Faerie Tale Friday: Brutal Curse by Casey L. Bond (Lady Amber’s Reviews and PR Blog Tour)

The Book:

Book Title: Brutal Curse

Genre: Faerie Tale Retelling/ YA Fantasy

Publishing Date: November 2nd, 2018

Publisher: Self Published

Date Read: November 7th, 2018

Synopsis: Prince Carden of Tierney lost his home, family, and claim to the throne in one fell swoop when he rebelled against his father for a cause he knew was right. Instead of wallowing in despair, he embarks on a new journey, starting a new life on the Southern Isle. When he finds himself caught in a web woven by the famously ruthless fae queen, Coeur, he insults her and she vows to teach him the most difficult and heart-breaking lesson he will ever learn: that humans are incapable of love, and that hearts are beastly things.

Arabella wasn’t really living, she was existing and surviving as best she could. A chance encounter with Carden changes everything for her, but the deadly game he’s dragged her into might cost her life.

Still, she agrees to play. The rules the fae queen gives them are vague, and it’s obvious there are things Queen Coeur isn’t telling them. She’s sure of it. But what she does know is that together, she and Carden must pass a series of tests and trials. If they fail, game over. But if they succeed, she just might be able to restore her family and carve out the life she’s always envisioned.

Editor: Stacy Sanford/ The Girl with the Red Pen

Cover Designer: Melissa Stevens/ The Illustrated Author Design Services

Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Original Faerie Tale:

Beauty and The Beast was first published in 1740 in French by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and it was titled La Belle et la Bete. In the original, it was actually a faerie that turned the prince in to a beast.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carrol in 1865. It was actually considered to be in the literary nonsense genre, as it plays with logic through Alice’s fall in to a rabbit hole and meeting of anthropomorphic creatures (having human qualities or emotions).

The Review:

Brutal Curse is gloriously dark and enchanting. It’s a unique twist on two beloved, classic tales that will leave you breathless. If you love fae, magic, and and a little bit of mayhem, you will enjoy this one!

I could not put this one down. I read it in one sitting and adored every minute of it. It was daring and alluring and oh so exciting!

I loved the twist on two classic faerie tales (yes, I consider Alice a faerie tale), and I loved how it still felt like its own faerie tale. It had everything I love in a faerie tale. There was magic, trials and adventure, a lesson to be learned, romance, and a satisfying ending. It was perfect.

The world Casey created was fantastic. It was so rich and vivid and it really made me visualize both stories, kind of mixed together. It also had its own layer of uniqueness to it. And then there were the characters.

Arabella was my favorite. I thought she was bold, brave, beautiful, and witty. I loved how she represented both Alice and Belle from the two tales, but still kept her own characteristics about her. She went through a perilous trial in the story and was better for it.

I also adored both Carden and Rule. Carden had a little growing up to do, but he was still brave and sweet and added that prince charming layer to the tale. Rule was dark and seductive and added a layer of intrigue and mystery to the tale. They almost represented light and dark, but also symbolized choice.

Casey also made sure to include characters influenced by both stories. There were characters that, in one way or another, represented The Mad Hatter, The Rabbit, The Red Queen, and the Beast’s cursed servants in the castle. And, obviously, The Beast was represented, and I even feel like Gaston’s essence was there.

This was a glorious tale of finding one’s self, of overcoming obstacles, and fighting evil. It was about love and friendship, and darkness and passion. It had a psychological layer of inner reflection and morality to it, and it offered the best bits of both classic tales, as well as its own originality. It was enchanting and captivating and oh so mad!

Thank you to Lady Amber’s Reviews and PR and the author for providing me with this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review, and as part of the blog tour!

Inspiration Art:

I feel like this story had a little darkness to it, just like one of my favorite video game duos, American McGee’s Alice, and Alice Madness Returns.

Award-winning author Casey L. Bond resides in Milton, West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction.