Review: Great novella, can't wait to start the actual series now :)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 16, 2014
This was a really good short story that gives a more in-depth look at the curse that is the basis for the Curse Keepers series. I've read that it's not essential to read this prior to the first book in the series, but I opted to for two reasons: I like the historical aspect about the Roanoke Colony (the 'lost city of Roanoke'/the Roanoke Colony is truly a fascinating piece of US history. If you're unfamiliar with it, research it someday.) and I wanted to know how the curse came about before starting the series. I also really liked the paranormal twist on the colony's disappearance.What  I didn't expect was the amount of emotion packed into such a small book. I really felt bad for Ananias, and also a little bit for Manteo. Both lost something, one unknowingly and certainly unwillingly, had he known the outcome. The other was fully aware of what they were losing, but what was lost was pretty heartbreaking even if he chose to sacrifice it. The different gods and the demons were really interesting and I liked how each man walked away with a connection to the other. A haunting sort of connection, but it's something they will both never forget.Bottom line - great little novella that really sets the stage for the series and also for the curse. It will be interesting to see exactly how these two characters factor in to the books since this takes place in the early colonization days America and I'm assuming the books are modern day. Quite a few years difference :)