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Cursed Blood #1
The Cursed And The Broken
Years ago, the dark queen was executed by witches, her cultists hunted down like rats and forced into hiding. Their black magic buried and put to rest, all was well in the world � or so we thought.
Kitarni Barany, witch and shepherd of her flock, has always been different. There’s a darkness in her blood and a destiny beyond the border of her small village.
Corruption is spreading, and the whispers of cultists stir through the woods once again.
Betrothed to the heir of the Wolfblood Clan, she risks not only her life but her heart. United, they must stand against the cultists, or watch the Kingdom of Hungary fall.
Cursed by Death and controlled by Fate, Kitarni is forced to meet her demons � or die by them.
A story of succumbing to wicked desires, death, and the temptations of a deliciously dangerous love.
The Cursed and the Broken is a steamy, enemies-to-lovers dark fantasy romance perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Kerri Maniscalco. No broomsticks or cauldrons here, only magic of the darkest kind and dimples to swoon over.
Kitarni Barany, witch and shepherd of her flock, has always been different. There’s a darkness in her blood and a destiny beyond the border of her small village.
Corruption is spreading, and the whispers of cultists stir through the woods once again.
Betrothed to the heir of the Wolfblood Clan, she risks not only her life but her heart. United, they must stand against the cultists, or watch the Kingdom of Hungary fall.
Cursed by Death and controlled by Fate, Kitarni is forced to meet her demons � or die by them.
A story of succumbing to wicked desires, death, and the temptations of a deliciously dangerous love.
The Cursed and the Broken is a steamy, enemies-to-lovers dark fantasy romance perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Kerri Maniscalco. No broomsticks or cauldrons here, only magic of the darkest kind and dimples to swoon over.
380 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2022
811 people are currently reading
17268 people want to read
About the author
Chloe Hodge
10books296followersI'm the bestselling author of The Cursed Blood series and Guardians of the Grove trilogy. I write all things Fantasy--epic, paranormal, and soon to be RH and urban.
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I'm building a reader group full of fun, bookish babes and I'd love for you to join!
You'll be the first to get teasers, updates, arcs and more, plus be able to interact, make new friends, share recs, and have a laugh.
Join here>>
For more information about my books, visit my website here>>
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 572 reviews
May 1, 2022
Absolutely LOVED it!!
Plot- 5/5
Spice - 2.5/5
✔️Witches and dark magic
✔️ Hungarian folklore
✔️ Strong FMC
✔️Arrange Marriage
✔️Enemies to lovers (so smoothly done)
✔️Only one bed (so well done)
Honestly, it's a perfect recipe for a perfect book. Also, if you love ACOTAR, you will enjoy this.
When the witches of a coven start to disappear, Kitarni must take it upon herself to unravel the mystery. There's also buried black magic that's about to resurface and the witches are not prepared. Kitarni amongst the situation find herself stuck in an arranged marriage which will unite the witches and the Wolfblood clan.
The plot is really intriguing and it's action packed. The world building is so well done and interesting. As someone who doesn't know much about Hungarian folklore I definitely enjoyed the story set up. The forest setting gave the story an eerie vibe (which I liked). The pace of the book is fast, so there's never a dull moment. I was immediately immersed and couldn't keep the book down. Chloe Hodge does a brilliant job at executing the plot.
Our lead, Kitarni is such a warrior, I immediately took a liking to her. While she's a strong there is a softer side to her which balances her character so well. Dante is the love interest, and he's HOT🥵🥵He is a complex character- he's cocky, proud, passionate and a bit cliche in the sense that he wants to make changes his father couldn't.
Dante and Kitarni's chemistry is so damn amazing. I was immediately rooting for them. Their banter is chef's kiss🤌The plot twist towards the end made me tear up a little and I can't wait to see how their story unfolds😭
Death as a supporting character. Fate as a hot villain. Sign me up💳💳💳
Just read it y'all. It's WORTH IT. I would totally recommend. Ahh, can't wait for the sequel😭😩
eARC provided by Booksirens for an honest review.
Plot- 5/5
Spice - 2.5/5
✔️Witches and dark magic
✔️ Hungarian folklore
✔️ Strong FMC
✔️Arrange Marriage
✔️Enemies to lovers (so smoothly done)
✔️Only one bed (so well done)
Honestly, it's a perfect recipe for a perfect book. Also, if you love ACOTAR, you will enjoy this.
When the witches of a coven start to disappear, Kitarni must take it upon herself to unravel the mystery. There's also buried black magic that's about to resurface and the witches are not prepared. Kitarni amongst the situation find herself stuck in an arranged marriage which will unite the witches and the Wolfblood clan.
The plot is really intriguing and it's action packed. The world building is so well done and interesting. As someone who doesn't know much about Hungarian folklore I definitely enjoyed the story set up. The forest setting gave the story an eerie vibe (which I liked). The pace of the book is fast, so there's never a dull moment. I was immediately immersed and couldn't keep the book down. Chloe Hodge does a brilliant job at executing the plot.
Our lead, Kitarni is such a warrior, I immediately took a liking to her. While she's a strong there is a softer side to her which balances her character so well. Dante is the love interest, and he's HOT🥵🥵He is a complex character- he's cocky, proud, passionate and a bit cliche in the sense that he wants to make changes his father couldn't.
Dante and Kitarni's chemistry is so damn amazing. I was immediately rooting for them. Their banter is chef's kiss🤌The plot twist towards the end made me tear up a little and I can't wait to see how their story unfolds😭
Death as a supporting character. Fate as a hot villain. Sign me up💳💳💳
Just read it y'all. It's WORTH IT. I would totally recommend. Ahh, can't wait for the sequel😭😩
eARC provided by Booksirens for an honest review.
November 18, 2023
I was very excited about this since the blurb sounded very promising. But to my great surprise, this turned out to be a very mediocre book.
The writing was quite good and atmospheric. The descriptions at times were overdone and the pacing was also off. It dragged a lot during the middle part and was, as a result, a very dull book.
Kitarni is an average protagonist, but she does have a lot of potential to become a good protagonist. Her decisions, at times, did not make any sense at all. Other than her, all the other characters were very underdeveloped.
Dante, on the other hand, was a very bland character whose motivations were not explained properly. The romance was very rushed and the pair did not have chemistry.
The other characters had not much of a role to play and existed quietly in the background. Death was an interesting character and I would like to read more about him.
Overall, though I personally did not enjoy this book, you should give this book a try if you like fantasy books.
The writing was quite good and atmospheric. The descriptions at times were overdone and the pacing was also off. It dragged a lot during the middle part and was, as a result, a very dull book.
Kitarni is an average protagonist, but she does have a lot of potential to become a good protagonist. Her decisions, at times, did not make any sense at all. Other than her, all the other characters were very underdeveloped.
Dante, on the other hand, was a very bland character whose motivations were not explained properly. The romance was very rushed and the pair did not have chemistry.
The other characters had not much of a role to play and existed quietly in the background. Death was an interesting character and I would like to read more about him.
Overall, though I personally did not enjoy this book, you should give this book a try if you like fantasy books.
Want to read
April 7, 2022has the one-bed trope
I'm sold
I'm sold
March 22, 2022
“Magic can make monsters out of all of us.�
Wow!! Okay, I’m fine.
Everything is fine. *grabs kleenex and sobs*
How do I summarize these feelings this book made me feel?! The magic�! The chemistry�.!! The betrayal�!!! I should’ve saw that one coming, but I got too comfortable in the “AWs� and “I LOVE THEM!!� feels before the ending sucker-punched me all the way back to last Tuesday.
I have never pre-ordered a book so fast after finishing the ARC. I loved this book, and I’m dying to see what happens next!
Wow!! Okay, I’m fine.
Everything is fine. *grabs kleenex and sobs*
How do I summarize these feelings this book made me feel?! The magic�! The chemistry�.!! The betrayal�!!! I should’ve saw that one coming, but I got too comfortable in the “AWs� and “I LOVE THEM!!� feels before the ending sucker-punched me all the way back to last Tuesday.
I have never pre-ordered a book so fast after finishing the ARC. I loved this book, and I’m dying to see what happens next!
April 20, 2022
2.5 stars
Okay let me start with the good things; the character dynamics were well-written, descriptions were vivid and interesting. Bonus points for that cat that was mentioned once. Was I not Hungarian (and half a historian) I would've loved everything about this book.
However, and this is were the things that I disliked come in, I happen to be both of those and thus I couldn't get lost in the fantasy, and I am left disappointed.
The smallest occurance that bothered me: the names. Why are Hungarian words and last names (and only some first names) written correctly while the others are not? I swear to god if you can write "táltos" you can just as well write "Nóra" as it should be written. Where on Earth did you even find the MC's name. It's not a Hungarian name. It's a word. A word that doesn't even mean what the Anglo-saxons think it means (it means "to open" btw, not "enduring"). If her family name truly comes from the family's profession, I beg you to explain to me why the family name is "sheep" and not "shepherd". Was it more clever to have sheep and wolf parallels? Oh wow, how amusing. Seriously, just don't say they are named after their profession when clearly they aren't.
Here's what I didn't get and to this moment I don't understand why it was even necessary to be mentioned; the Mongolian invasion. Based on all the other clues (Romania being called Romania, description of clothes, desserts mentioned) I guess the story is set sometime during the second half of the 19th century. The Mongolian invasion, in which both MC's and LI's parents claim to have fought in, was in the 1200s. Now, I'm pretty bad at math, but that shit doesn't add up.
Side note about the desserts; out of all 4 mentioned during the story, I hate to be the one to say it, but 3 of them are NOT of Hungarian origin (and the fourth one is misspelled). Yes, they are now part of our culture as well, but I wouldn't claim they were such commonplace in the century they were just intruduced to us. It was almost like how the British go about having invented tea. I hope you see my point here.
If I had a nickel for every time someone claimed they have written a book about "Hungarian folklore and mythology", only to then end up mentioning the tiers of the Life Tree and our shamans and demons and not even a single story from us, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's annoying that it happened twice. And by the way, it's "garabonciás" not "garabonc". There are at least 6 different ways to refer to this person and you have managed to not use any of the exisiting ones. Please pay better attention next time. And they are not born with all their teeth wtf where did that information even come from? Speaking of which, where did Baba Yana/Yaga come from? She's not from our mythology or folklore.
Now I am about to venture into religious territory, so hold onto your braincells. Yes Hungary was pagan before the 10th century, but truth be told we hade like 5 different "nations" live on these lands before that so you can't blame us for having picked up not only "pagan" practices but also (and this is an important point) Jewish and (early) Christian practices. You see, we are what you call a mixing pot country, throughout the centuries we had many cultures pass through us (*cough* invade us *cough*) and we have integrated their words, dishes, practices, clothes etc. into our own culture (before you come at me with that cultural appropriation bullshit, I must tell you, this is how cultures are formed, especially throughout centuries). So in the late 10th early 11th centruy it wasn't too much of a shift from paganism to christianity, especially since our pagan practices weren't exactly uniform all over the country. (Sure, I know it was a forced change, and i know most of our "ancient" practices are gone because they were deliberately obliterated.) Anyway, that shift to Christianity happened out of necessity in the first place, a need to survive, and at the point of this book's plot it has been going on for a good 8-9 centuries so I, for one, really don't understand the whole "our gods were scorned" scene. Because they weren't scorned actually, they were downgraded to saints at worst.
Lastly, things that bothered me about the story specifically, unrelated to folklore, mythology, and history.
STOP CALLING IT ENEMIES TO LOVERS WHEN THE ONLY THING THEY DO IS ANNOY AND ROAST EACH OTHER. THE PERSON YOU FIND ARROGANT AND FRUSTRATING ISNT YOUR ENEMY. I'M BEGGING YOU TO STOP SAYING IT'S THIS TROPE WHEN THEY CLEARLY DON'T HAVE A SINGLE REASON TO BE ENEMIES.
MC was a Cool Girl bc she wasn't a virgin and she was unmarried *gasp* and she has been with multiple men before, oh my. Yet the second she touches LI's dick through his pants she's all of a sudden a lost innocent prude. Miss Thing... pick a lane.
I'm also a little bitter about those scenes when the main man has to spell out her worth to her and that's the only time she feels valid and strong, like whew, the feminism left so many people's bodies while reading this, huh?
(Not to be that bitch, but also explain to me what a "feminine shape" is because i feel like I'm going to punch a hole in my concrete wall.)
Not going to lie, I would've been okay with clothing if this was a story based purely on fantasy. But the author has made choices to point out actual historical events, not establishing or even hinting at anywhere that this is a Bridgerton-type situation where we are altering the existing history, so imagine my annoyance (keep in mind that I am half a historian, and I am passionate about it) when I read that MC wears tight leather pants. Wait, no, I have an even better one! THE SKIN-TIGHT SPAGHETTI STRAP BLACK MINI DRESS. I was ready to throw my laptop from the balcony. How does MC, a girl in HUNGARY, in the 19TH CENTURY, from a VILLAGE THAT WAS ADMITTEDLY SO CLOSED OFF FROM SOCIETY SHE DIDNT EVEN KNOW HUMANS LIVED WITH WITCHES IN PEACE, knows what fucking spaghetti is?!? Bestie, I can't do this.
Very, very lastly, I would just like to say that the author and I have entirely different views on what a "steamy" book is. Because that one-page sex scene and those other two times they were flicking beans and pulling padges were not exactly hitting the "steamy" category, but that might just be me.
P.S.: Was the creation of the cover art the only time they involved an actual Hungarian in this book?
Okay let me start with the good things; the character dynamics were well-written, descriptions were vivid and interesting. Bonus points for that cat that was mentioned once. Was I not Hungarian (and half a historian) I would've loved everything about this book.
However, and this is were the things that I disliked come in, I happen to be both of those and thus I couldn't get lost in the fantasy, and I am left disappointed.
The smallest occurance that bothered me: the names. Why are Hungarian words and last names (and only some first names) written correctly while the others are not? I swear to god if you can write "táltos" you can just as well write "Nóra" as it should be written. Where on Earth did you even find the MC's name. It's not a Hungarian name. It's a word. A word that doesn't even mean what the Anglo-saxons think it means (it means "to open" btw, not "enduring"). If her family name truly comes from the family's profession, I beg you to explain to me why the family name is "sheep" and not "shepherd". Was it more clever to have sheep and wolf parallels? Oh wow, how amusing. Seriously, just don't say they are named after their profession when clearly they aren't.
Here's what I didn't get and to this moment I don't understand why it was even necessary to be mentioned; the Mongolian invasion. Based on all the other clues (Romania being called Romania, description of clothes, desserts mentioned) I guess the story is set sometime during the second half of the 19th century. The Mongolian invasion, in which both MC's and LI's parents claim to have fought in, was in the 1200s. Now, I'm pretty bad at math, but that shit doesn't add up.
Side note about the desserts; out of all 4 mentioned during the story, I hate to be the one to say it, but 3 of them are NOT of Hungarian origin (and the fourth one is misspelled). Yes, they are now part of our culture as well, but I wouldn't claim they were such commonplace in the century they were just intruduced to us. It was almost like how the British go about having invented tea. I hope you see my point here.
If I had a nickel for every time someone claimed they have written a book about "Hungarian folklore and mythology", only to then end up mentioning the tiers of the Life Tree and our shamans and demons and not even a single story from us, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's annoying that it happened twice. And by the way, it's "garabonciás" not "garabonc". There are at least 6 different ways to refer to this person and you have managed to not use any of the exisiting ones. Please pay better attention next time. And they are not born with all their teeth wtf where did that information even come from? Speaking of which, where did Baba Yana/Yaga come from? She's not from our mythology or folklore.
Now I am about to venture into religious territory, so hold onto your braincells. Yes Hungary was pagan before the 10th century, but truth be told we hade like 5 different "nations" live on these lands before that so you can't blame us for having picked up not only "pagan" practices but also (and this is an important point) Jewish and (early) Christian practices. You see, we are what you call a mixing pot country, throughout the centuries we had many cultures pass through us (*cough* invade us *cough*) and we have integrated their words, dishes, practices, clothes etc. into our own culture (before you come at me with that cultural appropriation bullshit, I must tell you, this is how cultures are formed, especially throughout centuries). So in the late 10th early 11th centruy it wasn't too much of a shift from paganism to christianity, especially since our pagan practices weren't exactly uniform all over the country. (Sure, I know it was a forced change, and i know most of our "ancient" practices are gone because they were deliberately obliterated.) Anyway, that shift to Christianity happened out of necessity in the first place, a need to survive, and at the point of this book's plot it has been going on for a good 8-9 centuries so I, for one, really don't understand the whole "our gods were scorned" scene. Because they weren't scorned actually, they were downgraded to saints at worst.
Lastly, things that bothered me about the story specifically, unrelated to folklore, mythology, and history.
STOP CALLING IT ENEMIES TO LOVERS WHEN THE ONLY THING THEY DO IS ANNOY AND ROAST EACH OTHER. THE PERSON YOU FIND ARROGANT AND FRUSTRATING ISNT YOUR ENEMY. I'M BEGGING YOU TO STOP SAYING IT'S THIS TROPE WHEN THEY CLEARLY DON'T HAVE A SINGLE REASON TO BE ENEMIES.
MC was a Cool Girl bc she wasn't a virgin and she was unmarried *gasp* and she has been with multiple men before, oh my. Yet the second she touches LI's dick through his pants she's all of a sudden a lost innocent prude. Miss Thing... pick a lane.
I'm also a little bitter about those scenes when the main man has to spell out her worth to her and that's the only time she feels valid and strong, like whew, the feminism left so many people's bodies while reading this, huh?
(Not to be that bitch, but also explain to me what a "feminine shape" is because i feel like I'm going to punch a hole in my concrete wall.)
Not going to lie, I would've been okay with clothing if this was a story based purely on fantasy. But the author has made choices to point out actual historical events, not establishing or even hinting at anywhere that this is a Bridgerton-type situation where we are altering the existing history, so imagine my annoyance (keep in mind that I am half a historian, and I am passionate about it) when I read that MC wears tight leather pants. Wait, no, I have an even better one! THE SKIN-TIGHT SPAGHETTI STRAP BLACK MINI DRESS. I was ready to throw my laptop from the balcony. How does MC, a girl in HUNGARY, in the 19TH CENTURY, from a VILLAGE THAT WAS ADMITTEDLY SO CLOSED OFF FROM SOCIETY SHE DIDNT EVEN KNOW HUMANS LIVED WITH WITCHES IN PEACE, knows what fucking spaghetti is?!? Bestie, I can't do this.
Very, very lastly, I would just like to say that the author and I have entirely different views on what a "steamy" book is. Because that one-page sex scene and those other two times they were flicking beans and pulling padges were not exactly hitting the "steamy" category, but that might just be me.
P.S.: Was the creation of the cover art the only time they involved an actual Hungarian in this book?
March 1, 2022
So excited to share this book with you all! It’s close to my heart in many ways and it was such a ride to write! I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!!
April 19, 2022
I liked that this book introduced me to some Hungarian folklore. But maybe I've read too many books in this genre, I was just not that impressed. The writing felt immature and colloquial/lazy. Plus it's not really enemies-to-lovers, when there is instalust! The FMC reminded me too much of Katniss/Feyre, so didn't feel very original. The MMC was sexy, I suppose? But also felt very similar to a lot of NA/YA MMCs out there. Overall, this book fell very short of my expectations.
May 7, 2022
I don't- I don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself anymore. What do I do??? How do I wait for the next book???
This book was so much better than I was expecting. So much better then From Blood and Ash (yes I said that). I can't decide if it's better then We Hunt the Flame or on an equal level. I have a new book boyfriend. I have a new favorite character.
Andras and Altair?? On the exact fucking level. Dante and Nasir?? A 1% difference, if that.
Kitarni and Zafira?? Nope I can't.
The characters were all on point. Utter perfection. Usually I find at least one thing to dislike about a character but I honestly can not find one thing I would change.
The plot? Oh so good. There was an actual plot. The book wasn't all romance, no story. It was at least 70% plot with a perfectly balanced amount of spice. (This is starting to sound like food now isn't it?)
And the spice? Holy shit. I was HERE for it!!
Also the angst and banter was just *chefs kiss*.
And lastly the writing style. No matter how good a story is or how good the characters are, if the writing style isn't good, you just can't vibe with the book.
This book had good characters, an amazing plot, perfect amount of spice and a GREAT writing style.
I really don't have anything else to say except, WHY ISN'T THIS AUTHOR MORE WELL KNOWN?!?!?!??!!
This book was so much better than I was expecting. So much better then From Blood and Ash (yes I said that). I can't decide if it's better then We Hunt the Flame or on an equal level. I have a new book boyfriend. I have a new favorite character.
Andras and Altair?? On the exact fucking level. Dante and Nasir?? A 1% difference, if that.
Kitarni and Zafira?? Nope I can't.
The characters were all on point. Utter perfection. Usually I find at least one thing to dislike about a character but I honestly can not find one thing I would change.
The plot? Oh so good. There was an actual plot. The book wasn't all romance, no story. It was at least 70% plot with a perfectly balanced amount of spice. (This is starting to sound like food now isn't it?)
And the spice? Holy shit. I was HERE for it!!
Also the angst and banter was just *chefs kiss*.
And lastly the writing style. No matter how good a story is or how good the characters are, if the writing style isn't good, you just can't vibe with the book.
This book had good characters, an amazing plot, perfect amount of spice and a GREAT writing style.
I really don't have anything else to say except, WHY ISN'T THIS AUTHOR MORE WELL KNOWN?!?!?!??!!
April 10, 2022
“Being different is not a sin, nor does it make you lesser than others. Straighten your shoulders, lift that chin. Your magic will remake our world one day, Kitarni. Never forget it.�
First and foremost, thank you so much to the author for sending me an e-ARC of The Cursed and The Broken in exchange for an honest review.
The story followed Kitarni Bárány, a witch that lived in peace with her mother and her little sister until the witches from her coven started to disappear one by one. Full of curiosity, Kitarni willingly and determined to looking and unravel the mystery of disappear witches. In the middle of her way to find one of the lost witch, she met with a táltos man named Dante Sándor, the heir of Wolfblood Clan who she was arranged to.
Okay, so... how to describe this one eh? I really enjoyed myself reading this one even though it's kinda hard for me to adapt myself reading ebook (yeah, I'm currently trying to read a lot of ebooks right now), but oh my oh my, this one really intrigued and keep me being curious until the end.
The world-building, the lores, the characters, storyline and the plot? Well, I love all of them. It's been a while since the last time I read a good fantasy book about witches, to be honest, and I found myself quite loving this one.
Kitarni, our FMC? Yeah, I love her character so much. She can be badass, stubborn and blunt girl but in the same time being a softie and lovely especially towards her little sister, Eszter. Her chemistry with Dante, our MMC? Chef's kiss!
And the side characters; Death and Fate? Oh my goodness, yes yes yes! I freaking love them so much!!!!
The ending? It made me want to know what happen next! I want the sequel now! For real!
Tropes in this book I think you will be sold to read it:
🥀: Witches and dark magic
🥀: Hungarian Folklores inspiration
🥀: Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage and one bed trope.
Last but not least, The Cursed And The Broken is definitely one of the best NA fantasy book I've ever read in my entire life.
Rate: 4🌟
That's all from me,
Feyssa.
First and foremost, thank you so much to the author for sending me an e-ARC of The Cursed and The Broken in exchange for an honest review.
The story followed Kitarni Bárány, a witch that lived in peace with her mother and her little sister until the witches from her coven started to disappear one by one. Full of curiosity, Kitarni willingly and determined to looking and unravel the mystery of disappear witches. In the middle of her way to find one of the lost witch, she met with a táltos man named Dante Sándor, the heir of Wolfblood Clan who she was arranged to.
Okay, so... how to describe this one eh? I really enjoyed myself reading this one even though it's kinda hard for me to adapt myself reading ebook (yeah, I'm currently trying to read a lot of ebooks right now), but oh my oh my, this one really intrigued and keep me being curious until the end.
The world-building, the lores, the characters, storyline and the plot? Well, I love all of them. It's been a while since the last time I read a good fantasy book about witches, to be honest, and I found myself quite loving this one.
Kitarni, our FMC? Yeah, I love her character so much. She can be badass, stubborn and blunt girl but in the same time being a softie and lovely especially towards her little sister, Eszter. Her chemistry with Dante, our MMC? Chef's kiss!
And the side characters; Death and Fate? Oh my goodness, yes yes yes! I freaking love them so much!!!!
The ending? It made me want to know what happen next! I want the sequel now! For real!
Tropes in this book I think you will be sold to read it:
🥀: Witches and dark magic
🥀: Hungarian Folklores inspiration
🥀: Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage and one bed trope.
Last but not least, The Cursed And The Broken is definitely one of the best NA fantasy book I've ever read in my entire life.
Rate: 4🌟
That's all from me,
Feyssa.
April 15, 2024
⭐️3.5
I was a cursed and broken wretch, but I would pick up the shattered pieces of my heart and I would get through this.
i got this book on the last stuff your kindle day so i went into it with 0 expectations. this is a new adult fantasy with witches, necromancers, a cult, and the occult.i think i’m funny. it has some tropes we love: main character with special magic, arranged marriage, one bed, who did this to you?, epic betrayals, and enemies to lovers [(to enemies) to lovers)]. i am funny.
He lifted his head, staring at me dangerously. "Just sex," he purred. "And we can go back to hating each other in the morning."
kitarni is a witch with magic to match her personality, violent and vulgar. which is unlike her kin, who practice primarily earth magic. she is visited by death (a demi-god, ruler of the underworld, could be the suriel’s cousin) who warns her that his runaway bride, fate, both literally and figuratively will be coming for her.
"Bossy and violent. I think you were made for me, Kitarni." My heart fluttered. Was it weird how much I enjoyed this game? I snorted. "You really are depraved." "Perhaps. But I think you quite like that."
i guessed the beginning twists. and i think you will too, if you are a fantasy reader. one of the twists was giving “there you are i’ve been looking for you� and the other just felt obvious (to me). i had a bit of a hard time getting into it at first. this book is fully from the perspective of the fmc, kitarni, and idk what it was! i just didn’t feel connected to the story for a bit. however, the FINAL TWIST had me SAT and scrambling to start the next book, which is a dual pov with our mmc.
Frowning, I poked a finger at his chest. "The day is young. I can still stab you or set you on fire."
I was a cursed and broken wretch, but I would pick up the shattered pieces of my heart and I would get through this.
i got this book on the last stuff your kindle day so i went into it with 0 expectations. this is a new adult fantasy with witches, necromancers, a cult, and the occult.
He lifted his head, staring at me dangerously. "Just sex," he purred. "And we can go back to hating each other in the morning."
kitarni is a witch with magic to match her personality, violent and vulgar. which is unlike her kin, who practice primarily earth magic. she is visited by death (a demi-god, ruler of the underworld, could be the suriel’s cousin) who warns her that his runaway bride, fate, both literally and figuratively will be coming for her.
"Bossy and violent. I think you were made for me, Kitarni." My heart fluttered. Was it weird how much I enjoyed this game? I snorted. "You really are depraved." "Perhaps. But I think you quite like that."
i guessed the beginning twists. and i think you will too, if you are a fantasy reader. one of the twists was giving “there you are i’ve been looking for you� and the other just felt obvious (to me). i had a bit of a hard time getting into it at first. this book is fully from the perspective of the fmc, kitarni, and idk what it was! i just didn’t feel connected to the story for a bit. however, the FINAL TWIST had me SAT and scrambling to start the next book, which is a dual pov with our mmc.
Frowning, I poked a finger at his chest. "The day is young. I can still stab you or set you on fire."
April 23, 2022
3.25 ⭐️ An intriguing dark fantasy with an ending that left my heart racing!
This story has witches, dark magic, Hungarian folklore, a dagger-wielding FFM, a broody/protective MMC, antagonists to lovers, only one-bed, arranged marriage, and 18+ spice.
Summary:
Years ago, when the dark queen was executed by witches, her cultists went into hiding. . . until now. When young witches start to disappear from a secluded coven on the outskirts of the Dark Forest, Kitarni Barany (a witch with unusual powers) takes it upon herself to search for answers. But along the way, she meets Dante, an arrogant warrior of the Wolfblood clan who captures her attention, fuels her suspicion, boils her blood, and sparks her lust. But only with Dante's help can Kitarni stand against the cultists, or watch her coven and world be destroyed.
Cursed by Death and controlled by Fate, Kitarni is forced to meet her demons. . . or die by them.
"I will meet my fate with iron in my heart and war song in my blood. The time for hiding has passed."
What I loved:
The dark, eerie setting/tone/atmosphere. The author did an amazing job with her descriptions so the reader is able to completely visualize the setting and immerse themselves into the story.
Hungarian folklore and culture. As a Hungarian, I really appreciated seeing this. I was especially delighted to see a lot of references to some of my favorite traditional dishes. (If you've never had Hungarian food, rectify this immediately).
The world-building. The author did a really great job sharing this hidden world of witches within the Kingdom of Hungary. I loved learning about Kitarni's coven, the dark queen, and the Wolfblood clan, and can't wait to see how this expands in the next book.
The plot twist at the end!!! I knew something was up with a certain character but I did NOT see THAT coming!
What I thought was okay:
The characters. I enjoyed reading their story and I feel like they have a lot of potential, but I never quite connected with them. Something was missing. I think since this was the first book, it was just a lot of groundwork and setting up. These characters have a lot of potential and I hope to see more of their development in the next book.
The romance. Obviously, the antagonist to lovers, one-bed trope, and banter was fun to read. However, I think since I didn’t really connect with the character individually I had a hard time getting swept away by the romance. Also, the romance felt rushed and forced. While the lust between Kitarni and Dante is instantaneous, the transition from lust to love happened so quickly and near the end that it wasn't quite believable. But I will say, their relationship was spicy, sweet, angsty, and fun to read.
What I didn’t like:
The pacing. The beginning was incredibly slow, then things picked up halfway, and from 75% on it moved quickly - almost to the point where we skip days and head straight into the big events. I wish the beginning was slower and the middle/end (when Kitarni is in Mistvellen) was longer. And while I actually enjoyed the story, this book was too easy to put down. Usually, I read books this length in less than a day but it took me 6 days. Again, it’s a great story but just didn’t make me super eager to finish.
The characters use some relatively modern language, phrases that took me out of the story. Examples: bring it on bitch, asshat, ex-girlfriend (wouldn’t be called that back then).
So would I recommend this? Yes! Especially if you like dark fantasy (witches, wolves, magic), antagonist to lovers, insta-lust, dagger-wielding FMC, broody MMC, banter, violence, mystery, and some 18+ smut. Truly, if the pacing had been better, this would be a 4-star read for me. But regardless, this story features intriguing lore, dangerous adventures, and an emotional ending, so I definitely will be reading the next one!
Thank you to Chloe Hodge for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
This story has witches, dark magic, Hungarian folklore, a dagger-wielding FFM, a broody/protective MMC, antagonists to lovers, only one-bed, arranged marriage, and 18+ spice.
Summary:
Years ago, when the dark queen was executed by witches, her cultists went into hiding. . . until now. When young witches start to disappear from a secluded coven on the outskirts of the Dark Forest, Kitarni Barany (a witch with unusual powers) takes it upon herself to search for answers. But along the way, she meets Dante, an arrogant warrior of the Wolfblood clan who captures her attention, fuels her suspicion, boils her blood, and sparks her lust. But only with Dante's help can Kitarni stand against the cultists, or watch her coven and world be destroyed.
Cursed by Death and controlled by Fate, Kitarni is forced to meet her demons. . . or die by them.
"I will meet my fate with iron in my heart and war song in my blood. The time for hiding has passed."
What I loved:
The dark, eerie setting/tone/atmosphere. The author did an amazing job with her descriptions so the reader is able to completely visualize the setting and immerse themselves into the story.
Hungarian folklore and culture. As a Hungarian, I really appreciated seeing this. I was especially delighted to see a lot of references to some of my favorite traditional dishes. (If you've never had Hungarian food, rectify this immediately).
The world-building. The author did a really great job sharing this hidden world of witches within the Kingdom of Hungary. I loved learning about Kitarni's coven, the dark queen, and the Wolfblood clan, and can't wait to see how this expands in the next book.
The plot twist at the end!!! I knew something was up with a certain character but I did NOT see THAT coming!
What I thought was okay:
The characters. I enjoyed reading their story and I feel like they have a lot of potential, but I never quite connected with them. Something was missing. I think since this was the first book, it was just a lot of groundwork and setting up. These characters have a lot of potential and I hope to see more of their development in the next book.
The romance. Obviously, the antagonist to lovers, one-bed trope, and banter was fun to read. However, I think since I didn’t really connect with the character individually I had a hard time getting swept away by the romance. Also, the romance felt rushed and forced. While the lust between Kitarni and Dante is instantaneous, the transition from lust to love happened so quickly and near the end that it wasn't quite believable. But I will say, their relationship was spicy, sweet, angsty, and fun to read.
What I didn’t like:
The pacing. The beginning was incredibly slow, then things picked up halfway, and from 75% on it moved quickly - almost to the point where we skip days and head straight into the big events. I wish the beginning was slower and the middle/end (when Kitarni is in Mistvellen) was longer. And while I actually enjoyed the story, this book was too easy to put down. Usually, I read books this length in less than a day but it took me 6 days. Again, it’s a great story but just didn’t make me super eager to finish.
The characters use some relatively modern language, phrases that took me out of the story. Examples: bring it on bitch, asshat, ex-girlfriend (wouldn’t be called that back then).
So would I recommend this? Yes! Especially if you like dark fantasy (witches, wolves, magic), antagonist to lovers, insta-lust, dagger-wielding FMC, broody MMC, banter, violence, mystery, and some 18+ smut. Truly, if the pacing had been better, this would be a 4-star read for me. But regardless, this story features intriguing lore, dangerous adventures, and an emotional ending, so I definitely will be reading the next one!
Thank you to Chloe Hodge for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.
May 29, 2022
"When I bow before you, I will worship your entire existence. You are a goddess, and I, your humble servant.�
3 stars for Dante and the simp he is. ( Not a simp by the end, tho)
This had alot of similarities to from blood and ash. The relationship between the FMC and MMC was filled with banter, "I'm going to stab you" jokes. So they radiated PoppyCas energy. Also, plot wise the heroine finding herself being haunted for who she really is time and time again, sounds very familiar. And of course the betrayal at end to add some angst in their relationship.
Kitarni is all talk and no action, I felt like her character was meek and not well developed by the end of the book. At times, she would have a great emotional revelation and right after that go back to being an idiot instead of working with what she figured out. That annoyed me alot tbh.
I'm not that emotionally attached to the characters so don't know if I'll be reading the sequel.
3 stars for Dante and the simp he is. ( Not a simp by the end, tho)
This had alot of similarities to from blood and ash. The relationship between the FMC and MMC was filled with banter, "I'm going to stab you" jokes. So they radiated PoppyCas energy. Also, plot wise the heroine finding herself being haunted for who she really is time and time again, sounds very familiar. And of course the betrayal at end to add some angst in their relationship.
Kitarni is all talk and no action, I felt like her character was meek and not well developed by the end of the book. At times, she would have a great emotional revelation and right after that go back to being an idiot instead of working with what she figured out. That annoyed me alot tbh.
I'm not that emotionally attached to the characters so don't know if I'll be reading the sequel.
January 24, 2024
"When I bow before you, I will worship your entire existence. You are a goddess, and I, your humble servant."
This is a one POV book, told by the POV of Kitarni.
I really liked Kitarni´s character. She is headstrong, intelligent and always has a snark remark for comments about her. I liked her bravery and her willingness to do everything for her family and go above and beyond for her loved ones. I really liked Dante, he doesn´t seem that broody to me but more like a golden retriever character in warrior format if that makes sense to you. I liked his snarky side and the banter between him and Kitarni. He also was willing to do everything for his family and I liked how he wasn´t afraid to be vulnerable and open up.
Regarding side characters I really liked Kitarni´s sister Eszter. I loved the bond the two of them have and how they told each other everything. I also hope to see more of Lukas in the next book as well as András.
Regarding the plot I really enjoyed reading this. The book already starts of interesting and throws you in the middle of a scene. I would describe the book itself as fast paced with some good action scenes thrown in there. The trope for the romance part is an arranged marriage, which I think the author managed to do well. The romance isn´t really that much on the slow burn side, but it was still okay for me personally. You do get a few spice scenes with this book. Some good twists were happening, I think some you could see coming but others I didn´t expect. I liked the balance of action scenes and character development and I loved the hungarian mythology in this book. I feel like this is something you get more seldom in books than roman/greek mythology.
Overall it was a great read and I am looking forward to the second book.
trigger warnings: death/murder, mentions of war
This is a one POV book, told by the POV of Kitarni.
I really liked Kitarni´s character. She is headstrong, intelligent and always has a snark remark for comments about her. I liked her bravery and her willingness to do everything for her family and go above and beyond for her loved ones. I really liked Dante, he doesn´t seem that broody to me but more like a golden retriever character in warrior format if that makes sense to you. I liked his snarky side and the banter between him and Kitarni. He also was willing to do everything for his family and I liked how he wasn´t afraid to be vulnerable and open up.
Regarding side characters I really liked Kitarni´s sister Eszter. I loved the bond the two of them have and how they told each other everything. I also hope to see more of Lukas in the next book as well as András.
Regarding the plot I really enjoyed reading this. The book already starts of interesting and throws you in the middle of a scene. I would describe the book itself as fast paced with some good action scenes thrown in there. The trope for the romance part is an arranged marriage, which I think the author managed to do well. The romance isn´t really that much on the slow burn side, but it was still okay for me personally. You do get a few spice scenes with this book. Some good twists were happening, I think some you could see coming but others I didn´t expect. I liked the balance of action scenes and character development and I loved the hungarian mythology in this book. I feel like this is something you get more seldom in books than roman/greek mythology.
Overall it was a great read and I am looking forward to the second book.
trigger warnings: death/murder, mentions of war
Want to read
April 25, 2022Didn’t even read the synopsis. Instagram told me this was a dark fantasy romance with spice, so I hopped over here and added it. I know what I’m about, son.
May 9, 2022
DNFd around 70%. The story started promising and intriguing, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. The heroine is all over the place. I’m confused if she is supposed to be a villain, morally grey, or a Mary Sue. The relationship also lacks chemistry and felt kind of insta lovey from the hero. Which we know next to nothing about. The only character that is fleshed out and has any depth is the FMC. Everyone else is just, there. Ugh I hate being disappointed by books with potential.
February 23, 2025
I mean, I did like this. I thought the witches and the cults were really intriguing, and I would have loved a bit more of that. 🧙♀️✨ Dante and Kitarni had good chemistry, but I didn't like how they talked about/almost slept together—halfway through the book. 😬 The language was also really crass at times for a cozy witchy fantasy vibe, but then it would shift to being super fancy with phrases like "my lady" and "courtship," which felt expected and welcomed for this type of book. 💖👑
For example, “Forgive me for not crying for joy about tonight. I can hardly dance with a partner of my choosing, seeing as I’m to be married soon. Mama is to introduce us to Lord Sándor shortly, and I suspect he will be displeased if he’s met with spoiled goods.�(FYI, she was being sarcastic with the whole spoiled goods thing; the book isn't sexist) That kind of eloquent language really captures the ✨charm✨and ✨atmosphere� of the genre. But then we have sentences like “I’m surprised you can walk straight with balls as big as yours.� ummm ✨🩷NO🩷�
It’s frustrating because I’ve noticed that many fantasy books have started to include more crass language lately. I’m not sure why, but it really ruins the ✨immersive experience� for me. 🙁 I prefer a tone that maintains the whimsical world the story creates. Thank you for coming to my TED talk. 💅🏼
And why was she so angry all the time? 😤 Swearing and “cutting into my eggs viciously”—okay, I get that you’ve just found out you’re betrothed to a hot guy who teases you but has actually been nothing but nice to you. 🙄 Your family and cult would be way better off if you married him, and you’ve just discovered you’re a descendant of the most powerful witch with incredible powers. But NO! her life is SO SAD, and she just hates EVERYONE🫨� But that’s just not a reason to be super angry, right? 🤷♀� Or maybe that’s just me. 🤔
For example, “Forgive me for not crying for joy about tonight. I can hardly dance with a partner of my choosing, seeing as I’m to be married soon. Mama is to introduce us to Lord Sándor shortly, and I suspect he will be displeased if he’s met with spoiled goods.�(FYI, she was being sarcastic with the whole spoiled goods thing; the book isn't sexist) That kind of eloquent language really captures the ✨charm✨and ✨atmosphere� of the genre. But then we have sentences like “I’m surprised you can walk straight with balls as big as yours.� ummm ✨🩷NO🩷�
It’s frustrating because I’ve noticed that many fantasy books have started to include more crass language lately. I’m not sure why, but it really ruins the ✨immersive experience� for me. 🙁 I prefer a tone that maintains the whimsical world the story creates. Thank you for coming to my TED talk. 💅🏼
And why was she so angry all the time? 😤 Swearing and “cutting into my eggs viciously”—okay, I get that you’ve just found out you’re betrothed to a hot guy who teases you but has actually been nothing but nice to you. 🙄 Your family and cult would be way better off if you married him, and you’ve just discovered you’re a descendant of the most powerful witch with incredible powers. But NO! her life is SO SAD, and she just hates EVERYONE🫨� But that’s just not a reason to be super angry, right? 🤷♀� Or maybe that’s just me. 🤔
April 15, 2022
| The Cursed and The Broken ARC Review |
“They’re beautiful, you know,� he said softly. “Whatever happened, it made you stronger. You should wear your scars like armour. Embrace them.� Don’t hide.
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Storyline: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Spice: 🌶🌶
On repeat while reading: You’re Somebody Else - Flora Cash
The Cursed and The Broken is easily one of my favorite reads of 2022! Chloe Hodge’s writing had me hooked from page one and unable to focus until I finished it. Somehow Chloe wove together a sense of familiarity and warmth by using several of bookstagram’s favorite tropes (and executing them flawlessly), while still creating a completely unique reading experience with the fascinating use of Hungarian folklore and dark magic. The vibes are immaculate and are serving Throne of Glass meets From Blood and Ash.�
▪️¾ٳ
▪️Dark Magic
▪️Badass FMC
▪️Enemies to Lovers
▪️Arranged Marriage
▪️Only One Bed
▪️Who did this to you?
▪️I see you and I’m staying.
▪️Snarky/violent/protective MMC
If all of the above don’t have you convinced, I am absolutely obsessed with the FMC, Kitarni. She’s incredibly endearing, if, a little lost, but we follow along on her journey of self discovery, healing, and learning to embrace the things that make her different rather than run from them.
Her family dynamic with her mother and sister is heartwarming, and her chemistry with Danté is off the charts. (THE BANTER!)
I adore all of the supporting characters and am still in awe of how Chloe has made the character of Death so charming. (Suriel 2.0 anyone?)☠️
It’s rare for me to be completely blindsided by a twist, usually I at least have an inkling of where the plot is going, but the major plot twist in this book had me completely stunned. I am so intrigued as to how the story continues and will be eagerly awaiting book two! 🖤
“They’re beautiful, you know,� he said softly. “Whatever happened, it made you stronger. You should wear your scars like armour. Embrace them.� Don’t hide.
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Storyline: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Spice: 🌶🌶
On repeat while reading: You’re Somebody Else - Flora Cash
The Cursed and The Broken is easily one of my favorite reads of 2022! Chloe Hodge’s writing had me hooked from page one and unable to focus until I finished it. Somehow Chloe wove together a sense of familiarity and warmth by using several of bookstagram’s favorite tropes (and executing them flawlessly), while still creating a completely unique reading experience with the fascinating use of Hungarian folklore and dark magic. The vibes are immaculate and are serving Throne of Glass meets From Blood and Ash.�
▪️¾ٳ
▪️Dark Magic
▪️Badass FMC
▪️Enemies to Lovers
▪️Arranged Marriage
▪️Only One Bed
▪️Who did this to you?
▪️I see you and I’m staying.
▪️Snarky/violent/protective MMC
If all of the above don’t have you convinced, I am absolutely obsessed with the FMC, Kitarni. She’s incredibly endearing, if, a little lost, but we follow along on her journey of self discovery, healing, and learning to embrace the things that make her different rather than run from them.
Her family dynamic with her mother and sister is heartwarming, and her chemistry with Danté is off the charts. (THE BANTER!)
I adore all of the supporting characters and am still in awe of how Chloe has made the character of Death so charming. (Suriel 2.0 anyone?)☠️
It’s rare for me to be completely blindsided by a twist, usually I at least have an inkling of where the plot is going, but the major plot twist in this book had me completely stunned. I am so intrigued as to how the story continues and will be eagerly awaiting book two! 🖤
June 3, 2022
The opening to this book is so captivating, I was completely hooked with the original concept and I adored how the author personifies death and Fate.
FL is a social Pariah due to her dangerously different magic. However, I really enjoyed her character arc, as despite her past she is brave (but she’s not always entirely fearless - which is more realistic to other fantasy stories I have read and makes for more angst filled scenes).
Toward the end I could not put the book down - the drama was getting too juicy and I needed to know what happened next. I’ll be the first to pick up book 2 when it is out �
We’ve got :
- Strong Female Lead
- Cheeky Male Lead
- Fantasy Romance
- Supernaturals ( predominately Witches )
- 4/5 🌶
- Arranged Marriage
- One bed trope
- Inspired by Hungarian Folklore
- Plot twist
(Available on Kindle Unlimited)
This was an unbiased review for BookSirens ✨❤�
FL is a social Pariah due to her dangerously different magic. However, I really enjoyed her character arc, as despite her past she is brave (but she’s not always entirely fearless - which is more realistic to other fantasy stories I have read and makes for more angst filled scenes).
Toward the end I could not put the book down - the drama was getting too juicy and I needed to know what happened next. I’ll be the first to pick up book 2 when it is out �
We’ve got :
- Strong Female Lead
- Cheeky Male Lead
- Fantasy Romance
- Supernaturals ( predominately Witches )
- 4/5 🌶
- Arranged Marriage
- One bed trope
- Inspired by Hungarian Folklore
- Plot twist
(Available on Kindle Unlimited)
This was an unbiased review for BookSirens ✨❤�
November 20, 2022
Rating 3.5� rounded up
🤍A beautiful cover
🤍Dark fantasy
🤍¾ٳ
🤍Enemies to lovers
🤍Arranged marriage
Sign me up!
Fans of The Cruel Prince may like this book. The Cursed and the Broken is a very well written and very atmospheric read. If you are a reader who doesn't care for a lot of descriptions, this may not be for you. Also, it is very slow burn. Although the two main characters instantly have a lustful attraction for each other, the relationship does not really take off until about 70% into the book.
I enjoyed the female main character. Kitarni is a dagger weilding, strong, sassy young lady. But she also has a sweet, soft side. She was a very well rounded character.
Some of the battle scenes got very intense, and I loved that! My only complaint is that the biggest battle scene was cut short just as the heroine was about to unleash her power. It just skipped ahead to the aftermath of the battle.
Overall, it was a good book. It does end on a cliffhanger, so I am interested to see what happens in the next book in the series.
Thank you Book Sirens and Chloe Hodge for a free digital copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
🤍A beautiful cover
🤍Dark fantasy
🤍¾ٳ
🤍Enemies to lovers
🤍Arranged marriage
Sign me up!
Fans of The Cruel Prince may like this book. The Cursed and the Broken is a very well written and very atmospheric read. If you are a reader who doesn't care for a lot of descriptions, this may not be for you. Also, it is very slow burn. Although the two main characters instantly have a lustful attraction for each other, the relationship does not really take off until about 70% into the book.
I enjoyed the female main character. Kitarni is a dagger weilding, strong, sassy young lady. But she also has a sweet, soft side. She was a very well rounded character.
Some of the battle scenes got very intense, and I loved that! My only complaint is that the biggest battle scene was cut short just as the heroine was about to unleash her power. It just skipped ahead to the aftermath of the battle.
Overall, it was a good book. It does end on a cliffhanger, so I am interested to see what happens in the next book in the series.
Thank you Book Sirens and Chloe Hodge for a free digital copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 6, 2024
Not me buying both books in the duology convinced I‘d love them since a) it was advertised as enemies to lovers, b) the synopsis sounded amazing, and c) the reviews are largely okay but ending up really not enjoying it as much as I had hoped. The plot in and of itself would have been interesting since the set-up - the inspiration drawn from Hungarian folklore, Death & Fate as characters, witches and dark magic - was there, however, there were just too many factors that ruined the reading experience for me: the male protagonist seemed quite flat and I couldn’t stand the female main character (it felt like she was designed to be uber-cool, snarky not girly-girl girl which to me just came off as quite obnoxious and made me cringe more than once unfortunately); the enemies to lovers was also more of a strangers-to-annoyed-stilted-bantering-to-lovers kind of situation with what I interpreted as inexplicable insta-love; and the writing wasn’t my cup of tea either since it, personally, felt like it just wanted to do too much. So, no, I won’t be reading the sequel. Even though I already bought it. And it’s sitting on my book shelf. Kind of sad I wasn’t as blown away by this as I’d hoped.
April 15, 2022
I received an e-arc of this book from Chloe in exchange for an honest review.
So I loved this book.
I picked this up in the middle of a reading slump and was immediately enthralled. The first chapter sucks you right in.
Kitarni the MC is incredible 👏
I'm not super great at putting my thoughts into words which is why I don't normally write long reviews so I will just sum up why I liked this book and why I think you will to!
🗡 New adult steamy enemies to lovers romance.
🔮 Witches and dark magic.
👑 ONLY. ONE. BED. Done to perfection.
👻 A super eerie forest setting.
🌻 Beautifully researched and based on Hungarian folklore.
🌶 Arranged marriage.
😈 Dante is the next book boyfriend we all need to swoon over. Nikolai, Rhysand and Wrath have met their match.
Absolutely perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove, Kingdom Of The Wicked and From Blood And Ash �
So I loved this book.
I picked this up in the middle of a reading slump and was immediately enthralled. The first chapter sucks you right in.
Kitarni the MC is incredible 👏
I'm not super great at putting my thoughts into words which is why I don't normally write long reviews so I will just sum up why I liked this book and why I think you will to!
🗡 New adult steamy enemies to lovers romance.
🔮 Witches and dark magic.
👑 ONLY. ONE. BED. Done to perfection.
👻 A super eerie forest setting.
🌻 Beautifully researched and based on Hungarian folklore.
🌶 Arranged marriage.
😈 Dante is the next book boyfriend we all need to swoon over. Nikolai, Rhysand and Wrath have met their match.
Absolutely perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove, Kingdom Of The Wicked and From Blood And Ash �
February 23, 2023
"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫, 𝐊𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟, 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤."
The Cursed and the Broken is the first book in The Cursed Blood series and is an enemies-to-lovers dark fantasy with a mix of spice and witches. Hungarian folklore is weaved between the pages, with forests and adventures and a handsome stranger who soon becomes a familiar face. With an arranged marriage awaiting Kitarni, worrying about her magic that is different to those in the village and discovering shocking information about her past, she is left in a daze of confusion.
A threat is creeping ever closer to the witches and Kitarni knows that all help is needed to fight against this dark magic. Betrothed to the Wolfblood clan's heir, Kitarni needs to adjust to the changes in this new clan. Kitarni and Dante quickly became my favourite characters. I was invested in the arranged marriage and the dark mysterious magic. The plot twists were unexpected and I felt Kitarni's pain of betrayal. It's best to go into this book blindly, to experience the world-building and characters and their adventures. The story has a steady pace and there's no major info dump, I quickly got into the story and couldn't put it down.
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫. 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦."
'Who did this to you' and 'there's only one bed' are some of the tropes you can expect, I felt Hodge executed them perfectly. I enjoyed this book so much and definitely recommend it. The second book was released recently so you can binge-read this duology. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Kerri Maniscalo.
Thank you MTMC Tours and the author for a gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Cursed and the Broken is the first book in The Cursed Blood series and is an enemies-to-lovers dark fantasy with a mix of spice and witches. Hungarian folklore is weaved between the pages, with forests and adventures and a handsome stranger who soon becomes a familiar face. With an arranged marriage awaiting Kitarni, worrying about her magic that is different to those in the village and discovering shocking information about her past, she is left in a daze of confusion.
A threat is creeping ever closer to the witches and Kitarni knows that all help is needed to fight against this dark magic. Betrothed to the Wolfblood clan's heir, Kitarni needs to adjust to the changes in this new clan. Kitarni and Dante quickly became my favourite characters. I was invested in the arranged marriage and the dark mysterious magic. The plot twists were unexpected and I felt Kitarni's pain of betrayal. It's best to go into this book blindly, to experience the world-building and characters and their adventures. The story has a steady pace and there's no major info dump, I quickly got into the story and couldn't put it down.
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐫. 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦."
'Who did this to you' and 'there's only one bed' are some of the tropes you can expect, I felt Hodge executed them perfectly. I enjoyed this book so much and definitely recommend it. The second book was released recently so you can binge-read this duology. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Kerri Maniscalo.
Thank you MTMC Tours and the author for a gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2023
Cursed and the Broken is my first read from Chloe Hodge and going into it, I felt it absolutely had an promising setup. Arranged marriage, witches, enemies to lovers are all things that I enjoy a lot! On top of that, I was immediately intrigued by the witchy and magic vibes, and also liked Kitarni as a FMC. Dante, for all intents and purposes, did a great job as a kind of standard MMC in the sense that Kitarni's initial antagonistic attitude toward him was kind of fun, and the couple's dynamic was clearly built up on snarkiness and witty barbs toward one another.
As the book and plot went on, I felt that things didn't shine on me as much as I was hoping to. I didn't feel like the dynamic transitioned well even as their friendship and comraderie built up. I feel bad to say this, but I honestly felt more romantic chemistry between DEATH and Kitarni -- even though that clearly wasn't going to be a possibility here (and yes, I actually am sad about it. 😭) Death just seemed to have an easier aura around him whenever he showed up, and he was honestly my favorite thing about this book. His dialogue with Kitarni was just more intriguing to me than most of Dante/Kitarni... 😅
The third act was also where I had problems because major 3rd act spoilers:
I did love the side characters though (like Kitarni's mom is a freakin' badass, same with Erika) and the worldbuilding was pretty decent! The plot was somewhat predictable, but not in a bad way, and I think the mystery unfolding was a natural progression. Chloe's writing style also made it really easy to devour this book, which was nice too. I might give the second book a chance to see more of Death, but that plot thread is what I was mostly invested in by the end of it. 🤭I'll absolutely give Chloe's other books a shot too though!
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via BookSirens, but I am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity!
As the book and plot went on, I felt that things didn't shine on me as much as I was hoping to. I didn't feel like the dynamic transitioned well even as their friendship and comraderie built up. I feel bad to say this, but I honestly felt more romantic chemistry between DEATH and Kitarni -- even though that clearly wasn't going to be a possibility here (and yes, I actually am sad about it. 😭) Death just seemed to have an easier aura around him whenever he showed up, and he was honestly my favorite thing about this book. His dialogue with Kitarni was just more intriguing to me than most of Dante/Kitarni... 😅
The third act was also where I had problems because major 3rd act spoilers:
I did love the side characters though (like Kitarni's mom is a freakin' badass, same with Erika) and the worldbuilding was pretty decent! The plot was somewhat predictable, but not in a bad way, and I think the mystery unfolding was a natural progression. Chloe's writing style also made it really easy to devour this book, which was nice too. I might give the second book a chance to see more of Death, but that plot thread is what I was mostly invested in by the end of it. 🤭I'll absolutely give Chloe's other books a shot too though!
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via BookSirens, but I am voluntarily leaving my honest review. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity!
April 22, 2022
This fantasy has an intriguing plot with lots of action. The world building is so well done and interesting. There is elements to do with Hungarian Folklore and while j don’t know much about it, it was super Intriguing and I liked the be set up. The forest setting gave the story an creepy vibe which I liked, the pace of the book is fast and there’s always something happening. There was so many plot twists and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Kitarni is such a badass warrior, I enjoyed her from the beginning. She's strong but also has a softer side to her which balances her character so well. Dante is such a complex character he's cocky, proud, and definitely a alpha male. He has some cliche moments, but they added to the story.
Dante and Kitarni's chemistry is there from the start and I wanted them together immediately. They have amazing banter. I can’t wait to see more of them. You get the enemies to lovers, one bed trope and an arranged marriage. What more could you ask for?!
Kitarni is such a badass warrior, I enjoyed her from the beginning. She's strong but also has a softer side to her which balances her character so well. Dante is such a complex character he's cocky, proud, and definitely a alpha male. He has some cliche moments, but they added to the story.
Dante and Kitarni's chemistry is there from the start and I wanted them together immediately. They have amazing banter. I can’t wait to see more of them. You get the enemies to lovers, one bed trope and an arranged marriage. What more could you ask for?!
April 21, 2022
Dark fantasy romance 📘Book review📘
「The Cursed and the Broken」by Chloe Hodge. Short review; 2.5�
Long review; I have read quite a couple of dark romance books now but haven't yet read (a proper) a fantasy dark romance. I fell in l❤ve with the cover and knew I had to read it. Many thanks to the author Chloe Hodge for gifting me with this ARC in return for an honest review.
So.. I am DNFing it now at 80% in and I feel so bad for not liking it. Especially since it was gifted to me. Why did I not like it?
1. Introduction 🤝
I always have a hard time starting a new book, it takes me a while to get into it. But this beginning just didn't do it for me anyway. It didn't help create a connection to the FMC.
2. Pacing 🚶♀�
So slow. I'm so near the end and in term of events not much has happened. Kitarni, the FMC, met a guy(her betrothed), fought in the forest a couple of times with the bad guys, there was a dance fest evening and now Kitarny and her betrothed moved to his city. Fought the bad guys once more... Can you tell I'm not that excited?...
Also, there's a crazy amount of repetition in this book. An over-emphasis on the poor Kitarni who was shunned from her community because of her powers.
☆Oh poor Kitarni. Oh no wait Kitarni is a badass, she feels her confidence grow. But oh no wait I am so sad because I got bullied a lot as a kid. No I am strong. No I am an outcast, poor me.
☆My weak and innocent sister, oh my sister, oh my sister needs to remain innocent, oh my sunshine sister must never be tainted with the cruelty of this world. So you have the right to empowerment but she hasn't??
3. The book imo should not be sold under the banner of dark romance. It feels way more like a mix of ya and na fantasy romance. I know the bad guys looked horrendous and the killing was quite visual and full of gore, but an important part of dark romance is the discourse. Dirty talk, tough talk... alpha energy.. Dante (the MMC) is just a cheeky boy.
4. Honestly what got me through the book so far was the interaction between Kitarny and Dante. I loved that. I love Dante as a character (I don't mind cheeky boys. I love them!! Just don't sell me an alpha when he isn't one) Kitarny as a character just feels to me like the author didn't know what she wanted her character to be and wrote 2 people in 1. It's sold as 'l am different with Dante because he let's me be the real me' but imo the shift in personality doesn't feel natural. BUT after all the bad things I've said, the fact that the dialogue and relationship between Dante and Kitarny got me as far as 80% should be a really good sign to you all
「The Cursed and the Broken」by Chloe Hodge. Short review; 2.5�
Long review; I have read quite a couple of dark romance books now but haven't yet read (a proper) a fantasy dark romance. I fell in l❤ve with the cover and knew I had to read it. Many thanks to the author Chloe Hodge for gifting me with this ARC in return for an honest review.
So.. I am DNFing it now at 80% in and I feel so bad for not liking it. Especially since it was gifted to me. Why did I not like it?
1. Introduction 🤝
I always have a hard time starting a new book, it takes me a while to get into it. But this beginning just didn't do it for me anyway. It didn't help create a connection to the FMC.
2. Pacing 🚶♀�
So slow. I'm so near the end and in term of events not much has happened. Kitarni, the FMC, met a guy(her betrothed), fought in the forest a couple of times with the bad guys, there was a dance fest evening and now Kitarny and her betrothed moved to his city. Fought the bad guys once more... Can you tell I'm not that excited?...
Also, there's a crazy amount of repetition in this book. An over-emphasis on the poor Kitarni who was shunned from her community because of her powers.
☆Oh poor Kitarni. Oh no wait Kitarni is a badass, she feels her confidence grow. But oh no wait I am so sad because I got bullied a lot as a kid. No I am strong. No I am an outcast, poor me.
☆My weak and innocent sister, oh my sister, oh my sister needs to remain innocent, oh my sunshine sister must never be tainted with the cruelty of this world. So you have the right to empowerment but she hasn't??
3. The book imo should not be sold under the banner of dark romance. It feels way more like a mix of ya and na fantasy romance. I know the bad guys looked horrendous and the killing was quite visual and full of gore, but an important part of dark romance is the discourse. Dirty talk, tough talk... alpha energy.. Dante (the MMC) is just a cheeky boy.
4. Honestly what got me through the book so far was the interaction between Kitarny and Dante. I loved that. I love Dante as a character (I don't mind cheeky boys. I love them!! Just don't sell me an alpha when he isn't one) Kitarny as a character just feels to me like the author didn't know what she wanted her character to be and wrote 2 people in 1. It's sold as 'l am different with Dante because he let's me be the real me' but imo the shift in personality doesn't feel natural. BUT after all the bad things I've said, the fact that the dialogue and relationship between Dante and Kitarny got me as far as 80% should be a really good sign to you all
March 2, 2022
Thank you so much to Chloe for sending me an e-arc of The Cursed and The Broken in exchange for an honest review. I am so privileged and honoured that I got to beta read for Chloe on another incredibly well written story.
The characters instantly drew me in, right off the cuff I was intrigued by Kitarni who was totally fierce and I couldn't wait to explore her dynamic with Dante who was absolutely charming.
The side characters were also brilliant. My favourite side character was the character of 'Death� which was a touch of darkness that perhaps was unexpected but I completely loved reading about him.
The story kept me captivated and had me eagerly turning the pages (or scrolling ha!) to find out what would happen next. I absolutely flew through this book (I read it in 24 hours and if you know me, that never happens!) I was completely enchanted, hook, line and sinker, completely invested in every element of this story! The pacing also flowed really nicely, and with the added twist, it worked well into the story.
If you enjoy witches, enemies to lovers and dark fantasy then this book is for you!
The characters instantly drew me in, right off the cuff I was intrigued by Kitarni who was totally fierce and I couldn't wait to explore her dynamic with Dante who was absolutely charming.
The side characters were also brilliant. My favourite side character was the character of 'Death� which was a touch of darkness that perhaps was unexpected but I completely loved reading about him.
The story kept me captivated and had me eagerly turning the pages (or scrolling ha!) to find out what would happen next. I absolutely flew through this book (I read it in 24 hours and if you know me, that never happens!) I was completely enchanted, hook, line and sinker, completely invested in every element of this story! The pacing also flowed really nicely, and with the added twist, it worked well into the story.
If you enjoy witches, enemies to lovers and dark fantasy then this book is for you!
May 1, 2022
4.5⭐️
This book has officially cured my book slump! I'm a little sad this isn't a standalone, i went into it thinking it was 🥲
Official review: LOVED IT!! everything about it was soooo good! Our main characters were great, Kitarni was just so badass yet so sad, i just wanted to give her a hug 😭♥️ As for Dante..... A new book bf has been added to my list 😉
I loved the world building and the Hungarian mythology woven into it, it was detailed but not confusing, mixing reality and fantasy into a story that had me captured from chapter 1. As for the plot, while it wasn't anything new per say, the world building and the characters made up for it (hence the -0.5). I did enjoy the plot twists and that ending 😱 it ends on a cliffy, sort of...
Bonus points: This book had all my favorite tropes!!😍😍
- Arranged marriage
- Enemies to lovers
- Reluctant Allies
- THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED
- "Who did this to you"
- Badass MC and sarcastic & flirty love interest
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I can't wait for the next one, I need more Dante in my life please!!
This book has officially cured my book slump! I'm a little sad this isn't a standalone, i went into it thinking it was 🥲
Official review: LOVED IT!! everything about it was soooo good! Our main characters were great, Kitarni was just so badass yet so sad, i just wanted to give her a hug 😭♥️ As for Dante..... A new book bf has been added to my list 😉
I loved the world building and the Hungarian mythology woven into it, it was detailed but not confusing, mixing reality and fantasy into a story that had me captured from chapter 1. As for the plot, while it wasn't anything new per say, the world building and the characters made up for it (hence the -0.5). I did enjoy the plot twists and that ending 😱 it ends on a cliffy, sort of...
Bonus points: This book had all my favorite tropes!!😍😍
- Arranged marriage
- Enemies to lovers
- Reluctant Allies
- THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED
- "Who did this to you"
- Badass MC and sarcastic & flirty love interest
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I can't wait for the next one, I need more Dante in my life please!!
April 25, 2022
2.75⭐️
I’m struggling with how I feel about this book because while I loved the world building and the dark atmosphere of the book, the romance and some parts of the story just fell a little flat for me and I found myself bored.
I’m struggling with how I feel about this book because while I loved the world building and the dark atmosphere of the book, the romance and some parts of the story just fell a little flat for me and I found myself bored.
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August 26, 2022I rated this book 4.5 🌟
I saw this book on Bookstagram as the author is a bookstagrammer like us and I was part of the same engagement group as her (love this!!). I happened to see that this book had a lot of my favourite tropes, such as enemies to lovers, one bed, arranged marriage and who did this to you, and I couldn’t resist reading it. Not to mention that it’s filled with witches and magic. So off to Kindle Unlimited I went to give this book a read.
From the first page, I was hooked. And I mean that - the prologue was captivating. This was such an addictive read and I never expect to get into a book as quickly as I did with this one. I feel like Hodge caught my attention so quickly with her descriptions of the book’s settings - the dark forest and the little village.
I really loved our main character, Kitarni. She’s always been on the outs in her little village but she’s strong and brave, will speak out for those who can’t and she’s super powerful. What gave her character depth was her relationship with her family. You could see how close they were and how she’d do anything for them. Her sister Eszter is a real sweet heart and their sisterly bond is a strong one. You start rooting for Kitarni right from the start.
Another relationship that I really enjoyed was the one between Kitarni and Dante. Kitarni finds him frustrating at first but you see their connection from the beginning with all their banter. She feels comfortable around him almost from the start. That could have been because when she first met him, her guard was down.
A standout character for me was Death, who I found really interesting. I’m really curious to see what his true motive for helping Kitarni and I’m excited to see what role he plays in the next book. I’m also curious to see more about Fate and what her real intentions are.
The ending of this book left me desperately wanting to know more about what will happen in book 2. I’m also really hoping that it goes in the direction that I’m hoping for, but if not, then I have no doubt that I’ll love it all the same!
I saw this book on Bookstagram as the author is a bookstagrammer like us and I was part of the same engagement group as her (love this!!). I happened to see that this book had a lot of my favourite tropes, such as enemies to lovers, one bed, arranged marriage and who did this to you, and I couldn’t resist reading it. Not to mention that it’s filled with witches and magic. So off to Kindle Unlimited I went to give this book a read.
From the first page, I was hooked. And I mean that - the prologue was captivating. This was such an addictive read and I never expect to get into a book as quickly as I did with this one. I feel like Hodge caught my attention so quickly with her descriptions of the book’s settings - the dark forest and the little village.
I really loved our main character, Kitarni. She’s always been on the outs in her little village but she’s strong and brave, will speak out for those who can’t and she’s super powerful. What gave her character depth was her relationship with her family. You could see how close they were and how she’d do anything for them. Her sister Eszter is a real sweet heart and their sisterly bond is a strong one. You start rooting for Kitarni right from the start.
Another relationship that I really enjoyed was the one between Kitarni and Dante. Kitarni finds him frustrating at first but you see their connection from the beginning with all their banter. She feels comfortable around him almost from the start. That could have been because when she first met him, her guard was down.
A standout character for me was Death, who I found really interesting. I’m really curious to see what his true motive for helping Kitarni and I’m excited to see what role he plays in the next book. I’m also curious to see more about Fate and what her real intentions are.
The ending of this book left me desperately wanting to know more about what will happen in book 2. I’m also really hoping that it goes in the direction that I’m hoping for, but if not, then I have no doubt that I’ll love it all the same!
February 21, 2023
This really needed an editor. And not just a copy editor. There aren’t a lot of proofing errors or anything like that. It just gets messy in some places.
The storyline is typical of an enemies to lovers arc. That area is fine. I could have done with way less descriptions of Kitarni’s thoughts on every male character’s ass and the fit of their pants. But I had no issue with that development.
It was predictable but clever to utilize the Baba Yaga myth in the way that it was done.
My number one issue is that this book has no roots. Nothing grounds the setting. I could occasionally imagine a place that was being talked about but never the whole experience. I couldn’t orient where things were in relation to each other or how it would feel to be in this place. I know it’s in Hungary. I know there is a dark forest and several villages surrounding it. But none of these facts felt related to each other. And nothing about the time frame seemed consistent.
Another area where an editor would have helped was in the pacing. Some parts were interminably slow and boring while others that were far more important I had to reread because they were too quickly and carelessly explained. An editor could have really helped to point out areas where writing makes sense to the author, but may not be translating to the reader.
Ultimately, this could be a five star book, it just needs polish.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for the complimentary copy.
The storyline is typical of an enemies to lovers arc. That area is fine. I could have done with way less descriptions of Kitarni’s thoughts on every male character’s ass and the fit of their pants. But I had no issue with that development.
It was predictable but clever to utilize the Baba Yaga myth in the way that it was done.
My number one issue is that this book has no roots. Nothing grounds the setting. I could occasionally imagine a place that was being talked about but never the whole experience. I couldn’t orient where things were in relation to each other or how it would feel to be in this place. I know it’s in Hungary. I know there is a dark forest and several villages surrounding it. But none of these facts felt related to each other. And nothing about the time frame seemed consistent.
Another area where an editor would have helped was in the pacing. Some parts were interminably slow and boring while others that were far more important I had to reread because they were too quickly and carelessly explained. An editor could have really helped to point out areas where writing makes sense to the author, but may not be translating to the reader.
Ultimately, this could be a five star book, it just needs polish.
Thank you to BookSirens and the author for the complimentary copy.
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