CASTLE OF THE CURSED

After surviving an apparent gas leak that killed 25 other people on the New York City subway, including her parents, a 17-year-old moves in with her estranged aunt in a castle in northern Spain.

Estela Amador has spent the seven months since the tragedy in a mental health facility, but upon learning the truth about her origins, she has little choice but to travel to the place her parents actively lied to keep her away from. Beatríz Brálaga, her maternal aunt, is brooding and remote, just like castillo Brálaga, the family’s ancestral home. Beatríz, who’s a doctor, gives Estela shriveled black pills instead of her usual medications. Estela learns about the history of the castle and nearby town from Felipe, her Spanish language tutor. Desperately curious to learn more, she experiences nighttime hauntings by a shadow beast as she explores the castle against her aunt’s express orders. After a menacing first encounter, Estela and the beast, Sebastián, form a partnership to uncover more of Estela’s past—if her past doesn’t destroy her first. Elements of Dracula meet “Beauty and the Beast” to create a dark, engaging atmosphere. While the romantic moments with Sebastián often interrupt the story’s genuine tension, and some of the family revelations veer into melodrama, the intriguing setting with its well-wrought details will keep readers engaged.

A brooding romance with a compelling, gothic setting.