I had the first book, but I never finished it in time to review this book. Will get the released hardcover as long as the first book captures me.

3.5 stars
I enjoyed A Curse of Gold so much more than the first book! It had the perfect blend of action, romance and drama. The book jumped straight into the action from the get-go and this made for a fast-paced and gripping book. I also enjoyed the twists in this book because they truly surprised me.

Kora was a great protagonist and I enjoyed reading in her POV. She was strong and independent. We really got to see her character growth and I enjoyed following along with her. The romance wasn't the focal point in the sequel and I liked how it didn't overshadow the main plot. This was a breath of fresh air because I find that most books tend to abandon the main plot for the romance. This was definitely not the case.

Overall, this was a fun entertaining read! I recommend if you enjoy Greek mythology and a badass heroine.

When everything you touch turns to gold and your father has been cursed by a god, life can be hard. Princess Kora is back in the follow up to Annie Sullivan’s A Touch of Gold with more adventure, romance, action and adrenaline raced chapters to keep readers in suspense until the very end.

Kora thought that surviving the pirates who stole her treasure and returning it to the palace was going to be her biggest adventure, that is until she returns to the palace and finds life is not as simple as when she left. Her own people are afraid of her magical powers and threaten to overthrow her. Now Dionysus, the god who cursed her father, has put a death sentence out on Kora in order to take over her kingdom. There is no way she is going to willingly give up her kingdom, leading her to set out in search of Dionysus on the disappearing island of Jipper. Along the way she encounters challenges set to keep her from achieving her goal and saving not only her father but their kingdom as well. Going up against the greatest trickster ever is not something she wants to do, but with no other choice, Kora sets out to prove she is worth more than the gold her touch can produce.

A super-fast start, little bit of a dip in the middle, and super strong finish with lots of action, tension and a few nail-biting moments best sums up A Curse of Gold. It was a great follow up to A Touch of Gold, but I think my biggest problem was it had been a long time since reading the first so I didn’t remember a few key points and wasn’t able to connect with the characters as fast as if I had just finished the first. I do think that readers will find Kora the perfect strong female protagonist. She was by far my favorite character, although I will admit I did like Triton much more than anticipated. While Kora will be a character that readers will connect and empathize with Triton will surprise readers with his character arc and how he is written. It can be tricky to write about Greek gods and mythology; readers that are big into the Greek myths might have a problem with the way some of the characters are portrayed but if you let the imagination run free with the story, I think you will find it most enjoyable. Scenes with dialogue moved quickly, but when it switched to more narration, the story stalled for me at times and I found myself yearning to find more action and move the story along quicker, which occurred through the middle of the book than any other points. I recommend this to YA readers, especially if they are into mythology and even older readers that enjoy these types of stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Initial Thoughts

I was excited to read this book. I had purchased a copy of A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan but hadn’t read it yet and receiving an ARC in NetGalley was a perfect reason to start this series. I actually bought the first book because I thought it was a standalone and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was a duology.

Some Things I Liked

PJO vibes. I loved the Percy Jackson / Greek gods themes in this series. I am a big fan of mythology and I really enjoyed the way the gods and goddesses were woven into the world building here.
Triton. He was definitely my favorite side character. I really was hoping for more from him and I would absolutely love a spin-off all about his adventures.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

Slow build. The plot had a very slow build in the beginning and I found that I was a bit bored. I put the book down for several weeks before picking it back up and that’s usually a bad sign for me. I think the story could have been told more succinctly and that would have kept my interest more.

Series Value

I can see more stories set in this world. I’d love to see the same crew go on a Hercules-esque adventure to the Underworld to save a certain character.

I’d definitely keep reading if Annie Sullivan were to continue this series.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. I loved all of the nods to Greek mythology as well as the romance plot. I thought it was a unique retelling.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan – if you liked the writing style here, definitely try Annie Sullivan’s 2019 release. Tiger Queen is a retelling of a short story with a really unique spin.
All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace – if you liked the magic and pirates themes seen in A Curse of Gold, give this February 2020 release a try.
The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano – if you liked the idea of a curse that turns people and things to gold, check out the magic that the main character in this series possesses. There is also a similar pirate / ship motif going on.

I really enjoyed the preceeding book, A Touch of Gold and was excited to read this next book. While I did not enjoy it as much as the first, which I found really delightful, I did enjoy this one quite a bit. Here Kora must take on Dionysus to protect her people. Taking with her the friends and lessons that she found in the first book she sets out another sea journey. It is hard not to compare it with the first adventure which felt more tightly written and edited than this follow up. The story is still action packed, now with more Greek myths brought into it beyond the story of King Midas.

It just didn't capture my attention in the same way that the first book did. I think I would've enjoyed it a lot more if I'd had the opportunity to refresh my memory of the first book but unfortunately, I couldn't get access to it as I'd hoped to. The worldbuilding that I found really interesting in the first book was confusing me this time around. It sort of felt like I was getting as many mythology references as possible thrown at me and it was a little difficult to keep up with it all.

With a dive into Greek mythology, this book twists and turns with the gods, Midas' touch, and a heroine, who is hard not to root for.

Kora is determined to break the curse set on her father (and by blood, her) thanks to Dionysus. But it's not an easy task as she runs up against creatures and gods alike. Luckily, she's not alone and even finds help in unexpected places.

Note: I did read the first book in this series and would highly recommend that the series be read as such. This second one can be read as a stand-alone, but it does take some time to sink in, and the characters will seem different if book one was read first.

Anyone who enjoys tales with twists on Greek mythology is sure to enjoy this one. The gods are sneaky and cruel as always, but there are several surprises too. Plus, I enjoy the fact that this is a retelling of Midas' Touch...a tale I haven't seen a lot of retellings on yet. The book is packed with action and doesn't leave a moment for boredom. Kora has her hands full, not only with the gods, but with her seafaring friends as well. I especially enjoyed Titus' place in this book... it was an interesting twist on his character and did help to make Kora even more likeable than before.

Romance. There is some, but it doesn't steer the entire plot. Not by any means. Kora's main goal is to break the curse, and that's what this tale is about. So, anyone hoping to smolder on this end, will be disappointed. Still, there is some there, and it adds a sweetness to the tale that would be missing otherwise.

While I enjoy Kora's adventure, I did find many things a bit rushed. Not in the sense that it was confusing or too quick, but rather, the action scenes and other moments could have simply been built out a bit more. So, I felt hurried along when I would have loved to linger.

But it's definitely worth a read to anyone who enjoys these types of retellings.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the review copy!

First, when I requested this I wasn't aware that this is the second book in a series.

This book was so enjoyable and the characters were engaging. I am looking forward to what the author has for us next.

I recommend this read

This was a great sequel to the A Touch of Gold, I enjoyed going on this journey with the book and the characters. I'd look forward to more from the author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the review copy!

First, this is a second book in a series. The first book is "A touch of Gold". If you are a prime member, you should be able to read book one for free. I was not aware when I got this book, it was book 2 so I had to find book one first but it was worth it. This book was so much fun and is told in first person point of view. This story is solid and was told great. It kept me engaged all the way. I am looking forward to what the author has for us next.

I highly recommend this read!

Engaging characters and a brilliant story. I was worried this wouldn't hold up to the first book but it really does. We see more of the other characters too which was nice and seeing Kora's confidence grow and her understanding of herself and others as the story goes on was really nice.

A solid 4.5 stars.

Normally I don't like reading a series out of order, but I found it difficult to find the first book in this series, A Touch of Gold, from the library. I wish I had known at the time that the book was free through my Prime membership! The first book introduces King Midas' daughter Princess Kora. Midas stops using his infamous Midas touch after turning Kora's skin golden and almost killing her. Some of his powers have transferred to Kora, so she can also turn objects to gold.

In A Curse of Gold, Kora is dealing with being the heir to a throne where the people don't want her -- both she and her father are cursed. Then Dionysus, the god who originally cursed Midas, sends his minions to kill Princess Kora. Kora decides that to protect herself and her kingdom, she must find Dionysus and defeat him.

Kora solves several riddles to visit the Oracle, learns about the Greek gods and titans, and ambles off on a journey to find Dionysus' island. The story reads like a swashbuckling adventure novel, including a sea voyage with monsters. Those looking for Percy Jackson with a female hero need to look no further.

The writing is descriptive but odd, as most of us are so used to reading third-person narratives. Having the book in the first person makes sense because the action is through Kora's eyes, but readers may take a while to get used to it. Since it's a YA book, teens may enjoy the narrative because Kora is telling them a story.

Fans of Greek mythology, adventure stories, and fairy tale retellings will enjoy this novel. Teens who enjoy Percy Jackson and its spinoff series will also love this book.

This felt right on par with book one, a seamless continuation of the story but with enough new twists (oh how I love twists) to keep it feeling new. Really well-done sequel that gave the characters (even some of the smaller ones) more depth than many other series do.

A Touch of Gold was a lot of fun and left me excited to see how Kora's story would continue. Now that she has found her father's gold, the next obstacle comes to stand in her way. Dionysus is threatening a war on her kingdom and she can't let that happen. So she decides to try and stop him before he can attack everything she loves.

Greek mythology is always something I love reading about, so it was a lot of fun seeing all of those elements in this story. It was definitely an element I really enjoyed in this book. Our cast of characters that we got to know and love during the first book are back to go on that adventure in this sequel. It was great reading about everyone again. A new character, Triton, was by far my favorite and he really made this book so much fun. I'd say he's my favorite of them all.

A Curse of Gold is action packed. It doesn't take long for the adventure to stop and it just doesn't seem to stop. This makes it a fast read, but it's also something that made me love this book left. I mean of course doing what this cast of characters wants to do will cause a lot to happen, but it felt like one thing after another kept on happening. For me it felt like the characters never had a chance to reflect or to really grow. The only one who really developed in my eyes was Triton. I just wish I had seen that more of the characters we have already grown to love.

If you're looking for a book packed with action and humor, I would definitely suggest you pick up this duology!

A Curse of Gold is a YA fantasy romance with much seafaring adventure and Greek mythology.

Everything is going well in King Midas' land, until Dionysus sends his minions to kill Princess Kora and her father because of Kora's gold touch. So she and her Captain set out to stop Dionysus himself.

A Curse of Gold was a good follow-up story to A Touch of Gold. Both books were complete stories in themselves, but I thought it was a great sequel. The characters were memorable, the romance was sweet, and the plot was adventurous and entertaining. I thought the challenges that the characters had to face through each section of the novel were well thought-out and exciting. The author made great use of the Greek myths to create her own story.

I received a complementary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I requested this boo because I found the first installment enjoyable. This one just felt way too rushed story wise and the writing was a bit bland.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I wish it was a better one.

This sequel was everything I was hoping for!! I love the fast paced action and the diverse character arcs. Every detail is unique and screams the authors name! The timeline made it easy to follow, and navigate through the world building, plot, and characterizations. Characters were unique, yet relatable and diversified. Something for everyone from the plot to the characters, to the world itself! A perfect sequel!

I absolutely loved this book! I love mythology so this book was perfect for me!
The story was entertaining and very well-written. An author to look out for!

I highly reccommend!

*Thank you to Netgalley and Blink Publishing for the early review copy. All opinions are our own and do not reflect the thoughts or beliefs of the publisher or author.

A Curse of Gold is the highly anticipated sequel to A Touch of Gold. Both novels draw heavily on Greek mythology and especially the legend of King Midas, whose touch could turn things to gold. I was initially interested in these books because of their connection to Greek mythology– I have Grad school advisor is proud at what I’m doing with my degree- you know, turning a critical eye to YA fiction retellings.

“They love me for what’s inside my heart, not what I look like or what I can offer them.”

As with the first novel, our protagonist is Kora who is still trying to figure things out when our story picks up only a few weeks after A Touch of Gold’s end. In many ways, Kora is an endearing and relatable protagonist. As is all too ubiquitous in much a YA these days, Kora is trying to figure things out in terms of who she is and how she fits into the world. Kora’s naivety aside, she has a big heart and is a fiercely loyal protagonist– a Hufflepuff if there ever was one!

There will always be threats, but you’re willing to face them. Don’t forget that. Everyone wants a leader who fights for them.

From almost the first page, A Curse of Gold is nonstop action and has a the same quest-like feel of the first novel, even if scenery is a little different. Like the first novel, the pacing was a little shaky in spots. I do feel like there were some scenes that could have been fleshed out and others that did not need to be as drawn as they were. Be that as it may, I was entertained and intrigued the whole way through and some times that’s really all you can ask from a good story.

All paths have different destinations. Some just lead to them faster and some lead to them not at all.”

Filled with action, adventure and a little romance, this book is perfect for fans of fairytale retellings and other stories that feature strong heroines.

Overall, I gave A Curse of Gold 3.5/5 stars.

This is the sequel in a duology based on King Midas’ daughter.
I read and enjoyed a Touch of Gold, so I was excited to get back into the world.
The mythological aspects in these books were definitely my favorite part. It was fun seeing how the author adapted them and made them her own.
A Curse of Gold seemed to be more action packed than the previous, which made the story read fast.
I was glad to see we got to catch up with old favorites but also got to know some new characters. I was happy with how things wrapped up for everyone.
All in all, it was a quick and fun series,