Diana came to publishing and said I'm going to make a debut that is so groundbreaking, so beautiful, so unique,, and I'm so glad she did.

If you're the yearning type, especially for f/f fantasy romances with brave girls and magical love interests, this one is for you. A Curse of Roses is based on a Portugese legend, and the (Portugese) author writes with such joy and unabashed love and critique of her culture and roots, you can't help but be moved.

Princess Yzabel has a unique curse, her touch turns food to the most beautiful flowers, and its starving her and her people. To break the curse, she needs to seal a deal with a kiss. Kissing the Enchanted Moura shouldn't feel so right, especially when she has a powerful and dangerous King back home waiting for her, and the story explores her inner turmoil and the consequences her actions have. The story portrays a love so pure, so powerful, and makes brilliant points about religion and magic and penance and pleasure. If you're into these themes, pick this one up.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley.

I truly adored this. I could not put it down, and when I did could not stop thinking about it.

I would describe this book as a mix of YA fantasy, coming of age and LGBTQIA romance. I want to note that this is own voices.

The magic system in this book was intriguing. The writing was great, very descriptive. At the beginning I found myself lost, I had trouble with the names but this lessened as the story went on.

I love how much it spoke of "a woman's place" and made the main character question her upbringing and previous beliefs. There was a lot of emphasis on God loving you as you were, which was beautiful.

The romance was so lovely. The mutual respect, the communication. I truly rooted for them.

This was an easy 5 stars for me.

A Curse of Roses is a fun f/f romance standalone set in middle ages Portugal. I really enjoyed the characters and plot, although the writing and dialogue don't really fit the time period portrayed. While not a favorite for me, I think it's worth checking out and the cover is stunning. Trigger warning for religious self harm.

Aside from the gorgeous cover, this story is really interesting. The main character Yzabel is cursed but her love for her people is endless. She will do everything and anything to save her people and be set free. I love the slow burn romance and the fairy tale like setting. I highly recommend this for those who love fantasy, fairytales and romance.

From the moment Yzabel wakes up with the curse on the 12th birthday, she lives in fear of wasting away like her great aunt who suffered a similar fate and died young. As such, she and her entourage try everything in their power to get rid of it, even seeking the help of an Enchanted Moura..

The first half of the book is especially rife with themes pertaining to eating disorders, and there is no build up to it.
A Curse of Roses is largely a character driven story. When it begins, Yzabel's weakened state dominates everything in her life, including her thoughts. Even though she's struggling, she strives to be kind. Her kindness both defines her character and pushes the plot forward, as everything she does is to help her people. However, her selflessness is also her biggest fault and her biggest challenge to overcome.

Her struggles with her curse have put Yzabel in a dark place, one where it's not only killing her but wasting precious food. This mindset was uncomfortable to experience, especially combined with beliefs about religiously motivated self harm and the havoc the curse is wreaking on her. Pulling herself out of it is just one aspect to mastering the curse.

Fatyan is Yzabel's opposite in many ways. She's outspoken to a fault, thinks for herself and is a very welcome contrast to Yzabel's darkness. Their friendship allows Yzabel to relax her guard and experience a world outside of the church's strict teachings. As their relationship develops, it eventually gives Yzabel the strength to stand on her own against a court bent on breaking her.

Pinguicha's Portuguese court is vividly developed. The little information on the wider world serves to bring the one around Yzabel into sharp focus, while the vagueness of the magic system opens up a world of possibilities. Brites' comments about the workings of the castle, Dennis' handling of his court, the history peppered throughout the story and more paint an image of a bustling castle that easily sucks the reader in.

This is also true of the book as a whole, which I attribute to the writing. Pinguicha has a way of making you care for even the slightest thing when she writes. It's not overly descriptive, but she includes the details that count both to push a character and drive plot forward, and to give side characters a life of their own. I struggled with the beginning due to the heavier themes, but once Yzabel began her journey of recovery I couldn't put the book down.

A Curse of Roses by Diana Pinguicha is a tale of growth and acceptance of oneself in the face of a cruel world. I very much enjoyed the book. Yzabel's journey was inspiring, her awakening in regards to her sexuality was hilarious at times, and the ending couldn't have been better.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Curse of Roses is a beautiful, sapphic fantasy about Yzabel, a cursed princess, who seeks to control her magic. To do so, she enlisted the help of a Moura named Fatyan. Yzabel's journey of self-acceptance is very fascinating to read, and it's the main reason why I love this book. Her growth and coming-of-age is very satisfying to see and I think that's the heart of the story. However, i feel the pacing is a bit too slow in some parts and it kind of dragged the story down. The romance was also kind of too rushed, in my opinion. I also would've loved it more if the magic system was elaborated more. Overall though, I would still recommend this book and it's a much-needed queer fairytale retelling by an author of color.

This was one of my most anticipated releases for December, and I'm very excited to say that it did not disappoint!

I went into this with low expectations, since it was a debut, but I couldn't help but love it by the end. There was so much gay in this and I was extremely happy with the f/f romance.

"You’ve been forged in despair, Yza, and tempered in hardship. It’s made you considerate in ways many wouldn’t be. That is why we were given a power that could not just feed a nation, but temper it, too. Because you, of all people, will use it for good."

A Curse of Roses follows Yzabel, the soon-to-be queen of Portugal, who also hides a curse–the ability to turn food into flowers. As a result, she has to figure out how to not crumble under the weight of all her duties while keeping her curse a secret.

There are so many things to love about this book, but I loved Yzabel the most. She’s an incredible character who is so well-developed, who fiercely defends those she cares for, and is overflowing with empathy and compassion for her people. Even so, she punishes herself for everything, even the things that are out of her control.

I loved reading her growth, as she grows into her responsibilities, figures out her identity, and loves who she wants to, all while staying true to herself. Her internal conflicts were depicted so realistically, and her struggle to accept herself as who she is was an eerie parallel to reality.

"Every kiss shared with you is worth remembering."

Yzabel and Fatyan’s connection really stood out to me, and I think it was the best part of the novel. The romance is so sweet and you want them to be together so much, and There are so many nuances in their relationship that exist in reality; they complemented one another perfectly. But even though the romance was a big part of the book, it doesn’t overpower Yzabel’s own development, which I appreciated.

Pinguicha’s writing is absolutely beautiful–it flowed well with the pace of the story while keeping me gripped in its grasp. And since historical fantasy isn’t a common genre, I was amazed by how well this was written. The prose isn’t dense or flowery, but simplistic in a captivating way.

The world-building was so well-done, and you can easily visualize the Yzabel’s perspective through her eyes. On another note, the magic system was explained thoroughly with little info-dumping, though I wanted more on Portuguese history.

"Kindness isn’t something you are. It’s something you choose to be, every single moment of every single day."

However, I think some readers might not enjoy the slower pacing of this book. The beginning starts off slowly, but eventually gains traction. For me, my investment in the characters combined with the readable writing made it go by smoothly.

A Curse of Roses is a solid historical fantasy debut, filled to the brim with magic, secrets, and sapphic yearning. It’s a beautifully told, powerful story of how we shouldn’t be ashamed–of who we love, who we are, and who we will be. This is an #ownvoices story that captured every detail of QPOC experiences such as these. I was immensely satisfied with this one, and I can’t wait for others to fall in love with this too.

3.75 Stars. This was a good story. I didn’t love it like I was hoping to, but there were parts I really enjoyed and I liked the overall feel of the book. I don’t get to read much historical fantasy, especially not sapphic YA, so I was really excited to read this. The author mentions that this story really meant a lot to her personally and I think that showed in her writing.

I really liked that this was a retelling of a Portuguese legend. I enjoyed the premise and how the story unfolded. I do wish that more history was given about this time in Portugal. It’s not something I’m knowledgeable about and I would have loved learning a bit more about the real history. I did find that the book was easy to get into and I was hooked after a few pages. I also found that I really enjoyed the ending. I was flying through the pages near the end and I felt like the book became very entertaining at that point. The first third and last third is really where the book really shined. Unfortunately, the middle third is where the book had most of its issues in my opinion. I felt like the pace really slowed down and not much was happening. I think that the legend this was based on was not very long so I have to wonder if Pinguicha felt she had to stretch things a bit. Luckily, the beginning and ending made up for the middle stumble.

When it came to the characters I liked the ones I should like and hated the ones I should hate. I was actually surprised what a small cast of characters this had for a fantasy book but I felt like I got to know all the secondary characters well because of it. I was super surprised that I actually didn’t mind the King. Yeah, he was a bit of a jerk at times, but normally in sapphic fantasy books, kings are the worst of the worst. I liked that while the main character, Princess Yzabel, was not sexually attracted to him, that she was still able to mostly be friends with him. It was really nice to see a decent male character, in a power position, in a sapphic fantasy.

When it came to the romance I thought it was sweet. There was a part of me that felt like it moved a little fast, but when I really think back now I think the speed was okay. A little quick but better than a lot of YA books I’ve read lately. I thought they had some chemistry together but I do wish I felt their feelings a bit more. I think they were a tad subdued. That was not just the romance either but subdued feelings in other parts too. Something huge happens and I feel like everyone just always wanted the main character to suck it up. I wanted to see more feelings out of her instead. She had plenty of thoughts and worries about not being pious enough, but I wanted those deep thoughts transferred over to other issues she dealt with.

This book had some ups and downs for me but the overall story I did enjoy. I would recommend this to historical fantasy fans. I do want to say that this is the kind of book you have to suspend disbelief with, and I’m not talking about any magic. The Princess should have died from poor nutrition long before this story begins, but if you can go with the flow and just enjoy the story for what it is, I think this will be a better read for you. This is a debut book and it makes me excited to think where Pinguicha could take us in the future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book approved by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own,

A Curse of Roses by Diana Pinguicha. I requested this book based on the beautiful cover and the description. It intrigued me that it was a retelling from a Porteguese story and reminded me in a way the story of King Midas. Where these differed is that Yzabel wants nothing more than to not have her curse because it takes resources from that of her country. The poor citizens alredy struggle to have enough food because of nobles and yet she unintentionally is starving them as she herself starves.

The only issue I had was how exactly she made it to her age without starving. She was essentially only able to eat a bite and drink watered down soup. However that didn't deter from the overall story.

I found the unplanned romance between Yzabel and Fatyan pleasent. It didnt feel rushed or forced. A mutual respect between the two as well as trust and friendship.

Diana Pinguicha’s A Curse of Roses is a beautiful historical fantasy with an LGBTQ twist. Based on a Portuguese legend, this #OwnVoices story tells the tale of Yzabel, the intended of the Portuguese king, who just so happens to be cursed with magic that turns any food she touches into flowers. She’s wasting away day by day. Her only chance to survive until her marriage is to find the legendary Enchanted Moura, an encantada rumored to be able to grant wishes. But when Yzabel meets Fatyan, she finds that her curse might just be a gift, and Fatyan could be the greatest gift of all.

Yzabel’s struggle to grasp her magic, to cease her self-hatred, and to understand that her growing feelings for Fatyan are not a sin, but a blessing is the main focus of the story. Set against the backdrop of a highly religious time and place, one that encourages women to show piety through suffering, and discourages any romance beyond that of man and woman, Yzabel’s story is masterfully told by Diana Pinguicha. Though Yzabel is a princess, her immediate world is quite small, and her struggle to find peace for both herself and her kingdom takes center stage in a highly personal narrative.

One of the main points that really hit home was the warping of the Bible and religion by men. Yzabel believes she has to hurt herself as punishment for feeling things that are “wrong”, whipping herself and wearing a cilice (a spiked metal garter) in penance. First for her “curse”, which she believes will fade if she atones for whatever actions caused the Lord to punish her in the first place. And then for her feelings for Fatyan, because they are “unnatural”. This is all encouraged by the palace’s resident man of religion, who, when he sees Yzabel has ceased her incessant fasting (because she has finally managed to control her magic), tells her she must then prove her devotion in other ways.

Full to the brim with gorgeous prose, A Curse of Roses is a mesmerizing take on a tale interwoven into Portuguese culture. The writing is BEAUTIFUL, so so stunning. The way that magic is described is both very visual and incredibly poetic. An important novel that, though fiction, acknowledges the existence and validity of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout history. Though we may not hear about them very often, we know they existed and found ways to live their truths despite stifling times. Diana Pinguicha gives them a voice here, honoring their existence and doing so within the confines of an established cultural anecdote. Brilliant. And entirely significant.

Trigger warning: discussions of religious-based self harm, religious-based eating disorders, and religious-based internalized homophobia.

Firstly, I’d like to thank Netgalley, and the publishers of The A Curse of Roses for giving us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

Plot: 4⭐️

I really enjoyed the plot of the story including all the twists and turns that it was involved within it. I was really excited to read this #ownvoice retelling of the Portuguese legend of Rainha Santa Isabel. The story follows the life of Yzabel, the soon to be the queen of Portugal who hides a curse from everyone including her betrothed, Denis.

Pacing: 3 ⭐️
The book started out with great pacing, however, as the book progressed the pacing kept switching between being rather really slow or just too fast.

Character Development: 3⭐️
The character who had the biggest growth was Yzabel as she learned to accept her curse as a gift and to help others rather than starving herself. She also learned who to trust and to be more honest to the people who cared for her along with herself and her gender identity. Fatyan also grows in the sense of learning to forgive other people despite their intentions and to be grateful for what she has in the movement.

Writing Style: 3.5⭐️
The elements of Portuguese history and culture was beautifully intertwined into Yzabel’s story. I really appreciated the author’s note at the beginning and the end of the book. Diana shows respect and understanding of triggering aspects in her book such as religious self-harm, eating disorders, and homophobia by giving a warning at the very first page of the book. I also appreciated her mentions of the historical aspects of the book and describing the characters that she used, Yzabek and her fiancé are based on real Portuguese royals, and how they were preserved in history. This made me connect to the characters and the story much more. I think Diana did a great job portraying how religion controlled women’s lives in the Middle Ages and the hypocrisy of the leaders. I also admired Diana’s acknowledgment of queer women. I do think that I needed some more details throughout the story, however.

Would you recommend it?
I recommend this book to those who like historical novels and retelling of historical legends with added myths and fairytales.

Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for offering me an advanced copy of this book! On the near eve of the release date for A Curse of Roses, I, unfortunately, can't offer any large or expansive review. I got about 40 pages into the book before I decided to put it down for good. A Curse of Roses just was not for me. I was so here for the representation - a sapphic fairytale romance? Based on Portuguese legend? I've read NOTHING like that before, and I was excited.

However, the writing style just didn't click for me. I'm sure it's nothing the author did poorly, and I'm sure that there are plenty - TONS - of people who are going to devour this story and rate it highly, but I just personally could not connect and was not drawn in. It felt, in my opinion, a bit juvenile. I don't like to force myself to finish books that I'm not enjoying, and while I personally did not enjoy this book, I'm confident it will do well amongst young adult audiences.

I absolutely loved this book and the story . I felt immersed within the storyline and didn't want to put it down! I did lack interest in the book at several points and it was hard for me to get into.

A Curse of Roses is a brilliant, spell-binding sapphic story that feels like a treasured fairytale for the modern age.

I was initially drawn to A Curse of Roses because of its stunning cover, enticing synopsis, and the unique concept at the heart of the book. Luckily, all of these elements played out perfectly and the beauty of the cover precisely matches the beautiful content hidden inside.

A definite highlight of the book is our wonderful protagonist, Yzabel. This is completely her story of self-discovery and learning to accept herself and utilising her position for the benefit of the greater good. She’s charitable and has a huge heart for the people, being a truly caring royal, and wanting to enact real change. Unfortunately, her gender and hidden abilities are perceived as holding her back and instead she is forced to become a passive, silent object. The story centres around her reclamation of her voice and discovery of her own identity. Indeed, I loved how Pinguicha reminds us that LGBTQ+ people existed in every period, despite what historical erasure may want us to believe. It’s vital that everyone can see themselves reflected in a variety of stories and that we remember their historic presence pretty much everywhere. The central romance was great and it felt like it grew naturally and the pacing of it was well-executed. You could feel their chemistry sizzle off the page, as it slowly built up into mutual attraction. Yzabel’s self-conflict with her extreme religious beliefs was presented in a nuanced and realistic way for me.

Pinguicha’s discussion around religion was intriguing, particularly its misuse in order to silence and subdue certain groups. It’s presented as one of the key patriarchal structures in the story and certain figures within it distort and twist their version of religion in order to control and manipulate Yzabel. They want to weaken her in order to exert more control, ostentatiously for the benefit of her eternal soul. This contrasts brilliantly with other communities we come across, who draw on each other’s strength and inspire one another to achieve. Powerful women are a potent force and one that has historically been oppressed in order to try and eliminate it. Here, Pinguicha celebrates the strength of women in all its various forms. Strength can come from your inner character and indeed your femininity. Far too often, this is considered a weakness, but here it is celebrated. Religion is also respected, with Yzabel embodying what she sees as Christian values of charity and kindness. This kind of complex presentation that acknowledges and works through internalised homophobia is so incredibly important.

Pinguicha’s writing is simply entrancing. The story is so gorgeously written, with the prose practically weaving this intricate world around you and drawing you into Yzabel’s story. Her attention to detail is sublime, with the magic, world-building and mythology all being exquisitely crafted and fleshed out. I love how it’s based on the Portuguese version of the legend of The Miracle of Roses and I was inspired to go out and research more about this legend after reading. You can tell how meticulously researched the book is, with all these little details helping to fully immerse you in this rich world. I especially loved how elements of Portuguese history and culture were so interwoven into the story, making it stand out from the crowd. This original slant exemplifies the brilliance of #ownvoices narratives. Also, the writing was so lyrical and delicate, it really felt like a great legend was being passed down through generations.

A Curse of Roses is a fascinating exploration of power and interrogating how the beliefs and ideology we’ve always trusted may hide darker truths.

4/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc

I really surprisingly loved the book! I was a bit confused at the start due to the writing style but going on forward i really enjoyed the tale

This is by far the hardest review I've ever had to write. A Curse of Roses is the book I've been waiting for all my life and the book I wish I had as a little girl growing up in a conservative environment, with so much hatred for herself due to her differences.

There are no words to explain what it means to me to see a Portuguese author write a sapphic Portuguese retelling with Santa Isabel as the main character. Yzabel is a highly beloved person in Portugal’s history due to her kindness, charity, and her work towards peace.

Yzabel of Aragon, later Queen consort of Portugal, is mostly known through the legend of the miracle of roses. Yzabel was pious in her faith and devoted to helping others, against her husband’s wishes. She would sneak out at night to hand out bread to the poorest Portuguese citizens and, one night she was caught by her husband, King Dinis (or Denis). When he asked what she was carrying in her skirts, Yzabel said it was roses and the bread she had been hiding had suddenly turned into roses, proving her innocence.

A Curse of Roses follows the young future Queen as she arrives in Terra da Moura to marry Denis, the King of Portugal. However she is plagued by a curse where the food she touches turns into flowers, and she isn't able to eat. She manages to hide the truth but her close friends fear for her life. Yzabel hears the legends surrounding the Enchanted Moura and with her friend, Brites' blessing she goes in search of a solution to her curse. And Yzabel meets Fatyan.

Yzabel faces many issues: She is struggling with her curse, and keeping the truth away from her betrothed in fear of his reaction (women have been killed for less); Portugal has it's own curse with the red plague, and many Portuguese are going hungry outside the castle's walls. Yzabel wants to help but she feels the restraints set by the King, who does not wish to give anything to his subjects. Lastly, she doesn't know how she feels towards Fatyan. Is it a different kind of friendship? Additionally, Yzabel must learn to accept herself as she is despite what is preached by the men of God and abandon her previous ill-based opinions.

This is a character-driven story as Yzabel learns that her curse is, in fact, a great blessing. That she can be the Queen she wishes to be, and how valid her feelings are. Since Yzabel is deeply religious, it has a great impact on her development and the story. It's important to see her stumble and fall as she learns to accept herself as she would any other. I saw myself in Yzabel as she quickly forgave and was kind to everyone but herself.

The romance was just perfect. It didn't feel rushed or instant to me. Yzabel and Faty's is a relationship of trust and friendship, with mutual respect. Faty supports and helps her unconditionally as Yzabel also works to help release Fatyan. I loved reading their scenes and how sweet they were to each other, it was heartwarming to see.

I loved the dedication: to those who have been erased, a nod to the erasure of queerness from history. Queer people have always existed but so much information has been lost to time and intentionally erased since it didn't suit society's heteronormativity. Considering how conservative Portugal is, I am beyond thankful this book exists. I want teens, especially those who share a similar situation to Yzabel, to see that they are valid and they are special.

A Curse of Roses is going to change so many lives. It certainly changed mine.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

A retelling of a Portuguese legend with LGBTQ+ themes which had me very excited.
The story starts with Yzabel, cursed with the ability to turn food into flowers she has spend the last few years barely eating and when she sees how portuguese people are suffering from starvation she decides to get help from an enchanted Moura to get rid of her curse.

The author explains very well the magic system and i was so thankful for that.
The themes talk about in the book were really important and once again i am so grateful that they were mentioned (self- harm, homophobia,starvation, religious justifications for all of them)

The characters were kind of a miss for me and the way Yzabel reacted with some things were not my cup of tea.

I must also say that i didn't feel like i got any background of Portugal and the few that there was wasn't enough.

Moreover, i read Girl, Serpent, Thorn a few months back and i get the same exact vibe. Let's remember that i didnt quite like Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

Even though I was a little bit let down i still want to support the author and will be checking out her next works c:

A Curse or a Miraculous Gift?
Yzabel spent most of her life convinced that her innate, and unavoidable, ability to turn food into flowers was a curse destined to kill her at a young age. As a devout Catholic she abhorred the waste of food, particularly as she watched the poor around her starving from shortages. She routinely mortified her flesh and fasted continuously, praying to God to free her from the curse, so that she could fulfill her purpose of making life better for the Portuguese peasants. It was not until Yzabel met Fatyan that she began to understand that perhaps her curse was actually a gift from God, and that by mastering it, she could use it to turn flowers into bread, to feed the poor at no cost, other than her own effort. A Curse of Roses is an excellent teen read, as it takes widely accepted negative thought patterns and turns them on their head, showing the importance of perception and the prevailing gentle nature of love and acceptance. See the source image

A Curse of Roses is based on the story of Portuguese Queen Isabel, and her husband Dinis. In the Miracle of Roses, Isabel was caught feeding the poor against the will of her betrothed, King Dinis. The king did not oppose feeding the poor because he was cruel, but rather because he didn’t see a way to do it fairly and on a large enough scale; according to history he was actually fairly progressive and kind for his time. But when he saw all the bread that Isabel was carrying turn to roses, he understood that it was a sign from God, blessing her charitable efforts. I can see why Diana Pinguicha would find inspiration in such a beautiful story, and I applaud her ability to weave in the ideas of accepting oneself, and the differences of others, into the narrative of ruling justly, while still providing for those who have the least.

The Enchanted Mouras are also based on Portuguese legend, reputed to be seductive female shapeshifters, who have been held in one place by a curse. Fatyan can only be set free to try to break her curse through a kiss…and when Yzabel kisses her, she does more than just free Fatyan, she also frees her own latent sexual desires. So, at the same time that Yzabel is grappling with acceptance of her gift, she also has to grapple with her own sexual nature. She slowly comes to the realization that she is in love with Fatyan, which she Pin on Enviable Engravingsviolently rejects as a dreadful sin. Yet, as Yzabel travels along the path of self discovery and acceptance, she begins to understand that all love is beautiful when its aim is to help two people be the best versions of themselves. As a believer, she realizes that she must accept herself as God created her, and that there can be nothing ugly or abhorrent in what He has created. This part of the story arc really resonated with me, as I thought about friends and former students who had similar struggles with accepting their sexuality. I hope that this book will find its way into the hands of those who are questioning their own self worth, and that in it they will find glorious validation.

A Curse of Roses belongs in every public high school media center, and in the hands of every parent who questions how to help their child accept the love and gifts that are out there waiting for them. Beyond that, it is a tale rife with magic and intrigue, and even one almost spicy love scene, for those more interested in reading just for fun. All in all, this is a great read, and I highly recommend it!

4.5 hearty stars!
*This review originally appeared on LitBuzz

What an unexpected GEM! It took me a few pages to understand what an incredible story this would turn out to be, and I’m so glad because I LOVED IT. Set in the 13th?? Century yes, the 13th! This super unique fantasy isn’t like any other LGBTQ+ YA novel we’ve seen before. The focus on the main character is special, and as the reader we really witness not only the protagonists character development but those around her as well.

The narrative is so well written, the description of places, people.. FOOD was page turning, and you bet I kept reading! I finished this book in less than two days!

Because the novel is set in the 13th century, the language is also appropriate for its time, and it’s quick to grasps concepts and meanings. I’m happy to support not only an own voices debut, but also one set in Portugal. There’s magic, there’s intrigue, there’s romance. It checks off all my boxes, except… That I wish it was written in first person. BUT It still deserves ALL the stars because it was SOO GOOD and I totally recommend it!

My initial review for A Curse of Roses was simply “lesbians have won with this one!”, and that’s absolutely true and tells you a lot about what you should expect from this book. But let me expand on that a bit.

First of all, the book might not be using modern sexuality labels, on account of it taking place in 13th century, but it makes it very clear that Yzabel is a lesbian. And this is a major part of the novel, maybe even the most important part: Yzabel coming to terms with being a lesbian.

Because, you see, she grew up with extremely strict christian beliefs; when we meet her she uses a cilice on a daily basis to mortify her flesh and “atone” for her “sins”. Her fasting is caused as much by her following the doctrine of her faith, as it is by her literal inability to keep food in her mouth due to the curse. Her whole life seems to be resolving about the laws put down in the Bible, to the point where no one around her can even understand why she puts herself through such trials. She was brought up a certain way, with the Bible and the talk of martyrdom of her saint aunt, and a magical curse running through her veins - all of which turned her into a pious girl who hated her own flesh and blood.

Her upbringing also means that the thought of women loving other women never crossed her mind. And once it does, she views it through the lenses of her faith: as something sinful. A Curse of Roses does an absolutely brilliant job of talking about this, of showing Yzabel’s struggle to reconcile her desires and the teachings of Christ.

It’s also interesting to note that Yzabel is quicker to forgive others their transgressions (or even admit whatever the society views as such is actually nothing more than a way of life & doesn’t have to be forgiven) than to forgive herself. It’s a great strength of her character, the way she chooses kindness time and time again; the way she doesn’t judge others but instead tries to understand their point of view.

The greatest example of that being Yzabel’s treatment of Denis’ mistress. Not only does Yzabel not resent the girl, she’s actually making sure that the relationship is one based on consent and that the girl isn’t being raped by Denis.

But that strength can also be a flaw, and yes, the narrative does acknowledge that, in two ways. One, Yzabel was called out a few times throughout the story on how treats herself in contrast to how she treats others, and those conversations helped her grow and accept herself. And two, those around Yzabel who wish her harm (or simply wish to exploit her position), use her piousness and her belief that she’s tainted (because of the curse and later because of her attraction to women) to manipulate her.

All this to say that the pacing of the book and the way the plot is handled in general is very smart. It uses characters’ flaws to its advantage, it doesn’t spend unnecessary details on things that Yzabel - the only character from whose perspective we view the world - would not know about. And I do believe that is something that A Curse of Roses should be applauded for. It’s absolutely not bad writing for certain details to only be revealed as very much telling instead of showing, when you take into consideration the POV character had no way of knowing about them before. Yzabel is as much surprised as the reader, and that’s a good thing.

I’ve seen people try to argue that the pacing is actually off, that the book is too slow, that it’s boring and nothing happens for whole chapters, but it seems that those people don’t take one thing into consideration: this is a character driven novel. There’s Yzabel’s curse, there’s magic in other forms, there are prelates stealing from the Portugese crown, there are women being accused of witchcraft, but at the end of the day this is a coming of age story of a catholic lesbian in the 13th century. And when viewed as such? The slow parts make perfect tense.

The fact that A Curse of Roses is focused so much on the characters also means that the romance is great. In some regards, Yzabel and Fatyan are a juxtaposition of each other. Yzabel believing in every word of the Bible instead of her own mind & Fatyan having strong opinions on every subject. Of course, it’s not simply black and white like that, and both of them change, but once again, this is something that even the narrative mentions: the girls complementing each other. And it’s one of the reasons they’re so drawn to each other. Because the attraction is obvious from the first time they meet (not to Yzabel, but to Fatyan and surely to the reader) and it only grows stronger and stronger as they spend more time together, in close proximity.

And yet, the romance actually blossoms very slowly. No, it’s not insta love just because two girls want to be close to one another immediately after meeting. It’s not insta love just because they see beauty in the other and don’t want to let go of that. In fact, it takes most of the book for Yzabel to even accept that she’s a lesbian and that it doesn’t go against God’s wishes. That romance is as much central to the story as Yzabel learning to control her gift, and it’s given all the attention it deserves. And what I love most is that once Yzabel does accept it, there’s no shame in it anymore, to the point of there actually being a sex scene in the later part of the book. Not saying that I want to read about teenagers having sex, but that it’s extremely refreshing to see sapphic girls allowed to have that.

The writing itself is very beautiful, as well. It feels a little bit like poetry at times, it’s full of metaphors. The language is flowery, but not in a way of purple prose, where the meaning is lost for the sake of pretty sentences. More, given the subject at hand, the prose takes some liberties to build a magical atmosphere, heavy with the scent of roses. There are instances where a more natural word order is forgotten to create something poetic from a mundane description. It’s wonderful.

Another argument people seem to be making against A Curse of Roses is that magic isn’t described well enough. Which… is just flat-out not true? In reality, magic is a vital part of the novel and as such is written about often. And not only when Yzabel turns food into flowers, but with other characters as well. There’s a whole discussion at some point about the differences between the magic of Yzabel or Fatyan and the magic of Brites, how the girls simply possess magic but Brites had to learn to perform it. It’s clear, from everything we know about Yzabel, why she feels resentful toward her gift at first; it’s clear why some characters are trying to use magic for evil purposes; it’s clear why a lot of them have to hide the magic at all cost.

But the most outrageous offence I’ve seen against A Curse of Roses is that it’s anti-feminist (coupled later in the review, with a statement that Denis was actually a nice guy and that Yzabel was wrong to judge him the way she did, more on which in a second). And I just can’t understand how it’s possible to take that away from a book about a girl who makes sure the mistress of her fiancé actually loves him and is happy, who runs shelters for old and sick prostitutes because she believes they need protection, who is allowed to literally help run a kingdom.

And Denis? Sure, he’s not a villain here, but he didn’t give Yzabel reasons to assume he would be okay with her magic. On the contrary, his views on witchcraft are pretty clear when he imprisons a woman without much evidence against her. And while he might otherwise be a very patient and even caring man, it’s important to remember that Yzabel mistrust is as much about him as it is about how she herself views her own gift.

This is a very long-winded way of saying that A Curse of Roses is a beautiful tale of century long curses and people using any means available to them to ensure they experience some happiness in life. It’s a wonderful story of a lesbian learning to accept herself, enriched by magic and roses.