A Curse of Blood & Stone: A Book Review

Another adventurous installment of the Fate & Flame fantasy series by K.A. Tucker, A Curse of Blood & Stone continues the story of Romeria who finds herself with immense magical power abilities within a world she is still trying to figure out.
The angst between Romy and the outcast elven king, Zander, had all the typical Tucker amazingness as the two characters tried to fight against their forbidden feelings toward each other. I think I would like a tad bit more romance within the story between them but I’m hoping there is a lot more to come.
I really liked that Romy’s abilities are growing and that she picked up a bunch of mortal strays as a cost for saving their lives. I feel like these characters will continue to play an important role in the next book.
While it did take me a bit to grasp what was happening because a lot occurred in the first novel, I appreciated the pace to be able to remember the backstory to what was happening as the author provided along the way.
There was enjoyable action, magic, character development and new friends in this story and I can’t wait to see what happens in the third book!
Thank you Valentine PR and K.A. Tucker for the advanced reader’s copy. Thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
Book Description
From jewelry thief to interloper to queen-in-waiting, Romeria flees Cirilea a traitor to all. But the yawning distance between her and Zander troubles her more than any king’s bounty on her head. While Zander may have escaped by her side, he seeks to regain his throne, and no immortal will ever welcome her as Islor’s queen. She fears it won’t be long before Zander abandons her as everyone else she’s ever loved has.
Zander sacrificed his crown to save Romeria’s life, yet he dreads what her existence means for the future of his realm. As Ybaris’s plan to destroy Islor unfurls, a more insidious threat, orchestrated by rival fates, lurks beneath the surface. He can offer his allies no honest explanation for why he protects the Ybarisan princess and takes counsel from Queen Neilina’s caster, leading those closest to doubt his wisdom—and his allegiance.
As their company aims for the Venhorn Mountains, steered by prophecy, Romeria is desperate to wield her newfound abilities to undo Princess Romeria’s treachery before the kingdom tears itself apart. But with the mortal rebellion swelling, bolstered by the gift of Ybaris’s poison, it may already be too late.
From internationally bestselling author K.A. Tucker comes the second novel in her Fate and Flame series, an adult fantasy story that should be read in series order.