This is a great story. The intricate world building and the way that the author incorporates it into their story is masterfully done. The characters are so fun, inviting, and engaging to behold. I was able to be completely immersed in the story. It ran as a movie in my mind. Truly a wonderful journey. I had quite a few conversations aimed at the characters while reading. The plot was a well thought out and throughly twisted ride that I greatly enjoyed. I never knew where the next page would take me. I highly recommend this book. I am waiting on bated breath for the next book in the series.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This book was a lot harder for me to rate, I found myself almost giving up on it, but I powered through it and wow! I loved that it had all my favorite things in a fantasy book, faes, enemies to lovers, fae and elemental magic, arranged marriage, slow burn romance and great banter.

I thought the beginning was a little slow as I said but afterwards the pace is great, and to have that slow burn romance build up made the book kiss worthy. I enjoyed the banter between the characters the most, I found myself laughing at things they would say to each other, and I can’t wait to see what the next book will bring us with the political games and everything. The characters are what really did it for me in the book. I loved Astra so much, she is a spit fire, who has no filter at all, and I loved finding out what she was going to say next. I did love Marlak a lot too, I loved that he was honorable and made sure to hold to his promises that he makes, making sure that Astra had everything that she needed and even though she was always thinking that there was a real reason that he was acting nice to her other than the one that was right in front of her… He likes her. Lol

This is a character driven plot, and I do love it when authors write a great book that is character driven. I love the shared dreams and all the questions that would come up when they would wake up the next morning. Honestly though it was all the banter that made this book for me. This author knows how to make a great enemies to lovers’ book with some fantastic banter.

One of my favorite lines in the book was: "You said I was traded like a cow, Marlak." He raises a finger in the air " A cow, not a chicken. Have you checked the price of a cow?" I was dying of laughter.

I want to thank NetGalley and Sparkly Wave for the opportunity to review this book.

was excited about this book, but it fell waaaaaay flat. I tried to finish but could only force myself to get to 60%, I just couldn't do it any longer.

it had an intriguing premise, but I felt too many different plots were added, and none of it tied together at all imo. unfortunately, I was confused in a way I don't think the author wanted the reader to feel 🫤

1.5 stars because I still really liked marlak

thank you netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC

I gave this review a 3 star.

I am very conflicted on how to write this review. The first half of the book was not my cup of tea. I did feel lost through some of it. I felt left out on information that I really wished I would have known. I do not DNF books.. So I kept going. There were most definitely times where I giggled and laughed along with the characters. I enjoy enemies-to-lovers in almost every book I read, the slow burn was really slow burning. which was great. I believe every book has its pros and cons including this one. I do think the last portion of the book was very interesting and enjoyed the last half of this book.

The journey of Marlak and Astra was very interesting.

it should have not taken me a whole month to finish this book.

It was a good book. Lots of good fantasy moments. Was it my fav? Probably not. Will I read the next book? Probably not!

My review for A cursed Son will be posted on NetGalley, Goodreads, Amazon (title: A funny, unique romantasy that has it all!) and Instagram on 22. March 2024.

Thank you to Day Leitao and NetGalley for the ARC. I jump on the opportunity to get a physical copy and I’m very excited for book 2!

“If beauty swayed me, I’d be on my knees for you.”

Wow, this book gave me everything I hoped for in a romantasy with all my favourite tropes that was really well used, but in a very unique way and it had me laughing out loud a lot. Think nostalgic vibes from ACOTAR with Beauty and the Beast retelling and a fierce FMC, but done in a totally different way that I can’t fully explain with lots of angst, banter and sarcasm that will make you laugh out loud! With a character driven plot, some of the best slow burn I have read and a steamy dream connection between a snarky heroin and a morally grey villain, this book brings all the 🔥

“You said I was traded like a cow, Marlak.” He raises a finger in the air. “A cow, not a chicken. Have you checked the price of a cow?”

🗡️ Hidden identities
💜 Political game
🗝️ Fae and elemental magic
💜 Enemies to lovers
🗡️ Forced proximity
💜 Arranged marriage
🗝️ Slow burn (done really well🔥)
💜 Snarky banter

The plot is quite fast paced, but still manages to have a slow burn romance and to give just enough world building while still having me intrigued to learn more. This made a span that was so interesting to read as it pulls the reader in and it felt like I was on a journey with the character(s). The elemental magic is top notch and I can’t wait to see the full potential and political game that I predict for book 2! 💋👌🏼

In time, everyone reveals who they are, and you’re right that you shouldn’t base your judgment of your friends on other people’s opinions. Trust your heart.”

All the characters have lots of secrets. Right from the start you have plot twist and they are sprinkled throughout the story that also keeps things interesting. I love a good cliffhanger, but in this case I appreciate the last chapter so much and it just sets up the next book so good that I already feel invested and intrigued for what’s to come.

“I stare at that thing that should have been a barrier between us. The real barrier between us is our secrets. I don’t think either of us can wish them away.”

The FMC is a trained doppelgänger to the princess and an undercover assassin with secrets of her own in a political game that makes it feel like danger is everywhere… who can ask for a more intriguing FMC?! I really liked her fierce, snarky and sarcastic personality, even in her own head where she has banter with herself😂. She also has a vulnerability and secrets that makes her feel relatable. The POV is mostly from her, but I hope we get a bit more from the MMC too in the next book as he is the morally grey villain we all love🖤

This is a character driven plot and I loved it! The shared dreams with the MMC makes up for quite a fun ride with lots of snarky banter sprinkled with spice that had me laughing and even choking on my drink😅 The author makes even the most corny scenes so fun and I hope you pick up the book to experience it yourself. The slow burn tension with mistrust and snarky banter between these two is one of the best I have read! 🔥 It’s also pretty steamy and the spice is well written into the plot 🌶️🌶️🌶️

“I still want to run my fingers through his black curls. There’s no shame in wanting foolish things, as long as we’re aware they’re foolish.”

🖤 Other quotes I loved 🖤

“Everyone who loves manages to do more than just survive.”

“One thing I know about advice: usually the one who gives it is the one who needs it most.”

“I think old love is better, love that survives the passage of time, survives tribulations. It’s the kind of love I want.”

Astra is a royal substitute for the Princess. She is essentially taken from that place, and forced in to a marriage with the kings evil brother, Marlak. This is a Romantasy with a cliffhanger. There were some parts I really enjoyed, but some parts were lacking. Some of the relationships were hard to grasp on to, and then some of the conflicts were lacking in description. I’d say 3.5 stars.

This book was really enjoyable, and it can easily find its place among other booktok favorites.

It has fae, enemy to lovers, forced marriage, human lands and fae lands, and of course, they don't really go there because it's a scary place, hidden powers and discovering them.

It was a good first book and personally, I can't wait to see the next volume, because I have so many questions. What added to the book was the dream-world element and the main character background and life at the royal palace. I found it intriguing and I would like to learn more about that training and part of Astra's life.

The ending was quite bittersweet, but definitely left me eager to see what happens next!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review

If you are a fan of the forced marriage trope with the enemies to lovers vibes, this one is for you! I also loved that Marlak continuously called Astra, “wife”, like that is such a favorite microtrope of mine. Astra is a substitute for the Princess, which means she is one of the maids who travels in place of the Princess in case of assassination attempts, etc. She also would be the one to get married off probably. However, Astra is harboring a huge secret, her power. There is a man she sees in her dreams as well, and he happens to be real. And the disgraced Prince. After an ambush, her and the Prince meet, and soon he comes to visit her at the castle to marry her. It’s really a business deal, and he thinks he’s saving her, but she feels like she’s being kept prisoner. Except he’s really not all that bad. This has a Beauty and the Beast element in that he’s “beastly” because of his burned side, and that she’s being whisked away.
I really enjoyed the banter between the two, especially when he’s trying to get her to admit that she’s causing the dreams, and she’s just like “I have no idea what you’re talking about”. She’s not responsible for them, but she knows exactly what he’s talking about. And boy are the dreams spicy. It’s definitely a slow burn, but the tension and chemistry between the two keep you satiated.

Thank you TBR and Beyond Tours for this book! I loved it.

4.5 stars rounded up

A Cursed Son is a fun story that keeps you guessing throughout. It did take a few chapters to get into the story but after that I was hooked! The story is intriguing and the world building crafted really well, there is so much left to explore and I can’t wait to see where the author takes this moving forward.

Astra is an orphan who is training to be a substitute princess whilst trying to keep her true identity hidden which I think this is a great premise. Astra’s character is well developed and I loved her journey in this book. I’m looking forward to learning more about where she came from as well as her powers. Marlark is the disgraced prince who comes across as the villain for killing his family but not all is as it seems. He is grumpy, morally gray and I’m fully invested in finding out his secrets and learning more about his past.

This is a true enemies to lovers which the author has executed brilliantly. I enjoyed seeing this gradually shift from initial distrust, hatred and tension into something more. Their chemistry was off the charts and I loved the snarky banter between that had me howling with laughter as I was reading. Their shared dream connection gave me fated mates vibes, these are spicy dreams and I absolutely loved the friction this caused in real life. Astra denied any knowledge of them and Marlark trying to get her to admit she’s the cause of them made for an interesting dynamic.

This is the first book in this series which does end on a cliffhanger so bear that in mind but I’m excited for the next book when it’s released. You’ll certainly enjoy this if you’re a fan of enemies to lovers with morally gray characters where he falls first as well as forced marriage and proximity. If you needed any more convincing there’s also a dark unicorn called Cherry Cake, I mean what more could you want…

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but the writing was so repetitive and arduous. There was very little dialogue, just paragraph after paragraph of internal musings. It had all the right elements to be a great first book of a new fantasy series, but I just couldn't do it anymore.

I'm slightly heartbroken over this book. I wanted to love it so bad. I'm a huge fan of fantasy, enemies-to-lovers, and the premise of this book sounded so good but I just couldn't get into it. I made it 100 pages in and still kept finding excuses to not read the book. It just didn't hook me. The book has a lot of repeated phrases which gets quite tedious.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed A Cursed Son, book 1 in the series Remnants of the Fallen Kingdom by Day Leitao. If you enjoy fantasy romance, tropes like forces proximity, arranged marriage, fated mates, court intrigue, coming into power, this is your book.

A Cursed Son is fast paced, intriguing and exciting romatasy. The story follows Astra, an orphan trained to be a royal decoy, bound to duty to a kingdom that is not hers. She holds a secret about her past, and we slowly uncovering that everything is not as it may seem. Finding herself in a situation she never dreamed about, she finally starts making some choices of her own and finding some answers she needs.

The MMC, Marlak, is a perfect example of a morally grey MMC. Again, he is so much more than meets the eye and I loved learning more about him. There is so much more to find out, and I cannot wait for it.

I loved the side characters, having them properly introduced adds so much to the story, and I'm sure we will see more of their intentions and motives in the following books.

The book ends on a cliffhanger, but I don't mind it, it perfectly sets up everything for the events that will take place in book 2.

I’m still a little on the fence with this book so I’m giving it 3 stars. First, let me just say that the premise of the book sounded so intriguing! I was really looking forward to reading it. However, I have to admit that the first half of the book didn’t exactly reach my expectations, and it wasn’t until I reached around 60% that I actually started to warm up to it.

Now, where do I start. The first thing that I was struggling with from the beginning were the conversations. A lot of the time they felt very forced, and the flow just didn’t feel natural at all. There were a lot of times where I found myself thinking “how did THIS conversation lead to THAT?” or “how did they reach THAT conclusion from this random thing they said?” It just made the interactions between the characters feel disjointed.

Another thing that bothered me was that at times the conversations were either cringey or juvenile. For example the use of “itsy-bitsy weenie” and the constant use of “wife” and “husband”. Or the fact that the name of their “steed” was seriously Cherry Cake! I literally wrote in my annotations here “What in the stripper name is that!?” 😅 The banter between Astra and Marlak for the first half was less sass and more immaturity. Like I was genuinely getting so annoyed by how immature Astra behaved, I found myself rolling my eyes every other page. It made me question the target audience. It had some steamy scenes which hinted at an adult audience, but the characters were so immature that it felt like it was targeted for much younger readers. <spoiler> Also, WHAT WAS UP WITH THE WHOLE MILK THING! 😭 I was already questioning why their choice of drink was always MILK of all things, but then they start talking about ANOTHER kind of milk and now I’ve got to go to church for confession 😭 iykyk </spoiler>

The last thing I had a problem with were the inconsistencies in the writing and the plot conveniences. For example, we meet a character named Melina and then she’s being called Malena? And we get no explanation for this. As for plot conveniences it’s things like “oh look, there’s a rope ladder that wasn’t there before that you can use that isn’t there AFTER when it’s no longer needed”. And again we get no explanation for this.

To end this on a positive note I will say that the second half of the book got a lot better. There was so much more of that VERY NEEDED character development around the 60% mark that I began to warm up to Astra and Marlak. The plot also picked up and I found myself intrigued with the backstories and storyline. I really wished the whole book was more like the second half because I feel like it had a lot of potential! It was still enjoyable enough by the end that I might read book two 😊 so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the next one!

Thank you so much to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Day Leitao for giving me access to this e-arc for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sparkly Wave for this ARC of ‘A Cursed Son’ by Day Leitao.

This book was actually one of the first fantasy reads for me and this was everything I needed it to be. The chemistry between Astra and Marlak was incredible. I cannot wait to continue this series!

3.5✨


It was a very light read, I liked that, it really read quickly, I really liked the world and the characters, the only thing that doesn't convince me is the relationship of the protagonists, I liked it but not enough, I still enjoyed it reading and I'm excited to read the next book, I really recommend it✨


- dream connection
- forced marriage/proximity
- romantasy
- secrets
- faes/humans
- elemental magic



Thanks Netgalley for the arc

2.5 stars rounded up.
I was extremely intrigued by the premise of this book and the use of dreams. That is honestly what carried this book for me. I felt like it was easy to jump into and there wasn't excessive world building. At times it felt immature/cringe. <spoiler> I mean a flying unicorn named Cherry Cake? The whole stuff about the milk...</spoiler> To the point that I almost DNF'd around 60%. Thankfully, it was a quick read and I was able to finish it up in one afternoon. I'm left somewhat curious about book 2 because I want to see how the dream connections will be used to further the story. Otherwise, my threshold for cringe tolerance will be much lower.

Loved this book! Cannot wait to see more from this author, currently backing the special edition as well!

This is my first Day Leitao book and let me just tell you, I absolutely ADORED this story and these characters. Astra and Marlak are both such complex and fun characters. I loved their witty banter and the FMC's sassy inner monologue. The angst and the tension between the FMC and MMC is perfection. Marlak is such a softy on the inside and I am HERE FOR IT! Loved these side characters as well, I cannot wait to see how they develop and grow. The scene with Queen Berta made me laugh out loud! Loved the elemental magic, world-building, and foreshadowing! And the dream connection!!! That ending had my head spinning. Can't wait to explore more of this world and see the character development in book two. I would love to see Astra train and explore more of her magic.

This book is definitely a five star read and I will absolutely be snagging a physical copy and reading book two!

I really enjoyed the world building and the fantasy aspect of the book. It was fun to get to know the powers, the courts, and the world. The characters were very fun to read, especially their banter and the tension between our main couple, Astra and Marlak. Overall a great read and I'm excited for more work from Leitao!