Absolutely WONDERFUL.
Eliot Grayson's latest release is an addictive, fascinating, wonderfully gripping gem of a book: I inhaled "The Royal Curse", and I'm already so damned excited to read it again. And again.

This brand new series by Eliot Grayson brings us into an epic fantasy world where magic exists, and certain people have the (mis)fortune of being born twilight mages. Without spoiling much, there are two types of twilight mages, dawn and dusk, and each of them has a particular "curse" and a way of dealing with that particular curse. And yep, it's through sex.
I think the "sex for magical/survival reasons" is one of my favourite, most sought out, tropes of the whole romance genre. I could literally read this type of trope forever, and I'd never get bored. And Eliot Grayson, one of my favourite authors, finally writing this kind of book? It's a dream come true.
Because "The Royal Curse" is everything I hoped for, and then some.
It's wild and exciting, with a straight-forward but fascinating world-building (with magic, political intrigue, and of course, a royal/guard relationship that's always a must in epic fantasy), and two absolutely wonderful protagonists.

Niko goes through a fantastic character arc: throughout the book, he shows all of his complexities and flaws and strengths, from his crippling lack of self-worth and his helplessness because of his mage status (and I found those aspects so damn heartbreaking; it really made me feel for him), to his quiet strength and steadfastness, and finally, his adorable sweetness and the equally helpless devotion he develops for his guard, Andreas. Needless to say, I freaking loved him, even when he was being reckless and idiotic and bratty.

And Andreas, oh god: I swooned non-stop, start to finish. He's strong and stubborn and self-sacrificing, kind and devoted and commanding, with the filthiest mouth ever. His dirty talk, you guys: I don't think I ever stopped blushing.
Eliot Grayson has really outdone herself with the steam here: this book is packed full with the dirtiest, most delicious steam I've read in quite a while.

< “Oh gods,” I moaned, and clenched around him, and it happened again. “No, just me,” Andreas growled in my ear. >

The plot was gripping, with twists and turns and betrayals, with a few intriguing underlying plot-points (and characters!) that are left dangling in a way that makes me hope they will appear in some way in the next few books.

"The Royal Curse" was absolute joy to devour. It has everything you could hope to find in an epic fantasy romance: all the best tropes you could wish for; a lovely, filthy, forbidden relationship; a whole lot of steam and a whole lot of sweetness and devotion; fascinating magic and a vivid world-building; and finally, a cast of characters that are utterly unforgettable.
I can't wait to read the next book(s) in this series: I know I'll love them all to bits.

TWs/CWs: attempted, on page sexual assault (not between the MCs).

Thank you GRR for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.