Garden of the Cursed: Volume 1

Katy Rose Pool

Jun 2023 · Garden of the Cursed Book 1 · Sold by Henry Holt and Company (BYR)

About this ebook

In this enemies-to-lovers romantasy mystery, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with a powerful noble to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother's disappearance.

“Nothing short of genius.” —Jennifer Lynn Barnes, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Inheritance Games series

Since fleeing the gilded halls of Evergarden for the muck-filled canals of the Marshes, Marlow Briggs has made a name for herself as the best cursebreaker in Caraza City. But no matter how many cases she solves, she is still haunted by the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow's old friend and scion of one of Caraza's most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself. This edge-of-your-seat novel is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.

"A delicious read full of swoony romance." —Tricia Levenseller, New York Times–bestselling author of Blade of Secrets

Ratings and reviews

As soon as this book arrived, I started reading and never wanted to stop. I cheered for Marlow the entire book and loved her intelligence, street smarts, and loyalty and compassion for her friends. I enjoyed Marlow's interactions with Adrius and their banter made me smile every time. The world is unlike any I've encountered and I completely enjoyed the magical system and intrigue. The plot tossed twists and turns and so many surprises my way to keep me reading. As the suspect list continued to

I honestly don’t know how to express how much I love this book. I loved everything- the plot, characters, writing style, magic system; I loved it all. Essentially the main character, Marlow, is a curse breaker, but she used to live a different life before. One day, the guy she used to have feelings for, Adrius Falcrest, comes back into her life asking her to help him with a curse. So Marlow takes on the case, but she is also trying to find her missing mother at the same time.

Katy Rose Pool is the author of another young adult series I loved called There Will Come A Darkness, so I was super excited for a new book by her and it did not disappoint! This was described as a mystery/fantasy but what the synopsis doesn't tell you is there's also a really amazing romance with fake dating trope! I absolutely loved it and how this combined three of my favorite genres in a young adult book. It was a super fun read and my first five star rating in awhile. I'm super excited that

About the author

Katy Rose Pool, author of the Age of Darkness trilogy, was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA before graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in history. Currently, she resides in Oakland, CA, where she can be found dreaming up spells and prophecies, rooting for the Golden State Warriors, and reading books that set her on fire.