I received a copy of this book for a free unbiased opinion.
This historical urban fantasy features an underground London below normal Elizabethan London. A dangerous version of London filled with magical creatures and normal human laws don’t apply- including the one about not eating people. In my view, Deep London makes this book stand out from others.
Fang and Lazare are the two men who find themselves becoming immortal and having to deal with the fallout. Their lives collide when they find themselves rescuing a half-fae child and having to deliver back to her fae family while trying to evade evil alchemists and Queen Elizabeth’s police.
I would have liked to have more Nell- Fang’s friend- a well-drawn and fascinating character and worthy of her own book. Nell, Fang and Lazare are outsiders in their own individual way but they way they come together towards the end will please fans of the found family genre.
There is plenty of action, magic and plot moves smoothly except for the parts where Fang and Lazarre dissect their blossoming relationship- this is a real slow burning romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC! 🐉🐈‍⬛🧛

I have to be brutally honest; this book could use a lot of editing.

There are PoV changes in the middle of paragraphs, sometimes it is not clear who is being referred to, and the dialogue could flow better. Also, the writing is very anachronistic. Like, "hot" and "hotties" are used multiple times throughout this book. I'm not a historian, so maybe they did say that in Elizabethan England, but at one point "re" was used, and I am fairly certain that emails had not been invented yet.

I also have to address the blurb and the fact that it is wrong! The blurb describes this book as a "cozy rom-com", which it is not! These guys die so many times, they are constantly adventuring and hauling ass. I think they chill out for like ONE (1) scene, then they immediately go back to being in danger! This is the opposite of the meaning of cozy!!

That being said! I freaking loved this. These characters are so fun to read and they were so endearing to me I fell in love with their dumbasses. These three adults share one brain cell and Nell has it 90% of the time. The other 10% is when Lazare is being emotionally intelligent, and Fang breaks the smart Asian stereotype by having the brain cell never. Also Amber the dragon is the sweetest little baby I want to adopt her and feed her all the meats she desires.

The world-building is rather interesting and fleshed out. The author does such a good job at showing how the supernatural creatures live alongside the humans, as well as how they are integrated into this society. It was really interesting getting to explore this alternate version of London (and also Deep London).

I appreciate that our main characters are PoC; with the way people get mad/debate about the existence of PoC in historical fiction, having characters that are not white + having their race be intrinsically tied to their backstories was much appreciated.

This book is also hilarious. Your mileage may vary; my bestie thought the humour was a bit much, and I personally found some of it to be ridiculous but I could still find it funny.

I also loved the stupid-ass romance. Lazare and Fang are so dysfunctional and stupid (endearing) (and moreso Fang). Their dynamic was so frustrating to read but in a good way, I promise! Also, this is pitched as a romance, but (IMO) one of the central tenets of the romance genre is that the couple ends up together by the end, which is NOT the case here.

Since this is book 1 of a series, they will probably get it together in the sequel. Which, BTW, I am beyond excited for I need it so bad.

(@ the author or publisher or whoever is in charge of this, I would love an ARC for the sequel hmu)

Set in an alternative universe version of London where the undead are real and dragons walk the Earth, Cursed Under London has a delightful premise and an intriguing set of characters who pull me in to learn more. Unfortunately, I did not find the rest of the story very compelling, and I ultimately did not finish the book. The pacing was too slow for the type of story it was trying to tell, many of the jokes fell flat, and while the narration style seems to try for a fun sense of self awareness with quippy remarks in the character's povs, this often came off instead as the author trying to tell the reader how to feel instead of showing the emotions and reactions of the characters. A lot of the dialogue felt too clunky, like the characters were reading off of an informational script or trying too hard to sound witty.

The premise and worldbuilding is very promising, and I hope to see more from this author that maybe reads a bit smoother with time :).

This world the author created was enormously fun. Was it completely historically accurate? No, it's not meant to be. Was it extremely fun with little nods to famous faces in history? Absolutely. The characters were great, especially Nell. It had a strong found family vibe. I would definitely read more in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ferrago Books for the e-arc.

A cozy and adorable urban fantasy that I'm grateful I had the chance to read! I enjoyed the writing and the characters, some of the pacing of the plot events and development between the main characters was a little off for me. I think this will be a good read for those who are fans of T Kingfisher's fantasy series.

Cursed Under London was an easy read with an interesting concept that unfortunately didn't quite stick the landing.

Whilst I had fun reading this book - I did enjoy the characters and the fantasy world building aspects - there were also elements where I wanted more from it.

The first of these was the romance. I did like both Fang and Lazare as characters separately, but I wasn't really rooting for them to get together and was much more interested in other aspects of the plot and their personal backstories.

The second was that I wished it had leaned into its Elizabethan setting more. Except for the mention of a few historical figures or landmarks, this alternative London read like it could have been any generic fantasy town. As reading historical fantasy set during this time period was a large part of what made me want to read this book, this was a rather large letdown for me.

The third is that the ending was a little rushed and the final confrontation was a bit of an anti-climax.

Overall then, a fun enough read that I wish had delivered more on its premise.

I really enjoyed Cursed under London. It was an easy read. The characters were all enjoyable and I liked how they are 'a little family'
Will look out for more from this author. 5 stars

Set in an alternative universe London.
I loved this a lot!

You have adventure, mystery and romance in a hilarious way.
I really loved the styled of the written and will def check out her other books

The description of this book caught my eye, and sounded like something i would enjoy, however I do not feel it accurately portrayed the book. I had a hard time getting into this story and staying hooked. I felt as though the world could have been flushed out more and there were points of confusion within the book. Overall I feel that this concept had potential but fell short.

Fun and cozy queer Romantasy that lives off the endearing characters, interesting world building and overall mystery of what the hell happened to our protagonists and why on earth they aren't dead.

In a world that seems outright cruel with blatant racism against magical races (division of Upper and Under London), the blossoming romance between Lazare and Fang is tender, soft and heart-warming, while also being gut-wrenching and heart-breaking. Their interactions and especially Lazare’s swooning will make you kick your feet in giddiness, while Fang’s rebuttal and overall grumpiness will make you roll your eyes and want to scream at him!

If you liked Legends & Lattes be sure to give Cursed Under London a try but be prepared for an extra ounce of quirky flourish, quick-fire banter and a solve-the-mystery plot line, that will keep you up and guessing.

Thank you to Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, Farrago Books, and NetGalley for a galley of this in exchange for an honest review.

Cursed Under London is a wild romp of a book, filled with humour and affection.

In an alternative Elizabethan London magicals and non-magicals live in tenuous harmony, divided into two Queendoms: Upper London, the domain of Queen Elizabeth and living, non-magical subjects; and Lower London, the domain of the fearsome Queen Redthroat, populated by zombies, vampires, werewolves, dragons and assorted magicals. Strict rules separate the London's, and allow the citizens of both to co-exist in relative peace, but things are changing in Upper London. First Lazare, and then Fang fall victim to an unusual curse, gangs become more brazen, strange happenings abound, and soon all of London becomes a powder-keg waiting to light.

This was a delightful read. I loved the humour, and the way our characters interacted. There was a strong sense of found family, and and intriguing through line that propelled the story forward even in the lulls. Lazare and Fang were fully realised, and deeply lovable characters. London itself, both above and below, managed to become a lovable character all of its own. I thoroughly enjoyed all the Renaissance references, and particularly the appearance of two Renaissance drama superstars!

I think this is going to be an amazing series, and I am really looking forward to reading more about Fang and Lazare and their adventures! 3.5 stars.

I loved this! I love the setting of Elizabethan England and the Upperside and Deep London. a really well written story full of lovely, relatable characters and I absolutely love the found family trope which this book is filled with! ! really enjoyed the way each character brings something different. definitely looking forward to the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I really like this, a great read with brilliant characters all of whom I loved straightaway., especially of course Lazare and Fang., It's generally quite light hearted and very funny in places - particularly the scene in Chicory's guest house when the vampires break in - who hasn't had that reaction when someone bends over lol..

The plot is good ( I did wonder if the fae child might be a baddy) and it cracks along at a good pace. There is some tension in the book in the underwater river scenes and the end of that episode is most vividly described

The book is set in an alternative London which, for some reason is dated as if it is happening in the times of Elizabeth I. We do meet famous characters from that time and maybe we will see (or perhaps even have seen already), the magician John Dee.

I am only sorry that the other books in the series are not out yet.

A light, funny and very enjoyable read.

A historical fantasy with humour, queer romance, zombies, vampires, dragons, fae, and a separate underground London for all of said magical creatures? Sign me up!

This is a light, fun romp with a lot of heart. The vibes are cozy, but I think the stakes and violence are a bit much for it to truly sit in the "cozy fantasy" category. Fang and Lazare find themselves pulled together and into the wacky world of London's magical side when they're both cursed after near-death experiences - but what, really, are they? Aided by apothecary Nell and "small urban dragon" Amber, they set off to find out, and end up interfering in a dastardly kidnapping along the way. It's a will-they-won't-they love story set in the midst of a magical caper and journey of self-discovery.

I laughed out loud with this book multiple times. It was a wonderful surprise - I'm not sure I realized it was a comedy when I signed up for it. This is the first book in a series and I can't wait to dive into more of them as they're released.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is an urban fantasy set in an alternative Elizabethan London where supernatural creatures live amougst humans (Upper London). But don't be looking for the tudor dialogue as you'll not find it here.
Fang and Lezare awaken from their deaths and are not human anymore. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two strangers set out with a Welsh woman and a dragon to find a way to reverse the curse.
I loved this. This is the first time I had read anything by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch - one of the Horrible Histories writers.
There's a lot of dark humour, which I love, especially the scene where Fang and Lazare are fighting vampires, and it's hilarious. I was laughing out loud at this.
Oh yeah, and Christopher Marlowe is a zombie. 😄
I'll definitely be reading the next one.
Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for the ARC

I DNFed this at around 50 pages. While this definitely sounded like something I would have loved, the execution was unfortunately lacking for me. I simply was not invested in the story at all, due to the writing style. I'm not sure what it was that bugged me about the writing, but I couldn't get into the book because of it. I might give it another go in the future, but for now I have to put it aside.

🫀🩷🫀🩷🫀🩷🫀🩷

The hilarious first novel in a cosy and inclusive historical romantasy series by the writer of Horrible Histories.

In an alternate Elizabethan London, Fang and Lazare, residents of Upper London, awaken from death to a startling revelation: they are no longer entirely human.

Despite gaining immortality, they find themselves distinct from vampires, zombies, or werewolves that populate Deep London, the underground city. Bound by a shared curse, these strangers embark on a quest to undo its effects while grappling with an undeniable bond burgeoning between them.

Amidst their journey through the mysterious depths of Deep London, they uncover a perilous conspiracy in which they are inexplicably entangled.

After defying death but without transforming into typical denizens of Under London, Fang and Lazare are caught in a puzzling state between mortality and immortality. Their quest to decipher this anomaly and lift the curse leads them into myriad adventures, accompanied by newfound allies like Amber, a dragon, and Nell, an apothecary.

The novel shines not only through its compelling protagonists but also through its richly drawn secondary characters. Lazare and Fang's journey is interwoven with humour that feels organic and effortless, ensuring an engaging and brisk-paced read.

This book is for you if you like...

🧡Romance
💛Queer/LGTBQI storylines
💚Supernatural
🩵Play-on history

Such an enjoyable read, I love fantasy already and when I saw this book was available for review I jumped at the chance.
I’ve also already read every else by this author so it’s an automatic please yes!
This is London during the Kit Marlowe, Shakespeare era with fantasy elements added that there are all creatures here.
We start with Fang being attacked and hoping to finally die but instead something strange happens he finds himself waking up instead which is most upsetting to him.
We meet Lazare leaving current employment and finding out there is another like him who should be dead but isn’t. Amber the small and helpful dragon brings Fang and Lazare together then while being attacked by the same people that killed them initially we then meet Nell who’s Fang’s friend.
Upon finding out fae weapons have been stolen then intend to return them and hope it lifts this curse they are under.
This is full of fun and hijinks which is typical of Gabby’s books. I’m happy to see this appears to be a new series she’s developing so bring on book 2!
I was provided an ARC for an honest review and I’m so happy I did.

Fang is dying when a little urban dragon from Deep London, Amber, comes up to him in the alley and calls baggsie (or dibs) on his corpse. Lazare is struggling after being dismissed from his tutoring gig for being turned into an undead creature. Neither man can die, but neither is a normal undead. Lazare has vampiric wings but doesn’t need to eat like a vampire; neither has been bitten by a zombie or any other creature, so now they’re stuck.

Set in an alternate universe of 1599 London, ‘Cursed Under London’ is the first book in the Cursed series that focuses on Fang, Lazare, and their companions as they discover the curse that keeps them alive and maybe find love along the way.

The foreshadowing in this book is, at times, laid a bit thick, and the use and discussion of sexual slavery and rape come out of nowhere towards the end. Additionally, the author’s origin in fan fiction can be seen through her style, which may not be enjoyable for some readers.

Overall, ‘Cursed Under London’ is a promising first book in the forthcoming fantasy rom-com series, which features a richly developed world and magic system. I’d recommend this book to fans of Cassandra Clare, particularly her Infernal Devices series, and anyone who enjoys societies of magical beings/creatures.

In short, it’s an easy to read urban fantasy, with likeable main characters, a vividly realised world, offbeat humour, and a sweet heart.

The book’s set in an alternative version of Elizabethan London. Where the undead and mythological creatures inhabit a lower level of the city, and humans live in the above-ground world we know. We soon meet Lazarre, an actor who’s found himself down on his luck, and not quite human. He soon meets Fang, who’s similarly in limbo between human and not. The pair form an unlikely team with Fang’s self-titled best friend Nell, and the dragon Amber, and try to solve the mystery of their affliction.

The setting by is familiar to anyone who knows London, Shakespeare, or Elizabethan England. There’s alleys, noise, and gangs, with a vividly realised world that touches all the senses. Including smell. (Thank god this is a book!) The supporting characters are also well realised, from Wulfric the tavern owner, to Honkensby the copper. Fans of this period will also get a kick from finding familiar figures from the era!

The main characters shine in this world, with clear personalities and motives. They’re all distinct from one another, with internal monologue and dialogue to match. The prose skips between each’s internal dialogue, as well as the descriptive narrative, which made the narrative style feel a little inconsistent.

The style is conversational and easy to read. Although a few rare word choices in the narration were jarringly infantile. But given this is an advance copy, those rare blips may well be solved. 🤞

I really enjoyed this read, and will keep an eye out for the next instalment.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for this review!