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The Curse and the Crown #1
Shadows of Winter
Kaylina wants to prove herself to her family by opening a successful meadery, but on her first day in the capital, she runs headlong into the powerful royal ranger, Lord Vlerion. He’s aloof, sexy, dangerous, and… he accuses her of being a spy.
To remove suspicion from her name, Kaylina must work with him to stop the real danger to the crown.
But she soon learns that Vlerion suffers from a curse. When he experiences strong emotions, he turns into a deadly beast who can’t tell friend from foe.
Irking him would be a bad idea. Developing feelings for him would be even worse. Unfortunately, as Kaylina spends more time with Vlerion, she struggles with both.
If she can’t keep from rousing the beast, she won’t clear her name, fulfill her dream, or even survive the week.
~
Shadows of Winter is the first in a romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and enemies-to-lovers stories.
To remove suspicion from her name, Kaylina must work with him to stop the real danger to the crown.
But she soon learns that Vlerion suffers from a curse. When he experiences strong emotions, he turns into a deadly beast who can’t tell friend from foe.
Irking him would be a bad idea. Developing feelings for him would be even worse. Unfortunately, as Kaylina spends more time with Vlerion, she struggles with both.
If she can’t keep from rousing the beast, she won’t clear her name, fulfill her dream, or even survive the week.
~
Shadows of Winter is the first in a romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast and enemies-to-lovers stories.
386 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2024
28 people are currently reading
16.9k people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Buroker
207 books5,892 followersI'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 15, 2024
This book made me curious enough that I want to continue reading the next book. It was not wonderful, but it was entertaining. Very silly heroine, though. I guess that is part of the entertainment.
June 10, 2024
Kaylina only wants to open a meadery, a honey infused wine, with food served as well. Her brother tagged along when she left home determined to be independent and on her own after her boyfriend rejects her. She gets wrapped up in a cursed castle, a cursed man and a determined revolt by the commoners, but she's fallen for the ranger and she has no choice but to help stop the rebellion and she's beset by the other side who think she is either with them or against them. She just wants her little restaurant.
It's a wonderful story and I can't wait for the next installment.
It's a wonderful story and I can't wait for the next installment.
June 25, 2024
I think Buroker might be my new favorite author. This one was so fun. I like how she writes characters that are unique and believable. The magic was interesting and compelling. Really looking forward to the next book; hopefully the wait's not too long!
June 3, 2024
I really like the way Lindsay Buroker writes, it's fun and intriguing and made me want to read the next one and then the next one. So that's the way to go, Lindsay!
And yes, the characters are quite the same, but not, and that's why I liked it.
And yes, the characters are quite the same, but not, and that's why I liked it.
December 10, 2024
Overal series: 4 stars.
Series review: I would say, overall, all the books in this series were 4 stars. My favourite books were books 1 and 3, though. So what made this series so good…
The MCs were just the best. They were funny and engaging. No inta anything. It’s a slower burn with a lot of sexual tension. And the banter was just exquisite. Honestly, their dialogue, as well as the secondary character interactions, was just really funny and entertaining.
The overall story line isn’t the most in depth or well fleshed out. All that is pretty superficial but that’s not what we are here for. We are here for entertainment, adventure, and a love story.
If you really want, you could pick this story apart and tbh the ending was super predictable but again, this series should be read for fun. And the author definitely delivers on that end.
Series review: I would say, overall, all the books in this series were 4 stars. My favourite books were books 1 and 3, though. So what made this series so good…
The MCs were just the best. They were funny and engaging. No inta anything. It’s a slower burn with a lot of sexual tension. And the banter was just exquisite. Honestly, their dialogue, as well as the secondary character interactions, was just really funny and entertaining.
The overall story line isn’t the most in depth or well fleshed out. All that is pretty superficial but that’s not what we are here for. We are here for entertainment, adventure, and a love story.
If you really want, you could pick this story apart and tbh the ending was super predictable but again, this series should be read for fun. And the author definitely delivers on that end.
December 30, 2024
I wanted to like this. The characters are interesting, and the story is told in a way that doesn't feel too formulaic. The world-building seemed promising, and the core character motivations were at odds with the plot, which I always enjoy.
Sadly, the author didn’t pull it off in practice. There are just too many inconsistencies in the characters’ behavior. While some parts are clearly well thought out and logical, others make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I can’t really discuss most of the inconsistencies without spoiling the story, but at least the first example should be safe. The very opening of the story shows the MC and her brother caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, without having done anything wrong. Yet, the rangers (an elite military unit) who catch them immediately assume they are rebel spies and want to arrest and interrogate them. (There is a large and growing underground rebel group.)
This treatment feels extremely harsh, and the story later acknowledges this as well. So far, so good. But later in the plot, a person arrives at the castle where the MC and her brother reside and speaks to her. This person explicitly asks her to help the rebellion by creating a distraction. Their entire conversation is overheard by another ranger, who—rather than arresting this obvious rebel—instead waits for her to leave and then accuses the MC of also being a spy. Excuse me, what the fuck?
This kind of contrivance for drama keeps happening throughout the book in increasingly ridiculous ways. By the time I dropped it, there was a completely absurd and contrived situation similar to the one I just described but a thousand times worse. It made absolutely zero sense, yet all the characters involved acted as though it did. The MC’s thoughts even explicitly state that this makes complete logical sense—as if the author thought that just writing it often enough would make it true.
And it’s not just a single detail either. The author keeps piling on the nonsense, apparently because she couldn’t think of a better way to raise the stakes or introduce divisive conflict. Smaller inconsistencies, like the earlier example, are annoying but ultimately forgivable in the grand scheme of things. However, the later instances are crucial to the plot, and they might as well have been made up by a five-year-old telling a fantastical, fabricated story.
As the cherry on top the book also indulges in all the worst bad-guy clichées, from the villain monologue to the disgusting rapist guards. You can tell how evil a man is in this story by how many inapproriate sexual remarks and gestures they make towards the MC.
This ultimately led me to drop the book at 88%.
This sounds a lot more scathing than I meant it to. I am just allergic to this kind of thing in stories. I’ve already mellowed out over the years in this regard, but this was still far beyond what I can tolerate.
And the fact that I’m so frustrated by this shows that I cared—which is already pretty big praise when it comes to me.
I really liked the MC and her brother. I liked the slightly contrived but funny and interesting start of the story, where they moved into a literally cursed castle to run a mead brewery.
There were so many good parts to this story, but I just cannot with the bullshit.
Sadly, the author didn’t pull it off in practice. There are just too many inconsistencies in the characters’ behavior. While some parts are clearly well thought out and logical, others make absolutely no sense whatsoever.
I can’t really discuss most of the inconsistencies without spoiling the story, but at least the first example should be safe. The very opening of the story shows the MC and her brother caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, without having done anything wrong. Yet, the rangers (an elite military unit) who catch them immediately assume they are rebel spies and want to arrest and interrogate them. (There is a large and growing underground rebel group.)
This treatment feels extremely harsh, and the story later acknowledges this as well. So far, so good. But later in the plot, a person arrives at the castle where the MC and her brother reside and speaks to her. This person explicitly asks her to help the rebellion by creating a distraction. Their entire conversation is overheard by another ranger, who—rather than arresting this obvious rebel—instead waits for her to leave and then accuses the MC of also being a spy. Excuse me, what the fuck?
This kind of contrivance for drama keeps happening throughout the book in increasingly ridiculous ways. By the time I dropped it, there was a completely absurd and contrived situation similar to the one I just described but a thousand times worse. It made absolutely zero sense, yet all the characters involved acted as though it did. The MC’s thoughts even explicitly state that this makes complete logical sense—as if the author thought that just writing it often enough would make it true.
And it’s not just a single detail either. The author keeps piling on the nonsense, apparently because she couldn’t think of a better way to raise the stakes or introduce divisive conflict. Smaller inconsistencies, like the earlier example, are annoying but ultimately forgivable in the grand scheme of things. However, the later instances are crucial to the plot, and they might as well have been made up by a five-year-old telling a fantastical, fabricated story.
As the cherry on top the book also indulges in all the worst bad-guy clichées, from the villain monologue to the disgusting rapist guards. You can tell how evil a man is in this story by how many inapproriate sexual remarks and gestures they make towards the MC.
This ultimately led me to drop the book at 88%.
This sounds a lot more scathing than I meant it to. I am just allergic to this kind of thing in stories. I’ve already mellowed out over the years in this regard, but this was still far beyond what I can tolerate.
And the fact that I’m so frustrated by this shows that I cared—which is already pretty big praise when it comes to me.
I really liked the MC and her brother. I liked the slightly contrived but funny and interesting start of the story, where they moved into a literally cursed castle to run a mead brewery.
There were so many good parts to this story, but I just cannot with the bullshit.
July 5, 2024
Lindsay Buroker is quickly becoming a one click author for me. Anxiously awaiting the next book
June 26, 2024
That was different to what I imagined it would be, after reading a LOT of Lyndsay’s other work.
I enjoyed the twists and humour and hope to meet Kaylana’s Grandma who appears to be a force of nature without appearing in book one
I enjoyed the twists and humour and hope to meet Kaylana’s Grandma who appears to be a force of nature without appearing in book one
June 27, 2024
A quick read with some humor and a fun story. Nothing super captivating but will probably read book two.
July 2, 2024
I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book but the more I read the more I got into it. It was very intriguing and I am very curious to see how book 2 plays out. I sure hope they resolve the issue with Kaylina being able to prove her Innocence. And getting rid of the curse so Vlerion and Kaylina can be together. I'm curious to see if she becomes a ranger or a mead maker or a meadmaker ranger. Lol. I love a book that can make me feel all my emotions and this one makes me laugh, makes me sad, makes me sooooo mad several times, but its endearing at moments too. I hope book 2 is just as captivating.
June 14, 2024
3.5 stars
January 4, 2025
This is a review for the whole series: for my personal rating system for fantasy romance/PNR/UF overall, 3.5 - it’s a 4 if you don’t mind a non stop anxiety ride without any pauses for the characters to not be in danger or embroiled in political intrigue or other drama. I felt like I had to binge all four books just to get it over with and get to a ‘pause’ point! And I’m pretty sure it all happened over the course of a few weeks which is nuts. So definitely need to suspend disbelief. This is also a ‘chosen one’ story, but if you’ve enjoyed the author’s other books, that shouldn’t be surprising. Overall, I don’t think it’s a strong as her UF books.
In general, I liked the characters, but they should have been several years older to do the things they did. There was an FMC with snark but it didn’t bother me like so my current iterations of this trope do.
I wish the author had slowed the story and spent more time at the meadery or developing relationships with the rangers - it felt like missed opportunities and part of why the story felt so rushed. Additionally, the FMCs brother could use more air time - he was a super interesting character and we got enough info to be invested in him, but not enough to feel satisfied with a story arc.
Things I loved: there was no zero-to-hero montage wherein the FMC becomes an expert sword fighter in a week. This is one of my hugest pet peeves in books. Additionally, she doesn’t stupidly run out in front of the expert sword fighters because she is ‘so brave’ (another pet peeve). She smartly sets herself up to do maximum damage / be of help with the weapon she does know how to use skillfully, the sling.
In general, I liked the characters, but they should have been several years older to do the things they did. There was an FMC with snark but it didn’t bother me like so my current iterations of this trope do.
I wish the author had slowed the story and spent more time at the meadery or developing relationships with the rangers - it felt like missed opportunities and part of why the story felt so rushed. Additionally, the FMCs brother could use more air time - he was a super interesting character and we got enough info to be invested in him, but not enough to feel satisfied with a story arc.
Things I loved: there was no zero-to-hero montage wherein the FMC becomes an expert sword fighter in a week. This is one of my hugest pet peeves in books. Additionally, she doesn’t stupidly run out in front of the expert sword fighters because she is ‘so brave’ (another pet peeve). She smartly sets herself up to do maximum damage / be of help with the weapon she does know how to use skillfully, the sling.
September 21, 2024
Kaylin strikes off from home, determined to find freedom, to find her future, and to make a name for herself. She has her grandmother’s mead recipes and a starter kit to get her going. She knows she’ll need to find work as a kitchen maid to get enough coin to set up a meadery, but she’s willing. Her younger brother, Frayer, follows and catches her. He’s a chef, an excellent one. He’s also an accountant and even better, has his savings. Together these two are going to conquer the world.
Funny how, when you’re busy making plans for world domination, the world has its own plans, and they usually include laughing at you.
Kaylin meets Vlerian, who is “My Lord Vlerian,” and a member of the local rangers; law enforcement. She and her brother Fray are suspected of killing a noble on the site of an old castle that is oh-so-perfect for a meadery and inn.
This is the first book in a new fantasy romance from Lindsay Buroker. While it contains the terrific worldbuilding you’d expect, and the banter we all need from a Buroker book, it also has a tenderness to it. Lindsay whips the plot around and it’s not long before there are daggers flying, both literal and figurative.
Funny how, when you’re busy making plans for world domination, the world has its own plans, and they usually include laughing at you.
Kaylin meets Vlerian, who is “My Lord Vlerian,” and a member of the local rangers; law enforcement. She and her brother Fray are suspected of killing a noble on the site of an old castle that is oh-so-perfect for a meadery and inn.
This is the first book in a new fantasy romance from Lindsay Buroker. While it contains the terrific worldbuilding you’d expect, and the banter we all need from a Buroker book, it also has a tenderness to it. Lindsay whips the plot around and it’s not long before there are daggers flying, both literal and figurative.
July 14, 2024
I am so impressed with Lindsay Buroker's newest series, "The Curse and the Crown!"
This is a very creative, engaging and energetic tale full of mystery, hidden motivations, and yet to be revealed secrets that will chart not only the characters' futures but the future of all the beings in the lush world Lindsay has created. If you want evolving, intricate character development, a world with deep culture and history to explore, and masterful word-paintings of each and every scene, these are great books to pick up.
I loved this first book so much I re-read it 5 extra times waiting for book 2 to be released, which fortunately for me, happened yesterday in my Patreon membership with her! I'm already on the 2nd full reading of the 2nd book! I don't normally immediately re-read my books. I wait a while! With these two, I've just wanted to immediately re-immerse into this fascinating world she created.
Lindsay is an amazing talent. She is very well worth following for all of her work!
This is a very creative, engaging and energetic tale full of mystery, hidden motivations, and yet to be revealed secrets that will chart not only the characters' futures but the future of all the beings in the lush world Lindsay has created. If you want evolving, intricate character development, a world with deep culture and history to explore, and masterful word-paintings of each and every scene, these are great books to pick up.
I loved this first book so much I re-read it 5 extra times waiting for book 2 to be released, which fortunately for me, happened yesterday in my Patreon membership with her! I'm already on the 2nd full reading of the 2nd book! I don't normally immediately re-read my books. I wait a while! With these two, I've just wanted to immediately re-immerse into this fascinating world she created.
Lindsay is an amazing talent. She is very well worth following for all of her work!
November 4, 2024
It took a while for me to get into this one. It felt very YA in the beginning and the main character, Kaylin demonstrated many TSTL characteristics. As the story progressed, some of that improved but the strange happenings in the "castle" and the immediate pull of Kaylin into the Rangers training felt fragmented to me. It was like jumping from venue to venue with little continuity in the story. The curses - multiple - may be related but never seemed to make a lot of sense. Also, numerous references to Kaylin's previous boyfriend commenting on her not being natural were never explained for some reason. Quite a few storylines to unpack. Figuring out how Kaylin returns to the city is one. Personally, I almost feel like the romance part is distracting from the storyline, I'd prefer that it be toned down for a while. I haven't decided about Book 2. Probably later, now that I know what the story entails.
December 1, 2024
Wanting to start her own Meadery, Kaylina leaves her island home along with her younger brother Freyvar, she has travelled to the capital city where she hopes to open a Meadery that also serves food. While looking at a haunted castle to rent they are stopped by the Rangers, a sort of peace keepers. Accused of being a spy, Kaylina is interrogated by Vlerian, a very unemotional ranger.
After it is determined she is telling the truth, they are allowed to rent the castle and get ready to start her business with the hopes that she might learn something about the group of rebels. Meanwhile she is trying to figure out if she’s attracted to Vlerian and what he thinks about her.
There is a lot in intrigue in this book as nothing is really what it seems like. Like most of Lindsay Burokers books, there is action, suspense, great characters and fabulous interactions that can be quite humourous.
This is a quick, easy, great read. Looking forward to the next book.
After it is determined she is telling the truth, they are allowed to rent the castle and get ready to start her business with the hopes that she might learn something about the group of rebels. Meanwhile she is trying to figure out if she’s attracted to Vlerian and what he thinks about her.
There is a lot in intrigue in this book as nothing is really what it seems like. Like most of Lindsay Burokers books, there is action, suspense, great characters and fabulous interactions that can be quite humourous.
This is a quick, easy, great read. Looking forward to the next book.
December 8, 2024
Book one of the Curse and the Crown series follows Kaylina who, along with her younger brother, has moved from the tropical south to the frozen north capital city of her country to open a meadery. Things do not go as planned. She ends up being suspected as a rebel and spends time as a prisoner and later a trainee of the elite Rangers who protect the Kingdom. The ranger Vlerion is tasked with training her, and also has a druid curse that removed his bloodline from the throne a long time ago. Additionally, Kaylina and her brother rent a cursed castle to start their business, the taybarri that the Rangers ride are strongly drawn to Kaylina and her honey. In the end of this book, Kaylina has been accused of attempting to poison the queen,which she of course did not do. I’m looking forward to the next books in the series. I love this author’s writing style.
October 29, 2024
Kaylina Korbian runs away from home to move to the capital city and open a meadery like her parents. She’s grateful when her brother joins her new venture. They run afoul of Lord Vlerion, a Royal Ranger who warns them that their chosen site is a cursed castle. But is it magic that’s causing mischief, or rebels who are plotting against the crown? When a competitor tries to frame her for an assassination attempt, Kaylina relies on her alliance with the taciturn nobleman to keep her safe. That is, until she discovers his dark secret that could get them all killed. Snarky dialogue, engaging characters, believable world building and ongoing action ensure that readers will be eagerly reaching for the next installment.
September 13, 2024
4.5 stars. I liked this book and decided to read it because of the good and not so reviews. Everyone has an opinion. 🤷♀️ But you can’t compare to other authors because they are all different as are all stories. Some are more light hearted and some very dark. This story has both. There are chuckles because of no filter on our MH and her modern day language at times. I could see in my mind the sea the eerie castle and the township.
I like the animal attraction and the creepy castle and suitor. There were a couple of things brought in that were a little odd and just dumped in. 🙄
But I think it is worth the time to read.
I like the animal attraction and the creepy castle and suitor. There were a couple of things brought in that were a little odd and just dumped in. 🙄
But I think it is worth the time to read.
January 21, 2025
I was surprised I enjoyed this romantacy. I really like the heroine, the blue magic horse-like creatures, and the weird castle magic. I don't love the political and back-stabbing parts, nor how often the heroine gets beat up or arrested. The chemistry with the love interest is entertaining, too (because he's so resistant to the idea.) I don't love the captain, and it's hard not to want the revolutionaries to overthrow the worthless king (even though that's not really in the heroine's interest).
August 5, 2024
Shadows of Winter is a fun fast-paced fantasy adventure romance. Our heroin in string willed like most of Lindsay Burokers female leads and our hero has a tortured past and secrets.
There wasn't anything that stood out as amazing in the story, but it hits all the right marks. There is no on page spicy scenes, but there is quite a bit of innuendo. So a warning if that's not your thing.
Overall I enjoyed the read and look forward to book two.
There wasn't anything that stood out as amazing in the story, but it hits all the right marks. There is no on page spicy scenes, but there is quite a bit of innuendo. So a warning if that's not your thing.
Overall I enjoyed the read and look forward to book two.
December 21, 2024
3.5 stars! This was a light-hearted high fantasy book about a heroine who leaves her home and is single-minded in building her own meadery. She draws the reluctant attention of a powerful, enigmatic ranger who doesn’t trust her, given the rise of rebellious uprisings in the city.
Tbh, it’s hard to tell the vibe—it’s kind of modern but with spooky fantasy twists? A little unclear and kind of a slow start so far, but I’m interested to see where it goes!
Tbh, it’s hard to tell the vibe—it’s kind of modern but with spooky fantasy twists? A little unclear and kind of a slow start so far, but I’m interested to see where it goes!
December 8, 2024
3.75 stars
I found the story interesting and will read the next to see how it continues.
I found the FMC a bit dense at times but spunky. The MMC was nothing new but still fun to read. some of the side characters seemed much more interesting . On the flip side I found the queen rather dull and flat.
I found the story interesting and will read the next to see how it continues.
I found the FMC a bit dense at times but spunky. The MMC was nothing new but still fun to read. some of the side characters seemed much more interesting . On the flip side I found the queen rather dull and flat.
January 3, 2025
I wasn't expecting much because of the mixed reviews, but it was a light, fun read. The romance was pretty cute. I liked the little details about the mead ingredients here and there.
*edit:
Finished the series.
The romance is sweet. Quite liked both heroine and hero.
It's a bit frustrating to read because they lack agency through most of the series, just being bullied and buffeted around by every random asshole that decides they want to try a spot of blackmail/ puppeteering/ abduction/ whatnot.
It was a good read overall; not sure if I'd read it again.
*edit:
Finished the series.
The romance is sweet. Quite liked both heroine and hero.
It's a bit frustrating to read because they lack agency through most of the series, just being bullied and buffeted around by every random asshole that decides they want to try a spot of blackmail/ puppeteering/ abduction/ whatnot.
It was a good read overall; not sure if I'd read it again.
January 11, 2025
The banter between Kaylina and Vlerion was honestly really good and I love the twist of his own personal curse, but overall I needed more world building. The love story was not enough to keep my reading to the sequel. I could understand Vlerion and there was an element of mystery that I still want to know about but Kaylina was not developed enough for me to root for her.
January 19, 2025
The first Lindsay Buroker that I have loathed, incidentally also the first bad read of 2025.
I kept wondering when the actual story would begin, it never did. The heroine was too... silly?? Like genuinely annoying and whiny and nothing she said or did moved the story forward. Almost DNF at 88% and overall really sad about this one.
I kept wondering when the actual story would begin, it never did. The heroine was too... silly?? Like genuinely annoying and whiny and nothing she said or did moved the story forward. Almost DNF at 88% and overall really sad about this one.
February 9, 2025
I was enjoying the book until near the very end of it when the author made a change to the plot through Targon, a secondary lead character, which went in direct contradiction of his earlier stance - it made no sense at all to me. Anyway, interesting enough story but not enough to want me to read the rest of the series.
May 31, 2024
This was so much fun to read. I really wanted to give 5 stars but the coordinates ending really upsets me. I know there will be a book 2 but I am here all curious and wanting to know why the evil plant changed colour! Anyway I can't wait for the next book!
August 23, 2024
Excellent read, as expected from this author! Lots of humor served with the adventure and suspense of the storyline.
I see most of the reviews have delved a bit into the plot, so I will just say … “I highly recommend!”
I see most of the reviews have delved a bit into the plot, so I will just say … “I highly recommend!”
September 26, 2024
The book aroused my curiosity but was not entirely surprising. I wanted more tense moments between the two main characters, but the romance was cold and uninteresting. I want to read the next book, but I feel hesitant for fear that I will find the same romance repeated throughout the second book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews