A Crown of Deceit & Ruin (Cursed Kingdoms of Grimtol #1)
Jessaca Willis
Reader Reviews
4.0
1 rating
Aaliyah .
Mar 19, 2026
A Crown of Deceit & Ruin had me clutching my Kindle and unable to stop turning the pages.
Elora spends years in captivity due to having magical powers until the queen strikes a deal; marry the prince to forge a political alliance. Desperate to have some semblance of freedom, Elora agrees but resolves to find out more about the curse.
Kestrel faces imprisonment of her own at the hands of her father who insists that the outside world is too dangerous. She spends years locked in a tower before her protector ends up in danger and Kestrel embarks to find him.
When their paths cross, both women go from enemies to friends to possible lovers in a slow burn that had me pulling my hair. They balance each other as Elora appeases her captors while Kestrel is bold.
I loved the world-building though it felt a bit slow at times. I did enjoy the intrigue and mystery about the curse and how it impacted the rulers of Grimtol. The secondary characters of multifaceted and keep the story wildly enticing.
*Huge thanks to BookSprout and Jessica Willis for the ARC!
Elora spends years in captivity due to having magical powers until the queen strikes a deal; marry the prince to forge a political alliance. Desperate to have some semblance of freedom, Elora agrees but resolves to find out more about the curse.
Kestrel faces imprisonment of her own at the hands of her father who insists that the outside world is too dangerous. She spends years locked in a tower before her protector ends up in danger and Kestrel embarks to find him.
When their paths cross, both women go from enemies to friends to possible lovers in a slow burn that had me pulling my hair. They balance each other as Elora appeases her captors while Kestrel is bold.
I loved the world-building though it felt a bit slow at times. I did enjoy the intrigue and mystery about the curse and how it impacted the rulers of Grimtol. The secondary characters of multifaceted and keep the story wildly enticing.
*Huge thanks to BookSprout and Jessica Willis for the ARC!