The concept of curses has existed for centuries, with various cultures and religions believing in their power to bring harm or misfortune to individuals or groups. One type of curse that is often discussed is the curse of saints. This idea suggests that saints, despite their holiness and divine connection, possess the ability to inflict harm upon those who offend or disrespect them. In some societies, this curse is believed to manifest itself in the form of illnesses, accidents, or other unfortunate events. It is thought that by disregarding the reverence owed to saints, individuals may anger them and consequently become victims of their curse. This belief exists in different religious and cultural contexts, with saints from Christianity, Islam, and other faiths being associated with potential curses.

REVIEW: The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis

In The Curse of Saints, the first in a trilogy from debut author Kate Dramis, we are introduced to a kingdom rife with the power of Visya’s; individuals who are blessed with affinities of raw, god-like magic. Visya powers fall under any three categories: Physical Affinities, Elemental Affinities, and Mind, Emotion & Sensation Affinities. Our protagonist, Aya, falls under the last, possessing the power of persuasion. These powers, however, have been bound to never grow strong enough to challenge the Nine Divine, the realm’s gods. In a nearby kingdom, there are rumours of a dark magic arising, threatening to reach Aya’s home. It is this dark magic that sets the plot of the book into motion, where Aya, the Queen’s Spymaster, is forced to investigate this threat alongside her rival Will, the Queen’s Enforcer and Second. It is on this journey that Aya discovers that her affinity is one that spills over the bounds that restrict the Visya, placing her at risk of becoming a weapon in a war she does not know how to win, or might not necessarily want to.

The Curse of Saints is built on the foundations of what could have been a solid fantasy novel – a complex magic system, warring kingdoms, vague prophecies and morally grey characters. So, it is a shame that the novel ultimately fails to deliver. The book becomes overwhelmed with all of the fantastical elements it tries to accomplish, slightly skimming the surface but never exploring deep enough into the elements to have a substantial impact. The world-building, in turn, felt incredibly rushed, and so I felt very little connection to the kingdom or the characters.

For instance, we spend some time in the first part of the novel learning that Visya’s have wolf companions that are bonded to them, something that is historically sacred within the religion that rules the realm. We even learn the names of both Aya’s and Will’s bonded wolves, only to never hear of them again. I do hope this is an element that is explored further in the rest of the series as it could definitely result in an intriguing layer to the story, because honestly – who doesn’t love an animal companion?

I did, however, greatly enjoy the political tension that permeates once we reach part two of the novel: Enemies and Allies. In this section, we are introduced to the third point-of-view, Prince Aidon, the heir to the neighbouring kingdom of Trahir. The thread that weaves Aya, Will and Aidon together slowly unravels as the political intrigue arises, whereby each character must question how far they are willing to let their budding friendships last in the greater political game that they have become pawns in.

Ultimately, The Curse of Saints felt overwhelmingly generic. I do, however, feel that the bones of the story have promise. Once it overcomes the awkward characterizations, and we begin to learn more of each individual’s personalities, as well as each kingdom’s politics, I am hopeful that Kate Dramis can steer the story away from the predictability that many recent fantasies find themselves victim to.

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Saberin lives in London and works in publishing. More often than not, you can find her with her nose in a fantasy book or doing whatever it takes to get her cats attention! You can find her on @sabisreading on instagram, where she posts all about her current reads, reviews, fictional fixations and general ramblings on life (with the occasional picture of Kiara, the meanest cat to ever exist).

The Curse Of Saints Readalong: Day 5!

Today we’re reading from Chapter 66 to the end of the book.

Grab a snack, get comfy and let’s read!

Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis, from chapter 66 to the end of the book. Please only read on if you’ve finished The Curse of Saints!

This belief exists in different religious and cultural contexts, with saints from Christianity, Islam, and other faiths being associated with potential curses. However, it is essential to note that the idea of a curse of saints is based on superstition rather than empirical evidence. From a rational perspective, the notion of saints actively punishing or harming those who do not show appropriate respect contradicts the loving and compassionate nature often associated with these revered figures.

-!SPOILERS!-

Aya wakes up in the middle of the desert! She had placed the knife in a spot that would not puncture her heart or lungs, just end the ritual. Very smart.

She heals her wound and sets off back to Rinnia to find Will…then she passes out again.

Aya wakes up (again) and this time she’s in a cave. With Will! HE’S ALIVE!

He comforts her as she tells him what happened and then he reveals that everything he has done has been to protect her. They finally kiss and almost get lost in the throes of passion but Aya is too weak and Will sets her down to rest and eat.

When they get back to Rinnia, Will takes them to see Lorna…who is apparently HIS MOTHER?

It turns out Lorna faked her death and fled to Trahir. She’s a Seer and a descendent of the line who foretold the prophecy of the Second Saint. Lorna’s vision showed a crack in the veil, it’s weakened so Kakos may be able to tear it down. Lorna thinks Gianna wants to call the gods down to get rid of the heretics again.

Lorna believes that Aya’s power could react to something more positive if she allowed it. She has fed/restricted it with her fear/darkness up to this point but there have been moments when it has been positive. Aya has light and dark within her but she can decide her essence, Lorna gives her her mother’s necklace to anchor her.

Will tells Aya to accept the match with Aidon because Aidon is light and he is dark. This doesn’t last long though. At the ball, both Aidon and Aya make their choices clear.

Will immediately wants to speak to Aya and apologise for his suggestion but he is stopped by Sion who tells him Dominic wants to speak to him as Viviane’s party has been attacked.

After dancing for ages, Aya goes in search of Will. Sion tells her he left and went to drink at taverns in town so she goes to her room to wait on his return. She realises she put a shield up when she was being attacked by the Athatis so Will wouldn’t feel her die. Now she finds it and drops it.

Josie turns up at Aya’s door and tells her that they have Will in a dungeon on charges of espionage.

Aya goes to rescue Will but Dominic enters the dungeon, closely followed by Aidon, and guards escorting Josie and Viviane. A beaten Natali is also brought in.

Dominic demands that Aya show her power and the room is filled with screams as he hurts Will and Viviane to motivate her. He reveals that he wants Aya to help him build Kakos’ army.

Dominic plans for Aya to give her power to Aidon, but first to Viviane to check if it is safe. Aya agrees to do it if they let Will go free and Will is taken to his room under guard until she co-operates.

Natali talks Aya through the ritual of transferring her power to Vi. When it is done, they immediately inject Aya so she can’t use her power. Vi survives and Natali confirms that the ritual has worked.

As a “parting gift” Dominic has Aya and Will put in the same dungeon to await death.

As they realise their fate, Aya tells Will to read her now that she has her shield down so he can finally know how she feels about him. They kiss and he proceeds to give her some “motivation” to fight their way out of this…

The next day the executions are to take place in the throne room. Dominic orders for Will to be killed first but Aidon disagrees and says Will should watch Aya’s execution. Aidon asks “Do you remember what you said to me about inner wounds?” before plunging the knife into the scar on Aya’s chest.

Aya pulls the knife out, pushing against the wall holding in her power as she bleeds out. She finally breaks the wall and light explodes from her.

Peter stabs Will in the stomach and Aya is distracted, trying to heal him, so she doesn’t see Dominic coming at her with another knife. Aidon advances on Dominic, catches a knife from his mum and plunges it into Dominic’s heart.

Aya and Aidon both try to heal Will but he’s healing too slowly. They heal him but his eyes are closed and he’s not breathing…is he dead?

Aidon reveals that he is actually a good guy and had told Dominic about Aya’s power to gain his trust and get in on the plan. But he had no idea what Dominic really had planned and he struggled to go along with it and find a moment to intervene. He got Josie and Vi out and commanded Aya to “heal” when he stabbed her, so that she would also heal herself from the tonic.

Aya tells Aidon to tell Trahir and the troops the truth so that they will follow him. She says they must know that the Second Saint and Second War are here and choose to stand against the Dechairé or against the gods.

On the boat back to Tala, Will asks Aya to heal his oath scar. She manages to do so and they then both make a new bloodoath to protect each other.

The epilogue gives us one final, violent scene of Tova being interrogated (or tortured) by Gianna. The book closes as Tova continues to tell herself ‘she is safe, they are safe’.

Did you know Aidon was going to come good?
Do you have any theories for the sequel?
What did you think of the book overall?

That was such an explosive conclusion, I’m still reeling! I need the next book like yesterday…

Thank you all so much for joining us for another FairyLoot readalong. I hope you had as much fun as I did and we’ll see you very soon for the next one!

Furthermore, the concept of curses generally relies on the belief in supernatural powers that go beyond our understanding of the natural world. While it is important to respect and honor the saints as figures of significance in various religious traditions, attributing them the power to cause harm may be more a reflection of our fears and beliefs than a concrete reality. Ultimately, whether the curse of saints is spicy or not depends on one's personal beliefs and cultural background. Some individuals may uphold and fear the consequences of this supposed curse, while others may dismiss it as a mere superstition. As with many supernatural beliefs, the truth behind the curse of saints remains a matter of faith rather than objective evidence..

Reviews for "The Flaming Phenomenon: Unraveling the Curse of Saints"

1. John - 2/10 - I was really disappointed with "Is the Curse of Saints Spicy". The plot was all over the place and the characters were poorly developed. It felt like the author tried to cram too much into one story and it ended up being confusing and messy. The writing style was also a letdown, with awkward dialogue and repetitive descriptions. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a well-written and coherent story.

2. Sarah - 3/10 - I had high hopes for "Is the Curse of Saints Spicy" but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The pacing was incredibly slow and it took forever for anything interesting to happen. The characters were unlikable and their motivations were unclear. The dialogue also felt forced and unnatural. I struggled to stay engaged with the story and ended up feeling unsatisfied with the resolution. This book just wasn't for me.

3. Mark - 2/10 - "Is the Curse of Saints Spicy" was a complete waste of time. The plot was predictable and lacked originality. The characters were shallow and cliché. The author relied too heavily on tired tropes and didn't bring anything new to the table. The writing was also mediocre, with awkward prose and a lack of depth. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating and engaging read.

Tasting the Legends: Can the Curse of Saints Truly Be Spicy?