by Dora Machado
Lusielle's bleak but orderly
life as a remedy mixer is shattered when her husband betrays her and she
is sentenced to die for a crime she didn't commit. She's on the pyre,
about to be burned, when a stranger breaks through the crowd and rescues
her from the flames.
Brennus, Lord of Laonia is the last of his line. He is caught in the grip of a mysterious curse that has murdered his kin, doomed his people and embittered his life. To defeat the curse, he must hunt a birthmark and kill the woman who bears it in the foulest of ways. Lusielle bears such a mark.
Stalked by intrigue and confounded by the forbidden passion flaring between them, predator and prey must come together to defeat not only the vile curse, but also the curse giver who has already conjured their ends.
Brennus, Lord of Laonia is the last of his line. He is caught in the grip of a mysterious curse that has murdered his kin, doomed his people and embittered his life. To defeat the curse, he must hunt a birthmark and kill the woman who bears it in the foulest of ways. Lusielle bears such a mark.
Stalked by intrigue and confounded by the forbidden passion flaring between them, predator and prey must come together to defeat not only the vile curse, but also the curse giver who has already conjured their ends.
Published
July 4th 2013
by Twilight Times Books
Epic Fantasy, Romance510 pages
Buy it now: Amazon BN All Romance eBooks
5 out of 5 stars
I don't read a lot of epic fantasy, and I don't know why. Part of it, I think, is the fear of being let
down with the world building. The author
is creating an entire universe inside their head and they have the challenge of
putting it down on paper for us the readers to understand and see and smell and
touch. Really, that is an incredibly
huge challenge. That all being said, it
is books like The Curse Giver that make me glad that there are authors out
there who are up for the challenge. Dora
Machado has written a book that met and exceeded all
expectations.
The world of The Curse Giver is alluring. The descriptions the author gives are
amazingly realistic and paint a clear and vivid picture for the reader. The background of the story was well thought
out and depicted successfully through the pages of the book.
As for the characters, Lucielle is a great female lead. Although she is coming from a tough place in
life, she proves herself to be strong and self-sufficient. She has a caring heart and refuses to be
pushed around. Bren can only be
described as a tortured soul. He is,
after all, cursed – and after watching that curse take his family, he will do
whatever he has to in order to break it.
All the characters are likeable (though they do have their
moments!) and dimensional. Hato and
Severo also brought a lot to the story, and I thought it was a great move on
the author's part to include their POV as well, though I have to say the
interactions between Lucielle and Bren are the best!
Besides all the above, one of my
favorite things about The Curse Giver is that from page to page I never knew
what to expect. I was constantly kept guessing
right to the conclusion. While this is
my first book of this author's, I see she has another series already out that I
am going to have to check into. Thank
you to the author for providing me with a copy of The Curse Giver in exchange
for an honest review.
Read chapter 1 of The Curse Giver
Curse Giver Tour Giveaway Details
Subscribe to Dora Machado's blog and/or newsletter and enter for a chance to win:
1) One of three autographed books of Dora Machado's Stonewiser Series.
Or
2) One of ten special edition bracelets commemorating The Curse Giver's EBook release.
This
handcrafted, customized, limited-edition, 1/4 inch aluminum bracelet
from Silver Statements is hammered and stamped with The Curse Giver's
signature message—Knowledge, Reason and Awareness, and flanked by the
stylized outline of butterfly wings. Inside, the bracelet is stamped
with the word Strength. Aluminum is a great metal for jewelry. It won't
turn your skin green, doesn't oxidize or tarnish, and its water safe.
Plus it's so lightweight that you might even forget you're wearing it.
For a chance at one of The Curse Giver's limited edition bracelets subscribe now at:
http://www.doramachado.com/blog/?page_id=48
And/or
http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php
Yes, you double your chances when you subscribe to both the blog and the newsletter!
For a chance at one of The Curse Giver's limited edition bracelets subscribe now at:
http://www.doramachado.com/blog/?page_id=48
And/or
http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php
Yes, you double your chances when you subscribe to both the blog and the newsletter!
Giveaway Terms and Condition:
New
subscribers to the blog and/or newsletter will automatically qualify to
participate. Names will be selected at random from the list of new
subscribers on November 15, 2013. Subscribers will be notified via
e-mail. Winners will be asked to provide a mailing address for delivery.
About the Author: Dora Machado is the award winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books July 2013. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. She lives in Florida with her husband and three very opinionated cats.
Website: http://www.doramachado.com/
Blog: http://www.doramachado.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoraMachado101
Twitter: @DoraMachado or https://twitter.com/DoraMachado
Amazon Author Central: www.amazon.com/author/doramachado
October 7 http://whosreviews.wordpress.com/
October 7 http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
October 8 http://mymidnightfantasies.blogspot.com/
October 8 http://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com
October 9 http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com
October 9 saphssteamybooks.blogspot.com
October 10 www.pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
October 10 http://feedyourfictionaddiction.blogspot.com
October 11 cloeyk.blogspot.com
October 11 http://shutupandreadgroup.blogspot.com/
October 14 http://www.booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/
October 15 http://maravalderran.blogspot.com
October 16 http://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com
October 17 http://bookwormbridgette.blogspot.com/
October 18 http://dalenesbookreviews.blogspot.com/
October 21 http://enchantingreads7.blogspot.com/
October 21 http://ccclubbs.com/
October 22 http://www.simplyinfatuated.com/
October 23 MarshaAMoore.blogspot.com
October 24 www.skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com
October 25 http://www.jessicalovesbooks.com
October 28 http://readingintwilight.blogspot.com
October 29 http://victoriasgossip.com/blog/
October 29 http://tiffyfit.blogspot.com
October 30 http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com
October 31 http://vailiapageturner.blogspot.com/
November 1 http://rosebeps.blogspot.it/
November 4 http://bookerlikeahooker.blogspot.com/
November 4 http://indiewritersreview.wordpress.com/
I LOVED the Curse Giver as well! Here's a link to my review: http://maechs.wordpress.com/2013/08/17/the-curse-giver-by-dora-machado/
ReplyDeleteYou should totally check out her Stonewiser series! They kept me guessing the whole way through! It's one of my top-fav series!
Hi Sheri! Thank you so much for your kind review. I'm delighted you enjoyed the book. I'm especially pleased that in reading The Curse Giver, you reconnected with the genre of epic fantasy. The fantasy genre can be a leap of faith to the non-fantasy reader and the concrete mind, and yet I think that for those willing to give it a chance, it provides a true escape for the mind. Can you tell? Fantasy is a fun fest to me! Thanks again. Have a wonderful day and best wishes for you and your readers.
ReplyDelete