Review – A Curse of Gold by Annie Sullivan

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review from the publisher via NetGalley.**

Title A Curse of Gold

Author Annie Sullivan

Description from Amazon

After barely surviving thieving, bloodthirsty pirates and a harrowing quest at sea to retrieve her stolen treasure, Kora finds readjusting to palace life just as deadly. Her people openly turn against her, threatening to overthrow her as heir to the throne due to fear of her magical powers. When Dionysus puts out a challenge to kill the girl with the golden touch and burn down her kingdom, it’s not just her future on the throne in danger. Kora’s life and entire kingdom are now on contract.

With no other choice, Kora sets out to find Dionysus, journeying to the mysterious disappearing island of Jipper. If she wants to save her kingdom and have any chance at reversing her father’s curse, she will have to enter into a deadly game with Dionysus, the greatest trickster the world, or the underworld, has ever seen.

Release Date September 22, 2020

Initial Thoughts

I was excited to read this book. I had purchased a copy of A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan but hadn’t read it yet and receiving an ARC in NetGalley was a perfect reason to start this series. I actually bought the first book because I thought it was a standalone and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was a duology.

Some Things I Liked

• PJO vibes. I loved the Percy Jackson / Greek gods themes in this series. I am a big fan of mythology and I really enjoyed the way the gods and goddesses were woven into the world building here.
• Triton. He was definitely my favorite side character. I really was hoping for more from him and I would absolutely love a spin-off all about his adventures.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

• Slow build. The plot had a very slow build in the beginning and I found that I was a bit bored. I put the book down for several weeks before picking it back up and that’s usually a bad sign for me. I think the story could have been told more succinctly and that would have kept my interest more.

Series Value

I can see more stories set in this world. I’d love to see the same crew go on a Hercules-esque adventure to the Underworld to save a certain character.

I’d definitely keep reading if Annie Sullivan were to continue this series.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book. I loved all of the nods to Greek mythology as well as the romance plot. I thought it was a unique retelling.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

• Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan – if you liked the writing style here, definitely try Annie Sullivan’s 2019 release. Tiger Queen is a retelling of a short story with a really unique spin.
• All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace – if you liked the magic and pirates themes seen in A Curse of Gold, give this February 2020 release a try.
• The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano – if you liked the idea of a curse that turns people and things to gold, check out the magic that the main character in this series possesses. There is also a similar pirate / ship motif going on.