The Curse of Ophelia

"I was not made for skirts, Father, I was made for swords."Before starting I would like to thank Nicole for letting me read an eARC of her incredible book baby.. This was a magical experience.From the first page until the last I was hooked. This has been one of my top most anticipated releases for the longest time and it was everything and beyond.The story, the characters, the journey and the world Nicole has managed to capture was such a breath of fresh air and one that has taken such a special spot in my heart. I was sucked in even before I realised just how much I would come to love and appreciate them all.The Curse of Ophelia is about healing, self discovery, emotional growth, the importance of your own chosen family. Its about learning that it is alright to not always be okay.Ophelia, what an absolute fiery delight she was. I have been obsessed with her just from a couple of snippets and teasers that were shared prior but meeting her truly was extraordinary. A true warrior at heart and soul. We know she is strong from the get go, however, getting to experience her mature into a force to be reckoned was exceptional. Her mental strength is definitely tested and even drained at certain points. The events that takes place prior that lead her to this breaking point are definitely not easy but seeing her rebuild her self with the help of her family and friends was truly awe inspiring, real. I will forever be one of her biggest supporters.Malakai, I am every bit obsessed with him as Ophelia. The kind of MMC that I still find myself thinking about even long after finishing TCOO. What I wouldn't give to be on the receiving end of his passion and devotion.However, if there is one character that utterly surprised me by just how much I've come to adore is Tolek Vincienzo. Seeing him be there for Ophelia every time filled my heart in more ways than I can begin to explain. He is sassy, fun, authentic, witty and real in ways that makes him feel that he truly is someone you could lean a shoulder on because he would hold you up.Truthfully, there were just so many wonderful characters I had the absolute delight of meeting along the way when reading this. The kind that made me feel like I was actually a part of their chosen clan and that is all the more reasons why it felt like I wasn't just reading a book, I was living in it.I truly hope my words can do The Curse of Ophelia justice. Reading this felt ethereal. I am one of the biggest hype girls for this and every bit of love towards this is much deserved.So excited for the world to meet them all and experience this first hand. I will now be desperately waiting for the second book.Congratulations Nicole, you've managed to capture something so utterly triumphant!

— 4 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️"I was Ophelia Tavania Alabath, daughter of one of the most powerful Mystique bloodlines, future Second of our clan, and no one harmed those I loved without having to answer to me."📖 | 394 pages👤 | author Nicole Platania🏢 | published independently📅 | release date 7 Feburary 2023What you can expect:— New Adult Fantasy Romance— First Instalment In A Series— First-Person POV— Dual POV— 'Chosen One'— Friends-to-Lovers— Magic And Mythology— Riddles and Quests— Secret Identities And Betrayals— Found FamilyTrigger & Content Warnings include: depictions of grief, alcohol dependency and withdrawal symptoms, blood/gore, death of a loved one, violence, torture, some sexual content.The Curse of Ophelia is the first in a new Fantasy Romance series by debut author Nicole Platania. As a descendant of a prestigious and powerful bloodline of warriors, all Ophelia ever dreamed of was completing The Undertaking and taking her rightful place as a Mystique warrior alongside her first and only love, Malakai. Instead, war ravaged her lands and a deadly curse fell upon her people. Two years later and the war is over. The curse is lifted Malakai is gone. It’s been two years since Ophelia has seen the boy she loves. When a treaty was signed ending the war and lifting the curse on Mystique Warriors, Malakai left to attempt the sacred ritual known as the Undertaking. He never returned, and the Undertaking was declared forbidden. Ophelia’s world crumbled around her, and since then she has pursued a fruitless search for answers. When the deadly curse resurfaces only on her, Ophelia finds solace in the idea that when she dies, she may finally be reunited with her lost love. Then, a messenger appears, telling her that she alone may be the one to save her people. With her closest friends by her side, Ophelia embarks on a race against death—one that will not only challenge her physically, but make her question the Mystique leaders, the Angels, and her belief in love. Can she win the fight against fate before the curse takes her life, or will the betrayals exposed along the way kill her first?The best way that I can describe The Curse of Ophelia is sheer, enjoyable chaos. I can't lie, there were multiple moments I had no idea what was going on, however the vibes were strong and I still had a great time. Author Nicole Platania has created an immersive and atmospheric world filled with intriguing lore and a strong sense of history. My favourite aspect of this book is how fundamentally raw and vulnerable the introduction to our main character, Ophelia, is. I will admit that there were some moments where I did not particularly enjoy her as a character, however that just seeks to give credit to the author's incredible writing ability as author Nicole Platania has written an incredibly flawed and diverse cast of characters. For the very first time in my reading experience, we meet the main character as she is already near rock bottom. Ophelia's entire life has been upended, and we meet her as she is struggling to accept her new normal. Feeling robbed of her heritage and the boy she loves, Ophelia largely exists in a cloud of bitterness, anger and despair. It was such a refreshing take to begin the series with the main character in such a low state, as we then get the joy of watching her regain her fight, rise back up and find her footing. Ophelia is fiercely passionate and loyal to the people in her life, and her refusal to accept Malakai's death tugged on my heartstrings. We follow Ophelia on a journey filled with triumphs and failures... and I felt genuine pride over her character development through to the end.I will admit that I wasn't expecting an alluded love triangle within this series, however I do admit to absolutely falling in-love with Tolek's witty and loving nature. His devotion and loyalty for his friends are unchallenged, as is his clear love and longing for Ophelia. I love that Tolek refused to give up on Ophelia when she lost her way, and maintained a constant emotional and physical crutch of support when it was necessary. I definitely don't have a clear preference between Tolek and Malakai as of yet as the majority of Malakai's appearances are set in the past, and I firmly believe present-day Malakai will be fundamentally different based on his traumatic experiences. I look forward to getting to know both characters better in the sequel, The Shards of Ophelia.I was utterly enraptured with the journey that Ophelia and her friends find themselves on throughout this story as I found myself unwilling to put the book down. The dynamics in the group are a varied mix that leave a firm impression on every single page, and I had a lot of fun anticipating and guessing the twists and turns that are teased throughout the story. Whilst I accurately guessed a couple, there were some moments where I felt genuine shock and bafflement over what I was reading. The Curse of Ophelia concludes with a solid ending and strong build-up on what to expect within the next book.

I did enjoy it, but it never really sucked me in. The world building was good but lacked a little depth. Mostly it felt like it skimmed along the surface of a great story.

I’ve been following Nicole’s Journey to publication for a while now and was lucky enough to receive an ARC. Let me tell you, my honest review of this book is that it is breathtakingly beautiful. Only a few pages in I was blown away by the eloquent and poetic writing. If you read this book you would assume it’s traditionally published with rounds of edits and support or Nicole’s tenth book. To have this level of quality in a debut indie book is something many’s strive for and Nicole should be proud of her skill.After only one chapter I knew this book would be a favourite and that I would not put it down. I was right, I didn’t put it down until I’d finished it five hours later.The story explores some hard but beautifully told themes and characters that you will instantly fall in love with. My only complaint? I wanted more and more! I’m intrigued and excited to read book two and see where relationships and storylines will go!

This book warmed my heart... The characters are lovable but flawed, which makes it a delightful read. The world-building keeps you guessing about what will come next, the clans and magic system, something I can't wait to dive in more in future books. Ophelia is quite the badass, and so are her companions, but it is one Tolek Vincienzo that I'm most excited about to see develop as the story goes on. And while Malakai has a piece of my heart, I have an inkling about what's to come next... Bring on a world of hurt for all of them, I'm ready to suffer along with these characters 😭😭❤️

So well written, it deserves the notoriety that other books within this genre have garnered. Can’t wait to read the next two.

I picked this baby up on a whim and finally settled in to read it. I blitzed through this one s quickly! Book one so i don't know what's going to happen but the tension is just the right amount of angst. I need more Tolek in my life, for sure! Ophelia is one feisty heroine. She is proof,has her struggles, but is there for her friends, her, and her people. The girl is a queen and a brilliant warrior.

Badass FMC, Friends that are family, banter, love and inner demons. Riddles to keep your mind reeling as you read every line and meticulously pick them apart trying to decipher their meaning before the answers are revealed.This story was absolutely amazing. After recently completing all of the SJM books, I was pleasantly surprised to be so trapped into a story. I expected to be dissatisfied from any books so soon after Queen Sarah Janet Maas, but if I'm being honest, Nicole may very well be the next SJM, Raven Kennedy or Jennifer Armentrout.Although I'm terrified of what will happen, I have to agree with Liz in her credits - I'm team Tolek. For now. (please don't turn him or Mal evil. Or kill them. OMG this is like twilight or the summer I turned pretty. I love both of them but don't want either to get hurt physically or emotionallyI'm excited to learn about Rina and Jez more as they both had odd encounters and seem to either be hiding something or just generally don't know.Notes I took that I will not be expanding on:-Takes on burdens/hides truths/self sacrifice like Aelin to protect loved ones-best friend banter (secretly in love?)-riddle to ponder-multi POV-flashbacks to past to help fill in blanks-TOD vibes-"who did this to you" but from girl = fresh and cuteperspective

This book was a great surprise to me, great world building, a friend group of mature people with strong ties to one another, there where parts where I grew frustrated with the FMC but that needed to happen to really show you her growth and the feelings she was going through. Ophelia is a warrior at heart and a formidable woman, her strength and the grit with which she held on to her love was incredible and I must say my favorite part was the ending, because while it did in fact deliver a strong hook for following books, the story does give you a sense of closure or at least an oasis from which the story may move forward, it felt like a moment to catch my breath, as much as I want to keep on reading this compelling story, I also wanna process and relish all the teachings and beautiful moments it gave me 🖤🖤Absolutely amazing

I loved the world building in this and how broken but also how strong our fmc Ophelia is. Never giving up on finding her lost love Malakai alive after two years. The camaraderie between herself, her sister Jez and their friends Cy, Rina and Tol is just beautiful and the lengths they go through for each other and their quest is amazing. I loved seeing Ophelia's rage and hope for more of it.I'm team Tol all the way. Lol.

This book was difficult to get through. I felt that it was all build up until around page 200 or so. The story was interesting but slightly difficult to follow and it was not a book that I felt I could not skim though or I would miss important details. The unspoken sexual tension between Ophelia and Tolek was interesting and I'm Curious to see where the author takes their charactersI did feel torn between liking the characters and feeling like their wasn't enough depth to them though. During the Spirit Volcano, I started to lose interest just because I felt like nothing had happened up until that point and I wasn't sure if the story was still going to drag on or if I had finally reached the climax of the book. I did guess early on who was behind the torture but the full decite was surprising.