ARC Review: Of Wicked Blood by Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz

Of Wicked Blood by Olivia Wildenstein and Katie Hayoz

(The Quatrefoil Chronicles #1)

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

No rest for the wicked... or the cursed.

SLATE

I didn’t mean to steal the Bloodstone from the De Morel’s crypt.

Scratch that, I did mean to steal it.

Until I realized it was a curse-magnet that only comes off if I, along with a jolly trio, successfully defeat four curses.

If any of us fail, I’m dead.

I’ve never been a glass half-empty sort of person, but my glass looks in dire need of a refill right about now.

The only highlight of this wicked treasure hunt: feisty, entitled Cadence de Morel.

CADENCE

I was raised on tales of magic, in a small town reputed to be the birthplace of French witchcraft.

Did I believe all the stories I heard? Absolutely not. I mean, if magic existed, Maman wouldn’t have died, and Papa wouldn’t be stuck in a wheelchair, right?

Wrong.

The night Slate Ardoin waltzes into my life, wearing a ring he stole from my mother’s grave, I call him a monster.

But then I meet real ones, and Slate, well . . . he becomes something else to me.

Something frustrating to live with but impossible to live without.

Something I will fight for, no matter the cost.

*Warning: profuse cursing (and not just the magical kind).

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Curses and treasure and demons oh my!

I really enjoyed this story of a ragtag crew on a life-threatening magical scavenger hunt. They only have a limited time to find all the pieces of the puzzle in order to restore magic otherwise Slate will die and they will lose their chance forever. The danger and the urgency feel very real. A few times the characters missed things which seemed obvious to me, but I suppose they were a bit busy either trying not to die or flirting.

The romance is sweet, enemies to lovers with plenty of tension and I hope they kick it up a notch in the next book. I really enjoyed the verbal sparring between Slate and Cadence, though I did find the changing POVs a little confusing at times. Slate and Cadence both have very rich back stories and I enjoyed getting to know their characters. 

I love the morally grey characters in this, it makes the plot so much more interesting. There is definitely something sinister going on and I can't wait for that reveal.

The French historic town setting is really cool too, very atmospheric, and it adds to the mystery and the danger.

If you're looking for a unique read with suspense, curses, and perfectly imperfect characters, then definitely give this one a try! This series will be a duology.

Happy reading!

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