Let me just say: Bridget Adams deserves a nap, a hug, and maybe a therapist. Of Kingdoms and Curses drops you straight into the chaos with a heroine who’s already been through so much, and somehow keeps surviving — even when the world she’s trapped in keeps demanding more.

Bridget’s been stuck in the magical realm of Elyria for seven months with no memory, no freedom, and plenty of enemies. And honestly? She’s not here for the nonsense anymore. The Kingdom of Elyria is beautiful, sure — full of witches, curses, Fae, and shadowy secrets — but it’s also cruel in a way that feels real. Magic here always has a price, and I loved how that theme played out throughout the book.

This is very much a story about survival, identity, and pushing back when the world tries to erase you. Bridget’s resilience, her quiet strength, and her refusal to break under Cora’s control made her an easy character to root for. The magic system is dark, layered, and feels like it belongs in this cold, cursed world.

If you’re looking for a spicy romantasy — this ain’t it. No smut here, and honestly? I didn’t miss it. The emotional tension, the stakes, and the sheer grit of the storytelling were more than enough to keep me glued to the page.

Of Kingdoms and Curses is a slow-burning, witchy fantasy with a tough heroine, dangerous magic, and a world that’s equal parts wonder and nightmare. Perfect if you like your fantasy dark, your witches powerful, and your romance subtle but simmering.

In this impressive debut novel, up-and-coming author Amy Woodruff deftly constructs both real and magical worlds. The story moves from the human realm to the fae realm, where protagonist Bridget Adams struggles to regain the memories she lost when she went through the gate between worlds. The captivating plot will hold your attention right up to the cliff-hanger ending. I eagerly await the next installment in the Blood and Curses series by this talented young author.

I LOVED this book!! Amy Woodruff does such a great job weaving an intriguing story that readers will fall in love with like I did!! I would highly recommend this read to anyone who loves fantasy books!!

Bridget, a human trapped in the magical world of Elyria stripped of her memories, will do anything to get her life and memories back. after being forced to enter a tournament for the hand of the Fae Prince Cade, Bridget devises a plan on how she can escape. but, before she can, she is trapped in the palace grounds. participation is not an option, and as the trials continue, things are clearly not as they seem.

I struggled to get into this story at first since there was a lot of world building that didn't quite feel relevant at the time it was being presented. the story started with Bridget doing all she could to escape from the coven trapping her, and I wish we learned more about them before she is suddenly in the tournament. but once the tournament started, I couldn't put the book down.

there are many plot twist, but I was able to figure them out due to some of the story structure, dialogue, and Bridget and Cade's interactions during the tournament. i did love how the story was structured with **the major plot twist of Bridget being Cade's boyfriend back in the human world** and the "before" story was extremely wholesome and endearing. the love that Bridget and Cade share with each other was compelling. i will say i did not realize how YA this book was going to be with their romance (which is fine, i just thought it was going to be different).

the ending seemed very rushed with lots of world building information dumps. it left me with lots of questions, assuming they will be answered in the second book. for me, the pacing was challenging overall as it started slow, towards the middle was medium, and sped up like crazy at the end.

this book would be of interest for those that enjoy:
✨ amnesia trope
✨ trials
✨ time jumps
✨ witches, magic, covens
✨ romantasy

thank you to NetGalley and City Owl Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A fantastic blend of fantasy and romance that I couldn’t put down! The "romantasy" aspect of the story really stood out for me—there’s a perfect balance of magical world-building and intense romance that keeps you turning the pages. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable, and I loved the slow-burn tension as the romance develops. The plot is full of twists, making the fantasy elements exciting and unpredictable, but it’s the relationship dynamics that truly drive the story. If you love a good romantasy with captivating characters and a plot that keeps you hooked, this book is definitely worth the read!

Amy Woodruff's *Of Kingdoms and Curses* is a mesmerizing blend of lush storytelling, vivid world-building, and compelling characters that left me utterly captivated from start to finish. This enchanting fantasy tale weaves together elements of magic, political intrigue, and deeply rooted curses with a modern flair, making it both timeless and refreshing.

Woodruff's prose is lyrical yet accessible, immersing readers in a world teeming with rich details. The kingdoms she crafts feel alive, with their unique cultures, landscapes, and histories intricately interwoven into the narrative. Each page unveils a new facet of this magical realm, keeping readers entranced.

The characters, too, are a standout. Whether it’s the fierce and determined protagonist grappling with her destiny or the morally complex antagonists who challenge her at every turn, each individual is layered, relatable, and unforgettable. Their relationships—be they of loyalty, love, or betrayal—add depth and heart to the story.

What truly sets *Of Kingdoms and Curses* apart is its ability to seamlessly balance sweeping epic moments with quiet, intimate scenes of personal growth and self-discovery. The themes of resilience, sacrifice, and the power of choice resonate deeply, making this more than just a tale of magic and kingdoms; it's a story about what it means to be human.

For fans of gripping fantasy with strong characters, intricate plots, and a touch of romance, *Of Kingdoms and Curses* is an absolute must-read. Amy Woodruff has penned a masterpiece that lingers in the mind long after the final page. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

This is my 3rd ARC that I’ve read so thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to review it.

This is YA and a mix between modern day (cell phones, living in Manhattan) and a magical world. It was slightly confusing until I figured that out. There is no language or spice.

The book jumps straight in with a lot of information while simultaneously introducing Bridget, the main character. There are quite a few side characters, with varying degrees of involvement with Bridget, which took me a little while to understand who they all were and how they fit into the story. The MMC is slowly introduced and his part in Bridget’s life is not revealed until further on in the book.

The book ends with the possibility for a second book to continue the story.

If you like YA and a more complicated revealing of information, this would be for you. I hope the second book has more character development within the storyline so that we can get to know the main characters and their side kicks. 😀

I was drawn to this book because of the cover…I think it is beautifully done and it compliments the title beautifully. Well done to the publisher and author for their choice.

The story follows the heroine, grief stricken after losing her anchors for her magic, and her strive for redemption and purpose. Honestly, there was a lot of information dropped in the reader’s lap very quickly…and it took time to figure out what was going on. After that, the pace of the book and storyline was a bit all over the place. I didn’t connect with the characters like I would like. I am sure others will enjoy this dark fantasy book but it was not for me.

Thank you.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book is perfect for fans of ACOTAR, Trial of the Sun Queen, and Lady of Darkness! The main characters, Bridget and Cade, are ones that you will be routing for throughout the entire story. They are really relatable, and I think this book is a perfect fantasy read for a YA audience. The author created a plot that was unique but had all of my favorite fantasy elements, and I really look forward to the sequel for this one!

Of Kingdoms and Curses - Amy Woodruff

If you’re a fan of sci-fiction and romance books, then this book is for you.

Of Kingdoms and Curses, we follow the story of a human named Bridget, who lives the Fae realm. Her memory is erased when she crossed the gate that separated the Fae world from the humans. Not knowing how she ended up where she is, she ends up joining a witches coven. This is where the real adventure begins. Bridget enters into a tournament, which decides who will marry Prince Cade. Without magic to in your veins, she may not survive the tournament and the challenges that come her way.

This is book is not for everyone, but if you love adventure and romance, then give this one a go, you won’t be disappointed.

The two MMCs, Bridget and Cade, are written wonderfully and the challenges that they face and develop is worth opening up to. It isn’t all smiles and laughter, there may have been a tear or two shed whilst reading Of Kingdoms and Curses.

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Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

I loved this book, my only frustration is the cliffhanger and the fact the next book isn't available yet!!

The world-building, characters, twists, and mix with the modern-day world are everything. I very much appreciated one of the character's (not so subtle) references to our modern-day world in a fairytale setting. I CANNOT wait for the second book..

Thank you to NetGalley and Owl City Press for the ARC copy.

I very much enjoyed the concept of the fantasy world vs human world in this story and how love always finds a way to unite people who may be lost to each other. Lots of twist and turns and then a final cliff hanger! excited that read more.

Thank you to Net Gallery and the publisher for this ARC.

I was really interested in reading this one from the blurb and with it being compared to ACOTAR has set the bar quite high. The book however did not reach that level to me.

Although it was not ACOTAR level, I still really enjoyed this. I found all the characters really interesting and really liked how the author made the fmc Bridget strong willed, she loves deeply and when you find out more about her past, you really warm to her character. The main mmc Cade was interesting from the get go, I definitely got Cardan vibes from him and as you read through the story it doesn't really change as he is quite similar to him.

There is alot of information given to the reader in the first 10% of the book, which is not a bad thing, there was just alot of it. I think it could have been done a little bit better, I felt like I was chucked into the world and didn't really get to grips with the story until the tournament started.

I felt that the changing point was around 50% through when you get more background on Bridget's past and everything then starts to click into place with the story and how it will progress.

I really loved the ending of this book as I thought it was going to go one way and the author really surprised me with how she ended it. I am looking forward to reading more from her.

DNFed about 25% of the way through. This book just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

Of Kingdoms and Curses follows FMC Bridget, who has been trapped in the magical kingdom of Elyria and has been cursed to lose her memories forever. She is controlled by Cora, the leader of the witch coven. Cora forces Bridget to enter a deadly competition to marry Cade, the fae prince.

Though the premise was very interesting, and I liked the characters, the beginning was bogged down by a barrage of infodumping and the writing felt VERY YA, even though this was marketed as adult fantasy. This feeling persisted as the plot progressed, and the book started to read like a mashup of various other tropes and plot points we've seen in a bunch of other fantasy and dystopian books, like The Hunger Games, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Trial of the Sun Queen, etc. etc. It didn't feel like it was bringing anything new or unique to the table, and I started to get bored and couldn't continue reading.

I'm sure that there are many who would enjoy this book, but it wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, City Owl Press, and Amy Woodruff for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owl City Press for the ARC copy of Of Kingdoms and Curses.

I really loves this book and I am so excited to read the next one when it comes out.

The way the timeline was set out was quite intriguing, We start off after Bridget has become trapped in Elyria and then later we go back to before when she is in the human realm. The memory loss aspect adds interest into the plot as well.

With the rich world-building, great characters, and a thrilling plot, this first book promises that the rest of the series will continue the exciting journey and I am excited to see where the author takes us.

Loved this one and wish the next book was out already 😭

It was about a human girl forced into a marriage “competition” with the winner getting married to a prince. The catch is that everyone else can use their magic to win their tasks and she doesn’t have any.

It had a modern tie in which I personally love (based in present day rather than in centuries past).

Highly recommend to my romantasy lovers.

This was SO GOOD. It definitely combined a lot of fantasy/ romance I loved, but it was so unique with the Before and After sections. It really made the book a completely different experience to read. I can not wait for the next book!

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think this story has a lot of potential. The concept of the world is intriguing. The story was told well but I found it too easy to put down. I can't put my finger on why but it just didn't suck me in.
The main setting of the book is based in Elyria, another realm where horseback is the preferred method of transportation, so when the characters used words like gym, it pulled me out of the world. Now I completely understand that most in that world can travel back and forth to the human realm and it shouldn't have affected me like that but that blend of the two worlds wasn't made apparent enough early on.
The beginning of the book moved far too quickly for me, Bridget was only just being introduced, then we had Cora and I would've liked a little more time with just the two of them to delve into their relationship a bit more because later on in the book, things could've made more sense.
Most of the characters fell a bit flat for me.
Cade has very little interaction with Bridget for a long time in the book but she's very aware of him.
All of a sudden, Bridget is thrown into a tournament and things happen and no one has any clue what's going on really. And Bridget doesn't seem to be one bit interested at finding out because she just wants to go home. Fair enough. Not a lot makes sense because no one finds anything out and it's frustrating. During this time the world isn't really expanded on or delved into in greater detail.
Then FLASHBACK! I adored this part of the book! It was so well written and the characters went from cardboard cut outs to real characters. I was enthralled during this part of the book and didn't want to put it down. Everything flowed and made sense.
Then back to Elyria where everything seems so disjoined and the finding out of information seemed like it came out of nowhere. This part of the book had more guts to it but lacked feeling. How they figure it all out in the end is mentioned in the previous chapter and not made a big deal of, fair enough, don't give it away. But it should have been a seed planted a lot earlier on in the book.
The ending is a cliffhanger and I think I need to know what happens next...

4.5 stars/5

I have to say, I liked this book so much more than I expected.

The way it is structured is interesting, first we read the after, but then, when the FMC remembers everything, we get the before, and after we learn everything, the story continues.

The only small issue I had with this book is that at times, the characters' choices seemed a bit odd and I still didn't don't get why they decided that.

The ending was pretty good and clearly now I need to know what will happen next!

Arc Review:
Overall Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 2 🔥🔥
Cover Rating: 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Star-Crossed Lovers
- Magically Binding Bargains
- Deadly Magic
- Contemporary Setting
- Powerful Artifacts
- High Stakes Trials
- Found Family

Honestly at the start before reading this book then a little bit after reading I didn’t think that I was going to love this book as much as I did, but what a nice surprise because I actually really really enjoyed reading this book. I really enjoyed the writing for this book, it was well executed, I think that the plot was a pretty unique and creative one that had me hooked. Sometimes I wished that we got to have Cades pov on things but then again I still loved the point of view of this story as it was. I also liked the use of the different timelines with the after, before, and the now (I think the before might have been my favourite timeline). Also I loved a vase majority of the the characters, not just Bridget and Cade even though I really did love Bridget and Cade, but I loved some of the side characters we got to see and I am hoping we get to see more from them. Lastly that cliffhanger at the end though killed me, so if you were to ask me if I am planning on reading the second book of this series my answer would be a definite yes.
Thank you NetGalley, the publishers , and the author Amy Woodruff for the arc copy of this book, I really really enjoyed reading this one.