Review: A Cursed Bloodline

Author: Cecy Robson
Series: Weird Girls, #4
Released: November 18th 2014
Publisher: Loveswept
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

The Weird Girls return in another edge-of-your-seat novel from Cecy Robson! Just when Celia thinks the supernatural world can’t turn deadlier, a new rival emerges, proving just how dangerous a power-hungry were can be.

Since being cursed with unique abilities, Celia Wird and her three sisters have fought the most bloodthirsty preternaturals in the Lake Tahoe region. But Celia’s greatest threat is someone she would have never suspected: Anara, a werewolf Elder who has allowed his hatred for Celia to spiral out of control. In a play for dominance, Anara tortures Celia and gives her an ultimatum: sever her mate bond with pureblood were Aric—or Anara will kill everyone she loves.

From the instant they met, Celia and Aric have shared an attraction that cannot be tamed. So keeping Aric away is impossible, and Aric would sooner die than allow anyone to hurt the woman he loves. Misha, master vampire and Celia’s sworn protector, also finds his way into the chaos, seeking blood from those who have harmed her.

Now Celia and her sisters are caught in the middle of a war driven by lust, fueled by hatred, and destined to end in tragedy. For Anara is a force to be reckoned with, and he will not succumb without robbing Celia of those who hold her heart.

The Weird Girls series has been a constant favorite ever since the prequel novella was released, but The Cursed Bloodline, its fourth (and hopefully not final) installment left something to be desired. Apparently there’s such a thing as too much violence, even in urban fantasy, because there came a point in the second half of this book where I just felt that enough was enough.



That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy my time with Celia – I honestly did. Being so familiar with a set of characters has its advantages, the most important being the easiness with which we rejoin them every time. Spending time with them is extremely comfortable, and I’m always eager to learn more about their lives. Emme’s heartbreaking story was particularly important in this installment and her quiet strength and elegance provoked a deep sense of admiration in me. Being someone’s second choice, even when that someone holds no blame whatsoever, would break even the strongest of hearts, but Emme held her head high and her dignity intact.

The thing this book sorely lacks, however, that the others had in spades, is structure. There is simply too much of everything – too much violence, too much drama, too many tragedies and far too many miscommunications – to the point where it all became a heavy burden for the narrative that ended up resembling a too vivid patchwork quilt, but without a solid binding to hold it all together. It was quite overwhelming at times, and unnecessarily difficult throughout.

Another very odd move on Robson’s part was that she didn’t give us a chance to witness the big villain’s demise. Since Celia wasn’t completely present for it, we missed it as well, and it was horribly anticlimactic and disappointing. I felt that this huge, important villain, the strongest of them all so far, tortured, killed and maimed, did irreparable damage to both Celia and Aric, only to disappear from one sentence to the next. Disappointing? Why yes, it certainly was.

However, please don’t make the mistake of giving up on this series before you even started. One weak(er) installment aside, this is really good urban fantasy, and definitely worth your time. Make sure to give it a try or you’ll really be missing out.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.