A Curse of Breath and Blood by K. W. Foster exceeded my expectations in every way!

There are so many things to love about this book I don’t know where to begin. I’ll start by saying the FMC, Aelia, is a fierce Queen turned mercenary, she is such a well-developed character that I related to quickly. I love the fact that Aelia was older (30) than what I’m used to reading, I think it gives the character more depth and personality. Yes, she’s made mistakes and she’s flawed but who isn’t?

Aelia has been handed a pretty terrible hand in life and is slowly self-destructing when a blast from her past shows up and needs her help rescuing her sister from her villainous husband.

The world-building and lore in this book are great and not too word-dumpy and boring, I love a book with good banter between characters and this did not disappoint.

Overall, A Curse of Breath and Blood is a fast-paced, action-packed romantasy adventure that I hope millions will love as much as I did.

P.S. The ending will make you scream for the next book so be warned.

This book was a very good read!

What I enjoyed the most were the characters : Aelia is a badass and fierce FMC, just as I like! Add to this she is not 17 years old, and you have a winning point!
The beginning was a bit heartbreaking as we can feel what flows between her and Caiden, but their past continues to catch them at every points.
The appearance of Tharan brought a good twist to the story, and the not so flawless male character was interesting to follow.
This love triangle was entertaining, it is a trope I appreciate when well described.
I liked the side characters as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and KW Foster for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, WOW! I was impressed with the fantasy and magical elements in the story, although the world building did confused me a little. Aelia Springborn is queen turned mercenary who had to work with her ex lover to save her sister from her evil ex husband. While reading, I felt Aelia's pains and struggles. The author did a good job on portraying her character struggling with mental health issues, addiction and relationship traumas. I also fell in love with one of the side character, Roderick and the two MMC (especially Tharan). The characters were flawed beautifully and that was what made me love it even more.

Reread value: Yes!

I would give this 4.5 stars.

This is such a beautiful story! I cried when Aelia removed Caiden's memory. If you have watched the anime series Fruits Basket, you'll understand the pain of loving someone and then having your memories of your loved one taken from you in order to move on in your life.

The premise of this book had good potential, however it failed in the execution. There was little to no world building and the characters were not well developed. I was 30% through the book and still didn’t know who was human and who was not. Also, the character interactions felt so robotic. I also felt like the plot was giving me whiplash- every other page a crazy thing happened and then they just got right out of whatever issue they found themselves in. I wanted this to be so good but just didn’t hit the mark for me. I wish I had DNF’ed instead of reading through to the end.

I loved the first 40% and I ate it up. Then I kind of struggled with multiple elements including them directly addressing her as the traitorous queen to her face. Another thing I was really struggling after the 40% mark. Another huge element I struggled with was the love triangle it felt a tad weird for me. I just wasn’t a fan on how it was laid out.

This was a really good fantasy story. I enjoyed the main character and how strong she was. I don’t like love triangles very much, but I did like Caiden and Tharan. Tharan was definitely my favorite love interest. The ending had a twist I didn’t expect and I can’t wait for the next book.

The premise of this book was interesting, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to it for me. I rated this book 2.5⭐️ and made myself read the whole thing just in case it got better.

This book read like a book 2 in a series, I was lost and confused far too much for a first book. It felt like nothing was truly explained throughout the book. The world building wasn’t there, I had no idea what the different regions were, what belonged to who etc. the court system also seemed random and wasn’t explained either, and for something which is mentioned a lot it detracted from the enjoyment for me. The timeline was just a bit all over the place too, the characters managed to traverse the world rather quickly without magic travel…

Unfortunately I didn’t find myself caring for any of the characters, in fact I disliked most of them and this is due to there being little revealed about any of their backstories. We meet Aelia as a mercenary and addict, neither is explained and in fact she proves to be a terrible fighter throughout. The addiction was resolved within a chapter but that really could have helped us to understand her character and what has happened to her, but instead she just went cold turkey with no issues.

Lastly, there were a lot of errors still present which I wouldn’t expect to see for an arc copy. I spotted a few continuity issues and I found a lot of the book a bit pointless and added nothing to what was already a lacking plot. I do feel if this spent more time in editing and refining it could be a brilliant story, but this sadly did not hit the mark and I was being generous giving it a 2.5⭐️.

This book was a solid read. I enjoyed the fact that the main character was older than the usual teen-early 20’s. At first the writing sometimes felt too simplistic: cheesy almost. It either improved as I read or I got used to it haha. The writing kept me intrigued in the plot. The love triangle was well balanced and paced well. Most of all, the ending threw me for a loop and I can’t wait to read the next!

This book was good. Slow start but the pace of the writing and the story and world building were good. I liked Aelia her character..

Thanks for representation of 30+ characters. The truthful vision of adult novel.

It was not what I expected. Ex-lovers to friends? - ok. But husband to enemies? That was new. And mind reading? I'm IN.

The story was so entertaining. I haven't guessed any plot twist. And the ending was Epic.

And love triangle....ough.....I mean....Can I name it a triangle if one of them don't remember anything? A lot of questions, interesting twist. I'm waiting for the next book.

This book could be the start of a great fantasy series, however, I found this book to be a little hard to get into. I wish there had been more world building in the beginning of the book and there were some instances that felt like the book was setting the characters up for a cheating trope which turned me off. After the 40% mark, the story felt like it really took off for me. I started to fall in love with Aelia and thought she had great character development. I really enjoyed the mental health aspects of the book because it highlighted the struggles each of the characters faced in their own journey and how their mental health affected those around them. The complex relationships Aelia has with Caiden and Tharan were really interesting. I wasn't a big fan of the pacing at the beginning of the book, it felt a little rushed and jumped from scene to scene too quickly and I felt like I was missing moments. I did enjoy the many creatures that are a part of the world and the political systems that I would have liked to see a little more of. I also wish we saw more of Caiden or Tharan’s pov to make it feel a little more balanced. I think this book could be a 5 star book and I am curious about what happens next, especially after that ending.

Thank you Netgalley and K.W. Foster for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book around the 30% mark.

The premise and description of *A Curse of Breath and Blood* initially caught my attention, and I was excited to dive in. However, I found it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story. For me, the world-building and character development felt underdeveloped, making it challenging to visualise and connect with the setting and characters. Additionally, the pacing felt rushed, with events unfolding too quickly and moving on without allowing enough time to fully engage with the narrative.

I do believe this book has potential and might resonate better with readers who prefer a faster pace and minimal world-building.

⭐⭐.5

I really enjoy romantasy books and was looking forward to this one, especially with the cool power of mind bending. However, I had some issues with it:

- The world-building was lacking. It felt like you were suddenly placed in locations or situations without much context.
- There were sudden revelations that seemed out of nowhere. I often found myself going back to check if I had missed something, but there was nothing to find.
- Some characters had more depth than others, and the book needed a better balance of plot and character development. While we see what our FMC is experiencing, even with multiple POVs, most characters, except maybe Tharan, remained surface-level. Aelia's scar and her experiences with Gideon, for example, were not explored deeply.
- The leap to big emotions at the end felt abrupt. The relationship needed more development for that to feel natural.

The beginning of the book was a bit slow for me, but the pace picked up in the last third. I enjoyed it more once things were actually happening, though it still felt somewhat disconnected. I will probably read the next one to see if the writer works out these issues.

This book has the potential to be the start of an amazing romantasy series. However, there were some major plot holes and timeline problems that need to be edited. Throughout the book I was often confused as to who people were, where their powers came from, and what their species was. Many scenes were choppy and escalated too quickly or were missing pieces... characters said they did something when in the previous scene the either didn't do that or they did the opposite. Location changes also happened abruptly and often characters appeared randomly then didn't appear again in that scene. I would love to reread this after it goes through another round of editing!

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!

I am absolutely obsessed with A Curse of Breath and Blood by K.W. Foster! Let's get into it --

This romantasy checked off all my boxes - I was hooked from the prologue and finished this in just over 24 hours, it would have been sooner if I didn't have responsibilities.

Aelia and Caiden have a forbidden love - she is a human and he's a sylph.. they can never be together. Aelia goes off and marries a king in another kingdom... but he's definitely not what she was expecting. Five years later, she's using her telepathic abilities as a mercenary to help erase people's memories... that is, when she's not busy hooking up with strangers in bars after drinking herself into oblivion along with snorting dust. Her douche-bag ex-husband has kidnapped her dear sister and now she has to team up with Caiden and their magical friends to help save her. Caiden had made a blood vow to Aelia's mother years ago to protect her and her sister. It's been years and there are mixed feelings between the two former lovers. Aelia has made a bargain with Caiden that she will erase his memories after he helps her find her sister, a deal that they most go through with or else there will be deathly consequences for the both of them. Along the way we meet Tharan Greenblade and an unexpected love triangle emerges.

I can't give this book enough praise - it deserves a standing ovation and then some. I can't wait to see fan-art and to finally get my hands on the sequel, whenever that may be. K.W Foster most impressed me with the unpredictable outcomes that happen, you think you know what's going to happen but there are plenty of surprises that will leave your jaw on the floor and have you begging for more!!

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to ACOTAR lovers (esp if you love Nesta!) and just anyone who is looking for quality romantasy to immerse themselves in. I laughed, cried, screamed, almost barfed, and awww-d out loud throughout this story.

So much gratitude to Aethon Books, NetGalley & KW Foster for the ARC in exchange for my feedback

We learn that Aelia and Caiden used to be past lovers but weren’t allowed to be together and lots of things have happened in the past (which I won’t spoil) that has resulted in them both hating each other. We learn that Aelia fell in love and married Gideon because he tricked her and he went on to abuse/ control her until she finally managed to escape after the years of control.

4.5
Thank you for allowing me to read this book early and as an arc,
It did take me a while to get into it, but once I got into it a really enjoyed it, I'm not usually a massive fantasy reader but I loved this!
Thank you again for letting me read as an arc

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded up to 4)
🫑

While it took me a hot minute (roughly 40%) to actually get into the book, this was VERY good in the second half. There were a few things I wasn’t the biggest fan of (like the love triangle, the jump between first and third person, and a few others) I didn’t hate this book. I actually really liked it despite my nitpicking.

Aelia had a unique gift and that made her pretty interesting. I liked the fact that she could go into people’s minds and not just read their thoughts but rifle around in their memories, change them, erase them.

Caiden honestly bothered me. Something about him and the way he acted just made me so mad. I much preferred Tharan. THAT MAN was is a much better choice.

The whole quest of saving Baylis took up much less of the book than I thought and I wish they focused more on that and less on the romance or the revenge on King Gideon. Also, it would have been nicer to know more about Aelia and Gideon’s marriage. We didn’t get much insight into that and it would have been nice to know more.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad book. The ending threw me for a fucking loop and that’s the only real reason I’ll read the next one. I just need to know what happens 😂

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:
Overall: ☆☆☆☆.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/4?
Plot: ☆☆☆☆
𝔸𝕔𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨𝕝𝕖𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤:
I would like to thank Netgalley for letting me read the ARC for this book.
𝖂𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖒𝖆𝖉𝖊 𝖒𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉 𝖎𝖙:
The cover stood out to me but the description/ blurb actually made me read it as there were a lot of references to other books that I enjoyed reading such as Six of Crows and ACOTAR. After reading it, I agree with the references but I want to throw a little bit of the Lord Of The Rings in there too!!!
The blurb:
'A Court of Thorns and Roses' meets 'Six of Crows' in this thrilling new fantasy romance.
A queen turned mercenary. A long-lost love. An ancient evil reborn.
With her home kingdom destroyed and her family considered dead, Aelia Springborn makes a living, using her abilities to break minds for anyone with enough coin. Content to live a life in the shadows, her world is turned upside down when her former lover, Caiden Stormweaver, tracks her down at the edge of the world with a proposition she can’t refuse…. help him thwart her former husband, King Gideon, from obtaining the deadly army of the Alder King.
With a chasm of hurt between them, the pair strikes a deal; once their mission is complete, Aelia will wipe his memories of their relationship, releasing them both from their tumultuous past.
Bound by magic and aided by friends, Caiden and Aelia set off on a journey to save the continent from ultimate destruction. However, as their mission progresses, Aelia and Caiden find themselves reigniting the flames of their past.
But in Moriana, breaking a bargain is deadly.
Things become even more complicated when Aelia meets Tharan Greenblade, a charming playboy whom she cannot help but fall for. With the threads of their fates entwining, the trio will be forced into a high-stakes game that will test their loyalties and raise the dead.
Don't miss this adult romantasy debut combining the dark fairytale atmosphere of Nettle and Bone with the heart-stopping romance of A Court of Thorns and Roses and the found family dynamics of Divine Rivals. With tension at every turn, this novel explores the sacrifices we make to save the ones we love.

𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:
This book is a fantasy romance debut and WOWSER is it good.
The FMC, Aelia, is reunited once more- with her ex,Caiden, as he has information to help try and track down the FMC's sister who has been missing for 5 years. He has to help Aelia despite there differences/ past as he made a blood oath with her mother to protect her.
We discover that the two used to be past lovers but weren’t allowed to be together but a couple of things happened that turned them into enemies. (ahh) We learn that the FMC fell in love and married a guy called Gideon but he tricked her and he went on to abuse andcontrol her until she finally managed to escape.

BUT THEN, Aelia and Caiden are forced to be together (forced proximity) as they are on the mission to find her sister. I won't spoil any more but I'll list the tropes and then some quotes and you can see for yourself what I mean when i say WOWSERS.

T R O P E S:

-Enemies to lovers
-Who did this to you?
-Second chance love
-Found family
-Magic
-Love triangle
-Forced proximity
-Multi POV
-Forbidden love
-One bed
ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤:
"𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙨, 𝘼𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙬. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚."
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚, 𝘼𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣. 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝. 𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚."

🇩​​🇮​​🇸​​🇨​​🇱​​🇦​​🇮​​🇲​​🇪​​🇷​
The FMC does deal with addiction, so please be aware of the TW before starting to read this book. It also deals with some heavy topics at times, sacrifices, and loss.

I love that the FMC, Aelia, is in her 30s! In most of the books I read, the FMC is 25 or younger so it’s cool to get that representation in an awesome romantasy book. She starts out still reeling from a break up years ago which makes her so relatable. I felt some of that pain. Despite all her hardships she still keeps going. Every. Day. This woman is fierce. I do like Caiden but in my opinion he is Aelia’s past. I’m Team Tharan all the way! I’m excited to see how that plays out. Engaging and adventurous throughout the whole story.

Fav tropes:
Stabby FMC ⚔️
Morally grey FMC 🩶
Quest 🗺️
Magic ✨
Royalty 👑
Court politics 🏰
Sister bond 🩷
Fae 🧝‍♀️
Fates 🌙
Gods 🌟
Evil Ex 💔
Mental health rep 🧠

Fav quotes:
“Court of Rabbits, Court of Flies, even a few human kingdoms..”

“Your scars are a testament to your strength. Wear them with pride.”

Thank you K.W. Foster and NetGalley for this early copy! I loved reading and reviewing it!