Thursday 10 October 2013

The Curse Giver by Dora Machado + Giveaway


The Curse Giver
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.



Published July 4th 2013 by Twilight Times Books
Epic Fantasy, Romance
510 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!
 

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







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2 comments:

  1. 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/
    You should totally check out her Stonewiser series! They kept me guessing the whole way through! It's one of my top-fav series!

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  2. 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.

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