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What Members Thought
I LOVED this one.
It’s funny, it’s saucy, it’s fantasy.
The start of the book is a bit difficult to grasp but after 25% I was HOOKED. I have so many questions and I’m so excited for the next book.
I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite, they are all perfect in their ways
It’s funny, it’s saucy, it’s fantasy.
The start of the book is a bit difficult to grasp but after 25% I was HOOKED. I have so many questions and I’m so excited for the next book.
I honestly couldn’t pick a favourite, they are all perfect in their ways
This was the first book I have read by this author. Now I want to go through and read EVERYTHING she has written, I am hooked!!
At the start it was giving HVB vibes with the 4 mates. Love how clumsy the FMC is, I really relate!! The guys start as real alphaholes, but really grew on me.
The world building has been done really well! The magical aspects were amazing, with the shadow pathways and shadow creatures, not to mention the awesome rings that the students get at the Academy!
At the start it was giving HVB vibes with the 4 mates. Love how clumsy the FMC is, I really relate!! The guys start as real alphaholes, but really grew on me.
The world building has been done really well! The magical aspects were amazing, with the shadow pathways and shadow creatures, not to mention the awesome rings that the students get at the Academy!
A Curse so Cruel by Mia Hartson
5-5 stars
A Curse so Cruel by Mia Hartson is the first book in the Fated Mates of Shadowbone Academy series. It’s a why choose fantasy romance novel that features an outspoken relatable heroine and 4 reluctant but possessive mates.
Mia Hartson grabs your attention in this book from the very beginning. She writes the FMC with characteristics that the reader connects with straight off the bat. Strong willed, candid, witty and to top it off she’s an avid reader of all ...more
5-5 stars
A Curse so Cruel by Mia Hartson is the first book in the Fated Mates of Shadowbone Academy series. It’s a why choose fantasy romance novel that features an outspoken relatable heroine and 4 reluctant but possessive mates.
Mia Hartson grabs your attention in this book from the very beginning. She writes the FMC with characteristics that the reader connects with straight off the bat. Strong willed, candid, witty and to top it off she’s an avid reader of all ...more
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Curse So Cruel starts off a little clunky, with worldbuilding that could’ve gone deeper, but once the academy setting kicks in I could not put it down. Prophecies, mysterious powers, shadowy secrets, it’s deliciously addictive.
The banter and comic relief land perfectly (special shoutout to the shadowy sidekicks, who totally stole the show), while the shadow daddies bring the heat… even if their emotional bonds need a bit more depth.
There are definitely some rough edges, and a few insta ...more
A Curse So Cruel starts off a little clunky, with worldbuilding that could’ve gone deeper, but once the academy setting kicks in I could not put it down. Prophecies, mysterious powers, shadowy secrets, it’s deliciously addictive.
The banter and comic relief land perfectly (special shoutout to the shadowy sidekicks, who totally stole the show), while the shadow daddies bring the heat… even if their emotional bonds need a bit more depth.
There are definitely some rough edges, and a few insta ...more
This is a really solid start to what promises to be a interesting story. I really enjoyed Shades backstory, I haven’t read the original story where she is the sidekick, and I’m looking forward to puzzling it out. The naive and newly human trope delights me and it is well written here. There are shadow daddies that are also professors so double win and the chemistry is fun. The relationships are a little paint by the numbers for the genre but if I didn’t love it I wouldn’t have chosen this book.
...more
I really enjoyed this book!
The FMC is such a relatable character and I love her obsession with books and food! I also really like that she has zero interest in physical combat (other physical things she is ALL for) and that she is not automatically a violent killer! It’s a really refreshing change!
I like that she can speak to the wall shadows! They are hilarious!
The shadow Daddies are of course great in their own ways but Shade definitely carries this book!
I can’t wait for the next one!!
The FMC is such a relatable character and I love her obsession with books and food! I also really like that she has zero interest in physical combat (other physical things she is ALL for) and that she is not automatically a violent killer! It’s a really refreshing change!
I like that she can speak to the wall shadows! They are hilarious!
The shadow Daddies are of course great in their own ways but Shade definitely carries this book!
I can’t wait for the next one!!
Aug 30, 2025
Star Dust
marked it as to-read
Sep 05, 2025
Dee | myliteraryera
marked it as to-read
Sep 14, 2025
Kayla Cronin
marked it as to-read
