Review ~ The Curse Keepers ~ Denise Grover Swank

Title:  The Curse Keepers

Author: Denise Grover Swank

Published: 1^st November 2013

By: 47North

Source: netgalley

First line: The moment I laid eyes on him I knew he was trouble.

Last line: I'm going to save the world.

This book is for older readers

Synopsis: The wall between our world and that of vengeful spirits has protected humanity for more than 400 years. It’s about to come crashing down.

Ellie Lancaster has lived her whole life by the site of the mysterious Lost Colony of Roanoke, the Virginia settlement that vanished without a trace around 1590. Only the descendants of the two men who banished the spirits of an enemy tribe from the material realm know what really happened to the colony. Ellie is one of those descendants—a Curse Keeper. Her father took pains to teach her what he knew of the curse and the responsibilities of its guardians. He taught her that if the two Curse Keepers ever meet, the curse will be lifted, the gate will open, and the raging Native American spirits will be unleashed to seek their revenge.

Despite her father’s seriousness, Ellie has always taken the legend for a harmless fairy tale. Until she meets the darkly handsome, but downright infuriating, Collin Dailey and realizes everything she was told is true. For when they meet, it’s like the air is sucked from the room. Collin’s presence is electrifying… and it’s not just attraction Ellie feels, but the inexorable pull toward her destiny. The prophecy is real, and now Ellie and Collin must battle supernatural forces and their loathing—and passion—for each other to set things right.

The Curse Keepers are all that stand between the world and its destruction.

And so it is that the meeting of Ellie and Collin, more to the point the first time that they touch hands that sets of a chain of events that could lead to the end of the world. With the gate to the underworld standing open there is a legion of evil spirits waiting to escape after 400 years trapped as a result of Ellie and Collins predecessors. And they're not happy. 

I was pretty much glued to this book from the outset.  The main protagonists are well rounded and developed, although some are more mysterious than others, and it's easy to love/hate/trust/not trust them throughout the book.  Just when you think things will work out there's a simple one-liner that leaves you in doubt again and I love that! The plot here certainly kept me on my toes. 

Collin is wonderfully arrogant but is also dedicated to his familys history and to the role he plays with regards to the curse.  Ellie on the other hand is a walking contradiction, swinging from refusing to believe that the curse exists to blaming it for the bad luck that has beset her family.  In the end the arrival of the rather lovely dark and did I say lovely Collin wipes out the denial that she clings to so dearly.  The relationship between Ellie and Collin is classically antagonistic but is far more complex than it first appears. Underneath all the apparent arrogance Collin is actually a very loyal guy it seems, as focussed as he is, whilst Ellie, who tries to be totally independent, is clearly looking for someone to work with and trust.  I think this was the only source of confusion for me with her character.  There were times during the story where significant events took place and she chose not to tell Collin even though they were working for the same cause.  I couldn't understand why she would hide those things when she knew they had to work together, especially where these events could have left her in danger, primarily because of her own ignorance.

That said, her keeping quiet makes for a series of twists and turns that make this book hard to put down.  I loved all the peripheral characters who provide a richer backdrop to the story and the ending has set us up for a thrilling next instalment.  The only thing that's annoying me is that I have to wait for it! 

4/5 This is an amazing start to a new series.  I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment!