Showing posts with label A Cursed Bloodline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Cursed Bloodline. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Curse Unbroken by Cecy Robson - Early Review


Release Date: March 10, 2015

Fans of Keri Arthur will love the Weird Girls, four sisters cursed with supernatural powers. In Cecy Robson’s latest urban fantasy romance, the search is on for an unholy grail, while evil is licking its wounds—and looking for revenge.

The preternatural world is changing. After a massive magical throwdown tore apart the established order, the dark elements are rebuilding their ranks unopposed. Celia Wird’s world is changing, too. She’s the mate of the pureblood were Aric, and his Warriors are honor-bound to protect her family as she and her sisters recover from unimaginable horrors.

Celia hesitates to reveal the true extent of the Wird sisters’ trauma, but they aren’t the only ones keeping secrets: Aric and the werewolf Elders are tracking a stone that grants limitless power. So is a tough coven of witches. Then Misha, a master vampire with his own plans for the stone, sends Celia after it. Can she and the vamps beat both the weres and the witches to the treasure before it falls into the wrong hands?

Fearing for Celia’s safety, Aric begs her to stay out of the hunt. What they don’t realize is that they’re the ones being hunted. But Celia’s ready to prove that she’s not easy prey.

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Hum baby. If you thought that Celia's life couldn't get any more complicated, you thought wrong. Luckily, we have one amazing heroine and her band of possessive wolves and crazy sisters to help her out. 

While I was finally wondering if I'd reached my limit with terrible things happening to Celia, Robson handled the endless obstacles well. It helps that her main character is so strong and just as fed up with all the trouble as the reader. I liked seeing her reach a final breaking point - how she finally took control, over the Pack, over Misha and his vampires, over witches (yes, witches), over everyone who is in the way of her and her happiness with Aric. It was wonderful to see her grow (who knew she still had space!?) and really come into her own as a woman and a woman in a leadership role, however unwilling she may be to take up that mantle.

Celia and Aric's relationship is wonderful and it's nice to see them presented as a united front rather than separate. While everything around them is up in the air and in chaos, it is refreshing and lovely to see how they approach of this stuff together. That being said, my heart broke a little over the lasting consequences of the A Cursed Bloodline, and while A Curse Unbroken had an ending that I am very pleased with, I am happy that the rest of the weird girls will be explored more in Taran's own series. I have always loved how developed and wonderful Celia's sisters and the secondary characters in the series were, and I can't wait to see more of them. I also enjoyed learning more about the witches and their relationships to the other supernatural groups in the Weird Girls' world, especially since details about the sisters' curse are revealed.

A Curse Unbroken is high action, high romance, high stakes finale. It promises all of the struggle and sacrifice as the previous books, as well as the swoon-worthy romance and laugh out loud comedy. This is one of my favorite urban fantasy series and this finale did not disappoint. It was a joy to read and while I am sad to say goodbye to Celia's voice, I am happy with the knowledge that my time with this lovable, dysfunctional, and weird family isn't over.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Learn more about Cecy Robson and her books here: http://www.cecyrobson.com/index.html

Cecy (pronounced Sessy) Robson is the Penguin Random House author of the Shattered Past new adult contemporary romance series and the award-winning Weird Girls urban fantasy romance series. A self-proclaimed professional napper, Cecy counts among her talents a jaw-dropping knowledge of useless trivia, the ability to make her hair big, and a knack for breaking into song, despite her family’s vehement protests. A registered nurse, full-time writer, wife, and mother living in the South, Cecy enjoys spending time with her family and silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories. 

Happy Reading! 

Jasmine

Friday, November 7, 2014

A Cursed Bloodline by Cecy Robson - Early Review


Release Date: November 18, 2014

Just when Celia thinks the supernatural world can’t turn deadlier, a new rival emerges, proving just how dangerous a power-hungry were can be.

Since being cursed with unique abilities, Celia Wird and her three sisters have fought the most bloodthirsty preternaturals in the Lake Tahoe region. But Celia’s greatest threat is someone she would have never suspected: Anara, a werewolf Elder who has allowed his hatred for Celia to spiral out of control. In a play for dominance, Anara tortures Celia and gives her an ultimatum: sever her mate bond with pureblood were Aric — or Anara will kill everyone she loves.

From the instant they met, Celia and Aric have shared an attraction that cannot be tamed. So keeping Aric away is impossible, and Aric would sooner die than allow anyone to hurt the woman he loves. Misha, master vampire and Celia’s sworn protector, also finds his way into the chaos, seeking blood from those who have harmed her.

Now Celia and her sisters are caught in the middle of a war driven by lust, fueled by hatred, and destined to end in tragedy. For Anara is a force to be reckoned with, and he will not succumb without robbing Celia of those who hold her heart.

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This book crushed my heart to pieces, taped it back together, and now I have to wait for it to be properly bandaged.  But don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of it.

I'm going to be honest. I did a new blogger thing where I read this eArc months ago and didn't realize it would expire.  So this review is going to be made of what I can remember.  But no worries, the feels were strong, so this review should still be helpful.

I absolutely love the world and the characters that Robson has created in her Weird Girls series. Celia is strong and kick-butt.  I've loved her from Sealed with a Curse and I still love her now.  The things she has gone and continues to go through and has had to overcome is crazy but her growth is wonderful to watch.  This book broke my heart, because it plays with Celia's heart (over and over and over again), but she somehow managed to keep coming back, stronger than ever, something that makes me keep going and also have so. Many. Feels.  A Cursed Bloodline is a wringer especially, but the end result, even after all Celia goes through, is strong relationships and an even stronger main character (as well as family and friends) and I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment.

Aric's place in Celia's life is also something that I have enjoyed (enjoyed? That might be too content of a word) let's say...been fascinated with.  I fell in love with him shortly after falling for Celia.  Although his actions of late haven't been my favorite, this piece redeemed him a bit for me.  His love and devotion to Celia are once again put to the test in this installment, and the results are ones that finally weren't making me bang my head against a wall.

And of course, the rest of the Weird girls. Shayna is transitioning well (I won't say more than that, lest there be spoilers) and Taran and Emme are just as entertaining and sweet (respectively, of course) as the other books.  It's been interesting to see how Robson's conflicts surround mates and Pack versus other magical beings and I'm excited to see how they will continue to play out.  She's hinted at books focused on the other Weird girls and while I love Celia (and I mean, LOVE) I am really excited about learning more about her quirky sisters.

While A Cursed Bloodline follows the same overall pattern of the other books - there's a big bad something out to get Celia or someone she cares about and now she and her sisters (and now some of the Pack!) have to go save not only themselves but the world - it is just as entertaining and great as the rest of the series, because it is driven by Celia's character, with the help of all the strong secondary characters that Robson has created.  And this time, the stakes are even higher (and so are the losses).  A sometimes-romantic, sometimes-humorous, sometimes-heartbreaking, almost-always-action-packed read, I highly recommend for fans of The Weird Girls series and paranormal fantasy books by Patricia Briggs and Iona Andrews.  I can't wait for A Curse Unbroken!

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Find out more about Cecy and her works here: http://www.cecyrobson.com

Cecy (pronounced SESSY) Robson is the New Adult Romance author of Once Perfect, Once Loved and Once Pure and the award-winning author of the Weird Girls Urban Fantasy Romance series. A self-proclaimed professional napper, her list of talents includes jaw-dropping knowledge of useless trivia, the ability to make her hair big, and a knack for breaking into song despite her family’s vehement protests. A full-time writer, registered nurse, wife, and mother living in the Great Northwest, Cecy enjoys spending time with her family and silencing the yappy characters in her head by telling their stories.

Cheers and happy reading!
Jasmine