The Cursed Key (The Cursed Key Trilogy #1) by Miranda Brock & Rebecca Hamilton
Published by: Evershade Publishing
Publication date: January 14th 2020
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy

A forgotten past, a dark mage, and an unyielding curse.

Another team beat free-spirited archaeologist Olivia Perez to the dig of a lifetime, and now she’s left with the choice to wait for scraps or brave a dangerous, dusty tomb in hopes of finding other priceless artifacts. Her reward? A mysterious key she has no idea is cursed. Soon, Olivia realizes she’s brought home more than just an ancient rarity.

Malevolent visions begin to plague her. Unnerved by what they reveal, she casts away the key…unknowingly placing it into the waiting hands of a dark mage bent on destruction. Only when a shifter agent from the Paranormal Intelligence and Tracking Organization arrives searching for the key does Olivia realize what a huge mistake she’s made.

Forced to team up with the ill-tempered shifter, her journey to reclaim the cursed key leads down a twisting path of dark histories, dangerous magic, and deadly obstacles. But Olivia’s efforts to take back the ancient relic before the dark mage can destroy the lives of humans, shifters, witches, and fae alike are thwarted by her own dark past…and a price steeper than what she’s willing to pay.

Fans of Tomb Raider and Ilona Andrews will love the blend of urban fantasy, magical adventure, and paranormal romance in THE CURSED KEY from Miranda Brock and New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton!

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With a synopsis like that how could I not sign up for this tour! I read the opening sentence “I had come to a dangerous place, eagerly and with abandon fully latched to my soul.” And I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed.

We meet the POV character, Archaeologist Olivia Perez, as she arrives at her next big dig site. Olivia came across as an adventurous and intelligent woman. Although we are never told her age, to me she felt like late twenties to early thirties in age – Mature and confident in herself, but still a ways off from middle age.

Olivia gets more than she bargained for when an artifact she retrieves unlocks dormant magic inside her and fills her mind with horrific and déjà-vu-feeling visions. Cue the appearance of a Jaguar Shifter named Kael and she knows she’s made a terrible mistake removing the artifact from its resting place.

The story has beautiful settings with lush descriptions. It takes us from the jungles of the Amazon to the hills of Scotland and more.

This book is listed as a romance, but the romance was minimal and didn’t overshadow the action and adventure. The Cursed Key was action packed, fast passed and one of the cleanest paranormal romances I’ve ever read (and I mean that as a positive). But I expect the romance to grow in the next book of the trilogy and become a bigger part of the overall story.

All in all, The Cursed Key is a great first book. I found it exciting and entertaining and am looking forward to seeing where the next book will take Olivia and Kael.

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AUTHOR BIO:
New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance for Harlequin, Baste Lübbe, and Evershade. A book addict, registered bone marrow donor, and indian food enthusiast, she often takes to fictional worlds to see what perilous situations her characters will find themselves in next.

Represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA, Rebecca has been published internationally, in three languages: English, German, and Hungarian.

Author links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

AUTHOR BIO:
From an early age Miranda Brock has always loved fantasy and adventure everything. Since she doesn’t live in a world of enchanting powers, mythical beasts, and things unbelievable she has decided to write about them. (Although, if you happen to see a dragon flying around, do tell her.) Born in southern Illinois, where she still resides with her husband and two children, she grew up running through the woods, playing in creeks, and riding horses. What started out as writing poetry grew into short stories and eventually led to her first novel, Souls Discovered. Miranda lives in the country where she finds inspiration in the simplicity and beauty around her. With the help of a ridiculous amount of coffee and some good music she writes whenever she gets a chance.

Author links: Website | Facebook | Twitter