Title: Knight’s Curse
Author: Karen Duvall
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: LUNA
Pub Date: 08/30/2011
Category: Fantasy – adult but also suitable for mature teens.
‘Knights Curse’ is rich with imagery, magic and strange things like people becoming gargoyles and a bodiless head that is still alive and talking. It’s a tightly woven tale that keeps you reading with its unpredictability.
Chalice’s world is a dark one, enslaved to a cruel man, cursed to become a gargoyle or a gargoyles dinner and without family or friends, until she meets Aydin. Even then, she’s not sure if she can trust him, because her master does. Nevertheless, he shows her things and gives her information that revolutionises the way she sees the world and offers her hope for the future, if she can just get out of the curse that makes her return to her master every seventy two hours or turn into a monster.
The blurb
A skilled knife fighter since the age of nine, Chalice knows what it’s like to live life on the edge—precariously balanced between the dark and the light. But the time has come to choose. The evil sorcerer who kidnapped her over a decade ago requires her superhuman senses to steal a precious magical artifact…or she must suffer the consequences.
Desperate to break the curse that enslaves her, Chalice agrees. But it is only with the help of Aydin— her noble warrior-protector—that she will risk venturing beyond the veil to discover the origins of her power. Only for him will she dare to fully embrace her awesome talents. For a deadly duel is at hand, and Chalice alone will have to decide between freedom…and the love of her life.
Chalice has our sympathy from the very beginning of this book when at thirteen years of age, she is kidnapped from the only home she’s ever known and forced to become a thief of magical artefacts. When we meed her again many years later, she is a likeable young woman trying to do make the best of a terrible situation and when Aydin befriends her, we are delighted. He’s just what she needs, a lovely handsome guy, with an interesting past who wants to help her. Of course, plans do not go according to plan, and Chalice’s improvisations and others interventions have unwanted side affects which her and Aydin have to deal with.
The end is excellent, leaving us with a resolution to one problem, whilst setting up another one but without resorting to a cliff-hanger. Rather, we are left with a new beginning – a hopeful one – and a promise to rectify the remaining problem. Since we know there is a solution to the problem (all be it a rather tricky one), we are not left bereft, but trusting that Chalice will do what she swears she will and all will eventually be well. That story will make an interesting read, presumably in a sequel, and I’ll certainly be reading it when it comes out. I give it 5 stars and recommend it for all paranormal fantasy lovers. There’s nothing too hot and heavy in it, but it is a cruel world.
Looks interesting. I’ve been trying to broaden my horizons and read new things.
Sounds like a dark and intense read – great write up. “Chalice” is a name loaded with symbolism.
Sounds like an intriguing story line – and a great character to root for! Thanks for the tip 🙂
Yes Chalice is an interesting name. There’s a lot in this one.