Young Adult Romantasy
Status: In Progress
Genre: YA romantasy
Spice Level: sweet/no-spice/clean
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, sunshine vs grumpy, opposites attract, destined to be together, one true love, beta male main character
The Curse We Share
A mashup of Zelda: Breath of The Wild and Sleeping Beauty, this high-stakes YA romantasy explores self-acceptance and what it means to follow your head vs. your heart. It features an adorable grumpy vs sunshine trope, a dual timeline, and the magic of true love’s kiss.
A centuries-old sleeping curse is the last thing on eighteen-year-old Zia’s mind. Logical to a fault, the princess is too busy untangling the mystery of the magic needed to defend the kingdom of Hanai from Togegami, a vengeful demon about to escape divine prison. So Zia is blindsided when her curse activates at the worst possible moment, dragging not just her but also her touchy-feely knight, Raiden, into the dream realm.
Both of them are missing crucial memories, but Zia and Raiden know three things: Togegami attacked Hanai, the kingdom will fall without Zia’s magic, and true love’s kiss is the only way to wake up. After a goddess-awful smooch (just in case), they plan to separate to find their loves, but a harrowing escape quickly proves they must travel together to succeed.
As Zia and Raiden navigate the dream realm’s hazards, including vicious sentient vines, monster attacks, and Zia’s powerful new magic, they begin to regain their missing memories—including confusing glimpses of what they were to each other when they fell asleep. But time is against them, and while the dream realm holds the key to defeating Togegami for good, lingering there will doom everyone they love. When their supposed loves fail to wake them up, Zia and Raiden must learn when to trust their heads versus their hearts if they want to conquer their personal demons, break the curse, and save Hanai.