by: Diane Gallagher
Series: Ancient Women of Celtic Magick
Genre: YA Romance
Release Date: October 24, 2023
Publisher: Island2Island Press
“A desperate princess, a handsome warrior, and an ancient magick to determine their fate.”
As daughter to the High King, love doesn’t come easily to Gráinne. Having turned down hundreds of suitors, she is being forced to marry Finn, an old, ugly yet powerful general. While outside the marriage hall, Gráinne bumps into Diarmuid, Finn’s handsome foster son. From that moment, Gráinne knows if she is to have any chance at love, he is the one she must marry. She begs him to take her away from this unwanted wedding. When Diarmuid refuses, Gráinne, desperate, places a curse on him; help her or die.
Diarmuid is a warrior who only wants to serve loyally, but when the princess sets her sights on him and casts her curse, he must make the most difficult choice of his life. Does he help her, taking their chances with a vengeful Finn, or does her refuse her, leaving her to her fate, and risking his own death?
With both their lives on the line, Gráinne and Diarmuid must fight to use Ireland’s ancient magick to escape from Finn, either bringing them together in passion or in death.
A Curse of Magick is a passionate tale of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption. A retelling of an ancient Irish myth, A Curse of Magick takes the love and romance of Romeo and Juliet, and the exhilaration of King Arthur, and mixes it together for a satisfying adventure all will love.
Once the cave opened, Diarmuid grinned at Gráinne in the dim light. The walls of the caves were lined with crystals. Even in the darkening light of the sunset they twinkled and reflected the deep orange glow. Gráinne gasped.
“Wait until you see it with a fire,” Diarmuid said. “I’m going to go and gather as much dried wood as I can find. Wait here.”
As he left the cave, Diarmuid listened carefully. There was no sound of Finn’s men. He didn’t expect another message from Oisin saying they were on the move. He knew they were on their own now. He gathered up a tangle of branches he found at the foot of a tree. He hauled them back into the cave and dropped them in a heap on the cavern floor.
“Hand me that bag, will you?” Diarmuid pointed to a small bag he’d left near Bran. “That’s the flint bag. We can never lose that, or we will be in trouble.”
“I know that,” Gráinne bit back. “I have my own. Look.” From just under the collar of her dress she pulled out her own leather bag.
Diarmuid grunted and turned his attention to the fire.
He piled the branches carefully so that air would draw from below and used his flint to light the fire. As the fire sparked and took, the light reflected against the crystals that covered the ceiling of the cavern, making it look like a thousand tiny stars twinkled above them.
“Oh, how beautiful!” Gráinne cried, pressing her hands together beneath her chin.
“Yes, it was Angus that showed this to me. It is like magick, isn’t it?”
Gráinne nodded and smiled at Diarmuid, looking up at him from beneath her lashes, her momentary ire forgotten.
“Wait until you see it with a fire,” Diarmuid said. “I’m going to go and gather as much dried wood as I can find. Wait here.”
As he left the cave, Diarmuid listened carefully. There was no sound of Finn’s men. He didn’t expect another message from Oisin saying they were on the move. He knew they were on their own now. He gathered up a tangle of branches he found at the foot of a tree. He hauled them back into the cave and dropped them in a heap on the cavern floor.
“Hand me that bag, will you?” Diarmuid pointed to a small bag he’d left near Bran. “That’s the flint bag. We can never lose that, or we will be in trouble.”
“I know that,” Gráinne bit back. “I have my own. Look.” From just under the collar of her dress she pulled out her own leather bag.
Diarmuid grunted and turned his attention to the fire.
He piled the branches carefully so that air would draw from below and used his flint to light the fire. As the fire sparked and took, the light reflected against the crystals that covered the ceiling of the cavern, making it look like a thousand tiny stars twinkled above them.
“Oh, how beautiful!” Gráinne cried, pressing her hands together beneath her chin.
“Yes, it was Angus that showed this to me. It is like magick, isn’t it?”
Gráinne nodded and smiled at Diarmuid, looking up at him from beneath her lashes, her momentary ire forgotten.
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Thank you so much for featuring this book today!
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ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great YA Romance. I like the cover and excerpt.
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