Title: Curses and Crimes (All the Queen’s Knaves #2)
Author: Kate Sparkes
Publisher: Sparrowcat Press
Page Count: unk
Publication Date: 2022
Category/Genre: Fiction, Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Retelling, Witches, Magic
Good Reads Rating: ★★★★★ (5)
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (4)
“No witch shall live among those who hold to God’s will. They shall be cast out, lest they bring corruption to all.”
Nightingale Goodweather has a secret.
Ten years ago, Gale and her brother Hawk were abandoned in the woods as their village starved. They returned as heroes, children used by God to slay the witch who had cursed their land.
But Gale has never felt like a hero, and since her return, she’s kept a dark secret: during her time with the witch she allowed magic to corrupt her soul. She’s never wavered from her vow to turn her back on that tempting power. But when a new curse arises, spreading sickness and death, Gale realizes she’ll need to stretch the limits of her faith and defy the laws of the land to fight magic with magic.
If she wants to save her people and become the hero she’s always wished to be, she’ll have to risk her soul and her life… and enlist the help of the last person in the world she ever wished to speak to again
Curses and Crimes is a retelling of Hansel and Gretel filled with witches, magic, curses — and religious zealots. But this time, it isn’t the witch that is the villain, and Gale (our Gretel) finds out all too quickly that not everything you think you know, trust, or has been taught is absolute or even the truth.
While this is a fast-paced and quick read I found Gale’s internal conflict and struggles to be long-lasting on my mind and in my heart. Sparkes did a fantastic job in the character’s development and growth, hooking me into Gale’s strife and becoming invested in her.
Madrigal (our witch) was one of my favorite characters and her patience and unconditional love filled me with so much warmth. She was not only a mentor to Gale but to the reader, teaching about how anything can be weaponized and it all comes down to intentions.
This is a book about following your calling, trusting your heart, paving your own path, and allowing the caged bird freedom.
Although this is the second book in the series, it easily is a stand-alone piece and any fans of retellings, witchcraft and magic should dive right in.
Down the Rabbit Hole 