Curses in Disguise

by Lorna Tedder

a Stand-alone in The Secret Lives of Librarians Universe

High‑Concept Tagline: Think You meets The Magicians meets The Butterfly Effect – an empath trapped by a narcissist discovers a cursed artifact that attracts supernatural allies who can rewrite her past.

Description: Lilah, broken and traumatized since childhood, naively gives her heart to Ford, a narcissistic engineering student who exploits her empathic nature through lies and manipulation. Their toxic relationship spirals deeper as Ford’s web of deception tightens around her.

When a centuries-old cursed book from an occult library falls into Lilah’s hands, her life explodes into chaos as dangerous secrets emerge and those who covet the artifact close in. Aided by allies like Drusilla, her empathic mentor, and Raven Darbyshire, a time-travelling priest, Lilah must untangle the lies surrounding her, embrace her newfound abilities, and choose: break free from those who would control her or risk losing herself completely.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Psychological Thriller, Paranormal Romance, Gothic Fiction, Suspense

Tone: Dark, intense, psychological, atmospheric, emotionally charged

Tropes:

• Damaged protagonist healing
• Empath vs narcissist manipulation
• Cursed magical artifact
• Empathic abilities
• Hidden supernatural world
• Self-discovery and empowerment
• Ancient secrets and conspiracies

Why You’ll Love It: Combines psychological thriller intensity with urban fantasy as an empath breaks free from narcissistic manipulation while wielding dangerous magical power. Appeals to readers who crave complex trauma recovery narratives with supernatural elements.

Trigger / Sensitivity Warnings: Sexually explicit content, violence, sexual assault and nonconsensual sexual content, physical and emotional abuse, trauma and PTSD, death and murder, kidnapping and imprisonment, drug use and coercion, mental health issues, abandonment, discussion of suicide.

Note: Some traumatic content appears as backstory/memories rather than present action.