The Curse That Binds Us is a blend of dark urban/historical fantasy with a sprinkle of romance, and is the first installment of The Devil of Roanoke trilogy.
Told from 3 POV’s and in dual timelines, it’s the story of a dark curse that spans centuries, questioning the balance of good and evil, darkness and light, life and death.
The secret to Redd’s past is locked in a 400-year-old box that appears every year on her birthday, of which her mother so desperately tries to keep her away from. On the year that Redd finally awakens the link to the evil within it, John is sent to find her, in hopes that she could be the one to save his village. Flashing back to the 16th century, we follow Eleanor and her fight for survival on the mysterious Island of Roanoke.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know how the three main characters were intertwined, and what roles they played in each other’s lives. I could have done without the ‘aye’ and ‘nay’, but I suppose it was a good reflection of the village and how secluded it was from the rest of the world. My favourite character had to be Chaos - he truly lived up to his name! Overall, I wish a bit more happened, or that the ending was left on a larger cliffhanger, but I will be continuing the series! Dying to find out what Eleanor has been up to for the past 400 years.

“Like Evil, Torment was now a part of me. I would never know peace again.”

CW: kidnapping.

[Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC]

Thank you to Netgallery and the author for this ARC!

3/5 Stars

This book had an interesting concept and such a unique world, in which first drew me to this book in the first place. The world of Eden is a very different world in which kept me very curious throughout the entire novel. As I found it such a different take on the "devil" then many other stories I have read.

Throughout the story there is three different storylines, two which happen in the present (Redd & John) and one which occurs long time in the past from a different character POV (Eleanor). I found as Eleanor's POV did not quite fit into the story as the other two, everytime I was reading an Eleanor chapter I felt as through I was taking a pause and a step back away from the real story. Whereas Redd's and Johns chapters were much more intriguing and captivating.

Towards the last third of the book I found everything seemed a bit rushed and was trying to get to a certain point within a certain amount of pages. Especially in regards to Redd's and Johns attraction to each other. For the first half of the book, there relationship was based more intrigue and curiousity which kept their character development interesting. Then however it seemed to progress quickly after one encounter to insta love. Which did not seem to sit well with me.

I am interested to see how Redd and John's story play out within the next novel, and how both these characters will get out of the mess they are in!

I really loved the concept and general idea of this book, particularly because I am fascinated by Roanoke. Also loved the different points of view.

However, I had a lot of trouble with the central love story which I have a feeling is going to be a big plot point going forward. I wasn’t invested at all and that made it harder for me to get invested in the outcome overall.

The Curse That Binds Us by Katie Hayoz is a dark fantasy novel about the lost colony of Roanoke. Every year on her birthday, a mysterious 400 year old box appears to Redd, forcing her and her mother to flee. One day Redd decides to open the box and finds a strange object inside with evil ties to her unknown past. In a dual storyline, Eleanor is a settler of Roanoke who makes a lethal mistake binding her to a dark place with terrible consequences for Redd, centuries later.

Themes of sacrifice, desperation, family, and identity tell this strange story about the masks we wear when confronted with life and death. The story is creative in its melding of two very different histories making this an unusual and original book.

It is a young adult novel which is not my favourite genre, so I am not entirely sure if I will read the sequel? The writing felt a bit inconsistent and the chemistry between some characters was not there.

Overall if you are a fan of dark fantastical historical fiction with eerie folklore inspirations, give The Curse That Binds Us a chance.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

**Thank you Netgalley and the author for this ARC.**
         
I’ve been intrigued with the premise of this book since the moment I read its synopsis. And it did not disappoint on the whole. There were still some aspects that I didn't overly enjoy but truly the premise of this book was so so intriguing that although I didn't enjoy everything, I can admit: I could not put the book down.
 Let me first say, Katie Hayoz took a famous mystery and created a new lore around it. Using the multiple POV , we got to follow  Redd --a girl with hidden power  who is trying to break free from her controlling mother. Then, we have John, the old-fashioned boy   who leaves the sanctuary of Eden to scout in the Beyond. The last POV turns out to be Eleanor Dare, one of the Roanoke colonists, who speaks of her journey to resist the devil. Although, I must admit, despite enjoying her POV the most, I still skipped some of her passages because after a while they just became somewhat repetitive. As the book progresses, their stories  weave together to form a strange, compelling narrative.
The story also left me confused for a time and it took me quite a bit connect the dots about the history of the Village. However, I believe that was the author's goal so I won't nit-pick too much on that aspect.
The Curse That Binds Us is as much a dark dance with the devil as it is a historical drama. This first book sets up the trilogy beautifully and I can't wait for the second installment and get to read more about Eleanor!  (and the rest of the characters, of course)
ALSO, I must say Katie Hayoz's prose is truly magnificent.

This book started out weak, but quickly picked up as we were introduced more to the overarching plot. Since it's set in our world there wasn't too much worldbuilding, but we did get to meet quite a few characters in the different main character viewpoints. The writing was sparse and lacked description, but it usually fit the setting and the story style. Because of the writing style, this would be a good book for fans of modern fantasy who enjoy a little mystery thrown in. The romance wasn't exactly believable to me and felt too easy - I think more time spent with each character and lengthier character development would have gone a long way towards solidifying their relationship. More time spent with on worldbuilding and setting up the events would have helped as well.

“Our truth is tied to the devil. It is not a truth that is shared far and wide. But it is our truth. Our history. Our curse. And it was of our choosing. It was always our choice, whether we admitted it or not.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eleanor decided the fate of many before her, binding them to a curse through her choices. Redd in the present, her ancestor, wants her life to be normal, and wants to know the truth of her past. John, from Eden, sent to find her.

OMGGGGGG. It was left on a cliffhanger! And now I have to wait a WHOLE YEAR to find out what happens. This is not ok!

I loved this book. I loved the multiple viewpoints and the flashbacks to Eleanor in the past. I am preordering the next book as soon as I can afford to! But OH EM GEEEEE - WHAT A BOOK!

Thank you to BooksGoSocial, @katie_hayoz and @netgalley for providing me with a copy!

Pub date: Available now!

I really like the premise of this book. Unfortunately, I didn't find it lived up to my expectations.

It was written well but I just couldn't remain interested in the plot or the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. This is my honest review.

I seem to be the odd man out with my opinion on this novel. I didn't hate it, but I wasn't head over heels in love with it either. I feel like it had amazing potential and I was so excited when I got a copy of it because let's face it I love all things that are even remotely related to Roanoke and the mystery that surrounds it. This book however caused me to struggle through the entire thing.

I'll start with the cons of the book. I usually love multiple POV books because I feel like it gives you the story from every perspective, however with this book the different POV and the switch between past and present caused a huge disconnect for me. I really felt like we could have completely done without Elanore's POV altogether because every single time it came back to Elanore and the past I didn't want to read those chapters. The romance also fell a bit flat for me. I'm not opposed to instalove in the slightest because sometimes it's needed when things happen quickly in a book but I just didn't feel a genuine connection between Redd and John.

As for the Pros I really did like Redd. I thought that she was a great main character and she's really the only thing that kept me interested in the book. I did love the plot and I felt like it would have been a five-star read had the switching back and forth not taken place and the focus was solely on the present and the plot. I also felt like Katie Hayoz did an amazing job at building up the suspense of the book. It kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next and caused me to not give up.

All in all, while I didn't exactly love the book I do plan on reading the rest of the series as it is published.

I absolutely devoured this. The book begins by going straight into the action. I enjoy that that background of present day events is being told alongside that way we find out as our main character finds out what is happening. Throughout the book the juxtaposition of right and wrong, good and evil is constantly challenged. I particularly enjoyed that both our main protagonists are not inherently evil or good but are weighing up the consequences of their choices throughout.
This is an absolutely fascinating take on the events that led to the disappearance of the Roanoke settlers. If you like fantasy and historical fiction then this is right up your street.

Give me a history fantasy, but add to it multiple perspectives, shifting time, and a romance. Top it with action, imagery, and a whole lot of questions, and you have this beautiful book.

We meet Redd—a girl who has spent her entire life in a state of transition, the only constant being packing up and moving. There’s John, a teenager from the questionably imperfect Eden. Finally, there’s Eleanor, the historical thread tying together the tale of The lost colony of Roanoke.

When it comes to atmosphere and ambience, this tale brought it. Darkness. Mystery. Romantic tension. Check, check, and check!

Overall, world building was solid, characters were well-developed and absolutely lovable, and the pace was enough to keep me reading. I’ll definitely be reading books 2 and 3!

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. The premise sounded really interesting but I find myself not wanting to pick up this book and read it. Redd is an interesting character that I want to learn more about, but the multiple time lines and point of view pull me away from her story too much. I want to just be reading from her perspective. Maybe if I had made it to the point where more of the POVs converge it would have been different, but as I am putting the book down for now I won't know that. I might try again at another time, possibly the fall, when I am more inclined to read this type of story. Thank you for the opportunity to read now.

Thank you to #BooksGoSocial and #Netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book.


I'm clearly in the minority here but having reached the 33% mark I am no longer willing to spend any more reading time on this one. Had it been a standalone book I might have been more inclined to push on but, knowing that there is at least one more book, I'm cutting my losses now. A reviewer below describes this as a supernatural thriller and therein lies the core of my problem. I was expecting a fantasy as per the description, but it wasn't what I got. At a stretch, and from a distance, one might say Urban Fantasy though it leans more to the paranormal/supernatural and they don't tend to hold my interest.


For me, it felt as though the plot plodded with the speed of an arthritic donkey. This was not helped by the formulaic rotation of viewpoints, Redd chapter, John chapter, Eleanor chapter, wash, rinse, repeat..., this rapid turnaround left me unable to connect with the three protagonists and therefore I didn't care about their future. Whilst this is listed as NA it felt very High School and YA to me, particularly when reading both John and Redd's chapters.


The cherry on the cake was how Redd was kept in the dark "to protect her", the author attempted to explain it by offering up the fact that knowing the truth might be harmful to her. But come on it's well known that if you tell someone not to do something they immediately feel compelled to do that thing, so Redd was always going to be hellbent on opening the chest. When a book attempts to build tension and anticipation just by not telling you anything then it's not for me. I prefer a book with layers, so that when one secret is revealed other mysteries and puzzles arise from it.


On a positive note, the writing style was good; I quite enjoyed the author's voice. Unfortunately, I just don't find myself caught up in the story or curious as to what will happen next.

I will start by saying the cover of this book is absolutely spectacular. This book is a new take on the Roanoke colony and the mystery surrounding it. The plot of this book kept me immersed in the book till the very end and me being a sucker for multiple POVs I really enjoyed this book. I have never read anything similar and it brings the score for me a lot higher. I definitely have a lot of questions and want to read the rest of the series. A good mix of fantasy and historical fiction, like Outlander but more fantasy-ish.

I really loved the concept of this novel. I’ve always been fascinated by the lost colony of Roanoke.
Although I loved the pace of the novel, the three POVs and the alternating time line at times made the story too choppy for me, but that is a small detail that doesn’t really take away from the book. Overall, this is darker and creepier than most historical fictions and
I’m excited for the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

I really enjoyed the different perspectives of this story, it was quite entertaining to go from modern day to back in that past and seeing how everything played out from different POVs. This story follows Redd as she finds discovers shocking truths about her past that was hidden from her for so many years, John as he tries to find the one person who can save his whole village, and where it all really began with Eleanor.
There were things I enjoyed but also things I did not quite enjoy. There were moments where I just want to shake Redd and ask her “WHY!!!!” 🤦🏻‍♀️
Overall, I did enjoy it. I will probably read the next books in the series to see more of the secrets that Eden has to offer, but am not in any rush to get to it.

Thanks again NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review!

A super intriguing book with multiple POV and primary characters. It jumps back and forth with retelling of how we got to where the story is with and deals a lot with some fantasy mostly with the premise of the devil and also historical twist on early settlement of North America. Extremely well done historical retelling and while not fast paced was realistic and dark and twisted. Absolutely loved the author's take on the mystery of the Roanoke colonists. Can't wait to delve deeper and find out more, highly recommended to YA fantasy readers and history buffs alike.

I enjoyed this book but unfortunately it didn’t hold my attention. I enjoyed the dark themes and the mysterious element but felt if lacked enough content for me to be enthralled to continue. I did finish and for someone who regularly d joys this genre I’m sure it would get the five stars it deserves.

Oh my goodness did I ever love this book. I received it as an ARC, courtesy of the publisher, the day before it came out and I just devoured it. I'm a sucker for a morally gray character, and just about everyone in this book has some sort of grayness to them. And that ending... that unexpected massive cliffhanger of an ending.

This is the story of Redd, whose mother has kept secrets from her for her entire life. It's the story of John, who is doing what he has to for his community. And it's the story of Eleanor, early colonist in Roanoke and the sacrifices she has to make to survive. It's also a story of dark magic, and an alternate history of a story no one truly has answers to.

I thank the publisher for providing an advance copy in exhange for an honest review.

#TheCurseThatBindsUs #netgalley
#review #bookrecommendations
#bookreview #roanoke #alternatehistory #magic #MorallyGrey

I'm into this. Something about this story caught me. I love the spooky and the world building. Muli POV's can be hard to do. But it works here I don't get lost keeping up the pace. Perfect historical/fantasy.