Review: Sealed With a Curse

Reviewed by Jen
 

Celia is the oldest of four sisters, who each carry within them a different brand of magic.  They've spent their entire lives laying low, trying to avoid the supernatural community. But now they no longer have a the anonymity they have enjoyed for so long.  One of the sisters, Taran, had an unfortunate encounter with a vampire that ended with his death. Now, Misha, the dead vamp's master, wants to hold all four women accountable for his demise.  So he has them called in front of a group of vampire judges for justice.

It turns out the sisters had no choice but to off the vampire. But through their trial they are outed to their fellow supes.  And they are drawn in to a major problem plaguing the vamps.  There is a bloodlust sickening them.  As each vampire is infected, they keep eating and eating, growing larger, mindless, and more dangerous with each kill.  Misha reaches out for their help and despite the fact that he almost had them killed, Celia accepts.

In the meantime, the sisters end up falling for a group of werewolves.  Celia has it bad for Aric, the alpha.  She, herself, is a shifter... only she turns into a tigress.  She doesn't have a lot of experience with men, but all of a sudden she finds herself the object of desire for both Aric and Misha.  Though it's only Aric she wants, there are obstacles in the way.  The story follows Celia and her sisters as they try to solve the mystery of the vampire infections while they find love with werewolves in Aric's pack.

Overall, I liked the story. But there were a few things that kept me from loving it.  One, is that in the beginning, I sort of felt like I was jumping into a story already in progress.  Not only with the dead vamp, but just these women in general. So much so, that I went online to see if I had missed an earlier book in the series.  It turns out, there was a prequel, and maybe I would not have had the same nagging feeling had I read "The Weird Girls."

Problem number two: the romances.  Not so much the one between Aric and Celia, but the ones involving her sisters.  The other three just so happen to run into Liam, Gem, and Koda in a bar.  Then they all match up into happy little couples and it's all HEA for them from that point on.  It was a little too convenient for me.  Fortunately, the progression of Celia's relationship with Aric took a more winding road... with even the hint of a triangle with Misha.

Oh, and problem three: I figured out the bad guy in the first quarter of the book.

I know that probably sounds like a lot of complaints.  But it was generally an enjoyable read.  I liked the Wird sisters. Their personalities, voices, and talents were all distinct and developed enough that they did not run together.  The world-building was straightforward and easy to follow.  And I liked the action and the plot.  It was a fun read. No sex, but I have hope for the future. --I definitely plan to read A Cursed Embrace to see where the story goes next.

Rating: B

*ARC Provided by Signet Eclipse

Click to purchase: Amazon

Sealed With a Curse

by Cecy Robson

Release Date: December 31, 2012

Publisher: Signet Eclipse