Absolutely loved this so much! Kate is a very talented author, and I can’t wait to read more from her!

If the first book The Curse of Saints was setting the scene and allowing the author to bring her world to life this book is all about the characters learning just what they are meant to do. Aya and Will return to Court only to find themselves surprisingly more in danger at home than they were on foreign soil ! Will no longer trusts his Queen to have the kingdom's well being as her priority but convincing Aya when she has so much to deal with now isn't going to plan. The secrets both between the couple and also around them add to the hurt and distrust. Aya is meant to save them all but as she's feeling more like a prisoner and a pawn plans already laid are set to cause so much more pain and sadly not everyone will survive.
Ok if honest the first half was perhaps a little slow for me as I do enjoy action but honestly this just went in directions I hadn't expected and wow that ending certainly leaves me gnashing my teeth ! I need more, I need it now but sadly have to wait but will happily do so as this series has just pulled me in !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
🌶️🌶️.5 spice

What to Expect:
⚔️Wartime Fantasy with a Romance subplot
⚔️Court & Religious Politics
⚔️Royal Spymaster x Royal Enforcer
⚔️Forbidden Romance
⚔️Chosen One
⚔️Found Family
⚔️Bonded mystical creatures (I picture them like Direwolves)
⚔️Multi POV

"I'm not an Anima, Mathias. I'm a fucking saint."

Reeling after that ending is an understatement. The events of the last few chapters I did not see coming, I thought Gianna was evil but maaan....ooft. Absolutely shook, holy crap that moment of DEVASTATION I tell you (you know the one, this is a spoiler free zone) came out of nowhere. Was not expecting it at all.

Ugh. And we'd finally gotten our found family moment with the whole gang back together. They all should have moved to Trahir and stayed there because fuck Gianna.

Anyway...

This book was a great addition to the series, it was absolutely action packed, and with so many twists and turns. Secrets on secrets. And I love it when I'm trying so hard to predict what's coming and I'm wrong, it's weirdly satisfying.

Despite the fact that these characters are all terrible at their jobs, we get depth and complexity and diversity that more than makes up for it. No one is all good or all bad, and the side characters being so wonderful made switches between the multiple plot lines a pleasure to read...even when we got left on a cliffhanger chapter, which is saying a lot. Man, do I love the short chapters too.

I thought the pace of the first half of the book was pretty slow, I had to slog through the mid-book slump and was struggling at the 40-50% mark, but things really picked up in the second half and I raced towards the end as the tension ramped up, so it was definitely worth it. Just felt like we could have got there sooner and skipped some unnecessary fluff that extended the length of the book without adding much to the plot or character building.

What really got me through was Will and Aya. I wanted more, and couldn't handle the angst, their dynamic in this book just got better and better. My fucking heart. I was speeding through just to get to their next reunion because I wanted them desperately to sort their shit out.

I will end this with a small request...if the final epilogue of this series isn't the two of them ending up in the remote mountains somewhere living out the rest of their lives together in peace with their beautiful wolves, I might riot.

I really loved this sequel. It feels like top tier fantasy with tons of adventure and intrigue and lovable characters. This world lives in my mind now and I can’t stop thinking about it!

I absolutely loved this book. Gobbled it up in a couple of days. There was a lot of drama, twists and different characters.

I found the writing style a bit odd and struggled to fully connect with the different point of views. But the story was still a good story and plot to keep me interested and read it in a couple of days.

I absolutely loved book one! Unfortunately (and I don't know if this is just the mood I'm in) but I couldn't get into book two. DNF.

I really appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC, thank you Sourcebooks!

I really enjoyed this follow up to The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis. All of our favorite characters are back and there's plenty of steam and surprises and war. I say the following with nothing but kindness: there's nothing overly unique about this story and characters. If you read a lot of romantasy, it'll probably feel familiar. But that's not a bad thing! This world and these characters have their own things, for better or worse, but I found myself drawn to them and not wanting to put the book down. For 20-something, best-of-their-kingdom warriors, I do wish they acted more mature and we saw why they were considered so *special*, especially Aya. At times she acted like a 16-year-old, and certainly not the Queen's best spy. It was frustrating in the first book and it was frustrating here. But I liked enough of story to get past it, but it's still there and I wish the author had taken more time to really figure out how to write Aya as more mature and more skilled, other than her raw power. The ending, while not overly surprising, was well done and makes me wish we were getting the third book sooner than later. 3.75 rounded up to 4.

I have not felt this emotionally attached to characters since ACOTAR, nor this shocked at a plot twist since FBAA. Having an ARC read end on a cliff hanger is a new type of pain. The author truly hit their stride in this second book and I can not wait for the next in the series.

Kate Dramis has always been an inspiration for me! She's an amazing author who connects with her audience and isn't afraid to share looks into the writing process. Book 1, The Curse of Saints, was an amazing read. It's such a new plot and writing style, and this book is just as adventurous and fulfilling than book 1! It continues such a thrilling story of elemental, physical, and mind/emotion/sensation wielders on the run, with bonded wolves and diverse cast of characters. I really like the different points of views in this, it adds more depth and back story to some of the more "side " characters. I like how it feels like there are several main characters and it challenges the usual good vs evil story line. A lot of things are so morally grey, I love it!

A slamming sequel that jacks up the tension and stakes! Loved watching the slow burn romance burn a lot hotter, while the world around them teeters on the edge. The worldbuilding is rich, thorough, and linked to Ava's character inextricably. Dramis definitely leveled up in this installment.

This is the sequel to The Curse of Saints and begins where that book left off with Will and Aya returning to Tala. Aya is unhappy with her role change due to her status as the Second Saint. Will and Aya are hiding their relationship. Throughout this whole book there is the simmering underlying tension. You basically have no idea who you can trust. There are several storylines and perspectives going on at once but by the end, they do connect. I enjoyed both the romantic relationship and the sibling and friendship dynamics in this story. The power dynamics and the relationships with the gods are fascinating. The ending leaves you at a point where you have no idea where things stand as you await the third book in the series.

I loved the curse of saints and this book was a really strong continuation of the story. I will keep reading!

This was a strong sequel in the Curse of Saints series, it had everything that I wanted and enjoyed from the Curse of Saints. It had that atmosphere that I was hoping for and enjoyed from the world. Kate Dramis does a fantastic job in writing this and enjoyed the overall feel of this story. It left me wanting to read more in this series and was glad I got to read this.

The Curse of Sins is a really solid and enjoyable sequel to The Curse of Saints. Aya and Will return home to face insurmountable odds and in doing so, must keep their newly blossoming relationship a secret. And man, did they really go through it in this book.

I found the first half of this book to be a bit slow as you’re dealing with more questions than answers at that point. I struggled a bit with jumping to Aidon & Josie’s POVs but I do understand why we needed it. That said, the chapters are short enough that it still moves at a decent pace even if it feels like the plot does not move much in that first half. Aya was also kind of annoying with her mistrust but I think it was valid given her position and granted, she had a lot going on.

Now for all the good stuff. There was plenty of tension and angst between Will & Aya but we also got some really sweet, tender moments that I loved. Around the 55% mark things really started to pop off. I predicted one big reveal, but aside from that I was thoroughly surprised and delighted with where the story went in the end. I loved seeing all the key players come together, if only for a brief period of time. There were a lot of developments leading up to the final scenes that felt like all the puzzle pieces being positioned so that they can slide into their rightful places in the third and final installment.

After that ending, I imagine the final book in this trilogy is going to put us through quite a bit of heartache, but I am really excited to see where this story goes and have my fingers crossed for a HEA. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC to read and review!

I was so excited about this book and it did not deliver. All progress made was thrown out the window for the sake of drama. If you are a fan of a miscommunication trope, you will not be bothered by it. Unfortunately, I am not the target audience for that. There is a nice twist at the end but not enough to make me want to continue, which is a shame because the concept is there.

A big thank you to netgalley.com and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Aya and Will are back in their kingdom and must face their Queen, who has been lying to them. They must get to the bottom of who can be trusted and figure out the prophecy. But war is brewing and those that have siphoned power are on their way.

This is the case of book 2 being better then book 1. Way more "Bow-chica-Wow-wow" in this one. ;) I was not expecting the ending of book 2 to go the way it did, but am I highly looking forward to book 3. I expect a lot from that one now. With Magic and lies involved in a story, you never know who to really trust.

I should have reread the first book because I believe my lack of understanding and flow could have contributed to not remembering things. I feel like it was slow in some parts and things didn’t truly pick up until the end but I really enjoyed the book and loved seeing Aya, Will, Aidon, and Josie again. I wish we had more time with all four of them because they are great characters and I love all of their interactions together. This book did start off directly after the first book ended which was mice that there wasn’t a jump in time or anything to disrupt the flow.
There were a lot of “well shit” moments, like chapter 56, and I thought the way Act I ended was done really well. I’m looking forward to the next book and what it entails.

One of the most amazing books I've read in a long time, the emotional roller coaster that is sins is on another level. The plot, writing, quick changes, dialogue and characters are phenomenal. This booka dresses everything from loss to love to mental fortitude. Loved this book, it had my crying, laughing and screaming. Thank you Kate Dramis for another amazing book, I cannot wait for TCOS3 and where the plot will go.

“The cry of war in Tala stars with the howl of a lone wolf that sails into a harbor and the answering caw of a raven that settles on the mast of the ship, as if it knows carrion awaits.”

The Curse of Sins by Kate Dramis is available for pre-order and releases on June 25, 2024 (June 20,2024 for UK readers)!

WOWOWOW. What a stellar second book in The Curse of Saints trilogy! I am so grateful that I received an ARC for The Curse of Sins from NetGalley.

I didn’t know that I could love Kate Dramis’s writing more after The Curse of Saints, but this one really did it. We got tons of Will and Aya. We got their conflict. We got their resolution. We got beautiful declarations. Chef’s kiss. I loved that we got to see Will’s point of view more in this book as well. The way those chapters were written were so captivating and beautiful and gave us insight to how broken he is the back 20% of the book.

I don’t know if I could pick a favorite part. I don’t know if I could pick a favorite scene of Will and Aya they were just so great and iconic. I also appreciate that we weren’t starved for their interaction and struggle. That was something I was curious about seeing as they had to keep their relationship secret, but we got *plenty* of Will and Aya.

I think what I’m most curious to see play out in book 3 (yes already thinking about book 3 🙃) aside from the whole Evil Evie (brilliant), is how everything unfolds back in Trahir. What is going to happen with Vivienne, her power, and her knowledge of Aidon’s? Do Vivienne and Ryker mean more to each other than Bellare comrades / friends? What’s going to happen with the ✨tension✨ between Aleissande and Josie? 😏 SO many questions!!

RIP to the budding little flirtation between Aidon and Tova 🔥
And to Tova, too. THE GASP I GASPED. Clutching my chest.
Note to self: good things never happen on a throne room, regardless of the kingdom.

I can’t *wait* to watch Will and their friends burn the world down to rescue Aya. 😈

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read this book.

The Curse of Sins is the second instalment of Kate Dramis’ series “The Curse of Saints”. While the first book was an excellent introduction to Aya’s and Will’s world and characters, the second shows how do they deal with their new dynamic, with their own issues and perceived enemies and challenges.
Dramis builds an interesting world, full of magic, god given powers, love, lies, deceptions and schemes, spying and corruption, intrigues, alliances and even some queer representation. It is absolutely fantastic and draws your attention, as well as stimulates your imagination. The descriptions are very graphic and visual, helping with immersion into the world of Visya. Similarly, the characters of this novel are not just one dimensional, but feel like full blooded beings, that we root for or hate with our whole hearts, only to learn that we were wrong about them, or that there is a redeeming quality in them, or that they are utterly despicable… the author keeps us on our toes and it is a great feeling.
The romance is well written, believable and beautiful. The way they try, against the world and circumstances is just amazing, basically an example of how to write a good love story without any forced drama (not that there is no drama at all, just that it is believable and makes sense for the characters and their journey).
It’s not without the flaws: some characters and stories are a bit unnecessary or underdeveloped (like Cole, or Lena, also Healer) and the cliffhanger at the end just doesn’t seem justified. But still, it’s a very good book, I totally recommend reading it.

4,5/5 rounded down.