I was intrigued by the description of this book (a version of Elizabethan London where paranormal beings exist) but I wasn't sure what to expect. This book turned out to be a lot of fun!

This book is certainly not going to be winning any prizes for historical accuracy (the characters use modern turns of phrase, the sexual morality is modern etc) but it is very obviously not trying to be. This is a completely alternate universe -- where swans can be the Royal Guard, where there's a Deep London, a dragon Queen of Wales and... you get the picture. Realism isn't the point.

Rather this book is full of an engaging mystery, a grumpy/sunshine MM romance, a great cast of supporting characters, and a well-developed world. My only criticisms are that I the ending felt a little rushed (and the defeat of the villain a little too easy?) and that I wish a little more use was made of the time period -- although the inclusion of Kit Marlowe and another playwright known as "Bill" was a fun addition. Given this is the start of a series perhaps we may see more Elizabethan influence in later books.

Overall a thoroughly engaging read and a solid four stars. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing this copy.

This is a fun and bizarre fantasy that follows a diverse cast of characters that unite on a quest to save Elizabethan London and find a place within the divided streets of London. I enjoyed the characters and how each were well-rounded and had their own quirks, especially Amber the dragon. The romance between Fang and Lazare wasn't well built up and seemed rushed, but I was still rooting for them nonetheless. I think the romance would have benefitted from the book being longer and taking more time to understand Fang and Lazare's background to appreciate why they would make a good couple.

The story starts quickly, but I think in some places almost too quickly. There is a lot of world building and context that the reader must grapple with, such as the upper and lower sides of London and how these places differ socially and economically, as well as separate groups of fantasy species, such as zombies, dragons, vampires etc. There is a lot in a short book. I loved the idea of the world but this isn't a typical historical fiction. The premise would have worked just as well in a modern setting. I think the plot needed to entangle more in the history and context of the time - such as. plot involving Queen Elizabeth I or the political issues at the time to tie to the period.

Overall, I loved the characters and the premise, but I did feel my eyes drifting over the text and losing focus. This could be that this type of writing style is not for me and dense world building. But the characters made me want to continue reading.

These two characters and this laugh out loud romance story was excellent !
It's also mixed with a well built fantasy plot which I found quirky and fun to read .

Overall I liked all of the main characters on the quest featured in this book with my favourite being lazare.

The story of book 1 ends as a cliffhanger so i already can't wait for book 2 to come out !!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc. I was so happy to have been approved. The premise seemed promising - supernatural creatures, cursed gay main characters in Elizabethan London ( loved the Upper/ middle/ lower London setting) - but the beginning was confusing, I could never feel that this was set in Elizabethan London when reading because of the language, the way characters thought and spoke and went about their day. I think it would have been better to change the time period perhaps a modern setting might have been more suitable.

In a magical London in the early 17th century, a mysterious curse brings two foreigners back from the dead, with inexplicable powers attached. With the help of a small dragon and a Welsh apothecary, they set out on a quest to break their curse, and discover the dangerous plot that binds their fates together.

A lot of the ideas in this story are fresh and intriguing, and the mystery of what happened to Lazare and Fang does a good amount of leg work to keep the reader's interest for the first half of the book. I appreciate the premise of a magically-integrated society and all the implications that come with it. A lot of questions come up surrounding how, exactly, such a society works within the world at large, and the author does a good job at balancing the plot with world-building details woven throughout to give a full, fleshed out picture without too much exposition. I especially love the idea of the Tube being the entry to a magical city-nation beneath London, where the laws of the human-dominated world above don't apply.

Lazare and Fang have a fun dynamic, and I enjoyed their interactions. I love a good foil! However, I do think Lazare's feelings in particular develop too quickly, while Fang's seem to lag so much it becomes somewhat tedious to be in his head. Still, the strength of the story definitely lies in their personalities colliding and revealing each other's faults. The other characters range in their dimensionality, but none are as developed as our two main protagonists. I won't speak too much on the villain to avoid spoilers, but I found their motivation and overall plan to be a little odd and very obviously flawed; I'm shocked none of the characters immediately clocked the limitations of their scheme.

The plot itself, while promising, is lacking in execution. For much of the first half of the book, the characters move the plot forward by just brainstorming ideas of what to try next. We move from one scene to the next with little sense of urgency, or else very contrived urgency; there are many moments throughout the novel where it's obvious that the story calls for the characters to make a specific decision, but the circumstances don't really justify that decision. Let's just say the author needs to get us from point A to point B, but the ride is a little bumpy.

I have mixed feelings about the writing. Stylistically, it is simplistic and lighthearted, meant to be funny while still injecting some pathos into the more serious moments to keep it from getting too silly (aiming for the Terry Pratchett-esque style, I would wager). Sometimes the author nails this, while other times they miss the mark. The quality of writing fluctuates line to line, with some parts being quite well-written and moving and others being awkward and jilted; and although this is ostensibly adult fiction, those times where the author doesn't stylistically stick the landing read almost middle-grade. Also - and this might be a personal gripe - I found the constant anachronistic language to be irritating. This is London in Shakespearian times (Shakespeare is an actual on-page character), and the slang and turns of phrases are far too modern.

There is a lot of potential in this book, and as a whole it is as heartfelt as it is whimsical. While I think the plot needed some work, and the style wasn't really my cup of tea, there is still a lot to love here.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 2.5 ⭐ rounded up

My thoughts of the book 💭
I recently read "Cursed Under London" by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, a cozy fantasy novel about two men living in 16th-century London. Despite their constant brushes with death and various supernatural creatures, they miraculously manage to avoid transformation and form an alliance with a determined dragon named Amber and a character named Nell, all to unravel the mystery behind their unusual circumstances.

While the fast-paced, dynamic plot kept the characters constantly moving, I had a few issues with the book. Although it is a humorous novel, I found the stakes too low. Additionally, I did not quite connect with the world that was projected in the book, which was Elizabethan England. I was initially intrigued by the book's synopsis, which mentioned vampires and other paranormal creatures, and the cover and title of the book certainly captured my attention. However, I feel that the story could have been modeled differently to reflect better the period in history and may be presented with more depth.

Furthermore, the level of language used in the story did not reflect the same level of speech that was presented back in the 16th-century Elizabethan era. Many of the phrases and figures of speech leaned more toward modern English, which I found to be a bit off-putting.

Overall, "Cursed Under London" was an excellent idea for a book, but it could have been improved with more depth and attention to detail. Perhaps a revision is needed before publishing it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago for providing an eARC of this book!

This book is an enjoyable, cozy fantasy adventure with a dash of romance. (Now, that's a lot of words so I see why it's described as a fantasy rom-com, but it does not adhere to the traditional rom-com beats. So, do not go into expecting all of them.)

I liked this book. The characters were where this book shined for me. I really loved Lazare, Fang, Nell, Tem and Amber. Especially Lazare and Fang. The motley crew was a great mix of pessimism, optimism, craftiness, and silliness. They all balanced each other very well. It was an enjoyable read because of the characters.

Where this book fell flat for me was in the setting and the plot. While the world is interesting (with innumerable types of magical creatures), the actual setting in Elizabethan England did not impact the story much beyond some cameos from world famous figures. I would have enjoyed seeing that time period play a larger part in the story. For the plot, I think the villain needed a bit more - perhaps we could have sprinkled in some flashbacks where we saw his impact in the characters' lives throughout the story? Something to make him feel more integral to the story. He felt a bit sandwiched into an other wise cozy story. Like, he almost wasn't needed. The ending was also a bit abrupt.

Overall, I think this book is enjoyable and I think it's best suited for people looking for a book at the intersection of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and What We Do in the Shadows.

Historical Fiction can be a hit or miss for me. That being said, if you add paranormal into historical fiction, there is a 1000 percent chance that I will love it.

The setting was great, the characters were fantastic, the story itself was great. I ate this story up and I can't wait to read more from this author!

What a fun book!! The cover caught my attention, as a Graphic Designer I was obsessed with font, colors and layout!

The story was a wild ride yet cozy and warm. I enjoyed the characters and the story line very much. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

10/10 recommend!

This was super fun and just a silly read. Set in the 1500’s yet the use of modern slang and ideals made for an overall enjoyable read.

There’s an inkling of character growth but it all feels very surface level at the moment. Same with Fang and Lazard’s romance. It just felt a little insta-love-y since while many things happen to them, it seems to be over a very short period of time.

The writing felt YA verging on middle schooler level, but the tone and language used suggested it was more of a new adult/adult book.

I very much enjoyed the magic system but wish it had been explained a little better. I also love all the different undead factions, but again some info on loongs etc would be nice to have for those who are unaware.

Overall, I had a fun time reading and laughed out loud multiple times. I will definitely continue on with the series to see it all unfold in the future.

Cursed Under London has a really interesting premise and was a fun read. The setting was pretty cool; Upper London is for the humans and is topside, Deep London is for the non-humans (vampires, zombies, dragons, ogres, to name a few) and is underground.

I enjoyed the humour and laughed out loud at a number of lines, particularly the way the author used witty metaphors to describe character emotions.

The characters were a diverse bunch and I couldn't help but like them and their chaos. We also have a lovely found family trope.

Unfortunately, as a whole I didn't feel super engaged with this book.

I didn't feel that Fang and Lazare had any chemistry and therefore found it difficult to believe in their (practically instantaneous) love story.

I'm not sure it was necessary to market this book as historical and/or Elizabethan given we have minimal references to Queen Elizabeth and minimal attempts to actually make us feel like we're in that time period. The dialogue was also completely modern and felt slightly jarring at points if you thought too much about the time period it was supposed to be in.

Overall, while it didn't wholly engage me, I had fun reading this. If you're wanting something fun and quirky to laugh at with low stakes in a fantasy setting, this could be up your alley!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

3.25 rounded down to a 3

Under an alternate London, where vampires, zombies, ghouls, dragons and fae live under the city, two strangers, Fang and Lazare, find each other. The thing that they have in common is that after they should have died, they didn't and became something different they hadn't seen before. And the other thing they have in common is that they both smell off. Or at least that's what the friendly urban dragon Amber said. Together, along with Amber and Fang's friend Nell they head out to Deep London to find out more about this curse.

This work had to grow on me. At first, I wasn't impressed.
The writing threw me off. Things were sometimes told instead of shown. For example, the grumpy character literally called the other sunshine and complained about it. Additionally, the dialogue felt stiff at times, especially during a scene with multiple characters that had ample dialogue tags. This, combined with the humour that felt too staged, made the work feel amateurish.

he romance was 50/50 for me. On the one hand, I liked that they acknowledged the situation they were in and felt conflicted about their feelings, on the other hand, I just wished that figured out their stuff and communicated it. Also, they caught feelings very quickly. It's not instant-love, but it came darn close.

But then around the halfway point, once the story started to pick up more and I had gotten more familiar with the characters, it actually became quite enjoyable. And the end, when everything came together and things made sense, was done splendidly. I had no idea where it would lead, but I didn't expect the actual ending. It doesn't make up for the somewhat imperfect writing, but does mean that I'll be able to recommend this to others, given that they're not too high-demanding.

Thank you NetGalley and Farrago Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Cursed Under London is so very fun! It is a fantasy rom-com set in an alternate Elizabethan London where vampires, werewolves and dragons roam the streets and live underground in the ‘Deepside.’ The world-building was very cool, and I enjoyed seeing a London that was still recognisable, with landmarks, places, and the tube system (albeit in a very different form). It follows Fang and Lazare, who both find themselves come alive again after being killed. They now have to deal with unique new powers as they find a way to undo the curse that doesnt allow them to die, while navigating the chemistry that has begun to build between them. The book is really funny, and has some amazing comedic moments, as famous historical figures from the time period crop up as zombified versions of themselves in places you wouldn’t expect. The supporting cast are hilarious characters, especially tiny urban dragon Amber, whose snarky commentary throughout the book made me laugh.
I did enjoy how fast-paced the book was, everything moved really quickly, and I didn’t find myself bored. I did struggle to form an attachment to some of the characters, but I can see that being a me issue. I also didn’t particularly care for the romance, it didn’t seem like either character actually had their heart in it. The villain did seem a little bit of a evil caricature, without a defined reason for doing what he did, but he was still very fun.

I would like to see where the series progresses, as I believe it will be a trilogy, as the ending definitely had me concerned for the fate of the group. Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, cozy, and funny fantasy read! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read the ARC.

This was a fun story with characters that were funny and enjoyable! I loved the setting as well, and I felt that it was very well suited for this type of cozy romance story!

So I actually loved this book - my real rating is 4.5 stars but I found down!

It was refreshing to read a cosy fantasy that doesn’t revolve around tea or coffee for once - most cosy fantasy’s seem to be unoriginal since legends and lattes.

Alongside this I also loved the fact that the two main characters (each others love interest) were men - you never get mlm romantasy books so I enjoyed the change.

I’ve seen a few moans about the plot lacking: it’s a cosy fantasy. Most cosy fantasy’s have next to 0 plot and the ‘battle’ lasts about two pages.

The perfect read to cleanse your reading palate.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Oh I loved this one - i'm a sucker for a historical fantasy romance and this did not disappoint.

This book is a delightful romp through 17th century London and features a host of fantastical creatures including fae, vampires, werewolves and dragons. The overall tone is lighthearted with the banter and bonds between the main characters being one of the stand out strengths for me.

I also think getting the balance between found family and romance right can be a tricky feat, especially in the first book in a series, but Cursed Under London seemed to handle it effortlessly. Absolutely cannot wait for book 2, what a belter!!

(Full review to come on my tiktok @lilyoliviareads)

I'm torn about how to rate/review this book. On the first page, I was delighted and fully expected it to be a five-star read. As things went on, though, the parts that didn't work kept rearing their niggling heads. First, there were the POV issues (way too many, given that the proper number is zero), and then there was the predictable downfall of the book's Big Bad (without any intervention by the protagonists, as another reviewer pointed out). Along the way, I liked a lot of the characters but didn't love them. I didn't object to the choice to incorporate anachronisms, and I thoroughly enjoyed the humor. Overall, I think the author may simply have tried to do too much, and the result was... uneven. By the time we got to the end (setting up for a sequel), I didn't much care. I'm rounding up to four stars for the humor and the really interesting concepts.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Title: Cursed Under London By Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

Release Date: July, 4th, 2024

3.5 Stars

In an alternative Elizabethan London, Fang and Lazare, residents of Upper London, wake up from death to a startling revelation: they're no longer quite human. Despite gaining immortality, they're not vampires, zombies, or werewolves like others in Deep London. Bound by a shared curse, they embark on a quest to undo the spell while grappling with their undeniable connection. As they delve deeper into Deep London's shadows, they uncover a perilous conspiracy in which they find themselves entangled.

Readers are introduced to a cozy fantasy world where regular humans reside in Upper London, while supernatural beings inhabit Deep London.

The premise is intriguing, offering a dynamic backdrop for the story. However, the execution made it a bit messy and confusing for me at times, detracting me from the overall enjoyment. The novel maintains a fast-paced plot, kept me engaged throughout. However, the inclusion of slapstick humour , in my opinion, occasionally makes the narrative feel immature, impacting the overall tone of the book.



Tropes:
Undead queer romance
Urban Fantasy
Forbidden Romance
Immortality
Mystery Plot
Enemies to Lovers
Supernatural Beings
Quest Narrative


Thank you to the publisher Farrago Books,The Author Gabby Hutchinson Crouch & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun fantasy read, following the exploits of a small group of people in London as they work together to try and lift a curse!

The setting was fun and pretty unique - there is an Upper London and a Deep London. Upper London is just your regular humans, but Deep London houses all manner of mythical creatures; dragons, Zombies, Vampires and more! Whilst Deepsiders can live and work in Upper London, humans cannot go into Deep London as it’s legal to eat them there 🙈

The characters are diverse and interesting - Lazare the French actor, Fang the Asian traveller, Nell the Welsh apothecary and Amber the miniature dragon. Literally everyone in this story (minus Amber) is a chaotic bisexual, which I absolutely live for.

Whilst I wanted to love this, there were some elements that I struggled with (and please note this is just me - you might love some of these things!):

✨ Some clever marketeer decided to put this forward as historical fiction… it isn’t! There are very brief mentions of Queen Elizabeth the first being on the throne, but other than that it’s entirely fantasy and the language is all modern.
✨ It reads really YA… from vampires being offended by nudity to a wise quipping little dragon, this book is very YA, which is absolutely fine, but when you go into it expecting adult it can be a little jarring.
✨ The humour is very slapstick; again, some people will love this but I found it a bit juvenile for a supposedly adult novel.
✨ The worldbuilding was a bit all over the place… for one example, early in the book ‘tubes’ are referenced. Now for anyone who has ever been to London, you’ll immediately picture the London Underground train system. It’s only 60% into the book where it is actually explained that the tubes are actually entrances to Deep London.
✨ I didn’t buy the romance even a little bit - Fang just didn’t seem into it and it felt like Lazare was only interested because Fang is hot (and omg, so so soooo many references to Fang being hot/attractive/pretty/beautiful… we get it).

So overall I think this book is really promising, and if you are someone who loves YA fantasy with silly humorous elements and a quirky fun world full of chaos then you’ll really enjoy this 💕

I really enjoyed Cursed Under London! It was a dark comedy/fantasy/romance that is more dark than funny, but that was ok with me! This book is full of action, scary monsters/creatures, lots of adventure, and sprinkles of all different kinds of love.