Mother's Curse by Thaddeus Nowak Book Review

The sins of the mother....

Have you ever blamed your mother for passing along some undesirable trait?  We all get unwanted habits and traits from our parents (my mom gave me fine, straight hair that can't hold a curl), but I think we can safely say that our mother's didn't "curse" us.  For Stephanie in a Mother's Curse by Thaddeus Nowak, she can trace the blame for her curse back to her mother's sins.

There's a war raging in neighboring lands that has Stephanie's father and brother, the King and Prince of Cothel, on the battle front.  Stephanie has been trained by her father and brother in combat, since they are the only ones who truly seem to care for her.  Her mother hates her and locks her up in the castle tower believing that the sin she committed caused Stephanie to be cursed as a witch. 

Witches are turned over to the priests and burned, so Stephanie has been careful to hide her true self from everyone.  But she soon realizes that she must do something to help the soldiers at the front because her mother has turned into a traitor.

Escaping her prison in the tower, Stephanie meets an unlikely friend who educates Stephanie on her abilities and encourages her to use them to her advantage.  Stephanie must travel with a band of soldiers to save the country, all the while trying to hide who she truly is.

Thaddeus Nowak grabs the attention of the reader from page one and keeps the book going at a fast pace.  Stephanie is an amazingly strong character who has faults and weaknesses, but she can still be a powerful witch.  Stephanie can at some points can come off as a petulant child, but she is young and insecure in herself so that can be understandable. 

Nowak has vivid descriptions of scenery and relationships between the characters.  The main characters are well developed and relate-able, even in the fantasy genre. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about journey, struggles, witchcraft, friendship, betrayal, and finding out who you are...

 

Mother's Curse is a coming of age story about the youngest Princess of Cothel and her efforts to save her father and brother from her mother's schemes, while at the same time, coming to terms with what it means to be a witch. Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.

Daughter's Justice continues Stephenie's journey of discovery, where she must overcome national opposition to her being a witch as well as lead her friends and protectors on a mission to stabilize her countries finances. Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.

Thaddeus Nowak is a writer of fantasy novels who enjoys hiking, photography, and the outdoors. Visit Ted on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.