Castle of the Cursed definitely delivered on the Gothic setting, but it was hampered by tonal shifts that were abrupt. Estela's attraction to Sebastian eventually became more developed, but the scenes that hint at the steamy part of their budding relationship at first were so jarring. The first part of that relationship was extremely underdeveloped and it felt forced. I don't know how much pressure there is in the book world right now for everything to get steamier (the Maas effect?), but I think the book would have honestly been better with more authentic interactions between the two characters than the physical aspect played up so fast (binding her hands in rope, OK, that escalated fast...).
On the positive side, the plot about Estela's family and the conflict tying them to the castle and the magic behind the castle was excellent. I was reminded a little bit of Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

The castle atmosphere was perfect for a gothic fantasy and behaved like its own entity with wants and needs. Garber does a fantastic job at creating the vivid imagery of the rooms within in all their chilling glory.

Estela’s character was well done – her struggles after the accident that claimed her parents made her feel even more realistic. It was a constant struggle for her to get through her life, especially when she was thrown curveball after curveball. Sebastian & Estela’s relationship seemed slightly shallow to me – that’s not the appropriate word though, maybe lacking groundwork or a solid foundation to build on. They shared a lot of their life history with each other but, in my eyes, they didn’t spend enough time together to warrant the “I’m eternally yours” vibe. The supporting cast was also well done, but I wish we had more background with them.

"Grief is like climate change: the sobbing comes in cycles, bands of storms that roll in with little warning and uproot my thoughts."

The castle offered just enough shrouded mystery to ensnare family members who ceaselessly hunger for more – more wealth, more time, more knowledge, etc. It could give them what they’re looking for, all they have to do is pay the price. Only sometimes, the cost isn’t what they anticipated. I have never been a big fan of open-to-interpretation endings – if there isn’t a second book I would prefer it to be wrapped up (especially where the main characters are concerned).

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this spooky, twisty, and paranormal book from an author I am a fan of. I would have liked this one more had it been a duology instead of a stand-alone, it would have allowed more time to explore integral aspects of the book to a fuller extent. I recommend checking this one out – especially if you enjoy books with gothic romance & a castle hiding its hunger, as well as secrets.

Starts off with a bang and then some slow build up. Glad a stack with it. The second half of the book so much happens. Loved the lore the writer buildsup. Refreshing take on vampires. Did remind me of Stephen Kings Rose red and Henry James turn of the screw but in the best way. Enjoyed seeing the combination of a multiverse, curses and vampires all working together to tell this story. Loved the ending!

A big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spooky season is upon us!

Castle of the Cursed is a YA gothic fantasy novel about a girl just wanting to find out what happened to her mother. After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor’s guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra. Beneath its gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents’ deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he’s been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress. As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra’s secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she’s chasing has already found her . . . and they’re closer than she ever realized.

I feel like this book had a really cool concept, but really poor execution. Like I was expecting so many things to happen, and it just kinda flopped. But what are you going to do?

This was a dark tale about a creepy castle and family secrets. This one sucked me in quickly. I loved the different characters and the world building (without giving spoilers) was very interesting.

I received this as an arc from NetGalley. It's a little more fantasy than I'm used to reading. At first I thought it was going to be predictable but I ended up being sort of surprised. Creative.

The characters fell flat and the dynamics between them are missing a lot of crucial details. It doesn’t seem realistic that an immortal being would be in such a rush to get married. This is definitely more fantasy than gothic mystery. There’s no HEA. Just didn’t vibe with it at all.

Castle of the Cursed grabbed me from the first page and didn't let me go!!
The atmosphere and plot were 10/10, and the characters are so well written I felt like I was in the story along with them. When Estella arrives at La Sombra she begins to realize exactly how much her parents kept from her and she sets out on a mission to uncover every secret. She has the reluctant help of a man only she can see, well when he's not thinking/attempting to kill her. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from page one and took some surprising twists and turns that made me love the story even more!
This is the first book I've read by this author and I will definitely be checking out their other books!

Estela has lived her whole life mostly on the road around the United States with her parents, who both have jobs that involve travel. They are a happy, tight-knit unit. But her world is upended when a very strange incident occurs on the subway. Everyone but Estela dies. She is put in a government-funded mental health facility for a few months and then is sent to Spain.

Her aunt is the sole occupant of a centuries-old castle next to a small town. The Brálagas have always lived in the castle and have always had a close relationship with the citizens of the town.

In addition to its dark, gothic appearance and the name the villagers call it, La Sombra, the castle is home to many secrets.

Upon being deposited there with her aunt Beatriz, Estela immediately starts investigating. She has help from a young man in town, Felipe, who is helping her learn Spanish but also has a deep fascination with the history of the castle.

The strangest thing is that at night, Estela keeps running across a darkly handsome young man in the castle. But apparently, no one else can see him. Sebastián tells her he’s not from her world, but he just can’t remember much else: who he is or where he came from before he just appeared in this “dimension.” She does know that he is in some way connected to the mysterious deaths that happened on the subway and the reason she is now in Spain.

As Estela and Sebastián, as well as Felipe, piece together clues about the reality of the castle and its tie to the family and the townspeople, they have to figure out why strange things are happening right now. Someone caused the incident on the subway; someone brought Sebastián into this world. And someone is going after Estela. The danger keeps ramping up, and Estela has to figure out just what is going on and who is behind it to save herself, the town, and those she now cares about.

Castle of the Cursed is definitely a gothic tale, and the mysteries are what kept me hooked. I enjoyed the introduction of the various paranormal elements. However, I got to a point that I felt the story got pretty overblown. The romance, the true identity of Sebastián, the nature of the castle and its tie to the Brálagas… so much ended up being too melodramatic for my taste. The resolution and ending also didn’t quite work for me. Without writing any spoilers, it’s hard to say exactly why. However, if you love dramatic, telenovela-type gothic stories with sides of horror and a lot of blood, you will adore this.

Castle of the Cursed started a bit slow, but once it set the stage and got our protagonist to Spain, it took off.
This gave me vibes of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Roshoni Chokshi, two of my favorite authors, and I loved the gothic meets campy meets vampires meets mystery blend.
Ana Osorio is a new-to-me narrator and she NAILED this narration. I was enraptured as she brought all of Estela’s emotions to life. I’m glad I was able to read this on audio instead of with my eyeballs because the narration absolutely enhanced the reading experience for me.
Castle of the Cursed absolutely worked for me, and this is one of my new favorite paranormal gothic mystery/thrillers. It was suspenseful and intriguing and just so fun.

Thanks so very much to Netgalley and the publisher for kindly providing me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I do reviews on my main social media platforms and will be providing my full review there as I get through my TBR blacklist. Thanks again!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 stars

The premise for this story had a lot of potential. Unfortunately it just didn’t feel fleshed out. We had too many side plots plus a romance thrown in there.

The castle curse was intriguing and left me wanting to find out more. Unfortunately Estela lacked the investigating skills and curiosity. She never asked why and didn’t really do any of her own investigating (unless you count exploring the castle).

We also have the mysterious Sebastian who tries to kill her a handful of times. They don’t really know anything about each other and happen to fall in love? This part really threw me for a loop as she kissed him and suddenly he was her boyfriend it felt like. The pacing just felt off.

I think the characters didn’t feel fleshed out. Felipe was her best friend but they didn’t really know each other that well? All their fights felt really juvenile and they got over them so fast.

Overall I thought the curse was interesting and unique. The rest just moved too fast for me and the details weren’t fleshed out.

I love gothic tales so I had to pick this one up. The story starts out with a bang and the pacing never really let up until the end. Normally that's a good thing but here, I kind of wish it was a bit slower so I could have digested it fully. I had to stop periodically to try to wrap my head around the "how" and "why." Maybe it's just one of those books that needs a second read through in order to pick up on all of the little details?
Despite that, I did enjoy Castle of the Cursed and the last paragraph left me reeling. Definitely one to add to your spooky season TBR!

I’m gonna be honest and say I got this book purely out of FOMO. Otherwise it would not have been on my radar. And yet somehow I became so invested in this book that by the time it was coming to a close I started to panic. I liked it so much. I liked all the twists and the way the story closed. It made me eager for more. This story surprised me and now I have yet another author to add to my favorites. Thanks for making this a read now. I would never have discovered it otherwise.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Everything starts with the mysterious deaths of Estela's parents and over twenty other strangers on a subway car. There are no clear answers, and the clues available don't make sense to Estela or the authorities. She is shipped off to her only remaining family in Spain to live in a decrepit castle with an aunt she does not know. Everyone around her seems to know more about the situation than she does. What secrets do her aunt, the castle itself, and another inhabitant of the castle 👀 keep?

With everything going on, I felt like I was still missing some little something to help tie it all together for me. There were times I'd forget about other plotlines because they wouldn't be addressed for a bit. The magic was interesting, but just a lot of moving parts.

Sidenote: Just a reminder, this is YA, folks. Don't go hunting for spice here. There is a romance plotline, but it's a fade to black situation.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book!

Listen, the mixed reviews should not deter you from picking this book up. If you like gothic YA romance, then you need to sit yourself down and devour this book.

A cursed castle. A hot, mysterious vampire. Secrets, lies, betrayal. Even more mystery. <- don't tell me you read that and weren't at least a tiny bit intrigued... I won't believe you.

Estela is a FMC you don't meet often. She was fleshed out, in depth, and not the typical run of the mill FMC you tend to run into in the YA genre. Add in a little bit of Spanish, the atmosphere of this book gives our main girl an air that is just... delectable.

The pacing of the book could be a bit better, but overall it was extremely delightful to read.

When I initially read the premise of this book I was instantly sold. It sounded so interesting, and I couldn't wait to dive in. After reading the author's note in the beginning of the book, I started to think that maybe I wasn't the target audience for it. I was so nervous to give it a shot, but after seeing so many great reviews for it on bookstagram, my curiosity won. And let me tell you, I may not sleep for a few days, but it was SO WORTH IT!

This may be one of the darkest books I've ever read. For the first couple of days, I couldn't read it at night; but in my last reading session, I just had to know how it ended so I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish. It was SO GOOD! While there were a few aspects that felt familiar and like I'd read them before, the entire book as a whole was so incredibly unique. After reading the last page, I legit just sat in my chair trying to think of any plot wholes, and I could not find a single one. Every little clue and detail were well thought out right down to Estela realizing that she practically forced herself onto Sebastian and acknowledged it and apologized. There were so many details to keep up with surrounding the house, but they were all woven together immaculately, and I never felt confused or like I had missed something,

I didn't guess the twist, and to be honest, the twist is what is going to keep me up at night. It was low key horrifying, haha. I don't want to give anything away in my ramblings, so I'll leave it at that. I definitely recommend it, though!

Read if you enjoy:
- vampire MMC
- enemies to lovers
- morally gray characters
-"cursed" Spanish castle setting
- dark, gothic vibes
- witchy vibes

***There are quite a few trigger warnings that I would check before going in.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to be an early reader! All opinions are my own.

CASTLE OF THE CURSED was such a treat! Great Gothic vibes and romance. Was I the only adult swooning? I hope not. The gothic fantasy and world=building were excellent and inventive. I honestly don't think I've encountered a story quite like this one before in all my years as a reader. Estela was also a very relatable character, particularly in regard to her mental health struggles. There are some content warnings you should heed at the beginning of the book, fyi. I really enjoyed this book and I think most teens and new adults into fantasy or romantasy will enjoy it too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC of this book!

This book is definitely a must read for 2024 and perfect timing to get into the fall mood.

Castle of the Cursed was a fantastic murder mystery gothic horror novel.
The author has me captivated from the beginning and we can tell that Estela is no ordinary girl and doesn’t come from an ordinary family. To get the full picture, you really need to make sure you’re paying attention to the characters within, just how Estela is trying to solve her parents death.
There are unexpected turns, surprising outcomes, and an unforgettable ending. The only reason this is not a five star for me: Sebastían and Estela’s relationship. Not much time happens between their meeting and the conclusion of the novel. Their ending is unrealistic and in my honest opinion, not healthy. However, I ate this up and I hope there’s more to this in the future.
There are many dark themes to this novel, to include murders, suicide, mental health issues, violence, and death of parents.
Thank you to net galley and publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Vampires, gothic romance, evil twins, and a haunted house. Estela's life is forever changed when a mysterious incident kills both her parents and 23 other individuals on a train... leaving Estela the sole survivor of the event. Estela has no idea what happened or why she is the only one to make it out alive. She is determined to find out why and when a mysterious invitation from an estranged aunt arrives asking her to come live with her overseas in their ancestral Spanish Castle, la Sombra, Estela agrees. The castle is a gothic, haunted, and mysterious place made only more mysterious when Estela's investigation into her parent's death becomes linked to their past... and a mysterious silver-eyed boy who drinks blood and talks about being trapped in the castle appears. His name is Sebastian and he cannot appear during the day. Sebastian first assumes that Estela is the witch who trapped him but when he realizes she has no idea what he is talking about they reluctantly agree to work together to find the answers into why they are both connected to the house. Yet as they spend more time together a romance begins to bloom... but Estela's family has many more dark secrets than she could have ever imagined and finding the answers to her parents death as well as other family members relationship to her will lead her into a world she never knew... and will ask her if she even wants to know the answers. This was definitely a fun dark gothic romance to read with a touch of haunted house/vampire romance. I love the constant twist and turns in the story and no matter what happened Estela kept digging and trying to find out what happened. Estela was a strong protagonist to read about and she never gave up. I also enjoyed the romance between Sebastian and Estela and how she brought out the best in him while also understood that he would kill for her and that he would do anything to be with her and protect her. It's a great read and one I'd highly recommend for spooky season!

Release Date: July 30,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*