**Thank you to Netgalley and Blink Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

A Curse of Gold is the sequel to A Touch of Gold. A retelling of the greek mythology, the story is told in the perspective of king Midas' daughter. The book follows Kora and Royce as they try and save Lagonia.

I loved the mythology inspired aspects of this book, which was much more outlined than the first. With gods like Dionysus and Poseidon to monsters like harpies and gorgons, A Curse of Gold is immersed in Mythology. The character development and relationships in the book was also what sold me. I loved seeing Kora and Royce grow, and even more the friendship and support between them. The plot is fast-paced and action-filled, and keep you on the edge of your seat. Definitely recommend.

When I first picked up A Curse of Gold, it jumped right into action. It starts a few months after A Touch of Gold and we see just what all our main characters have been up to. All of our favourites return in this book and we get a couple of new ones. Some of the characters grow, while I found others reverted back to supporting characters and most actions that they took supported the plot moving forward.

Annie’s writing was easy to read and, with it being so fast paced and action packed, it moved rather quickly. A lot of the action was back-to-back and left little time for the reader to breath. Once a problem was solved, we would quickly move on to the next – whether that being a high-stakes puzzle or a fight between main characters and enemies.

I must say there are a lot more mythical elements within A Curse of Gold in comparison to A Touch of Gold and I was very happy with that. I love Greek mythology and anytime more components can get added into a mythical retelling the happier I am.

The duology concluded nicely, with everything being resolved and everyone getting what they want. Lots of happy endings all around for the most part. There was a moment where I felt like a character was done wrong, but other than that, I was happy with how everything ended.

If you read A Touch of Gold and wanted a little more of Kora, Royce, Hettie and Rhat then I say give this a go. If you’re into high, non-stop action then I high suggestion this one (just obviously read book 1 first). I am glad I was able to finish this series

Told from the perspective of Kora, King Midas’s daughter and a strong female protagonist. This highly-anticipated sequel to A Touch of Gold is an enchanting and captivating fantasy adventure/fairy tale retelelling that is even better than the first!   More action, more adventure, and the same characters that you grew to know and love in the first book.  Add in some riddles to solve, greek gods, mythological beasts, and even more magical powers, and you really can't go wrong.  I absolutely devoured this book that takes Kora and her friends on the adventure of a lifetime, to not only save their kingdom, but the whole world. Buckle in for a high seas and undersea adventure, at times reminiscent of Percy Jackson and The Little Mermaid, this book absolutely did not disappoint.

I'd rate this book three and a half stars, finding it that bit more fulfilling than the first, which I rated at three stars on Good Reads. Parts of the book felt a bit convoluted, with it being one thing after another on the way to find The Oracle especially. I did enjoy having more of Kora back in my life for a bit, and seeing more of her relationships with the crew, especially Royce and Hetty, as I loved their dynamics in the first book.

Kora is still very much on her journey of self discovery, but you can tell how much she has grown since the beginning of the first book, and she rises to meet the challenges that Lagonia needs her to face yet again. Only recently home from her first adventure, she readily sets out again, despite the risks, and the tale that she has to tell in response is one that is bound to keep readers of all ages and interests engaged.

Following up from the events in A Touch of Gold, Kora is still cursed, and her father, King Midas, is not well. Dionysus has set the world against her and her kingdom, and time is running out for Midas, so Kora sails once more to find Dionysus and put a stop to his troublemaking. Along the way, she'll require the assistance of other gods to make progress on her quest, but what's really troublesome is that the island Dionysus is supposed to be on can only be described as phantasmic. It disappears as quickly as you might realize it's there at all. In order to solve this riddle, she must consult with the Oracle before it's too late.

A Curse of Gold is the second half of this duology, and while I like the premise, I didn't quite love this book. The premise and concept are interesting, and I think that the story and characters improved in comparison to A Touch of Gold, but some of the root issues still exist. In particular, the Greek characterizations are a bit lightweight, with names assigned to characters that don't always reflect their mythological origins very well, and not so much Greek culture or architecture to be found. Kora and Royce have some good moments together, and I also thought that Kora and a certain water god developed an interesting dynamic. The second half of the book has more excitement, since the first half builds up steam a touch slowly. The ending was interesting, and I did like seeing a continuation of the King Midas tale, despite its imperfections. If you'd like to pick up and read a light seafaring mythological duology, this could hit the spot.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, A Touch of Gold, so I was very excited to read this sequel. I love Greek mythology and both of these books are a fun YA adaptation of those myths, especially with such a strong and intelligent heroine!

***Plot Summary***
A Curse of Gold picks up the story of Kora, Princess of Lagonia and daughter of King Midas, who was cursed with golden skin and a golden touch as the result of her father’s infamous bargain with, then curse from Dionysus. Having returned from an incredible adventure at sea, facing down nefarious pirates to save her father, Kora finds life at the palace hasn’t much changed as her subjects still fear her powers. But after Dionysus sends henchmen to attack Kora, she learns that the fate of her kingdom is at risk. She must find Dionysus on his mystical, disappearing island and out-con the ultimate conman to save her kingdom. In another high stakes and high seas adventure, this wonderful heroine takes on an uncertain journey full of Greek gods and all sorts of mythical creatures.

If you like an epic tale of adventure with a bit of magic, pick up this fun book! Thanks to Blink and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was hoping I'd like this one - I read the first and thought it was ok. Same with Tiger Queen. But I figured authors improve with each book, right?

Well, the joke's on me. The prose is so monotonous and boring it saps all tension from the scenes. I just feel nothing about the characters (which were pretty flat before but I kinda hoped she'd round them out) or the plot or anything really.

Here are some examples of why I realized early on that this book was not for me:

"He tosses Royce and me swords. I turn to check on my father. He's still on his throne. Several guards surround him now and Tilner. He's safe for now."

See? Flat. Sentence after sentence. The same length. Monotone.

and then:

"I move to follow Royce and Rhat but a sound makes me pause. It starts out like hissing. My eyes search for the source of the noise as it grows louder, turning into an odd plopping sound. Suddenly, gold melts off the intruder and pools on the floor. I stare, open-mouthed. How is this posible?"

And that is how you write an action-y scene with absolutely no tension at all. At least the sentence aren't all the same length in this passage, but it's a small relief.

Also this book and the one it follows are set in Greece. Yet there's absolutely nothing about Greece. No food, no descriptions of place, no different skin tones... We just get white people. And the Midas curse. The same as Tiger Queen really - it's set in the desert, and populated by, as far as I could tell, tanned white people.

Speaking of diversity (or the lack thereof) Her books contain mostly white men. I haven't read all of this one, but her two previous books are populated with 95% straight white men and 5% straight white women.

I think I can safely say that her books are *not* for me and I'll avoid them in future.

*Thanks to Netgalley and Blink for providing an e-arc to review

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing me with the opportunity to read this e-arc in an exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Kora has returned to her kingdom after her recent sea quest fighting deadly pirates to recover her lost treasure, but all is not what she would wish in her kingdom. Her people are scared of her magical powers and are threatening to remove her as heir to the kingdom. To add to her woes, Dionysus has posed a challenge to kill the Girl with the Golden Touch, and he threatens to destroy not just her future as heir, but her life and her kingdom.

Kora must fight for herself, her throne and her people if she is to have any hope of a future. With no other choice, Kora sets out to find Dionysus. Kora is forced on a journey to a mysterious disappearing island to try to reverse her fathers curse and face Dionysus' deadly games. A thrilling adventure full of twists and turns that will completely immerse any YA reader!

Definitely a great read that carries you along on the adventures with Kora, as she fights with all her wile and cunning to emerge victorious from Dionysus' challenge.

**Thank you to Netgalley and Blink Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my rating**

A Curse of Gold is the sequel to 2018's A Touch of Gold. The book sees Kora and Royce on another adventure to save Lagonia, this time from Dionysus instead of a coup from within the city.

I really enjoyed this book. Maybe even more than the original. I read A Touch of Gold when it was released, but I think you would be able to read this without having read the first one. There's enough of the plot explained to jog your memory if you have read it and to fill you in if you haven't.

This book was much more heavily influenced by mythology. Book one saw fights with Triton's temptresses, but was more focused on pirates and human antagonists. This book has Dionysus and his creations, harpies, Poseidon and Triton, gorgons, etc. Fans of mythology are going to get a lot out of this book and seeing creatures and characters they're familiar with.

I also really enjoyed Kora and Royce's relationship with each other. I think often times, especially in sequels, the established couple has to go through some forced fight and break up just to realize later that they're better together than apart, so they get back together for the happy ending. This did not happen and I hope that means there is going to be a step in this direction for other YA books in the future. Kora and Royce are so genuinely uplifting to each other. They're supportive and loving. When Kora makes a decision that will put her in danger but potentially save her kingdom, Royce doesn't get mad and waste time fighting with her. He comforts and supports her. Similarly, when he's uncomfortable in a situation or afraid, Kora takes time to comfort him and check in with him. It's a wonderful look at what a relationship SHOULD look like and I hope more authors do this. I think it's important to see relationships in books where the characters are so loving with one another.

The side characters were delightful. I was especially a fan of how Triton was developed as kind of a rough around the edges, misunderstood character with hidden vulnerabilities. I wasn't expecting that from a demigod character, so it was an interesting take.

There's also a lot of action in this book. There isn't really much time where the characters stop to take a breather. It keeps the plot moving and keeps the book from dragging.

Overall, I really enjoyed A Curse of Gold. It was a good entry/ending to the story and I would recommend reading it, especially if you liked book one or are into mythology.

I was looking forward to the second book in the duology because I adore the characters from A Touch of Gold. It was nice to step back into the world of King Midas and Kora.

I enjoyed A Curse of Gold and seeing the return of my favorite characters from the first book and getting new characters like Triton, son of Poseidon (he became one of my favorites).

I thought Kora grew a lot in the first book but she definitely shows more growth in this book. She goes from being a Princess who is hidden away to becoming a strong leader who doesn’t shy away from accomplishing her mission to save her people and kingdom.

If you love adventure, pirates, monsters and romance then I recommend you pickup both A Touch of Gold and A Curse of Gold.

Favorite Quotes

“Wearing the crown instead of hiding my face is just one small step to show them I won’t be ghost in the shadows anymore – that my father and I are here to rule.”

“You’re a great leader. You’re willing to face down the Great Oracle for them.”

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

"A Curse of Gold", the sequel to "A Touch of Gold", follows Kora, the princess cursed into gold, and her friends on a quest to stop Dionysus from unleashing the titans upon the gods who wrecked his chances at true life as a god. It's an enjoyable adventure romp, but it unfortunately lacks the emotional complexity of the first book.

The plot does not waste any time; Kora and the crew go from one deadly encounter to the next with rarely a pause for breath, a bit like whack-a-mythological-monster. It unfortunately feels like a "collect them all" scenario as a result instead of spending little more than a page on deepening relationships in an honest, fulfilling way. Kora's journey to helping Triton comes across as contrived due to the rapid change of heart. Hettie somehow achieves being even more irritating in this book, focusing on only one aspect of her grief, anger, for well into 60% of the plot instead of giving her something different to do.

It was truly pleasant to read a YA adventure book with a romance that didn't suffer from missteps in communication and held on throughout the book. This is not a romantic arc seen fulfilled often, where the angst and the uncertainty comes from external sources and not from contrived internal strife. The introduction of Phipps' younger brother Lenny, a disabled mute boy, was also a fascinating addition that could have been explored with more depth and clarity in order to discuss grief, a topic that's clearly at the heart of this plot.

While the duology suffers from second book syndrome with its rushed and shallow atmosphere, the resulting pair of books is fine way to spend a few hours if what you want is a story steeped in Greek mythology, romance, and fight scenes.

I read this for a blog tour.
I really enjoyed A Touch of Gold - Greek myths, pirates, peril on the high seas, it was basically written for me, so I had high hopes for A Curse of Gold and they were thankfully not misplaced!

Kora, Royce and their friends set out on an epic quest to find Dionysius and get him to reverse the curse on her father, King Midas, and rescue the kingdom from ruin.

Accompanied by a sulky Triton, son of Poseidon, some amazing pegasi (flying horses, I think Pegasus was actually the name of one), a sea creature that behaves like a dog (almost as good as a ship's cat, almost), and after defeating the gorgons, will Kora be able to outwit the god of ill-advised bets?

Adventure, monsters, romance, this book has it all. So dive in and learn that sometimes what appears to be a curse may actually be a gift.

This is the second book of a duology based on King Midas’ daughter, I read and loved ATpuch of Gold so was eager to dive back into this world, I didn’t regret it at all. I love the mythology in this story and it felt like even more was covered, included in this one too. I love the action, questing, adventure m it’s just a action packed read, the writing is fabulous, it’s just draws you into the authors word and doesn’t let you go. Kora is a fantastic character, but I loved some of the supporting cast just as much, the humour of some of these characters is just amazing. Overall a great read, it says it’s a duology but I’m kinda hoping for more.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

The second book in the series, A Curse of Gold, picks up shortly after the end of the first book. If you liked the first book in the series, you will probably like this one as well. If you haven't read the first book, the story is about Kora, King Midas' daughter, who is able to turn objects to gold and a band of pirates. In the first instalment, they are trying to recover stolen gold. In this book, Dionysus, the god that cursed Kora's father is about to attack her kingdom unless she is able to defeat him first.

I think you would like this book if you're a fan of Percy Jackson or myth retellings. There are a bunch of fun moments with sea monsters and pegasi. They encounter Poseidon and Triton and try to find a mysterious disappearing island. Some of the issues I had with this book were most of the characters were fairly one dimensional, especially Royce. He basically got demoted to a side character. Also Kora is kind of a one trick pony. Almost all of their problems are solved by turning something to gold. I get that it's her power and she should use it but at times it felt too convenient. There were a couple moments when the characters were in a really dire situation and then a convenient solution would just arise.

Overall, it was a fun, light hearted read and worth it if you're a fan of adventure stories and myth retellings.

Annie Sullivan imagines an untold story of King Midas’ daughter in A Touch of Gold and A Curse of Cold, a duology full of adventures on open waters, including gods, pirates, stolen gold, sea monsters, and more.

Readers who were disappointed in the lack of Greek mythology in A Touch of Gold will be very happy once they dive into the sequel, A Curse of Gold. Dionysus wants Kora dead and plans to destroy Lagonia and its citizens. Hence, Kora is the only one who can stop him and save her kingdom. She embarks on another journey filled with tons of creatures from Greek mythology – satyrs, pegasi, harpies, sirens, gorgons, and more. She also gets some help from The Oracle and a reluctant Triton, son of Poseidon.

The stakes are higher than ever in A Curse of Gold, and Kora’s life is in even more danger than before. She has to find answers, negotiate with multiple gods, and escape deadly situations with her life. If she doesn’t succeed, not only will her loved ones die, but all of Lagonia will cease to exist. No pressure.

The A Touch of Gold and A Curse of Gold duology is a fun take on an ancient story. I loved Annie Sullivan’s imagination in giving King Midas’ daughter a voice, with her being the only person who can save those close to her. Her growth as a character is admirable and appropriate given the circumstances; Kora begins the duology as a sheltered teenager who is unsure of herself. By the time we get to A Curse of Gold, Kora has a new confidence resulting from the events of the first book, and embraces her role as Princess and future heir to the throne.

I love that we see more action and suspense in the A Curse of Gold, although it seems very condensed in the last quarter of the book (almost to a point where the last few chapters dragged on a bit). Even so, a sea voyage with a golden Princess filled with mythological beings turns out to be just the right amount of entertainment for the intended age group.

A CURSE OF GOLD is the fast-paced sequel to (the similarly named) A TOUCH OF GOLD. It follows Kora, the daughter of King Midas, who has power over gold. After saving her father in the first book, she now has to face oracles, sea gods, and Dionysus in order to save her country and the entire world.

I love this series.

The characters are fun and the stories have a great sense of questing, exploration, and adventure. A CURSE OF GOLD is mostly set at sea, with a motley crew of not-quite pirates, so if you’re a fan of sea-faring and the ever-popular pirate crew stories, this is actually a great choice. Between the Greek gods, the squad of characters, and quest-type story this is a perfect fit for fans of Percy Jackson looking for a YA version with an interesting, strong female protagonist.

Sullivan’s writing is smooth and easy to read. It’s descriptive without getting in the way of the plot, a great fit for an easy YA read, and a choice that really fits with the story itself.

A CURSE OF GOLD is a great follow-up to the first book. It brings back a lot of fun characters, developing their stories out in believable ways, while also introducing some great new friends and threats. I particularly like Triton as a character who you can never quite be sure about. I think this is a stronger book than the first one, but knowing the characters’ adventures in that one is definitely an advantage. I’d absolutely read another book in this series and follow more of Kora’s adventures if they become available.

"A Curse of Gold" by Annie Sullivan is the second book in the “A Touch of Gold” duology. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the first in the series to fully enjoy this entry. “A Touch of Gold,” the first book in the series, is a “King Midas” retelling. Kora, our heroine, is King Midas’s daughter. She has been touched by King Midas and cursed. Her skin is gold and she has secret powers.

In “A Curse of Gold” Kora seeks to break the curse once and for all. Her people do not trust her to become their ruler and Dionysus (the one who cursed her father) is now trying to kill her and overthrow the kingdom.

This book is full of adventure as the characters embark on this dangerous quest to stop Dionysus and break the curse once and for all. I enjoyed seeing the old gang from the first book back together. Ms. Sullivan does an amazing job building her characters. The side characters are well done, and they are some of my favorites. I love the friendship theme running throughout. Although this is a quest story, there is still a lot of focus on characterization and character growth.

There is also so much adventure and action! There are oracles, quests, sea monsters, gods, and a myriad of other creatures from Greek mythology. Through it all, Kora learns what it takes to be a good ruler and leader, she protects and fights for her people and puts her people above herself. The conclusion is nonstop adventure and action! If you pick up “A Curse of Gold,” buckle your seatbelts for a wild ride!

Content: This is a clean read. The only content is a reference to a man being drunk and a woman is naked after being released from a curse.

Rating: I give this book 4 stars.

I want to thank Annie Sullivan, Blink and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are my own. This is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR 16, Part 255.

'A Curse of Gold' is the sequel to 'A touch of gold', and they are easy, fun reads, although I have to say I liked the first one best.

This one picks up where the first one left out, presenting Kora ready to take her place on the kingdom and taking care of her ailing father, as it seems like his recovery wasn't as miraculous as we could have expected, and then suddenly they are under attack.

Move forward the action a bit, and it's Dyonisius who is sending the attack because he made a bet with an Oracle that predicted that King Midas would be a great king, while the god said he wouldn't. That's why Midas was cursed and this attack on the palace happened: Dyonisius can't kill King Midas, but he plays dirty and wants to kill his daughter to weaken him and thus win the bet.

So we are going to embark on this new adventure with our all friends (yay for Hettie and Rhat, who are back!) and new faces, like Poseidon, who is gonna be a major player, and whose help our team needs to enlist in order to find Dyonisius and twist his plans!

This kind of book feels like an easy read, and somehow makes me think of an Indiana Jones movie, where you have action, sometimes unbeliable situations, some tetsts (like the ones when looking for the Oracle), and also some sentimentality (Kora relationship with his father), love and friendships.

The book has also some downsides, to be honest, one of them is for me that is somewhat lacking in honest representation. What I mean by "honest rep" is that we are gonna be stepping into Greek mythos once again, and in the retelling of King Midas. But... I honestly think the book was lacking in all this Greek rep might imply: all the characters are pale, there's no greek architecture or housing... there is no greek food, or much of greek anything, honestly. I don't think or feel like the action is properly grounded in Greece, it could be happening anywhere on the world because of all those elements lacking.

Also the greek gods do appear, but I would have liked for them to have more... weight? Currency? More honoring to their origins and/or story? I don't know how to properly ex`plain this. Maybe the author was merely sampling on that mythos, having different creatures like the satyrs at the beginning of the book attacking without much more thought about their "true" nature on the mythos, or maybe she was also re telling the way the gods have been portrayed. I don't know.

The blurb says this is the last one, but I hope it isn't, as there's a major thread left hanging, albeit with a hopeful end.

I enjoyed the first book of this series about a year ago. Although there's no recap, the author has managed to weave in enough reminders that I didn't feel lost when reading, and she's even managed to make them blend in rather than sticking out as exposition. It's tough to do but she's managed beautifully.

This part of the story delves deeper into Greek mythology and lore, featuring more gods and more squabbles and more items from the myths. I enjoyed reading Annie's take on them very much. This series is so clever and inventive.

Kora was a delight, and I enjoyed Hettie a lot. The guys were good, but this is really Kora's story. Lenny is amazing and Phibbs was great. Even some of the monsters were excellent characters, and I loved Kora's solution right at the end. Very clever and farseeing.

All in all, a really good read, and while I hope there's more to come, I can live with where it ended.

A Curse of Gold by Annie Sullivan is the sequel to A Touch of Gold where we were first introduced to Kora, the cursed daughter of King Midas and her epic quest to recover her Father's stolen gold and save her kingdom. In this latest book her story continues and develops even further as Dionysus declares open season on the Princess and puts out a contract on her head in his determination to win the wager he originally made with her father, Midas. In her efforts to save her life as well as her father's kingdom she decides to try to track Dionysus down, a monumental task as he resides on the mysterious and elusive island of Jipper which disappears when the sun goes down and rises from the ocean again in a different site as the sun rises.
This is an adventure packed tale with Greek Gods, sea monsters, oracles and tricksters that moves at a fast pace and rarely stops to take a breath. We reunite with some familiar faces from the pirate crew and meet some new ones, most notably Triton, who not only has some of the funniest dialogue in the book, but also shows the most growth.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher ,all opinions are my own.