This was intriguing, I'll give it that. In this first book of a historical fantasy series, it follows three different perspectives, but focuses primarily on Redd Winter, an eighteen year old girl longing to know the mystery of her past, with a temper and a sixth sense that collides with the relative safety her mother fights to provide her with.

I went into this not knowing what event in history this book references to, but as I got deeper into the story, I wanted to know more. For other readers unfamiliar with this history, pausing the story to do more research is as interactive as it gets. And I like that in a book, that wanting to know more beyond the story, particularly when it deals with history.

Redd, the main character, takes some getting used to. Younger readers (teenagers, specifically) could relate more to her and her struggles. I found that I preferred the other characters' perspectives.

I give this 4 stars.

The Curse the Binds Us caught my attention by the title. It took me a bit of time to ge through it. At first I thought it wasn’t for me, and it got confusing at points but the more I kept reading, the better it got! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Definitely recommend!

I received an e-arc of this from netgalley for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. Though it might have been my mind set and general no brain power when I read this.

I am going to attempt a second read of this later in the year so if my opinion changes I shall let ye all know!

This story is a series of The devil of Roanoke and to be content with the story you need to read all of the series because reading the first book only will leave you hanging. So, Have you ever imagined living a life full of mystery? Moving around every year just because of a... box? Having weird daily rituals that no other family did? Having an unexplainable surge of power inside of you? or questioning your own mother if she really is your real parent? Living in clueless Redd experiences all of this but never knows why her mother decided to go through all of this when they could just live normally just like any normal family. But they're not a normal family and Redd wants to know everything that was kept secret by her mother. Can she really trust her mother or the young handsome man that suddenly came to take her to her 'real home'?
This story circling around from Redd to John to Eleanor's POV. Two of the POV are in present day while Eleanor's POV were shown back in the past right before the curse started. It was really interesting for me to read Eleanor's POV because for your information the event happening at the time was inspired from a history. Some people don't like disrupting the main story with other story (including me) but the feeling of dislike turns into intriguing to know the truth behind the curse. And I don't know about you guys but Eleanor's POV really makes me feel all sorts of emotion.
I am aware this is a dark contemporary fantasy genre. I don't think it was that dark but the more I read it the darker it became. The truth that you will encover as the story goes will make you don't want to trust humanity. And devil. And Evil. And Chaos. But who want to trust the devil anyways? Well there are some people who are desperate enough to sold themselves to the devil just because of greed.
The romance? The encounter was so-so but the attraction between them was better. This book focuses more on revealing the truth rather than the romantic plot. Which is fine by me because you will end up engrossed with the storyline.
So overall, the story is interesting and I can't wait for the 2nd book to come out because this one just left me on a cliff. Alone and miserable.

The Curse That Binds Us: Book One of Devil of Roanoke Series by Katie Hayoz

9782970151135

371 Pages
Publisher: Books Go Social
Release Date: December 15, 2021

Fiction, New Adult, Sci Fi, Fantasy

Every year Redd and her mother, Eleanor, must move to avoid the mysterious box from finding them. This year is different and they cannot find the box. Unknown to her mother, Redd has found the box down by the river and opens it. This one small act will cause chaos for them. John suddenly appears in town and wants to get to know Redd. Is his appearance associated with the mysterious box and the secrets it holds?

This book was fast paced, the characters were well developed, and it was written in first person point of view based on multiple viewpoints. I loved this story and the characters. Redd is tired of listening to her overbearing mother and wants to escape. The author does a great job incorporating the Roanoke Colony story. It is a sci-fi book with a hint of mystery and a bit of American history. I recommend this book and cannot wait for the next book in the series, “The Vows That Break Us” coming in the spring/summer of 2022.

The Curse That Binds Us is a fantasy story inspired by the history of the lost colony of Roanoke.

It is told through the interchanging POV of three characters. Two from the present and one from the past.One of the characters from the present is Redd, our protagonist and special snowflake. She is a teenage girl with an unusual life.

Every year on her birthday, a mysterious box appears at her house and she and her mother are forced to skip town.They have been running for her entire life and she is sick of it. So when the box shows up again this time she opens it. By doing this, she awakens the evil connection her mother had been trying to protect her from. There is more to the story but that's the gist of it because the entire book revolves around Redd.

This was an interesting story. It had me at the edge of my seat especially the last quarter although nothing happened as expected. It ended with a cliffhanger so things will probably get real in book 2.

The only major problem I had with this book was the beginning. It was hard to get into and confusing. The multiple POVs didn't help matters.It only got better around the 40% mark and just at the right time because I was losing the will to continue. The characters were annoying which meant that there was little to motivate me to reach that 40% mark other than plain old curiosity. To top it all off the "romance" was of the insta-love variety and it made no sense.

With that said will I be reading the second book? Absolutely. The general storyline is unique enough to catch my interest. Plus I can't wait for Redd to discover that in her case mother actually knows best.

As long as she can remember, Redd and her mom have constantly moved from town to town, trying to escape-something or someone--that what Redd does not know. On her birthday, Redd stumbles upon a clue that will lead her to some answers as to what is going on and whom she really is.

This book is told from multiple viewpoints, which does help move along the plot point. I did, however, find myself losing interest whenever it was one particular character's (Eleanor) chapter, though I understand the reason for the inclusion to help set the foundation. However, I felt there was so much of Eleanor's point of view that it left me wanting more for Redd and John's chapters, as they flowed so much better.

The book started off slow for me and took a while for me to really be able to get into that momentum with the storyline. There's a bunch of different worlds tied into one from different time points, and it just personally took me a minute to connect with each of them and how they connected with one another.

In terms of character development, I found Redd being somewhat strongheaded-which may lead to her own downfall. What she struggles to find may be the ticket to what her mother has tried to hide her from all long. John seems innocent enough to Redd, but there were some red flags as to why she didnt notice these and even when she did discover more about him, why she didnt stop trusting him.

I think its an interesting premise, but not sure if it hooked me deeply enough to continued onto the next book.

I enjoyed every bit of this story! The writing was so good, I couldn't put this book down. Can't wait to know what's going to happen next especially with the cliffhanger at the end of the story. Recommended for lovers of dark fantasy genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a sucker for good writing and this book had some of the best writing I’ve read in so long. It was atmospheric, eerie and beautiful all at the same time, dragging me into the story and never letting go.

The Curse That Binds Us is told from 3 perspectives; Redd, who just turned 18. Ever since she can remember, on her birthday every year a strange, mysterious box always turns up. No matter where she is or how hard her mother tries to dispose of it, it always returns.

John; who lives in a place called Eden who is sent to retrieve Redd and bring her back to his home willingly. It isn’t clear right away why his task is so important but we do learn of it as the story goes on.

Eleanor; who lives in England in the year 1577. She meets the devil and suddenly she is engulfed by his voice whispering in her ear. She kills her mother as a young child and after her father refuses to speak of what she’d done, he pushed her into turning to God. They leave England and head to a new life on Roanoke Island. I enjoyed the POV in the past.

I can’t tell you how intrigued I was about this story just 2 chapters in. It gripped me and I had to keep turning the pages to discover what happened next. I loved the different points of view. They were all vastly different from each other so it was easy to keep them separate. It added a new layer to the story we wouldn’t have got with just Redd’s perspective. As I progressed through the book, there was an air of mystery about what was happening and how everyone was connected. When we did find out the connection it was so cleverly done and weaved together.

The box was super interesting to learn about. Especially having cryptic clues to keep you guessing about what would happen if Redd opened it. It was hard to place the genre — it felt like a mix of fantasy, horror and magical realism. I loved it, it felt like a mash-up of various genres and it only added to the intrigue and excitement of the story.

I also liked that the three perspectives were told in alternating chapters and kept the same, so I always knew when the change in POV would come, rather than wondering whose we’d read next. The secrets of Eden and how Eleanor related to the present day were sprinkled through the book so we were always learning something new.

I absolutely loved this book so I was thrilled to discover that there will be more books in the series! I cannot wait for the next book, especially with the cliffhanger!

I absolutely love that book: the story is really creative, and the way the character achieve their goals is really well made. Really looking forward to see the 2nd one

I love it because it is unique, the masks, flowers, fur babies and, the other story elements. One thing I love most is how history is told, tangled with the authors creative imagination.

I want to know more of Eden and how will the author take the story from book one to the next.

One thing that i don't fancy much, not really that big of a deal and i understand why the author chose to name him such, is the name John Smith. I totally understand Shay's reaction after learning his name hahahahahaa.

Overall, I can safely say - the author knew what she was doing, with the characters and the story itself.

I was interested in this book from the lore and mystery of what happened to the Roanoke colonists and how the author would create their own twist on it. The plot and overall storyline worked really well, but the characters felt two-dimensional. One of the experienced a lot of growth in their character, but I felt like the protagonist just stayed the same. There were several chapters where I felt like something more could have happened but those events occurred off-page instead. I think readers of dark or YA fantasy will enjoy this one!

The Curse That Binds Us by Katie Hayoz

History and magic intertwine in this fantastical debut in a new series that had me hooked.

Redd travels around the US with her mother, constantly moving, never putting down roots and always followed by a mysterious box. No one knows where it comes from, only that it shows up every year on Redds birthday and that she is not allowed to touch it. Ever.

Mysterious things happen around Redd when she gets angry and on her 18th, she loses it. Fed up of moving every year, never managing to keep a friendship or relationship and the allure of this box... Redd demands that they stay where they are and of course, her mum agrees. On the condition the mysterious box does not appear.

In 1587 Eleanor travels from England to America and lands in Roanoke. A land hostile to her and her people. With no one to greet them, no food and no water Eleanor and her people try and make a living off a land that doesn't seem to want them. While the devil watches from a distance...

*

This was such a easy read about a box, temptation, generational curses and the lengths people will go for their loved ones. I really enjoyed Redds character and her growth in this book, i genuinely don't know what direction she will go in the next book and I love that. The writing was very easy and sort of addicting, I just wanted to know what happened next! The romantic lead was very sweet but I think needed a little more development for me to really care about him but as the book wasn't about him I am not really as bothered by this.

Overall a fun YA, easy to read with interesting story, and I'm excited to see what happens next.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Redd and her mother have been running since birth, from a box that arrives each year on Redd's birthday. Redd has no idea what is in the box and her mother keeps her in the dark until the year Redd finally gets to the box first. What happens next unfolds fast and Redd is racing against time to find out the secrets of the box.

The Curse That Binds Us by Katie Hayoz was a great paranormal thriller! Told over two different time periods, this book had me hooked! A different premise to most other paranormals that I have read and I cannot wait for the next in the series!

Really loved this book. Beautifully written, twisty and turn-y and the interlinking of past and present stories was really well done. Fascinating story, can’t wait to see what happens next. Eagerly awaiting the next instalment. Have set it for book club. Fab book, wholeheartedly recommend.

This book was incredible! A definite page turner! The amount of intrigue and mystery in every chapter made the book be one that I could not put down. I cannot wait for the continuation of this story! I loved this book from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

It took me quite a while to read this book even though I was intrigued by the plot. The main thing that drove me away from really getting into it were the kind of insta love that in my opinion lacked chemistry and the overall confusing worldbuilding. The plot in and by itself was alright and I liked that I couldn't predict everything.

Picking up this book, I didn't know what to expect. A young girl receives a strange box every birthday that she's told not to open? What a strange concept. And I was completely expecting some sort of stereotypical "there's a crown in there cause she's actually a princess" or "here's some magic powers". What I got was not only unexpected, but downright fantastic and original.

Weaving in horror elements perfectly, the story opens on Redd, a girl who is very good at playing card games because she knows if you're lying. Her mother has raised her on some strange plans including being able to hold her breath for 5 minutes and having to touch a mysterious flower every morning which her mother later makes into a tea.

John is also a major player, coming from a place called Eden. He is trying to find her to bring her home. However, he knows his home isn't all rainbows and picnics. In fact, he has pets that are personifications of Chaos, Evil and many more. Eden isn't exactly the Eden from the Bible. Or is it?

And finally we look at Eleanor and the history of Roanoke. This thrilled me to the gills! Using such a wonderful mystery and in such an unexpected way! I loved that the author didn't shy away from showing the sexism and racism of the time. The fact that she was judged more harshly for doing the exact same thing her husband did, or that the Native Americans were still called 'savages' despite saving their lives many times.

What an absolutely incredible book and I can't wait to get my hands on the next part of the story!

Un libro que no prometia pero que tiene un final abierto??? YAS
Si me tengo que mudar todos mis cumpleaños, yo no tendría vida social, like, empezar todo de nuevo? Not my thing.
Redd es un personaje de caracter bastante fuerte y amo que sus poderes esten relacionados con eso.
John es medio rari, pero me encantan sus old vibes jsjsj como que al no saber ciertas cosas o no conocer ciertas comidas, lo hacían un personaje bastante divertido. Pero el romance que se presenta es medio odd.
Agnes, mi amor, si pasa algo, lo mejor es comunicarlo, NO GUARDÁRTELO.
Me gustaron los distintos povs, en especial el de Eleonor que prácticamente te contaba como empezó todo.
Un historia que te deja al borde de la silla.