The Curse by Harper A Brooks Pages: 302
Series: Shifter Origins #2
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Goodreads
For wolf-shifters like Astrid marked by the curse, time is running out. If she doesn’t find her soul’s mate before her twenty-fifth Blue Moon rises, she will die. And with only three weeks left, things aren’t looking good for her. True love just doesn’t fall out of the sky.
Lone wolf Erec is determined to stop a crazed killer from harming anyone else. Even if it means helping a rival pack. But he never expected to feel such a pull for the alpha’s beautiful daughter, Astrid. He doesn’t have time for distractions if he wants to find a killer before his final Blue Moon rises.
Danger looms, and the swirling patterns on their skin mark them for death, but Astrid and Erec are willing to do whatever it takes to save the pack, even if they die trying.
The Curse is a mix of fantasy and paranormal that takes place in a world where shifters were created by a god and then cursed due to the god’s desire for power. This curse means that if the shifter hasn’t found their mate by the age of 25, they die. Astrid and Erec are both one moon away from realizing the curse. In the midst of all this, there is also a shifter who is killing off all the other shifter clans and Astrid’s pack is one of the few left!
The world Brooks created is unique in many ways. The idea that the only beings on the planet are shifters is certainly a different take. Adding in the curse and you have a different mythology to the idea of shifters. I had no idea this was book two. Apparently book one looked at different breeds of shifters and there is no character overlap so you can read this one as a stand alone.
The plot in The Curse is a blend of fated mates and tribal war. Erec and Astrid aren’t sure if they are “fated mates” but they decide to try to stand together at the next blue moon. Their relationship builds differently than other fated mates stories because neither of them is sure about their feelings. It was an unusual approach to the trope. Through all that, their pack is threatened by Jerrick and his power hungry assault. Erec learns some things about his past that change him, and Astrid learns some things about her family that change her. I admired Astrid’s character. She was brave and bold and caring. She stood up for herself and others.
I found The Curse to be interesting and the characters were enjoyable. Astrid’s family bond was special and I enjoyed seeing that play out. At times the book seemed to drag a bit, but overall, this was a unique shifter tale. I’m not crazy about the cover and I almost passed on the book because of it. Something about him looks….off. It really bothers me!
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: fated mates, shifters
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: stand alone
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
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Lumberjack Werebear by TS Joyce, Tiger’s Claim by Celia Kyle, Baby I’m Howling for You by Christine Warren…then you will probably like The Curse!
The Curse
I like the sounds of the curse, definitely piques my interest. Too bad about it kinda dragging though. Great review.