The Cursed Melodies has a good, well paced plot and interesting magic. I wasn't enamoured with the characters, who felt a bit flat. However, there were some pretty good twists towards the end that have me intrigued!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

DNF.

No. Nope. No thank you! This is what I get for being suckered by a cover.

The premise is really interesting: an orphaned pair of twins, raised in the human world when in fact they’re magical, cross paths with a girl raised in the magical world who can’t use her magic. This could have been EPIC! The juxtaposition of their wildly different experiences – the way they could have bonded over their very different relationships to magic!

But the clunky prose – especially the incredibly awful dialogue – nixed that almost immediately. The music-magic I was excited for just isn’t described, which is utterly baffling as a writing decision because blunt, lacking-in-description prose strips the magic out of the magic, as it were – at which point it doesn’t matter that your music-magic is a cool concept, because you’ve made it boring. The overabundance of dialogue tags made me wince, and the twins didn’t come off as spooky and mysterious, but more like unconvincing androids.

The worldbuilding had potential – I really liked that there were multiple ways of living in the magical world, either embracing it or living in more isolation in multi-family communes; it helped establish that the magical world is not homogenous. There are alternatives to the Hogwarts-esque magic schools available. But so much seemed muddled; if the twins’ affinity for plants is terribly unusual, why are magic-users called Bloom Bloods? And I was immediately bored by all the elemental spells: wow, we haven’t seen THAT before.

Welp. Don’t judge a book by its cover!

I liked this book overall, the vibes were on point. However, I felt like the characters could have been a little more fleshed out and the pacing felt a little weird but I still really liked it. It kept taking directions I didn't expect. The world was very interesting and I honestly do want more. I hope there's a sequel. It was quite a fast read, I did like the characters, I just wished their voices had been a little more distinct. I feel like they could have been more layered... Anyway, still a good YA fantasy, with a very interesting world and great twists!

The Cursed Melodies by Connie Glynn is a spellbinding and enchanting start to a new teen fantasy series, brimming with hidden powers, budding romance, and dark magic. With its richly imagined world, compelling characters, and high-stakes plot, this book is perfect for fans of magical adventures and stories that explore the balance between light and darkness.

The story follows Astrid and Jonas, twins who share a unique and mysterious bond with nature. Flowers whisper instructions to them, and trees sing of their histories, but their caretakers have always kept them away from the natural world, fearing their abilities. When they are sent to a sprawling manor house, they wonder if it will be a refuge or just another cage. Meanwhile, Gwen, a determined young woman with a deep knowledge of the shadow world of Bloom Bloods, is on a mission to prove her worth after failing her application to Fountains Abbey, the prestigious school that trains the next generation of magical protectors.

When the twins and Gwen cross paths, their unique abilities are revealed, and they are drawn into a dangerous quest to stop a mysterious evil that is spreading across the world. Unnatural monsters are appearing, weaving discordant magic and threatening the balance between the mundane and mystic realms. Together, the trio must uncover the truth behind the cursed melodies and harness their powers to confront the darkness.

One of the standout features of The Cursed Melodies is its richly imagined world-building. Glynn creates a vivid and immersive setting, from the eerie manor house with its spires and ivy to the hidden world of Bloom Bloods and their magical melodies. The blend of nature-based magic and dark, discordant forces adds depth and intrigue to the narrative, making the world feel alive and full of mystery.

Astrid and Jonas are compelling protagonists, whose bond as twins and their connection to nature make them both relatable and fascinating. Gwen, with her determination and knowledge of the magical world, adds a layer of complexity and drive to the story. The dynamic between the three characters is electric, filled with tension, camaraderie, and the promise of budding romance.

The plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The stakes are high, with the fate of both the mundane and mystic worlds hanging in the balance, and the tension builds steadily as the trio uncovers the truth behind the cursed melodies. The blend of action, mystery, and magic creates a narrative that is as engaging as it is unpredictable.

Thematically, The Cursed Melodies explores issues of identity, belonging, and the power of unity. The novel also delves into the idea of balance—between light and darkness, nature and civilization, and the mundane and the magical. These themes are woven seamlessly into the story, adding depth and resonance to the narrative.

If there is a minor critique, it is that some readers may find the large cast of characters and the complex world-building a bit overwhelming at first. However, this is a small quibble in an otherwise masterfully crafted novel.

The Cursed Melodies is a must-read for fans of teen fantasy and magical adventures. Connie Glynn has created a story that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining, offering readers a chance to lose themselves in a world of magic, mystery, and the enduring power of friendship.

A spellbinding and enchanting fantasy, The Cursed Melodies is a standout debut that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next instalment in the series. A great book to begin discussions of inclusion and representation within the genre!

Charming book with an inclusive cast, but poorly written.

The Cursed Melodies is Rosewood's punk cousin. It isn't terrible, and in the right hands it'll find an audience, but just like its sister series it's poorly executed and barely scrapes its own potential.

The biggest issue is the prose: awkward, clunky and superfluous, I found myself losing focus or skimming because the book failed to draw any compelling imagery or immersion. Sentences typically followed the same rote structure which felt tiresome and and trite by the third chapter. There's also heavy reliance on filtering, epithets, hand-holding descriptions and gratuitous body movements. The number of times people 'blink' in reaction to something (17 instances), 'chuckle' (20 instances), 'glance' (60 instances), or the worst one 'look at/ up/ down something or someone' (around 75 instances) was ridiculous. Astrid and Jonas might get referred to as the twins more than their own names. They feel things happening to them rather than describing the thing actually happening to them (50 instances). It's like there's an innate failure of trust in the readers to logically deduce conclusions from the text. Supposedly this series is geared towards a slightly more mature audience than Rosewood, so where is that trust in that mature audience then? The hand-holding descriptions especially adds so much tedium to the book that simply doesn't need to be there.

The lack of subtlety and build-up as well ruins a lot of the character dynamics. Whilst not outright stating that Astrid and Gwen have feelings for each other, the hints are so punch-in-the-face you don't know why they bother waiting around. They meet each other and suddenly its butterflies and inexplicable pulls and Astrid questioning her loyalty to the twin brother she's known her whole life.

This prose also, in turn, affects the magic system and world-building. In the book, Bloom Bloods use music and song to manipulate the material world to their bidding. The execution is so incredibly generic, though, it could be Harry Potter spells and nothing would change. Conjuring magic through music is pretty cool, but the way the magic is described and used doesn't feel distinctive enough to separate it from other books. Astrid and Jonas, in particular, have a connection to their magic through whispering plants, but the only difference between them and others is just that: the plants talk. We never get true descriptions of what the music sounds like, either. What makes Push and Pull audibly different from one another? Plus the magical creatures are taken from other mythologies, with things such as rusalkas and Strixes. I don't feel any connection to a world that feels like I've read it before.

Astrid and Jonas Bunting and Gwen Chatterjee are our protagonists. Astrid and Jonas attempt to give off this mysterious, creepy twin vibe that everyone but the reader can see. I do appreciate that they were separate characters with the own stories and thoughts, but they did very often feel like the same character copy-pasted for majority of the book. Gwen I was more lukewarm too, but she often overreacts to things out of nowhere, creating melodrama for the sake of conflict. That is, however, another issue with the general storytelling and not a character-specific flaw.

The twins and Gwen's main objective is to discover more about their pasts, and the story unfurls as magical creatures appear in places they shouldn't. The plot itself is serviceable but I never felt compelled to find out what happens next. There's whole shenanigans with Pledges and enchanted woods that sort of feel like they were only added to insert a MacGuffin or create some base-level conflict. They happen to run into plot-important details or objects by chance and not by earning it.

The side cast are mostly one-note and unnecessary. Tell me why we needed Thomas, Lorelei and the two Fountains Abbey ambassadors I can't remember the names of? None of them even remotely contribute to the plot or the trio's character development. Even Gwen's older sister Jan could be taken out without any issue; the ones left have watery personalities that make them forgettable anyway. Only Ambassador Harriet Loupe manages to stick in my head, and only because she was a centre point of personal conflict.

What I will say about the characters though, the non-topical inclusivity is done really well. Both twins are gay, Gwen is no doubt a wlw of some description, Magnus has a husband, Prince Theodore has two mothers... it's not made a big deal out of and completely normalises queerness.

Glynn has the talent and the ambition to write a fantasy but she just doesn't have the means to pull it off yet. If not for her audience, she wouldn't have got the book deal in the first place – and unfortunately, it still shows. That's not to say this book is the worst thing ever, it has its charm and you can feel the love poured into the characters and world, which in itself is enough to keep me engaged, but it is in need of a thorough edit and polish.

WILL I READ ON? Probably.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Thank you to the publisher and author for sending me this arc via NetGalley for review!

Instantly from the start I got very specific nostalgic vibes; being a kid and picking up a fantasy book from the library that ended up consuming me completely. I would say that this one definitely leans a lot more towards the middle grade audience than to the young adult audience that I believe this is marketed for. If I would have read this when I was younger I would have been insufferable!

I enjoyed the unique magic system throughout this book and found the alternate version of our reality fascinating. The story progressed fairly quickly, and there was definitely enough going on to keep me interested but not overwhelmed.

I loved the representation of sexuality through the characters and can’t wait to see how relationships develop in the rest of the series.

That being said, I would have loved a bit more character development specifically when it came to the twins. In a YA novel I would expect to go just a bit more in depth when it came to them realising their magical abilities, individual characteristics, and more exploration when it came to them learning how to harness their new powers.

Overall though, this was a light and entertaining read that I really did enjoy. It’s perfect if you’re a lover of middle grade fantasy’s or just want to read something a little bit more light and magical!

The Cursed Melodies was my first ever ARC and I'm so happy that it was because I loved this story! I was a big fan of The Rosewood Chronicles so I had high hopes for The Cursed Melodies.

Starting with the characters- I found the characters really intriguing and as a reader felt invested in their stories from the start. I loved the twins but Gwen was definitely my favourite character. The characters backgrounds and progress throughout the story is such a great representation of friendships, choices, and struggles.

The plot- The Cursed Melodies has all of the great things that a YA fantasy book needs. I found the plot to be fun and exciting, and I think the pacing of the story was perfect. I found this to have a medium pace which was great for multiple reasons. I love world building and it was great in this book because it wasn't too complex. The pacing really helped because as readers we explored a lot of the world without getting stuck in one place for too long with an overload of information, but also did not jump from one place to the next with not enough context. The magic system in this book and its link with music is such a unique and interesting idea. My only complaint is that I would have loved to have seen more of the use of magic, but I don't think there was a lot of room for that to be explored in this book and am assuming it will be something for the sequel.

I really like the author's writing style and found this to be a light but entertaining read.

2.25/5

I really wanted to love this book, because the premise sounded great; a YA fantasy with budding romance and dark magic. Unfortunately, all of those elements fell short for me.

Things I did like:
- The characters are diverse and most of them have well definited, individual characteristics that distinguish themselves from one another.
- The magic is really unique, I liked that it was based around melodies and how the melodies/spells could be combined to create different spells
- I liked the found family element, and how we got to see the twins slowly develop trust for the people around them
- The writing was accessible and easy to read

My main critiques:
- The twins felt like they'd been merged into one person, rather than being individuals. Their point of view sometimes merged and switched within a chapter and I found it quite jarring. I understand that the point might have been to show they have a "special twin connection", but it felt reductive, and like they had no individuality so they were treated as a unit, and not in a good way.
- The majority of the book is quite slow. After the initial 'adventure' that kicks off the plot, the middle section felt like mostly filler and the majority of the action took place at the end.
- I personally think this book is on the much younger side of YA, probably more like middle grade (8-12 years old), as the writing is definitely more "tell" than "show". Most things are explicitly stated via dialogue, rather than shown in the narrative.
- I also don't think it neccessarily has a "budding romance" element. There's a lack of chemistry or characters growing attached to one another romantically. Again, this is stated via dialogue.
- I feel like Gwen's character regressed during most of this book. She starts off as a feisty girl who goes on a solo adventure just to solve a mystery, but spends the majority of the book shy and insecure.
- I wish we had seen more development of the twins learning to use their magic. This part felt like it was skipped over, and they went from not knowing they had magic, to being able to use it quite suddenly.

I'm so sorry to say that I didn't really enjoy this book, I truly wanted to. I think Connie is a great writer and I did enjoy the Rosewood books when I was younger. Overall, I think this book needed a little more substance and development, to be considered YA rather than middle grade.

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

The Cursed Melodies by Connie Glynn, was provided by netgelly in exchange for an honest review.

The follows a pair of twins (Jonas and Astrid) appear even more in sync than average twins. Despite being a boy and a girl, they look incredibly similar in an otherworldly and androgynous way (ie both slim and very blonde, fae-like almost). We see their current life and how isolated and cruel they've been treated and it becomes very clear why they repeatedly say and act in a way that they only have each other. However, they know there's something weird about them as they hear music from plants and nature, which leads them to meeting the other main character, Gwen. She was born into and lives in the magical population, called Bloombloods (non-magical people are Redbloods, which leads me to wonder what colour Bloombloods bleed?). The twins want to know where they came from and Gwen just wants to be normal and have reliable, useful magic.

When the twins meet her, they both feel an intense draw to be near her and protect her. And as she witnesses them using magic they don't understand, she brings them back to her coven and home. Thus begins the mystery of the twins background, the dark backlash of Gwen's magic, and what secrets everyone else is hiding.

So good parts:
I liked the almost alien nature of the twins, really made it clear quickly that they didn't fit in the reguar human world.
The fact that it took the twins so long to build trust with anyone was so great in the sense that it makes sense that in similar stories, people get over their past trauma so quickly. So the building of trust shows their growth with building connections.

The critiques:
I found the magic system and the use of Bloom to be somewhat...underexplained? like there were many bookshelves and books mentioned, and how most people are trained from birth to wield magic. Then the twins show up and they can do a certain type of magic (which is explained) but then they are shown using regular Bloom magic and there's never anything shown with them learning/practicing spells which I found odd.
I think the name The Grim could've been better named, as it 1) implies it one being almost 2) a grim is a think in folklore (and H*rry Potter). Obviously, like all of this review, it's my personal opinion but seeing as Bloom is good magic, it could've been something more plant/nature-based (like, Blight, the Corrosion etc). I think my main criticism i guess was not really understanding the world; how are 'Redblood' people kept in the dark, is this set in modern UK with a different royal family, is it an AU UK, what year is it meant to be???

I was intrigued to pick this up essentially for the idea of the magic system, being this mix of music and nature, so I was pretty excited to start. It was very easy and quick to read and the characters were likeable enough, though some of the emotions would sometimes appear from seemingly nowhere? Especially the conclusion that Astrid or the the twins in general exist to protect Gwen. So it doesn't feel equal, which Gwen seems as uncomfortable with as I did as a reader.

I'd recommend for YA fantasy readers in general especially if you want a darker tone than most.
3.5

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for approving me to read this early, I’m rating this 3.5 stars.

This story had very quirky gothic vibes throughout, I adore the twins and their peculiarities. YA fantasy is a real favourite of mine and this story is a good addition to the genre. Gwen is also a lovely yet naive character full of well meaning intentions, but seemingly quite lost.

I enjoyed the mystery that plays out surrounding our three core characters, we get some good world building introducing us to magic and creatures that cause all sorts of chaos. The story has an eerie vibe to it linking the past to the present, and although after some twists and turns we do get some answers, there is still much to unravel about the characters and the sinister plot unfolding around them.

I’m looking forward to continuing the story and finding out more.

The Cursed Melodies felt like stepping into a hauntingly beautiful fairytale - dark, lyrical, and completely mesmerising. Astrid and Jonas’ connection to nature was written in such a vivid, enchanting way that it made the whole story feel alive, with flowers that whispered secrets and trees that sang of the past. The tension of their isolation, mixed with the mysterious world of the Bloom Bloods, created a gothic atmosphere that kept me hooked from start to finish.

I loved how the story balanced its eerie, magical elements with the deep, emotional bond between the twins. The sense of longing and danger built steadily, and by the end, I was completely invested in the unraveling of their past and the secrets hidden within the manor. If you love lush, atmospheric fantasies with a touch of darkness, this one’s a must-read!

This was one of those books where the story grabbed you and wouldnt let go. I just loved it. The world is excellent and there is a decent, diverse cast of characters.
My only complaints are that the relationships that will form are super obvious right from the start. Maybe in the second book I'll be proven wrong, but I doubt it. I have no issues with the relationships themselves, they are just so in your face obvious.
The other issue is that, although I loved the story, it took me some time to get to like the main 3 characters, Gwen, Jonas and Astrid. It sort of worked for the twins, Jonas and Astrid, as their whole thing was not wanting to know other people and being left alone. But with Gwen, as the main character, I found myself needing her to come out her shell a bit more to the audience, even if she didn't do so to the other characters. But by the end, I was with them all the way and desperate to continue their story.

So overall, this is a great and incredibly exciting book. I highly recommend it and I will be waiting with bated breath for book 2!

‘If you can hear the music, it's already too late…’

This was an adventure of a read.

The world-building felt unique and I loved the connection to the magic of the tale of Arthur and Merlin and how music is magic itself. The twins themselves did freak me out a bit with how in sync they were with each other in both speech and movements but they were their own characters with so much depth.

Gwen was a character we can all relate to trying to find ourselves in a world that we all try to fit into.

With all the twists abd turns that came along I am very much looking forward to his this story will all unfold

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this! There was definitely a fairytale mystical vibe and the pacing of the book was easy to read and follow.

The mystery of the twins drew me in straight away and the continued suspense around Gwen kept me wanting answers. I loved the friendships and character diversity, and of course the plot twists!!

I’ll definitely be reading the next book and I can’t wait for its release 🫶🏼

the plot twist had me shocked. because the hello??? THE BETRAYAL???

but my complain is the phrase ‘you and me against the world’. i mean, i get it that they're twins and they're trusted with each other. but seeing this phrase got me irritated a bit.

nonetheless, i've still enjoyed and definitely continuing the series (because i want more some astrid and gwen moments.) and some of the characters who lived from faymore manor

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

So as you can probably tell from the star rating that I didn't really enjoy this book. It was sold as a dark fantasy but it just wasn't. The elements of romance also promised in the marketing were limited to someone being told they're falling in love and replying with 'yes I can see that'. Which is fine but someone having a crush doesn't make it a 'full of romance' for me. (That's an actual tag line from the marketing btw).

My main issue was I found it incredibly boring. The plot was very predictable, the writing felt very middle grade but not in a good way, and I didn't feel that the characters were well developed. More often than not I found myself skimming just to get to the end of the book.

I didn't like how the twins shared a POV most of the time and I at least wanted an explanation why that wasn't oh but they're twins they're obviously the same person. I also didn't like that while I was reading something would be thrown out there when the action hadn't been started eg. someone tightening their grip on someone else's shoulder when there was no mention of them putting their hand on the shoulder in the first place. This happened on quite a few occasions and led to a lot of wait what moments for me that kept throwing off any sort of flow i was getting in to. The book could have benefitted massively from a little bit of padding. Another example is the description of buttonbug who is 'about the size of a kitten and twice as cute'. That's all the description we get until later on when buttonbug is described as 'moth like'. Like come on a description of the fantasy creature you've made up please!

Now on to the things I did like. Chapter 3. I actually really enjoyed Chatper 3 and It was the whole reason I didn't DNF. It was well written, it flowed well, we were introduced to an actually interesting character in Gwen, and I was chasing the high of Chapter 3 for the rest of the book- which I didn't get.

Then throughout the book it felt like Gwen's character was regressing! She went from this spunky girl who went on adventures alone and was desperate to prove herself to a shell of what she was and quite literally couldn't do anything without the twins holding her hands which was very disappointing.

On to the ending, which was I found quite predictable (I won't spoil it) but we did see a little return of badass Gwen which I appreciated.

Overall, this book was comfortably a 2 star for me and I will not be reading the next one.

A really enjoyable start to a new YA series that I am sure will be a big hit with YA readers. I loved the writing and even though it had a slow start and was a little predictable at times, I found it so easy to get lost in the story, with a wonderful cast of characters and representation, a lovely prose and I really enjoyed of the way the story unfolded with a few plot twists.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the chance to read and review before publication.

The first installment in this YA series is excellent, albeit slightly predictable. I admired the prose, characters, and representation. This series is likely to be a significant success with YA readers.

An excellent first installment in a new YA series - slightly predictable, but I adored the prose, characters, and representation. I think this will be a big hit with YA readers!

Thank you to the author and publishers who allowed me to read this early via an ARC from NetGalley!

Summary: this book is about twins who both have special gifts, but they are unsure the purpose of the gifts, where they came from, and why. This book follows their journey, and they make friends along the way.

What I liked:
- there was LGBTQ+ inclusion and the characters were diverse and interesting
- one of the main romantic relationships is a slow burn and I love that
- there’s a spooky element which I liked, and there were a few plot twists

What I would change:
- some of the back stories of the characters are slow/not completely revealed
- it’s a slow start that can be hard to stick with. Most of the action happens in the middle/end of the book
- there are still a few unanswered questions at the end of the book

Rating: 3/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)