Book Review: Of the Curse or the Crown

Genre: Romantasy

Length: 542 pages

Series Information: Book 2 in a series of standalone books.

Available on Kindle Unlimited

*** This is a no spice romantasy.

Of the Curse and or the Crown is book 2 in an interconnected series (The Veridian Empire) of standalone books by VB Lacey. What does this mean? It means the series takes place in the same world and mentions many of the same characters. It also means that the story more than likely will progress with each book even though each book will have an overall plot that is wrapped up by the end. It also means that each book will focus on a different couple/love story. The Veridian Empire is planned to have four books overall. Book one of the series, In the Wake of the Wicked, is also available on Kindle Unlimited.

If you like VB Lacey’s work, or perhaps you want to try her books, but just want a shorter or completed series you can try her Elementals Duology. This is also a no-spice series. This means there are no open-door intimate scenes in these stories.

“As a former rebel leader, Clarissa Aris is no stranger to power. She’s ready to reclaim the throne of the Veridian Empire and is eager to guide her people out of a past of violence and into a better future.

But when a mysterious king unexpectedly asks for her hand in marriage to restore peace between their two lands, she chooses to accept. Clarissa travels to meet him in Mysthelm, a realm they had been cut off from for centuries, and is thrust into a foreign kingdom with secrets around every corner, a betrothed she isn’t sure she can trust, and brewing tension with his handsome best friend and advisor.

Clarissa’s search for answers uncovers the truth behind a deadly blight sweeping Mysthelm and a centuries-old curse threatening to destroy the people she’s come to care for. When she learns her magic may be the only cure, she’s determined to both rescue this kingdom from danger and keep the Veridian Empire safe from meddling forces.

Time is running out. Which will fall first: the curse or the crown?”

I tried very hard to love this book, but, sadly, it just wasn’t a good fit for me. The blurb was extremely interesting and the cover so pretty- which is why I decided to request the advanced reader copy of this book. However, this book is marketed as a series of interconnected standalones that you could read together or independently. While you could technically read this book without having read the first one (which I tried to do), it was obvious that the main character and her friends had a lot of backstory in the first book. Because of this I constantly felt like I was missing key information.

I had a really hard time caring about any of the characters. I wondered I would have had I read the first book in the series. I also had a hard time caring about the plot or any of the politics happening in this world. However, it is very clear while reading this book that there were major political changes that took place in the first standalone that might make book 2 more meaningful.

I tried very hard to get through this book, but after a week of reading it, I had only made it through 78 pages and reading them felt like a chore. Plus, there was a book that I had been excited to read for months sitting on my bookshelf. I unfortunately decided not to finish this one and to move on in my reading adventure. I am not against returning to this series in the future, but I have no plans to continue it soon.

However, just because it was not for me, does not mean you shouldn’t try it. I have seen many reviews from different readers stating that they loved the book and found the tension between characters to be delicious.

King Midas retelling

Love triangle

Forbidden romance

Arranged marriage

Shape shifting

Princess Diaries 2 retelling

No! If you are looking for a no-spice book, this series is for you. However, it is marketed as having A LOT of tension. What does this mean? There is all of the romantic build-up without the open-door scenes.