Captain Ryland Coldwell a pirate, lover, and overall adventurer has made the mistake of scorning a woman who has vowed vengeance against him. Unfortunately for him she has the powers to do so. He now finds himself immortal, trapped in the West Indies. While there are certainly advantages to being immortal his imprisonment on the islands is a drawback. He eagerly waits for an opportunity to break free and get his own revenge on his ex-lover Gwenifer - a sea witch. The onset of the Napoleonic wars has resulted in the earth evolving. This has given rise to the airship. One such airship, the Nyx reaches the islands. This might just be the ticket for his exit from the West Indies.

Aboard the Nyx is Emmeline Whittock fleeing from her murderous fiancé and the threats of Napoleon’s army. They have been blown off course in a storm and have been forced to land on the islands a place that is dangerous for them. When attacked by pirates Ryland is at hand to save them. Both protagonists are attracted to each other. Ryland gets a passage on board the Nyx. Cursed age is their adventures and those of its motley crew.

This historical romance has a sci fi twist. The dual protagonists have numerous adventures on this unusual journey. Needless to say, the pair who are inexorably drawn to each other fall in love. As I read their adventures, I was hoping that it could be a happy ending for not just them but the entire crew. There were bound to be casualties along the way. Dunnewin’s stellar plot building kept me glued to the book. I genuinely did not anticipate the various plots and twists that kept me on tenterhooks throughout. Her captivating penmanship exuded the chivalry and charm of the era. Had it not been so the entire tale would have been a terribly gruesome read.

Despite it being a sci fi Dunnewin was clued into the problems of the times and wove them into her tale with verve and compassion. I won’t discuss them here as it would be a spoiler. What made this such an awesome tale was Dunnewin’s total understanding of everyone of her characters. This became evident as each page turned. She certainly knows how to spin a gripping yarn. Each of the plot twists were well executed as was her world building skills. Dunnewin has excelled herself yet again with her latest novel. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

This was a well done historical fantasy. I found that the pacing flowed smoothly and that I was completely invested in the plot. I loved the FMC and I found the plot thoroughly engaging. The historical details gave meat to the story. I felt that I would have enjoyed more passages of descriptions of the surroundings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A Cursed Age is elegant, brooding, and full of quiet dread—the kind of fantasy that sinks into your bones. A.M. Dunnewin crafts a world weighed down by its own history, where curses linger like fog and no one walks away untouched.

The story unfolds like a whispered warning—slow, deliberate, and hauntingly beautiful. The characters are complex and morally gray, shaped by generations of consequence and secrets that refuse to stay buried.

If you love gothic undertones, slow-burn tension, and fantasy that leans into fate and rot, this one delivers. Dark, atmospheric, and utterly captivating.

Captain Ryland Coldwell is a pirate cursed with immortality and as he seeks revenge, he meets Emmeline Whittock, a mysterious woman aboard an airship, who harbours secrets of her own. The cover is gorgeous and I was extremely intrigued by the set up with the sea witch's curse (the tentacles!!). The blend of gothic and steampunk is also excellent.
However, I suspect because I was so invested in the sea witch in the initial pages, once we switched to the main characters (particularly Emmeline), I struggled to feel as invested right away. Some of this may also be that the pacing slowed down substantially and I felt I needed to push through until about the 50% mark.
Overall, I think this will appeal to a broad audience of romantasy readers who are looking for something fresh, with a gothic edge.

Seriously, WHAT DID I JUST READ?? I did NOT expect to be as blown away as I was. When I tell you this book had me in a chokehold right up until the end, I'm not exaggerating.

A Cursed Age is basically a pirate romantasy: we have slow burn, fated mates, witches, mermaids and pirates. The world building is incredible! And honestly a little out of my comfort zone since I'm not usually one to require elaborate descriptions, but in this case it really helps to immerse you in the story.

It starts off SLOW!! Give it a few chapters to really start building momentum, the author is just setting the scene! Don't rush it, don't put it down, trust the author!!

I absolutely loved Emmeline, she's a quietly strong heroine with real growth throughout the book. It's refreshing to see a FMC who isn't completely helpless, but she's not some secret ninja assassin either haha. She's RELATABLE!! And Ryland is absolutely swoon-worthy with his own journey of personal growth. Gwenifer is suitably horrendous with her own villain origin story, and the side characters are so likable and funny and not just there to push the story along. I'd totally read a spin-off just of Captain Dormer, yum!!

I really didn't want this story to end, but the author did a beautiful job of bringing everything together and tying up loose ends that I hadn't even noticed. This is one that I'll be adding to my shelf collection for sure!!

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Man, I wish this had been better! The description sounded so promising. Steampunk alt-historical fiction with pirates? Something about a sea witch? Hell yeah.

But this really fell short and I was so disappointed.

First off, it's loooooong. And weirdly for as long as it is, I feel like the worldbuilding could have been stronger. But my main gripe is that this book has worse instalove than Twilight. It is SOO bad!! Literally the two MCs have absolutely noo chemistry whatsoever and their relationship was not developed in a way that made sense to me. This is kinda explained by the fact that *spoiler* <spoiler> they are fated to be together, but it's not really explained WHY they are soulmates. It also doesn't seem like this is something that exists for other people in this world so again, WHY are these two seemingly random people so special that they have this epic fated love? How does it work?? I have so many unanswered questions and this book answered none of them. I really dislike fated love as a theme in general but pretty much every other book i've read it in (Throne of Glass series by SJM comes to mind) does it better than this, because at least there it's explained why they are fated soulmates. </spoiler>.

But this is a critical plot theme and it just didn't work for me. I was rolling my eyes so hard because at least in YA, it makes sense, because, teenagers. These are adults. Blegh. 2 ish stars

I love a fabulous fantasy and pirate book! Love this book! Dual point of views. Sea creatures. i just really cant get enough!

A. M. Dunnewin does it again. I loved this. I was hooked by page 4.

Captain Ryland Caldwell has a strange ailment that keeps him trapped in the West Indies. Emmeline Whittock has his solution in the form of an airship that she has designed. From their first meeting, their souls seem to recognize each other from a past life. But don't worry, there is an evil sea which practicing dark magic that is trying to keep Ryland for herself.

This book has dark gothic and steampunk vibes with a dash of historical fiction thrown in during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte's reign of terror.

This book explores grief, the oppression of women in society, and a slow burn fated lover's romance. It has pirates, sirens, harpies, and voodoo!

Thank you Dark Hour Press, and of course A.M. Dunnewin for sharing this eARC with me. I impatiently await your next project and will gladly read whatEVER you write!

First off, that gorgeous cover immediately grabbed my attention . Next it was the Pirates of the Caribbean/gothic steampunk vibes it was giving that kept me hooked. Im not usually a huge nautical adventure fan but this one hits on many level. I love the beautiful and complex character of Emmeline, and the equally complex Ryland. Pirates, mermaids, sea witches, curses, immortality,love story - it’s just a really fun read. The ending crushes though,so be prepared.

This was such an adventure. Ryland is grappling with a curse of immortality while searching for a way to break it. As he journeys on a ship that is transporting one woman, Emmeline, he helps them to make a map along the way. But Emmeline is far more than just a woman, and Ryland is quick to learn. As they race time and battle creatures of myth, they realize that they're more than just fellow passengers.

Danger, excitement, magic and a curse to unravel, this was an adventure worth the read!

Unfortunately, this book ended up being a DNF for me pretty early on. I requested the ARC because the premise sounded completely up my alley: a Victorian-era love story with sea monsters? Hello? But I ran into a few things that really pulled me out of the experience.

People who enjoy slower, atmospheric historical fiction might still enjoy this. Personally, the setting and tone gave me strong steampunk-meets-Lovecraft vibes—very much in the vein of The Sinking City. The characters had interesting backstories, and the world itself did seem well thought-out. But for me, the writing style was hard to get into. It’s written in omniscient third-person, and the constant head-hopping, from one character's thoughts to another’s, made it hard to stay grounded. I kept getting yanked out of the flow.

The romance also didn’t work for me. It felt a bit too insta-lovey and was pushed so hard so early that I couldn’t take it seriously. Which is unfortunate, because I wanted to be swept up in it.

I do think this could be someone else’s kind of book—it just wasn’t mine.

Since receiving this ARC I have now read two books by A.M. Dunnewin and have fallen in love with her beautiful writing. Every time I open one of her books I am immediately sucked in and immersed into its world. The opening scene where the sea witch is introduced was so epic I knew right then and there I would love this book and love it I absolutely did. A.M. Dunnewin takes you into a magical world filled flying airships, battles, pirates, an evil sea witch and Ryland, a captain who has been cursed by his scorned lover from under the sea. Be prepared to have every emotion pulled out of you while reading, A Cursed Age. It is a book that is sure to live on in your mind for years to come.

The one and only reason I lowered my rating to 4 stars is because this book was a little on the longer side. I feel like it could have been a little shorter.

I have no idea what I really expected from this book aside from pirates, but it far exceeded my expectations. Perhaps it was the emotional damage I wasn't expecting because yes, there is emotional damage, which sent me into a spiral of unexpected feelings. That only tells me it's a good book!

The synopsis is spot on, and you can tell that Dunnewin thoroughly researched the history to bring this book to life. Beyond that, our main characters, Ryland and Emmeline, are brought to life and their emotions bleed off the page into the reader. Emotional damage, remember? I vacillate between calling this book tragic or bittersweet. At the very least, it is bittersweet. While I am a huge fan of happy endings, I enjoy and appreciate bittersweet and/or tragic endings when done well and when they fit plot. This one was done so well so kudos to Dunnewin (even though I found myself tearing up and crossing my fingers for something else).

My only critique is that this book is hefty-close to 600 pages-and may have benefited from just a bit more editing. While the writing is descriptive and wonderful, there are moments where it does seem to go on a little laboriously. I acknowledge that you want your readers to be in the world and in the story, but I believe that at times succinctness benefits the storytelling better than too much description.

Overall, very enjoyable and I just wish there was more or another book in this wonderful world Dunnewin created.

A Cursed Age truly is an adventure above the high seas. Mermaids, a Sea Witch, Harpies, and Pirates…oh my. In this world of myth come to life we find ourselves on ships that not only ride the waves, but also the clouds. The author drags you along on an emotional journey full of revenge,longing, and camaraderie. The female main character Emmeline is born a bit too clever in a time that doesn’t appreciate it and our male main character Ryland has lived past his expiration date due to a curse placed on him by an ex-lover. Together they tackle the sky searching for answers and freedom.
The slow burn romance in this read was swoon worthy, the found family aspect was handled beautifully, and the ending should have come with a tissue warning. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and look forward to reading more from A.M. Dunnewin.

🌊✨ A Cursed Age by A.M. Dunnewin ✨🌊
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’ve ever wished Pirates of the Caribbean had more steampunk, higher stakes, and a cursed love that spans centuries—you need this book in your life.

Set in a Nautical Gothic world during the Napoleonic Wars, this standalone sweeps you away with cursed pirate Captain Ryland Coldwell (yes, I’m a little obsessed) and fierce airship captain Emmeline Whittock. The vibes? Dark magic, airships, sea witches, betrayal, and a love story that refuses to stay buried.

Emmeline is everything I want in a heroine—smart, resilient, and totally done with being pushed around. And Ryland? Let’s just say he’s morally gray immortal with tragic backstories 💀❤️ Gwenifer, the vengeful sea witch and Ryland’s ex (yes, it’s complicated), adds that perfect layer of haunting menace.

The pacing is intense, the atmosphere is amazing, and the blend of steampunk and historical fantasy feels totally fresh.

Spiciness is low BUT there is way more focus on the relationships between characters, slow burn tension, and all the things that make up all the emotional longing.

⚓️ For fans of: Gothic vibes, enemies-to-reluctant allies, immortal curses, and historical fantasy with teeth.

5 ⭐️
A.M. Dunnewin dd a phenomenal job with A Cursed Age! If you're a 90’s kid like me and enjoyed the vibe from Treasure Planet, this one is for you. This is a steam punk style, gothic, semi-dark romance, magical adventure filled with cleverly written banter and spice.
We have a sea witch with Harpies under her command, pirates and adventure, a sexy romance and sizzling encounters, magic, curses, and so much more! There is also a hint of history as the story takes place in Venice, Italy during the time of Napoleon no less, who also happens to be the goal of capture for someone *wink*. Captain Ryland Coldwell is our adventurous pirate trapped in the West Indies, and Emmeline Whittock the only female aboard the vessel, Nyx. Eventually we end up in New Orleans and by the end of the adventure on the last page you might even have some big feelings and tears. Not typically something I would ever mention, but this hits some tropes out of the park: morally grey, slow burn, vengeance, and a lot more.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for permitting me to read and review this book prior to release to the public.*

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+ love story - even with the insta lovey -- which I normally do not like, It worked for this one.
+ the ending! Great way to wrap up the story for a standalone book.
+ the writing was 10/10
+ I love a good (evil) sexy sea witch

- was a *teeny* bit too long. I think it's fine overall bc it was good storytelling and I wasnt super bored just felt long... It did kinda fit with the MMC's character being this man of adventure. They were always traveling here and there but it just was a lot to read through.

Overall, I loved it!

A Cursed Age is a masterpiece! I absolutely loved this book. I laughed and cried and it gave me all the best feels. The prologue had me hooked right away. I loved how lyrical and descriptive the book was. I really felt like I was there with the characters. This book was so rich with myths and lore. I have been in search of a book that gives me the vibes, feels and adventure of Pirates of the Caribbean and I found it in this book. It had pirates, a sea witch, mermaids, magic, love and an airship. What more could you want? It was such an adventure! The cast of characters was my absolute favorite. There is just something about a found family that sees you for who you are and will do anything for you. The crew was so diversed and I really felt like I got to know each of them.
I loved Emmeline and her character. She was dealt a hard hand in life but didn't let that stop her. Ryland was such a complex character. And I loved the journey of emotions that his character takes you on.
I absolutely adored Ryland and Emmeline's love story. I loved that it developed throughout the whole book. Their story really makes you believe in love. The ending was a breath of fresh air. It was
bittersweet but gave me so much hope. I will definitely read this book again!

⭐️ 4.5

Ugh that ENDING so so tragic and bitter sweet and perfect. I would love a prequel story of Ryland’s time and adventures before meeting Emmeline!!! I don’t want to leave these characters :(

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!