The Curse of Saints: The Spellbinding No 2 Sunday Times Bestseller

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Perfect for enemies to lovers fans . . . with a vast detailed world Frances White, author of Voyage of the Damned As Spymaster to the Queen, Aya's blood oath ensures she protects those she fights alongside - including Will, the Queen's Enforcer and Aya's bitter rival. Every interaction between Aya and Will made me squeal and I am obsessed with them' 5***** READER REVIEW

And when her relationship with Will unexpectedly shifts, neither know the danger that will follow . . .As an elite spy and the Queen's Third-in-Command, Aya has dedicated herself to a life of discipline and duty, using her gods-given abilities to keep dark magic from ever returning to the realm. Her oath ensures she will always act to protect those she fights alongside―including Will, the Queen's Enforcer and Aya's bitter rival.

I saw you walk down those stairs...and I wanted you so badly that I thought I might set this whole godsforsaken world on fire just to have you." I don't know if I can say that the plot and the political intrigues overshadowed the romance, but I feel like it came to a point where I don't even think the romance was necessary. It arrived at the very end and the two characters could have just forgotten their hatred and become best friends and it wouldn't have changed anything to the plot. The book opens with Aya throwing her slight weight around, so it initially seemed like she would be the usual tiny but fierce FMC. However, the reader soon learns that Aya is more apt to process information and respond accordingly.

This book has everything I adore about this genre - powerful female lead, full of action and adventure, twists and turns . . . Brilliant!' 5***** READER REVIEW Aya, the spymaster/Queen's Eye of the kingdom of Tala who has the natural affinity of Persi/persuasion, one of the three strongest Visyas in Tala A sparkling masterpiece of fantasy! The world building was original and expertly done, the enemies to lovers is unmatched' 5***** READER REVIEW

This read points the finger consistently and we don’t know the true villain until the end of the story. The character building is pretty good, and I felt connected to all of them. Even the ones who appeared shady. I also loved how the main character, Aya, wasn’t the only one to be deemed ‘special’ or ‘uniquely gifted with powers’ in this read. The spotlight wasn’t always on her, which allows the reader to be able to really get into the world and have empathy for more than one character.Possibly my biggest gripe with this is that I'm seriously meant to believe that a 35 year old Queen surrounds herself with a trio of people who are all below 23?? And they're meant to be super amazing at their jobs? It's so unrealistic, and I know it's fantasy but a 21-year-old would never be a top tier spy master because...well she's 21! I just couldn't ignore this when reading it. If authors are going to give characters super high up and important jobs, then make sure they're an age that it's believable for them to be given that level of responsibility and experience. In The Curse of Saints, the first in a trilogy from debut author Kate Dramis, we are introduced to a kingdom rife with the power of Visya’s; individuals who are blessed with affinities of raw, god-like magic. Visya powers fall under any three categories: Physical Affinities, Elemental Affinities, and Mind, Emotion & Sensation Affinities. Our protagonist, Aya, falls under the last, possessing the power of persuasion. These powers, however, have been bound to never grow strong enough to challenge the Nine Divine, the realm’s gods. In a nearby kingdom, there are rumours of a dark magic arising, threatening to reach Aya’s home. It is this dark magic that sets the plot of the book into motion, where Aya, the Queen’s Spymaster, is forced to investigate this threat alongside her rival Will, the Queen’s Enforcer and Second. It is on this journey that Aya discovers that her affinity is one that spills over the bounds that restrict the Visya, placing her at risk of becoming a weapon in a war she does not know how to win, or might not necessarily want to. The Curse of Saints is built on the foundations of what could have been a solid fantasy novel – a complex magic system, warring kingdoms, vague prophecies and morally grey characters. So, it is a shame that the novel ultimately fails to deliver. The book becomes overwhelmed with all of the fantastical elements it tries to accomplish, slightly skimming the surface but never exploring deep enough into the elements to have a substantial impact. The world-building, in turn, felt incredibly rushed, and so I felt very little connection to the kingdom or the characters.