The Curse Keepers
Curse Keepers, Book 1
Denise Grover Swank
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: 47North
Date of Publication: November 19, 2013
Number of pages: 314
Cover Artist: Larry Rostant
The wall between our world and that of vengeful spirits has protected humanity for more than 400 years. It’s about to come crashing down.
Ellie Lancaster has lived her whole life by the site of the mysterious Lost Colony of Roanoke, the Virginia settlement that vanished without a trace around 1590. Only the descendants of the two men who banished the spirits of an enemy tribe from the material realm know what really happened to the colony. Ellie is one of those descendants—a Curse Keeper. Her father took pains to teach her what he knew of the curse and the responsibilities of its guardians. He taught her that if the two Curse Keepers ever meet, the curse will be lifted, the gate will open, and the raging Native American spirits will be unleashed to seek their revenge.
Despite her father’s seriousness, Ellie has always taken the legend for a harmless fairy tale. Until she meets the darkly handsome, but downright infuriating, Collin Dailey and realizes everything she was told is true. For when they meet, it’s like the air is sucked from the room. Collin’s presence is electrifying… and it’s not just attraction Ellie feels, but the inexorable pull toward her destiny. The prophecy is real, and now Ellie and Collin must battle supernatural forces and their loathing—and passion—for each other to set things right.
The Curse Keepers are all that stand between the world and its destruction.
I am a huge fan of Urban Fantasy, so when I saw this on Netgalley, I requested it because it looked like something I would enjoy. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. I rarely DNF books because, firstly, I only read things that I think I will enjoy and secondly because I hate to leave a story unfinished. With this one, I just couldn't get excited about the characters and when I found myself doing housework rather than read the book, I knew it was time to call it done.
We first meet Ellie as she is working as a waitress in the local restaurant. It is a place that is usually populated by tourists. Ellie splits her time waiting tables and working at her family's local Bed and Breakfast. Ellie lives in Roanoke Virginia, near the site of the Lost Colony. Her family history states that she is a Curse Keeper. The direct descendant of one of 2 people who really knew what happened to the colony. Family legend states that when the 2 Curse Keepers touch, the Colony will reappear and they will have exactly 7 days to close a gate and keep their world from being destroyed.
I really wanted to like this book. I truly did. But I just couldn't stand Ellie or Collin, the other Curse Keeper. Ellie thinks that when she told her best friend about the legend, that her mother died as a result. Currently her father has Alzheimer's and they are barely hanging on to the family Bed and Breakfast. Collin on the other had takes it all more seriously, but comes off as a cross between know-it-all jerk and a conman. They are supposed to be working together, neither one of them are telling the other the truth or being straight with each other. Watching the lies and deceptions just got old fast. Quite frankly, I just didn't like either one of them and at the half way mark, I gave up trying.
This of course is only my opinion. If the book sounds interesting to you, I encourage you to get it and check it out for yourself. My rating stands at 1 star.
Oh that just isn't fun at all! I rarely DNF books either. My "call it quits" moment is when I start cleaning instead of reading. lol
ReplyDeleteRight there with you!! When running the vacuum or dusting your book shelf seems like more fun than reading a book, sometimes you just have to throw in the towel.... and grab a different book, because Hello! who wants to vacuum and dust when there are awesome books just begging to be read?!
DeleteZOMG I hated this too. I hated this so much that I finished it so my hatred could be fully realized. Ellie was ridiculous and Collin was a rat bastard. Blah. I almost said that I was glad you hated it too, b/c misery loves company, but that's not very nice, LOL. I am glad I'm not the only one who thought this was crap though. I mean, really? How do you go so wrong when your foundation is the Lost Colony? This is how . . .
ReplyDeleteOh thank goodness. Sometimes when you really dislike (hate) a book/series that others like (love) you feel like maybe you just don't get it. Now I am not alone! I am vindicated in my dislike! Yeah!!! LOL. I wanted to call Collin and asshat, but the last time I did that, Amazon wouldn't post my review.... speaking of asshats....
DeleteGlad you DNF instead of forcing yourself to read more! If you were at the point of rather doing housework then yeah I'd DNF too lol!
ReplyDeleteWell, I did request the book from Netgalley, so I wanted to give it my all. But when honestly I would rather mop the kitchen floor than read a book, you gotta let it go.
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