The Curse of Sins is an amazing follow-up to The Curse of Saints! It has just as much action, adventure, tension, politics, and intrigue as the first one. I cannot pick a favorite. I was glad to dive back into the story of Aya and Will and how there is always something coming in the way of their relationship and seeing how they resolve it. Kate Dramis wrote an author’s note on her instagram for this book and it mentioned something that stuck with me:

Why do we keep secrets? Why do we refuse to let those closest to us see our true selves? Why do we forgive?

These are questions I can definitely reflect on in my own life! They are also a big theme that we see reflected in the book, especially when it comes to Aya. This series is amazing to read if you are a fan of fantasy (and romantasy!). and just want a casual read. Kate does an amazing job of weaving the emotional journey and growth of her characters very well. It is written so effortlessly.

Warning, there is a huge cliffhanger so PREPARE yourself.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from book 1 (iykyk):

“No matter how far the fall”

Happy reading!

I was sweating reading this book. So much action I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was feeling too much, especially at the last 30%! And those cliffhangers!! Both at the end and in between each part of the book - I think it’s broken in to 3-4 sections. Man. I was thrown for a few loops that’s for sure. Book 1 was solid and great debut novel. But Curse of Sins?? So much better!

We start off back in Tala where Gianna is super sketch. Definitely something up with her, and even Tova. And if that’s not enough, Will is keeping secrets, too.

The side characters were so much fun in this book. I loved Cole and Liam! They brought some comedic relief, as well as heartfelt moments you couldn’t help but root for them to pop up more.

One thing that I think should be improved on in book 3 is just chapter titles to help the reader know where we are in the story. It went back and forth between Tala and Trahir a lot and it would’ve been nice to know immediately where the story was located. As simple as a “Chapter 45, Tala” would’ve been enough.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC.

The second in The Curse of Saints series, this is exactly what I envision when I think about fantasy romance.

I’m going to keep vague, so as not to spoil the first book, The Curse of Saints!

In the first installment, Aya and Will are taken from their country where they work closely with the queen.

After everything they’ve learned about political scheming, magic, and their own relationship, now they’re going back home.

And friends, prepare for all hell to break loose.

Aya has to decide who to trust and when to reveal herself for who and what she is.

Her relationship with Will is also tested back on their home soil, where until now they’ve been on the enemy side of enemies-to-lovers…

We have prophecies and lies and baddies (not the fun kind) who would use both Aya and Will’s powers and skills for the detriment of society.

At the heart of it all, we have two POV characters who want to do right by each other and those they care about.

Of course, my favorite part of this book is Will and Aya’s relationship, which was balanced so well with the intense action and fast-moving plot.

Which is hard to do- kudos to our author!

The plot itself was shocking, and only makes me that much more eager for the next installment in the series.

If Acotar, FBAA and fantasy romance books are your jam, you have got to dive into this series! It’s a favorite of mine, and this second book only strengthened my stance.

I am going to say this as calmly as I can even though I am screaming inside. If you somehow have not, picked up this series yet. BABY, NOW'S THE TIME.

Let me back up a second. This series as a whole has everything I know that so many readers are looking for so desperately, but haven't yet found. That enemies to lovers romance that makes you HURT, but also you want an in-depth plot that makes you THINK and maybe want to be a spy and go to war in a fantasy land somewhere, idk your dreams, but either way *cue me screaming* IT'S RIGHT HERE!!

Okay now to get into Sins itself:

I was so scared to read this book. I was afraid because of *insert book 1 Saints ending and the stressful setup for Sins* and I feel like usually second books in a series can hit a minor slump before a fantastical ending. Sins was NOT that case.

I want to start with the writing. Reading Sins filled my heart and soul because the writing was so beautiful. There were so many moments I sat awestruck at the poetic comparisons of how things had changed since Saints, how deeply emotions (ex: desperation) motivated the characters, and how Kate Dramis, the masterful author that she is, held me in the moments I needed to be held in suspension.

There were so many beautiful ways the plot connected all the dots and had me both smiling and gasping at moments. I am rarely surprised by the plot these days as a reader of about 300 books a year-ish. Sins got me, ohhhhh she got me good. I know it's good when I'm smiling just from how good I just got got and then immediately crying from how it makes me feel.

I am in love with these characters and the ways they grow and see each other's flaws and respond as real people do and just feel so grounded in that. I know that seems like a basic requirement for a book to be good, but I've read a lot of books where that's not the case. AND the characters are so diverse not only externally (prominent LGBTQIA+ and POC characters), but internally as they all have different motivations and struggles and interactions, making the characterization so distinct in a way that makes you fall in love with them.

I could go on, but I'm trying to be vague enough for the sake of spoilers because I want you dear readers to have the same experience I just had. Go forth and read this book/series

Thank you to Kate Dramis and Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley for an ARC of the Curse of Sins in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

It took me a minute to get back into this world. I read the first book like a year ago and I remember thinking it was very interesting, but overly political and I didn't understand some of the characters motivations.

This book blew it all up (literally and figuratively). The characters felt so much richer and well built in this book and the world felt more expansive and made a lot more sense this time around. I loved getting different POVs and not just Aya and Will (but if it was just them I would still love it 1000%).

Speaking of Aya and Will, man this book doubled down on their love story and partnership and I LOVED watching them together. This book was equal parts we want nothing else except to be together and we have jobs to do and a monarchy to overthrow! This book also felt like it did a lot of plot twists really well. The things that made sense were brilliant but the actions that didn't were leading to something bigger that I sort've guessed but didn't get there entirely.

For someone who wasn't sure they wanted to pick up book two, I'm so glad I did! This book was everything I didn't know I wanted from the world,a and while I'm sad there's a third book in the series, I'm so excited we get more of these characters. That cliffhanger though!!!

Audience: Adult
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Spice: 2/5
Keywords: Saving the World, Magic, Political Intrigue, War, Lies and Deception, Romance
I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Netgalley (Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ebook and eaudio).
This is the second book in the Curse of Saints series (the first novel is of the same title). This novel is a romantic fantasy that continues shortly after the events of the first book. Curse of Sins focuses on Aya and Will, as they both navigate the political trials facing them, all while keeping their new romance a secret. Aya, the Second Saint, (who is prophesied “to right the greatest wrong”), must decide how to navigate her new role, while avoiding manipulation from everyone around her. Additionally, Aidon and Josie are back in Trahir deciding how to handle the political upheaval, and Aidon being crowned the new king.
This novel takes place in two different locations — with multiple POVs. Usually, I would prefer a chapter statement saying whose POV I was reading, but I actually didn’t mind it because the name or location was mentioned within the first sentence. I do have one minor critique though — the phrase “hands balled into fists” was used way too often for me.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book much more than the first. But I think that’s because the majority of the first book was world building and character development. The readers had gotten a glimpse of who they were. In Curse of Sins, the readers really get to watch how the characters’ motivations and choices really impact one another, as well as the world around them. This novel really allows readers to sit back and go along for the ride. And what a ride it has been! This is a 600+ page book, and it didn’t feel like it was at all! I was so captivated by the story, and the characters that I simply devoured the book in 6 days.
I would recommend this book (and by extension the series) to anyone who enjoys reading Romantasy with lots of intrigue and unique magic systems. And I’m excited to see how the series will progress.

3.5 ✨

Thank you Netgalley for the E-ARC

Pre-review:
Review to come tomorrow because if I write it rn I’ll start screaming, crying and throwing up. That ending would bump it up to five star ALONE 🤠

🔥🐺⚔️

This book- in my opinion is much better than the first.
While it still had its problems I feel Kate greatly improved in a lot of areas.

Some things I liked:
Okay- I can’t talk about this book without talking about the ending. I mean WOW 🤯 I have read my fair share of fantasy books and can normally guess the “plot twist” but I completely didn’t see this one coming, though now that I do know it I feel as thought some (smarter than me clearly) could definitely see it coming. I liked how we got to see more of the wolves in this book, along with just the kingdom in general as we weren’t on a whole different content. And of course- my new favorite character LIAM 🤩 (What is with me and characters named Liam? Please don’t be a repeat of Fourth Wing 😭) he was honestly the best part of the entire book and I hope we get to see more.

Some things I think could be improved:
The politics still felt messy in this book to me, it felt like she really relied on us remembering what had transpired in the last novel, and for a girl (I’m just a girl 🎀) with ADHD, there was no way I was remembering all those details. I also felt like following Aidon and Josie was nice but completely unneeded. I felt myself growing bored with their chapters as nothing ever really seemed to happen. I am excited however to see Josie’s and a certain someone’s relationship grow (😏) along with the fact that- what happened in this book? It felt like a long training episode with some drama sprinkled in between, it does however make up for that in the ending and I have high hopes for the third book 💖

🔥🐺⚔️
You’ll like this book if you like…
• Heavy politics
• Queer rep (lesbian, nonbinary)
• Spicy romance
• A cliffhanger ending
• Exciting fight scenes

While it did take me a minute to get back into this world and refresh my memory, it was easy to follow along until it all came back quickly. That I have to say really goes to the author’s writing style and it helped bridged any gaps i needed to fill in the little time before I caught up. I also loved seeing the romantic relationship develop between Will and Aya, it was perfectly paced and well planned out, as they had some rough patches, some great times, and overall such an emotional rollercoaster as they figured out the Queen’s plan!

The fantasy storyline of this book developed so well from book 1 and I loved seeing the growth in Aya’s powers, the demise of the Queen, and the long lasting effects of Aya’s new powers regarding the war! This book set up book 3 so well, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

Despite LOVING book one I had to DNF this because I just COULD NOT GET INTO IT. Maybe if I had just finished reading book 1 it would have made sense but I had no idea what I was being dropped into and felt very disconnected to the characters as a result. Sad about this one :(

The Curse of Sins pretty much picked up where the first book ended. A lot went down in this installment - action, intrigue, political machinations, betrayal, deceit, sexy times and so much more. One of my fave things was the growth in the characters. I liked seeing their vulnerability and them being a bit more comfortable with who they are and who they are becoming. I enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all ends.

Similarly to the first book in this series, I found myself totally engrossed when I was reading it, then not particularly bothered the moment I wasn't. It's a good, solid fantasy with a good plot - although could do with fleshing out the world a little bit more - but probably not one I'll ever think about again

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Incorrect title full review to come... seamlessly combines a fun Sci-Fi heist story with deep themes focused on morality, space and time, sentience, diversity of life forms, and their experiences and values.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

To all Throne of Glass fans, this is for you.

The Curse of Sins is book two in The Curse of Saints series.

The story picks up directly from the ending of book one, with Aya and Will returning to their home kingdom, Aiden becoming king and Josie still struggling with Vivienne's treason.
Aya and Will know their queen Gianna is plotting and scheming, but why, and what is her main goal?

I really enjoyed this second installment in the series!
Book one was very complicated, the worldbuilding confused and sometimes boring, the only character which had some depth was Will and I struggled a lot finishing it... But, like for ToG you have to trust the process because book two gets much better. The plot thickens, the pace picks up, and the secrets aren´t secreting as much as creating problems.

The characters' development was so good in this second book. Will kept being my favorite, but the author did an amazing job with Aiden and Josie, I loved them both. And even Gianna and Tova (which I didn´t like) were pivotal for the understanding of the story.
Aya was much more bearable than book one even though I think she is still not the spymaster of my dreams. She is not super subtle and gets discovered too quickly to be as good as she was written.

I loved to see a little more power plays, and I absolutely adored the bonded wolves!
I don´t know if the worldbuilding got easier because it was book two, but I felt really immersed in the various settings.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and again, if you are an SJM lover, you absolutely need to read it!

Thank you NetGally, Sourcebook Casablanca, and Dreamscape for sending me an early copy of this ARC.

OH. MY. GODS. WTF. I AM SCREAMING!!!

Kate Dramis is evil for that ending I swear. My heart cannot take it.

Ok whew, gotta calm down and write something here.
So first, clearly this isn’t a duology 😂. I’m going to be super vague here because I don’t feel like I can say much without spoiling either book.

So this is fast paced, super high stakes, lots of angst and tension, and twists. I could NOT put this down. Basically if you loved the first one, you’ll love this too. It might get a teeeeeeny bit bogged down in the middle, but the last 30% is INSANE.

I gasped, I swooned, I grinned, I ached, I SCREAMED.
Highly recommend this series!! I have no idea how I’m expected to wait for the next book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

I had to read book one to begin this book and it was so worth it. I fell in love with Aya and Will. I enjoyed that this book was action packed with mysteries, politics, magical instability, and lots of emotionally charged moments.

I did get annoyed when we switched POVs but I ended up enjoying it towards the end. Some parts and occurrences did feel pushed for the sake or plot and the beginning did drag on a bit with a lot of brooding and changes they experienced after the ending of the last book.

But overall, it was enjoyable. The cliffhanger leaves you craving for more!

I genuinely can’t describe my feelings about this series. I listened to book 1 and 2 on audio, and with both books I feel that I listened to very closely and still have no recollection of the plot in either book.

There is little to no world building, so I’m confused about a lot of that in general. You immediately dive into this strange magic system without much a description and it is obviously a main focus of the book, but again I don’t think I would be able to describe it to you.

Despite this, I still enjoyed the story and the characters. I love the enemies to lovers storyline with Aya and Will. The side characters are all important and add something to the story. And the plot twist towards the end has me very interested in reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, NetGalley and Kate Dramis for the eARC of A Curse of Sins available June 25th!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a copy to review!

For the most part of the book, I was sure of all the plot twists and challenges the main characters will encounter. But the ending???!!!!!! I hope the 3d book will come out soon!

The Curse of Sins is an incredible and moving sequel, full of emotion, love, lies, and betrayal.

Will and Aya have returned to Tala after their stay in Trahir, where Aya learned that she is the Second Saint who was prophesized to right the greatest wrong. While Aya is not sure what that means or how she fits into this prophecy, she is sure that her feelings for Will are real. Her enemy and rival, Aya now knows the lengths Will has gone to keep her safe all these years, even if it has earned her ire. But returning to Tala also means returning to Gianna, who is hiding something from her Tria, and Tova who was last seen being tortured and framed for a crime she did not commit. Will and Aya must hide their feelings for each other if they want to get back into Gianna's good graces, but this puts a strain on their new relationship, not to mention the secrets they are still keeping from each other. Meanwhile, in Trahir, Aidon has taken the throne from his traitorous uncle, but he has to keep his Visya powers a secret, as only humans are allowed to inherit. He and Josie are strained, as the rebels are still pulling the strings, and Aidon is struggling to prove his right to rule when so much of the evidence has been kept from his people. War with Kakos is on the horizon, and they must be ready to fight.

I loved this second book in this richly imagined fantasy series. This book really ramps up the romance, the action, and the lies and betrayal. Will and Aya are fighting forces that would see them torn apart, while Aidon and Josie are struggling with the fallout from the events at the end of Book 1. So we have a lot of character development as everyone has to assume new roles and responsibilities, as well as some rich relationship building as these fiercely independent characters must learn to work together. I really enjoyed the relationship between Will and Aya, though I did want to shake them at times! The secrets they kept and the strain it put on their relationship was challenging to read, but added a layer of complexity that they need to work through. The multiple POVs kept things exciting for me, as we were able to move between Tala and Trahir and see the developments from each kingdom. I especially loved Aya's POV, as we see her questioning her new role, struggling to find her place as the Second Saint, and leaning on Will more and more as she realizes the depth of her feelings for him. As this is the second book in this series, we get some answers but are also left with a lot of questions that set things up for Book 3. The ending was exciting, and left me wanting more. It does have a pretty big cliffhanger, and I need Book 3 immediately! Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and did not disappoint.

Thank you so, so much to Kate Dramis, NetGalley, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

4🌟

When I started this I thought I had the plot down to a T. I thought I knew where this story was going and how this book would end. All my theories of who was the bad guy was totally WRONG. The final plot twist of this story had me gagged.

I really liked the first book in this series so when I got approved to read the second book early I was ecstatic. I needed to know what was going to happen with Aya and Will and I needed more of them. I had no idea that they were about to go through the works. This story had me feeling every emotion tenfold. It had me turning on characters I had liked, just to shock me that I was so wrong!

I love the way Kate describes to world and the magical aspects of the Visya. I find that she explains it in a way that’s really well written but easy to understand. I’ve had my fair share of Fantasy books where the author has gone far too much into the world building that it ends up too confusing but I didn’t find this with SINS. It was all written really clearly and made it really smooth to read.

I didn’t give this 5 stars because I found the back and forth between Aya and Will’s POVs and Aidon and Josie’s was a bit annoying. I felt like some of the characters of Aidon and Josie’s just weren’t needed and felt a lot like filler chapters which slowed me down a bit.

Overall, this book was pretty amazing and the plot twist at the end had me reeling. I need to know what’s going to happen and I don’t know how I’m going to cope with waiting for the third book!

Thank you so much Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an eARC of "The Curse of Sins" to provide an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First of all, this sequel was better than the first one, which I didn't think was possible. I think what made it better was the plot; there was an equal amount of betrayal in this book when compared to the first (an EPIC twist again too), but there was more action (politics were balanced with fight scenes and a search to find knowledge). There was also more exploration of the world and mythology (which I believe had been one of my critiques of the first book). In other words, this book is still fast-paced and has the high stakes of "The Curse of Saints".

To no one's surprise, I loved the banter between Aya and Will, but I also really loved it when they were open and vulnerable to one another (which was the biggest representation of their growth as characters). For example:

"I don't need the world to know the truth about me. As long as you do, that's enough for me. That will always be enough for me."

I feel like, minus the "I'd-burn-the-world-down-for-you" vibe, this relationship isn't toxic like many other recent fantasy books. Their love story is believable (not love at first sight, but TRUE enemies to lovers). They do argue a lot (and not banter, I mean straight-up argue), but I think this is an ideal representation of relationships; not because I've been in one, but because I think still loving someone even though you disagree with them is the PEAK of green flags. Most of these arguments started with them keeping secrets from each other (*cough, cough* Will), I understand why they kept them, so . . . yeah.

Tova, Aya's BFF, had been a minor character in the previous book, but in this one, she got elevated to side character status (I anticipate her playing a MAJOR part in the next book). She seemed loyal (to a fault, almost), brave, and strong. I appreciated that we got to see more of her and Aya's friendship. For example:

"Here's to me having better taste than you," [Tova] chided. "In men and books"
"Better taste in men and books, maybe," Aya sputtered. "But certainly not in booze."

Only thing is that I wished Dramis had given us more scenes between the two of them (ones that didn't result in them arguing or betraying everything they had ever known; maybe flashbacks, even though some readers don't like when an author does that).

After THAT SJM-like ending (I really hope we get Aya's POV still), I need the third book ASAP. Write faster, Dramis! PLEASE!