I am not a fan of sexual content in books, but I don't mind a little (I tend to just skip over it), but this felt way to focused on adding "spice".

I unfortunately just couldn't finish this, because any important plot moment felt overshadowed by the author feeling the need to add way too much spice. I understand this is a trend, and it gets clicks on books right now, but it feels as if the plot of the book is in the background, and I can't deal with that.

3.75⭐️

The magic system is interesting it’s not too confusing but also not to simple that it feels like I’ve read it 100 times before. It wasn’t anything special or overly unique but it was interesting and wove in different magic systems making it more interesting

Sometimes the book felt like it was modern while other times it didn’t. there was a lack of consistency where u could see that the author was writing what they know as opposed to what would fit the book well


I liked the relationship between the mc’s sometimes but sometimes it would feel like I was reading about a completely different couple with a completely different dynamic that I didn’t like. I also thought the sex scenes where really cringey and ended up skim reading most of them, they where also mainly some form of the same scene done over and over again but just in different settings

The writing of particularly the creatures and settings in this book was very well done it was able to fully immerse me in the story and feel as if I was there

I loved Caspian and Azdall and am very excited to get to see more of them both. There are a lot of characters that we only see briefly that I hope we get to see more of. The author does a great job of making u want to know more about their characters

Overall the book was enjoyable but lacked a lot of consistency throughout with it feeling like 2 people were writing the book both with differing ideas on the world and the mc’s relationship.

Thank you Netgalley and victory editing for the digital arc

I received an ARC of this title and made it to about 35% before deciding to DNF.

While the premise was promising, the pacing felt uneven and I struggled to connect with the characters. The story leaned more toward an erotic/cozy fantasy, with a stronger focus on spice than plot. I don’t mind spice in books, but it becomes an issue when it overshadows the story itself. That said, I can see the appeal for readers who enjoy that particular balance.

4.25
I will absolutely be reading the rest of this standalone series! The world building (while having some minor gaps) is easy to follow and is revealed throughout the book. This first book follows Scythe and Tallon. Scythe has been abandoned by her mate and the rest of witchkin who left to another land, but she stayed to guard her forest. The only person she has left is her magicless sister, who was also left behind. One night, Tallon and Scythe met, and their attraction was undeniable. However, Tallon, a curse werewolf, soon discovered that Scythe was a witch, and witches were the reason their kind was cursed to be unable to shift into wolf form. While both despise one another, they are unable to move on from one another. Further, their sisters fall deeply in love, and Scythe's sister leaves her forest to live with Tallon's travelling troop. After years of not speaking - but still thinking about each other - they are forced to work together to find their sisters, who suddenly and mysteriously disappear.

I am so very jealous of the type of witch that Scythe is, her nature magic and connection to animals in phenomenal! I loved "the forest is in the witch, and the witch is in the forest". It was both heartwarming and heart-wrenching to see Scythe battle with her abandonment issues throughout the novel, and something many people can relate to. I was slightly confused who tasked the witches with guarding the forests or if they were doing it simply because of the nature of their magic, and why there was a separation between the two forests (were there two groups of witches?).

The way that Maddox gave us glimpses into the other characters' lives and relationships has me eagerly anticipating reading their journeys.

Spicy☑️
Enemies to lovers ☑️
Queer MC (non-binary)☑️
Fated Mates☑️
Banter☑️
Found Family☑️

This has so many amazing tropes, it's hard to know where to start. We have witch's, werewolves, spice, non-binary mc, banter, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and the list just keeps going. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and never felt like there was a dull moment. It was a great stand alone fantasy.

Im so sad. This was one i was looking forward to and my netgalley reader just wouldn't participate. Im still going to get the book when released because I am that interested in it.

3★ —
❝ Then they start to walk, and I follow, trusting them completely to lead me through the dark. ❞

i reveived an arc in exchange for an honest review.

the dark atmosphere and intriguing premise that 'Of Silver and Curses' gave off was what piqued my interest and kept me engaged throughout the book. this was my first book by Maddox Grey and i can honestly say i enjoyed the the writing and the tension between the main characters.

while the characters were enjoyable, the world-building had much more potential than what was given, and the magic was interesting but lacked depth and clarity.
i think i would have given this another star if it weren't for the lack of investment the characters had towards the plot. the story is centered around (view spoiler), and yet the stakes hardly felt very urgent. there was clear motivation from the characters but the personal investment didn't strongly translate.

overall this was a fun read. the representation was very thoughtful, and it was refreshing to see meaningul inclusion. it was heavy on the open door spice but still balanced out nicely with the plot.

i look forward to reading more from this author.

3.5 🌟

Tags/tropes/themes:

🗡 Dual POV
🐺 Magical tattoos
🗡 Last of her kind
🐺 Nonbinary main character❗️
🗡 Morally grey FMC and NMC (and by morally grey I mean morals are tossed out the window)
🐺 Mass murder as a coping mechanism
🗡 FMC has (understandable) abandonment issues
🐺 Only one horse/one bed
🗡 (Very reluctant) fated mates
🐺 Stand-alone
🗡 Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers

Finally, some good f*ing nonbinary rep! As a queer, nonbinary person, this book was EVERYTHING. It felt incredibly authentic, and gave me so much queer joy ❤️

I really loved the characters. Scythe and Tal are very well-written, and the author did a great job with the dual POV. I never felt disappointed when the POV swapped.

Where I think the book was weaker was the plot. It was good, but not quite amazing. No major plot-holes, but for me there were a lot of missed opportunities. I kept waiting for something to happen in Scythe's forest, or for her ex to show up, or for the fact that she's a princess to come into play. It left me a little unsatisfied, because they would have been interesting plot-lines to explore. Some sections were also a little slow for my tastes, where not much was happening.

I liked the worldbuilding and magic system, but I think I would have liked it even more if it was fleshed out more at the start.

I will say it is on the spicier side. Sex is brought up. A lot. For some people that's a deal breaker, in which case this might not be for you. But I know some of yall LOVE a spicier read, so definitely pick up this book if that's what you like!

Overall though? I enjoyed reading this book, it had a lot of my favourite tropes, and I'm very happy about the queer and nonbinary rep!


Thank you Netgalley and Maddox Grey for the chance to read the ARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

What do you get when you throw a sarcastic witch and a grumpy werewolf into a morally questionable quest with unresolved tension from a single very memorable night? Apparently, chaos, chemistry, and an unholy amount of emotional angst.

This romantasy serves up sharp banter, shadowy magic, and a whole lot of enemies glaring longingly across a campfire. Scythe is fierce, clever, and not here for your nonsense. Talon, the non-binary thief with charm levels bordering on criminal, struts through the story like they own it and by the end, they sort of do.

The world is eerie and magical, the politics are spicy in every sense of the word, and the relationship is messy in exactly the way you want it to be. No hand-holding, no sugar-coating, just two chaotic disasters trying very hard not to fall in love. Utterly brilliant

This queer romantasy had everything I love- morally grey chaos, forced proximity, and enemies-to-lovers tension that delivers. A cursed werewolf and a sharp-tongued witch teaming up to rescue their sisters? Obsessed. The banter was top-tier, the spice simmered, and the queernorm world was a total win.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC- I had so much fun with this one and can’t wait for book two!

📚✨ Of Silver and Curses by Maddox Grey
⭐️4.5/5 | 🌶️2/5

As someone who is non-binary, I love seeing queer representation in books—and Of Silver and Curses delivers in all the best ways.

Honestly? All the freaking stars. The chokehold this book had me in was intense. I read the prequel first (which I highly recommend doing), and it immediately got me invested in the characters and their world. It set everything up perfectly so I could dive headfirst into this story with no hesitation.

The main characters? I adored them—even when I wanted to smack their heads together. The tension, the banter, the CHEMISTRY—it was practically flying off the page. And let me tell you, the spicy scenes? Even better because of that slow-burn energy that built so naturally between them.

The plot was chef’s kiss. No filler, no skimming. Just consistently engaging storytelling with a cast of side characters you genuinely care about. I was hooked from beginning to end, always needing to know what would happen next.

A solid romantasy with bite, tension, and a world I’d gladly return to. If you like enemies (maybe lovers?), curses, fierce vibes, and broken characters trying to survive side-by-side, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

Are you kidding?! This book surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I loved the non binary representation and I looooooved the world that was built, so good!

I really enjoyed this book. I found the non-binary representation to be beautiful in this book. I also really liked how in the culture of one of the characters gender is fluid and no one judges this and they just accept it. I also really liked the representation of the side characters as well. I found the romance really sweet and they were definitely the perfect pair. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements as well. I would recommend checking trigger warning for this one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! Starts off with the fierce fmc Scythe going about her business in a gloriously gory way and stays on theme.
Great non binary rep with Talon our other pov. Loved them! The banter with Scythe was sharp and funny and their slow burn romance was chock full of tension and sparks.
Great world building and beautiful descriptions. Good pacing and well written. Lots of threads started and intrigue created with the supporting cast and lore.
A really solid first in series that read well as a standalone too. Will definitely carry on! I reced through it and had a lot of fun!
Thanks to Victory Editing and Netgalley for the arc opportunity, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

My first arc - so where do we start

I was gripped from the first line which hasn’t happened for me in a very very very long time, I was instantly hooked

I was obsessed w the main characters immediately, talon kinda annoyed me but loved them at the same time, I was team scythe from the beginning

It did feel like talon was written as a main than changed into a non binary character, (as an enby myself) non binary has no look or feel, the character however did just feel very masculine in a way I’ve read in lots of other fantasy books. I think this was kinda enforced by the author accidentally misgendering talon multiple times. They also misgendered the thief god later on. After reading the book tho, I did find out the author is enby. I do feel a bit conflicted on this because the importance of getting people’s pronouns right is so 😭😭😭

I would love to see more exploration of talons gender and the way they view it, because it was briefly touched upon they’re more masc and androgynous leaning, but for a cis reader, it would be rly cool to explain that more so the reader can take that into the real world

I rly loved scythe! I felt for her in my bones!!! Which was what initially drew me into the arc!!! I love that she’s violent and vulnerable and gentle and doesn’t give a fuck in general (except to those she cares about) like she’s just all encompassing

It was fucking spicy as well jfc, I was like oop and then I was like OOOP, I haven’t read some smut in ages tho and was kinda into it 🫣

I LOVE a classic enemies to lovers and I LOVE when they’re both in love with each other but the other doesn’t know it. I EAT THAT SHIT UP. Also like yes, hate fuck each other, we love to see it!!!

I loved the inclusion of the gods. However one thing I didn’t like about the plot was the retribution goddess releasing scythe bc the gods could just help out more?! Like I know the point is they can’t/won’t, but if (and hopefully there is) is a second in the series, are the gods just going to keep throwing them a line each time? Idk what an alternative to her getting free would be - this felt like a weak part of the plot

The fighting and mating scene however was 10/10

I found the text rly fast paced which was good at times but sometimes felt rushed and things got repeated. It felt like it hadn’t rly been read thru/edited but that is the role of an arc 🫡🫡

I also found at times it had political themes but nothing was really done about it, it was just kinda thrown in there. I think the world building was good but could be expanded on. Eg the gender and sexuality thing being accepted, more about the travellers and their role in society (feels very parallel to travellers in our world, and they face a lot of systemic oppression, so what’s it like in that world?)

I feel like once this is refined it’s going to be a 5 ⭐️ I was honestly gripped, the characters and everything!!!! Scythe and talon were rly equals and it was nice to read about a couple who were equal and made for each other. They were funny as well, I kept laughing throughout. I just really enjoyed it and haven’t enjoyed a book like this in a while.

I CANT WAIT FOR THE OFFICIAL RELEASE AND THE REST OF THE SERIES BECAUSE I WANT MORE 👹👹👹👹👹

At times it felt a little repetitive. Also no a huge fan of miscommunication let alone no communication lol. However overall the story had a great and unique plot. Excited to see where this series goes and if it will continue to follow this couple or focus on another couple that's in the series

YESSSSS! Werewolves, vampires, fae - oh my! I like how dark and magical this is! Loved! I need the next book.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I love the idea of a “witch of the woods” and Scythe was so powerful. I loved the take on gods in this book as well and how they do often like to interfere. I will be reading the prequel to this as I should have done it first. I hope to read a sequel to this book someday as I really want to know what happens with Ryllea. 4 stars rounded up to 4.5! Highly recommend to anyone who loves books about witches faes and werewolves!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-arc

Of Silver and Curses is a compelling blend of romantic fantasy and queer identity(non-binary MC done sooooo well) with some really fantastic tension filled character arcs. I really enjoyed how both of the main characters have sort of a messy past and develop their relationship with lots of fighting and emotional turmoil. There were certainly moments where my chest was hurting, but in a good way? The romance builds slowly but you definitely get some decent spice. Let me tell you that Talon and Scythe are just 🥵

Although there was strong world building, it just didn't seem that the explanation of the continent seemed a bit irrelevant? It only added mildly to some character backstories so I'm hoping that sort of exposition will make further interconnected standalones make sense.

Overall if you're a lover of enemies to lovers, found family vibes, and magic-soaked sexy angst then you'll definitely enjoy this read!

This was a really enjoyable book.
A lot of spice, which I didn't expect, but it didn't bother me.
I really liked the unique concept of Scythes magic. I liked how it was bound to music and nature.
The non-binary representation was really good, which is rare in fantasy books. I liked the pacing and the love story. I liked that all the characters were morally grey and didn't mind killing others and speaking filthy language.
Overall, I had a really good time reading this book.