Every now and then, I read a romantasy that reminds me why I fell in love with the genre in the first place, because the author understands that the best fantasy stories are ultimately about people.

That's what Amy Woodruff accomplishes with Of Kingdoms and Curses.

On the surface, this has everything romantasy readers are looking for: fae politics, deadly competitions, curses, conspiracies, slow-burn romance, and a magical world filled with secrets. The premise alone is enough to grab your attention. Humans who enter Elyria lose their memories forever. Not temporarily. Not until the curse is broken. Forever.

It's a horrifying concept when you stop and think about it. What makes you you if your memories disappear? Who gets to tell your story when you can no longer remember it?

Those questions sit at the center of this book, even when the plot is racing forward.

One of the smartest decisions Woodruff makes is the structure. Readers meet Bridget after she's already lost pieces of herself. We aren't simply watching a character solve a mystery; we're experiencing that confusion alongside her. Every revelation lands harder because we're uncovering the truth at the same time she is.

It creates something surprisingly rare in fantasy: genuine uncertainty. As readers, we often know more than the protagonist. Here, we know just as little.

The romance deserves its flowers too. Cade could have easily become another brooding fae prince archetype, but Woodruff gives him enough vulnerability and humanity to make him feel distinct. The relationship develops through trust, shared secrets, and difficult choices rather than instant attraction, which makes the emotional payoff feel earned.

But what impressed me most was how thoughtfully the entire world is constructed: the magic has consequences and the villains have understandable motivations.

Even seemingly small details often reveal themselves later as important pieces of a much larger puzzle. Nothing feels accidental and that's ultimately why this series has stayed with me.

Beneath the romance and the magic, this is a story about identity. About memory. About the stories we tell ourselves to survive. About what happens when fate tries to define us before we get the chance to define ourselves.

If you love romantasy with strong worldbuilding, emotionally driven character arcs, found family, political intrigue, dangerous magic, and a romance worth rooting for, Of Kingdoms and Curses deserves a place on your TBR.