However, the themes of love, the power of story, family influence, and holding onto belief are well rounded and add depth. While the pervasive magic and concept of the Fates as a religious system add interest, other fantasy elements are haphazardly incorporated without enough time devoted to building a cohesive world. The writing style fluctuates from clever and original to overly verbose and often confusing in its jumble of senses. The bargain they strike sends her on a dark and magical journey throughout the land.

Evangeline desperately prays to the Prince of Hearts, a dangerous and fickle Fate famed for his heart that is waiting to be revived by his one true love-and his potentially lethal kisses. Despite inheriting a steady trust in magic, belief in her late mother’s homeland of the mystical North (where fantastical creatures live), and philosophy of hope for the future, her dreams are dashed when Luc, her love, pledges to marry Marisol instead. When her father passes away, Evangeline is left with her cold stepmother and kind but distant stepsister, Marisol. Grey is white, and there is diversity among the secondary characters.Ī lukewarm retelling of “Beauty and the Beast.”Īfter praying to a Fate for help, Evangeline discovers the dangerous world of magic. Readers will empathize with both of them, although their long internal monologues may cause their attention to waver at times. The story is told from the perspectives of both Jaya and Grey. Rosetta’s wearing a shining ruby pendant fills him with terror. Grey, on the other hand, has lived as a recluse thanks to Jaya’s great-great-grandmother’s curse that makes his family fear he will die at age 18. On a mission to break Grey’s heart, Jaya finds to her surprise that there is more to him than she thought. Now Jaya has discovered that the Emersons have dragged her little sister into the feud, and she will not rest until she has gotten her revenge. The Emersons and Raos have had a feud for generations over a ruby that once belonged to the Raos and was stolen by the Emersons in the days of British colonialism. Rosetta’s near Aspen, Colorado, a school that has a reputation for well-kept secrets. Indian princesses Jaya Rao and her sister, Isha, begin their senior and sophomore years, respectively, at St. Rosetta’s International Academy: to take revenge by breaking the heart of English aristocrat Grey Emerson. Rajkumari Jaya Rao has one goal during her time at St.

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon