Casters and Crowns

by Elizabeth Lowham Narrated by Nick Mondelli, Jess Moran

Overview

Cursed by magic, bound by mistakes, Princess Aria finds her destiny hinges on the mysterious Baron Reeves. Will love be enough to break the curse, or will war bring her kingdom to ruin?

When Crown Princess Aria sees her kingdom on the brink of war with

the magic-wielding Casters, she takes it upon herself to speak with the Widow Morton, the most dangerous Caster in the realm. If successful, Aria will not only ensure peace but also prove to her father that she is a worthy

heir. But when her negotiations fail, Aria is dealt a terrible curse: Over the course of one hundred days, she will be unable to sleep, her body and mind doomed to waste away. And then the curse will pass to her sister, until every member of the king's line is dead.

Aria's best hope for breaking her curse is to seek help from another Caster-the handsome and charming Baron Reeves. He may be entitled to a place at the court, but as a magic user, can he truly be trusted? She vows not be fooled by his dimpled smiles or his devotion to his brothers, but as she spends more time with him, she discovers that her heart has other ideas.

Baron has no desire to see the princess suffer-especially since she might be the key to changing the king's opinion on Casters-but he has secrets to protect and ghosts of his own. The last person he tried to save using his magic died, and he's not willing to risk harming someone he loves again.

As the curse continues its deadly countdown, both Aria and Baron must risk their lives and their hearts to save each other and unite a kingdom.

Editorial Reviews

Foreword Reviews starred review

"An enthralling fantasy novel . . . in which teenagers navigate grief and discord to find love and acceptance."

Kirkus Reviews

2024-08-03
Crown Princess Aria has mentally tallied every mistake she’s made since she was 8, but one moment of misguided optimism sees her trapped by the greatest mistake of her life.

The execution of Charles Morton, heir to his family’s estate, drags the kingdom to the brink of war. Eighteen-year-old Aria, against her father’s orders, tries to broker peace with the grieving Dowager Countess Morton, who stands for the maligned magic-wielding Casters, but her negotiations fail, with terrible consequences. Charles’ mother places a curse that will kill off the king’s line one by one over the course of 100 days. Meanwhile, newly orphaned Guillaume Reeves faces troubles of his own. As a Caster, he’s stripped of the title of baron, crushing his hopes of having a voice in the kingdom. When circumstances bring Aria and Guillaume together, what starts off as an exercise in mutual benefit (and distrust) steadily blossoms into something deeper—something that might mend the break between Casters and crown for good…assuming they don’t run out of time. Though the worldbuilding is somewhat shallow, the intricate plot unfurls steadily, allowing for deep character development. Lowham gives familial relationships as much weight as the slow-burn romance, which feels wonderfully believable. Heavy themes—the overcoming of internal and external trauma, the difficulties of effecting change against generations of prejudice—are handled sensitively and are served well by the rich prose. Most characters present white.

A leisurely paced fantasy with refreshing emotional depth.(Fantasy. 13-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192022276
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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