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anna3101's review against another edition
3.0
The book started out on a rather bleak note, despite all the evident drama. It was quite exciting in the middle but the end was so implausible and sugary that it ruined all the previous good impressions.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
4.0
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
The Curse Giver is an action-packed epic fantasy with intriguing characters and fantastic world building!
Lusielle has been falsely accused (by her husband!) of practicing the odd arts. Just before she is burned at the stake, she is rescued by a mysterious highborn stranger. However, she discovers that her life may be in just as much danger as it was before - this stranger is supposed to kill her because of the mark on her back, though no one will tell her why. So, why did he rescue her in the first place and why does she find herself trusting him even when he won't deny that he plans to kill her himself?
Lord Brennus of Laonia is cursed. The only way to stop this curse from destroying his homeland is to find and kill the woman with the mark. But when he finds her, he discovers that killing her is not so simple - and first he must save her from the evil forces that would like nothing more than for the curse to be realized.
Lusielle and Bren's situation is impossible - unless they can break the curse.
The negatives:
Took time to draw me in.
The only real complaint that I have about this book is that for some reason I wasn't completely engaged in the beginning. Honestly, I wasn't truly drawn in until I got to about 35% on my Kindle. I especially found myself frustrated when the POV switched to either Hato or Severo, two of Bren's men. I just wasn't invested enough in these characters to want to see the world through their eyes in the beginning of the book (that did change by the time I got to the second half). That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the beginning of the book - I just found it a bit slower reading that I would have liked and I wasn't always 100% engaged (there were definitely times that I was). Once the book hit about 35%, though, I was hooked. By this point, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next!
Mysteries of the curse are unfolded very slowly.
This is actually directly related to my first point. I was very intrigued by the curse (and its devastating results) and definitely interested in its details. But it felt like bits of information about the curse were few and far between at first. And most of what you're given isn't really understandable until almost the very end of the book. And then, toward the end of the book, it feels like all of this information is being given to you all at once - it was almost overwhelming. Of course, I wouldn't have wanted everything to be given away early on, but I would have appreciated some more understandable pieces to the puzzle throughout so that I would have felt like I was discovering more and more about the curse (and its reasons and results) as the book went on. This is really just a personal preference, though, and might not bother other people at all!
What I LOVED:
The world building.
I thought that Machado did an excellent job of creating a fantasy world that felt real and was captivating. There were so many amazing fantasy elements that added to the story - the curse giver, an inhaler of airs (a person who uses inhaled scents and forces them into someone else's lungs to divine truth), the dismal bog, the odd arts, yearlings (tiny water-dwelling creatures that will eat you from the inside out!)... I could go on and on. I was especially intrigued by Lusielle's potion-making - Machado gives us an amazing amount of detail about the ingredients and what they tasted and smelled like, their texture, their different uses, etc. One of my favorite scenes of the book was when she extracted a giant parasite from a horse with a dangerously foul-smelling concoction (and had to stave off an attack from the creature!). The description of the poultice and Lusielle's process for making it was so vivid that I felt like I could practically smell the horrid stuff!
Lusielle.
Lusielle is an amazingly strong and intelligent heroine. She doesn't give up, no matter what the odds are against her (and the odds against her are often very high). Not only that, but she inspires others to be better - nobler, stronger. By the end of the book, there isn't a single character who hasn't been won over by her (well, with the exception of one or two "villains") and I could certainly see why. Her sense of pride, her strength and her selflessness are pretty much amazing. And yet, she somehow doesn't come off as a too-perfect character who can do no wrong - she fears, and her weakness comes out when she's faced with her husband (not that she lets that weakness win, but the fact that it's there makes her a more well-rounded character).
Bren.
Just like Lusielle, Bren shows incredible strength of character. But he is tortured by guilt and pain because of what he feels forced to do by the curse. He believes himself to be a horrible man - unredeemable - but with Lusielle he somehow starts to see the possibility of redemption. His character is incredibly complex (as are his motives for his actions), which adds an incredible richness to the story!
The action.
There is a LOT of action in this book - Lusielle and Bren are being hunted. Add to that the natural dangers that exist in the world that they live in, and Lusielle and Bren's lives are pretty much in constant danger. This makes for a lot of heart-stopping, hold-on-to-your-seat action sequences!
The Curse Giver is a wonderful example of high fantasy, written with heart and intelligence. While this story is definitely complete, the epilogue hints at a possible story for future installments? I'm intrigued and will be watching to see if Machado graces us with another book in the series! 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
The Curse Giver is an action-packed epic fantasy with intriguing characters and fantastic world building!
Lusielle has been falsely accused (by her husband!) of practicing the odd arts. Just before she is burned at the stake, she is rescued by a mysterious highborn stranger. However, she discovers that her life may be in just as much danger as it was before - this stranger is supposed to kill her because of the mark on her back, though no one will tell her why. So, why did he rescue her in the first place and why does she find herself trusting him even when he won't deny that he plans to kill her himself?
Lord Brennus of Laonia is cursed. The only way to stop this curse from destroying his homeland is to find and kill the woman with the mark. But when he finds her, he discovers that killing her is not so simple - and first he must save her from the evil forces that would like nothing more than for the curse to be realized.
Lusielle and Bren's situation is impossible - unless they can break the curse.
The negatives:
Took time to draw me in.
The only real complaint that I have about this book is that for some reason I wasn't completely engaged in the beginning. Honestly, I wasn't truly drawn in until I got to about 35% on my Kindle. I especially found myself frustrated when the POV switched to either Hato or Severo, two of Bren's men. I just wasn't invested enough in these characters to want to see the world through their eyes in the beginning of the book (that did change by the time I got to the second half). That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the beginning of the book - I just found it a bit slower reading that I would have liked and I wasn't always 100% engaged (there were definitely times that I was). Once the book hit about 35%, though, I was hooked. By this point, I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next!
Mysteries of the curse are unfolded very slowly.
This is actually directly related to my first point. I was very intrigued by the curse (and its devastating results) and definitely interested in its details. But it felt like bits of information about the curse were few and far between at first. And most of what you're given isn't really understandable until almost the very end of the book. And then, toward the end of the book, it feels like all of this information is being given to you all at once - it was almost overwhelming. Of course, I wouldn't have wanted everything to be given away early on, but I would have appreciated some more understandable pieces to the puzzle throughout so that I would have felt like I was discovering more and more about the curse (and its reasons and results) as the book went on. This is really just a personal preference, though, and might not bother other people at all!
What I LOVED:
The world building.
I thought that Machado did an excellent job of creating a fantasy world that felt real and was captivating. There were so many amazing fantasy elements that added to the story - the curse giver, an inhaler of airs (a person who uses inhaled scents and forces them into someone else's lungs to divine truth), the dismal bog, the odd arts, yearlings (tiny water-dwelling creatures that will eat you from the inside out!)... I could go on and on. I was especially intrigued by Lusielle's potion-making - Machado gives us an amazing amount of detail about the ingredients and what they tasted and smelled like, their texture, their different uses, etc. One of my favorite scenes of the book was when she extracted a giant parasite from a horse with a dangerously foul-smelling concoction (and had to stave off an attack from the creature!). The description of the poultice and Lusielle's process for making it was so vivid that I felt like I could practically smell the horrid stuff!
Lusielle.
Lusielle is an amazingly strong and intelligent heroine. She doesn't give up, no matter what the odds are against her (and the odds against her are often very high). Not only that, but she inspires others to be better - nobler, stronger. By the end of the book, there isn't a single character who hasn't been won over by her (well, with the exception of one or two "villains") and I could certainly see why. Her sense of pride, her strength and her selflessness are pretty much amazing. And yet, she somehow doesn't come off as a too-perfect character who can do no wrong - she fears, and her weakness comes out when she's faced with her husband (not that she lets that weakness win, but the fact that it's there makes her a more well-rounded character).
Bren.
Just like Lusielle, Bren shows incredible strength of character. But he is tortured by guilt and pain because of what he feels forced to do by the curse. He believes himself to be a horrible man - unredeemable - but with Lusielle he somehow starts to see the possibility of redemption. His character is incredibly complex (as are his motives for his actions), which adds an incredible richness to the story!
The action.
There is a LOT of action in this book - Lusielle and Bren are being hunted. Add to that the natural dangers that exist in the world that they live in, and Lusielle and Bren's lives are pretty much in constant danger. This makes for a lot of heart-stopping, hold-on-to-your-seat action sequences!
The Curse Giver is a wonderful example of high fantasy, written with heart and intelligence. While this story is definitely complete, the epilogue hints at a possible story for future installments? I'm intrigued and will be watching to see if Machado graces us with another book in the series! 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
diaryofthebookdragon's review against another edition
3.0
I liked
- the heroine. She had “the balls of a bull and mischeif to spare”. Resorceful. Confident. Does not judge people easily.
Idea was not bad.
Nicely written.
Disliked:
Anahronisms. Like using term boyfriend at one dialog. Heli its medieval fantasy.
Wish there was more world building. Especially about gods
At times it felt too long
Didnt connect to secondary chard even though there were chapters from their pov
And while we are at it. Too many povs
In theend. The romance fantasy that did not make it to be nothing more then average. Read it if you like strong heroine and are willing to overlook the rest.
- the heroine. She had “the balls of a bull and mischeif to spare”. Resorceful. Confident. Does not judge people easily.
Idea was not bad.
Nicely written.
Disliked:
Anahronisms. Like using term boyfriend at one dialog. Heli its medieval fantasy.
Wish there was more world building. Especially about gods
At times it felt too long
Didnt connect to secondary chard even though there were chapters from their pov
And while we are at it. Too many povs
In theend. The romance fantasy that did not make it to be nothing more then average. Read it if you like strong heroine and are willing to overlook the rest.
alexperc_92's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it! It's actually quite a hidden gem in the Fantasy genre. There are too much politics and almost no character plot but the romance was subtle and there were even some good moments.
heart_eater's review against another edition
4.0
Where to start? I loved the story and I loved the romance, despite the weird angle of it. You don't find too many stories (well, good ones) where the guy is trying to kill the girl and then they wind up happily-ever-after, not without hating one or both of those characters at some point. I found myself cheering Bren on from the very beginning, as he always seemed like a good guy with some really bad luck. I was never convinced that he was going to kill Lusielle, but I suppose the author didn't really do a lot to make you believe that was actually going to happen. Bren was soft, but not too much so. He was a warrior through and through, but when someone like her came around, he gave a bit. I liked the slow building of it all. I also really liked Lusielle (though I'm not a fan of her name). She was a strong character that made believable choices, thank the lord. It seems like a lot of the female leads in books end up looking like fools in situations like this, getting instant Stockholm syndrome type feelings even though the guy is complete trash and actually doing terrible things to them. While I did think some of the details about the main thread of this story were a bit corny, I did enjoy it. I kind of wish they'd explained more earlier on about the markings on the women and the whole mystery with the "trial" Bren was having to put them through, though I could guess what it entailed when they continued to put an emphasis on how terrible it was; it was obvious it involved something both sexual and violent. Not knowing what was really going on with that stuff was a source of irritation during the first major portion of the book. Overall though, the book kept me interested, delivered plenty of surprises and had a great ending, so I was pleased. The author is talented and I will definitely be looking for other books by her. :)
truebookaddict's review against another edition
5.0
I have found myself a new fantasy author! For me, good fantasy has to have the following elements: phenomenal world building, engaging and multidimensional characters, and just plain great writing. This book has all of them. I have always been a fan of epic fantasy that makes me feel and care for the characters and also makes me feel like part of the story. I honestly felt like I was there with Bren and Lusielle, experiencing the danger and adventure right along with them.
Read the rest at my blog: http://castlemacabre.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-curse-giver-by-dora-machado-guest.html
Read the rest at my blog: http://castlemacabre.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-curse-giver-by-dora-machado-guest.html
reginaexmachina's review
3.0
I didn't like the multiple POVs and the constant switching especially in the beginning of the book. It got better later on though. I feel like I wanted to like this book more than I actually did since fantasy with strong romance elements is probably my favorite book genre. It did suck me into the story eventually but it took a while for me to get there. This review is a bit all over the place. Basically despite some flaws I enjoyed the book and would read more by the author.