Cerastes' Curse

The Cat's Eye Chronicles #6

by T.L. Shreffler

Two years after Krait's Redemption (Book 5), the key to the Dark God’s prison is missing. The Shade, a fanatical cult of assassins, wants to find it.

Their hunt leads them to Sora, a young acolyte living in the temple of the South Wind and studying to become a warrior of the Goddess. So far, Sora’s experience of monastic life has been disappointingly dull. When she learns of the Shade’s resurgence--and their hunt for the key to the Dark God's prison--she has no choice but to stop them.

Crash, the dark assassin, has been training in the Hive to reach his full potential as a Grandmaster. He doesn't expect to see Sora's face again. He thought he had walked away from her forever. Now reunited against their old enemy, he can't help but think of what could still be. Will he succumb to his feelings, if it will cost him everything?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy Romance, Fiction, Adventure

494 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

T. L. Shreffler was born and raised in Burbank, CA. She grew up only a few blocks away from Warner Bros. and Disney studios. Inspired by such a creative community of friends, family and neighbors, she dedicated herself to her creative goals since her teen years. She has been writing The Cat's Eye Chronicles and other works since she was 12 years old. She moved to Washington State in 2020 and currently lives in Snohomish County with her family. She loves diversity, travel, and experiencing different cultures; she tries to evoke a similar sense of wonder at the unfamiliar in her readers. She holds a BA in Eloquence (English) and her poetry has been published in Eclipse: A Literary Journal and The Northridge Review. She is author of The Cat's Eye Chronicles (YA/Epic Fantasy) and The Dragon Pearl Series (YA/Epic Fantasy). She writes Paranormal Romance under the penname A. Mariposa.

Reviews

[Dimple Gohil]

The book is published in 2018. It is January 2019 and somehow there is no book.

[Ada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feb 6, 2019:


Sept. 18, 2019:
Update:


Nov 2, 2021:


May 27, 2022:


Nov 28, 2022: (it's available for pre-order)

[Fly-mf39]

FINALLY a publication date!

[Graylark]

Last update from author was a comment dated August 31, 2021 on her Facebook:

...I am working very hard on Book 6, Cerastes' Curse! I got sidelined by needing to take on a full time job in the Entertainment industry, but I'm back to fulltime writing now, so trying to get it out as soon as possible. But unlike Book 5, I'm taking more time to sit in the story....I want this to be the strongest book in the series. 😃 Aiming to have it out for readers within the next year!

- Facebook comment link

[Madeleine]

I needed this book.... like, yesterday #pleasecansomebodyhelpmeeeee

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was terrified that because there was such a large hiatus after the last book, this one wouldn't be very good. I will admit I thought that Shreffler had tired of writing this series, and if this book ever did come out, it would reflect that by being subpar or rushed. However, I am THRILLED to say that wasn't the case. This book is amazing.

First, I will openly admit this book wasn't perfect. I felt like the pacing was a bit off in places and there are certain things I wish would've been handled differently. However, overall it felt perfectly in line with the rest of the series - meaning if you loved the series up until this point, this one will not disappoint.

As for the story, it seems like Shreffler is almost beginning the series anew using the original 1-5 books to build off of. There's a whole new overarching plot point, the possibility of the Dark God resurrecting (not a spoiler), the characters have grown and though they're still the same ones we came to love, they've evolved and changed enough to keep it interesting. There also seems to be a renewed effort to flesh out the world, cultures, and setting.

As for Crash & Sora, I was ready to give this book 1 star if Shreffler pulled the "keep them apart 90% of the book" bullcrap. They've already been separated so many times over the series (for good reasons) and we waited 5 years to read about them again. Luckily, she didn't pull this tired trope of dragging out characters meeting again. They reunite about 30% in. Shreffler truly BLESSED us with tons of Sora/Crash scenes in this book and she definitely ramped up the romantic and sexual tension. It is told mostly 50/50 between Sora's POV and Crash's.

Another amazing blessing was: LESS CHAPTERS FROM OTHER CHARACTER'S POV!!!

This was my one major critique about this series; NO ONE really wants to trade Sora/Crash pov for Sora's mom or dad or even, at a certain point, for the villain's pov. I know at point one of the earlier books had like 50%+ chapters from a side character's POV and it drove me crazy and felt like a waste of story time.

This book I'd say is close to 90% Sora/Crash pov with 5% being villain pov for context and 5% from side characters' povs. I still would prefer if Shreffler ceased writing random side character's pov ASAP. I hate it and I always skip it. I appreciate what she's trying to do, but I feel most people would just prefer to stay with our main two. The villains' povs feel very needed in this book; they reveal a lot of good information and plot we probably couldn't realistically get otherwise.

As for the story, it's GREAT. There's a whole new big bad boss to defeat, which seems like is going to be the overarching goal Sora & Crash are heading for, but there's also a whole new quest they have to undertake to defeat him, which is clearly going to take our favorite couple all over the kingdom and possibly to the gods realms. Like I said, it truly feels like Shreffler is breathing a new life into the series with a new villain, new plot, evolved characters, new characters, and new destinations and cultures to explore. Overall, it feels super nostalgic, just our beloved characters roaming the world, adventuring and getting into trouble all over again.

When I started the book, I saw hints of possible plot points/tropes that might appear later and I was TERRIFIED because they're completely shit plots/tropes I, and I think most people, despise. None of them ended up coming to fruition luckily:

There are some hints in the beginning that Crash will become a vessel for the dark god - this would essentially kill Crash as we know him and replace him totally with a new person; the dark god. This doesn't happen here, but it is definitely still a possibility as he IS confirmed to be an appropriate vessel. I will keep faith that she won't do this because it's a series suicide.

Then there are hints that when he manages to open the 6th gate and receive his new demon, his personality may change and he may FORGET SORA!!! I would've thrown this book in the trash if that happened. We did NOT wait 6 books for them to get together to have him FORGET HER. Well, he opens the 6th gate and none of that happens. He is (mostly) unchanged and he doesn't forget Sora at all.

For the final hint, which kind of did come true in a way, it was that Sora would fall in love with someone else to realize what she had with Crash. Though it's not love, she does become attracted to Gracen and they share a passionate kiss. I hated this part and I felt like it was out of character for Sora. She very clearly loved Crash and isn't the type of girl to just kiss a random dude because he's attractive. However, this is blown over pretty quickly and Sora makes it crystal clear by the end that she only loves Crash.

Overall, I LOVED this book. It wasn't perfect but I feel like now that Shreffler has gotten her groove back and is breathing new life into the story, it's only up from here. Crash & Sora stans will FEAST in this book (though I wish Shreffler would take that step and write just a little more steam!). I adore that we're going back to the series' roots; adventures and character development with an overarching goal to slowly reach for over the course of the upcoming books.

This is seriously such an underrated series.

[Madsion Barno · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/5 stars
If I could give this book more stars, I would. I can summarize it in one word: masterpiece. If you have read the rest of the series and followed along like I have, waiting patiently for this book then let me assure you, friend, the wait was WORTH it. If you are new to T. L. Shreffler’s books, then let me introduce you. The Cat’s Eye Chronicles is a captivating coming of age story set within a unique and diverse fantasy world with innovative races (no elves, dwarves, or Fae here), compelling magic, and characters that feel like family. Picking up this series is like coming home to a good friend. If you’re a fan of morally grey assassins, noble and stubborn heroines, found family, and maybe a little slow burn, then this is the series for you. This series has had me laughing with the characters, bawling my eyes out at their struggles, and celebrating their triumphs and this book was no exception!

[Andrea]

So the release date is still a year away, but we finally get a cover- so here's hoping it actually comes out then!

[Émeraude]

[Carli · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's out... and it's 100% worth the wait! My most anticipated series.

Just heads up for those who don't know, a 7th book is coming out! Imagine my surprise reaching the end thinking it was done and realising there is more!

Spoilers ahead
Crash's changes! T.L. did such a good job of showing a transformed Crash but still making him recognisable as the assassin we know and love.

[Roselyn Blonger · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the most disappointing ending I ever thought possible. Absolutely everything the author had built throughout the previous five books was destroyed in an instant with this new one. This series is one of my all-time favorites, and I still think it would have been better to end it with the book Krait's Redemption, where everything still made sense and was complete.

First things first, throughout the saga, we are told that Caprion is one of the most powerful and important harpies of his race, designed for war. However, the author now decides to reveal that Cerastes is still alive and could return thanks to a silly magical item. In other words, Caprion's sacrifice is reduced to nothing, making him an almost irrelevant character to the plot.

Secondly, we were introduced to the Matriarch as a controlling and authoritarian queen who cared only for the affairs of her own race. Caprion himself mentions that she's arrogant and manipulative, which is why he fled the island in search of lost harpies. However, in this book, she's more than happy and willing to help Sora, even participating in the final battle against Cerastes. So, I wonder, why didn't she send help for Caprion instead of letting him fight alone? Even better, why didn't she destroy Cerastes herself in the first battle?

Additionally, the Matriarch tell Sora that they can remove her cat's eye safely without even knowing if it's possible, so it didn't surprise me when Florentine said she couldn't heal her. The unexpected part was she said that Volcrian's spirit was trying to help Sora in order to achieve his redemption (and his way to help her was trying to killing her?), and Florentine decided to place a temporary seal on her. That's an easy way for the author to get rid of a problem.

Thirdly, the romance between Sora and Crash is not resolved until the last page, where the author decides to wrap everything up with a hurried confession of love and a sexual implication. Beyond that, there's nothing. Communication, trust, intimacy, or chemistry is never reestablished, and all their interactions are built on primitive attraction.

Fourth, there's too much useless information! Too much! They talk about a dark mirror with connections to other worlds and their plan to extract Cerastes' soul to bring him back to life. However, it's never used. I thought the author might use it to communicate with an ally like Caprion, Moss, or Kaelyn the Wanderer, but it ends up being unnecessary filler.

Fifth, the ending isn't a proper closure because it leaves too many things unexplained like: if Crash is the vessel and Sora is the key, wouldn't it be more logical for them to be separated to prevent someone from taking them over? After Crash opened the sixth gate, is he officially a grandmaster despite being rejected by The Hive? The Matriarch was severely injured after the battle, what happened to her? If Caprion ordered Sumas to end his life if Moss died, why is he still alive? Regarding Sora, does she return to the other acolytes? Can she do so after breaking her vow of celibacy? Rheina appeared to be a wolfy, is she really a wolfy or it was just a coincidence?

EDIT: Well, now I know that the author announced one more book, so maybe I can clarify all these things. I just hope this doesn't take her too many years to write!

I am outraged.

[Hattivatti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series as a whole is to me a five-star read, even if I gave four stars to every individual book– it is one of those where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

I simply love this series, its world, its heroes, their adventures, their interactions. I greatly appreciate that every single book has its proper ending and even if the story continues, it doesn’t leave you hanging in the air, but gives some satisfying conclusions (which is a blessing regarding THE wait between the books).

The Cerastes’ Curse does not disappoint, it brings a journey, new adventures, new acquaintances, new-old villains, you want to read it as fast as you can, but you want it to never end. If you loved the series, you should enjoy this one, even if there might be this or that not to your liking.

And there are some things I didn’t like or found missing. I loved Sora’s growth throughout the series, to a person that is independent in her decisions and standing on her own. In Cerastes’ Curse she does not show that anymore (obviously, one reason is being sick from Dark God’s poison), she does what others tell and goes where others lead. I missed her fighting spirits and KW staff in action.

I disliked relation of Sora and Crash brought down to some animalistic desire. Their bond was very special, the tension between them just right, the best left to the imagination and we almost (almost, thanks heavens!) trade it for body’s desires of possessive bonded mates, like in some cheap, Fae-type YA romance. That being said, it was about time for Crash to open up and admit his feelings.

And then, what happened to Laina? I guess she was not anyone’s favourite, but still, Sora spent with here much more time than with a “best friend” Rheina, so she would have asked the Matriarch about her at least. The same, Grandmaster Lachesis spent a lot of time with Sora as he acted as Grandmaster Natrix, but he not only didn’t acknowledge her, but he also spoke about her as a stranger. That was weird.

Anyway, the Cat’s Eye Chronicle is for me a unique series, one of the very few I keep returning to. The Cerastes’ Curse fits well here and I already missed that feeling of being exited like a child when I bought it. Thank you T.L. Shreffler, it was a pleasure to read.

As for the next book, I will patiently wait for it to come. Someday.

They shared a glance. Sora felt a smile spread across her face. This is familiar, she thought. Teamwork. Planing the next leg of our journey. I missed this.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if my hopes were too high after waiting so long for this book, but it wasn't as good as I expected. The love triangle was so unnecessary and annoying. It didn't add anything good to the story. The relationship between Crash and Sora was already complex and compelling enough without adding a third party. Plus, even entertaining a new love interest cheapens the mate bond and true love that is supposed to be developing between Crash and Sora. And quite frankly, Gracen ended up getting on my nerves. I didn't fault him for his actions for most of the book, but I really started to dislike him when they got to the island and I hated him for how he acted in the final battle. But I digress. The other issue with this book was how repetitive it was. I understand some recaps are appreciated when the next book in a series comes out after so long, but there was too much in this one. And some things were repeated multiple times just within this book. It was actually surprising how dumb it made Sora seem. She needed things spelled out for her multiple times to finally grasp it. I expected a lot more from her. It was like she regressed. At this point in the story, she shouldn't be so naive and slow to understand things. Her critical thinking skills should be much more highly developed. But despite these flaws, I still can't wait for the next book. I still love Crash. He worries me often and even after getting to read his POV more, he's still pretty mysterious. He is definitely not perfect, but he is compelling and captivating. And we definitely better see Burn in the next one. He was an afterthought in this book and it pissed me off. And speaking of other characters, it was weird how Rheina considered Sora her best friend so quickly. It definitely felt forced. And what happened to what's her face, our little half-harpy. Sora is back on the island and doesn't even think about her once. It was weird. Don't get me wrong, I never liked her and I'm glad she wasn't around in this one, but it's weird that Sora never even thought about her, especially with how often she thought about Caprion and her last time on the isles. But whatever. As long as the next book focuses on Sora and Crash and doesn't regress, I'll be happy.

[Chiasmintalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a dream come true seeing Sora and Crash again. I LOVED it.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful…Amazing…Captivating

When I say I have been waiting 6 years for this book I mean it. It was well worth the wait. This next instalment was so good and I loved every moment of being back in this world. Can’t for the release of the next book!

[Suthathip]

The author has just updated her Facebook page stating that she's currently writing the second draft of this book!

Link to the post:
https://facebook.com/story.php?story_...

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally! I was so happy to read this book after such a long wait, and I’m surprised to hear another book is on the horizon. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I was disappointed that Burn didn’t make an appearance, but I liked the new character that was introduced. My only complaint about that character was that it mentions more than once that she and Sora are “best friends” yet they only knew each other for a matter of days. That seems kinda high school! Crash and Sora’s story is what we all came for, and that didn’t disappoint. The only reason I gave this one 4 instead of 5 stars is because of the attempt at a love triangle. I feel like that story line was unnecessary and detracted from the main adventures in the book.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished this book. It took me longer than I thought it would, and I think it's because I wanted to savor the story. It's been a part of my reading life for so long, and I don't know how much longer I will have to wait for the conclusion of the series. Sora and Crash are still my "OTP" if that's even a thing anymore. I loved getting introduced to Gracen further, and Rheina is a fun new character that I'm excited to read more about. I hope it won't be as many years as I waited for this book, for book 7 but I guess I'll take what I can get.

[Ambiguous Moomin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so bad, but it was awful and really put the rest of the series to shame. First of all it feels like in every other paragraph, the same sentence is repeated three times. But my biggest gripe is that the valuable years of friendship, trust, and respect that was built up over the course of five books between Sora and Crash is suddenly gone. He is way too posessive, and where the hell is the consent??? The way he treats Sora in this book is borderline abusive and rapey. I miss the magic of the first few books....this one did not have it.

[Faith Chollom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this series all through my secondary school to university and now I'm a graduate. I have been waiting for this book for years and when I tell you it didn't disappoint. I love love love how this book makes me feel. I thought this will be the last in the series but apparently it isn't . It make me so happy😇😇

[Kaila Adams]

How do we find this book? Was it even published?

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels like it was a short book where everything happens at the end.

[Matilda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

I was afraid to be disappointed by this book but WOW. Definitely worth the wait. Couldn’t put it down.

Now the wait for book 7 begins…

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ending

I loved this series I have to say at the end, I looked for more. I could read another book or two now.

[Lari :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ngl, I mostly just breezed through this to read all the Crash and Sora interactions - it's been too long.

[Donna R. Horbachuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series. Sorry it is over. Happy with the ending. Fun to read.

[Kalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one!!! It felt a little slow and slightly different at the beginning, but the ending... oh lordy! I cant wait to read the last book, I'm so sad this will be the end! The story moved in a way I didn't predict and I really like the thought that went into it. I am 100% in support of the storyline and what transpired, please let the next book come out fast!!!!!! Man you guys keep reading this series, I know it took a hiatus but this book is truly what you need right. now!

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

AHHH that ending! Cannot wait to for The Wanderer's Fate! Not enough scenes of Crash and Sora, and for that, I decided to rate this book a 3. Other than that, a Brilliant read!