YA Review – Truth Cursed – young adult fantasy

About the Book

Book: Truth Cursed

Author: Angie Dickinson

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release date: February 18, 2025

Speaking the truth can be a dangerous thing.

Cressida Hoth is alone in the world. Orphaned and unwanted, she is inflicted with a peculiar curse by her mischievous aunts and banished to a finishing school in the secluded kingdom of Dernmont. Students train in every accomplishment suitable for young ladies: music, dancing, etiquette…and strangely, poison-making, fencing, and lock- picking.

The school is a front for a rebel spy ring, and when her training is complete, Cressida is selected to join a mission to infiltrate the kingdom’s royal court. She has been thrown unceremoniously into a world of ball gowns and espionage, but she is still under a curse, and it threatens to expose them all.

Defending her teammates and her secret, Cressida discovers that the kingdom’s buried history and the truth behind her curse run far deeper than she imagined.

Click here to get your copy!

My YA Review

Dickinson, Angie. Truth Cursed. Carol Stream, IL: Enclave Publishing, 2025.

Angie Dickinson is a new-to-me author. Truth Cursed has an interesting premise – a serum that makes people tell the truth when asked a direct question.

Cressida Hoth witnessed her parents being killed. She went to live with her aunts, who, when she was eight years old, gave her a truth serum. From that point on Cressida had to tell the truth. 

She is sent to a finishing school only to learn that she is really there to avenge the deaths of her parents through spying and covert activities. 

Dickinson did an excellent job of providing surprises along the way. Things happen in the plot that I never saw coming but that make perfect sense when you look back at the plot. 

Truth Cursed would be a great addition to the fantasy section of a K-12 Christian school library. It is appropriate for middle school and up.

I received a complimentary copy of Truth Cursed. This is my honest review. 

About the Author – Angie Dickinson

Angie Dickinson is a lifelong lover of magical stories that point to truth, hope, and redemption. She received a B.A. in English Literature and is now a fantasy writer, living in the woods of Michigan with her husband and four children. Angie is saved by grace alone and is in awe of her Savior’s unrestrained love. She is blessed by her big, boisterous family and is fond of Earl Grey tea, reading too late at night, and taking every opportunity to share her passion for fantasy and fairy tales.

 

 

More from Angie Dickinson

A few years ago, while I was pregnant with my third child and feeling an itch to write a story, a question popped into my mind. Could I write a relatable main character who is cursed with a peculiar impediment that affects every relationship and interaction? What would that look like and how challenging would it be? This was the beginning of my journey toward creating and learning to know and love Cressida, the main character of Truth Cursed.

This book became an ode to so many of my favorite things: girlhood friendships, mystery, fantasy, ballgowns, hidden weaponry (poisons! blades!!), court intrigue, an epic castle setting, sweet romance, and coming-of-age character growth that is anything but graceful. In many ways this story is old fashioned for this fast-moving publishing world, embracing an amalgam of the story types that I grew up reading and wishing to read.

As I wrote, I discovered my reader, and she was younger me. So I wrote for her, for my own future teens, and for every reader who loves to fall into a cozy, wholesome, and intriguing story. I’ve attempted to present my reader with a mirror and true hope as they unravel the mystery and adventure of Truth Cursed. I will forever be thankful to my Creator for the opportunity to share Cressida’s story.

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 4

cecereadsandsings, March 4

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, March 5

Allyson Jamison, March 5

Texas Book-aholic, March 6

By the Book, March 7

Lily’s Corner, March 8

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 9

The Lofty Pages, March 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 11

Inspired by Fiction, March 12

Hannahbandanarama, March 12

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 13

Faery Tales Are Real, March 13

Holly’s Book Corner, March 14

Blogging With Carol, March 15

For Him and My Family, March 16

Labor Not in Vain, March 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Angie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54166

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