Release date: July 30 2024
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 304
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: I took part in a read along for this book with Tandem Collective and they kindly sent me a cop to review
Rating: 3.25/5 stars

Synopsis

THE HOUSE IS ALWAYS HUNGRY…

After a mysterious attack claims the lives of her parents, all Estela has left is her determination to solve the case. Suffering from survivor’s guilt so intense that she might be losing her grip on reality, she accepts an invitation to live overseas with an estranged aunt at their ancestral Spanish castle, la Sombra.

Beneath its gothic façade, la Sombra harbors a trove of family secrets, and Estela begins to suspect her parents’ deaths may be linked to their past. Her investigation takes a supernatural turn when she crosses paths with a silver-eyed boy only she can see. Estela worries Sebastián is a hallucination, but he claims he’s been trapped in the castle. They grudgingly team up to find answers and as their investigation ignites, so does a romance, mistrust twined with every caress.

As the mysteries pile up, it feels to Estela like everyone in the tiny town of Oscuro is lying and that whoever was behind the attack has followed her to Spain. The deeper she ventures into la Sombra’s secrets, the more certain she becomes that the suspect she’s chasing has already found her . . . and they’re closer than she ever realized.

Review

Castle of the Cursed is a dark, gothic YA story that follows a young woman named Estela. When Estela’s parents die in a tragic accident, Estela is sent to live with her estranged aunt in a remote town in Spain. Estela’s aunt is the owner of an ancient Spanish castle known as la sombra. The castle is full of secrets and Estela is determined to uncover the truth about her past and why her parents left. But when she stumbles into the path of a mysterious boy that only she can see, she discovers this investigation may have more going on than she could possibly imagine.

Castle of the Cursed is an entertaining read and at just over 300 pages, it was definitely a quick read. The story is fast paced, with absolutely tons of twists and turns. This is certainly a book that will keep you guessing. I loved the dark, gothic setting and I really enjoyed Garber’s writing style. The eerie hallways of la sombra really came to life and I really liked seeing Estela explore the castle as she attempts to uncover the truth.

While overall this was an enjoyable read, the romance didn’t really work in my opinion. The characters fall in love incredibly quickly and I just didn’t believe it. The second half of the book also had so many twists and surprise moments that it felt a little much. I think this book could have done with an extra hundred pages to slow down the ending and give the romance a chance to build.

Overall Castle of the Cursed is a fun and quick gothic fantasy story. If you’re a fan of vampires, dark romance or books full of mystery this one could be exactly what you’re looking for.