Title: Trickery
Series: Curse of the Gods #1
Author: Jaymin Eve, Jane Washington
Genre: Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance
Published: February 28th 2017
Format: eBook, Kindle Unlimited
Pages: 388
Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 1 on 5
POV: Single POV – Willa
Tropes: Academy, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Slow Burn, Chaotic Heroine, Protective / Possessive Alpha Heroes, Gods / Mythology
Trickery Curse of the Gods - Review
Trickery by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington is the first book in the Curse of the Gods series and one of my favorite introductions to reverse harem, or “Why Choose,” romance. If you’re looking for a light fantasy romance with a hilarious heroine, five powerful brothers, and plenty of chaotic interactions, this is a fun place to start.
This series was one of my first adventures in RH. I was already a fan of Jaymin Eve because of her Hive Trilogy and the Supernatural Prison Trilogy.
Trickery is a fantastic start to the series. It’s a light fantasy romance that doesn’t focus too heavily on the fantasy side of things. Instead, it puts the focus on the characters, their relationships, and Willa’s increasingly chaotic life at Blesswood Academy.
What is Trickery About?
Trickery follows Willa Knight, a clumsy and hilarious Dweller who has an uncanny ability to create chaos everywhere she goes.
After a series of unfortunate events, Willa finds herself at Blesswood, an academy for the Sols who are training for the chance to become Gods. This is a huge change for Willa, especially because Dwellers are considered the lowest class in Minatsol.
Things get even more complicated when she catches the attention of the five Abcurse brothers — Coen, Rome, Yael, Aros, and Siret. The brothers are powerful, dangerous, and definitely not used to someone like Willa disrupting their lives.
And, naturally, Willa’s ability to find trouble only makes things more interesting.
It wasn’t like I was a bad person or anything, I just … had a lot of accidents. I didn’t mean accidents like I ate glue and then peed myself on a regular basis. I just tripped more than usual, and accidently set things on fire more than what would be considered ‘normal’.
The world where these characters live is unique. It is divided into two – Minatsol, where the people live, and Topia, where the Gods live. The people of Minatsol are further divided into three classes: Dwellers (the ordinary people) and Sols (people with some God-like powers).
The world-building is established and explained early on, so you aren’t left confused about the social hierarchy. Basically, the Dwellers are the slaves of the Sols, while the Sols do their best to please the Gods in the hope of getting the chance to stand alongside them.
As fate would have it, Willa and her best friend are chosen to attend Blesswood, an academy where the Sols train to please their Gods and earn a chance to become Gods themselves. For Willa, it’s supposed to be a life of servitude, but, of course, she turns it into something much more.
“I’m sick of them. I never want to see them again. Except Aros; he smells nice. And Rome; because he’s so strong I’m pretty sure not even Rau can get past him. I don’t need the others. Except Siret. I’m pretty sure he hates me, but he’s really good at catching me like just before I face-plant into something. But the others, I don’t need them. Not at all.” I paused, my brow furrowing, my mouth pursing, and then I quickly blurted, “Except Coen and Yael. Coen is really good at making decisions, and if I leave out Yael he’ll probably hunt me down and haunt me-”
Willa catches the eyes of five brothers, the Abcurses, who make her life even more chaotic. And let me say, I wouldn’t mind being their pet.
Coen, Rome, Yael, Aros, and Siret are some of my favorite harems. They all have their own quirks and personalities, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. Initially, they are amused by the Dweller who’s just too careless around them, but as the story continues, they become increasingly protective of her.
The Abcurses are much more powerful than the normal Sols, dangerous, and hiding a secret they aren’t willing to share yet. But they have taken Willa under their wings and can be completely over-the-top (which, TBH, is my guilty pleasure).
They are possessive of her and will do anything to keep her safe and avenge her.
I tossed out my hands to catch myself, forgetting that I was holding the knife … And that was how I stabbed a God in Topia.
I liked Willa’s stupid and endearing habit of getting into trouble. Although she usually stumbles around more than she should, she is actually smart and knows how to get herself out of trouble, too.
And that’s what I liked about her. She may be clumsy and constantly finding herself in ridiculous situations, but she isn’t helpless. You really get to see how Willa and the Abcurses slowly become a perfect unit.
Is Trickery worth reading?
If you enjoy reverse harem or Why Choose romance, I definitely recommend Trickery. It’s especially worth picking up if you like:
- A chaotic and hilarious FMC
- Five powerful and possessive heroes
- Academy settings
- Fantasy romance
- A slow-building reverse harem relationship
- Lots of banter and character interactions
- Light fantasy with plenty of humor
This is a book I’ve reread multiple times, and it still works as a fun comfort read for me. Willa’s antics, the Abcurse brothers, and all the little mysteries surrounding the world kept me hooked.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the world-building is amazing. The authors have created a fantastic world for us to dive into, and I really enjoyed discovering it along with the characters. The revelations unfold little by little, giving you enough time to understand the world while getting to know these amazing, well-rounded, and completely addictive characters.
The romance isn’t the central focus of the book, but honestly, that didn’t bother me at all. The fun and intense interactions between Willa and the Abcurses more than make up for it.
This is such a fun read. You will legit laugh out loud at Willa’s antics, fall for the Abcurse brothers, and, by the end of it, want more and more of them. And thankfully, there are five more books waiting for you!
Curse of the Gods Reading Order
The Curse of the Gods series is complete, so you can binge the entire series without waiting for the next book. Here is the reading order:
- Trickery (Siret)
- Persuasion (Yael)
- Seduction (Aros)
- Strength (Rome)
4.5 Neutral (Emmy’s book) - Pain (Coen)
Trickery Book Synopsis:
Willa Knight: Dweller. Slave. Non-magical being.
In Minatsol, being a dweller means that you are literally no better than dirt. In fact, dirt might actually be more useful than Willa. Her life will be one of servitude to the sols, the magic-blessed beings who could one day be chosen to become gods.
At least her outer village is far removed from the cities of the sols, and she won’t ever be forced to present herself to them… Until one small mistake changes everything, and Willa is awarded a position to serve at Blesswood, the top sol academy in the world—a position that she definitely did not earn.
Under the sudden, watchful eye of the gods, she will be tasked to serve the Abcurse brothers, five sols built of arrogance, perfection and power. They are almost gods themselves, and under their service she is either going to end up sentenced to death, or else they are going to ruin her so badly that she will wish for it.
Either way, she is in trouble.
This is a full novel, 90,000 words. Book 1 of 5 in the Curse of the Gods Series
Purchase Links
About Jaymin Eve:
Jaymin Eve is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and sci-fi novels filled with epic love stories, great adventures, and plenty of laughs. She lives in Australia with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and a couple of crazy pets. To date, she has sold over three million ebooks, and still can’t believe that she gets to create fantasy worlds as a job.
For action, adventure, romance, and a guaranteed HEA, start one of her series today.
Next in the Curse of the Gods series...
