Review: The Blood Curse (Spell Weaver #3) by Annette Marie

Title: The Blood Curse

Series: Spell Weaver #3
Author: Annette Marie
Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Published: March 30, 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance
Source: Ebook, Audiobook

When Clio conned her way into the Underworld to steal magic from the notorious spell weavers of Chrysalis, she thought she was helping protect her homeland.

Instead, she exposed Lyre's most calamitous spell, and now her half-brother Bastian plans to wield it against the powerful Ra family. Clio and Lyre have to stop him before he can unleash it, but Bastian isn't their only adversary.

Chrysalis wants the shadow weave—and they want Lyre dead. And this time, they aren’t trusting mercenaries to get the job done. Lyre's father is coming for him, and no magic can defeat the most lethal weaver in the three realms.

From the scorching deserts of Ra to the darkest corner of the Underworld, Clio and Lyre must chase the shadow weave as both the hunters and the hunted. To make it out alive, they'll need magic more devious and dangerous than either of them alone possesses, and if they fail, the realms will pay the price.

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MY REVIEW

This review MAY contain SPOILERS. Read at your own risk.

Annette  Marie is seriously spoiling me. I don't know what I would do if she wasn't an indie author that can put out more than one book each year! If I had to wait a year for each book she writes I die from the anticipation alone. Luckily, Marie loves to spoil us with her breathtaking worlds and characters that will shake your heart up.

I am so smitten and completely in love with this world that Annette Marie has created. This world is so elaborate. I love that there are different realms with contrasting landscapes, traditions, and people. I love all of the different castes of daemons and how Marie has tailored each caste's attributes, both physical and otherwise, with such grace and originality. Some of the castes are based on things that we would recognize from urban fantasy literature, and yet she puts her own unique spin on them. The nerd inside of me marvels at the craftsmanship. The world itself is no different. Marie takes the attributes from each caste and works them into the landscape and way of life for these daemons. It's so very clever and beautiful the way that she flawlessly weaves this world together.

I said this in my review for The Shadow Weave, and I am going to say it again because it is just too perfect and so fitting to pass up. Annette Marie is as much a master weaver as Lyre is. Marie so expertly arranged this plot that it boggles my mind. It is so flawless and full of everything that a compelling story needs. I can't imagine the amount of work that went into creating this masterpiece. Not only did she create a fully enclosed plot for this series, but she also connects things and characters from this series into the plot and characters for her Steel & Stone series. There aren't many authors that can create such an inventive world and plot of this magnitude, cross it over many different book series and do it well. Beyond well in this case! I am still blown away.

These characters have seriously embedded themselves into my fibers. They have lodged inside my heart and I will never let them go. I am so anxiously awaiting the Blackfire series that Marie has in the works that will bring these characters and the ones from the Steel & Stone series together. When she announced it I thought that I would die from excitement! That is a testament to how Marie develops her characters. Each character not only has their own arc and their own development, but the relationships and chemistry between the characters really cement something special. These characters will stay with you. 

Overall, I just have to implore you to read this series! Annette Marie will blow your mind with her exquisite world-building, insanely clever plots, and characters that will melt your heart. I believe that I have said it before in other reviews of her books, but I am an Annette Marie fan for life! She is an auto-buy author for me. The quality of her writing speaks for itself. She really is a shining star in the thick night sky of authors. You won't want to miss out on experiencing her worlds for yourself!

THIS BOOK CONTRIBUTED TO THESE 2018 READING CHALLENGES

- A Series A Month Challenge
- Audiobook Challenge
- New Release Challenge
- Let's Read Indie Challenge
- Reading Bingo

Check out my 2018 Challenge Page to see my progress!

This series is a prequel series to Annette Marie's Steel & Stone series. I love reading extended universes with multiple books series. Another that comes to mind is Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter series. Do you enjoy reading multiple series in an extended universe? If so, what are some of your favorites? I am always looking for more! If not, do you prefer standalones?