This is a fun comic romantasy set in an alternate universe London during the reign of Elizabeth I. History has played out a little differently here; Wales is independent thanks to help from a dragon monarch and London is divided into Upper London, inhabited mostly by humans, and Deep London, inhabited by magical creatures who mostly see humans as prey.

I loved this book; the setting, the characters, the plot, the humour, were all massively enjoyable. The stakes are both huge and really personal and there’s no infodumping, which makes the way the story unfolds all the more entertaining. I really recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrago Books for this opportunity. This book is available 7/4/24

A rom com set in an alternative fantasy Elizabethan era that fell flat on its face for me.

I didn’t find it whismical or fluffy or cute. I found the characters wicked annoying. In short for me I really didn’t like this book at all.

This was a wonderfully fun book! It's cosy fantasy, with deeply interesting world building, and a very Discworld-esque writing style. It's funny and enjoyable and you can't help but love the characters. At times the romance subplot feels like a bit of an afterthought, but it's not necessarily a bad thing, the book would have just been as wonderful without it. I can't wait to continue the series!

I am a fan of this author and have read her previous books. The humour is off-beat and the world-building is excellent. If you are in the mood for something darkly funny and surprisingly sweet, you will enjoy this book.

I loved the two main characters and the way they work with each other. The story moves pretty quickly but the writing is detailed and I didn't want to miss a word, so it took me a little longer to read.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This one surprised me, with how much I actually liked it.

I love anything fantasy and this was Elizabethan fantasy which took me a second to grasp the time frame.
Zombies/Vampires/Fairies/Magic oh my!

The adventure of trying to figure out how or why 2 people (the MCs) were cursed to not die but to be half human and half something else.

All while creating a bond and a found family within each other 🖤

I received an eARC of this book, intrigued by its setting in an alternate Elizabethan-era London where monsters exist. The actual reading experience, however, was a mixed bag. At times, it feels like a cozy fantasy, featuring a delightful found family trope with a diverse and lovable cast of characters. Their banter and humor often made me laugh out loud. However, that same humor was sometimes awkwardly placed within the story, detracting from more serious plotlines.

While each character had a well-developed backstory, the narrative took a while to pick up pace and become engaging. Despite being a short read, the first 60% felt much longer, and I struggled to connect with the characters in a meaningful way. Overall, it's a fun read, earning a solid 3 stars, though it may simply not be my type of story.

I thought this book was enjoyable. I am definitely a fan of romantacy. I can tell that its the start of a series and as a result there were a lot of characters to introduce. the POV switching was helpful but also a little confusing sometimes. I am not sure if I would be grabbing the next book (if I could). Thank you for the advance copy!

2SLGBTQIA+ Historical Fantasy Romance set in London 1599 about three humans who find themselves struck with an immortality curse set out to reverse the spell with a dragon and fae child's help.

4/5 stars: Hutchinson Crouch's 2SLGBTQIA+ Historical Fantasy Romance that's set in London 1599 and features three humans, Fang – who hails from the the Ming Empire, Lazare – a French actor and Nell – a Welsh apothecary owner, who find themselves struck with an immortality curse as they set out to reverse the spell with the help of Amber – an urban dragon and Tem – a fae child. Hutchinson Crouch's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain incredibly likable. Fang, Lazare, Nell, Amber and Tem are great. Each of them hold their own and have distinct voices. Additionally, the world building is interesting and well-done. Oh and this is a slow burn (72%) off page romance but still had plenty of tension, banter and swoony romance. Hutchinson Crouch touches on some serious subjects; so take care and check the CWs. I look forward to reading the next in this series.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Duckworth Books & Farrago Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

I will preface this by saying this novel is not for just anybody. You need to have a particular brand of absurd humor (or liking books like that) to enjoy this one. You have to be able to detach from any rational thinking to just kind of...accept the book and what it tells you. Elizabethan England for really no reason as an urban fantasy? Okay! Dragons casually eating people, but only in Deep London where it's legal? Okay! People suddenly unable to die leading a ragtag band of 3 people and a tiny dragon on a quest? Okay! Gangs? Okay! Giant magical swan/geese police? Okay!

Anyways, yeah, were there plot holes? Yes. Did it really need to be set in Elizabethan England? Not as far as I can tell, but Marlowe being a zombie was interesting. I also think this does build more to other novels per the ending, so I think it could come -- the setting -- into play more...especially with the Dragon Queen of Wales and other locations also mentioned.

anyways, this was a delight.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book, and I am glad I pushed through to the end!
Cursed Under London is a story of intrigue, mystery, magic, love, and found family.

Things I loved:
The banter was highly amusing and engaging, the ease between the characters and their humor was fun to read.
I appreciated the character's complexity and history, the way they seemed a to truly have flaws.
I liked the second half of the book a lot, the pace picked up quite a bit.
I loved the concept of how London as a city was set up, and the magic systems.

Things that were not my favorite:
I almost did not finish this book several times because the first half of it dragged so so much. It took me a long time to be able to tell which characters were talking when / who was who.
Once the plot picked up about 50% of the way through I finished the book in under a week, but the first half took me a month. The last bit of the story, and the character's themselves are the reason why I went up to 3 stars.
Sometimes the dialogue felt forced, and stilted or unnatural.

Overall, glad to have gotten to read this book!
I would like to thank NetGalley, Duckworth Books, and Gabby Hutchinson Crouch for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A light romantasy set in Elizabethan England where supernatural creatures exist. Both Fang and Lazare find themselves turned one day into something new. As they seek to find answers, they can’t ignore the their growing feelings for each other.

I liked the characters a lot here, but the setting didn’t work for me. I’m not sure why she chose Elizabethan London and not just some alternate timeline London. That would’ve made the anachronisms and more modern speech patterns make more sense.

This was odd.
The premise really appealed and I love a funny, irreverent fantasy type read. But this was much too weird, even for me.

This might be a little harsh, but it felt quite messy. A bit like let’s just throw every kind of supernatural creature together and just make a plot to fit around them. Add that to the alternate Elizabethan London, it felt very random. I think it might have worked better if it had been a whole made up world. I just didn’t get it. Was like a fever dream, not in a good way.

Some of it was funny and the main characters had the potential to be awesome. I particularly liked Amber the dragon.

Maybe this will work for others but just felt too chaotic for me. Won’t be reading the next one. A shame because I have enjoyed others of this author’s books!

Probably 2.5 😬

enjoyed this one and i liked most the characters in i was curious about the world building and how it would play out and it had a lot of aspects i enjoy it a fantasy and there are parts which are very funny and the plot is engaging i had read it all within a few days

Perfect for fans of Ben Aaranobitch and Freya Marske, Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch is the tale of two men, Fang, and Lazare both falling under a mysterious curse that transforms them into mythical beings - but not quite. The story is set in an alternative magical Elizabethan London divided by Upper London and Deep London. Upper London is inhabited by mostly humans, and Deep London is habited by magical creatures like vampires, ogres, goblins, zombies, fae etc. Along with Fang’s apothecary friend Nell and a clumsy dragon called Amber, they attempt to find out what caused the curse and break it. In their adventures, they come across an individual who might be the answer to their questions, but they need to get through Deep London first.

Most importantly - this was a fun book to read. I really enjoyed the friendship between all the characters, and I especially loved Amber. I think Amber was the best written character in terms of comedic value - limited ‘screen’ time but good value for money. I’m personally not one for London gangs, especially in a magical universe, because I never really feel their ‘threat’ - like, magic exists! So I was glad when the story moved to Deep London where I think the story improved.

I think the cover art is fantastic, and it’s the first thing I think about when I think of the book. High contrast colours with an organ on it? I’m basic! (no, but also I like how they entwined the city of London on the top).

It could benefit from a little more character development. I was not entirely convinced by the romantic tension between Fang and Lazare. I’d say the fantastical and adventure element of the book came through strongly, and I was never bored, but every time there was a moment between Fang and Lazare, I didn’t really feel it. I think this is something that could definitely be rectified with a sequel. The author has a lot to work with in terms of the universe she has created. The main villain of the story was also a bit too one-note for my taste.

It is not an exceptionally new perspective of the genre, but I don’t think it needs to be. If you want a fun, magical action comedy with LGBTQ+ themes thrown in, then it’s perfect!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this most enjoyable book, all opinions are my own.

I wanted to love Cursed Under London. It's a blend of historical fiction and fantasy, featuring vampires, zombies, and queer main characters. What’s not to love? Unfortunately, it fell short for me. I enjoyed the last 1/3 of the book but it wasn't engaging. Specially in the beginning, I had to push myself to read it until it gets to the point where it is exciting.

In an alternative Elizabethan London brimming with dragons, vampires, zombies, and werewolves, Cursed Under London follows Fang and Lazare, who wake up with new special abilities after being killed in violent gang fights and are bound by a curse. Thrown together by fate, they seek to reverse their spell with help from friends, uncovering a deeper, more dangerous plot along the way, even though solving their curse might ultimately lead to their deaths.

Along the way, they meet other characters who become their friends like a tiny dragon named Amber—my favorite character, her character gives a bit of banter and entertainment in her interventions—a witch named Nell, and of course enemies. Eventually, their crew ventures down to Lower London, where all the undead creatures live, to complete their quest and find answers.

First of all, the plot barely made sense to me. Why would Fang and Lazare want to remove a curse if it would kill them once it's gone? This central premise felt a bit weak and unconvincing. Or I just didn't quitely understand why they wanted to find out why they had this 'curse'. The plot lacked depth, with minimal character development and action didn't really start until way into the book.

The world-building, however, was the strongest part. The idea of Fang's ability to conjure maggots and Lazare's vampire-like appearance were intriguing. I imaged their powers in action with the narrative style of the author and she went into detail with the scenes which I appreciate in fantasy books so I can see through the author's eyes what she imagined when she wrote it's The divided city with Upper and Lower London and stunted city dragons were an added delight.

However, while the setting is supposedly in the Elizabethian London, the characters' concerns felt modern, and there were no authentic touches related to period-specific clothes or food. It seemed like set in an alternative modern era.

Thank you so much to Farrago Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You’re going to love this book if you’ve read Neverwhere and wished it was funnier.
I mostly enjoyed it: the characters were immensely likeable and the worldbuilding is fantastic. I enjoyed the many breaking-of-the-fourth-wall moments and I’m always down for any meta use of the Tube. It’s also great to see urban fantasy not set in contemporary or Victorian London, so the Elizabethan era was a refreshing change.
There were times where I felt the book tried too hard to be funny and slid into cringe territory, that’s my only reproach.
I will be curious about further adventures of this motley group of losers (affectionate).

Cursed Under London was dark, imaginative, gripping and stunning. This book paints a beautifully dark and romantic setting of London and all of it's mysteries. The main character was so fun to read and follow along as she navigated this story and it was one I was sad to end.

This was an interesting read! I was really grabbed by the amazing cover and within the first couple chapters, I knew I was hooked. The characters are incredibly sweet, and the world building/two sides to London was really interesting when done with the mythological twist. I couldn't help but get attached to the stories of Fang and Lazare. I can't wait to see what the author does next!

In an alternate timeline filled with magical species and undead humans, where "Deepsiders" live in a subterranean London populated by dragons, vampires, zombies, and all manner of dangerous creature, two "Uppersiders", Fang and Lazare, wake from ther violent deaths to find something has changed, and they are now somewhere between human and undead. Their adventure to learn more about and eventually lift this curse will take them through danger and mystery to the heart of Deepside and bring them closer to each other...

Delightfully funny, yet gruesome and horrifying, Cursed Under London succeeds with great world building and character development. Amber and Fang were real standouts for me, and this book also gets bonus points for a character name... Captain Dame Isobel Honkensby... I mean, that's just incredible...

Cursed Under London is a great story, with a fantastical world, lovable protagonists, a horrific and unsettling enemy, and so much humour! I really look forward to more in this series!

I wanted to love this book. It's both historical fiction and fantasy, with vampires, zombies and queer main characters. What's not to love? Unfortunately, this book didn't deliver for me.

Upper London residents Fang and Lazare wake up cursed with new special abilities after they are killed in violent gang fights. Fang can make things appear disgusting. Lazare has wings. The two strangers team up to try to remove the curse, even though this means they their deaths will probably now be successful.

Along the way they meet a tiny dragon named Amber, who is my favorite character, a woman named Nell and others. Eventually their little crew makes the trek down to Lower London where all the undead creatures live to finish their quest.

First of all, the plot barely made sense to me. Why would Fang and Lazare want to remove a curse when it will apparently just kill them when it's gone? The whole book is built on this point and I just don't understand. The whole plot is rather thin, with very little stakes and no real motivation to anyone's actions.

The world building is the strongest part. I love that the police are magic swans. And Fang can make maggots appear. And Lazare looks like a vampire but isn't one. And you can take a tube from Upper London to Lower London. And city dragons are stunted! Just so many fun little details like that.

However, it is supposed to be the 1500s London and I it just doesn't feel like it at all. The characters' concerns all feel very modern. We don't get any fun details with clothes or food. There is a great deal of time spent talking about poop being thrown from chamber pots, or else I would have guessed this was an alternative modern time period or even a post-apocalyptic future.