A dark and moody fantasy with some tantalizing worldbuilding. Has some interesting things to say about class and "meritocracy," and has some rich descriptions, dense in the classically fantasy way. A little shapeless for me but an intriguing idea.

The Curator was a really interesting concept that left me feeling a little confused throughout. Told from multiple perspectives, The Curator tells the story of a city in an unspecified part of the world, possibly around the turn of the Century. The aristocracy has been overthrown by a civilian uprising and the temporary government is (maybe) trying to help create a more prosperous city for inhabitants of all social classes. In the middle of all this, our main character, Dora, finds herself the newly self-appointed curator of the Museum of the Worker.

I had a really hard time placing the events in time and geography throughout the book, which may have been intentional but made it really hard to settle into the story. There are also some plot points that I don’t feel were fully explained or revealed, like the b plot of the city’s cats. While The Curator had some really promising writing and storytelling, the slow progression of the story and the more confusing, mysterious parts made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the book.

I hate to say it, but I had to give up on this one. I DNFed it at around 80 pages, because I had no idea what was going on. I picked this one because I enjoyed Sleeping Beauties, but I just couldn't get into this one. I'm sure it'll find a really cool audience, but it just won't be me. I'm not going to share it in social medias, because I don't want to say anything negative. I don't think it's bad at all; it's just not for me.

This one is different. Owen King stretches his muscles and explores a different writing style. A little nostalgic. A little fantasy. I applaud the complexity. And a good story too. Kudos to you, Mr. King.

My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for an advanced copy of this novel.

A wonderful tale! This was a complex whimsical thrill of a read! I enjoyed every minute of it. I have already begun recommending this to many of our library patrons and have several members who are awaiting it's arrival!

Highly recommend.

I won't lie. I haven't read any other Owen King work, so I requested this ARC solely on the reputation of his father. And I will say, as far as lengthy descriptions are concerned, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. However, I wasn't hooked and ultimately DNF'd this one.

I WILL be trying again; I think the timing was just bad for me. I loved the concept and the writing style, but it was just a slog to try and get through.

I swore I'd never read another Owen King book after Sleeping Beauties, but here we are. This time, Owen shows some real talent without the pressure of his father typing alongside him. The Curator takes place in an unnamed city known as The Fairest. It's been transformed by revolution, leaving its citizens struggling to survive. The story follows Dora, the curator of the Museum of Psykical Research, who took the job to investigate her brother's death. The museum was almost burned down, and Dora believes his death was connected to it.

This book has a lot going on, including a ship full of dead bodies, various characters with unique stories, and the citywide idolatry of cats. While The Curator is primarily a work of fantasy, it contains a genre stew of other elements. I only wish some of the characters were as compelling as their stories.

Despite its occasional meandering, I was committed enough to keep reading. I was invested in Dora's journey to uncover the truth about her brother's death and the mysteries of the museum.

Recommended to the right readers. You know who you are.

3.5 Stars

(Why I almost DNFd and then what saved it)

The start of this book, say the first 50 pages, had me interested. A Dickensian period at war setting and a "conjurer" whos short story in the book reminded me of The Illusionist with Edward Norton. But I REALLLYYY found myself almost DNFing my first book ever. I was almost 280 pages in and barely any talk of what I actually wanted to know about (i.e. The conjurer, the Psykical Research organization, any war at all/even politics of it). There are many characters that you just straight up wont remember, and to me, it seems the way the story was set up. After finishing the book, I understand why certain parts were placed where they were. But, ultimately isnt the goal of the book to get a reader to 100% it and not DNF? No matter what their final conclusion of the book is? You cant bank on someone slogging through the mud to get to the good stuff (final 200 pages). This Book could have been a solid 4 star book, IMO it just focused on the wrong things to build tension and suspense.

SPOILERS*

What saved this book for me was the absolute fever dream of an ending it was. Granted it still didnt answer questions about the conjurer and barely touched the surface of Psykical Research. The bloodshed in the last 200 pages, the mystic about the Morgue Ship being stripped away, and the understanding of why "the Fairest" had its government overthrown were interesting and satisfying enough for me to give this 3.5 stars. I want to know more about not-Anthony, about the Crone, and about Simon the Gentle

I don't know what I was expecting going into this but I was somehow disappointed and surprised? The only other thing I've read by Owen King was Sleeping Beauties, which he wrote with his father Stephen King, so I was assuming it would be more King-esque. It was definitely a breath of fresh air that I didn't see any of his father's influence in this story despite it being a horror. The story was definitely confusing at some points but overall I enjoyed the atmosphere and the secret society we follow. I enjoyed the writing style but I didn't connect with any of the characters. Depsite everything, I enjoyed it overall and would definitely read more written by Owen!

Looks like son King is not following father Kings steps. I wanted horror; I wanted chill in my bones. But I got something else. Not sure what it is though. Is it fantasy? Is it allegory? Is it mystery? I seriously don’t know.

There is a flying Dutch man style Grim Reaper with his “boat”. There are buncha cats demanding you to treat them right. And of course there is a boy and girl in love with each other and different ideals. Oh also, there is the curator. Is that you, God?

While it’s advertised as mystery/thriller, there was not much making me ask “so what’s next?”. I was excited to read with book; my expectations were high. But I was let down. Alright, I’m back to read father King.

Feeling like something out of Gaiman's Sandman, a fairy tale with a magic that is casual, just something that is part of the world like air or gravity. A lot of fun.

Ah, a nepo baby novel with all of the trimming's of his dad's work but none of the charm. And yet all the creepiness against women is still there? Though this was a fascinating premise, the execution was messy and boring. DNF.

A surprising and fascinating fantasy story. An enchanting fairytale with a historical feel to it. The town nicknamed The Fairest is a place where cats are gods and every that you have known is opposite. An enthralling story, imaginative characters and an alluring plot. A combination of different genres mixed together to make a very entertaining book.
A must read.

Before I get into the bad, I want to be super clear in saying there are things about The Curator that I really respect, and I think a lot of fantasy readers are looking for. It's off-beat and clearly deeply imagined in King's mind. And its angle feels fresh--it' just as much the story of a revolution as it is Dora's story, with commentary on human nature, power, class, meritocracy...you get the point.

Okay, now, the less great things.

It was too long. I don't mean that I don't *want* to read that many pages, I just mean that I want each page to be worth it, not wordy. I'm not begging every author to boil down every sentence like Hemingway or anything, but I began to tire at every description and metaphor and blah blah blah.

Maybe more importantly, I didn't feel as though King made great effort to get the reader's emotional investment. I sometimes thought, "hmm, that's interesting," and that's about as strong as my emotions got. Maybe it was the odd treatment of women. Maybe it was how long it took for the plot to "click." Maybe it was the aforementioned wordiness. Regardless, I leave this book feeling very little about it.

In a fantasy, I want to be dying to get to the next page because I care about what happens, not because I just want it to be over. Unfortunately, this was usually a case of the latter--the world-building couldn't carry The Curator.

Owen King's newest novel send us to a different world of magic and revolution. As usual the world-building is amazing and the plot magical and suspenseful. Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read an ARC.

This is a strange one, folks. But I simply couldn't put it down. The Curator falls under the realms of science fiction and fantasy with large doses of magical realism, literary fiction, and... well... cats!

It takes place in a city known as "The Fairest" where there is a great divide between the Haves and the Have-Nots. The government is overthrown in the beginning of the book and as the provisional government struggles to bring peace and betterment to the city, we get to know our main character D or Dora. Dora was born into a wealthy household but orphaned when her family was stricken with cholera. She then went to live at "the lodgings" with the other orphans and eventually took a job as a maid at the university where she was practically invisible to those she served. She ends up romantically involved with a young university student who is involved in the rebellion and takes a position as curator of a peculiar museum after the fall of the monarchy.

Okay, so getting to the cats... they are worshipped by the poor in The Fairest but local folklore says they were spawned by the devil. You'll have to read it to find out more.

This book was atmospheric and foreboding and the small chapters made it very digestible. There is a long slow build but I have to say that the twists and turns at the end of the story were well worth it. I think it'd make a very interesting (albeit unsettling) movie. I really enjoyed the calculating nature of the main character Dora. There is a lot to unpack with this book- great for a sci fi/fantasy book club!

This book was bizarre and hard to get into. I am not judging him by his brother or father. The concept and plot of this book was amazing. It just dragged in spots.

I picked up this one because of the author. Having been a Stephen King fan for so long, now I'm trying to expand and read his children's books as well. Owen's writing is not the same, but still good in its own way. I made it through this one, but I'm not sure I'll keep coming back to his stuff in the future.

Author: Owen King
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: ⭐️ - DNF @ 20%

I really was hoping to like this book. The style of writing, the "Dickinson-like" feel, and the bizarre atmosphere are typically right up my alley, but I found that I just did not care. I had no idea who the characters really were or what their motivations were, there was not an inkling of a plotline by 20%, and there were offputting sexual encounters and descriptions of women that I was not a fan of. The world-building was great and I really think this book could be many people's favorite, but it was just not for me.

My sincerest appreciation to Owen King, Scribner, and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

Not my favorite story. The premise sounds great but the execution is lacking. Not a great depiction of women.