mere plot device rather than a fully fleshed-out character. The interactions between characters were often stilted and lacked emotional depth.

Writing Style: The writing itself was a major hurdle. It was bogged down with overly descriptive passages that did little to advance the story or deepen the reader's understanding of the world. Instead of drawing me into the story, the prose often pulled me out, making it hard to stay engaged.

Themes: The book attempted to explore themes of identity and redemption, but these were handled in a heavy-handed manner. Instead of subtlety or nuance, the story often resorted to clichéd expressions of these themes, which made the narrative feel shallow.

Overall, “The Cursed Son” had an interesting concept but failed to deliver a compelling story or characters that I could care about. It's not a book I would recommend unless you're specifically looking for something light and predictable in the fantasy genre.

I loved this book! I really enjoyed the main character, and she does a fantastic job of telling her story through the plot! The ending left me so emotional! This was a great read by Day Leitao.

A Cursed Son by Day Leitao is book one in her new series, Remnants of the Fallen Kingdom. I was fortunate to receive both the audio and ebook ARC, so this review will be for both copies. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Sparkly Wave for the digital ARC.

The narrator for the audiobook, Caitlin Kelly, was incredible and a perfect choice for this role. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Sparkly Wave publishing for the audiobook ARC.

What I loved:
- Lush worldbuilding with complex magic systems and intricate political landscapes
- Tricky and nefarious fae - my fae-vorite (haha)
- Personable, fleshed out, well thought out characters!!
Complicated and intertwining love - maybe fated mates???
- Excellent supporting cast of characters
- Pacing that makes sense and seems consistent through the plot
- Hard to put down - I finished this within 36 hours of starting

Usually I’d write what I didn’t love here, but I truly don’t have any criticisms of this title. You can check my other ARC reviews to see that I usually do write something here :)

I am rating A Cursed Son 5/5 stars with an extra 3.5/5 spice rating. This title is perfect for fans of Song of the Marked, ACOTAR, A Court this Cruel and Lovely, and similar titles.

I truly wanted to love this book as the concept was amazing, however this book was confusing.

It seemed like there were a lot of ideas, but none of them really seemed to make sense or have enough time dedicated to them to be complete.

The FMC seemed to be having an identity crisis throughout, one minute she was a strong female lead and the next extremely insecure and contradict her previous thoughts. The author was trying to make the MMC mysterious, however we didn’t get enough character development from him because of that so his actions were confusing.

There were times in the story that I was just trying to piece together what on earth was happening, where did Cherry Pie suddenly come from, what was the purpose of the MMCs ex taking the FMC? It didn’t add to the plot and just lead to a confusing section in the story.

There was the potential for an incredible plot to drive the story, but for a while it just stalled, there was no character development or plot development while the characters were on an island.

I think the concept is there for an INCREDIBLE book and eventual series if enough time is spent on world and plot building. The story has ended with the set up for another book and although I love enemies to lovers I just think it was too confusing for me to continue.

I've been trying really hard to get through this one, yet I find myself still not able to even force myself.
The writing itself feels so unorganised. Constant repetition of words and phrases just ended up getting really old, really quickly. I wanted to enjoy the characters as well, because even when the writing isn't all there, you can still root for the characters - but I just found Astra boring. There was nothing that made me want to like her.

I have shelved this as a DNF for me, but I have recommended it to friends who may enjoy it more.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to read A Cursed Son.

I really enjoyed this book and kind of fell down the author’s amazon page to see what else she’s written and added it all to my TBR. I really got into the story of Marlak and Astra and that push/pull of their relationship. They are the epitome of enemies to lovers (then back to semi-enemies). Their insults toward each other know no bounds. Once Astra sees his memories from the death of his parents though and she sees things don’t add up, you start to have lots of questions. So many questions by the end of the book. What really happened that day? Why does Marlak have alliances but his brother seemingly doesn’t? What really happened to Astra’s parents? What kind of power does Astra really have? What does Otavio and others plan for Astra? I really need the answers ASAP.

Thank you netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC.

This book overall was enjoyable and a good read. I would definitely recommend it to friends. The enemies to lovers trope was really truly amazing in this.

However, I felt like there was a lot of different things going on, and there wasn't really a set structure. The rules of the magic system were quite confusing, and I felt like I wanted to look up other peoples opinions on it, but obviously didn't in this situation since it's an ARC review.

"Romantic & sexy dreams link a false princess to a dangerous, disgraced fae prince in this fun, steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy"

Astra dreams of a man who envelops her in love, but in real life, he imprisons her in ice.
She is a royal decoy and Astra’s life has never been her own. Dreaming of love is all but a fantasy that could never happen. However, she can't stop dreaming and she knows she has a kindred soul. She can feel his presence every night, surrounded my love and warmth.

When Astra meets this mystery man of her dreams, she feels ice-cold. He's the Crystal Court's disgraced prince, Marlak, armed with great power and responsible for heinous crimes. Marlak gets the same dreams, but doesn't understand that it means they were meant to be.

This was such a great book! It's funny, sexy, has elemental magic, and snarky banter between human and fae. A great enemies to lovers romantasy. The world that is built in this book is great and it's filled with such entertaining characters. You feel all the emotions that the main characters go through and it keeps you reading to the end. The end had me going through so many feelings and I cannot wait to read the next book. I need to know what happens next!

I really enjoyed A Cursed Son book. The world building was fantastic and richly descriptive. The author has a great writing style and I found the book easy to follow along with.
I did find the book to have a slow start and did find myself having to push through a little. Once I did get over the initial building of this new world I was hooked.
It didn’t take me long to fall in love with all the characters. I felt they were really well
written and they had a good depth to them.
Whilst the book has no need for extra information on side characters I’d really love to know more about Nelsin and Ferer.
Our main characters are Astra and Marlak, with Marlak who is a Half Fae Half Human disgraced Prince and as a character who you’re supposed to hate but somehow end up loving him! His got many layers too him and I can’t wait to find out more.
Astra is a guard who plays at being a substitute Princess for the real Princess but she too has her secrets which slowly start to unravel throughout the book once she is married to Marlak!
It’s not long before you start to get a grip and understanding of the story before it flips it on its head!!

I can’t wait for the next book after that cliffhanger of an ending!!
I’ve already looked and it’s next year which feels like ages away!

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think this story has a lot of potential but just fell short for me. A couple of things I did not enjoy;
*minor spoilers ahead*
I had a hard time figuring out what setting or time period this story was set in just based on the words or verbage being used "wimp" or "tits." This immediately took me out of the story. The use of "husband" or "wife" being used ironically and non-ironically made the writing seem more infantile as well. I think overall Astra's inner thoughts were too detailed and ramble-y.
Another hard thing to get through was the plot points were scattered, jumbled and hard to follow. The beacon stones, the master, the dreams and the fact that she was a darksoul and only seeing her exhibit that one time in the entire story, were all just dropped into the story and picked up at weird times. All of this made the book feel clunky.
Overall, I think this was a rich idea but too many plotlines and details and not all of them developed enough to really make sense.

Well in general I did enjoy the book the one thing I do have to admit it that was a lot happening at the same time, I didn't feel it was well structured and took me a while trying to understand everything it was happening, So for me it's 3 stars