The Amalfi Curse
A Bewitching Tale of Sunken Treasure , Forbidden Love , and Ancient Magic on the Amalfi Coast
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4.0 • 22 Ratings
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
“This intoxicating story blends old-world magic and modern-day mystery with a delicious dash of amore.” —People
Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse…
Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artifacts beneath the azure waters; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven’s arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. Is it nature or something more sinister at work?
As Haven searches for her father’s sunken treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman’s quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Could this magic be behind Positano’s latest calamities? Haven must unravel the Amalfi Curse before the region is destroyed forever…
Against the dazzling backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, this bewitching novel shimmers with mystery, romance and the untamed magic of the sea.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
When a book begins with a glossary of 19th-century sea witches’ spells, you know you’re in for an experience. The Amalfi Curse blends magic, romance, mystery, and history in a breathtakingly beautiful setting. The story leaps back and forth between 1821, where a group of witches wield their power over the sea to safeguard their hometown of Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, and the present, where archaeologist Haven Ambrose investigates shipwreck sites while secretly searching for the buried treasure her late father found. Author Sarah Penner keeps the story fresh and moving by bouncing between the perspectives of Haven, 1800s witch Mari, and Mari’s sailor boyfriend, Holmes. As Haven struggles with both the sea and the sexism of her male-dominated profession, Mari faces off against pirates who kidnap her companions and threaten her home. Love stories both past and present add extra steam to an already spicy adventure. Pirates or no, you’ll be envisioning a Positano trip before the novel’s even over.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Penner (The London Seance Society) weaves a rousing story of witches, deep sea diving, and family secrets on the Amalfi Coast. In 1821 Positano, Mari DeLuca belongs to a coven who cast spells on the water to protect the town from pirates. Yearning for a new life, she makes plans to flee with a sailor from Boston. Before she can, though, a shipping magnate attempts to kidnap her, hoping to force Mari into using her powers to help his fleet, and she drowns him. In a parallel narrative set two centuries later, nautical archaeologist Haven Ambrose studies shipwrecks on the Amalfi coast while secretly searching for a trove of precious gems her father found before dying of a stroke. When Conrad, another researcher, shows up to take her place, Haven suspects he knows about the treasure. She hires Enzo Rossi, a local dive shop owner, to take her out on the water, and the pair race against Conrad to find the gems. A romantic subplot involving Enzo and Haven feels rushed, especially because it also serves a vehicle for Haven to learn about Mari's fate and the village's history of witches, but for the most part Penner keeps the pages turning with cliffhangers and complex characters. The author's fans will enjoy this adventure.
