A Curse of Gems: A Retelling of Toads and Diamonds (The Classical Kingdoms Collection Book 7)

I’ve been reading Fichter’s books since she first started publishing on Kindle, and her latest does not disappoint. “Diamonds and Toads” was a fairytale I had to wrack my brains over for a minute or two. Oh, yes; good sister gets blessed by a fairy in disguise and every time she talks, jewels come out of her mouth. The bad sister, of course, gets cursed to speak out toads and snakes, and comes to an appropriately tragic end when she vainly tries to thwart the inevitable happily ever after.Honestly, I would not have thought such a simple premise would work for a retold and elaborate story. But Brittany has not only done so beautifully, but also written a story about what it takes to heal in and after tragedy and betrayal with a good dose of medieval fantasy adventure and court politics. Her two leads (no spoilers!) are both extremely well-written, flawed, lovable, growing characters who exemplify different kinds of strength and weakness in trials. It is, of course, a romance, but it’s also very much about humans and healing souls and faith. And choosing to trust when you’re afraid.5/5 stars for the plot, the characters, and the rich backdrop of the world Fichter has made, but there are a few formatting/spelling errors here and there. Nothing major to disrupt this awesome read.

The fairytale this is based on is a bit less known than most and the take on it in this book was surprising. Overall, I thought it was a unique approach and I enjoyed the characters, the world, and the romance. The only thing I didn't like was that, unlike the other books in the series, I felt that the religious aspect came off really preachy in this book, enough so that it pulled me out of the story a few times. The other books also include a religion that is really similar to Christianity, but in those books it see to be more in the background as an innate part of the world that enhanced the story. In this book there were several places where I felt like the author was pushing religion on the reader more than it just being a vital part of the story. But aside from that, I would say this book was nearly perfect.

Curse of Gems is the seventh book in Brittany Fichter's Classical Kingdom Collection. This book follows closely after the Silent Mermaid. I was really excited to read this book, especially when I learned that it was about Lucas, Michael’s younger brother. This was the one of the first books that I have read that was a retelling of Diamonds and Toads. I am pleased to say that it was really good. Lucas is the younger brother, the second son. He has strived for most of his life to please others and bring about peace however he can. He truly cares for his family and all he wants is to help his brother. But helping his brother means risking his life. His kingdom needs to pay off their debt, Lucas has to travel beyond the wall into a place filled with exiles, filled with evil. He needs to pay the debt back to the “king” of Terrefantome before it is too late. Jaelle just wants to get out of it Terrefantome. But she is losing hope, the world seems to be getting darker and hopeless. She no longer has a way of getting out from under her stepmother. Luckily she has her stepsister to care for her and help her. But then things take a turn for the worst, her sister has done things that can never be erased. She is given the “gift” of producing gems whenever she speaks. But this gift is more like a curse, making her the most coveted creature in the land. I really enjoyed this book, it was really good. I fell in love with Brittany’s books when I read My Carolina Airman and this book was just as good. I really enjoyed seeing Jaelle fall for Lucas. It takes a while, but she slowly finds herself trusting him and failing for him. Lucas was cute, I think it took him a little longer to realize that he had fallen for Jaelle. But once he figures out that he loves her, he was willing to do anything for her. Jaelle was such a strong woman, she had to learn what it meant to stand up for herself and what it meant to let others lead. She really grows as she travels with Jaelle and Lucas’ mother. She had such a kind heart even in the midst of horrible circumstances. She had been pushed around her whole life and yet when she is finally given the chance of freedom, she learns that loving someone is better. Lucas was a prince who was searching for himself. He was such a complicated character, who was kind and yet firm. He found herself, but it took a long journey, his mother nagging him, and a broken girl for him to see the light. Lucas had to grow into a man he could be proud of, he had to learn how to fight for what was right. I found it sweet that even though his mother drove him crazy, Lucas still cared for her and did his best to protect her. I don’t know what else to say, but that this was an amazing book. It dealt with real problems, but it still gave you a happy ending. I would totally recommend it! I fell hard for Lucas and Jaelle and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series.

I love when the universe of a story expands and you can continue the journey with some much beloved characters.This was no exception.Sad that not all could be save from the Sorteliege. ButMy fav bit was Admiral Starke's comment. "Guess I'll just stand here and wait until you're ready to Christian your children....". I've read many of her books and the Maker was a mystical entity that flows with the stories. In this book however, it a bit preachy and it threw my focus off the story line.I do like the ending in the actual book compared to the original ending (this is a bonus read after you sign up for her emails).