While this book is actually a prequel to the series, I actually do recommend reading it after the first two books. It avoids spoilers and you really get to experience what the characters are going through in their current lives. So like I said, this story is the prequel. We get to rewind in time to see how Roxi and Memnon’s story truly began and how it ended before we meet them in Bewitched. And it was great! We learn a lot about these two characters. How they met, how they found one another, and the lives they spent together before they were betrayed. And the biggest thing we see with them, is just how much they loved one another and what they were willing to do for the other. We also understand their magic just a bit better and how they end up how they are in present day. It definitely made me understand Memnon a lot better. To see how he was and how his magic truly affected him. But we could also see how devoted to Roxi he was. And the same with her to him. She may not have always loved certain things he did. Violence is something she never enjoyed but at the end of the day, she loved Memnon more. I really enjoyed getting to know them and seeing how their story began. I really have been enjoying this series and it was nice to slip back into it since it has been a while. And it made me more excited for book 3! You definitely want to check this story out if you have enjoyed the series so far!

I am "Bewitched" by The Curse that Binds by Laura Thalassa. I was lost into the mesmerizing tale of Roxilana and Memnon even when I have already read the Bewitched series books and I know what's going to come for them. This romantasy is brilliantly written with heart stopping feels in every page. The author has once again left me speechless.

This is the story of the poor girl from Rome and the sorcerer king from Samartia who were bound by the gods. They could hear each other since they were young and they formed a powerful bond till they meet.Memnon comes to rescue her from an unwanted wedding and they become one. By now, Roxilana has found her magic too. But the immense power of Memnon comes at a cost. As she becomes an integral part of the Samartians and Memnon starts wanting more power, the disbalance grows till they are both destroyed in different ways.


The soulmate love of Memnon and Roxilana is the driving force here. Memnon is beyond powerful. He is ruthless to his enemies. Protecting his people is his life. But Roxilana is his everything. It's an all consuming obsession and bone deep devotion..and it's terrifying and beautiful at the same time. The magic is slowly covering his heart with darkness and with every battle, Roxilana lost a part of him. Specially when he brought her back from dead. She vowed to be there by his side and she kept her vow , till their very last breaths. It was full of adrenaline rush, twists and adventures but their love was the focus point. my heart was swooning and overflowing with all the feels. And it broke into a thousand pieces, even when I know it's not the end. I immediately want to re read the Bewitched books because I feel I would love them even more now. The angst, the scorching hot chemistry, the epic love transcending space and time..it was simply amazing.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

The Curse that Binds is easily one of my favorite reads of 2025. I’ve been hooked on the Bewitched series since book one, and I had initially wondered if I should request the ARC knowing how it would end. But I’m so glad I did. It was emotional, intense, romantic, and absolutely worth the book hangover.

TCtB explains many aspects of Memnon and Roxilana, their past, and how they became the people we see in Books 1 and 2. (This book would be a bit spoilery, especially if you read it before Bewitched. I would recommend reading Bewitched first.)

Watching their friendship bloom into love, the slow burn romance, the passion and chemistry between Memnon and Roxi was exhilarating and at the same time heartbreaking.

Roxi is innocent and naive at first but grows into this fierce, loyal heroine and queen of their kingdom. And Memnon? A morally grey (now and then), obsessive possessive hero who lives and breathes for her. His dedication to Roxi was just on another level.

The romance was a slow burn but so passionate and sweet. Seeing their banter, the sweet moments, and their willingness to slay dragons for one another, was just amazing to read. Laura's writing style just pulls you in, and I am in awe of how she's put this book together, in sync with the past she's hinted at in the previous books.

If you love fated mates, “touch her and die” energy, sorcerer x witch pairings, and slow burn epic love that destroys and rebuilds you, go for this book and the series.

Thank you to the author, to the publishers for providing me an ARC. I am impatiently waiting for Book 3.

Easy five stars! This series just gets better and better. I absolutely loved getting Roxi and Memnon’s full backstory and gaining more understanding about why things are the way they are. It really made me want to reread Bewitched & Bespelled with this new perspective.

My girl Roxi has been through so much and I just love her. Memnon is the definition of morally grey but his devotion to her is unmatched. I also loved seeing how she initially found Ferox! I was anxious and angry reading the ending even knowing what happens, and it made me even more excited to see how the series concludes.

Thank you to Bloom and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, having never read any of the bewitched series. I had butterflies in the beginning as we meet Memnon and Roxilana and their characters are bonding and growing together into soul mates. I loved the beginning and end of the book, but thought the middle dragged a bit (albeit probably necessary to extrapolate on how Memnon got to the point of overthrowing the Roman’s and was driven into his poor decisions in time). I greatly enjoyed this peek into the background of this series, and am now thinking I’ll read the rest because of my new interest!

5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

With every piece of me, I do. I know my magic has corrupted my heart, but I vow to all the gods, it remains true to you and you alone.”

The Curse that Binds is the prequel novel to the adult fantasy series, Bewitched. It recommended you read this after the events of books 1 and 2. Written primarily in single first person POV, the story follows the tragic tale of Roxilana and Memnon and their powerful romance from 2000 years ago.

As a young girl, Roxilana's life has been filled with hardship and loss but a single voice in her mind has held her together since the faithful day she lost everything. Over the years this voice claims to be real; his name is Memnon and he is determined to find her. In fact he claims they are soul mates and destined for each other. Yet nothing could have prepared Roxi for this sorcerer king of the Sarmantians. Soon Roxi finds herself immersed in a world mixed with power, magic, and passion. She must endure to prove herself to her people and the man she loves...but they must be careful. While building an empire can be the ultimate domination...it can also lead to ruin.

I thought I loved Memnon before...but in this book??? I ADORE this male.

Roxi is a woman who starts off as a survivor to then become a power in her own right and I was living for it. She loves fiercely and even as she fears some of Memnon's powers she embraces him for who he is. I felt her journey in the story reveals the depths of her love for Memnon as well as her struggle to remain standing against all odds.

Memnon loves with an obsession that is hard to put into words. He is willing to do anything and everything for the woman he loves. The whole element of his magic slowly stripping him of his conscience drew me in as his love for Roxi is never questioned...just the manner of how ruthless he shows it.

“Roxi, you are my first and last thought each day. I have longed for you more than I care to admit - not just as my friends and confidant but also as my lover and wife and amage.”

I would place this book at 3.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. We begin seeing spice around the 30% mark and it is pretty consistent going forwards. Their romance is fast and I loved how all in they were. This spice was fun as these two learn to explore each other and grow more passionate and feral as they grow more powerful. This spice is explicit and detailed - Memnon loves making sure Roxi enjoys herself first and foremost. I think the spice matched their romance well!

The story itself is primarily character driven with the real plot not starting until Roxi and Memnon are together and running their kingdom. It gradually shifts as they come into their powers and I would say it feels like a tragedy as they rise so high before falling. We get a glimpse of Roxi and Memnon's end in Bespelled but in this book we get so much more context of what is going on. I loved their romance and seeing it in all its feral glory. I enjoyed exploring their world and family. There are plenty of fight scenes, political manoeuvring, and machinations that shake up the story. One of my favourite tropes, mortal peril, is in this book it was utterly divine with its dark and obsessive undertones. There are some triggering elements (for example, child loss) I recommend people check for but they are addressed in a fair way. The ending rips your heart out a little BUT thankfully you can just dive straight into Bewitched to help cure the heartache...which is EXACTLY what I did.

Overall, this prequel gives light to the depth of love between Roxi and Memnon in ways that highlight just how dysfunctionally right they are together. It made me love them so much more and I am so excited for the next book in their series. It is clear Laura Thalassa has a male type and I love each and every one of them. Memnon is to die for!

Thank you so much to Bloom Books for this arc!

To fully appreciate this installment, I recommend reading Bewitched and Bespelled beforehand, unless you prefer to forgo the mystery aspect. Revisiting Roxi and Memnon rekindled my enthusiasm for them. This prequel, set 2000 years prior to the Bewitched Series, recounts Roxi's journey from a resourceful survivor to a powerful entity, which I found enthralling. Roxi's love is passionate, and although she harbors fears about Memnon's powers, she accepts him without reservation. Memnon's love is intense, compelling him to take extraordinary measures for the woman he loves. The narrative is primarily character-centric, with the main plot unfolding once Roxi and Memnon unite and govern their kingdom. As they develop into their powers, the story undergoes a shift, culminating in a tragic downfall. Although Bespelled offers a glimpse into Roxi and Memnon's ultimate fate, this book provides a more nuanced understanding of the events leading up to it.

Okay, I thought I loved Memnon from the previous books, but after reading this, wow, what a man! I don’t mind if he’s a murderous monster 🤣🙈, and that he will burn the world for Roxi. (literally) I love the backstory of this book because in the other books, we can see him as harsh and super possessive with Selene, but here we can understand why he’s like that. I absolutely loved it! I can’t wait to keep reading and see what happens next.

Thank you Netgalley, Bloom Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review

I was so excited to read the beginning of the epic love story of Roxilana and Memnon!

I loved being able to read about their mental connection throughout the years. It started out as a friendship but blossomed into something so much more over time. The scene where they actually see each other for the first time was everything! I will say that I think this book is supposed to be about a flawed love story and I am not the biggest fan of miscommunication. Memnon being the sorcerer that he is has an unquenchable desire to give Roxilana more and this fact is taken advantage of by others. Roxilana has only ever wanted to be with Memnon. They were young, in love, and a bit naive at times that ultimately lead to their downfall.

As a fan of the Bewitched series I loved being able to see a glimpse into their past but ultimately I think that it could be skipped and doesn’t set up the third and final book. Yes we get to see a bit more of other characters that were briefly mentioned in the prior books but the backstory in Bespelled is enough I think for more casual readers of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for this eARC!

Not having had the chance to truly dive into Bewitched and Bespelled, just getting the opportunity to read about how it all started for Memnon way before who Selene is now, had me desperate for this book. And now that I have devoured it, I sincerely say that Laura Thalassa has once again put me under her writing spell. As a huge fan of her Four Horsemen series, I was always a bit hesitant to try this more magical series. But I should have known that it would be remarkable since this talented author's storytelling skills are second to none.

I was immediately swept away by the world Thalassa created and enjoyed the beginnings of Memnon, who is such a wonderfully complicated character. It's lengthy and yes, there were some lulls midway through but again, I love the way Thalassa crafts a storyline and was a bit bereft when I was finished.

Happily though, for me, I get to finally go back and read books 1 and 2 and see how Memnon's life changes even more so as he encounters Selene and all that occurs for both of them.

I'm thrilled I got the chance to read an early copy and thank the publisher and the author for allowing me to do so. For any Thalassa new fan, The Curse That Binds is the perfect way to introduce yourself to her work and fall helplessly into her brilliant words. And sure, I'm sure starting with this book may not have been the wisest strategy for me, but I know now diving into Bewitched and Bespelled will only have me clamoring for more, which from what I've read will be coming hopefully sooner rather than later.

Really well done!

5 huge stars!

Thank you @netgalley @bloombooks @sourcebooks for the chance to read early. Getting the backstory of Menmon and Roxilana was interesting. I enjoyed the backdrop of Ancient Rome. Some of it felt repetitive to what already happened in the first two bewitched books but I still enjoyed the story. The last 50 pages that’s where things get really interesting. It felt like the last pages were important to know for what’s going to come and made the rest of the book worth reading.

I really enjoyed The Curse That Binds! It was so great to finally learn more about Roxilana and Memnon’s past and how their story began. The ancient Roman setting added a beautiful and unique backdrop to their romance. I loved seeing how their bond formed and how much respect and care Memnon showed Roxilana from the start.
Even though I already knew how things would end, the emotional journey still pulled me in. The romance was slower and sweeter than in other books in the series, which gave it a different vibe, but it worked really well. The writing was strong, and the details about Sarmatian culture were so interesting.
I also liked how this book connected with Bewitched and Bespelled. It filled in a lot of gaps and made me even more excited for book 3. If you're a fan of the series, this prequel is definitely worth reading!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

This was a fun prequel that filled in a lot of the gaps but still left me wanting more from the actual romance. I just didn’t feel the “love” between Roxilana and Memnon like I did in Bespelled.

Laura Thalassa never misses with her dark, addictive worlds. This one was intense: curses, broody love interests, and lots of “we probably shouldn’t, but we will anyway” energy. A little slow in the middle, but overall a solid dark fantasy romance fix.

If you’re like me and you’ve read books 1 & 2, you know how this book ends, but you don’t really know the first relationship Roxi and Memnon have. It was enlightening and heartbreaking to see how their relationship first blossomed.

After reading this book, I definitely feel like I need to go back and re read books 1 & 2, to remember how Memnon first acted with her. This book gives you so much insight on the love Memnon has for Roxi and also how he had his conscience slip away.

Also, this fairy lady, E-something is horrible. I couldn’t stand her. But I guess that’s the point. Totally villainous and I’m not sure we’ve seen the last of her.

And if you want spice, well there’s tons of it. I was getting a little bored of how much there was, but I guess it just reaffirms that they’re souls mates who can’t get enough of each other.

Overall I really liked this book, and I believe you should read it after you’ve already started the series. Yes, it’s a prequel, but it’s a part of the experience to read the first two books before you get to this point.

Thank you to Laura Thalassa, Bloom Books, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of The Curse That Binds in exchange for my honest review.

The Curse that Binds is the prequel to the Bewitched series. It tells the story of Roxiliana and Memnon. It gives readers a look into what their relationship looked like and what happened leading up to the curse. When this book was first announced, I was skeptical. I was unsure why we really needed this book when we seemingly had all the information that we needed. However, the insight this book gives us is invaluable. We get to know Roxilana as a character, what she was like, and what she has been through. I think this is going to be essential because even though in Bewitched we follow Selene, Selene is Roxanne and has her memories. What is even more invaluable is getting insight into Memnon as a character. What was he like, what were his quirks, and what were things that Roxilana noticed during their time together when they were happy? I think these insights are going to make the reading experience for book 3, whenever it comes out, invaluable. We now get to understand Memnon in a way that we didn't before, and we know a bit more about how his brain works. We get to wonder how that will translate into the modern world. I will say that I struggled at times, not because I was not having fun, but because I knew the ending. I knew what would happen in the end. It took time for me to get invested enough in the characters and the side characters that I wanted to learn more about them, even though I knew how it would end. I will say that for those who have not read this series at all, this should be the first book you read. Even though it is 2.5 in the series, I think knowing the background before going into BeWitched will not only make the reading experience for BeWitched better, but also your overall experience with this book, because you won't know what is going to happen.

Full of adventure - totally loved this one!
A prequel to the bewitched series, The Curse that Binds is more than I hoped it could be! Full of romance -the love between them could not be missed. It was written so well that you literally were just sucked into the feelings and felt it along with them.
"I have longed for you more than I care to admit- not just as my friend and confidant but also as my lover and wife"
OMG my heart. Just ripped open.
Of course, its bittersweet, because we do know how it ends. But it was completely beautiful and so many tears were shed.

⋆｡°✩ ᴀʀᴄ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ ✩°｡⋆

ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ : The Curse that Binds
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ : Laura Thalassa
ꜱᴇʀɪᴇꜱ : Book 2.5 "Bewitched"

Tropes:
⚬ Feminine Rage
⚬ Found Family
⚬ Toucher Her & Die
⚬ He Falls First
⚬ Fated Mates
⚬ Childhood Sweethearts

This book is the prequal to Bewitched and Bespelled. It is set 1000 years before these two books. I would advise reading the other two books first to understand more about things but its not absolutely necessary. Really you could read in any order, its up to you. Just read them all!

I'm so glad we got this prequel as when reading the other two books i really wanted to know what was happened in the past between Roxi and Memnon. I thought it was super cool how you could see the plot of the book getting set up for Bewitched!

This book is action packed and full of sweet moments! You can feel the love and devotion that Memnon has for Roxi! Such a swoon! The mind to mind talk is always a fav of mine, i adore when characters have that ability! Memnon is such an obsessive man and i loooove that!

Roxis development is just so good! She is such a QUEEN! and omg she made me cry at the end! Gosh my heart!!!!!! I want to raise my sword for her!

“For good, for ill, and for always, my life is bound with yours. Our flesh and our souls are fully joined to one another. Where one goes, the other must follow”

Ok so now i really need book 3 PLEASE!!!!!

I looove Roxi and Memnon!
They are such great and pretty "wholesome" characters in this book.
I found the romance in this one to be super sweet and almost innocent?
Which isn't always a personal favorite of mine, but I loved getting to see where it all started.
The ancient Roman vibes were lovely, and I'm so glad I know more of their story!

Laura Thalassa, I knew you were an amazing author and I’ve been captivated by your Bewitched Series but The Curse That Binds has officially taken the top spot! Roxi, Memnon, and Ferox have a love story that’s unmatched!

Considering we had some background on the centuries old romance, I sort of had an idea of what I was getting into when cracking open this book (on my Kindle of course). Little did I know how in depth this book would really dive into the early life of Roxi. I think how they first came to know each other was so unique and I loved every second of it.

I loved seeing these two become what one another needed and watching them rule side by side was amazing. They took over their kingdom and just about decimated every enemy they crossed paths with. Memnon was solely devoted to Roxi and he was one of the best MMCs ever. Not to mention Ferox too, so protective of her and seeing how their companionship / bond came to be was a nice addition to the story.

Although I’ve read the other books in the series that take place in the present time and knew the ending, my heart still shattered a bit. Selene and Memnon are so great together but nothing compares to the OG Roxi and him. I’m so sad their story is over but I’m itching to reread Bespelled and Bewitched with all the knowledge I’ve gained!