Sealed with a Curse (Weird Girls, #1)

by Cecy Robson

Renee Chambliss (Narrator), RenA (c)e Chambliss (Narrator), and Renée Chambliss (Narrator)

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, weird…

The Wird sisters are content to avoid the local vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region—until one of them blows up a vampire in self-defense. Everyone knows vampires aren't aggressive, and killing one is punishable by death. But soon more bloodlust-fueled attacks occur, and the community wonders: are the vampires of Tahoe cursed with a plague?

Celia reluctantly agrees to help Misha, the handsome leader of an infected vampire family. But Aric, the head of the werewolf pack determined to destroy Misha's family to keep the region safe, warns Celia to stay out of the fight. Caught between two hot alphas, Celia must find a way to please everyone, save everyone, and oh yeah, not lose her heart to the wrong guy—or die a miserable death. Because now that the evil behind the plague knows who Celia is, it’s coming for her and her sisters. This Wird girl has never had it so tough.

• ISBN10: 1452666253
• ISBN13: 9781452666259
• Publish Date: 3 September 2013 (first published 1 December 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 January 2017
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tantor Media, Inc
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (MP3)
• Duration: 10 hours and 1 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Sealed with a Curse was fun! When it starts, Celia and her three sisters are on trial for murdering a vampire. Of course, they reveal that the vampire was in the wrong, it was self defense, and they're let go. But the judge dismissed them a little too easily, and the sisters learn that there's a virus going through the vampire population causing chronic bloodlust. It's not just a medical emergency, it's a play for power! And the Wird sisters are the only ones without a stake in this fight, so they're the ones who must help stop it.

I loved that Sealed with a Curse (and probably the rest of the series) is focused on a sibling group fighting evil rather than romantic partners! Each sister has a different power, and they're very strong, and very weird. They're not really part of the supernatural community because they weren't born with the powers (or born again as vampires). They try to stay under the radar, but that's impossible now as they're thrust into the midst of all this crazy! Celia wants to help, but her priority is her sisters' lives, particularly the youngest Emme.

The one thing that kept me from really enjoying Sealed with a Curse was that there were way too many characters! I felt quite overwhelmed with the four sisters, a pack of werewolves, and a family of vampires all running around and interacting. It was hard for me to keep anyone but Celia, Aric, and Misha straight. There's just too many of them, so I found myself going "Wait, who is this again? What species are they?" I also just really wanted to know more about the Wird sisters. We get that they're orphans after their parents were murdered during a home invasion, and that neither side of the family wanted to take them in because of their mixed heritage (their mother was El Salvadorian and their father was Caucasian). And their powers were a backfired curse, although I got that from the description rather than the actual story. That is mostly what I wanted more information on!

In the end though, I did like Sealed with a Curse. Tight sibling groups are a refreshing change from the loner who picks up a love interest rather than a friend. Not to say that there isn't a romance, because there is a budding romance between Celia and a hot wolf. It's not the focus, but there is an attraction there. I am looking forward to more of them, and finding out more about the sisters' history and their unique abilities.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Berls]

My Initial Reaction...

I've been really curious about this series for a while, so when it was one of the books on the list for book club, I decided to give it a go. I really enjoyed the sisterly interactions in Sealed With A Curse, but I never really got that invested in the plot or characters. It was an okay, quick read.

The Narration...

Renée Chambliss was a B, B+ narrator for me. Her voices worked really well for the female characters and, generally speaking, really well for the male characters as well. There were a few moments where she gave the "villains" these really weird voices that I did not like at all. I think I would give her another shot to see if she's a better narrator with a book that I get into more.

The Characters...

The Wird Sisters worked for me as a group - when they were interacting as sisters, but I don't think I was crazy about them as individuals.They each had a very dominant, over-the-top quality and never really seemed like complete individuals. Sealed With A Curse is told from the point of view of Celia, the eldest Wird sister and she's a bit more complete than the others. I loved her magical ability - she's a Tigress, sort of - and I liked the way she was the super protective older sister. But that really loops back around to me liking her in her role as sister, not individual. She's not very experienced romantically because she's given up a lot to care for her sisters. This works as a trait, but it was pounded into me over and over.

Her other sisters were even less complete. Taran, the second eldest Wird sister, is loud, pushy, and resembles a powder keg. Emme Wird is sweet, timid and shy. Finally there's Shayna Wird who is basically your surfer girl - hyper, fun-loving, and calls everyone dude. Their magical abilities were also pretty great, but their personalities were just one-dimensional. As sisters, though, they worked. I loved seeing their interactions and the way the teased or looked after each other, whatever the case may be.

I also really didn't get into the male characters that were supposed to make me weak in the knees. Aric, the local sexy full-blooded Were was fine. He didn't get me all excited and he didn't bother me. He just was. Same thing with Mircea, the local vampire lord that Celia and her sisters are helping. His sexiness and the way his vampires dressed/behaved (girls in school uniforms, nurse outfits...) was just too in your face for me.

So the characters were like the book... ok.

The Story...

Like the characters, the story for Sealed With A Curse worked for me in some ways and really fell flat in others. I liked the magical world that Cecy Robson developed and I absolutely loved the unique magical characteristics of the Wird sisters - who get their powers not because they were born from magical parents or turned or something, but because they were part of a curse gone wrong. So they really don't have names for what they are. That was cool. And led to some pretty cool action sequences.

What didn't work was the mystery itself. Someone within the vampire community made a bid for power by infecting vampires with the blood lust virus (think current season of True Blood and the Hepatitis V). Mircea's vampires are the first being attacked and he calls on the Wird sisters for help. That in itself was fine. What blew was that I knew from the very first instance who was responsible. It was so incredibly obvious! I think Sealed With A Curse depends so much on stereotypes and one dimensional characteristics that picking out who done it was equally stereotypical. Oh well, I still enjoyed the action and the world.

Concluding Sentiments...

In the end, I did enjoy the sisterly elements, the world and the action in Sealed With A Curse. I probably won't be rushing to read the next book in the series anytime soon, but I'm glad I finally got a chance to see what's up with the Wird Sisters.

#COYER

[MurderByDeath]

A fun read I didn't want to put down, in spite of the late hour.

Once I got beyond the silliness that is the big green monsters, I really enjoyed this paranormal universe create by Ms. Robson. Celia is a heroine I can get behind: incredibly powerful, but with a healthy dose of humanity, humour and humiliation. There are elements to Celia's past that if not worked well, will turn her into a woe-is-me victim, but I saw no sign of it in this book.

Each of Celia's sisters is someone a girl can cheer on - each has a kick-ass power and each a distinct personality - although I'd love to see Emme surprise everyone by turning out to be the iron fist inside that velvet glove.

Misha and Aric - well, take your pick; they're both hot and powerful. Normally I'd be fully in Misha's corner: gorgeous, blond, vampiric and Russian, but Ms. Robson actually has me cheering for Aric - even though I'm typically not a fan of werewolves in my Paranormal/UF.

The plot itself - well, it was a solid first effort. I guessed who we'd find at the end of the book responsible for the chaos and mayhem. It felt obvious to me. The author went through too much effort to divert suspicion from this particular foe, making him/her feel like the obvious choice. There were red herrings and plot twists - at least one diversion that was never explained. But over all, I genuinely enjoyed the read and I'm looking forward to reading the second book.

[kimbacaffeinate]

thanks to my buddies I have a friggin awesome urban fantasy series read...loved it. c[_]

[littleread1]

I liked this book. It has all the "right" elements for me to love it; magic, strong female lead, a couple sexy men, crazy shit going down. But it just didn't have that unknown element that makes me go fan-girl crazy. I can't put my finger on it ... it's not like there was anything majorly wrong that I can point my finger at and say "Ah ha! THAT sucked and therefore lost a star!"

At the same time it just didn't have that "Holy SHIT I can't believe that just happened I think I am going to throw up!" moment that made me love it. These are the hardest books for me to review; when they don't make me feel super strong emotions one way or another, so let me try to break it down.

The Sisters - I love Celia as a MC. She is strong, lonely, FIERCELY protective of her sisters, powerful but not overly so, and unique. Hell, all four sisters are unique. Though for some reason I kept confusing Taran and Shayna until near the end. And call me callous, but all three of them babying Emme the whole time? I get that they all can't be badass confident chicks, but with the way they treat Emme you would think she is made or porcelain.

The Men - This, if I point my finger at anything, is probably what lost me. I think it's great that all the sisters have shifter love interests, but really? The three guys walk into a bar ... sounds like I am setting up a bad joke ... and Taran, Shayna, and Emme all end up with these guys? And we find out later they are all part of Aric, Celia's wolf's, personal guard - but where was Aric? Yes they do get a call and have to leave suddenly, I just, I don't know. And I have to mention, even though it is obvious he is never a contender for Celia, Misha. He was an interesting vampire. He made me laugh quite a few times.

The Story - Sometimes when I am reading something, and I am not "getting it," I think I might be dumb. And that can be the case sometimes ... I recently found out a book I read was a "re-telling" of Romeo and Juliet. And I felt like an idiot. But anyway, I just never really "got" what was going on here. I mean, I know the vampires are being infected with blood-lust, but it always seemed random to me. Not a very solid plan. AND I knew instantly who the big bad was. When that character was described ... I don't want to say more because I don't want to ruin it, but yeah.

Like I said, I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I definitely suggest you read it yourself. It has all the right elements, and I could easily see someone loving it.

[EBookObsessed]

Cecy Robson’s debute novel, Sealed with a Curse, focuses on Celia Wird and her sisters, brutally nicknamed “the weird sisters” since school. The sisters were just plain old humans who were cursed at birth. But that curse became a gift…sort of. Celia can shift into a tiger. Just don’t get her too close to any other animal spirit, or she can end up shifting against her will. No new puppies for these sisters. Taran is the supersexy/badass sister who can harnesses the power of fire. Shayna can turn any metal into a blade and any wood into a weapon. (“Luke Skywalker could suck it. He had nothing on Shayna.”) Little sister, Emme, has the ability to heal her sisters. She can also use The Force…I mean, she can move things with her mind. Together these sisters are formidable, but they have been trying all their lives to stay under the supernatural radar, not wanting their odd presence known to be the weres, vampires and witches that live nearby.

That was going well for them until Taran had a date gone bad with a vampire and it took all four sisters to bring him down. They were then “requested” to show up to Vampire Court to be held accountable for their actions. When it was determined that the vampire was acting under bloodlust, they were excused with the Court’s apologize, but now it is too late. Nowadays they have supernatural stalkers hiding in their bushes trying to get a look at the weird sisters of Tahoe.

Now the very elegant, powerful and very rich Master Vampire, Sir Misha Aleksandr. Misha is fascinated by the lovely and spirited Celia and he wants her help to find out who is attacking his family. Of course, he would also do anything to get Celia into his bed.

While helping Misha hunt down infected vampires might not be every girl’s dream date, it does bring Celia face to face with the gorgeous, sex-on-a-stick Alpha werewolf, Aric Connor. Aric and his pack of werewolves believe themselves to be guardians of the earth and it is their duty to protect the humans from the bloodlusted vampires, not Celia’s. So Aric will do anything to keep Celia safe…and out of Misha’s bed.

Although Celia attempts to get these two powerful, supernatural alpha males to work together to protect the poor, unsuspecting humans who are being treated like blood-filled tic-tacs by the infected vampires, it seems Misha and Aric are more concerned about who gets to play patty cake with Celia.

With vampires and werewolves drawing battle lines in the sand, it is up to Celia and her sisters to find out who is behind the bloodlust, keep the locals safe…and to keep that wereraccooon out of their garbage. Dude, put on some pants!

THOUGHTS:

This was an incredibly entertaining story. It had a great blend of humor, action and romance. It was written in a first person perspective, told by Celia, who is funny and quirky and it is delightful to be in her head. You can see why all the delicious supernatural hotties want a bite out of the charming Celia. This 20-something is not as popular with the boys as her sisters, due to her inner-tiger scaring them away, so she is uncomfortable with all the attention she is receiving, but not to the point it is awkward. She’s more baffled.

There is a prequel that I have to pick up which I am sure focuses on all the sisters.

I don’t know yet if this is a series or a trilogy, but it seems Book #2 (which comes out July 2nd) is also told by Celia. I can’t wait to see where that goes.

Although I don’t believe this is marketed at a young adult book, I will note that there are no sex scenes and only a few subtle sexual references such as “making my girly parts tingle”. It was delightful and entertaining without the full sexual assault that some books have. Maybe you could share this with your older teens (parent’s discretion).

Definitely pick this up if you like your paranormal with a twist of fun.

Received an ARC from the publisher. Thank you.

See more at http://ebookobsessed.com