It's official, I am in my romantasy era. A Cursed Son is my newest favourite start to a series and I'm so excited to see where this is gonna go!

I love Astra, she's down to earth and loyal but she's been so conditioned to believe she is unimportant, nothing special and only good as a spare part in her kingdom, that she is lost when it comes to relationships.

Marlak.. oof. Daddy? That you? It's clear to see he adores Astra but he doesn't know how to show it. I loved how he got embarrassed by the dreams, he's a cinnamon roll in a beautifully scarred body.

Honestly, this was miscommunication trope all day long, however it's due to the complicated backgrounds of both characters. Astra can't believe she may mean something to Marlak whilst he believes she's been sent to destroy him. There's crazy attraction but 0 trust and they have to learn to live together.

I 100% enjoyed this book and will be continuing with the series when it's released!

I want to start off by saying thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and author for this ARC.

Let me premise saying that I unfortunately DNF’ed this book about 40% of the way through. The idea was interesting but there were too many parts that fell flat and felt too familiar to other titles.

I liked the idea of a decoy in for the queen, but having three felt like too many. It took away from the MFC being given the most importance of the story. It was a little diluted for her and the time and effort to write in the scene where she poisoned the others to be able to be in the carriage with the prince’s stand in felt too forced. The character herself, Astra, fell a little flat in terms of what her objective or goal was. I wished the dreams were fleshed out more versus only seeing a glimpse towards the end of her dream, so I was a little confused. I wish we got more time in the dream world from the beginning. Also she had to explain many times to him that she was not the one behind the dreams. It felt too repetitive to stand up for herself. The sacred items like the one that Ziven had on the way to the wedding rehearsal (I was confused on that as well) was not explained at least in the beginning. That small scene felt awkward and didn’t do anything for the plot. It just reinforced that I wanted to see her and Ziven more. That being said, things may have improved or been explained better as the book progressed, but DNF’ing this title I didn’t see it out. But for that reason, it didn’t keep my attention from the beginning of the novel.

The plot felt a little too similar to The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L Jensen. It was too similar in the way of she was forced into an arranged marriage to an enemy kingdom and he was aloof of her. It was also mixed in with a little of This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi with him thinking that she was in his head and dreams messing with him. I felt very little chemistry between them. However, I did feel much more chemistry and actually really wanted her and Ziven together and more time to see them develop. I skipped closer to the end to see if he was still a part of her story and it seemed more him trying to help her along with another decoy. Though the plot would’ve shifted from enemies to lovers to something a little more mild with Astra and Ziven, I would’ve loved to see that more throughout what I had read. The world building and magic system was a little all over the place and it confused me from too early on.

I understand what the author was trying to do, but again, it felt a little flat and it didn’t keep my attention. I would love to keep an eye on a new series in the future and hope to see better writing and a stronger plot and world building!

The story of Astra and Marlak is a rollercoaster of emotions, brilliantly navigating the thin line between dreams and reality. As a decoy for royalty, Astra finds her nightly dreams of warmth and love clashing with her encounters with the cold and powerful Marlak, a banished fae prince. Their unexpected connection, revealed after a dramatic carriage attack, weaves a complex tale of intrigue and budding romance. The book excels in exploring themes like deception, identity, and the quest for truth, all set against a rich tapestry of magic and fae lore. It's a thrilling read that kept me engaged from start to finish.

Let’s first talk about what I did love about this book: the main character! Astra was such a well-written protagonist; I was ready to follow her to whatever end. Her character development was incredible to see.

This world has fae, magical powers, soulmates, & UNICORNS! When’s the last time you read about a unicorn??

The banter between the FMC and MMC was giggle-worthy.

It ends on a crazy cliffhanger which has you begging for the next book 🙏

Free ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I saw this book and read the summary and immediately requested it. A Cursed Son is the first book I've read by Day Leitano and while this isn't listed as a series, I'm wondering if it will be based on the ending.

This one was only ok for me. I didn't really connect will with Astra but I don't know that it was anything to do with her as much as it is a bit of a disconnect with her story. That said, Astra is a royal decoy. She's grown up at the palace and has been trained to replace the Krastel princess where needed. The thing is, she's never been sent anywhere and when Astra takes action to push the palace to send her on a trip her carriage is attacked by the Crystal Court’s disgraced prince, Marlak. What she didn't expect that the prince is the man she has been seeing in her dreams and she doesn't know what to think about that.

Long story short, after the attack and Astra finds her way back to the palace, she learns a bit more about who she is and where she comes from. That said, Marlak also shows up and Astra finds herself married to him in short order.

A lot happens in this story and I don't want to give anything away so apologies if this doesn't really tell you all the details. Just know, there is plenty of action in this story to keep things moving along. The relationship between Marlak and Astra fits the enemies to lovers trope for sure and there is magic and magical creatures throughout so if any of this sounds interesting to you, consider picking it up.

I was provided with an advanced reader copy of this book in hopes that i would write an honest review.

In this story we meet Astra a girl with no family , but from a race of people who have been hunted and killed. A race that is said to have magic in their blood and murder and evil in their hearts. An orphan raised as an eliet guard disguised all her life to be a body double as the Princess of her Kingdom she has never had much in the way of freedom or choice.

And yet she dreams at night of a Kindred soul. Her perfect match. How can she ever hope to find him if her life is not her own ?
And yet she knows her duty will always come first.

On a mission to vist a minor noble to celebrate the impending marriage of his daughter , her carriage is attacked by the Exiled Fae Prince Marlak.

He attacks them but doesnt take anything and a few weeks later he turns up demanding Astras hand in marriage. He is harsh and unkind and takes her far far away deep into fae territory.

He tells Astra that enimes are everywhere and she is a means to an end. She learns that he can control water and ice but hes full of secrets. It feels like shes left one trap for another. Will she ever learn the truth?

This story is wonderfully written and has so many twists and turns it will keep you up long past your bedtime. Look out for the next book in the serries A Traitor Sister
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We follow Astra, the FMC, into an arranged marriage with Marlak. Throughout the whole book, I found it difficult to like Astra. There were a few instances where I would start to like her and then she would act a certain way and it would take me back to not liking her. The relationship between Astra and Marlak developed slowly since it did take most of the book for them to come to terms with their feelings, but I wouldn’t categorize this book as an “Enemies to Lovers”. I didn’t feel like they were enemies at all. Marlak would show his feelings for Astra by his actions, not his words which led to a lot of miscommunication.
Miscommunication is about 80% of the book, which I understood but it was still frustrating. It was more of the way that Marlak would say things to Astra, that would annoy me, but like I said he showed his feeling through his actions. 

I had some trouble with the writing. In some parts, I would be immersed in the story but then there would be a phrase or description that would take me out of it. I would find myself rereading a lot, just trying to understand. Some details would just not make sense to me, I couldn’t visualize it.
(Attention to detail is really important for me in fantasy books because of the world-building, so I would have liked a bit more details in certain scenes.)

I believe that book one was more focused on the romantic build-up for the characters while giving bits and pieces of the plot for the continuation of the series. We learn some of Astra and Marlak’s past, but there were still many questions left unanswered.

I loved that Astra helped Marlak out with some of his past struggles and he helped her become more confident. I also love that there is a unicorn named Cherry Cake.

I will be reading the next book because I did enjoy the story. I hope to see a more badass and confident Astra use her potential.
My favorite Quote:

“What’s the point in a story that’s not real?”
“The feelings are real. There’s something about feeling them while knowing you can't truly get hurt.”

You know the feeling you get after you’ve finished a unique book? When you can’t decide whether you LOVED the book and want to make it your new personality or let it disappear in your bookshelf and pretend you’ve never heard of it? That’s how I felt after finishing “A Cursed Son”.

For a book that’s over 400 pages, this felt like a quick read. "A Cursed Son" has a slow-burn romance, a marriage of convenience, and a unique magic system. You can’t go wrong with tropes like that! Err… Maybe you can, but I’ll talk about that in the second half of my review. For now, here’s what I liked.

The main character, Astra, was raised as a body double for a princess. She's witty, resourceful, and loyal to those she cares about. I love that Astra is a strong female protagonist who stands up for herself, even if it pits her against power fae adversaries. I see a lot of readers liking her. That said, I found it annoying when she refused to learn more about her powers and heritage. A lot of the conflict could have been resolved if she accepted that part of herself. Hopefully, this will change in book two.

My thoughts on Marlak, our brooding love interest, are also mixed. I like how sweet and protective he is around Astra, but it’s hard to form an opinion on someone you don’t know. And unfortunately, we as readers never get to know Marlak. So much about his powers, goals, and alliances are shrouded in mystery. I thought they would be revealed as the story progressed, but I’m still just as confused as when I started reading. We never get a clear picture of what happened with his family, why Marlak is blamed for their deaths, or how that influences his plans to find the mysterious “Pit of Death”. The ending is riddled with SO MANY unanswered questions that it felt problematic.

I also wasn’t sure how I felt about the pacing of this book. The plot is addictive, and it definitely kept me reading! That said, there were parts where the characters kept repeating the same argument over and over. Seriously. When Astra and Marlak finally confess certain things, they keep accusing each other of the SAME THING for PAGES AND PAGES. I wish their miscommunication had been handled better.

This isn’t a bad book, and I definitely see myself rereading parts of it in the future. I think this book really shines in the witty dialogue between characters, the addictiveness of the plot, and the compulsive readability of the writing. I'm rating it 3.5 stars and would recommend it to readers in the new adult romantasy genre.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher; all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! The enemies to lovers was perfect, especially with the forced proximity and slow burn.

I can not wait for book 2!

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

A Cursed Son is a New Adult romantasy novel following our heroine Astra, a royal guard trained to be a decoy for a princess. I liked a lot of the premise but the writing was distracting. There was definitely some telling rather than showing. I also wish the author used more synonyms instead of reusing the same words over and over.

Thank you for the arc!

This was truly an enjoyable romantasy read!

I absolutely loved this magical world. It was captivating and honestly hard to put down. The fantasy aspects of this story were easy to follow. It was nice to be able to read a fantasy and not have to stop every five seconds in order to figure how one thing connected to another.

I also loved the two main characters, Astra and Marlak. Forced into a marriage, Astra handled being stuck with Marlak (the disgraced prince) perfectly. She didn’t whine or beg to be let go. She knew what she had to do to serve her kingdom and she did it. It was absolutely refreshing not having to read about an FMC whining about being taken the entire book.

The relationship between Astra and Marlak was nicely developed. They went from enemies, to friends, to lovers. It was the perfect slow burn. While I typically like graphic smut, I didn’t at all mind the flowery way the smut was written. I believe it perfectly fit how the characters were feeling at the moment and just the overall vibe of the book.

Just a heads up…the ending will hurt for a good few minutes but I promise it’s worth it!

I highly recommend this book if you like romance with fantasy aspects.

The premise of "A Cursed Son" has so much potential. Astra is a royal guard, who also acts as a stand-in for the princess, and who has her own secrets to hide. She begins to dream of her "kindred spirit" who she later learns is the disgraced fae prince, Marlak, who allegedly killed almost his entire family. The two have an interesting meet-cute, which leads to an arranged marriage, which on the surface neither really wants. But what is happening below the surface? Their relationship is intertwined with Marlak's desire to regain his position as well as some sort of plot involving Astra and her secret self.

The question of what is happening below the surface is, unfortunately, one that could be asked about much of this book. The world in which the characters dwell, and the magic within that universe, needs more in-depth explanation. The background conflict(s) need more explanation. Astra's secret needs more explanation. The book ends up feeling rather shallow because so many plot points are not delved into.

The book does do the enemies to lovers and slow burn tropes well, and the interplay between Astra and Marlak is what saved this book for me. Astra's snark is on point.

I would read the next book(s) in this series to see if some of my above observations are addressed in the follow-ups. Reading this reminded me a bit of how I felt reading "Thrones of Glass" - feeling like I needed to get through it to get to the next, almost certainly better, book. 3 stars, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. These opinions are my own.

This book was phenomenal. It was such a pleasant surprise for me and I can't wait to read more! Thank you, Day and Netgalley, for sending me an ARC!

This book will probably be one of my top reads of the year. There were so many twists and turns, a lot of mystery, and gives you on a cliffhanger that will leave you wanting. I will say, there is some deception that happens at the end that leaves the FMC questioning EVERYTHING, and I was so happy to see that she realizes the deception and catches on SUPER QUICK. That was such a pleasant surprise for me. Us romantasy/fantasy readers are so used to reading an obvious deception and it takes a while for the other character (typically the FMC) to figure it out.

The spice was great. It was very interesting because it happens mostly in dreams that are somehow interconnected between the characters but in real life it's a very slow burn. There's a lot of world building/character background building going on that leaves a lot of mystery at the end, and I can't wait to see what all is going on there. I also found the MMC swoony and very interesting. I'm excited to learn more about him and the FMC.

I would definitely pick this one up if you're a romantasy/fantasy fan.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

My rating: 2.75 stars

I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I have to say, this book was... interesting. It had been on my TBR for a little, so I was excited to read it. But honestly, I almost DNF so many times. I'm going to explain why below.

First, the writing was a little rough, and not because it's an ARC so it's unedited. I left like it went very back and forth at times and got very repetitive and lazy.

Second was Astra, the main character. Even though she's 19 she's very immature for her age, which was just off-putting for me. She did things recklessly without thinking of the consequences, which is kind of the opposite of what she should be considering her position.

What made me give this more than one star was the enemies to lovers subplot. I feel like they portrayed this pretty well and made sure not to rush, which I do hate when it feels forced.

I'm probably going to read the second book because I hate to DNF, but this definitely was something that took me time to read.

It’s definitely a closer to 5⭐️ for me, I enjoyed this book so much and really can’t wait to read the next one. The ending got me kind of worried for a moment!
I really liked the idea with the dreams, haven’t read anything similar yet!
It was the first book by Day Leitao that I’ve read so I didn’t know what to expect but I’m very happy I gave it a chance. I feel like this book was so easy to read and it was very well written.
I would definitely recommend this book if you love fae, enemies to lovers, magic and adventure!

A Cursed Son

This book was wonderful. It was original captivating, and adventurous.

She has been dreaming of him ever since she can remember. She wanted to see who her soulmate would be and now she sees a blurred image that comfort her most nights, well, comfort, and excites her lol.

She lives her life locked away in the castle. Of three girls trained to take the place of the princess in case she doesn’t want to marry whoever she’s betrothed to or in case she hast to go into a dangerous situation. Because of course they are expendable and she is not. I found her past interesting, and her naivety frustrating lol. When she sees an opportunity to travel outside of the castle walls, she takes it. And doing so she has set many changes in motion.

Our MMC is the disgraced prince. There’s a lot of mystery on why he is the one disgraced and why he’s been kicked out. We hear a story about him burning his family alive but as the story goes on, you don’t believe it. He tries very hard to show his caring to the FMC. Unfortunately he has to pick between her heart and keeping her safe.

I am intrigued. I can’t wait for the next book. That cliffhanger has me on pins and needles.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

First I want to say thank you for approving this ARC request! I am so happy I could finish this right before the release date! This book definitely took me longer to finish than I had expected based on the synopsis. Though there was an established plot- I felt that it was really the characters who drove the story. I wished we learned more about the fantasy world it was set in as a whole and had a deeper understanding of the magic system, it felt very surface level to me and like I was missing something. I enjoyed how Astra is a strong female main character, but I felt like there as too much internal monologue from her. Whenever this is the case, I think the best way to consume the story is through audiobook as you can "get lost in the characters thoughts." As for the relationship between Astra and Marlak, this is what carried the story for me. The enemies to lovers trope was done well, and the banter was fun to read. Overall, the style of writing wasn't my favorite and I probably won't read book 2.

I feel like this book had so much potential but the writing was terrible. I could barley got through it despite it having my all my favorite tropes.

I do believe that if they story was refined more with less repeat words this would be a 5 star read hands down.

This is my opinion , please don't let it change your opinion on if you want to read this book or not.

I love when a book grabs you in the very beginning and A Cursed Son did just that! It's a strong enemies to lovers with forbidden magic and good versus bad. Wouldn't be complete without the forced, arranged marriage and snarky, deadpan humor!

Gaw, I loved it!

What I need more of is why Astra was hidden and what happened to her family. What's the purpose of hiding her magic and what really happened on that day Marlak's family died. But of course, I'm sure I'll get everything I'm asking for in Book 2. How long does a gal have to wait?!?!? @day_leitao with the ending you wrote, what's the status on Book 2? 😁

This review is for A Cursed Son, self-published and the below review was posted to goodreads a day before publication on the 5th March 2024.

Thank you for the opportunity to have this book as an ARC!

Now, I might be biased because I LOVE an enemies to lovers romantasy but the trope was done in this book perfectly, the slow burn and the banter between Astra and Marlak! The characters felt like real people to me, who I cared immensely about, the only reason this is a 4⭐️ review and not 5⭐️ is because I’m still not over that ending (can I have book two, like now please??) and that writing style isn’t what I’m used too, definitely not a critique, just a personal preference.