One thing about me is that i will read everything, and i do mean everything, that comps Veronica Mars (its my fave show of all time), so when i found out about this book (a fantasy for fans of VM ?!!!!) It sounded too good to pass on.
And let me tell you, it was everything i wanted it to be and more.
Marlow was a great character, a cursebreaker that was like a P.I. but for finding out who had cursed her clients, not cheating husbands.
The story itself was intriging, the many mysteries (which are maybe connected?) are great.
It also has Fake Dating, which i loveeee.
I really, really liked this book.

Can't wait for the sequel. Like really, give it to me right now.

The summary of this already had me intrigued. I think the plot was good. Its a slow burn romance. Which doesn't bother me. I do think the characters are a bit basic at time. It wasn't the worst read but wasn't a 5 star from me either. It was just a good read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

Had so much fun with this YA fantasy!

Pool does an incredible job worldbuilding, and while it was a little much to get through the first few chapters, the rest was a blast and so well paced.

Our two leads have beautiful chemistry, despite the FMC's hesitation towards our MMC, but I'm a sucker for enemies-to-lovers.

The curse breaking/fantasy aspect of this gave some ACOTAR vibes that I was totally here for.

Overall, a fun read, looking forward to book 2!

Katy Rose Pool's Garden of the Cursed is the first installment in the authors Garden of the Cursed duology. The story is told in the first person narrative by 17-year old Marlow Briggs who works for Bowery Spellshop with her best friend, Swift. The story takes place in the fictitious country of Caraza, well Caraza city actually. Marlow was able to get the same education as the Evergarden kids of the fluent Five Families that control the country and magic. These are the rich kids from influential families.

They get a special education with magic. There are five main families and Marlow's mother Cassandra worked for one, the Vale family. When her mom went missing a year ago, and her best friend/crush stopped talking to her, Marlow returned to the Marshes where she quickly became the best cursebreaker around and that's how she makes her money. Then, her ex -best friend Adrius Falcrest who she had a crush on found her after a year and told her about a compulsion curse. At first Marlow says she won't help him. But the curse is something that only the old destroyed magic books would have.

Adrius has to obey any order given to him. Marlow agrees to help while still trying to find out what happened to her mother. The closer she comes to finding the secrets behind Cassandra's disappearance, the deeper she gets into a well of twisted mysteries and secrets that have long been kept away from the gentry by the 5 families. She's thrown back in with the rich society kids as Adrius date, and has to go to balls and events. She finds one friend that seems genuine, but most others don't like her and think she's below them. Adrius's sister is getting married to a son from another family. It's a way for two families to combine and become more powerful.

The worldbuilding was very interesting! Magic exists as spells that require a hex card and the corresponding incantation. Magic and the resources needed to create spells are also gate kept by the Five Families, who essentially run the city. So, let's just say that a little birdie told me that if you really pay attention to this story, you will see why the story has been compared to Veronica Mars. The little birdie also tells me that if you are aware of the former TV series, you will recognize characters in this book, the history of our main lead, and even some of the plot points that play out throughout this book.

A big thanks to Netgalley, BookishFisrt, and Macmillan for providing both an eARC in a physical finished edition.

JUST LOOK AT THIS COVER! I am in love.

Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool is the first of a new YA duology, that follows cursebreaker Marlow Briggs as she pretends to fall in lover with her former friend-turned-enemy, to gain entrance into the deadly society that may or may not know what happened to her missing mother. But at the cost of her own heart, of course, as she starts to fall for Adrius.

I read Pool's previous trilogy, and had a love/hate relationship with it. Mostly I loved the first one, and found myself regretting and DNFing the last two. So I'm a bit skeptical what she has in store for this duology. But this first one, was amazing! I'm talking beautiful worldbuilding, amazing plot, and don't even get me started on Adrius, who literally stole the entire book.

Read this book! Read it right now! You won't regret it!

I received an ARC of Garden of the Cursed and I am so glad I did. The premise sounded like so much fun, and it did not disappoint. I especially enjoyed the unique magic system. High society fake dating, territory and gang battles, curse breaking, heists and mystery are the perfect combination for a new fast paced series. I loved Marlow as a character and the found family she has in Swift. I found Adrius as a love interest from her past and present to be a perfect foil for her Marlow's feelings as they reunited to figure out the mystery of her mother's disappearance and all that was happening behind the scenes. I was surprised by some of the twists and that cliffhanger leaves me itching for the next book .

Magic in Caraza as a whole is controlled closely by the Five Families in power who, in their gated community of Evergarden, keep the secrets of their spells close to the vest.

Marlow Briggs, who's mother was once the chevalier to the Vale family, attended school with the heirs to the Families. While there, she met Adrius Falcrest - heir to the Falcrest family. Despite what many would see as their obvious class differences, Marlow considered Adrius one of her best friends. That is, until he turned his back on her. All too soon after that, Marlow's mother disappeared and Marlow left Evergarden and Adrius behind.

Now, she makes ends meet by working as a Cursebreaker. A lucrative business, and one that brings her back into contact with Adrius when he comes to Marlow to help break a curse put on him.

As much as she doesn't want to be back in this life, Marlow cannot turn down the money, or the opportunity to so more searching for her mother. Marlow and Adrius decide to pose as a couple, figuring this is the best way to explain Marlow's presence again amongst the noblesse nouveau.

But as Marlow gets pulled deeper into the case, she begins to realize that her mother's disappearance has farther reaching consequences than she thought.

I very much enjoyed the world-building within this story. I'm intrigued by the magic system and the idea of the curse cards. I hope that we get an even bigger / better picture of everything in the second book.

This one for sure felt like such a setup. In that regard I felt like it was trying to find its footing for a while. Marlow is seemingly caught between two things: 1) figuring out what happened to her mother, and 2) helping Adrius with his curse. Quite often while reading, I felt like the story couldn't balance between the two very well and I thought that Marlow spent more time solving the mystery of her mother and anything that ended up pertaining to Adrius's curse was happenstance.

There are a lot of twists and, I don't really want to say misdirection, but I think it highlights the idea that Marlow is in over her head. She obviously has never taken on something this momentous before and I also feel like there's the need to want to find these answers for her own piece of mind, that causes her to grasp at threads sometimes.

In between all of this, I really loved the interactions between Marlow and Adrius as the slow-burn romance it's meant to be. I liked the glimpses we get from before and how that has informed Marlow's wariness when dealing with Adrius and the people in his circle now. I feel like there's so much to be said between these two. Like they keep either misunderstanding or not speaking the full truth and conflicts arise from there. I can't wait for them to get it together! :) I think the key for a lot of what will happen in the next book will hinge upon them trusting one another.

That's a big thing in this book, it's difficult to know who Marlow can trust. Besides her best friend Swift, everyone else is a morally gray character. They might help Marlow out, but they're also just as likely to turn on her if it's beneficial to them. Even if those people aren't inherently "bad" they are definitely out for their own gain, but that's kind of how it works in Caraza when you're outside the orbit of the Families. You are subject to the various gangs of the Marshes.

I've always been one to believe that duologies are only half of a whole. That it's almost unfair to judge the first part without having its companion. So even though there are a few stumbles, I think it's all part of building this world, and building Marlow's character. I'm invested and really looking forward to seeing the conclusion of this story. I want to spend more time with these characters and in this world, and if that's not the sign of a entertaining and engrossing read, then I don't know what is.

I had only ever heard amazing things about this author, so I am SO glad that this didn't disappoint!

Garden of the Cursed is a unique, high stakes YA fantasy with such a different & cool magic system and world. Marlow is SUCH a likable MC for me, she's witty and brave and determined, as well as stubborn and impulsive at times. Her back story with the Evergarden and her missing mother completely grabbed my attention.

The curse breaking & magic in this book really especially impressed me, and I loved how the lore of the world/families/spell books wrapped into Marlow and Adrius' quest to break the curse that has mysteriously been put on him. I really liked the politics of the world, and how everything has shaken out the way it has to create the Marshes and the Evergarden, especially how this effected black market magic and the gangs in the marshes. There was just so much to this story, and it unfolds very organically.

It's hard to review the ending without spoilers, but the twists at the end were all absolute surprises for me! I had no idea who cast the curse, and I really love when a story can surprise me in this way. The stakes feel very high by the end, and that cliffhanger! I'm definitely excited to continue the series. Thank you to Macmillan Children's and NetGalley for the eArc of this title!

This book grabbed me from the first few pages. I love when a story feels like something I haven’t read before.

Garden of the Cursed deals with magic kept in curse cards, a missing mother, and a fake dating…we used to be friends but now I don’t trust you kind of trope!

I loved the juxtaposition between the lower class marsh lands with the upper class garden society. It adds a gritty tang to the toxic polish.

The magic system is really fun and I can’t wait to dive deeper into its machinations in the next book. I think the possibilities are endless. When magic is controlled by an elitist society, the underbelly is trying everything it can to bring them down. Gang rivalry, black market societies. It’s all here.

Last but not least there’s a really angsty YA romance element I loved. Sure there’s miscommunication and drama but I was in it to win it. I can’t wait to see where it goes. I’m a sucker for this kind of trope. I need more! ❤️

All in all this was a solid start to a series with a great cliffhanger. A fun diverse cast, lots of growing room for future books, and just enough reveals to keep you guessing!

I really liked it! And I will 100% be reading book 2 next year. A book that totally took me by surprise.

What a great read! I had no idea I would love this so much!

Marlow has been living in the marshes for the past year, working as a curse breaker. When her mother disappeared a year ago, she had to quickly leave the elite part of the city and make her own way. Now, one of those elite, Adrius, has found her to ask for her help breaking a curse put on him.

Fake dating, magic, and all sorts of soirees and balls, this book had me in its grip. I am also so happy that there will be a sequel, and I will be able to read more Marlow and Adrius!

Definitely recommend this as a ya fantasy!

Out June 20, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Garden of the Cursed is everything I wanted from a magical noir mystery book and then more!

Marlow Briggs has been through a lot in the past year. Her mother went missing, her supposed best friend turned his back on her, and she had to leave the beautiful city of Evergarden to live in the muck-filled Marshes. It's here that she started her work as a Cursebreaker and has become one of the best in the business. Then, Adrius Falcrest, Scion to one of the Five Families and Marlows ex-best friend, shows up on her doorstep with a curse to break. One that could end in death. Seeing this as an opportunity to figure out what really happened to her mother a year ago, she agrees to help and is thrust back into the blooming high society she once left. Forced to keep up a ruse that they are dating, Marlow and Adrius find themselves uncovering dark secrets from everybody's past and gaining enemies around every corner. The deeper she goes, the more convinced she is that Adrius' curse and her mother's disappearance could be connected.

When I say I could not put this book down, I mean it. I hung on to every word. This world is so rich with character and I can feel the difference between the Marshes and Evergarden. I found the magic system to be super compelling, and a genius way to keep something like curses and hexes feeling fresh and new. I wanted to explore all the nooks and crannies hidden in this world and find a mystery of my own.

Marlow is one hell of a protagonist. She is confident, headstrong, and stubborn, but that just makes her a good curse breaker. I found myself cringing alongside her, empathizing with her, and wanting to pull her out of the messes she gets in. I adored her character, especially her sarcasm, witty one-liners, and cat named Toad. I also absolutely fell in love with Swift, her best friend in the Marshes. He is everything I want in a supportive but brutally honest partner who will call you out when needed but will also follow you into the fire. Our other male lead, Adrius Falcrest, left me giggling and kicking my feet like a little schoolgirl. I absolutely loved his character and the relationship he and Marlow shared, however "fake", had me gasping out loud.

It would be remiss of me to end this review without mentioning one last thing that had me absolutely glued to the page: the mystery! At its core this book is a mystery and BOY does it deliver. I usually pride myself on being able to figure out plot twists in advance, at least most of the time. And I will not lie, some things I did figure out. But after finishing the book, I felt like everything I had thought before was all up in the air! what I had figured out was all just a ruse to distract me from the main twists and I could not keep up. My head was racing and my pages were flying by and the words were jumping off the page and then. It ended! What!? I cannot BELIEVE I have to sit here until the next one comes out to know what happens next. What Gives!!??!

I annotated my arc, and I have never done that before! That's how you know this book is good. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up, you won't regret it.

I received this arc from NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4.5/5 stars rounded up because oh my GODDDD.

Okay, first of all, this is the first in a duology. The cliffhanger HURTS. BUT...BUT....FRIENDS TO ENEMIES TO FAKE DATING TO ENEMIES?? YES PLEEEASE. Marlow is searching for answers about her mother who disappeared while working as a curse breaker. Curses (and spells) are done through playing cards with an incantation. To break a curse, you burn the card. To use a spell (or curse) you have to have the card for it. There's a black market, a criminal underworld, and five families who rule over the aristocratic side of their town and control access to learning spell crafting. It's...a wild ride. You throw in murder, mystery, secret societies, a curse that is a big big big no no and fake dating? holy cow.

Adrius and Marlow are....their CHEMISTRY. Working together to break a curse, they end up reconnecting and fake dating, and well, we all know how that trope goes. There are SO many moments where I was like oh my GODDDD because ADRIUS.

But uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the cliff hurts. a lot. I avoided finishing this for a hot minute because there was angst and I knew I was going to be left hanging.

Anyways, 10/10 recommend.

Title: Garden of the Cursed
Author: Katy Rose Pool

Release Date: June 20th, 2023*

Category: YA Fantasy

Synopsis: Since fleeing the gilded halls of Evergarden for the muck-filled canals of the Marshes, Marlow Briggs has made a name for herself as the best cursebreaker in Caraza City. But no matter how many cases she solves, she is still haunted by the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow's old friend and scion of one of Caraza's most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself.

Quote: She dropped her gaze, shame and disgust flaring hot in her cheeks. Because she knew exactly what she was asking of him, and it still didn’t stop her.

The UnReel Take:
Story: 5
Writing: 5
Characters: 4
Setting: 6
UnReel AR: 5

Bottom Line: Was this an epic new favorite that re-imagined the YA Fantasy genre? No. Will I read the second one? Probably.
Oh, you need more than that?
*Small disclaimer – Garden of the Cursed was apparently heavily inspired by Veronica Mars but I never watched that show, so I can’t speak to that side of things.
Let’s start with the setting. It was way more modern than I expected, which I really liked. Garden of the Cursed is an urban fantasy set in an entirely fantastical world. It actually reminded me of Howl’s Moving Castle (the movie), not in the type of world but in the level of modernization mixed with fantasy. Also, can authors please start writing more swamp fantasy? Because that was super cool. A map would’ve been really useful though, and I’m kind of surprised the publisher didn’t include one.
I also really enjoyed the magic system which involved magical cards and will appeal to anyone who collected Pokemon cards as a kid. The magic system wasn’t super developed and there were a few holes in the logic, but overall, I bought into it.
The characters were…fine. Their dialogue was annoyingly contemporary, and they read as very young, even for a YA novel. They also fit their tropes to a tee, with an MC who jumps to wild conclusions she never questions until they blow up in her face, a gay best-friend, and a hot, rich, mean guy who’s not-so-secretly longing for our MC. There was definitely an opportunity for Pool to dig a little deeper with the characters that wasn’t taken. Another downside was how inconsistent the characters could be. Like, the MC – who is literally a detective/curse-breaker – drinks an open-drink handed to her by a total stranger. There’s also a literal spy who just openly answers any question she gets asked in great depth. Suuure.
The plot was exactly what you’d expect from a YA Fantasy novel. The big reveals were predictable, there were idealistic rebels pitted against a corrupt society, and all the characters were way too young to realistically be involved in any of the things they’re involved in. The MC never seemed to have a sense of urgency, despite the stakes being high. I didn’t actually mind any of this though, since you know what you’re getting into with a book like this, and there’s something comforting about having your expectations met EXACTLY.
The writing was also pretty generic, but it got the job done. The author included a weird mix of actual and made-up swears, which is a pet peeve of mine. There were several info dumps, mostly in the first few chapters, the flashbacks were integrated awkwardly, and the foreshadowing was heavy-handed. The author also incorporated some random French words, likely given the New Orleans-inspired setting, but they weren’t well integrated, and the grammar was wrong a few times. (Like, to the point where my low-level-Duolingo-learner-self noticed.) There were also a few typos and grammar issues, but I assume those will be fixed in the final release.

Ideal Reading Location: Your bedroom with the door closed, so no one will hear you groan out loud when the characters do something stupid.

Drink Pairing: Let’s give a nod to the swamp setting and say a hurricane.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is quite different from my typical reads, but I'd heard good things about it, so I was excited to check it out. The premise sounded interesting, but sadly, it fell flat for me. I found the worldbuilding and characters lackluster. The pacing was consistent throughout, but the storyline was all over the place. I never connected with any of the characters, who were unoriginal and even laughable at times. Adrius was so self-centered and annoying that I didn't even like him. The romance angle felt forced and could've been left out. I don't see myself checking out the sequel.

A gripping Young Adult Fantasy that had me propelled into a realm of strict magic, political intrigue, and class structure. Marlow is your savvy young woman with an enigmatic history, ridden with holes; in which we learn and investigate with her as events unravel. She’s akin to a private investigator spellcaster, who breaks hexes for a living. Que in the drama by adding the dreamy powerful heir, Adrius, and one-time friend. Tension yes, suppressed feelings, yes. Danger and mistakes, yes. It has all the “feels” and misgivings of youth that wrench your heart and stomp on it before bringing it back to life.

Intense, this book had me addicted from the start and the desire to know had me finishing it in record time. The wordsmithing, rich worldbuilding, and vulnerable, yet strong characters are worth 5-stars.

Bravo! This was so good! I adored Katy’s first series, and I cannot wait for more from this new world she’s built up. It’s so magical and intriguing! Highly recommend!

This book was amazing. I’ll admit I wasn’t sure after the first chapter, but the more I got into the story the more I needed to read. I need part two immediately. Marlow Briggs is a cursebreaker living in the poor part of the city. She and her mother used to live in the rich part and she even went to school with the elite who will be the next generation power. When she is hired by Adrius, one of those elite, to break a curse that was placed on him she has to pretend to be in a relationship with him to do it. While she is back in the city she uses the opportunity to search for her mother who disappeared a year ago without a trace. But there are powers Marlow couldn’t have imagined and the loner she and Adrius pretend to be together the more danger she seems to stumble into. But they don’t have a lot of time to figure out who cursed Adrius and how to reverse the curse.

I loved Katy's There Will Come a Darkness series, so when I saw this book I immediately requested it.
I really enjoyed this book, the fake dating trope was very well executed and the tension between Adrius and Marlow is fantastic. I loved the magic system she created and the mysteries keep you guessing throughout the book, which is something I absolutely love. Be warned, this book ends in a cliffhanger, I keep requesting books that are part of unfinished series but I can really only blame myself. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I can't wait for the next book to come out. Thanks for the ARC, my review is completely voluntary and honest.

5/5 stars

Thank you to The publisher and netgalley for the early review copy.

This was a really fun read it is a fantasy With a really interesting type of magic, The magic is controlled by five families and they make spell cards and hex cards. Obviously these cards And this magic costs money and only the rich can afford most of it. Our main character Marlow is a curse breaker. She breaks the curses that other people place on her clients. Her next job brings her to help the rich, a man she was once friends with.

Of course there is a lot of betrayal, a lot of twists and turns, and a little romance as well. The story keeps you guessing until the end and there's not one but two mysteries involved. Highly recommend!

Thanks you Henry Holt & Co and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This was such an exciting read! Marlow lives in a world of magic, Magic that is controlled by the Five Families and writing spells outside of their employee is illegal. This of course creates a power dynamic among the people. Marlow’s not one of the elite but because of her mothers position she was allowed to attend school with them, that is until he mother disappeared. Now she spends her days working as a cursebreaker and doing everything to avoid the elite, especially the one who hurt her most. But when Adrius shows up at her door with his own spell that needs broken she’ll be thrust back into that world. Can she survive? Can she trust Adrius? Does his case somehow connect with her mother’s disappearance? Can she keep herself from falling for the boy who broke her heart? I was so enthralled with this world! I loved the magic system and the differences between the elite and the poor! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading! I kept thinking I had it figured out and then a twist would through me off! This was one that I wanted to finish to know what was going on but at the same time I didn’t want it to be over! And the ending?? Impatiently waiting to see what happens next with Marlow and Adrius! Luckily this one will be out soon and I can reread it!