Review: The Cursed Queen's Daughter (Thirstwood #2) by Elly Blake

*I received a copy of this book from Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.

The Cursed Queen's Daughter

(Thirstwood #2)

by Elly Blake

February 10, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

A warrior princess falls for a shadow prince in this darkly romantic companion to The Forest King’s Daughter.

Fearless Thea has never known life outside of war. As the favorite daughter of the Sylvan King, she's a relentless fighter who longs to lead his army as First Huntsman, ignoring the pretty clothes and fanciful notions others enjoy. But when a mysterious dress full of dark magic appears on her hearth one evening, Thea doesn’t know how to fight an enemy she can't see or touch. Still, her curiosity builds as a new gown appears each night—until she gives in to temptation and is whisked to a forgotten land of shadows.

The prince of the shadow realm is a handsome host, and while Thea does all she can to resist his charms, it's clear he knows something about the long-ago disappearance of Thea’s mother. All he asks in return is for Thea to dance with him, their dangerous attraction growing each time she returns for more information. Meanwhile, shadows are seeping into the living realm, and Thea may have to embrace her own darkness if she has any chance of saving her beloved sisters and home from an otherworldly threat.

From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the second book in a spellbinding series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, with simmering romance and plot twists that will leave readers desperate to enter the Thirstwood themselves.

Review

Jumping right into the sequel after finishing book one in a series is the best feeling and that’s exactly what I did with the Thirstwood books. I very easily reacquainted myself with the world- witnessing the hard-won peace from The Forest King’s Daughter then facing new foe in The Cursed Queen’s Daughter.

The strong-willed daughters of the Sylvan King are quite good at finding trouble. Thankfully they are also adept at solving them. The Cursed Queen’s Daughter continues the magic and conflict that started in book one. We follow Thea- a fierce warrior who finds herself playing dress up and indulging a handsome stranger for information to save her world. Although Thea’s rashness can be perceived as a negative quality, I kind of loved it. It made her moves entirely unpredictable. Damon, said handsome stranger, was more than meets the eye. His motives for approaching Thea may not have been the purest but through their conversations I could tell he was genuine. These two got real very quickly.

The Sylvan Queen’s whereabout was alluded to in The Forest King’s Daughter but I was absolutely floored by the truth. “Anything can be accomplished if you’re willing to sacrifice.” (p. 136) A mother’s love for her child(ren) is truly endless. Knowing she had to rescue her mother no matter the cost, Thea braved a bargain with the king of shadows. Erebus was a formidable opponent but Thea kept her wits about her. Testing boundaries and pushing the limits, her perseverance was rewarded.

Thirstwood is a fascinating place. The Cursed Queen’s Daughter introduced the possibility of other realms and I’m curious what other fantastical creatures/world we’ll encounter. Assuming each of the sisters will get their chance to tell their own story, count me in for the next and next next books!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.