This one picks up right after book 1 (The Encanto’s Daughter). Queen MJ, our FMC, is trying to control a deadly curse and quickly realizes the monster haunting her kingdom is actually her. The call is coming from inside the house 😂

The Philippine mythology and cultural rep are still great. I loved how the world expands, especially with the mystery of the forgotten princess and MJ’s fight to hold on to her identity. The pacing starts a little slow, but once the crew heads into the mountains, things really pick up.

There’s court drama, deadly curses, internal struggles, and a light touch of romance. Lucas and Qian both bring their own kind of tension, and MJ shows a lot of growth.

If you’re into folkloric fantasy, hidden monsters, strong heroines, and subtle romance vibes, definitely check out this duology.

I think i have to come to terms with the fact the Melissa de la Cruz is simply not for me. This book, much like the other two books I have read by her, was only ok. This series is really aimed at a younger crowd than what I normally read. I will say, a lot of my grievances with the first book were resolved in this book. Its a little bit of a slow start but it really picks up in the second half. Overall, its a decent book! (I just won't read any others)

Melissa de la Cruz is truly the queen of Filipino YA romantasy, and I was beyond excited to discover this gem of a series/duology. Growing up, I was surrounded by Philippine folklore, so it was a joy to reconnect with many of the mythological creatures that kept me up at night as a kid. Ms. de la Cruz weaves an engaging, wholesome tale set within the rich tapestry of Philippine mythology, making for an incredibly fun and immersive read.

It’s such an addicting, binge-worthy read—I couldn't put it down! It was a fantastic continuation of *The Encanto’s Daughter*, and I found myself craving more. I really hope Ms. de la Cruz continues the series because I need more of Queen MJ and her thrilling adventures.

I’m giving it four and a half stars, rounded up to five.

I enjoyed both of these books. This was a bit of a slow start but definitely picked up and I definitely could not put it down. I love when lores and tales come from other cultures and get slightly changed up a bit. I think all the retellings of things are so fun! The ending was so satisfying. It was a solid conclusion. This book showed that's there is more than one way for true love.

This was an excellent ending to this two book series. The stakes are even higher now that the vampire queen has discovered that the monster plauging her world is none other then herself. I love our mc she does a great job of searching within herself and also of putting others above her self. She wants what best for those in her life even to the cost of losing the man she loves. This was a nail biter right up to the end. Exellent story.

Fans of the first book will enjoy this one as well. The issues I found with the writing in the first novel were resolved in this one, especially the ending of chapters. One chapter flows easily into the next continuing the action. I'm glad I gave this one a try. It is still best suited to a mid-YA crowd as it is a bit dark but the romance is light.
Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam Sons Books for Young Readers for this ARC!

The Encanto's Curse delivers a captivating mix of Philippine mythology, courtly intrigue, and high-stakes romance. Melissa de la Cruz crafts an exciting tale of duty, power, and self-discovery as newly crowned Queen MJ struggles with a deadly secret—she’s the very monster terrorizing her kingdom. The tension of her internal battle, combined with looming war and a complicated love triangle, makes for a gripping read.

The worldbuilding is rich, drawing from folklore to create a setting both enchanting and dangerous. MJ’s journey is compelling as she fights against her monstrous instincts while navigating political alliances and unresolved feelings for Lucas. Prince Qian adds an intriguing dynamic, bringing charm and conflict to the story.

While the pacing slows at times, particularly in the middle, the stakes remain high, and the blend of action, romance, and mythology keeps the pages turning. The mix of supernatural horror and royal drama makes for an engaging, atmospheric fantasy. Fans of de la Cruz’s work and readers who enjoy dark, romantic fantasy with strong heroines will find plenty to love.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The story continues after MJ’s coronation as queen and still learning about her magic and trying to figure out why it’s so hard to use it. In addition, she has started having nightmares about a flying fanged monster terrorizing her kingdom, only to realize that the monster is her. MJ and her entourage, including best friend Nix, rival Amador, bodyguard Lucas, and Nix’s dashing monster-hunter brother Qian, decide to go to the Great House in the mountains, where MJ hopes the she can be healed. While there, MJ finds out there was another princess, Yara Liliana, erased from history, who also became a manananggal, and hopes to learn from her experience. Will MJ be able to break the curse before she becomes a manananggal forever?
I enjoyed this sequel just as much as the first. We learn more about the characters introduced in book 1. A great YA fantasy/romantasy and here’s hoping that the series continues.
#TheEncantosCurse #PenguinYoungReaders #NetGalley

Once again, we join our friends from The Encanto's Daughter in the continuing saga of now Queen MJ, her bestie Nix, and how she navigates the heartbreak of her love, Sir Lucas, becoming engaged to Amador, her bully.

Sir Lucas professed his love for MJ in The Encanto's Daughter, but in the end, he announces his engagement to Amador. leaving MJ doubting herself and her ability to reign as Queen over Biringan. To make matters worse, an evil, flesh-eating monster has begun appearing in the night skies, terrifying the locals, and MJ has a horrible suspicion the monster is in her.

This is obviously geared to the YA audience, with lots of mild romance and teen angst, but is a nice little action tale that includes a lot of interesting Filipino folklore. If this is the last in the series, it is a quite satisfying end.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.


This is the second book in Melissa De La Cruz’s newest series. MJ is officially queen and just when things are looking up her best friend is almost kidnapped by her brother who is a monster killer and warrior. MJ has a terrible nightmare but doesn’t think anything of it until her nightmare turns out to come true. MJ finds out that her ancestor that nobody remembers had a similar thing happen to her and that if she didn’t find true loves kiss and get married before the full moon she would become a monster forever. MJ finds another love interest in Nix’s brother Quin who after discovering what MJ has become declares war against her kingdom and decides to ride the kingdom of their monster queen. Before the army comes to destroy MJ she figures out that her powers as an alchemist and turning things into other things were turning her into a monster and once she realized and forgave herself she was fully herself again. MJ and Lucas get engaged and Amador and Nix start dating at the end of the book. The kingdom is excited for the upcoming wedding except for Amador’s mother who tells MJ that she will rue the day that she stopped her daughter’s wedding.

The Encanto's Curse is the second book in The Encanto's Daughter duology by Melissa de la Cruz. I enjoyed the first book very much and was looking forward to reading this one, hoping that it would be as good as the first. I can happily report that it was. MJ is a new queen and she's trying to find her way, and find out why she can't seem to call her magic to her anymore. She's also wondering about some crazy dreams she's been having, where she's a monster who craves blood and wants to tear anything with a heartbeat to pieces. When she finds out that there is a creature out attacking her subjects, just like the creature in her dreams, she puts 2 and 2 together and realizes that she's the monster here. She immediately sets out to find out what's happening to her, and why, and of course, that's when trouble shows up in the form of Prince Qian of the Jade Empire, and the brother of her best friend, Nix. She now has to deal with 2 crises, which is going to go about as good as you think it will.

While this was the second book in the series, it actually had a whole new feel to it, which worked so well with these characters and this author. The mystery was unique and engaging, the characters were well fleshed out and likeable, and the pacing was spot on. And, just like in The Encanto's Daughter, the world building was phenomenal!

All in all, this was a very satisfying conclusion to this story and I highly recommend it.

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Melissa de la Cruz, for the opportunity to read and review The Encanto's Curse.

MJ has recently been crowned queen, and her first duty is to bring peace. However, when she realizes that the creature attacking her kingdom is herself, she must learn why she has been cursed. MJ flees her court to get answers, but with a broken heart and no one she believes she can trust, she has her hands full. Can MJ break the curse before it takes over her forever? Will she be able to find love amid terror?

The Encanto’s Curse is the second book in The Encanto’s Daughter series. Although this story is the second in the series, readers could easily pick up this book and enjoy it as a stand-alone tale. The book does end with a satisfying conclusion, yet de la Cruz has created a world that has many possible stories available to be explored. The Encanto’s Curse is a fun read for those who like mythological tales.

I was so mad when I finished The Encanto's Daughter and had to wait for the explanations and resolution. That said, I was both looking forward to and dreading The Encanto's Curse, because I didn't know if I would be happy with how things turned out.

That said, I loved this book. While I am not familiar with the folklore that this duology is based off of, it was a fresh and interesting take on magic to me. I didn't know what to think of the "monster" in this book, but the resolution felt real and concrete, without going into detail, I can say that many people will find it relatable, I certainly did. As for the things that angered me in the first book, I can't tell you how they were resolved or if I was satisfied with it, but I am definitely glad this book lived up to expectations.

This was a solid continuation of the storyline that we were introduced to in The Encanto’s Daughter. It was nice to see MJ become queen and use her power for good, and I loved the Filipino setting and folklore. The love triangle between MJ, Lucas, and Qian added interest to the romantic plotline, and the mystery of the manananggal added excitement and suspense. It was very easy to guess who the manananggal was, what was causing it, and which boy MJ would pick, but I think that’s because this book was written for the younger YA audience. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn’t read it again.
♥️
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
♥️
Read if you like:
▫️YA fantasy
▫️Filipino culture and mythology
▫️fairies, witches and magic
▫️court politics and intrigue
♥️
Thank you to G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Penguin Teen, Melissa de la Cruz, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow - what a thrilling continuation to the first of the series! As in the first, I loved the incorporation of Filipino folklore into the story as well as the introduction of MJ to the politics of running her kingdom. This story had everything – intrigue, fantasy, romance, folklore, cryptids – and, though it was fast-paced, I never felt lost or confused. Highly recommended but start with the first to get the full story. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

The Encanto's Curse is book two in The Encanto's Daughter series by Melissa de la Cruz.
I love and devoured book one The Encanto's Daughter.
A phenomenal YA romantic fantasy that is inspired by Filipino mythology.
Full of court intrigue, mystery, witches and fairies Melissa de la Cruz did not disappoint when it came to making this book as magical as possible.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book, The Encanto's Curse by Melissa de la Cruz. I really enjoyed this story. I never read the first book, but this one was a very good fantasy. The cover to this book is also very beautiful.

Melissa de la Cruz returns to the world of Biringan with the second in the Encanto's Daugher series.

MJ is now the queen of Biringan, but continues to struggle with harnessing her power. She is stinging from discovering that her love interest, Lucas, is marrying someone else. As a bonus, she is also being haunted by some pretty horrific nightmares of transformation into a monster.

The first book in this series underwhelmed me - it didn't seem to know if it was designed for Middle Grade or YA readers. This one works better. Lots of drama here that will appeal to YA readers - love triangles, relationships that aren't what they seem, hot guys with arrows, monsters, legends to be unraveled. I was originally a little thrown off by the lean into horror, but de la Cruz makes it work, and it's a stronger book for that lean. There is a pretty marvelous twist I wasn't expecting that strengthens the story as well.

As in the first book, this one features lots of Filipina culture, legends and food. The world is immersive and beautiful. I'd love to have students create visual impressions of the vacation palace in this book.

3.75 stars bumped up to 4.

“None of us are immune to change. But it’s how we accept and move with that change that we are truly able to find peace within to become our best selves.” MJ, as a newly appointed young Queen, has a long road ahead in finding herself both as a person and as a Queen. Amidst friendships, relationships, possible war and a quest to survive, MJ learns so much about herself in the process.
De La Cruz’s plot captured me early on and held me throughout MJ’s story. Her characters and their experiences held adventures and transformative wisdom that brought the story full circle. This is an excellent YA fantasy sequel to The Encantos Daughter, which I highly recommend.

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Definitely worth the read!