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A review by millennialbookreview
The Curse That Binds Us by Katie Hayoz, Katie Hayoz
4.0
**I was provided with an ARC by Netgalley for review purposes.
This book is a delightfully dark fantasy that puts its own spin on the mystery surrounding the Roanoke colony. I loved the way the author combined the dark fantasy elements of the story she wanted to tell with the historical facts we know about the lost colony. The plot really melds those two things, historical detail and dark fantasy elements, really well so that it doesn't feel like one is ever being sacrificed or shoe-horned in to serve the other. The plot has plenty of twists and turns along the way, and left me wanting more when the story ended.
The novel's told through three points of view, which works really well for this story because each POV character gives a unique view on the world/events as a whole. Redd provides a modern, "average Jane" perspective, Eleanor provides a historical perspective, and also fills in some of the gaps that might be missing and John gives a perspective that spans both time and space, and adds a bit of nuance to the conflict at the center of the story. The story truly becomes interesting when these POVs entwine.
The beginning of this novel is a bit confusing. The reader comes into the world not having a good idea of what's going on, who the "sides" of the main conflict are or even what the conflict is. As a result, when the inciting incident happens, the reader might still have a lot of questions they need answered before becoming invested in the story. It kept me guessing and invested, but for some readers, it might be a little too much mystery on the outset. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the romance.
This book is a delightfully dark fantasy that puts its own spin on the mystery surrounding the Roanoke colony. I loved the way the author combined the dark fantasy elements of the story she wanted to tell with the historical facts we know about the lost colony. The plot really melds those two things, historical detail and dark fantasy elements, really well so that it doesn't feel like one is ever being sacrificed or shoe-horned in to serve the other. The plot has plenty of twists and turns along the way, and left me wanting more when the story ended.
The novel's told through three points of view, which works really well for this story because each POV character gives a unique view on the world/events as a whole. Redd provides a modern, "average Jane" perspective, Eleanor provides a historical perspective, and also fills in some of the gaps that might be missing and John gives a perspective that spans both time and space, and adds a bit of nuance to the conflict at the center of the story. The story truly becomes interesting when these POVs entwine.
The beginning of this novel is a bit confusing. The reader comes into the world not having a good idea of what's going on, who the "sides" of the main conflict are or even what the conflict is. As a result, when the inciting incident happens, the reader might still have a lot of questions they need answered before becoming invested in the story. It kept me guessing and invested, but for some readers, it might be a little too much mystery on the outset. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the romance.