Firstly, the cover of this book is a thing of beauty! I can't wait to get my hands on a shelf trophy.

The story itself? Wonderful. When I turned the page and the screen read, "epilogue" I was distraught! This isn't the end?? Surely??

Our FMC Bridget is not having a good time. She's been stuck in Elyria for 7 months, with amnesia, all while being held hostage and forced into submission by Cora; the leader of the Virgo Coven.

Tropes:
Forbidden love
Games and trials
Found family
Forgotten memories
Witches, fae and humans.
Dark magics

The story has some great twists and turns, you find yourself rooting for the main characters early in the story. The villains are well developed, and their motives are laced within earlier events, like little easter eggs, and as a result the events line up perfectly for a crushing ending.

Zero smut. Zero. If you need smut, this is not the book for you. Otherwise, if you loved Crescent City and Serpent of Wings and Night, you will love this story.

The above review is live on goodread.com/rollinsreadsbooks published August 3rd and will be posted on instagram @rollinsreadsbooks on August 4th. Thank you for the opportunity to read this Arc, it was one of the best stories I read this year so far.

Of Kingdoms And Curses - Amy Woodruff
5+✨
Oh my, where do I start? I was drawn into this world from the first page and even now that I’m sitting here writing this I still feel like I’m there, and I don’t want to leave!
At first when I saw the contents and it said AFTER, BEFORE, NOW in that order I must admit I was confused because to me it sounded like a big old bucket of confusion? But darn was I pleasantly surprised as the story unfolded, Amy made it all make sense, and in my opinion the order of it all made it even better (if you get what I’m trying to say)
One thing I really enjoyed was that Bridget our FMC wasn’t some secret witch or had hidden powers we didn’t know about, she is just a really badass human who doesn’t need magic to kick some ass. It has been awhile since I read a fantasy book like that. Usually I’m not a huge fan of the whole memory loss trope, since most of the time we as readers know more than the MC which makes me want to yell in frustration, but here I was as clueless as Bridget, and I loved every second of it! I don’t know what else to say, words can’t describe what a masterpiece this book is! And I will be anxiously waiting for the next book, I need more!
🗡️The Selection x The Serpent and the Wings of Night
🗡️Found Family
🗡️Powerful Artifacts
🗡️Deadly Magic
🗡️Star Crossed Lovers
🗡️High Stakes Trials
🗡️Magically Binding Bargains
🗡️Contemporary Setting
This book releases on the 6th of August and I highly recommend you get your paws on it then!
Thank you Amy, NetGalley and City Owl Press for this ARC! I am leaving this review voluntarily💕

If you enjoy romantasy books geared towards YA readers then this one is definitely for you! I thoroughly enjoy reading about Bridget and Cade. I found there was a lot of information straight up which helped build the world we are trying to envision and then slowly more information trickles in that really helped move the story along, there isn't a lot of spice but that's 100% okay with me! But if you are wanting a Fantasy book with heavy spicy scenes, this isn't the book for you. The plot is interesting enough on its own and I don't believe you need copious amounts of spice to make a book worth reading anyway 😉 I LOVED all the fight scenes and it definitely gave Hunge Games vibes which I am all for.

I enjoyed the way the Amy was able to tell the story from past and present perspectives, it really helped being able to build a relationship and form bonds with the characters who I love and care about.

I really enjoy the pace and I'm excited to see where book 2 leads us!

*Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op for an ARC of “Of Kingdoms and Curses” by Amy Woodruff from City Owl Press in exchange for an honest review*

Okay first off, wow! This book was really really good and extremely fast-paced. I thought the characters were well thought out and had a good amount of depth to them which usually doesn’t happen in the first book of a series. I also felt that the action points were dispersed throughout the book pretty evenly and I never felt like I was overloaded. The ending was a lot, but I was honestly obsessed and need the next book as soon as possible!

I think if I had to give two minor-ish critiques, that didn’t detract from the book at all, were that there wasn’t much world-building and I also (personally) have never liked a mid-book time jump. On the former - I think I really just love understanding the world that I’m reading and I just felt like some place names just appeared and that was that. As for the latter, that’s only a personal opinion and I think the time jump fit this book well, I just prefer a chronological sequence of events.

All of that being said, EVERYONE should read this book when it comes out on August 6th… next week!!!


This review is already available on Goodreads and will be on my bookstagram account (goldreads13) tomorrow!

I struggled with this one. The good story was right there and it just failed. It needs a lot of editing and refining. Some of the scenes just didnt make sense. I think it was the lack of background. I needed the background first. I understood why. The shock factor of Cade. And the human realm being modern vs the other realm having some human tech. It was confusing. And how do humans not know about the other realm? I feel like it should’ve been an ACOTAR situation where something prevented the humans and it shouldn’t have been modern. Bridget was kind of an idiot in the beginning. She got better near the end. I did love Cade though. I needed more romance. I don’t know. It just didn’t hit the mark for me sadly.

I wish that I liked this book more. I wanted to finish it just because it was an arc from netgalley, but otherwise I would have DNF'd it pretty early on. I think the zodiac witch covens is very interesting and I wish we could have learned more about each coven and how a witch goes from one to the other. I like the relationship between Cade and Bridget to an extent, but i think that there is more to come on that in the sequel.
The issue for me is the style of writing. I personally don't like is the excessive foreshadow. It felt like the author doesn't trust the readers to figure the plot twist out, so they kept hinting at the same things. At the same time, the world building was not digestible. There is a glossary in the beginning of the book, but I still had a hard time remembering names and places because the world building was too fast. These two issues are very different from each other in terms of writing style. Because of this I think the focus of the narrative was misplaced, and it made me feel distant from the story as a reader.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this, although it felt a little YA at times. I also guessed the main plot twist before it was revealed, but I was still invested in the story. That cliffhanger ending was bittersweet and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This book!! The storytelling is beyond creative, to get the narrative in the order as After, Before and then Now makes you fall in love with these characters all over again in such different settings.

This book has some of my favorite Romantasy elements; he falls first, a courtly tournament, fae / witches / nymphs and a love story surrounding memory loss and getting to puzzle with all the missing pieces.

My only critique would be that there are a lot of different side characters to keep track off. I’d love to get to know them more, what drives the friends / nemesis beyond the story as it is right now. So I am basically asking for more puzzle pieces since clearly I can’t get enough of these worlds and their inhabitants.

I have laughed, cried and fell victim to giddy leg-kicking. When a book makes you feel all the feels AND has a surprising plot twist it is an automatic win for me. I know this book needs to get released first, but please when can we expect the sequel?

I received this book as an eARC for free courtesy of NetGally. Thank you for the review opportunity!

Debut novel by Amy Woodruff filled with fantasy, suspense, and romance? Yes please! What a great start to a new fantasy series! The world building was unique, and I loved the human world aspect that doesn’t typically appear in fantasy novels.

I am definitely anticipating reading the follow up in this series once released!

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for this ARC; all opinions are my own.

'The Book of Kingdom and Curses' is an engaging tale that follows Bridget, a human who mysteriously ends up in the kingdom of Elyaria. The kingdom is cursed, causing humans who cross its gate to lose all their memories, leaving Bridget knowing only her name. She is taken in by the cruel witch Cora and is thrust into a competition for the heart of Prince Cade. The story delves into Bridget's struggle to navigate this new world, her quest to uncover her past, and the challenges of competing for the prince's affection under Cora's manipulative guidance. I enjoyed this story overall; it was a quick and captivating read. The world-building and character dynamics kept me hooked, and I'm eager to see what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC !


Wowowow can I start off by saying how dang good this was !?
I didn’t really know what to expect/ never heard of this before stumbling across this on here .

If you are a fan of The Cruel Prince , this will definitely be your new favorite!

I knew this would be Fantasy but I did not expect the twist of it going from Modern Time / World to a kingdom / world of Fae and Witches .

Man I enjoyed the world building so much . It’s so fun when you can picture everything happening in your head because of how descriptive this is .

I loved the Characters so much . Bridget was really my favorite. Her story with Cade really blew me away because I did not see the plot twist coming at all !
The chapters of the before I also enjoyed and I’m not one to like modern type stuff in my fantasy books ! But it was crucial and made you understand the plot !

This really captivated me , and I can’t wait to tell everyone about it ! Also , can’t wait for the second !!!!

Of Kingdoms and Curses is such a good fantasy book. I love this genre of books and this one stood out from the others because the characters are so well created, it's super well written and I loved the storyline.

Thank you Netgalley & the author Amy Woodruff for allowing me to be an ARC reader for this book💜

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Breaking curses is a dangerous game⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I devoured this! I was unsure at first.. but it got so good!

One FMC is one strong ass chick & I loved the whole trial games to get with the Prince & where this continued.. with so many twists & turns?!

‘It was the price I had to pay to save you’ - the moment I read this chapter, my heart broke😭

And the ending!!! OH!!! I need more!!! This was a super fantasy book! Usually I am a sucker for HUGE romance & this book only had a small amount but it didn’t stop me loving it! The whole story with world building, tensions & twists & turns made it🫶🏽

TROPES
💜Star cross lovers
💜Found family
💜High stake trials
💜Deadly Magic & fae’s
💜Witches
💜Human in faerie world

Looking forward to see this book released on 6th August💜💜

Bridget has been trapped in the fae realm for 7 months and desperately wants to go back to the human realm. She has no memory left of her life there but it can’t be worse than this.
Suddenly she is sent into a tournament competing to marry the fae prince although she hasn’t the faintest clue why and no one will explain.
She sees it as an opportunity to escape. But does she still want to leave when she unexpectedly grows closer to him?

I really enjoyed this magical world. The world building is great. Though, I had some moments I was very confused and there seemed to be some inconsistencies. The magic system gets explained as we go. The writing style is smooth and felt very YA. There is tension but no spice. I read this in no time! It made me think of The Selection which I also enjoyed.

Bridget, our FMC, is a very relatable. It’s easy to follow her through her journey. Cade is a morally grey grump that quickly warms up. The romance is so good! I loved how we got to be with them when Brigit and Cade met! There are some great surprises that I won’t give away but gosh, I’m over the moon for this couple!

Let’s talk about this finale. Or, I’d rather not. Because this finale was spot on and the cliffhanger was just brutal! My heart hurt so much and I was so angry this was the end! It provoked high emotions (which is a plus of course)!

I would totally recommend this read as a YA, no spice, fantasy romance.

Last but not least, I want to thank the author Amy Woodruff, the publisher City Owl Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was decently slow in the beginning for me, but I did like a few characters in it. After a few chapters, it definitely picked up for me and I found myself enjoying it more and more.

Bridget Adam’s gets stuck in a world of magic, fae, and witches. She has no memory of how she got here or anything from her past. She must then compete in a competition to win the heart of the prince as the only human, when all she wants to do is escape and find a way home.

Bridget’s character is so likable. You just want to root for her as she’s truly out of her element. She just wants to remember who she is and return home.

Cade, the prince, is kind to her and wants to help her get back to the human world. His character was enjoyable to read as well and learning his back story was super entertaining.

The story as a whole was great. I enjoyed the premise and execution. I think it was really well written and had me entertained throughout. I’ve already recommended this book to my entire book club.

Thank you NetGalley, City Owl Press, and Amy Woodruff for the incredible ARC of the book. I need to order a copy of the physical book stat! And that cliff hanger?! I need book 2 like I need air!

I am unwell after finishing this. I don’t know where to start.. This amazing novel is a debut by author Amy Woodruff and you wouldn’t have ever known when reading this. Of Kingdoms and Curses is not at all what it seems to be. There’s a tournament, trials, fae, witches, magic, and so many secrets. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Owl City Press for the ARC of this amazing book, I am so glad to be able to rave about Of Kingdoms and Curses.

We follow our FMC Bridget Adam’s, who is a ward to Cora, the head Witch of the Virgo Coven. Bridget doesn’t have any memories of Before she woke up one day. When she recovered she only had three things: a necklace, a note, and her name. She knew that she wasn’t meant to be with the Coven so she keeps trying to escape. She gets a chance when the Coven is attacked by the Prince, but Cora catches her before she can get far. Cora and Bridget escape and go to the captial where there is a Tournament held to find the Prince a bride. Cora coerces Bridget into entering the tournament to gather information.. this tournament is won by the woman with the strongest magical abilities. Now, Bridget is completely human, she has no magic! But she enters the tournament and this is the start of her story…

I had such a great time reading Of Kingdoms and Curses. This had me giggling, gasping, and tearing up. The writing was incredible for being a debut novel, with the style being easy to read yet descriptive. The world building was nicely incorporated into the dialogues or monologues, it didn’t feel like I was being info dumped. There were times I didn’t even notice there was plot building happening in a conversation because it happened so smoothly. It is setting in a modern urban / fantasy mix.. really hard to explain but the author does an amazing job letting us understand the time/place setting.

I would say this book is a mix of The Selection series with the competition for the Prince but with trials like in Fourth Wing (no dragons). I really recommend this book if you are looking for a swoon worthy romantasy with no spice.

I will be picking up the next book because after that ending!?!? I either need the next book today or financial compensation because I am UNWELL 😭 This ends on the most heart aching cliffhanger I have read in a while. Be warned that the next book hasn’t even been announced yet so read with caution (you heart will hurt) 😞

READ THIS BOOK (please, thank you 🤍)

Final rating: 5 stars ✨

4.5 stars

“Of Kingdoms and Curses” (Blood and Curses Book 1) by Amy Woodruff is a captivating tale that hooked me from start to finish! I devoured the book in almost one sitting, desperate to uncover the secrets and discover what happens next.

This enchanting story has everything I love in a fantasy novel, lost memories, witches, a thrilling competition, and a mysterious fae prince and I'm eager to continue the journey in the next instalment. Amy Woodruff's writing has me under its spell, and I highly recommend “Of Kingdoms and Curses” to anyone who craves a magical adventure with a hint of romance and intrigue.

I will definitely read other books by this author.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from City Owl and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a really enjoyable romantasy read - the plot, the romance, the characters were all so delightful to read about and I loved the tension.

What an absolutely enjoyable read! If you're looking for a book to read that is similar to Cruel Prince, Serpent & the Wings of Night, and the Hunger Games, this is it. I couldn't put this book down. Definitely more YA than romantasy but don't let that deter you from reading it. The ending was just spectacular; I cannot wait for book 2! Some things are a little predictable but also very unexpected twists to be found.