The audio of my favorite book series is finally here and it delivers & more! I am utterly smitten by our MMCs voices and the way they’re portrayed. Being able to listen to this might even feel more immersive than when I read the physical copy. The FMC makes you feel all of the emotions. Just BRAVO! 👏🏻

Oh my goodness, this was such a compelling and captivating listen. I honestly didn’t want to stop! I can’t wait to read the others in this series and see what happens next!

Caitlyn's performance is astounding and conveys emotion on levels that feel so real you can't help but to be fully emersed.

You'll find:
yearning for love
Slow burn and fast burn
Love triangle
Emotional rollercoaster
War and politics
Meddling gods

This book comes with lengthy trigger warnings, indicating that it ventures into some dark and twisty places and includes graphic spicy scenes. The opening warning set my expectations for a deep and tumultuous story. However, I found that it didn't quite deliver on that promise. While there were literal storms involved, given the presence of the Storm Prince, the overall tone wasn’t as dark and twisty as anticipated. Although there were a couple of spicy scenes, they were not graphic, which I’m perfectly fine with.

The story picks up where we left off, with Cece coping with the loss of her father, being married to Xander, and in love with her guardian, Rainer. I thought we might enter a "why choose" scenario, but spoiler alert: we don’t. Instead, the narrative brings us on a journey to confront a trickster god, who manipulates those around Cece to the point that she begins questioning everything about her life. We also meet Cece's siblings and father, which adds depth to her character, and confusion to Cece's journey. Cece spends a lot of time crying, and Xander is portrayed as intensely emotional.

Overall, this book is okay, but it feels longer than necessary, largely due to Cece's repeated crying and revisiting the same scenarios over and over. It could have served as a fitting conclusion to the series, yet there are at least two more books planned. I am somewhat interested to see what unfolds next, but I hope for some more emotionally stable heroines in the future.

On a positive note, the voice actors do a fantastic job. I love that each of the three perspectives has its own voice actor. Tim Campbell consistently brings intensity to his characters and has a captivating voice. Caitlin Kelly’s softer voice adds power to Cece’s character and she brings out her vulnerability as well. Will Damron, while not soft, strikes a tone that is not overly intense, making him perfect for the characters he portrays.

I read the book, and listened to the audiobook for The Memory Curse. While I do like the narrators, personally, reading it still felt more enthralling.

Cecilia’s journey is both heartbreaking and empowering. She’s a witch burdened by the ghosts of her past, torn between grief, duty, and the terrifying magic surging within her. The love triangle between her, Rainer, and Xander is written with such nuance that every choice feels monumental, making the emotional stakes as intense as the looming war.

With its breathtaking action, compelling relationships, and intricate world-building, Memory Curse is a must-read for fans of From Blood and Ash and The Bridge Kingdom. Sheila Masterson continues to prove she’s a force to be reckoned with in the fantasy romance genre. I can’t wait to see where Cecilia’s journey takes her next!

I had thought, having read the book prior to listening to the audiobook, that I wouldn’t have my heart so thoroughly broken. I was wrong. The voice acting keeps getting better and I am frightened for when we get to The Godless Kingdom, because that BROKE ME and I was only reading it.

Praise to the voice actors who have taken such care in bringing our beloved characters to life. Not to mention to fantastic audio quality.

The Memory Curse is a gripping and emotional fantasy that combines a haunted past, magic, and romance in a world teetering on the edge of war. Cecilia, the witch at the center of the story, is deeply conflicted—burdened by the lives she's taken and the growing power within her. Her internal struggles between old love and new love add a layer of tension, but it’s her journey to rescue Xander that drives the plot.

The mix of gods, favors, and riddles gives the story a rich, mythological feel, and the enigmatic Cato is the perfect villain—manipulative and mysterious, keeping you on edge. The world-building is vivid, and the stakes are high, with Cecilia having to navigate both emotional turmoil and epic battles.

If you love books that blend romance, political intrigue, and complex characters with a touch of divine power, this is a thrilling read. While there’s a lot of tension, both romantic and action-packed, what really shines is the exploration of how memories shape relationships and power. Fans of From Blood and Ash or The Bridge Kingdom will likely find a lot to love in this one.

Sheliaaaaa!! Why must you do our hearts this way (as I dive in as start The Storm King to go back for more)?!

Cece (Cecilia) is still afraid of her combined powers as a witch and a living goddess. Her sexy hubby, Xander, believes in her so much. The spice between them will absolutely scorch you! It is a bit awkward when Rainer, her guardian she still has a soul bond with, shows up in the middle of the night to soothe her when she has nightmares. Cece is torn between two men she loves, but Xander is her husband and she is standing by that….kinda.

Cato is a trickster god, and a bargain with him wlll gosh you. Choose your words carefully (actually don’t ever make a bargain with this jerk): He is leading an attack on the kingdom. Cato takes Xander, and well, let’s just say I HATE Cato.

Cece gets to have a little family reunion with her half-siblings, that just happen to be gods and goddesses as well. They aren’t trickers, but they sure want to speak in riddles and play games. Are they helping or hurting her cause to recuse Xander and take down Cato. Family. What can you say?

As Xander becomes a pawn, being manipulated by Cato, Rainer is watching over her. Verrrrry closely. Between this storm of emotion for CeCe, wanting to take out Cato, and me being in love with Xander myself made for an emotional read (listen).

I loved the conversation telling Cece that she could use her power to really make a change. One where women didn’t have to rely on men, and could have power themselves. So timely and inspiring, because f the patriarchy. Also, it’s a “don’t make yourself small for others” kind of bestie speech we all need. So go read this book!! Pre-order the audiobook, because it is *chef’s kiss* perfection. Now, let me go get hurt some more with the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the fabulous Shelia Masterson for the audioARC to give an honest review. Kudos to the narrators, Caitlin Kelly; Will Damron; and Tim Campbell. They did a fantastic job.

Let’s talk about The Memory Curse—this book was definitely polarizing for me, but honestly, I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all. It gave me exactly what I was hoping for after finishing its predecessor: an intense, heart-wrenching love triangle that had me genuinely torn. Admittedly, I usually struggle with love triangles, but when they’re done right, they can become such a powerful emotional element, and this book absolutely nailed it. I found myself empathizing with Cecilia's internal struggle, caught between Rainer and Xander, as she navigated her feelings and her complex, ever-changing circumstances.

The emotional tension between the characters was palpable, and I really felt the weight of each choice Cecilia had to make. This is not a love triangle where things are clear-cut or easy, and that made it so much more engaging. I could feel the heartache, the confusion, and the pull between past loves and new ones—and I think that’s something rare to see in fantasy. It brought a level of authenticity to the emotional dynamics that made me invest even more in the story.

Beyond the romance, the world-building in The Memory Curse is rich and immersive, with gods, favors, and political intrigue driving the plot forward in fascinating ways. The stakes feel high, and the story is filled with twists that keep you on edge. But it’s really the character-driven moments that stand out—Cecilia's growth, her complex relationships, and her journey to reconcile her past with the looming threat she faces all weave together into a captivating narrative.

While there were moments where I wasn’t sure where the story was going or where I stood with the characters, by the end, I was hooked. This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster, and I can't wait to see how everything unfolds in the next installment. The Memory Curse has its moments of unpredictability, but it’s that same unpredictability that makes it so compelling. Fans of intricate relationships, high-stakes adventure, and emotional drama will find so much to love here.

The Memory Curse by Sheila Masterson is a work of art and starting today, the audiobook is available!! I don’t want to spoil anything since this is part of a series but the character growth is beautiful. Cecelia (our fmc) holds a very special place in my heart and has taught me so much about myself.

This whole series gives me the feeling of watching the first spring thunderstorm roll in if that makes any sense. It’s powerful, healing, and just an absolute treasure to be a part of. I am beyond grateful to Sheila for giving me a series that lets me confront rage, grief, joy, love, HOPE, pain, and so much more.

I still can't believe we got an audiobook deal for these books. I dreamed of being able to listen to them as I've said before.

The memory curse, to me is based around understanding how to grieve for the person everyone wants you to be and instead choosing yourself

So much happened in this book - we learned more about why Xander is the way here is, particular about the secrets he’s hidden - not just from the person he loves, but also the secrets he keeps from himself.

Cecilia fights with her own inner turmoil of now being put in a position to protect the kingdom, but also be the bargaining chip to secure the kingdoms peace. This is a heavy heavy role to take on (like many other powerful FMC before her!) She has to navigate her god powers, her connection to her human self, the love she has for Rainer but also for Xander (and trying to understand what aaaaall that means) - she has to learn about her god powered siblings and challenge Cato the only other living God who remains.

Rainer really shines through in this book, no longer torn between duty and what is believed to be right - he really does find himself. I’d say his growth in this book is great to see.

Xander. Xander. Xander. The turmoil that this man goes through on a regular basis, and the sacrifices he makes in order to protect the only woman he’s ever loved is astounding. A bargain that he was not prepared for. Yes, he really does *mess up badly* but he holds himself accountable. I’m so excited to see where the next book takes his part of the story!

First, I will critique the narrators:
Cecilia’s voice narration: I found Caitlin Kelly to be quite exceptional. She did a great job with Cecilia’s voice and emotions. She didn’t sound too melodramatic.
Rainer’s voice narration: I also found this voice appropriate to the character. It was soothing but also well-acted.
Xander’s voice narration: I found this narrator to be the weakest of the three. He sounded old and melodramatic. And even though Xander can be quite a lot, I feel the narrator was just too much. Still worth listening to the book, just perhaps the weak link.

ABOUT THE BOOK ITSELF
I am going to write a spoiler-free review, so I may sound vague at times. I have to say that you need to read the “note from the author.” Fertility issues are discussed in the book in a very realistic way, which may be painful to some. Regardless, it is done tactfully and with great love and care.

I admire Masterson’s full understanding of her characters and what drives them, which drives the story. I have a lot of issues when authors don’t have clear character motivations to move the plot and it was refreshing to read a book in this genre that did not suffer from that. Each character was so well-built that their choices made sense for themselves and for the story, even when they were indecisive or changed their minds about something, it felt realistic with the information they were working with.

There was a lot of heartbreak, as is normal with a love triangle. I don’t usually enjoy love triangles, mostly because there’s typically an obvious choice for a character better-suited to the MFC and feel like writing a whole story with such an obvious ending is unnecessary. That wasn’t the case here! I loved both of the leading men and, even though the end-game character was convincing, my heart went out to the other love interest. I loved them both, though I personally liked the more flawed of the two men better.

The only downside I felt came from the threat of war (what characters talk about and readers expect) vs the execution or experience of war (reality of war). I think that may be the one place where I think there was a dissonance within the narrative. However, that may have been a personal preference for me. I struggle with this in *most* books I read (the dissonance). Therefore, take this specific critique with a grain of salt.

Last thing: the powers that the central character developed (received?) were unique and consistent with her character. I really liked them and appreciated the high value given to something that so many take for granted but that is essential to the survival and success of human nature and, specifically, society and civilization as a whole.

Overall, I really enjoyed inhabiting this beautiful and brutal world of hope and heartache.

GENIUS.

I have no words. The Memory Curse was every bit enraging, heart breaking, and healing.

This book was all vibes.

AMAZING AUDIO BOOK! I loved this book when I read it on paperback and Caitlin Kelly, Will Damron, and Tim Campbell did such an fantastic job bringing these characters to life.

Sheila has done it again. Not only is this story amazing, but the narration is absolutely phenomenal. I am not usually an audiobook person but this one is so good. Everyone should listen ASAP.

Sheila Masterson - The Memory Curse // Netgalley ARC in exchange for a honest review

Holy moly what the actual f*ck went down in this book??? I can’t even gather my thoughts to write a comprehensive review.

What I can say is that this book has even more drama and action than the last. The feels hits harder and I was ruined. This book ruined me. My heart broke for my poor babies and I’m still not sure what to think about it. Still the best and most heartbreaking love triangle I’ve encountered recently. Wait, love quadrant? 👀 Sh*t is definitely going down in the next book…

There’s a lot of trauma in this book, but Sheila wrote it delicately and handled it with care. It was heartbreaking to see Cece and Xander work through all the traumatic events but what I loved the most was the understanding. The compassion and understanding between them. Even though one did and said horrible things the other understood that it wasn’t their fault and it was always something else behind. Which, WHYYYYYY????

Everything is more complicated and messy in this book, but its still amazing. I don’t know how, but the story has advanced from book one. When I said The Lost God was criminally underrated, what do you think I’ll say about The Memory Curse? I need someone to discuss it with! READ!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you love romantasy books with love triangles that actually have an amazing story line ... you will like this book... the character development throughout was superb. Cece is on her personal journey within herself throughout the story trying to navigate life . Magic..gods..witches... this series has it all. The love triangle had me thr whole way through..some good..some bad... It was a little slow for me ... but worth it !!!

I'll be honest, I was rooting for Xander and Cecilia and well the author threw a wrench in that story and I don't know how I feel. LOL
I'm a bit at a loss. I'm still enjoying the story, meddling gods and all. Patiently waiting on the next audiobook. The narrator, Caitlin Kelly did a wonderful job portraying all of the characters. I was hooked till the very end.

🏹𝔸𝕃ℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨🏹

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️{5}
🌶️🌶️🌶️{3}

I absolutely ate this story up and was so excited to have a chance to listen to this ALC cuz I have been dyinggg to continue this story!! The narrators truly did such a phenomenal job with this one! The different voices for each of the characters were utter perfection!! If you’re an audiobook girlie, I HIGHLY recommend, if you’re not.. still go start this series! 🙃

There is SO much character development in this one! And you get to meet lots of new characters and meddling gods & goddesses! This one was about grief and love and self-love. I’m really not usually a love triangle girlie but this one is 🤌🏻🤌🏻 I honestly love both Rainer and Xander so much 🥲 Sheila you low key ripped out my heart with this one and I just know the next one’s gonna destroy me and I’m scurrrred 😰 but also v excited, don’t get me wrong.

𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮:
🏹 found family
⚔️ badass fmc
🏹 love triangle
⚔️ meddling gods
🏹 all the angst
⚔️ multiple pov

𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼:

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵.”

“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘢𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

“𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘭. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘥, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.”

“𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵.”

𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 @𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚜, @𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎_𝚖𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚊, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 @𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝙰𝙻𝙲. 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗.

The Memory Curse
By Sheila Masterson

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

ALC Review

Narration ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Difficultly 🏹 🏹

Narrated by:
Caitlin Kelly
Will Damron
Tim Campbell

This narration brought this book to life in such an amazing way. This book is told in three POVs and each one has their own narrator, which is SO cool. It gives so much depth to the story.

Caitlin Kelly, once again, does an absolutely amazing job as Cecelia. Cece is a character with BIG feelings and the way Caitlin puts all that emotion into her narration is so good.

Will Damron IS Rainer McKay. I could not imagine a more perfect voice for him. And Will has portrayed all of Rainer's restraint and anxiety and worry so well.

The star of this book however, is definitely Tim Campbell. Xander, like Cece, is a character with so much emotion. And in this book in particular he is SO complex. When I listened to Ch 17 of this book I was in AWE of Tim's performance. The way he was able to thread the needle of love and hate and despair and longing. The absolute vitriol he could convey with a single sentence. It is masterful.

Individually each narrator is fantastic, but together they have brought this book to life in a truly phenomenal way.

I highly recommend this audiobook adaptation, but have your Kindle nearby because you're definitely gonna want to highlight. This reread reminded me that Sheila is a mastermind and I think I will have new things to discover on this book with every rereread.

Reread December 6-18, 2024