“Looking away won’t save me, won’t change me, but at least it won’t hurt me.”

“A Cursed Son,” by Day Leitao

Astra is a royal decoy to live for and protect the Krastel princess at all costs. She has mysterious dreams of the man she loves but hasn’t met. Until one day her carriage is attacked by non-other the man of her dreams, but he is the Crystal Court’s disgraced prince.

I read the book first and then the second read through was the audiobook. I loved the audiobook version so much. I already loved the story, and the audiobook really brought it more to life in my head. I loved every single thing about this book. Everything was perfect. I loved the characters and how they were good and bad and super complicated. I loved the lore and world building with the Fae and magic and creatures. I loved the tension between the two main characters and how it was a very slow burn. I loved the ending so much that it hurts. 5 out of 5 stars, it was one of my favorite reads the first time and the second time just solidified that spot for me. I have also read the second book in the series, and it was also so freaking good but there was just something about the buildup of the relationship in book 1 that really lives in my heart, and I couldn’t get enough.

-Arranged Marriage
-Enemies To Lovers
-Fae
-Magic
-Fake Princess (Royal Decoy)

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

A Cursed Son is a whimsical twist on the romance a young woman can find in following her dreams. Literally.

This novel is a great, almost cosy fantasy story set in a low-stakes, high-swoon environment. While I can't say that I understand who the 'Cursed Son' is or exactly why she's supposed to be 'not like other girls', those threads are clearly being set up for the next novels in the series. I wouldn't exactly call it enemies-to-lovers, but it does have the witty banter of a twenty-something, head-strong, intelligent woman being confronted with someone Actually Being Nice To Her for the first time in her life. That is worth the whip-lash of feelings, the distrust, and the emotional confusion for the new world of fae she is drawn into.

If you are all-in for the romance and the idea that your dream partner can and does exist somewhere in the world, you're going to love this. If you need a plot-heavy story or epic world building, manage your expectations. You will get them eventually, but this first book is beautifully written, delightful slow-burn into fantasy romance.

For the audiobook format, the narrator is perfect. Voice and tone are all easy to follow, even up to 2x speed. Her inflections bring life to the character, and though there is interpersonal drama, it is spoken with heart, not melodramatics. I would be excited to listen to other books narrated by Caitlin Kelly after listening to this piece.

This new NA romantasy release is an absolute must-read for fans of enemies-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, fae, royalty, and forced proximity!

Astra has been trained since infancy to be the Princess’s decoy—even stepping into a marriage alliance if necessary. I love a brave, witty female lead, and Astra is so easy to root for. The hidden identity trope is executed brilliantly, keeping us guessing about just how different Astra truly is… *

The worldbuilding is immersive, with the fae courts and their secrets unfolding naturally throughout the story. And the spicy dreams? Such a fun twist—I couldn’t stop picturing them in my head!

A Cursed Son is the perfect blend of laugh-out-loud moments (the cave scene with Astra and the Fae Prince? Iconic), intense action, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. Their banter had me giggling nonstop! I’m officially obsessed and need to read everything this author has written!

Oh I love this one. It is so good and spicy. I love the weird stuff. I love the spicy romance. I love the male and female protagonists. I also love the narrator.

Genre: Fantasy, New Adult Romance

Setting: Multi-race fantastical world in a unique elemental magic system. The storyline follows your female character from a human to a Fae kingdom. Political and historical world-building brings complexity and believability to the actions and reactions of characters.
Character(s): Astra and Marlak, the main love interests, are fine when seen from a bird’s-eye view. Don’t look deeper, though. Their behavior leans toward young adults, riddled with self-doubt and immature relationships. It promises more, yet it tends to leave the reader to fall flat.
Reaction: It is a generally entertaining piece; if you have extra time, it’s well-rounded enough to try. You may lose yourself in the headspace of angst for a few days, but you won’t drown. The intimate flashback scenes were jarring and didn’t always fit the story's pace. I did enjoy the rich world-building and magic system. Overall, it's an okay story, just not a wow one.

The narrator's oratory skills leveled up the story's believability, immersing the reader in the mixed-up minds of youth. It requires a little more motivation to read, but it’s different enough to add to your to-be-read list.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Note: Spicy love scenes are “R” rated.

An outstanding Fae - fantasy I've read so far!
I enjoyed the tension, the banter ,the found family bonds!!
The world building is beauty at its finest!
Astra is strong willed, confident and a risk taker with her own flaws and insecurities and her banter and inner monologue is extremely quirky 😂😂 I loved every minute of it
Marlak is my new favourite Morally grey MMC and I love how protective and sweet he is. I had my heart melted in various scenes,esp when he says 'my wife' 😍😍
I love their chemistry and especially their dream sequences and the immediate awkward tension which they have 😂😂
My favourite side character is definitely Nelsin!!! I love him vewyyy much😍😍😍
The plot twist and the ending definitely makes me devour book 2 in one sitting!!
The narrator did a fantastic job in her voice modulations and distinctive character voices! Loved it!!!

Okay, A Cursed Son is absolutely a wild ride! If you love fantasy with magic, royal drama, and a touch of romance that has you second-guessing every character, this is your next must-read. Astra, our main character, is not your typical princess—she's a substitute princess (yes, really) meant to take the place of the real princess at the royal court. But this isn’t your average fairytale, and Astra is no damsel. She's tough, cunning, and has a few secrets up her sleeve that she’s trying really hard to keep under wraps.

Enter the cursed prince, Marlac. The chemistry between these two? Oh boy. It’s fire, but also... complicated. One minute, they’re at odds, the next, they’re in each other’s heads—literally, through dreams. It’s that whole “enemies-to-lovers” thing, but with some serious twists. Is Marlac into Astra, or is he just playing games? It’s a mystery you’ll be dying to figure out, and trust me, the twists will have you second-guessing everything.

What really keeps you hooked though is the world-building. There’s so much mystery, so many layers to unravel about who’s lying, who’s trustworthy, and how everyone’s motives fit into a much larger picture. There’s magic, betrayal, and a whole lot of tension. And the cliffhanger? Don’t even get me started on that. Let’s just say, you’ll want the next book, like, yesterday.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves complex characters, a good romantic slow burn, and fantasy with tons of secrets waiting to be uncovered. If you’re looking for something that’ll keep you hooked from start to finish, grab A Cursed Son—you won’t regret it!

4.5⭐️ I really enjoyed this one. That cliffhanger will ruin me for a bit. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, slower burn, and hidden identity. What more could you ask for.

Astra has only truly ever known training to be a royal decoy. An opportunity to finally show her potential turns into an arranged marriage with a disgraced prince. Not just any prince, this is the man in her dreams. But he’s more cold to her in real life. They will have to work together, but can they trust each other. Especially, when Astra’s true identity is revealed. Will be accept her or betray her.

5⭐️ narration by @caitlinkellyvo. So good!! I felt the characters emotional twists and turns. Truly captivated me into the story.

Thank you for the advanced listener copy @netgalley @day_leitao and @victoryeditingngc. I’m so incredibly grateful. #netgalley #acursedson #romantasy #audiobooklover #alcreview

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The story kept me engaged and it was fast paced enough to keep me interested.


The ability to share dreams was so intriguing and I absolutely loved the banter between the two MC's. The narrator did an awesome job and I look forward to finding her backlist

This book was captivating and had you gripped from the very first chapters. Full of magic and intrigue with the ever so popular trope enemies to lovers this story follows a badass fmc on her journey. I listened to the audiobook and it was narrated excellently.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

I really enjoyed this audiobook (ALC reader here!) and the first book in this triology. The world builds was easy which is SUCH a relief compared to so many fantasy books! Astra’s character growth in this book was fantastic! The narrator did an excellent job starting out sounding rather naive, similar to Astra, and her voice gained confidence as Astra’s character grew.

I also really enjoyed the steamy shared dreams. I read another book a few years ago with this same trope and I have been searching for it ever since! These dreams added to the tension and made me swoon!!!

Malark’s character was super interested and started out so mysterious. I really enjoyed this enemies to friends to lovers dynamic between Malark and Astra and the mutual pining.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing, and Day Leitao for the ALC!!

Cheeky dreams when you least expect them. I love an enemies to lovers story, I think they may be my favourite.

I loved Astra's character, she seemed to be misunderstood but she really felt like the heroin in her own story, which is the best kind of heroin I think.

The story is exciting and is a well paced book. The last few chapters come to a really good crescendo. And wow chapter 27 I did not see that twist coming. I had a feeling something was wrong with one of the characters but I was honestly not thinking it would be the one it is. I couldn't believe it, I was open mouthed for about 5 mins listening to this chapter.

I flipping love a twist and I love that Astra finds out who she is. She's a great character and was kept out of the loop.

I really enjoyed parts of this story. Those parts are what kept me going and reading. There were other parts I definitely did not enjoy. I'm not a big fan of miscommunication as a trope and this story had a lot of it. Or something similar to it. And the miscommunication went on for far longer than should be allowed. I think plenty of people will eat this story up and love it, I'm just not one of those people.

I’m so glad I came across this book – it completely captivated me! Once I started, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one sitting. The world-building was captivating, drawing me in without giving everything away, leaving plenty to explore in the next book(s).

The characters really stood out to me. There were so many nuances that you don’t see in your typical romantasy character.

The ending? A total emotional rollercoaster. That cliffhanger hooked me – I’m even more invested in the series now! 4/5. I’m so excited to see more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Cursed Son, the first book in Day Leitao's "Remnants of the Fallen Kingdom" series, is an absolute page-turner for me. From the moment I started reading, I was hooked and couldn't put it down. This story follows Astra, a protagonist trained to be a princess's decoy and guard. When Astra meets Marlak, a man who has been haunting her dreams (quite literally), the story takes an even more captivating turn. Marlak, a man of many masks. I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this book and following the series! I highly recommend this book to readers who love romantasy, particularly those who enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope. "A Cursed Son" is a fantastic start to what promises to be an unforgettable series. I'd like to thank netgalley for a free copy of the audio in exchange on an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 stars

This was really good! The pacing is great, I did not want to out this one down! I love a good enemies to lovers romantasy and this one did not disappoint! I’m excited to read book 2!!!

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a fabulous job!🙌🏻

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook!💚

I was excited to see this audiobook come up on Netgalley, because I have a signed copy of the book that I hadn't read yet. This story did not disappoint. I loved the witty banter between to the two main characters, and the story itself was original and engaging. Slow-burn and enemies to lovers a f e two tropes that I almkst always enjoy, and this one delivered.... heavy on the enemies part too. The narration was well-done and enjoyable to listen too. The inflections for different characters made this audiobook an easy listen. I'll be anxiously awaiting the second installment.

Raised to be a decoy and stand in place of the princess, raised to hide her very identity, taught her people are evil and she must permanently hide her true heritage, Astra's life has never been hers. She has been sold like an animal to the disgraced Prince of the Crystal Court. Many believe he is a monster who burned his family alive and then ran with the treasure. But Astra realizes there is more to his story and her history than she was led to believe. Can Astra look past the scars of the past and find a way to see a future?

This was a beautiful story and a fun audiobook to listen to. Astra was equal parts infuriating and kick ass. I was rooting for her and the MMC from the beginning, but so many misunderstandings kept getting in the way. I loved the ending (but won't spoil it for you). I am glad the author ended it the way she did, leaving a clear path for book 2. If you like misunderstandings, a FMC who is on a journey of self-discovery, misunderstood MMC, and slow-burn romances that end in a spicy love science, then this is the book for you.

A Cursed Son by Day Leitao and narrated by Caitlin Kelly was an enemies to lovers/slow burn romantasy with fae and elemental magic. I liked Astra as an FMC and really loved Marlak. I very seriously shouted at my car stereo when it ended because it is the cliffhanger of all cliffhangers. I enjoy a book that makes me immediately need the rest of the story. Caitlin Kelly is a master narrator.

I loved this audio! It was a fun listen and I loved the narrator and how she really captured all the emotions throughout the book.
I loved Astra and the dynamic of her being a look alike for the princess. I felt very Star Wars Padme with this and I absolutely loved it!! Marlak is the perfect enemies to lovers man. I loved their banter and how they went through all the stages (friendship enemies allies lovers). It was done with ease and included no confusion for the reader to keep up. Overall, I throughly enjoyed this listen! I can’t wait to pick up the second!