In The Thief and the Cursed Prince by B.A. Chapman, Arantha Teely is a professional thief who has broken many seals to steal from tombs. When she pries open a hidden Maya tomb for a paycheck from the cartel, she finds not gold, but Balam, a warrior prince cursed six hundred years ago by a witch he wronged. Now he is magically bound to serve the woman who wakes him, Arantha. But a ruthless organization has waited for someone to dig up the prince, bent on harvesting him as a “renewable asset.” Now they are after Arantha and Balam. What follows is a dangerous game where Arantha and her ride-or-die crew, Greg and Joy, and a grumpy ancient royal must fight, run, and scheme their way toward freedom. While Balam slowly learns his lesson from the ancient curse, Arantha must learn to stop running from the only treasure she cannot part with.

I enjoyed the evolution of the relationship between Balam and Arantha, two people from two different worlds and timelines forced to be together despite their obvious dislike of each other. But their romance grows as they face danger from the powerful organization intent on owning Balam, and what emerges is what you might call fated love. You have the excitement of a heist, the action fueled by a dangerous enemy, and romance that warms the heart. The pacing is fast, a tense thriller complete with dead drops, forged manifests, and a dead-man’s switch. Balam is an aristocrat who is irritated by smartphones, gas stations, and “light-tablets,” someone whose struggle to adjust to another time creates humor. The Thief and the Cursed Prince features exquisite writing, and the prose captivated me, with terrific descriptions. This heartwarming adventure by B.A. Chapman will keep you turning the pages, and the characters make for wonderful company.

When Arantha Teely was offered the opportunity to find a lost city in exchange for a payday, she took it, expecting it to be just another milk run. But she did not find any city, human remains, or gold. Instead, a tomb reveals a man who happens to be six hundred years old and calls himself Balam, while a squad of hitmen closes in on her location. Surprisingly, Balam protects Arantha, and they overpower their assailants together. However, due to how quickly the squad knew where to find her, Arantha questions everything she thought she knew about the job. This leads her team back to Mérida to monitor the broker who got her the contract, but before Arantha realizes how high the stakes are, a different kill squad locks onto her movement. Whatever happens this time, running and hiding are no longer viable options. How do you survive being hunted by an untraceable entity with unlimited resources and more access than most governments? Read The Thief and the Cursed Prince by B.A. Chapman to find out!

The Thief and the Cursed Prince by B.A. Chapman is a thrilling, suspenseful, and immersive work of fiction with enough plot diversity to be an urban fantasy, thriller, romance, mythical, and crime fiction. It features enough espionage to be a spy novel, yet enough heist planning to be a thriller. I was thoroughly entertained and found it difficult to put down because every aspect fits. The characters are relatable, the plot grips you in just a few pages, and the quality of writing backs up the professional editing. This is the kind of story that makes a first-time reader become a fan. Its premise is irresistible, and the narration delivers excitement as promised. I loved how B.A. Chapman injected humor and romance at the right moments and in ways that naturally build and ease tension. If you like thrillers with a lot of suspense, planning, problem-solving, or just a story with wide appeal, this is the book to read.