A Curse of Roses

By: Diana Pinguicha

Narrated by: Rebecca Mozo

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

Based on Portuguese legend, this #OwnVoices historical fantasy is an epic tale of mystery, magic, and making the impossible choice between love and duty....

With just one touch, bread turns into roses. With just one bite, cheese turns into lilies. 

There’s a famine plaguing the land, and Princess Yzabel is wasting food simply by trying to eat. Before she can even swallow, her magic - her curse - has turned her meal into a bouquet. She’s on the verge of starving, which only reminds her that the people of Portugal have been enduring the same pain for years. 

If only it were possible to reverse her magic. Then she could turn flowers into food. 

Fatyan, a beautiful Enchanted Moura, is the only one who can help. But she is trapped by magical binds. She can teach Yzabel how to control her curse - if Yzabel sets her free with a kiss. 

As the King of Portugal’s betrothed, Yzabel would be committing treason, but what good is a king if his country has starved to death?

With just one kiss, Fatyan is set free. And with just one kiss, Yzabel is yearning for more. 

She’d sought out Fatyan to help her save the people. Now, loving her could mean Yzabel’s destruction. 

A Curse of Roses includes themes, imagery, and content that might be triggering for some listeners. Discussions of religious-based self-harm, religious-based eating disorders, and religious-based internalized homophobia appear throughout the novel.

©2020 by Diana Pinguicha (P)2020 by Blackstone Publishing

Beautiful historic fiction

I loved the writing and the story.The way the romance unfolded felt very authentic to what a teenager questioning their sexuality may be feeling. Especially one who was raised in strict religious beliefs.
The self-harm may be triggering for some.

Very Enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this audio book! The narrator was excellent and I would listen to her read again and again even if the story Wasn't as good. This story was so good though, and I enjoyed it very much. Beautiful character development and great story line. This book came alive in my mind and I highly recommend!

Not a fan

I was excited for a queer love story but it was juvenile in its writing and approach. I couldn't get through chapter 9.

slow paced. really just not a fan of it overall.

narration was good

I'm going to be honest

The king is absolute trash. "I'm so kind, I'm so patient, blah, blah, blah." But he's literally screaming at her, hitting tables, and won't let her spend her own money. And worse... She agrees with him. This story is so beautiful and powerful, but I found myself incensed that this guy is so volatile and still has the nerve to be "hurt" that Ysabel is keeping secrets - secrets that he'd probably have killed her for if she'd been honest.
I think the trigger warnings were right on for religious self harm and disordered eating, though I can't remember if there were trigger warnings for internalized homophobia or general religious trauma. It was incredibly difficult for me to listen to these beautiful, powerful women talking about how they were blessed by god and doing god's will. 🤢 I get it, but I was hoping Ysa was going to fully deconstruct, rather than just realize that "god just wants us to love each other."

Beautiful

This book was so beautifully written. I could feel the love put into the story and the desire to tell a beloved tale from her upbringing. I will say I did get a little tired of the constant self-belittling. But I can concede it was in the story for a reason.

I wish I could have more of this story, as it kind of breaks my heart to say goodbye to the characters. I'm sure I will return to this book one day.

The narrator was amazing. You could hear the love in her voice when the two MCs talked with each other. Not much change in her voice besides from the main characters. Although I could listen to her read the phone book in Fati's voice. Probably didn't spell that right :/

I would recommend everyone who likes a bit of magic in their books, who wants to hear two women slowly fall for each other, and who has at any point had to come to terms with the religion they grew up with telling them that who they love will condemn them to give this one a shot.

historical fiction with a twist

You learn a bit about Portuguese history and about another extraordinary female monarch (and king too!) of the early turn of the millenia (1000-1300). Enjoyed the time period and was happy to learn that progressive attitudes could exist in medieval times. Thrown in is a bit of magic masquerading as miracles, local folklore, and Sapphic love. Overall, enjoyed the book.

Great listen.

Loved it. I really enjoyed listening to this book. It would make a great movie!

I tried but this was a DNF for me

This just didn’t do it for me, I made it about 3.5 hours in and I’m just not into it. The narrator was great though

Almost

ACOR had the makings of an intriguing plot and great book, but ultimately it fell short. I wanted this book to be full of action. Instead, too much time was spent repeating the protagonist's ailments, piety, and worries, both in her head and to her companions. Literally half the book... I would like to read a sequel but with less monologs/repetition and more action.

Excellent Read!

Wow! What a story teller. I was hesitant at first because it was a free bee. I am so glad I played it. My only disappointment was that there was not more from this author on Audible.

Couldn't bare continuing

I wanted a nice story and not a bla bla about the authors life and sexuality. And then you are being told that a lot of women are secretly lesbians and scared to come out. Yeah, I am sure that is the authors fantasy only...
what started with a good narrative turns into lesbian feminism who wants the world to believe all women are actually lesbian.
therefore she has to rewrite a hystorical event by makkng the queen a lesbian I assume.
Because yeah... if the queen never had any further children she must have been lesbian. So most of the queens were actually lesbians because a lot of them had only two or three children with their king husbands. Ah yes... sure... as if live was that simple.
OK, I haven't read the book, but of it is about gay live the author lost me with her introduction of her book.
Next time just wright the story and let people get interessted intl the characters and explore the emotions of the characters on their own.

But all of this is a problem of this new generation. everything has to be about them. they can't even right a book without using it as a platform of self presentation. maybe publish on Tik Tok next time and send some pictures pf what you have been eating while you were writing each chapter... My god so annoying and a no go for me.
I skip this as I am sure I know how this story is going to evolve thanks to the annoying pro-log...

Great coming of age

This book is primarily a coming of age story for Ysabella, wherein she learns to accept herself, her magic and her desires. One of the devices used to provoke this coming of age is an evil sorceror, who in the process of the story worms his way into Ysabella's betrothed's trust, in order to kill him, and send the country into chaos. The final confrontation with this sorceror is anticlimatic if you're looking at his plot as a prime mover of the book.

There are two dubiously consensual sex scenes with Ysabella, one with her beloved, the enchanted mora Fatyan, before she's ready to accept that she's a lesbian, and one with the betrothed, King Denys. King Denys handles Ysabella's lack of consent far better, accepting that she is not in fact ready or willing to have sex with him, whereas Fatyan verbally abuses and abandons her for not responding the way Fatyan would have preferred to being honestly, pressured into sex. Fortunately when Ysabella finds a way to reach Fatyan she does admit that she was in the wrong as well.

And there's a gloriously sensual and consensual sex scene between the two of them after that, with a strong emotional resolution bringing her into the potential of a stable relationship.

A review from someone who listened to all of it

I don't normally leave reviews but the only review I could see for this book (on the .co.uk audible) was a one star from someone who admitted in their review/rant that they didn't go beyond the forward of the book. So here's one from someone who listened to the whole thing and is reviewing out of justified pettiness.

This book is based on a Portuguese legend of a Queen who turned bread into roses in the 13th century. In the forward the author states the hold of religion and how the views of people, even to this day, affect others who do not fit into a certain box. In the 13th century women had almost no choices of their own, especially when it came to marriage in the nobility and royalty. Death from childbirth was a very real danger, there was often no love in political marriages and who's to say the people involved were even heterosexual in the first place? All this is posed before the book starts.

So this fantastical delve into the legend explores those ideas. The book itself has characters to like and loath, bearing in mind the main cast are teenagers there is a fair bit of angst, but considering the pressures of religion, royal decree and potential curses, it's understandable. Sometimes things are a bit over-explained that I'm sure the audience would get regardless but it was a smooth listen, there are some twists you don't expect and a constant tension underlying the main character - I mean, who wouldn't be tense when people might think you're a witch?

It was read well, the narrator making efforts to pronounce Portuguese words and names accurately and she defined each character with distinctive voices that fit their image.

Overall, this book is about a young woman learning who she is and accepting it fully, the magic adds a little extra spice. It is adventurous and holds people at its heart and makes you wonder what the histories didn't say.

Alright, done. Enjoy!