The Cursed Crown (Eldritch Heart, #2) (2024)

THE ELDRITCH HEART SEQUEL HAS MORE HEART AND LESS ELDRITCH
Though we share a last name, we are not related. I was given a copy of this book to read it and provide feedback. I am giving this honest review with no promise of any remuneration from the author on my part and no expectation of a positive review on the author’s part.
Newly married Queen Kitlyn and Princess Consort Oona don’t have time for a traditional honeymoon. In a land of Magic, the two are off on another adventure to save not only their kingdom but also one that has (Title Alert) “The Cursed Crown.”
I have been reading Matt’s books for nearly five years since his first book; the ground-breaking science fiction-paranormal mash-up “Division Zero” was published. Back then, I had plenty of his work to read since in the first year as a published author he produced five novels. Matt has continued to be a prolific author of quality books in multiple genres for diverse audiences. Having written over 50 reviews in four years, I am having a hard time coming up with original words of praise (to ensure the Amazon Bots don’t think it is a template review) for his work. When you read a Matthew S. Cox book, you can be assured it contains a well-scripted, fast-paced storyline; appealing, well-rounded, complex characters; and authentic, interesting dialogue. “The Cursed Crown” has all of this and more. This is the second book in The Eldritch Heart series, yet it holds its own as a stand-alone tome. Matt ensured there was enough reference to the previous book that if the reader had not read “The Eldritch Heart,” they know what occurred but not so much that a quarter of the book is a rehash of previous events.
When working with two sixteen-year-old, female lovers the author must skirt the “Kiddie p*rn” issues, which Matt does with expert skill. I appreciate that there were no explicit sex scenes in the book. If I want to read p*rnography, I will pick up an X-rated erotic book, not a Young Adult fantasy, suspense novel.

Cox smoothly blends questions of metaphysics with grimy fantasy and diverse characters to create a young adult tale that is both deep and fast-paced, uplifting and realistic.

This novel is the sequel to The Eldritch Heart. As Cox himself says at the start, sharp pointy spoilers ahead.

With the twenty-five-year war against Evermoor over, King Aodh Talomir’s deceit uncovered, and Kitlyn revealed as the true heir to the throne of Lucernia, Oona expects her greatest problem to be marrying despite the objections of those who consider lesbianism impure. However, when Aodh chooses to end his life rather than face the disgrace of being censured by the priesthood, the two sixteen-year-old girls have the weight of rulership thrust upon them. With reactionary forces seeking to overthrow them, mysterious attacks on both sides of the border threatening peace with Evermoor before it has even been formalised, and no previous monarch having lived into old age, Oona cannot escape the idea that the crown is cursed.

As with the previous volume, Cox opens with a series of day-to-day events such as preparing for the wedding and sitting through royal audiences filled with the minutiae of economics and etiquette. This tedium both serves to portray the inertia of a nation and to firmly ground the plot in realism by showing that heroes do not become skilled monarchs merely by dint of being good people.

This focus on the repercussions of events in the previous book and how much simpler life was in some ways for Oona and Kit when they were questing also allows Cox to reprise matters that might be relevant later without risking the distancing effect of prologues or other overt exposition.

Where the first book addressed Kit and Oona’s realisation of their sexuality and their fears of rejection by each other, this one deals with the broader fear of public rejection. Despite the apparent support of the gods, the idea that same-sex relationships are unclean is embedded deeply into Lucernia’s psyche, both causing people to display varying degrees of discomfort with the new monarch and her wife, and causing Oona and Kit to assume people’s reaction will be worse than it is. Cox skilfully shapes these interactions in line with characters’ broader personalities, making interactions more than a simple approve or not, from those who fanatically disapprove, through those who disapprove but strive not to let it interfere with doing their duty, to those who display opposition because they fear ostracism by reactionary families if they do not. Similarly, those who do not disapprove act from varying degrees of tolerance and acceptance.

While the theme of discrimination is clear in this novel, enhanced by citizens of other nations being somewhat confused or amused at the prohibition on same-sex relationships, it is not the driving force of the book. The threat of violent overthrow for “impurity” is real, but the average degree of challenge to the relationship is no greater than that of a heterosexual marriage between teenagers, both giving the book a pervasive feeling that those who are attracted to their own sex are not destined for unhappiness and avoiding turning the book into a political statement rather than a diverse entertainment.

Tightly woven with the social reactions to lesbian marriage are broader questions of true faith and religious commandments: if the previous High Priest lied about what their god’s commands were then can people trust that those who claim to speak for a god are telling the truth this time? If the gods intervened to support Oona and Kit but didn’t expose Aodh, then is non-intervention as sign of disapproval or of allowing humans to resolve the issue themselves? This turmoil is further stirred by a plausible uncertainty over Evermoor: mere weeks before everyone knew they were demon-worshipping savages, now they are supposedly unjustly treated members of a civilised nation.

Balancing the very powerful yet ephemeral matters of politics and religion, Cox also provides a thread of classic physical threat, first to outlying villages but creeping closer, tightening the pace further and adding action to balance the discussion.

Oona and Kit continue to be well-crafted protagonists, overcoming obstacles by virtue and competence yet also challenged by both their lack of experience and youthful passion. Perhaps cruelly, Cox makes them not only compassionate enough to see many injustices that need fixing but also wise enough to realise that their nation cannot take too much change too quickly; thus, they must face that acceptance of their love is in competition with bettering the lives of others.

The supporting cast are a pleasing balance of accessible trope and nuance, allowing for the lighter strokes of description that draw the plot onward without losing the detail that make characters plausible and engaging.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking young-adult fast-paced fantasy, especially those interested in a diverse cast.

I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.

This review contains spoilers for The Eldritch Heart. If you haven’t read the first book yet and you’re interested in a low-fantasy lesbian romance book, check out my review for The Eldritch Heart first.

The Cursed Crown, the second book in Matthew Cox’s Eldritch Heart YA lesbian fantasy series, picks up where the first book concluded, the readers having been treated to some shocking twists and revelations. Princess Oona Talomir was revealed to in fact not be King Talomir’s daughter – but instead a magically-gifted peasant child bought from her mother to be used as a decoy daughter and princess, bait for assassins and a distraction from the true princess. Kitlyn, the mistreated servant and Oona’s handmaiden/love interest of the first book, is King Talomir’s true daughter – and therefore, the true princess and future Queen.

With the King being stripped of his title and sentenced for his corruption and crimes in prolonging a pointless war with the neighbouring country, causing thousands of deaths across 25 years, Kitlyn and Oona have risen in his place and become heroes of their country. They are finally able to be together – not just as women in love, but as wedded wives and Queens despite the lingering societal judgements of their same-sex union, and are beginning to right the wrongs of the past.

I am very pleased that the issues I had with the first book, such as the long meandering first half and the erratic characterisation of the female characters, have been resolved. This installment feels, overall, far more refined: better-written, thoroughly edited, and tightly paced, making it a far more engaging read from the start. The language is also greatly improved – the characters speak like actual people, and there was no terrible phonetic faux-co*ckney accents!

On the character side of things, Oona is still a highly emotional character, but the writing and her character has matured greatly since the events of the first book. In the first instance, she (and Kitlyn) feels more true to a female reader, with her experiences a lot more relatable in this book. She has developed a relationship with her younger long-lost sister, Evie, who is a delightful addition to the cast, which has grown in both size and emotional depth since the first book. Despite the terrible impact of Talomir’s lies, I was impressed with the portrayal of her strained, but still caring, relationship with her false father – and I was equally impressed by Kitlyn’s ruthlessness regarding his fate.

Kitlyn’s experiences have forged her into a capable young ruler. She’s on a sharp learning curve with the unfamiliar royal protocol and expectations. She may be the rightful Queen, but there are still structures in place for how things have been done – and even though she may be inexperienced, she has strong ideas for the country she didn’t know was her birthright to rule (or as she rightly recognises, to serve).

As in the first story, the relation between the two young women – now wives and Queens – is one of the book’s greatest strengths. No longer caught in the cycle of angsty mutual pining and free of their insecurities and fears of each other’s rejection, they are able to love each other confidently and proudly – while still mature enough to recognise that society hasn’t quite caught up to them.

The worldbuilding is also much better-integrated in this book, woven into the narrative, so we are shown through actions and interactions how the society works. It supports the book’s pacing, which begins with the day-to-day politics as did the first installment, but much more engaging. It was a good choice on the author’s part to start the book steadily and focus on clearing the debris from the previous book, to pave the way for the next chapter in Kitlyn’s and Oona’s lives.

The Cursed Crown balances the narrative with compelling questions and analysis of the complicated intersection of religion and politics, faith and dogma. It is handled in a fresh and interesting way via Oona and Kitlyn navigating the post-war world, still trapped by the deceptions of the previous administration, which they have inherited.

I have a small criticism for the inaccuracies regarding corsets, which are described as cinching the girls’ waists so tightly that they cannot breathe, akin to torture, several times in the book. Historically speaking, corsets were not torture devices, but more like supportive back braces and comfortable pieces. But even I’ve made this mistake in the past!

In this delightful second installment in the Eldritch Heart series, Matthew S. Cox accomplishes a well-paced and enjoyable YA read that corrects the issues of the first book, and progresses an interesting narrative that places the pure love of two women front and centre. I greatly look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Disturbing Visions From The Gods

···NOT for the hom*ophobic, transphobic, closedminded, or faint of heart!···

This should be a happy time for Oona and Kitlyn. They have Oona's little sister Evie safe and sound to raise as their own. They have their wedding to plan and a Coronation. The War is over and the Kingdom of Evermoor is their ally. But Oona has a foreboding feeling and Kitlyn is still waiting for the other shoe to drop. When the King makes a mysterious late night visit to Oona she is left reeling. Was he really there? A vision? Or worse... A Ghost? He seemed otherworldly and barely present. What does this signify? Was he trying to make amends before he is officially declared apostate? With the Gods so active in their lives nothing can be taken merely at face value! Is the King about to die? Already dead? And what does that fortell for Kitlyn's Reign? Can they just be happy and try to heal the hurts from all the lies and the war? Or are they still needed to fight greater foes? Having the Gods active in your life can be a boon but it is also a heavy burden. Will life ever settle into a normal routine or will they always be called to make huge wrong right in the name of the Gods who, until now, have been silent too long? Can't a girl just get married already?

This is truly a coming of age series where the characters grow and learn by leaps and bounds whenever faced with insurmountable odds. They are heroines definitely worth imitating. Fantasy or not, there are plenty of deal life lessons to be learned within the pages of these books!

*** This series is suitable for young adult through adult readers who enjoy high fantasy fraught with darkness and enlivened by humor, with plenty of romance and adventure along the way :) ***