Reviews

A Curse of Gold by Annie Sullivan

dharshanirymond's review against another edition

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4.0

Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.
SpoilerAnother mixture of stories without much world building and weak romance.
The story goes like Kora's life is under threat and they go on yet another quest to win a bet against the Trickster God with the help of Poseidon's son Triton. Poseidon guest appears of course. It's like Percy Jackson going on one of POC quest (and there's a Kraken's equivalent). I know am comparing to POC yet again but that's exactly how this felt. Kora and her crew saved everybody except one and I feel bad that, that's incomplete. On a second thought that might be something to look forward if there were another book in the series.

The book was as much fun as the first one but the characters were a bit better.

dreybal's review

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1st book can be read as a standalone, not interested in continuing series

lpcoolgirl's review against another edition

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5.0

This was a fantastic sequel, I loved how the world expanded! 

sillylily88's review

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

3.5

I thought this book was a pretty apt sequel. I liked that there was a lot more mythology in this one. 
 
I don’t know if this is actually a spoiler or not, but I really liked that the author didn’t break up the established relationship. They were allowed to be together and happy which really grounded the team they went with! 
An actual spoiler: I think their meeting with Dionysus was really rushed. I would’ve liked to see them struggle a bit more, or have him taunting them while they crossed Jipper. Instead it seemed like he was this awful guy that we didn’t really get to know and we’re supposed to hate. Looking at his treatment of his creatures gave us a little context, but not enough that I was really rooting for our team. But oh well! 
 
I’d recommend both if you was an easy but adventurous read. 

bonniegracebing's review

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fast-paced

3.5

avakristine17's review

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adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

jenbsbooks's review against another edition

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3.0

I'd hadn't been sure I'd continue on with this series. I liked the first book, but wasn't chomping at the bit for a sequel. BUT, it was at my library and available for download, and I figured if I was going to give it a go, I should probably do it while the first book was still fresh in my memory.

Much more of the Greek mythology in this one - Dionysus has given a lot of creatures powers, and now all of them seem to be after Princess Kora. So there is a trip to the Oracle, then to see Tritan, then Poseidon and lots of other critters (gorgons, Pegasus, sirens and more).

Not really a ton of suspense, because we know Kora is the hero(ine) of the story and that she'll ultimately be successful in her quest.

books_over_everything's review

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4.0

Initial Thoughts

I was excited to read this book. I had purchased a copy of A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan but hadn’t read it yet and receiving an ARC in NetGalley was a perfect reason to start this series. I actually bought the first book because I thought it was a standalone and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was a duology.

Some Things I Liked

PJO vibes. I loved the Percy Jackson / Greek gods themes in this series. I am a big fan of mythology and I really enjoyed the way the gods and goddesses were woven into the world building here.
Triton. He was definitely my favorite side character. I really was hoping for more from him and I would absolutely love a spin-off all about his adventures.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

Slow build. The plot had a very slow build in the beginning and I found that I was a bit bored. I put the book down for several weeks before picking it back up and that’s usually a bad sign for me. I think the story could have been told more succinctly and that would have kept my interest more.

Series Value

I can see more stories set in this world. I’d love to see the same crew go on a Hercules-esque adventure to the Underworld to save a certain character.

I’d definitely keep reading if Annie Sullivan were to continue this series.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. I loved all of the nods to Greek mythology as well as the romance plot. I thought it was a unique retelling.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan – if you liked the writing style here, definitely try Annie Sullivan’s 2019 release. Tiger Queen is a retelling of a short story with a really unique spin.
All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace – if you liked the magic and pirates themes seen in A Curse of Gold, give this February 2020 release a try.
The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano – if you liked the idea of a curse that turns people and things to gold, check out the magic that the main character in this series possesses. There is also a similar pirate / ship motif going on.

mythriser14's review

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5.0

Love. Love. Love!!!!!

booksandpops4000's review against another edition

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4.0

* I got this review for my honest thoughts*

I thought this was a great sequel to touch of gold. I also found this read to be so fun because it really dived more into the mythology elements much more in this book. I also liked how we got to see more mythical creatures and it was def more of adventure story. This novel had a really nice balance between romance and adventure. I struggled sometimes with the pacing in the middle but overall, it was a fun read and def would read more by this author in the future.