In this thrilling YA fantasy/mystery duology from award-winning author Katy Pool, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with one of the most powerful nobles in Caraza City to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother's disappearance. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron. Aside from all this, I really liked the characters! Marlow has had to be independent for the past year; even though she has outside support, she doesn’t want anyone else to get hurt, so she’ll stubbornly take everything on herself. I liked seeing her friendship with Swift, who persistently has to remind her that she’s not alone. Meanwhile, Adrius gets under Marlow’s skin, but it’s clear (at least, to the reader) that he’s always liked her. Their banter was a lot of fun to read. Basically our woman Marlow is living a high-risk life in a fantasy world with magical spell cards that can do many things (make people forget memories, distract them for a little bit, curse them, etc.,). She takes contract cases to destroy curse cards, and she has to often sneak around looking for her targets. Overall, she fit the boxes for my fav FMC characters: she was badass, a great actor and thief, had a wonderful personality, head-strong, doesn’t take no for an answer, hilarious, scheming, great dialogues when about to get into a fight (and she was very sarcastic and witty). You sure can!” she chirped, shouldering off the wall. “You can start by telling me why you cursed the prima ballerina of the Monarch Ballet.”

Solidifies Katy Rose Pool as one of the best fantasy writers of the 21st century." — Popsugar on As the Shadow Rises Marlow tells Swift that she turned his offer to hire her as a cursebreaker down and Swift asks her for the dress since she's not going. She agrees because she's most certainly NOT going to work for or go to a fancy party with Adrius Falcrest.I really liked it! And I will 100% be reading book 2 next year. A book that totally took me by surprise. Marlow makes to leave after being paid and stops when two new characters, Gemma Starling and Amara Falcrest enter the lobby. They almost pass Marlow but then recognize her. Adrius tries to convince Marlow to help him break a curse. Marlow's cat, Toad, can sense curses and Marlow understands that while he's telling the truth, and she loves a good mystery, she doesn't want to help him.

He says he’s really flattered, but this obsession your boss has with him is starting to get embarrassing.”So I was a little underwhelmed with the first few chapters, I will admit this. Not that I didn't like it necessarily, I just wasn't invested yet? But! When I did begin to become invested, I was all in. So if you aren't feeling it at the very start, give it a second, because it was very much worth it for me! Do my eyes deceive me? Or is that Marlow Briggs I see skulking around this very fine establishment?” Swift explains that he's fixing a radio and suddenly audio bursts out from it talking about The Ballad Of The Moon Thief.

I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley (thank you, Fierce Reads!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**In this edge-of-your-seat YA fantasy/mystery duology from award-winning author Katy Rose Pool, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with one of the most powerful nobles in Caraza City to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother’s disappearance. Garden of the Cursed is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars , These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron .

Just a reminder that this will be a SPOILER discussion for chapters 1-4 of Garden Of The Cursed , so make sure you read or are finished this section before continuing. Just then some thugs and the second-in-command of the local gang, the Copperheads, "Thaddeus Bane" steps into the corridor Marlow and Flint are in. Thaddeus suggests that Marlow is in the wrong spot, and proceeds to threaten her, forcing her to show her hands and putting a knife to her throat. Except later that evening, Marlow finds her cat playing with the invitation to the Regatta, and it's host piques Marlow's interest in an older case she's been working on.

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I could not stand the characters in this book, for one of two reasons. Either they were super cookie-cutter, to the point it was almost comical, or they were just horrible. Marlow was fine, even though there was nothing that stood out about her. Her whole identity is wrapped up in her mother's, so we didn't get to know her. I could not stand Adrius. He was incredibly self-centered and hurtful to others. He looks down on others of a lower social class and was only friends with Marlow when none of his other friends were around. Even though he treated others poorly, he still expected to be treated the best and was hurt over things he had no right to be upset about. Marlow and Adrius are in a fake relationship, yet he would lead Marlow on, only to say he was kidding, or gaslight her into being embarrassed. Yet, when Marlow played the part, he acted like a petulant child since she told him, upfront, that it was not real to her. Because he was horrible, I liked them as enemies, even when Marlow was growing attracted to him. To be convinced that they could be lovers, I need leaps and bounds of growth in Adrius's character. He was annoying from start to finish. Before Thaddeus can succeed in harming Marlow, a woman who Marlow has sensed following her comes into the corridor and intimidates Thaddeus into standing down. Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos. Tensions rise between the Five Families and trouble brews in the Marshes—and Marlow is at the center of it all. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Adrius refuses to speak to her, publicly vowing to find a wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his curse. To do so, she’ll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it. But the closer she gets to her father, the more she starts to question if he’s really the villain she’s made him out to be. I loved the juxtaposition between the lower class marsh lands with the upper class garden society. It adds a gritty tang to the toxic polish.