The Curse Giver

Where to start? I loved the story and I loved the romance, despite the weird angle of it. You don't find too many stories (well, good ones) where the guy is trying to kill the girl and then they wind up happily-ever-after, not without hating one or both of those characters at some point. I found myself cheering Bren on from the very beginning, as he always seemed like a good guy with some really bad luck. I was never convinced that he was going to kill Lusielle, but I suppose the author didn't really do a lot to make you believe that was actually going to happen. Bren was soft, but not too much so. He was a warrior through and through, but when someone like her came around, he gave a bit. I liked the slow building of it all. I also show more really liked Lusielle (though I'm not a fan of her name). She was a strong character that made believable choices, thank the lord. It seems like a lot of the female leads in books end up looking like fools in situations like this, getting instant Stockholm syndrome type feelings even though the guy is complete trash and actually doing terrible things to them. While I did think some of the details about the main thread of this story were a bit corny, I did enjoy it. I kind of wish they'd explained more earlier on about the markings on the women and the whole mystery with the "trial" Bren was having to put them through, though I could guess what it entailed when they continued to put an emphasis on how terrible it was; it was obvious it involved something both sexual and violent. Not knowing what was really going on with that stuff was a source of irritation during the first major portion of the book. Overall though, the book kept me interested, delivered plenty of surprises and had a great ending, so I was pleased. The author is talented and I will definitely be looking for other books by her. :) show less

I have found myself a new fantasy author! For me, good fantasy has to have the following elements: phenomenal world building, engaging and multidimensional characters, and just plain great writing. This book has all of them. I have always been a fan of epic fantasy that makes me feel and care for the characters and also makes me feel like part of the story. I honestly felt like I was there with Bren and Lusielle, experiencing the danger and adventure right along with them.

Read the rest at my blog: http://castlemacabre.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-curse-giver-by-dora-machado-guest....

If you like fantasy at all, you're likely to love this one. It's a rich and robust story told with splendid writing. The characters are deep, multi-dimensional, believable. I've read several of this author's books and this is to me her finest work yet. Strongly recommended, and I'm a very selective reader.