Content levels
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
From the author of the Bargainer series comes the prequel to Bewitched. Two thousand years before there was Selene, there was Roxilana. Her love fated, her life doomed, and her story forgotten-until now. When Roxilana hears a voice inside her head, she believes she's gone mad. This voice, Memnon, claims he is her god-touched soul mate, one who has the ability to wield magic. Not only that, but he believes Roxilana possesses magic too. Wild though his claims are, Roxilana realizes Memnon speaks the truth. First, her power Awakens. Then, Memnon, King of the Sarmatians, shows up at her door in Rome, proclaims her as his wife, and takes her to his homeland. Roxilana's fate is everything she hoped for. But there are things Memnon didn't tell her-about his magic, life as a Sarmatian, and what she, as queen, will have to endure. And as she soon learns, nothing is as dangerous as love and power. While the combination can build empires and legacies, it is capable of destroying everything and everyone in its path. And if Roxilana and Memnon are not careful, it could destroy them along with it.
The Curse That Binds: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
This adult fantasy romance features explicit sexual content, magic-induced soul bonds, kidnapping, and political violence set in ancient Sarmatia and Rome. The power dynamics and mature themes make it suitable only for adult readers.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, steamy sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include captivity, power imbalance, and forced marriage (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Adult readers will be drawn to the intense fated-mates romance and magical worldbuilding set in an ancient historical setting.