Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland

Book Description

After twenty years defending the frozen north against some of the most dangerous threats in the nine kingdoms, Rhoren “Bloodbane” has finally earned his retirement. Spilled cocktails may not carry the same weight as spilled blood, but opening a tavern brings a unique brand of challenges. With the right friends and a little bit of luck, he might just have a recipe for success.

Review

Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland is a cute, cozy fantasy. It’s filled with brief glimpses into the larger world of Aedrea and delicious-sounding cocktails.

Like many retirees, Rhoren, an umbral elf, has moved to a warmer climate and opened a bar.

In the grand tradition of cozy novels, Cursed Cocktails includes recipes. But while you could make any (or all) of the novel’s cocktails at home, In Cursed Cocktails, Rowland did something brilliant.

He used phonetic spellings to make real-world booze “feel” like it belongs in the fantasy world. And as we all know, cozy fantasy is all about the feels.

Gin is ‘Jin’, vodka is ‘watka’, rum is ‘rhum’… you get the picture. Even more clever, Rowland has created a companion goody called “Devilish Drinks” that you can get for free when you sign up for his newsletter.

Make Your Characters Struggle

If I have any criticism of the book, it’s that everything comes a touch easily to the protagonist. It’s much easier to care about a character when they have to claw and scratch to obtain their story goal. Luckily, while Rhoren hovers on the verge of being a Mary Sue type of character, he never quite crosses the line.

For anyone concerned that the queer romance may overshadow the story, don’t let that stop you from reading Cursed Cocktails.

Like many of these cozy fantasy novels, there is a romance, but it grows from friendship and does not drive the plot. There is little to no will-he-won’t-he sentiment. The story doesn’t lean on insta-love, or a forced breakup. There is no silly misunderstanding that the characters could have easily cleared up with a simple conversation. Rowland includes none of the tropes you might associate with fantasy romance.

If you loved Legends and Lattes, you’ll likely enjoy Cursed Cocktails too.

Content Warning

Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Loss of a Parent, Pain, Queer Romance, Violence

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Adam Jaime on Unsplash