I've read and enjoyed Gabby Hutchinson Crouch's 'Darkwood' and 'The Rooks' series, so when I found out - as a lifelong Londoner - that she was publishing a new urban fantasy series set in an alternative Elizabethan London, I was HYPED.

The London in 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 is a London of two parts. Overground, we have a fairly standard historical-fiction version of London - full of cobbled streets and winding alleys and nefarious gangs (and even a recognisable historical figure or two). But then, accessed through what in our world are tube station entrances, is Deep London - a city of vampires, werewolves, dragons, fae and more!

Our main cast is our classic ragtag crew of loveable misfits - Fang and Lazare, who both rose as some new mystery form of undead; Welsh witch, medicine-woman and all-round badass, Nell; and the cutest little dragon you ever did see, Amber.

While investing the cause of Fang and Lazare's curse, the little gang find themselves custodians of a missing fae child, and have to journey into Deep London to return her to her family.

Is it the deepest thing ever? No, but it's 300 pages of found family goodness, with a fun urban fantasy setting, and a solid dose of humour throughout. If you've read any Gabby Hutchinson Crouch before you'll have a fair sense of what to expect - with some romance thrown in for good measure - and if not, I'd recommend for fans of the 'Rivers of London' series, 'A Market of Dreams and Destiny', and the Umbrella Academy TV show.

Firstly, a huge thank you to NetGalley, the author Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, and the publisher for sharing this ARC with me.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Cursed Under London! The story is a witty, funny, and unique romp through an alternative Elizabethan London that kept me enthralled from start to finish. The premise of Fang and Lazare awakening in Upper London only to find themselves cursed and navigating the supernatural depths of Deep London is both imaginative and engaging.

The characters are incredibly likeable and interesting. Fang and Lazare’s journey, filled with their banter and growing connection, is both heartwarming and humorous. The chemistry between them feels natural and compelling, never forced. Their quest to reverse the curse that binds them together while unearthing a dangerous plot in Deep London is a delightful adventure.

The plotline is fun and well-paced, keeping me consistently interested. The humour throughout the book is spot on, adding a lighthearted touch to the otherwise dark and mysterious setting. I never felt like the jokes were out of place or overdone; instead, they enhanced the overall reading experience.

I'm delighted to know that Cursed Under London is the first novel in a series. This book was the exact kind of read I needed to get me out of my reading slump, and I am eagerly looking forward to the next instalment.

My final rating is 4.5 stars. Cursed Under London is a fantastic start to what promises to be a cozy and inclusive historical romantasy series. If you enjoy a blend of humour, adventure, and supernatural intrigue, this book is definitely for you!

So much fun, hilarious, a great world of vamps, werewolves, dragons and fae. I loved Wulfric and Lazare and Amber. Cursed Under London is original, refreshing, cosy. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

'Cursed Under London' is a delightful romp/cozy mystery set in an alternative London where mortals live in the Upper world (ruled by swans) and the fae, vampires, zombies and other creatures of the dark world live underground. Fang and Lazare were both mortals who were killed and, well, did not die. They are not one of the established undead and yet they both have new powers and seem to be immortal. They join forces, along with Amber, the mediocore-sized dragon, and Nell, the apothocary, to find the source of their curse. Along the way, they stumble into a bigger mystery and find themselves in scraps and a fight to safely deliver a stolen fae item home.

I am usually skeptical when a book is described as "hilarious" but I really enjoyed this. It's fun read and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Duckworth Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to love this book and the blurb sounded really good, but as I was reading it I couldn't work out if it was supposed to be funny or not. I laughed at one scene. For a short book it took me ages to read it, which for me shows I didn't enjoy it as much. I found the main characters a bit annoying especially when they were together. For the me the only character I was invested in was Amber, the little dragon
Will I carry on the series, I do not know

FINALLY I get to share my excitement over this great fantasy read with you. I had the opportunity to meet the author at a recent book signing.
I loved this one!! Like absolutely EVERYTHING ABOUT IT! Read this now 5 star read loved it!!

TOTALLY cool world building - Alternate underground London for the paranormal beings (zombies, Fae vamps, werewolves, dragons etc) A curse. Magic.

What could be better!

Plus two CUTE grumpy / sunshine characters and sweet queer romance vibes

The character banter between, well everyone, the MMCs, Nel, Amber (OMG I adored Amber the tiny dragon) was just hilarious, sweet and cute.

And a cool plot that had the crew travelling into Deep London, rescuing, adventuring, romancing, hiding, fighting and generally avoiding danger at every turn.

CUL was a brilliant page turner of a read that had me.wantimf more. And I'm so glad its book one in a new fantasy romcom / historical romantasy series!

Can't wait to read more! All the stars for this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Duckworth Books for this eARC. I want to start off by saying I absolutely love the premise of this book. I love the historical romantasy and the huge amount magical creatures and characters. I wanted to be drawn in and thrown into this world of Upper London. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I found the first 20% to be action packed, but no real plot so I wasn't sure why I cared about these characters and what they were even fighting about. The grumpy x sunshine trope took it a bit too far with Fang being just a closed off jerk for the first half of the book. I also found the change in POV confusing without breaks in the lines. I think that if this was on audiobook with different voice actors I would have enjoyed this more.

This was hilarious. I rarely laugh at books but this one got me. It's set in an alternative London called "Deep London". Fang and Lazare awake from their deaths to discover they are not quite human anymore and they are thrown into chaos.

The relationship between the main characters is full of banter and they have a grumpy/sunshine dynamic however I do feel like the romance was rushed and felt a bit 'insta love' as they were kissing and sharing a bed really early on. But I instantly loved them as separate characters. I loved the supernatural beings they encountered and I rarely read a book where it contains multiple different types as usually it's just one supernatural creature.

The storyline was exciting and I loved that it never got boring.

If you love a cozy fantasy with queer romance with supernatural creatures this one might be for you!

#ad thank you to the publisher for sending me this proof copy for an honest review!

Cursed Under London was everything I wanted and more, after reading the synopsis I knew this book was for me. Fang and Lazare were just everything, you want the world for the, you want them to be happy, they deserve it. I loved the two of them so much, the banter between them, the humour but also other deep love and affection for each other. It’s just so heartwarming.

Set in Elizabethan England, I could picture the whole setting perfectly in my head, Gabby is such a talented and creative writer, the world building is just perfection , I love how atmospheric Gabby manages to make every page feel and how the dark and mysterious is balanced with humour is brilliantly done.

Gabby Hutchinson Crouch has written yet another book full of characters I love and care for, that I’m glued to the pages, that I need to know what happens next, that my babies are ok and will get their deserved happiness, will they ? Well I guess you’ll just have to read to find out.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is a fantastical romp through Elizabethan-era England. Its about a ragtag group of magical beings being chased around different parts of an alternate London by magical law enforcement and various gangs. Faeries, vampires, zombies and dragons abound. Fang and Lazare, previously very human and with their own problems, suddenly awaken as strange magical beings no one has ever heard of. They're strangeness draws attention and when a fight with some gang members turns ugly, they're suddenly being chased by several factions trying gunning for revenge or trying to put them behind bars. On the way, they're joined by a reluctant apothecary, a faerie orphan and a feisty dragon.

This story was very promising to me, as I usually enjoy books with the found-family trope and queer historical romances are also right up my alley. Sadly, the writing style and historical accuracy in this book just weren't up to my personal standards. The setting felt flimsy and badly researched, with dialogues that had a few old-timey phrases and terms thrown in just for the sake of it, without acutally making sense for the characters or their backgrounds. The protagonists of the story also couldn't really pull me in. Some of their choices just didn't make sense, and their dialogues felt stilted and unnatural at times. I just couldn't feel the romance between Fang and Lazare, and their relationships with the other characters also remained surface-level for the largest part of the story. I don't think I will be picking up the sequel. I think with a little bit more research and a little bit more work to make the setting and character relationships convincing, this could've been an amazing book. Two and a half stars.

So unputdownable. I haven't enjoyed a book so much in a long time! I love the LGBTQIA+ representation the most, it's not like the characters are named as 'gay' but they just go with the flow, accepting and loving anyone for who they are. It's like a giant warm hug in a book.
The fantasy aspect is so well described I could really picture it! Like some steampunk version of London with recognisable landmarks, but with added dragons. I would love to see this as a movie, it would be epic!

Oh I really enjoyed this one!

The fact that it was fantasy set in Elizabethan London had already piqued my interest because it’s such a good period, it’s also one I haven’t read too much of in fantasy, but this was so much more- it’s historical but urban, funny, cozy, romantic and it made me smile a lot!

We follow Fang & Lazare who have found themselves with new unique powers after coming back to life (sort of) from being unalived and they must work together to break a curse that means they can never truly die!

The action takes place in London (sort of) it’s a version of London and not necessarily one I’d choose to visit but there are lots of recognisable place names, landmarks and some things that you’ll recognise even though they are totally unrecognisable.

it’s funny, proper laugh out loud funny with some fantastic comedic moments and great banter as Fang & Lazare deal with some pretty strong emotions and feelings in a world of vampires, dragons, werewolves, fae and I’m sure I remember ogres in the mix too!

This maybe shouldn’t work but it really did work for me- it’s a noisy book but it also feels like the biggest hug!

I am intrigued where this is going and I will definitely be picking up the next book!

Loved the alternate Elizabethan worldbuilding of a human Upper London residing on top of a Deep London full of vampires, werewolves, dragons etc and obviously you get the tube between them. Loved the characters, and the dynamics between the main four - extremely funny back and forths, full of tension and friendship and love and questionable magic potions and powers.

Really happy this is the start of a series, can't wait to read more of this 'found family in the middle of BIG, funny and possibly deadly shenanigans' narrative.

Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch (2024)

“Sometimes, people just adopt someone, or love someone to pieces, and there’s nothing you can do.”

3⭐️

🖤Supernatural
🖤Fantasy Comedy
🖤LGBTQIA+ Rep
🖤Grumpy x Sunshine
🖤Found Family
🖤Quest Narrative
🖤Alternative Elizabethan England


“Two strangers. Two Londons. Two hearts that won’t stop beating…

Fang awakes from his death to discover he is not quite human anymore. In fact, despite having somehow acquired the power of immortality, he’s also not quite any of the other supernatural beings who roam the twin cities of Upper London and its underground counterpart, Deep London.

Fang is desperate to reverse the spell and get on with being dead when he stumbles upon Lazare de Quitte-Beuf, a theatrical Frenchman with the same mysterious condition. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two men set out to undo the strange magic that binds them. And, surely, when in grave danger, the worst thing they could do would be to fall in love, wouldn’t it?”


Thank you NetGalley for my ARC copy of ‘Cursed Under London’ a fun, fantastical and inclusive rom-com set in an alternative Elizabethan England where the supernatural (vampires, werewolves, dragons etc) live alongside humans. ‘Cursed Under London’ was a quick and easy read, with its unique world building, constant humour and chaotic cast of loveable characters, determined to complete their quest.

The lighthearted and silly humour of the book balanced the mystery and murder of the dark and dingy London setting. Although the book was set in urban Elizabethan England, it perhaps didn’t utilise the setting as much as it could have and it played no part in the language or general style of the book. However, it did make for a good visual setting and lent itself to the world building. The idea of the Underground was clever and scenes in the dank and dirty alleys of London felt atmospheric.

I liked the changing perspectives and the general pacing of the book, although there were a lot of side quest that eventually turned into the main quest. This book was a 4 star for me until the last 25% of the story. I found the last part of the book somewhat anti climatic and had quite an abrupt ending. I wanted more and felt that aspects of the story were wrapped up too quickly when they could have played out a little longer and resolved in a more satisfying way.

The characters are what made the book for me. While the romance element of the story was a lot of talk and no action, the found family trope was played out so well and gave the book a warm, fuzzy feeling. I greatly enjoyed the grumpy x sunshine relationship between Fang and Lazare, whose banter and moments of vulnerability were fab! Both Nell, the witty, Welsh Apothecary and Amber the small and charming dragon were my favourites!

'Cursed Under London' was a decent, easy read that I enjoyed in the moment and would recommend if someone was looking for a fun, supernatural romantasy story with low stakes and a ridiculously loveable cast.

DNF @ 15%

This book sounded like my thing - historical fantasy! My part of London! But it just didn't work because it didn't feel like it cared at all about the historical side at all.

There are so many historical inaccuracies - Southwark Bridge doesn't exist until 1812 (London Bridge is the only bridge until the 1700s!) There's supposedly tea and coffee (arrive in the UK in the mid 1600s!) This is a book supposedly set in the Elizabethan Era, so cannot be any later than 1603. And so on.

It's not so much the inaccuracies (though those are irritating as someone who grew up in Southwark and knows the City of London very well!), but the fact that this book doesn't care. It's very modern in its references and feel ("I heart london" merch is referenced, there are vampire guilds to fight discrimination in workplace cases). This all makes me wonder why it's set in Elizabethan England at all - what is the point of the historical setting if it's not being used, or only as general set dressing? This book could be set in the modern day and it would feel no different at all - and that is the sort of historical fiction I can't get behind. Historical fiction is about using the past to explore the present, about bringing to life people from the past and their world.

What I will say in this book's favour is that it does not gloss over the diversity of Elizabethan London. One of the POVs is from China, having travelled across the world. There's a woman running a gang and another as an apothecary. These things are real facts, and I like that this book demonstrated that the past was not monotonous and homogeneous.

this was a nice little read, but i’m afraid i didn’t really feel like i got anything out of it. the characters were a little flat and, well, i just didn’t totally vibe with the plot.

This was such a refreshing read to me. The characters were so lovable. It's whimsy, it's witty and delightfully charming with a sprinkling of chaos all the way through. I absolutely adored it. The way Crouch builds historical fantasy and intertwines it with entertaining humour is truly a delight to behold. As many others have also mentioned, this book is filled with laughs and it's been a while since a book had me laughing so much.

This book is set in an 'alternate' Elizabethan England (and let me stress the 'alternative' Elizabethan England because there's been some mention about how the English sounded a 'bit' modern - this is fantasy everyone! and an Historical one at that, it's not meant to be the same). Having two different types of London was fascinating to me, the whole Upper London (where the regular and humans reside) and Deep London (where all the undead creatures and beings reside) and the worlds never really meet, they essentially just exist as two sides of the same coin. The supernatural elements, the plot, the characters and the whole Underworld of the Undead I found absolutely fascinating. I really loved how well the fantasy world was fleshed out, I felt that I could really understand the differences between the two different societies. We got to learn a good amount of both which was great, and I'm excited to see where the next book goes with the world building.

The story was absolutely NOT what I was expecting in the best way possible and I think that's why I enjoyed the read so much. We met two polar opposite people - Fang and Lazare, both of which have become not-quite-undead-not-completely. As it turns out, they seem to be the only two people with a curse that has given them some form of 'backwards' magic. Together (well, reluctantly on Fangs part) they end up working together to find out more about how this mysterious curse afflicts them.

The plot and storyline is dynamic, you'll mostly be constantly on the go - but don't let that put you off, all that happens within this book is well explained which given the speedy pacing really has to be commended.

Fang and Lazare together are the absolute description of the grumpy x sunshine dynamic. The way they interact, the banter they have for each other but also this deep unspoken care and love they have for one another that neither of them truly understand just yet is really quite heartwarming. You'll be rooting for them, mainly because all you'll want is for them both to experience happiness. I also loved the whole found family elements, the side characters we meet - Nel and Amber do NOT feel like side characters at all and I personally felt they were crucial to the story telling as well!

I can't wait to see where the rest of this story goes, and I'll definitely be picking up the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Gabby Hutchinson Crouch for the ARC of Cursed Under London. It was truly a pleasure to read.

To start off, this book is going to be one people either love or hate. It takes place in Elizabethan London, but anachronistic language is used. I know some readers find that incredibly off-putting to the point they will not read fantasy books with modern dialogue. If that is the case, this book isn't for you.

To me, this book was not "high fantasy," so it did not bother me. To me, the dialogue and the way the characters spoke to one another worked. Cursed Under London, in my opinion, does well what Assistant to the Villain failed at. It manages to be somewhat whimsical, comical, and slightly romantic without the clunky plot or dialogue that the aforementioned book has.

The villain that is introduced near the end feels as though he comes from nowhere, until you reflect on previous events in the book. I somewhat predicted what would happen to said villain, but still found the end of the novel satisfying. It set up what I hope ends up being a fantastic series.

This queer, semi-historical, rom-com fantasy stands as my favorite ARC of the year thus far.

Comparable titles would include the Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger, Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, and The Immortal Empire by Kate Locke.

Where do I begin?

The synopsis of the book grabbed my attention, so I was really looking forward to reading it. The writing style and plot had my attention, at first, and then slowly lost me along the way. There were multiple times where I thought about DNF-ing it, but wanted to see where it went and I kinda wish I had.

I think the main problem for me was that this is touted as Romantasy and there just wasn't a whole lot of romance. It's not the main theme. They really only have a few scenes where it's just the two of them and by the second one, love is discussed. I didn't even get much connection between them, so love didn't feel fully developed. I would say this was more "Cozy Fantasy" than "Romatasy". Especially with not a real HEA.

Apparently, this is the first in a series, and although there's no cliffhanger, it just ends. I doubt I'll read any more in this series. The book left me confused quite a bit. I didn't feel there was much resolution to anything that was going on, but at the same time, don't know where they'd go in the next book. It just wasn't for me at all.

Thank you to Farrago Book and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

2 1/2 stars, rounded to 3.

Two strangers.

Two Londons.

Two hearts that won’t stop beating…

In an alternative Elizabethan London, Fang awakes from his death to discover he is not quite human anymore. In fact, despite having somehow acquired the power of immortality, he’s also not quite vampire, zombie, werewolf or any of the other supernatural beings who roam the twin cities of Upper London and its underground counterpart, Deep London.

A jaded traveller from the Ming Empire, Fang is desperate to find a way to reverse the spell and get on with being dead when he stumbles upon Lazare de Quitte-Beuf, a theatrical Frenchman who is afflicted with the same mysterious condition. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two men set out to undo the strange magic that binds them. As they are drawn further into the shadowy world of Deep London, they unearth a dangerous plot which they appear to be right in the middle of…

And, surely, when in grave danger, the worst thing they could do would be to fall in love, wouldn’t it?

Now I really enjoyed the world building of the deep side and the upper side- there were good themes of racism and xenophobia that were explored really well. The prejudice that Fang got from the gang members was done really cleverly. I think the imagery was really good and descriptive and the abundance of characters and species were super fun and added something extra to the book.

The plot read like a comedic action film which I know some people will absolutely love. Personally, I struggle to understand or relate to comedic values and scenes in literature and film and I don’t often find the slapstick comedy funny. The first 25-30% was super interesting and a cool concept and I was invested but then I lost interest up until around 70% where the stakes were higher and I was more invested.

I think this book was well written and will be a fan favourite for sure, I just don’t think it’s the book for me. I rated it 3.5 stars.