The Curse Keepers
(Curse Keepers #1)
by
Denise Grover Swank
Pub November 19th 2013
by 47 North
ARC for Review
Summary
The wall between our world and that of vengeful spirits has protected humanity for more than 400 years. It’s about to come crashing down.
Ellie Lancaster has lived her whole life by the site of the mysterious Lost Colony of Roanoke, the Virginia settlement that vanished without a trace around 1590. Only the descendants of the two men who banished the spirits of an enemy tribe from the material realm know what really happened to the colony. Ellie is one of those descendants—a Curse Keeper. Her father took pains to teach her what he knew of the curse and the responsibilities of its guardians. He taught her that if the two Curse Keepers ever meet, the curse will be lifted, the gate will open, and the raging Native American spirits will be unleashed to seek their revenge.
Despite her father’s seriousness, Ellie has always taken the legend for a harmless fairy tale. Until she meets the darkly handsome, but downright infuriating, Collin Dailey and realizes everything she was told is true. For when they meet, it’s like the air is sucked from the room. Collin’s presence is electrifying… and it’s not just attraction Ellie feels, but the inexorable pull toward her destiny. The prophecy is real, and now Ellie and Collin must battle supernatural forces and their loathing—and passion—for each other to set things right.
The Curse Keepers are all that stand between the world and its destruction.
The Way I See It
The Curse Keepers was a GREAT read! I would categorize this as a new adult paranormal or urban fantasy. The tempo was well paced as it kept me steadily turning the pages to find out more. There is a heavy presence of Native American lore that truly enhances the story, making it that much more appealing. The main characters are complex and very likable in their own way. I especially enjoyed Ellie’s relationship with her family and friends she was awesome in that regard. Her immediate dislike of Collin lead to their relationship being one of mistrust. The way she acted towards the curse was a bit frustrating, because she refused to see what was in front of her. It took me a bit to side with our leading lady. Once she started accepting things I was able to understand why she acted the way she did towards the curse. The magic and momentous moments where magical and monumental! I’m completely invested in this series, I can’t wait to see what happens next!
T-ale, everyone in Ellie’s small community has different theories of how an entire village disappeared hundreds of years ago. Some are tall and some are small and she refuses to believe any at all.
H-istory, Ellie’s best friend knows the truth, even though things were supposed to remain a secret Ellie could not resist.
E-vil, a force no one guessed was coming took Ellie’s mother from her at a young age. Nothing has ever been the same.
C-old, dating men for stability might not be the most exciting thing Ellie can do but relationships never seem to be right for her.
C-old, dating men for stability might not be the most exciting thing Ellie can do but relationships never seem to be right for her.
U-nknowingly, the two keepers touch has started a series of events that Ellie cannot run from. Her life is about to change in a drastic way. Soon she will have to face her biggest fears.
R-epulsed, looking at Collin gives Ellie a physical reaction but her dislike of him is heady and she is not afraid to let everyone know.
S-earch, after admitting her irresponsible mistake Ellie will do what it takes to make sure she can regain the tool she will need for her part of the ceremony.
E-erie, becoming the focus of evil spirits is never a good thing. Ellie’s time is running out she and Collin need to find everything they need soon.
K-indle, Collin never thought he would ever be close to anyone but something about Ellie pulls his heart like a magnet.
K-indle, Collin never thought he would ever be close to anyone but something about Ellie pulls his heart like a magnet.
E-vade, coming close to losing Ellie has woken a deep desire to protecting her for as long as it takes no matter the price.
E-ntwined, Ellie never thought she would experience a pull like this joining herself completely to Collin is both beautiful and terrifying.
P-resent, Collin never thought Ellie would be the one to save him he knows the end is near. Soon she will see the truth and loathe him for it.
E-llie, losing people she cares for has never been easy now the threat is so near but she cannot bear to be the cause of another death. Sacrificing herself seems to be her only option.
R-emorse, Collin has made many mistakes but seeing the pain he’s caused Ellie is by far the one that cuts him to the core.
S-acrifice, the gates need to be closed and there is only one way to do it. This has been a long time coming but Ellie can’t help the fact her heart has been ripped out of her chest. Things happened the way they were supposed to the only one who cannot accept the outcome is Ellie.
So, not a cliffhanger ending but intense enough that you will want to pick up the next book right away. I could tell at 90% the situation would be pretty dire by the end and boy oh boy was I right. My heart went out to Ellie the pain she is forced to experience will crush her. Knowing what must be done she will embark on her next task. I love that she realizes her destiny and is determined to see it through. I’m hoping to delve more into Collin to find out more about him and what he will do to make things right. Like I mentioned before the Native American lore is totally awesome! I can’t wait to see where this series is going and how will Ellie fulfill her destiny. Y’all know how big of a fan of HEA’s I am so I’m hoping these characters can have that some day.
My Rating
4.0 Lost Colony, Insurance Adjuster, Waitressing Job, Bed & Breakfast, Protection Spell, Blank Memories, Tin Cup, Wooden Bowl, Missing Map, Dead Birds, Messengers, Pure Soul, Eternally Bound, Gates, Cursed, Broken Heart, Determined Spirit filled Stars!!! This was a really great read that I highly recommend!!!
About The Author
York Times and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies include witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.
You can find out more about Denise and her other books at: www.denisegroverswank.com.
Sometimes I just want to slap a character until they get it. Glad she finally did.
ReplyDeleteThere is only one book by Denise Grover Swank that I read and I liked it a lot. I'll definitely add this to my to-read list. Great review <3
ReplyDelete