Genre: Dark Fantasy | Release Date: 15 April 2022 | Series: The Cursed Blood | Series Book: #1 | Pages: 372 | Indie Author | Review
“I will meet my fate with iron in my heart and war song in my blood.”
Chloe Hodge
A little while ago I received an e-ARC of The Cursed and the Broken, a dark fantasy romance by the incredible author, Chloe Hodge. The first in a series (The Cursed Blood), I will tell you that this book is intended for readers 18+.
In this tumultuous, beautifully dark fantasy, Kitarni (our heroine) is a witch. At the age of 18, she was cursed by Death and told that Fate controlled her life’s thread. Witches from her coven are disappearing, and cultists who worship the Dark Queen are causing a corrupting sickness to spread throughout the forest. The living are no longer safe… The Kingdom of Hungary will be decimated if Kitarni and her betrothed, Dante of the Wolfblood Clan, can’t stop the advancing dark tide.
In The Cursed and the Broken, we get to see just what Fate demands of someone with fire and brimstone magic in her blood. Let me tell you, it’s a *big* thing. When I started reading The Cursed and the Broken, I idiotically thought I’d stop after a couple of chapters. Of course I didn’t! I stopped at the 38th chapter, and only then because I had to go be an adult for the day. As soon as I could, I returned to finish this beauty and, let me tell you, it’s left such an impression on me. Chloe has made sure we get a full throttle dark fantasy that is brimming with danger, fear, and heart.
Happiness Boost:
Do you ever highlight really awesome parts of a book? I do. I counted 30 highlights just now, long before I hit halfway (for those who really want to know, I only counted up to Chapter 11). Chloe writes in a way that you are feeling *everything* Kitarni is, and your emotions rise to match hers. Thankfully I don’t have fiery magic, so I won’t burn down any trees when my emotions go wild.
While some of the tropes in this novel will be found in other fantasy novels, Chloe has made The Cursed and the Broken unique. The merging of many, many brilliant ideas into one story had me on the edge of my seat as I read this dark fantasy. I don’t want to do spoilers, because half the fun is being surprised by a book. But I’ll tell you one thing: my jaw *literally* dropped near the end of this story. I was stunned. I actually had to take a second to breathe, remind myself I wasn’t at the last page, and carry on. Bombshell moments happened. I’m just saying.
To be honest I’m pretty sure if I don’t move onto more than Happiness Boosts, we’ll be here all day. I really could just keep writing about the highlights of The Cursed and the Broken.
Downside:
While some things hurt my heart in The Cursed and the Broken, I have faith in what’s to come. The real downside is knowing that I got an e-ARC, so the wait for what’s next has to take a little bit longer! But good things take time. And if the next book is anything like this one? I’m blocking out 2 days of my life so I can savour every delightful word that Chloe writes for us.
Final Thoughts:
It took me a long time to stop fangirling and actually write this book review. The Cursed and the Broken blew my mind and rearranged my heart. I just didn’t know it was possible to write a story like this one. There are Gods, magic, deep love and the biggest betrayals you could imagine. Secrets abound and honestly Chloe Hodge, take a bow. I’m so impressed. This is a dark fantasy you need on your bookshelf. If I hadn’t already preordered a copy, I would’ve done it as soon as I finished this e-ARC.
You can preorder via my Amazon link: The Cursed and the Broken
