A fast-paced, emotionally charged fantasy with a fierce heroine, A Curse of Breath and Blood follows Aelia Springborn—a former queen turned mercenary with the ability to manipulate minds. As she’s pulled back into a world of danger, love, and betrayal, tensions rise between past and present lovers, making for a gripping, magic-infused adventure. With deep emotional stakes and a complex protagonist, this is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy romance!

⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⚔️ Fantasy Romance | 🩸 Magic & Betrayal | 🔥 Second Chances

The title drew me in and the story did not disappoint! This is a great read and keeps you up at night wanting to finish the book.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

A Curse of Breath and Blood is a smooth and fun book, with nice dynamics between the characters. I especially appreciated the choices made by the author for the protagonist, who breaks the mold of typical fantasy protagonists. Besides, the love triangle is very well done and it's really hard to choose! I would have liked to see more of Aelia's past, but I'm hopeful for the next book.

So I think the overall idea for this book was here, but the nitty gritty details weren’t, which left me a little confused.

The world building was a bit lacking and there were often times that something was mentioned but I couldn’t find any prior information about it? Anything that makes me have to flip through previous chapters to try to figure out what’s going on is a bit off putting.

That being said, I did enjoy the last 30% or so of the book where things were really happening and Aelia and Tharan coming together was *chef’s kiss*

First off thank you to NetGalley for this chance to read this book. Second i could not put this book down i didnt want it to end im so glad there is a book 2 i want to read more of the world of fantasy and romance and i love books that have Fae's and magic. Caiden and Aelia are such wonderful characters i loved reading those two the most. I recommend and would very much read again and get the second book as well i have to know what else happens in this world the author K.W. Foster has made. “I will find a way back to you” He kissed me passionately. “I love you, Aelia. I loved you even when I hated you, and I will keep a space in my heart for you until the end of time.” A promise he couldn’t keep.

3.5⭐️
I wanted to love it, and sometimes I did… But not enough of the time.

I am a fan of a love triangle, but this one was complicated… Like SO much.

I love second chance romance, but this wasn’t quite it.

Tharan seems delightful, but you love him?

And the epilogue?! What was that about? 🤦🏻‍♀️

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Wanted to read this for the interesting concept and stayed for the tough protagonist. The characters were interesting and the plot was easy to keep up with

Great story full of romance and fantasy the perfect combination.!
Aelia was my favorite character, I loved her strength and emotional character. The story is well written and it evolves perfectly. The only negative thing is that it ends in a cliffhanger so be prepared, I can’t wait for the next book to be out! I will definitely be reading more books of this author in the future.

I’m a fantasy girl thru and thru but I could not get into this. The world building was complicated and not well developed. The romance was all over, and at the end I felt like she was simultaneously falling in love with both men. I didn’t understand the conflict outside of wanting to save her sister, and emotionally there were some big moments that fell very flat. I put it down numerous times and was not motivated to finish it, but did. Meh.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I very much enjoyed the characters and the magic system in this book. However, I felt as if the world building was non-existent. I struggled to understand where things were taking place and how everything fit together. I haven’t yet decided if I want to continue with the series but the characters may bring me back. We’ll see how I’m feeling later.

Thanks to NetGalley, Aethon Books, and the author for access to the eARC!

A fun escape from the *real world* into a fantastical one. This was an enjoyable read, and I had a good time going through the adventure with the characters.

A queen turned mercenary. A long-lost love. An ancient evil reborn.

This read like pretty much every romantasy that's ever been written. It didn't bring anything new to the table and I kind of hated all of the characters.

✨New author, K.W. Foster, throws her ring into the romantsy book era and it's good!

✨Aelia is a broken soul trying to make sense of her life after heartbreak and disappointments. Leading her to a dark path allowing her mind peace and solace in the darkness.

✨Caiden is dealing with his own personal demons while trying to deal with his grief. Leaving the love of his life to fulfill his destiny and do right by his people.

✨Tharan, the playboy prince, is not all what he seems. There is goodness amongst his callousness. A reluctant pawn in the path of his destiny that he cannot escape.

✨The three embark on a journey to save Aelia's sister from the king who has captured her, forcing Aelia to come face to face with her worst nightmares.

✨The love is messy, the grief is deep. It's a story of triumph and acceptance. Healing and closure. Each discovering their inner strength and sacrificing for the greater good.

✨Read this if you love romance, found family, grief, acceptance, mental health rep., action, and adventure.

✨I look forward to seeing what happens next! Thank you @K.W Foster & Netgalley for the opportunity to read your story!

I enjoyed the premise of the story, however the pacing was quite fast and I didn’t feel like I got the depth to really make me connect with the characters/story. We get some character development from Aelia, but I feel like that character development was lacking with our MMCs and supporting characters to truly bring the story/emotion to life.

I see the potential for this story and I think many will enjoy this one for a quick, fast-paced fantasy read.

Thanks to the author, Aethon Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Curse of Breath and Blood by K.W. Foster was an enjoyable fantasy read, marked by strong world-building and a compelling romantic dynamic. The author does a fantastic job of constructing an expansive world in a relatively short time, blending humans and fantasy tropes with ease. The depth and diversity of the setting was engaging, and I found myself swept up in the various stages of the quest.

The characters were another highlight. Aelia Springborn, our strong and complex FMC, is a fascinating figure with her past as both a queen and a mercenary. Her internal struggles and growth throughout the book are well-crafted, especially as she navigates the tension between her ex-lover Caiden and the mysterious Tharan Greenblade. Speaking of Caiden and Tharan, the love triangle is wonderfully executed. It's hard to pick a favorite between the two, which speaks to the strength of both relationships. Foster manages to make both options compelling, which made it tough to choose a side, and undoubtedly will keep readers engaged.

The quest itself was full of action and twists, though I would have liked a bit more development on some of the stages of their journey. That said, the wild cliffhanger at the end definitely leaves you hungry for more, and I’m excited to see where the story goes next.

The pacing was mostly strong, but at times, I felt like some plot points were glossed over in favor of maintaining the momentum. Still, it’s a fun read for anyone who enjoys intricate world-building, mature characters, and a love triangle that’s anything but predictable. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this to fans of fantasy looking for an engaging start to what promises to be an exciting series!

I did not love this book! it felt rushed and could’ve used a lot more world building for a fantasy book. I believe that would have helped the audience connect with the characters. In general the book could’ve used development of the character relationships as well!
I did enjoy that the characters were a little older with Aelia being in her 30s!

This book was PHENOMENAL! I typically do not like love triangles but I was thoroughly enthralled with Aelia , Caiden, and Tharan. They kept me on the edge throughout my read. I’m trying to dip my toes into more romantasy, and this has me wanting to add every fantasy I can to my tbr. I can’t wait for book 2!

I originally wanted to read this because it said it had a court of thorns and roses vibes, but it really doesn’t. I loved ACOTAR, but this was nothing like it at all. I was bored and struggled to get through it. The world building isn’t great.