I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Since fleeing the gilded halls of Evergarden for the muck-filled canals of the Marshes, Marlow Briggs has made a name for herself as the best cursebreaker in Caraza City. But no matter how many cases she solves, she is still haunted by the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow's old friend and scion of one of Caraza's most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself.

Sweet and Short Review

When Marlow left Evergarden for the Marshes, she ended up making a name for herself as one of the best curse breakers. Marlow is hoping that she can eventually get a lead about her mother’s disappearance but until then she continues to take jobs. After finishing one job she runs into a former friend, Adrius Falcrest, who is a part of one of the five top families in Evergarden. Adrius asks Marlow for help because someone has cursed him and he doesn’t know who, and as much as Marlow wants to say no she ends up accepting, because the world of high society may have the clues to help find her mother.

Marlow is a great character and her story really draws you in. Marlow is a curse breaker and she takes jobs that lead her to dangerous places but she feels like each job she takes can lead her a bit closer to finding her mom. When Marlow bumps into Adrius she wants nothing more then to forget that she even saw him but the possibility that she can get even more information about her mom makes her reconsider helping him. Adrius has a compulsion spell on him and the only way Marlow can break it is to find the person who put it on him and this requires her and Adrius to spend a lot of time together. Adrius and Marlow take up the idea to pretend like they’re dating and although things didn’t work out so well for their friendship. I love how we see their relationship fleshed out and find out how things behind them got so bad, and why this rekindling is also like walking on ice. I did like seeing the magic system in this world and how curses work. The plot was great and keeps you reading mainly because you just want to find out who could have cursed Adrius but also more about Marlow’s moms disappearance.

Overall, this was a good book, I just want more of the questions that I have answered but I think I’ll have to wait until the sequel is released. Marlow and Adrius are great characters and I enjoyed the plot! This is a great read with an interesting magic system and amazing world building, definitely pick it up!