Cursed by Malignant Magic

by Jenesis St. Clare

In a war-torn world of magic and power struggles, Collie, a young and mischievous Battle Mage, finds herself caught between the demands of her commanding officer, General Ehuna, and her own rebellious nature. Blessed or cursed with a unique magical ability and a sharp tongue, Collie constantly tests the limits of her authority, much to Ehuna's exasperation.

Thrust into the heart of an escalating conflict, Collie must navigate the treacherous politics of the royal court, the prejudices of the noble-born guards, and the looming threat of a powerful, malignant magic that could consume them all. As she is forced to confront her own past and the mysteries surrounding her origins, Collie must decide whether to embrace her role as a soldier or forge her own path, even if it means defying those she has sworn to protect.

In this captivating fantasy adventure, the reader is drawn into a world where magic is both a gift and a curse, and the line between duty and personal freedom is razor-thin. "(Cursed by) Malignant Magic" promises a thrilling journey filled with intrigue, action, and the struggles of a young mage determined to carve out her own destiny.

For fans of Magic Study, The Unbroken, and The Jasmine Throne, this sapphic romance is Book 7 in the Once Upon a Curse series.

Genres: Fantasy, Ebooks, Romance, Lesbian, Retellings

223 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 17, 2024

Reviews

[Kez Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A creative twist on Romeo and Juliet, with a FF enemy to lover romance, armies at war, and magical abilities.
I enjoyed Collie's character, her stubbornness, sense of adventure, and wit.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2,5 ☆)

The Caputo and Montrose kingdoms have been at war for ages, after accusing each other of harvesting magic from their respective lands. The young and mischievous Collie is a Battle Mage, who's always testing limits and trying to find her own way. Being the only one with natural magic, not needing a magical item to do magic, Collie is rather special - and vulnerable.

This is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet with a sapphic romance! It's of to a flying start: before page 30 Collie has already been unconscious 3(!) times, and I'm wondering how she's not more effected physically. Even though she's got magic she doesn't have healing powers. She keeps getting pummelled in different ways and she survives what should have been a fatal wound. Even in fantasy I need credibility in some areas, and I feel like it's lacking here.

Another piece lacking is the chemistry between Collie and Legacy. They start off as enemies, on different sides of the war, but very fast these hostilities turn into warmer feelings. I like that it's a queer romance (still not that common in fantasy books), but the feelings stay on the page - at least for me. There's something about the author's language that made me believe I was reading a YA novel, but then there were some explicit scenes...

Considering my objections I might be a bit generous in my grading, but I liked the premise with a magical war and the twist on Romeo and Juliet. It was also easy to read and I don't regret reading it. And it makes me really appriciate my favorite authors in this genre! 😉

* I received an ARC from the author and I'm giving my honest review. *

[Ana-Maria Derzsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 ⭐

◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦

⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
Collie - She was such a funny character, and I enjoyed her a lot.

⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
The world-building was interesting, you get quite the details about the kingdoms, and you can feel the influences from Romeo & Juliet. Is not the main point in the story tho, so the world-building is NOT that expanse, but is rich and beautiful.

⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
I liked the retelling of Romeo and Juliet with a twist considering is a sapphic story. One thing that I didn't quite liked and just felt weird in my opinion, was the first kiss between Collie and Legacy, it just... didn't fit in that scenario. The action and the funny moments were nicely made, and it was impossible to not like Collie, her whole personality was funny and nicely developed.

⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞/TW ⮜
There's mention of the loss of a loved one, and the spice in the story i'd say is between 2.5 flame peppers to 3 flame peppers. Nothing that happened in the story triggered me.

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Review Policy

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute story! This Romeo and Juliet retelling follows Collie a rather cheeky and stubborn battle mage as she deals with loyalty, love and saving the kingdom. As a main character Collie is so likeable, she is just the right amount of mischievous with all the best intentions. I just want to hug her. I really enjoyed this story. The world Jenesis St. Clare created is very interesting and here in lies my one issue with this book. It was too darn short. I kept wanting to know more. More about Collie’s magic. More about Varna. More about the bird. More about everything. I was left with so many questions. Now this doesn’t make this a bad book, just a short one. If you are in the mood for mischief, mayhem and a bit of love, then this book is for you.

[Crystal Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute and creative retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

Collie is a mage, someone who can smell magic. She was definitely a brat and I found myself at times not liking her that much. And she was kidnapped several times, I think at least 4 times before the halfway mark of the book. It seems as though she is always in some kind of trouble or disaster.

Collie finds herself attracted to Legacy, one of her captors. The love interest wasn’t a favorite of mine and I didn’t find myself invested in it.

3.5⭐️

[Chaos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dont know if it was the shortness of the book or the characters, but I was so stinking bored. I didnt like Collie or Varna. They were shallow characters who didnt go deeper. I think the story did a lot more telling instead of showing. Not once did I feel like I was in the story like the last couple books in this series

[LadyEllesmere · Rating 4 out of 5]

(General disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)

this is a Sapphic romance between a young battle mage named Collie and her Enemy Legacy. (yes enemies to lovers) it's a light Romeo and Juliet styled book. I'm not completely finished with it but I did hear it has a HEA.

(Updating this when I get home with full review)

[Leigh W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collie knows that she is chaos walking on two legs but is desperate to prove herself to those she considers her people, which there aren't many, so when General Ehuna of the Battle Mages tells her she needs to meet with her she doesn’t hesitate. However, when her magical gift of being able to sense magic rears its head she goes to track it down and discovers a magical bomb. After waking up on her way to the frontlines with Ehuna, Collie’s boredom and her general magnetism for chaos lands her in more trouble than she thought was possible. She finds herself behind enemy lines and discovers secrets about the war that put a target on her head and ultimately anyone who helps her. Can she bring these secrets to light, and hopefully peace, while making sure those she cares for make it to the end?

This is definitely an action packed story with lots of moving parts. I will admit that the beginning moved very fast for me and I found myself saying ‘oh, we are doing that now’ a few times because some of the actions were implied instead of stated. I don’t normally need every action told to me and handheld through a chapter but with how fast a few scenes moved some telling would have been better for me. Once it did slow down it was nice to get to really know the character and see them in their inactivity as well. I understand Collie’s need to find herself useful and practically jumping on any positive interaction she gets from anyone. I also enjoy the growth we do see within her, she doesn’t drastically change but it was a more gradual growth that if we saw her again in another book much later in the timeline would be evident. The constant being in danger with nowhere and nobody being safe did get a bit much for me. I get needing the drama and the need to fight for something but it got predictable to the point I started to stop being invested in the drama. One of the plot twists with a character did take me by surprise and I enjoyed that. If the author expands on this world I would hope to see more from them and how everyone had moved on from the events of this book.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a difficult story to get into. Collie, one of our mfc, was outspoken and at times, annoyingly so. Total brat!! I'm guessing she's in her late teens, maybe early 20s? And yes, not everyone acts that way in their 20s. I get it. But she does. The story didn't reveal her age. Anyway. She's a mage that can smell magic. Okay, that was different. But it didn't flourish as expected. Collie was being used for her skills during the big war of the kingdoms in this enchanting land. But for all intents and purposes, Collie keeps getting into mishap after mishap. She's been kidnapped and taken prisoner four different times. That got redundant, don't you think? Once. Twice. Okay. But four times in this short-ish story. That doesn't work very well plot wise. Plus, she has magical abilities and yet she didn't use them till... later. Whyyy? She doesn't need a gauntlet to start up the magic power soo... That was confusing.🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏽

Collie meets Legacy by way of being kidnapped by her. Twice.😬 Legacy uses touch for her own magical abilities. There was a Romeo and Juliet vibe happening here, but very very slightly, as these two got involved. I didn't believe in their attraction then their big feelings for one other. Mostly b/c it wasn't developed in a way to show that these two are 'meant to be'. Very surface level. Telling rather than showing if that makes sense. Varna was okay. She didn't play much of a big role other than how the reveal went imo. I found it interesting that the majority of the characters in this story were mostly women. The few men were villains. Tannin is the big bad but he caved rather quickly. Who sold Collie out to him? I'm not even sure. And what was the deal with the bird. I'm guessing it was an unnatural large bird.🤔 It was very strange. There's a HEA.

Overall this story didn't work for me. I'm sorry.

Thank you to Ms Clare and Bookfunnel for an early book. These are my honest thoughts on the story.

[Beba Andric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collie is exuberance on two legs, she's got so much oomph in her it's no wonder she attracts mayhem! She's very much a "say what I want" kind of girl, very snarky indeed! And she's rather impetuous, acting on instinct, which needless to say, gets her in the most perilous situations. With unpredictable consequences, or perhaps predictable. She's also a battle mage and would not ordinarily be part of the army except for her skill. Her name couldn't be more fitting, her sense of smell surpasses any dog. But it's magic she has the capability of smelling, making her a valuable asset. Captured, released, captured, escaped, she has more happening to her than a pot of boiling water overflowing!

There's so much to process in this book, so much to unpack. This book was a noble attempt at lightheartedness but with such a pounding runaway pace, it didn't quite get there for me. I was pretty distracted by the pace, I felt as though my legs were struggling to catch up with the rest of me. I really wanted to love this book but there were too many events that went that little bit too fast for me to catch my breath. A very cool addition is Varna, she's like a breath of fresh air. Betrayed by Tannin, Collie is on the back foot again, except this time by General Ehuna, her mentor, her friend, when she's accused of treason. But with a neverending war raging, betrayal from both sides, power being the ultimate goal, Legacy and Collie are on the run together, and though they make an unlikely alliance, they make an unlikely lovely couple, passionate in their feelings for one another and passionate for their need to expose the truth and stop the war. An action filled read with a wonderful twist at the end and a lovely HEA

[Lindsey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I am sorry to say this, but even though this is the shortest book in the Once Upon a Curse series, it is also my least favorite, thus far. The story was somewhat all over the place, disconnected, and at times forced. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what it was, but something in this story didn’t clicked with me, like all the rest.

Collie is a mage, who can smell magic. This is a pretty cool power, yet it seems to not be used to the fullest of its potential. There are times when she smells out magic and it is important, but there are others times she missed some major magical things that were crucial to the story line.

When Collie meets Legacy, it is due to being kidnapped, twice. Seriously, the amount of time she gets abducted throughout this book, is a bit ridiculous. It isn’t healthy how many times she is hit on the head, like some serious damage is probably taking place. But their storyline is sweet and it really did seem they are meant to be, but not sure how to be together due to their families.

This book is hard to review, because I didn’t fully dislike the story, but I didn’t love it. I am glad I read it as it is part of this series, but I know I won’t read it again. It may be recommended if someone asks for specific things that are in this story, but it wouldn’t be a book I would recommend otherwise. I am so sorry I can’t review this book fully or as loved.

As always, review any author notes before reading.

Tropes:
💜Romeo and Juliet Inspired
💜Court Politics
💜Sapphic Romance (FF)
💜Enemies to Lovers
💜Warring Kingdoms

[Laura Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: 3.5 ⭐️/5; Spice: 3🌶️/5

This was a fun, though VERY quick read - I seriously think I finished it in about an hour and a half, and, at about 220 pages, it is the shortest of the Once Upon a Curse series so far.

I enjoyed the portrayal of Collie, the young battle mage FMC - she was quirky, a little bratty, and strongly reminded me of the breed for which she is named. I really liked her handler, General Ehuna. I liked the love interest, Legacy… eventually. Their initial meeting (as captor and captive) was so abrupt, that it took a while for me to believe that the insta-attraction was real and not just a ploy… it left me feeling less invested in the relationship between Collie and Legacy than it probably should have in order to feel appropriately saddened by their separation in the second half of the book. Additionally, by the time we get to the 45% mark, Collie has been hit on the head and kidnapped about 4 times - at what point do we become concerned with brain damage? (Even Collie asks herself this question at the beginning of Chapter 18…)

This book was a little different from the other books in the series as I did not really see a definitive parallel to the inspiration story (in this case, Romeo and Juliet) and the novel - but it was just engaging enough, with a magic system that was unique, and an FMC that left you holding your breath in anticipation of what new trouble she would get into. Definitely a good choice for fantasy fans wanting an entertaining read that can be completed in just one or two quick sprints.

Many thanks to the author, Jenesis St. Clair, and the Once Upon a Curse PR team for an advanced copy to review!

[The Book Dragon's Hoard by A.V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up because it was ostensibly a Romeo & Juliet retelling. And it’s not. I was also intrigued by the fact it’s a sapphic romance, which would have made a very unique twist on the ostensible retelling.

If you’re looking for:
- a feud
- friends (Benvolio, Mercutio) and family (Tybalt)
- tragedy
- star-crossed lovers
- heart-wrenching scenes with death and grief
- exile
- true, passionate love that cannot be kept apart
- a serious exploration of the difficulties that an FF couple divided by a war/feud living in a heteronormative world would ultimately face, and that they would have to fight to be together despite social expectations.

Then move along. This isn’t for you. Allow my disappointment to serve.

However, if you enjoy the following, then this is the book for you:
- underdog
- rags-to-riches
- prisoners and daring escapes
- kick-ass and sassy women taking down the evil men
- girl power all the way (all men are bad)
- chaos MC who muddles her way through blunders and life-threatening danger

[Shelby · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the worst books I've read in a long time. The main character is insufferable to the point where it's unbearable. Being trapped in first person POV with her was torture. The magic was so underdeveloped it was crazy but it still somehow managed to do way more heavy lifting than it should have been doing. We go from one kidnapping to the next and it just gets so boring. And that's not even touching on the fact that the narrative constantly contradicts itself. They keep saying she's a battle mage but then it says she's not in the military. Why would a general be allowed to bring someone unvetted into the military? Into highly classified meetings? It doesn't make any sense!


And don't get me started on the romance. There was no chemistry and like everything else in this book it felt underdeveloped and rushed. It was supposed to be a Romeo and Juliet retelling but I'm not sure the author has ever read that play.


There was nothing redeeming about this book to me. If I didn't make book content I would be throwing my tablet out the window.

[GhostDragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an intresting journey where things get quite some change of perspective...

A great book with quite some turns and where things can change pretty fast and at the same time go back to the same situations, or close ones. A story where not everything it's what it seems and it always seems to have more to it.
I really liked to discover a few things as the pages turn and the character gets to know herself.

It was intresting to be able to see this characters interacting with different parties and try to understand their train of thought and the representation of loyalty VS duty.
This it made me keep some questions and being curious to see how things would play out and so it kept my attention until I could put it all together.

All this, specially the strong turns and the emotions it brought to our characters really made me enjoy this book and looking for what was going next and keeping my thoughts on what could I really trust, all the way to the end.

[Savannah (chapters_of_mayhem)]

Collie is a battle mage, taken under the wing of a general for her unique ability to sniff out magic. Collie also has a tendency to find herself in disaster.

Throughout the course of this short book Collie is kidnapped multiple times, shot at, crushed, stolen by a large bird and beaten.

Collie also finds herself attracted to one of her captors. The alluring red headed Legacy.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did.
I just couldn’t find a rhythm with the writing and there was barely any world building to help entrench the reader in the story.

There’s a lot of dialogue and thinking out loud. None of which helped me explore the characters and gain feelings for them.

I just don’t think I’m the intended audience for this book.

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michelle Reopel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t normally read female/female romance, but I do love retellings so I decided to jump right in. Happily this is more inspired by Romeo and Juliet than being a straight up retelling. There’s so much more depth and a much better plot: an actual war as opposed to a feud.
Collie and Legacy are both interesting characters and each powerful in their own ways. They each bear secrets as well. The side characters are interesting as well, particularly Varna.
I would definitely recommend this book. If you’re not familiar with Romeo and Juliet it shouldn’t make a difference. Cursed by Malignant Magic stands on its own merit.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this but I had a hard time not getting distracted. While the storyline was good - there was a lack of character development and world-building that was frustrating. I felt that there were some key elements missing. There was a lot of buildup then a super quick resolution, then another few chapters of rambling.

The FF component was just okay.

I wish that we would have seen more concern about Varna's well-being throughout the book. She had an interesting part to play but was rarely remembered.

Would I read it again? No,
Would I recommend it? maybe
Apparently this was supposed to be a Romeo & Juliet retelling but I really didn't see it until after I read some of the reviews!

[Odette Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get ready for an exhilarating twist on the timeless tale of Romeo and Juliet! Meet Collie, a bold battle mage who gets caught up in a series of thrilling escapades. Amidst her many challenges, Collie unexpectedly finds herself drawn to one of her captors. As fate would have it, Collie must join forces with her enemy to confront a formidable threat. I was captivated by Collie's mischievous nature and couldn't help but burst into laughter at her daring escapades. This was an incredibly enjoyable and entertaining read!

This book was given to me as an ARC copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Marcia - itsabookthing2021 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cursed by Malignant Magic surprised me, I've not read a Romeo and Juliet retelling that has been done as well as the original but Cursed By Malignant Magic managed to prove me wrong and provide me with an excellent romance story. The main characters Legacy and Collie were created with depth and their banter and characteristics all played into the wonderful story telling. I really loved reading the f/f romance with it's naturalistic way of being told. The world building was great and I really felt the pull of the story. The characters and the storyline complimented each other so well and I was invested in the read, I really enjoyed the story and I thought the characters were great.

[Trina Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this was a Fantastic story. It was a page turner and the suspense was exciting. I was on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t even put it down. Romeo and Juliet fairy tale dark version of the classic Romeo and Juliet. Collie was a marvelous character as she brought her characters drama to life. Would magic be the last resort of having joy and peace in their lives forever. The chaos was incredible and intense of danger and mischievous .
I definitely recommend this book and you won’t be disappointed. I received advance copy of this book via Bookfunnel and am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion. Trina Jones

[MellissaMae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 3.5 for me. I was captivated by the magical and action-packed elements in this story, though the romance fell short of resonating with me this time around. Despite a slow start, I eventually connected with the characters, and the compelling storyline and world-building truly shone through. Unfortunately, I couldn't pinpoint which classic tale this retelling was based on, as it didn't evoke any familiar themes and was not plainly stated in the title like some others from this series.

[Destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced fun read! Definitely feel like it could be could to read as a pallet cleanser as it has a little bit of everything going on. It is a sapphic enemies to lovers placed in a magical world which is at war. I love how relatable Collie is, with her incessant need to say what’s on her mind and not take stuff from other others! I love me a strong FMC and Collie doesn’t stop putting up a fight no matter what is thrown her direction. Very well written!

[Kathy Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book.
A wild child who wonders into the wrong territory. Well something like that.
Collie has a way of finding trouble. Trouble that leads all the way to the enemies side. With lots of bumps and bruises along the way she finds her way into to hands of the foe (or so she thought).
Legacy is not who she betrays to be. She will help Collie not only find her way home, but also to a new home.
Great book for the YA. Has very little and very mild spice in it.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great read. An exciting thrilling action filled adventure where we meet Collie who is strong, feisty and more than a little mischievous. The world building is amazing and draws you close as we embark on a captivating journey brimming with loyalty, love, danger, drama, mayhem and a little chaos. Twists and turns keep you hooked and eager for more and the characters, well some you love and others you love to hate!! All in all a great read!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this twist on a Romeo and Juliet story. Some easy to compare points, but mostly a great creative change. Easy read to understand and a great break from other heavier reads. I enjoyed the growth of the characters. I’d actually love to hear more about the wars or build up some of the chase to add more action, BUT that wasn’t the point of this story so it doesn’t take anything away from the story.

[Tattedbooknerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

F/F love story. My first every i was surprised but in the best way possible. The banter was off the charts. The world building took my breath away. It has all you'll need in a book, love, laughter, twist, turns, lust,and yes even the tears. The characters where point on and gave this story depth. Jump in to the adventure and hold on tight.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is just engaging enough, with a magic system that was unique, and an FMC that left you holding your breath in anticipation of what new trouble she would get into. Definitely a good choice for fantasy fans wanting an entertaining read that can be completed quickly it was definitely worth a read but for me was not the most memorable read

[Breanna Stroud · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the magic in this world! collie and legacys relationship thru out the story just gave me all the feels, definitely cried when I thought someone was dead but by the end of the story I was happily satisfied with how everything worked out!

[Serret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collie is able to use magic with out a gauntlet and sniff out other magic. Which normally leads to interesting situations. And she also has the worst luck. This story is filled with twists and turns and unexpected love interests.