Helpful Score: 1
Summary:
Ellie Lancaster lives in Manteo, North Carolina, the place of the infamous lost colony of Roanoke. Her father has stated that a part of her heritage is keeping the secret of the curse that was put on the land to keep the angry Native American gods locked away for the past 400 years. He has warned her that there are only two curse keepers and if those keepers ever met, then the curse would be broken and those Native Americans would be free to reign vengeance on the world. Ellie pays no mind to her father. She thinks this is just a tale that has been passed through the ages that doesn't actually mean anything, just like a superstition or folk tale. However, when she meets the new guy in town Collin, things start to change. She feels an unexplainable draw to him and the curse has broken. Now the two of them must work together to fix everything before all hell breaks loose.
My thoughts:
I liked that the instant attraction between Collin and Ellie is explained because of the curse and magic that ties them together rather than just that they are hot. It allows me to feel like the romance is secondary to their true purpose in life as curse keepers. The sexual scenes and tension between the two main characters is enough to keep me interested without me feeling like I'm reading erotica. The real focus of the novel is the rush to figure out how to save the world. Swank does an excellent job of building suspense with a touch of mystery instead of giving in to the easy romance that burns through the characters (sometimes literally). For those that enjoy a bit of paranormal romance, but want so much more in a story, The Swank's newest series is definitely a good read.
Ellie Lancaster lives in Manteo, North Carolina, the place of the infamous lost colony of Roanoke. Her father has stated that a part of her heritage is keeping the secret of the curse that was put on the land to keep the angry Native American gods locked away for the past 400 years. He has warned her that there are only two curse keepers and if those keepers ever met, then the curse would be broken and those Native Americans would be free to reign vengeance on the world. Ellie pays no mind to her father. She thinks this is just a tale that has been passed through the ages that doesn't actually mean anything, just like a superstition or folk tale. However, when she meets the new guy in town Collin, things start to change. She feels an unexplainable draw to him and the curse has broken. Now the two of them must work together to fix everything before all hell breaks loose.
My thoughts:
I liked that the instant attraction between Collin and Ellie is explained because of the curse and magic that ties them together rather than just that they are hot. It allows me to feel like the romance is secondary to their true purpose in life as curse keepers. The sexual scenes and tension between the two main characters is enough to keep me interested without me feeling like I'm reading erotica. The real focus of the novel is the rush to figure out how to save the world. Swank does an excellent job of building suspense with a touch of mystery instead of giving in to the easy romance that burns through the characters (sometimes literally). For those that enjoy a bit of paranormal romance, but want so much more in a story, The Swank's newest series is definitely a good read.
Nancy D. (miz-firefly) -
I was so down for this book. It had so much potential. A 500 year old mystery. Native American Folklore. A curse. A prophecy. It sounded like heaven. What more could I as for?
Apparently I should have asked for:
Characters that don't piss me off
A heroine (and I'm using the term sarcastically here cause this chick needs to brew for a while yet) who spends less than half the story with her head up her own ass
A hero (again with sarcasm) who is worthy of the title
And Some-Thing Any-Thing to elevate the story out of "just grow the hell up please".
How anyone could create such an interesting premise and waste the story on two dingbats like Ellie and Collin is an absolute mystery to me.
Ellie grew up knowing about the Curse of Roanoak Island. What most people don't know is that the curse is a barrier that protects the rest of the world from unimaginable evil. Her family is one of the Curse Keepers. One day the responsibility will fall on her. According to prophecy if two Curse Keeper's touch, the barrier will fall and they have seven days to prevent that evil from escaping. Does she believe it? No, unhuh, no dice. Head firmly in the sand.
One day the other Curse Keeper walks into her life. He touches her (without permission - how rude) and the air is literally sucked out of her lungs. (Can't breath, going faint, "who sucked all the air out of the room?") So does she wonder if maybe there was something weird was going on with the new smoking hot guy in town that she can't stand, cuz - manners? Nope.
And Collin?
I hope I've sufficiently established Collin's hotness. He is smokin'hot. A smokin'hot, womanizing hewhore, who is supremely disinterested in Ellie. Except when they have sex.
Swank had a wide open field with this one. With a tiny bit of effort she could have built a stunning setting. Picturesque Roanoake Island with it's charming Old World feel. The lush forest setting. None of those things made it onto the pages of this book.
And the curse, you know, the part of the story I found most compelling? It could have been intriguing, might have been perplexing, hell it could have been interesting. Was it? Nope. Mostly it was weird.
I can't remember the last time I did so much eye rolling. What should have been a seat of your pants thrill ride; how do they counter the curse, save the world, can they do both of those things without killing each-other? turned out to be an angst ridden High School romp. All that was missing was the mean-girl head cheerleader, and an illicit make out session beneath the bleachers.
If you want to spend a whole book discovering if two people can find a way to work things out, if you love the basic YA trope and live for the I love you/no I don't/maybe I do, type of book, this is the story for you.
I wish Swank had categorized this one YA. So cranky old broads like me would know to stay far, far away.
Apparently I should have asked for:
Characters that don't piss me off
A heroine (and I'm using the term sarcastically here cause this chick needs to brew for a while yet) who spends less than half the story with her head up her own ass
A hero (again with sarcasm) who is worthy of the title
And Some-Thing Any-Thing to elevate the story out of "just grow the hell up please".
How anyone could create such an interesting premise and waste the story on two dingbats like Ellie and Collin is an absolute mystery to me.
Ellie grew up knowing about the Curse of Roanoak Island. What most people don't know is that the curse is a barrier that protects the rest of the world from unimaginable evil. Her family is one of the Curse Keepers. One day the responsibility will fall on her. According to prophecy if two Curse Keeper's touch, the barrier will fall and they have seven days to prevent that evil from escaping. Does she believe it? No, unhuh, no dice. Head firmly in the sand.
One day the other Curse Keeper walks into her life. He touches her (without permission - how rude) and the air is literally sucked out of her lungs. (Can't breath, going faint, "who sucked all the air out of the room?") So does she wonder if maybe there was something weird was going on with the new smoking hot guy in town that she can't stand, cuz - manners? Nope.
And Collin?
I hope I've sufficiently established Collin's hotness. He is smokin'hot. A smokin'hot, womanizing hewhore, who is supremely disinterested in Ellie. Except when they have sex.
Swank had a wide open field with this one. With a tiny bit of effort she could have built a stunning setting. Picturesque Roanoake Island with it's charming Old World feel. The lush forest setting. None of those things made it onto the pages of this book.
And the curse, you know, the part of the story I found most compelling? It could have been intriguing, might have been perplexing, hell it could have been interesting. Was it? Nope. Mostly it was weird.
I can't remember the last time I did so much eye rolling. What should have been a seat of your pants thrill ride; how do they counter the curse, save the world, can they do both of those things without killing each-other? turned out to be an angst ridden High School romp. All that was missing was the mean-girl head cheerleader, and an illicit make out session beneath the bleachers.
If you want to spend a whole book discovering if two people can find a way to work things out, if you love the basic YA trope and live for the I love you/no I don't/maybe I do, type of book, this is the story for you.
I wish Swank had categorized this one YA. So cranky old broads like me would know to stay far, far away.
