Title: Castle of the CursedAuthor: Romina Garber
Pages: 304
Publication Date: July 30, 2024
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:
THE HOUSE IS ALWAYS HUNGRY…
After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor’s guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra.
Beneath its gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents’ deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he’s been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress.
As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra’s secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she’s chasing has already found her . . . and they’re closer than she ever realized.
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Castle of the Cursed is the first book I’ve read by Romina Garber, and I’m so glad I buddy read it with Leah @ Leah’s Books because we had a great time analyzing the characters, making predictions, and talking about the author’s amazing writing style.
The story is a suspenseful and mysterious Gothic romantasy that follows Estela, who journeys to her family’s castle after the tragic death of her parents. I loved the Gothic vibes and the mystery surrounding the castle, the town, and her family. La Sombra isn’t just a castle. It becomes a character itself, and the sinister secrets it holds are fascinating. I think I found La Sombra almost as intriguing as the characters and love how immersive the setting is. The imagery and figurative language create a dark and atmospheric backdrop for the story.
Almost as mysterious as La Sombra is one of its inhabitants. Sebastián is trapped at La Sombra and can’t remember his life before waking up there. He’s a mysterious shadow who spent all his time alone until Estela arrives. He has an interesting and brutal backstory, but losing his memory, spending so much time alone, and developing a relationship with Estela allows us to see a softer, more vulnerable side to him, a side Sebastián never knew existed.
Estela is a fascinating protagonist as are some of the secondary characters, especially her aunt and her new friend Felipe. I love how the author created such unique and layered characters, each with their own compelling story to tell. As Estela works to figure out the mystery surrounding her parent’s death and break the curse that has plagued her family for generations, she also learns about the townspeople, her childhood, and more. Garber makes good use of flashbacks, and those, as well as the many twists and turns, kept me guessing and invested in Estela’s story.
Like the characters, this story has a lot of layers, and just when I thought I knew where the plot was headed, it went in a direction I totally didn’t expect. It definitely kept me on my toes and made for a fun buddy read. A mesh of Gothic mystery and paranormal romance, it’s an immersive, suspenseful, and unique story. Special thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Home has never been a destination for me. It’s momentum.
You don’t need to be a monster to do monstrous things.
Romina Garber is a NYT/International Bestselling YA author who also writes under pen name Romina Russell. Born in Buenos Aires and raised in Miami, Romina landed her first writing gig as a teen—“College She Wrote,” a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core.
Romina Garber is a NYT/International Bestselling YA author who also writes under pen name Romina Russell. Born in Buenos Aires and raised in Miami, Romina landed her first writing gig as a teen—“College She Wrote,” a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core.
Great review! You managed to touch on everything we discussed and then some! I’m looking forward to our next few buddy reads!
Thanks! I am too – we’ll have to see how Leslie’s feeling.
Hopefully she’s on the mend!