The Empire of Thalas is cursed with a magical Blight that destroys the land and poisons the people. Desperate and willing to bear any cost to save her people, the Empress strikes a bargain with Cyrashal, a dark fairy, but it is her newborn daughter that must pay the final price... Twenty years later, the fate of the empire rests on Aialyn Atheios' impending wedding. With her home hanging in the balance, Aialyn sees no way out of the marriage she never asked for, nor the pressure of stepping into her mother's shoes as Empress, until a chance meeting with a charming smuggler presents the perfect opportunity. Captain Kieran Read didn't come to Thalas planning to kidnap the princess. Not even her offer of money is enough to sway him. But when she reveals the location of the fairy that killed his love and left him under a deadly curse it becomes a job he can't refuse. With the help of the Captain and his misfit crew, Aialyn intends to find Cyrashal before Thalas falls once more to the Blight. Deals with fairies may not be easily broken, but a new one can always be struck. CURSE BREAKER is the debut novel of author Kheldar L. Barnes. It blends steampunk elements with fantasy, romance with adventure, and a sharp-tongued princess with a charming pirate.