Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Cursed
SERIES: A Balance Of Magic #2
AUTHOR: Jackie Keswick
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 303 Pages
RELEASE DATE: March 23, 2022
BLURB:
Two friends. Two worlds. A selfish desire that threatens them both.
Raijin killed a witch and found himself cursed.
Sandro went to Raijin’s aid and became an assassin’s target.
Neither expected that they would trigger the biggest upheaval their world had seen in a thousand years.
And that it was the love between them that would lift the curse.
Cursed, the second book in the Balance of Magic series, is a slow-burn m/m fantasy romance featuring friends-to-lovers who become soulmates, irate death gods, curses, inept, narcissistic politicians, curious, compassionate witches, and a found family.
REVIEW:
Hunters that represent clans from around the world gather at the Custodia to protect humans from demons. The general populous does not know about demons and wish to remain in the dark. Therefore, the hunters are a secret society that travels within the veils of the universe. Raijin and Sandro are two such hunters from very different backgrounds whose journey to happiness is littered with demons, agism, fear, politics, and things unknown. Outcast, feared, and revered, the decades bring Sandro and Raijin together to form a bond no one can break.
Cursed is book two in the Balance of Magic series. I thought book one, Caught, was complex, but this was even more so. Raijin hails from Japan, Sandro from Italy, and when partnered at the Custodia, they are sent on worldwide missions, making this a globetrotting experience.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Raijin and Sandro. However, the odd sneaky voice from a third party also emerges. With events taking place all over the world and via multiple veils, world-building is intricate and extensive. The horrors of war were particularly effective. Inter-Clan politics is a huge feature – this aspect can be messy in the real world, let alone in a fantasy novel. This made for multiple twists and story turns.
Raijin is the son of Rakurai from book one, and the story arc from there merges with the arc from book two, as do some characters. I loved it when Rakurai and Tenzen made an appearance. Time with them was among my favorite scenes. Sandro loves his fashion, but his familial experience was the opposite of Raijin’s, and his story is as dramatic as it is heartbreaking. Their pairing was a lovely dynamic one.
The timeline of this story spans more than a century. And as the tale is a slow burn, this leaves a lot of information to fit in, and despite date-stamps appearing, I found them somewhat of a brain-ache. So, I tended to ignore them, and, as a result, I got on better with the story.
In one respect, Cursed is a magnificent piece of writing. It is an involved read, cleverly put together, covering hurt, comfort, politics, conspiracies, memory manipulation, war, extended senses, magic, injury, love, fantasy, other worlds, and more; almost everything but the kitchen sink was included. Some parts were truly mind-blowing (in a good way). But, there was a bit too much going on for my brain power to comprehend. There were catch-up points, which was helpful, but there were also multiple repetitions of some aspects. Although I appreciated the enthusiasm for each location and situation, I think I’d have enjoyed it more if there was a little less intricacy to the worldbuilding, and more to the end. The final percentage felt like I was running out of pages for this episode of the story to be completed.
As the middle book of what appears to be a trilogy, it was always destined to be a story development phase. Effectively a story within a story. Therefore, I look forward to book three, where there will hopefully be some resolutions. And as much as I liked the pairing of Raijin and Sandro, my top boys remain Rakurai and Tenzen.
RATING: 
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