La Maldición - Una novela de Roxanne Fosch

The Roxanne Fosch Files #1.5

by Jina S Bazzar

Yoncey Fosch, el líder del Clan Unseelie Dhiultadh, daría cualquier cosa por salvar a su hermano de una misteriosa plaga. Cualquier cosa, incluyendo su manto de liderazgo y un favor a su enemigo más letal, el consorte de la Reina Titania. Pero sus acciones tendrán consecuencias de gran alcance, y Fosch se da cuenta de que no sólo no está dispuesto a pagar el precio, sino que desafiará a cualquiera que lo rete. Edición de Letra Grande

Genres: Fantasy

84 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2018

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've read my book reviews before, you probably know that they tend to be mysteries, thrillers, historical or contemporary fiction; however, you also know I'm branching out to try a few different genres, including romance, fantasy and science fiction. An opportunity popped up to read a new book by debut author, Jina S. Bazzar, who has both a book and a prequel short story, The Curse, currently available. What a great opportunity to explore a new author and genre by reading her short story to get the 'lay of the land' before I dive into the details of a new fantasy series she's currently writing.

I read the prequel eBook, The Curse, in less than an hour earlier this week via my iPad. With a title like this, and my interest in mysteries and suspense thrillers, who wouldn't be intrigued! I'm normally not a reader in this genre because I prefer a clear understanding of all the rules and structure within the setting or world I'm reading about, and fantasy books often leave a lot to the imagination or surprise. Bazzar does a fantastic job providing details without over-building the background -- just enough to wet your appetite to want to continue reading the series.

As I'm reading through the first half, I'm getting to know the characters, the background of the drama, the different types of creatures and/or humans... then suddenly, I see the emotional side of the The Curse beginning to form. I became invested quickly and as I finished the last few pages, I vividly remember thinking... "I may not get thoroughly excited by other worldly creatures, but wow, I'm definitely drawn in right now." The impact of a decision the main character had to make and the loss of a connection (s)he suffers was enough to extract tons of emotion and hope for what could or might change to in the future to help find their way back together, save the family, or solve the battles between species. (Is that even the right word, species, when there are different types of humans, creatures, clans? I think I'm gonna learn something when I read the next book).

So... from a non-fantasy reader, this was the type of story that appealed across other genres and pulled this reader in. From secrets to mysterious plagues, future war to (un?)requited love, and family drama to trust, there's a little bit of everything in this story. It excites me to keep reading, and that I plan to do in the next month when I take on the actual first book in the series, Heir of Ashes.

If you're interested, you can download a copy of this short story for FREE via Smashwords. I hope you will, as this will give you a really intricate and eye-opening view into another world in a book with a strong writing style and a wonderful debut author. Kudos to Bazzar for tempting a non-reader in this genre to want to continue reading more.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It was Fosch’s fault they got our trail in the first place, it’s only fair his daughter fix his mess.”

Yoncey Fosch, the much beloved and respected clan leader of the Unseelie Dhiultadh (a fee or half one), would do anything for those he loves. So, In Spring, 1822, when his people begin falling Ill to a magical plague, he comes up with a risky plan to try to save them all - especially since his brother is one of the victims to this deadly disease. He has the power to preform the ritual to cure them, being Unseelie and earth witch, but he doesn't have the binding stones to complete it. That's when Yoncey decides to turn to one of his most deadliest enemies for help: Fee royalty - Seelie Queen Titania’s consort, Oberon, of the Sidhe land (a land he was banished from because of his heretige).

It's there that the Unseelie clan leader will make his gravest mistake by leaving Oberon's request open, and then by underestimating it. A year later he learns what Oberon wants of him: produce a human hybrid to be raised in the seelie court, and have the scion breed with Seelie royalty to help grow their army (the cycle of breeding would continue until the offspring were deemed Seelie enough). The Fee people detest humans, so Yoncey agreed knowing he would have no feelings for the woman or child he used. He later realizes that Oberon never gave him a time frame in which to complete his end of the bargin, and foolishly believes he can avoid following through on a technicality. However, the Fee people will always ensure they get what they've bargin for, one way or another.

Meanwhile, Arianna Lenard, witch and lover of Yoncey's brother, goes missing when the plague hits. Working alongside her friends, Zantry and Remo, to exact revenge on those they lost during the mage wars, draining energy from everything they can to gain power. That was before the trio learned that in order to gain power you had to hurt it's source. That knowledge stopped Arianna and Zantry, but not Remo; the three of them destroyed the once beautiful Low Lands and made it what it is today. Now Remo controls the portals to that world and feeds on whatever passes through them, growing stronger. The famous three destroyed themselves - Remo become a monster, Zantry has gone missing, and Arianna is powerless to fix any of it. Her original plan for revenge back fired and now she can't even take revenge on Remo with out dooming the entire universe.

Arianna learned that the powers of a Dhiultadh and a sorcerer could freeze the portals, but if they're mingled into one, it could destroy them. She lost her first child, Cara, to the war against the man she once called a friend, but now she will make another sacrafice to put an end to things. She turns to her witch friend, Matilda, and asks her to preform dark magic - to transfer all of her power to her future child, while erasing all of her memory. The child would be raised as a weapon by the Fee royalty as discussed, and to prevent feeling yet another loss, she will be able to start life a new as a human, with no power or memory of who she is. Arianna changes her appearance and her name to Bella, and the magic pushes her to find a suitable father, which leads her to Yoncey, decades after he made his bargin.

Slowly but surely, as the pregnancy progresses, her witchy aura fades to that of a human's, and her memory along with it. Yoncey can't understand why and fears for his mate and child, but when the birth takes a turn for the worst and he has no way to prove that his mate was a preternatural, Oberon comes to collect. Yoncey refuses to give the beloved child of his mate to his enemies, forfeiting his life and puts his daughter Roxanne in his brother's hands, the Unseelie clans new leader.

None of the clan members know what bargin their former leader could have made with Oberon, and they're angry at him for his secrecy, as well as for gaining the interest of a very dangerous group of people who want to study them - the PSS. They decide to use Roxanne to right her father's wrongs - afterall, it's just an abomination in their eyes, being that its half human.

The Curse by Jina S. Bazzar is a prequel novella to her Roxanne Fosch series (Book one is Heir of Ashes). This is a fast paced paranormal / sci-fi, that will tell you how Roxanne's story came to be. While I feel you could read the prequel or book one in any order you'd like, I enjoyed reading Heir of Ashes first. I think maybe starting with the prequel will take away some of the mystery in book one, which is something I really loved about it. Jina S. Bazaar really knows how to build up suspense and all of her Plot twists and information are carefully laid out - I love her writing style!

There wasn't a lot of world building in this installment, the main focus was on the character's and the choices they made that lead us to Heir of Ashes. I really loved how the author showed us the two sides of this story, while managing to give us a better understanding of all the characters and how things work in this world. This story does time hop from the plague and war, to when Roxanne was born, which was a little confusing. Not so much so that I couldn't keep up, but I couldn't tell exactly how much time had passed since 1822 to the birth, or what time frame that would put Roxanne in current day.

We learn a lot more about all the secondary characters that are in book one, and even get introduced to a couple of new ones, too. Learning more about these characters gave me a better understanding of Roxanne and Logan, even though they were barley apart of this book. I wish there was a little more about the famous three and a bit more insight to Yoncey, Arianna and Archer before everything happened. Though, with the author's writing style (which I love) I doubt that this will be the last we see of those characters (especially Archer), they all play an important part in this series, no matter how small of a role they get.

Unlike Heir of Ashes, this book gives you a lot more history, background information and character development. Even though there isn't much action involved, there's a ton of secrecy (kept between the characters), risky scheming and plot twits that will keep you glued to the pages. Despite all the information we get compared to book one, I didn't feel like I was overloaded and I didn't fall into any dry spots, and I think that's important.

Now that I have a better understanding of all the characters and their world(s), I am even more excited to read book two! Although this prequel is short, there are so many layers to it. A lot of questions are answered in this novella, but there are also a lot of set up's for the rest of this series. I think this is a great prequel, and I definitely recommend it!



**** Thank you Jina S. Bazaar for gifting me an early copy of her book. ****

[Jina Bazzar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a backstory to how Roxanne came to be wanted by all those factions - the PSS, Remo Drammen, the Seelie Fee.
Included in this short story are some quick chapters about Yoncey Fosch and his bargain, Arianna Lenard, Remo Drammen, the Seelie Fee, even the Dhiultadh Council.

[Madalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars

Full review soon (http://presa-nas-palavras.blogspot.com)

Not as good as the first book, but is definitely interesting seeing what really happened.

[Didi Oviatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I made the mistake of reading this before Heir of Ashes, so my review is going to be super short. A few things were a little confusing, probably because I didn't read the other book first. I'll be downloading ASAP though and diving right in without delay, because even from such a short buildup to Roxanne's character, it's a powerful one!

It's a story of outer worldly magic, relms, portals, witches, and basically the coolest sounding species imaginable. Energy, and the control of it plays a big part in what the magic actually revolves around. BUT, this isn't exactly what the book is about (I'm assuming it will be much more so in Heir of Ashes, and so on.) This book is more about the characters in general, the intermixing of different species for the purpose of creating particular beings with particular powers.

Yoncey Fosch is pretty awesome, I loved his character. It starts out with him making a huge deal with a very powerful enemy for the sake of saving his brother, and many members of his clan. His brother is cursed with a plague that can only be cured with magical stones. These stones have to be used in just the right way by a being who posses the right power. Fosch is just that being. He keeps the entire endeavor a secret, cures his brother as well as all the others sick. After returning the stones, he's forced to follow through with his bargain. He has to create a child with a human, in order to bred in particular magic and give that child to the enemy.

Other twists, turns, and characters wind up weaving themselves into this bargain over time. It's all unbeknownst to them at the time. As it all plays out, some things coming into light, and others staying in the dark, but ultimately the story unravels flawlessly!

All the characters are unique, bringing about their own agendas that get twisted and mingled into the ultimate shebang at the end. I love the premise of the story and can't wait to read Heir of Ashes, to get the whole experience.

[Samantha Murgec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will write a ful review of this prequel together with the book.

[Daydreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse
By Jina S.Bazzar
4/5 stars
 
Synopsis:
Yoncey Fosch ist he leader of a clan. When a plague starts to befall it, he has to make a boon with an Unseelie in order to fight it. Since the favour was open, they call him for his firstborn.


 My thoughts:

...about the story
The story is very interesting and contains a few surprising twists. Overall it seemed quite logical, however I had to ask myself why his firstborn had to be female, since men can reproduce as well and even faster. But aside from that, it was alright.
There were some irritating jumps in time. Often important events were left out to be then discussed shortly afterwards, which confused me.
 
...about the characters
Every character seemed to be more or less round, though some descriptions or introductions weren’t that favourable. I liked Yoncey as main character, even though some actions seemed strange to me.
 
...about the world
You didn’t see that much from the world and I had a big problem with the missing of time and place. I simply like it, if I can at least guess when it takes place, but this just confused me. It could have happened in every period in my opinion. The great amount of names and races also confused me and it felt like there was lots of information crammed into this short story.
But I really liked the magical system.
 
...about the style
The style is nice, emotions were shown in a good way.
Some descriptions were a bit weird though, since some of them more or less consisted of enumerations. And again, sometimes I had the feeling that there was this information overload, you learned things you didn’t really need to know, at least in my opinion.
 

Since the story and the characters are very convincing, this book earns four stars.


I got this book in exchange for an honest review, since we’re both part of the Book Robinhooods.
If you’re interested in that, here’s the link:
https://therobinhoods.wixsite.com/the...

[E. Billups · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short prequel to Ms. Bazzar’s preceding novel, Heir of Ashes. The author provides a backstory on Yoncey Fosch, “… clan leader of the Unseelie Dhiultadh where he ruled with an iron fist and a warm heart.” In Heir of Ashes, we were given small details about Roxanne Fosch’s father. Here Ms. Bazzar expands on his history, personality, and moral qualities. “He was a man of few words and many wisdoms, a charming charisma…a man of his words, loyal and honest to a fault, considerate and yet fearsome ruler…”

For all Fosch’s wisdom, he had no choice but to make an unwise decision to save his brother and clan’s lives from a merciless plague. Oberon, a Fee Royalty, would give Fosch the binding stone to cure his people on one condition, he sires a hybrid offspring with a human, interspecies breeding. A bargain Fosch struggled with. “A human hybrid. Nothing but an abomination.”

Ms. Bazzar does a great job at world building in this fantasy piece— highlighting several clan’s differences, conflict, and divide, and Fosch’s own bloodline, and family dynamics. Ms. Bazzar has rather an imagination, with all the different species and creatures she’s able to conceive in this story.

After reading Heir of Ashes, I was thrilled to see the inception of Roxanne Fosch, and the love her father possesses for her mother, Bella (witch or human) there was a message there. Love is possible between races, more appropriately, species in this story. Much was revealed and explained, questions Roxanne had about her family in the Heir of Ashes are all illuminated with a superb backstory.

The Curse was well-paced given its genre and purpose. The plot of the story held my attention to the end, wanting to know the outcome of this bargain between Fosch and Oberon. I am not generally a reader of Fantasy, but Ms. Bazzar has changed that. I can’t wait to continue on Roxanne’s journey in the sequel. For the Fantasy lover, I highly recommend this book, and for those looking for an interesting and thrilling read check out Ms. Bazzar’s The Curse.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great short read and prequel to the book, Heir of Ashes. It could work as a stand-alone story since it has enough excitement (especially for this length). I would have enjoyed it just as much, even having now subsequently read Heir of Ashes. I love them both. However, it is nice to have a prequel that I believe offers a great, quick story.

To that end, it jumps right in to the action and moves at that fast face. There are not a ton of explanations. I like this. More explanations will come in Heir of Ashes. I also anticipate additional descriptions into elements eluded to in this book and Heir of Ashes in subsequent books planned for this series, as this is typical of most books in this genre. I prefer this style, with a gradual build up to finding out more as you progress throughout the entire series. It, to me, is more natural.

Perhaps more explanations are desired by some readers. It is a preference. I like it is a trade-off between whether you want a shorter read. Sometimes I do! Explanations come in Heir of Ashes. (I posted a separate review on the goodread pages for that book). And there will be more books in this series in the future.

The quick, fast-paced style of the prequel, The Curse, is a good balance to the longer Heir of Ashes that is the first full book for this series. Want a quick read? Check. Want a longer one? Then you have Heir of Ashes. I believe both books offer great stories in and of themselves, but in combination provide some more detail to those that want more details into the worlds, the different aspects of the storyline, the characters, etc. (I do not want to provide spoilers here)

Certainly worth reading - regardless of whether you have read or do read Heir of Ashes. Short books with great, fast stories, are few and far between. Here is one! Plus, if you want more, there is Heir of Ashes and will be two more to the series.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse is a short story that follows Yoncey Fosch, the leader of the Unseelie Dhiultadh clan. There is a mysterious plague that is claiming the lives of many in his clan and when his brother begins to show signs of the plague, Yoncey will do anything to save him. Desperate, Yoncey makes a deal with Oberon, Queen Titania’s consort - a way to heal his clan in exchange for Yoncey siring a human hybrid.

The character of Yoncey is admirable but also short-sighted. Yoncey is described as a great leader - fair and kind - and his heart is in the right place when he makes the impossible deal with Oberon in order to save the members of his clan, but he really should have thought about the consequences of that deal. He tried to outsmart Oberon and it backfired.

The character of Oberon is similar to the Oberon in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream so, having read that play, I felt I already knew the character and expected him to requests tricky terms in his deal with Yoncey. What I was not expecting was the punishment that would follow if Yoncey did not follow through with his side of the deal.

It is not necessary to read The Curse before Heir of Ashes, though the plot of the prequel provides a fair amount of background information for the main novel and acts as a sort of prologue. It is also not necessary to read Heir of Ashes before The Curse as this short story holds up pretty well on its own. The story did fast forward through the timeline a little, however, it was detailed enough to get a good idea of the world and the fee (faeries) that inhabit it.

While I would have liked to know more about Yoncey and his life before the deal with Oberon, I did think The Curse was a lovely prequel that complimented Heir of Ashes.

[Rashida Dula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yonsey Fosch, the respected clan leader of the Unseelie Dhiultadh, would do anything for those he loves. He risks a plan to save all his people from the plague, that has hit the clan.

None of the clan members know what bargain their former leader could have had with Oberon, which made me forfeit his life, putting his daughter Roxanne in his brother’s hand. The new clan leader!

How Roxanne rights her father’s wrong - is covered in her first book HEIR OF ASHES.

The prequel, THE CURSE - is a short, fast paced reading telling how the Roxanne’s story came to be.

Received the pdf copy of the book from the author herself.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally published on warmdayswillnevercease.wordpress.com

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from the author. Thank you Jina S. Bazzar.

Firstly, you should definitely read this after reading Heir of Ashes. I think that if you did read this book first then you’d spoil the first book for yourself. It did answer a lot of the questions I had after reading Heir of Ashes and I think it makes a very good prequel.

It’s also a very short book which makes it a quick and compelling read. I think it’s a great length for a prequel because it does just enough to answer some of your questions but it doesn’t tell you everything.

Finally, I enjoyed the writing and the plot. It was fast-paced, interesting, and fun.

[Alex (Bri's Book Nook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This prequel is full of a lot of history about the Heir of Ashes world, and is an important read if you want to really feel immersed in that world! It is also short, so I suggest that you just read it!

In Fosch's world, people are dying left and right from the plague, and his brother is about to become the plague's next victim. He is determined to do anything within his power to save his brother's life, but he doesn't know the true consequences of those actions.

I don't want to spoil too much, but this was a very detailed prequel. It took me a little bit of time to get into it, as I didn't know any of the characters. What truly made me interested in this prequel was reading about the plague. I love reading about fantasy diseases and how they affect people, so this was something that I thought was a really unique addition to this story. I hope that the other books in this series talk about the aftereffects of the plague on the society, and how other families were affected by it. 

This is not a fast-paced novel, which allows readers to learn quite a few important details about this new story's universe. I personally struggle with slow-paced novels, so it took me longer than it usually does to become interested in this one. This was why I only rated it 4 out of 5 stars. But if you are not like me and love novels that really take their time telling a story, then this might be a five star read for you!

I would recommend this prequel/short story to anyone looking to get immersed in Fosch's universe for the next books int he series. 

[Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curse - The Roxanne Fosch Files 1.5 a short novella by Jina Bazzar

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommendation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s been a little while since I’ve read properly so it was nice reading this short novella by Jina Bazzar to get myself back into reading properly.

Disclaimer - the author approached me and sent a free ARC digital download of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The curse is a short novella that follows Jina Bazzar’s debut book ‘Heir of Ashes’ and comes before ‘Heir of Doom’ in the Roxanna Fosch Files series. I really enjoyed reading Heir of Ashes and getting to know Roxanne, so I was happy when the author reached out for me to read this short novella and also the second book in the series.
The book is written in first person from the perspective of Roxanne Fosch’s father, Yoncey Fosch (who we discover in Heir of Ashes). Although the book is a short read, it fills in quite a few of the blanks provided in the previous book and is more of a prequel. It explains the deal that Yoncey made and why his life was sacrificed, as well as connecting dots between those mentioned previously.
I’m a big fan of the authors writing style, I find it both captivates me and keeps my interest throughout. I really enjoyed reading ‘The Curse’ and I’m looking forward to beginning ‘Heir of Doom’ and seeing where the story takes Roxanne Fosch as she begins her life properly outside of captivity.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curse: A Roxanne Fosch Novella by Jina S. Bazzar is a wonderful story to read. This is a wonderful prequel to the first story and I am so glad I have read this whole series. I loved it very much and can not wait to see what this amazing new author for me to will write about next. I highly recommend this story to everyone.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Susannah Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed seeing where Roxanne came from and learning the reasons why her parents did what they did. It is a novella, so an easy and fast read. It was to have more questions answered and see things from the beginning.

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

44%

That was how far I got with this before I gave up. Too much going on with no explanation. It makes no sense. Feels as if I'm reading book 5 instead of book 1.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse by Jina S. Bazzar is a novella based in the Roxanne Fosch universe.

I really enjoyed this novella. I liked how it delved further into the back stories of minor characters from the first book in the Roxanne Fosch series.

I enjoyed discovering the connections with the characters in this novella and how their lives intersected with the main characters in Heir of Ashes.

Finally, I also liked the explorations of the history and lore surrounding the Seelie and Unseelie courts. I found this particularly fascinating.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in delving further into the Roxanne Fosch universe.

The Curse by Jina S. Bazzar is available now.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its Just an enough filler for all the questions arose in "Heir of Ashes". Questions like who/what is Roxanne? Why she is haunted? Who is her father? We get a clear picture of her father in this one.

check the full review here >>
https://bookandmorebd.wordpress.com/2...

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more of a back story on Roxanne's parentage and why her father and mother sacrificed themselves and the reasoning behind it all.

[Misty's Book Space · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the prequel to Heir of Ashes which I read back in May. I was sucked into the first book and I thoroughly enjoyed that one but that wasn’t the case for The Curse. I didn’t like it as much as Heir of Ashes.

The Curse is the backstory of why Roxanne’s life is the way it is. How other peoples choices affected her before she was even born. I recommend reading Heir of Ashes before reading The Curse because otherwise it want make a whole lot of sense.

I wasn’t drawn into this story like I was Heir of Ashes. Not a whole lot was going on like I said it was just back story that I don’t think you need to necessarily read at all. It was a little overly descriptive for me as well.

Overall I think it’s a fast paced read and you do get some answers in this book that wasn’t answered in the first book. It was an ok read but I am still looking forward to continuing on with this series.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduces you to Yoncey Fosch who wants to save his brother and other clan members from a plague - whatever it may cost him.

With "The Curse", Jina S. Bazzar presents us with the prequel to "Heir of Ashes", introducing the Roxanne Fosch series. This prequel is a sound basis for the series, telling the story of how Roxanne Fosch came to be. The story is nicely elaborated, comprises interesting turns, and has a good flow. Jina S. Bazzar introduces each character with care, providing them with sufficient depth for their respective relevance. I was drawn into the story right away - as an invisible and curious bystander. I could easily envision the characters and locations - with an amazing colour intensity. I had a great time reading "The Curse". I am looking forward to continuing the story.

This is for you if you like (urban) fantasy, likeable characters, surprises, and good storytelling.

Recommended.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

This is a very character driven prequel, providing a lot of background information and character development needed to understand some connection elements in Heir of Ashes.

I think it was really great to get some insight on what happened before, why certain decisions were made, and it overall gave me a better understanding of Roxanne’s origin and the world itself.

I did read this prior to reading Heir of Ashes, and I think it doesn’t matter which order you read. I found myself drawn into this story immediately, and the excitement of this story had me really wanting to jump into Heir of Ashes.

A quick read that provides more background info and insight needed to fully immerse yourself in Roxanne’s story.

jessicarachow.wordpress.com

[D. Peach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first book, Heir to Ashes, in the Roxanne Fosch series and thoroughly enjoyed it. This novella fills in a lot of backstory regarding Roxanne’s parentage, how her birth came about, and why she is an anomaly. It is packed with information about the different fantasy races, their political rivalries, bargains, and secrets. There are also a lot of characters.

I think the novella works well as an addendum to the series, and I was glad that I’d read at least one of the novels first since that gave me reference points to ground the information. I would not recommend it as a stand-alone or first foray into the series.

Bazzar’s writing is excellent, the world-building impressive, and she’s clearly set up a complex society as a foundation for the action. This is a quick read, and worth the effort for anyone who’s already started the series and wants to know more about the past.

[Mitch Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse (2018) by Jina S. Bazzar is the prequel to Bazzar’s debut novel Heir of Ashes and is a stunning introduction to the series.

In this book we follow the story of protagonist Yoncey Fosch who is the leader of the Unseelie Dhiultadh. He is a huge family man and sets about preventing his brother’s death from a plague. He agrees to help out his biggest enemy Queen Titania’s consort in exchange for his brother’s safety. But soon he finds himself in a huge dilemma and his family man instincts come into play again with devastating consequences.

In the first part we are given great background on the characters and the situation about to take place and it brings us perfectly with ease into the second part where we find drama and emotion brimming. The heartbreaking decision Fosch has to make without giving too much away pulled and shredded my heart in pieces and I had so much admiration for him. He was my favourite character. The emotions of the characters is gorgeously written and there is very varied characters who are all very rounded. The human dynamics are great. I was a little confused as to why the firstborn had to be female as opposed to male or non-binary as there is people in all genders who can give birth but I think what was meant was assigned female so I just took it as that and it wasn’t as confusing after that.

This is an excellent short read that you can read in one or two sittings and it really gets you wanting to read the first book in the series which at some stage I plan on doing. There is twists and turns aplenty in this book which is crafted stunningly. The writer is most definitely very talented. Recently I have been reading more Fantasy novels and this was another wonderful read from the genre. Sometimes the emotions and life side of books in the genre can be missing but not here. It is a brilliant read for Fantasy and non-Fantasy readers alike and I really enjoyed it.

A fantastic read.

[C.E. Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Curse” is, technically, the prequel to “Heir of Ashes” though I found I didn’t have as much fun with it as the main book. Some answers are provided surrounding what Roxanne is and how she came to be, and why she was left with certain people, but a whole host of other questions get presented as well that I didn’t feel were addressed properly, but that’s mainly due to the short length of the story.

Given there are a handful of new characters presented in this novella, and we get to be in each of their perspectives, I had a hard time getting immersed with any one of them, and the world as a whole because of it. Additionally, I'm still rather confused about Arianna and what she was, her relationship with Remo, and just what was going on there. That was never cleared up in a way I felt good about, but that could be mainly because I found I didn’t empathizing any of the characters. You start to feel bad for Fosch towards the end, but it’s pretty fleeting as a novella isn’t always great for establishing brand new characters you’re supposed to have a connection to. The timelines felt a bit off as well to where I wasn’t very clear on how much time passed between Arianna coming to her decision and her meeting with Fosch.

Ultimately, unless you read the main story first, this little novella won’t mean much to you and will just make things even more confusing. But, if you never read it at all, I don’t think you’d miss anything either, unless the author decided to never go into depth about Roxanne’s father or Logan’s past ever again in any of the sequels to "Heir of Ashes" (which I hope isn’t the case). But as this didn’t clear up everything I’d hoped it would, and didn’t captivate me the way the main story did (which I still highly recommend), this is a 3.25 star for me. Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for review!

[Savannah Worman (Sav’s Review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse is a companion novella to Heir of Ashes. If you missed my review of Heir of Ashes you can find it here.


The Curse delves deep into the story of Roxanne’s parents, letting us know what happened to them and how she ended up where she is. It gives us the additional backstory that was missing from the first book.

I like how it mostly follows Roxanne’s father because he seemed like a very interesting character that just didn’t get to live in the first book. Through following the father we get to see the history of many other characters including Logan, and it also explains a little bit about why Roxanne and Logan’s relationship is so strange. There were a lot of details that I didn’t expect, but made a lot of sense.

This novella only takes about an hour to read and it fills in a lot of holes while also still asking questions. Because there is more to the series, this novella couldn’t answer all the questions, but it makes the world feel more rounded and it gives the history of the characters more backbone. I appreciate that the author could fit so much background into such a quick read.

Because you don’t exactly understand everyone’s timelines it makes the order of events and characters a little harder to follow. I always have a hard time following character names and relationships so it did get a little bit confusing here and there, but it was enlightening to the story.

As far as novellas go I’d say that The Curse is a 4/5 stars. Thank you to Jina S. Bazzar for continuing to reach out to me. I’m excited to read and review the next book in the series Heir of Doom.

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has an amazing flair in her descriptive prose, heck I was swooning already just by the description of Yoncey on the very first page! Laying a strong foundation, Ms Bazzar build a masterpiece. She paints incredible strokes that culminate into a masterpiece read that always stuns me. This short story is packed with essential information on Roxanne, the events leading to her birth and the subsequent life she would be forced into. What began as desperation to save a brother from a dreadful plague, started a chain of events that no one could have foreseen.

It was fabulously insightful to see what motivated Yoncey, what he endured, what his conviction was. He really WAS the good guy referred to in the series. His loving nature, contrary to expectations of his kind, went over and above to protect those he loved. Each of these characters are illuminated in the precise light of what they are and what they did, for some the regret is palpable, for others unfeeling, uncaring. But what stands out to me is the fact that most people don't give two hoots to even try discover truths, they bury their heads in the sand like an ostrich, not knowing, or perhaps not caring, that their actions will have devastating dire consequences.

An outstanding read yet again by this author. I highly, highly recommend you read the series after getting this tidbit.

[M Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a riveting addition to the Roxanne Fosch Files. Definitely not a prequel but a character driven companion novella that can be comfortably read after the trilogy. It adds a lot of information to what we know of this world and some of it's heavy hitters.

The author once again uses her very visual style of writing to craft absorbing and often unforgettable scenes within this bonus piece of the story. It's 61 pages of engaging, page-turning entertainment!

The little bit I knew of Yoncey Fosch from the trilogy made me think he was a cold person with few feelings for his family and Pack. Well, I know differently now! Ms Bazzar has created a passionate, resourceful, unflinching individual who I really like.

Meeting other Council members was interesting too, because I knew what was really going on in their minds. I definitely got more from The Curse reading it last. Fosch's deal with Oberon was broken down clearly and the consequences shown in brutal clarity. There was an absolute wealth of motivations, plans and emotions here.

This is a compelling way to wind up the trilogy and I loved the power of it.

[Michele Northwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curse: A Roxanne Fosch Novella

The Curse is the prequel to “Heir of Ashes” and is a stunning introduction to the series. It can be read in one sitting and is well worth it. In particular if you have already read Heir of Ashes, as it makes us aware of the background of Roxanne’s early life: her parentage, why she was left with the woman she thought was her mother, and why she has the strange powers that she possesses. Bazzar’s writing style is eloquent, with great word building, so without giving away the storyline, I would just say that if you love epic fantasy, strange powers and witchcraft, then this will be right up your street!