Mousy Mirzda murdered for bravery and is saved by prince charming: a horse, a mage, and Russian Prince directly out of history, awakened by Mirzda’s distress as if he were sleeping beauty and the magical kiss was Mirzda’s imminent death.
Mousy Mirzda murdered for bravery and is saved by prince charming: a horse, a mage, and Russian Prince directly out of history, awakened by Mirzda’s distress as if he were sleeping beauty and the magical kiss was Mirzda’s imminent death.Rating: 
I recommend this 5 star book 2, in the Russian Witch's Curse, "My Dark Horse Prince", an urban fantasy romance, with horse shifters instead of the routine predator shifters. I initially rated it 4.5 stars then realized one of the things I adore about many of Bridget's series. This isn't a 'must read book one of the series first,' book. I'd highly recommend reading book one first for a dozen reasons, one giant one being there is a series plot arc, but it is not necessarily required to enjoy this book.
Our protagonist is Mirdza Strelkova, the man aching for her attention is Grigoriy. Our primary antagonist is Brigita, but Mirdza has attracted a host of villains, including some mafia types who want her dead. We do have some co-protagonist from "My Queendom for a Horse", book one in this urban fantasy series.
Mirdza desperately needs surgery for any of her desired life to continue. The person she turns to is Brigita, who largely rules Mirdza's life, being her employer and provider of housing for her and her horses. When Mirdza asks Brigita for help, she not only says no, but fires her and evicts her from her home, then gives her a very brief time to find another place for her animals or she will take possession of them for the cost of housing them.
So we start with Mirdza, injured, unable to work, an barely able to walk. Immediately she becomes homeless, unable to retain ownership of the horses she loves and are her life’s work. She does have a friend who has money but she'll have to leave the country to seek her help.
Generally: ----- Spoiler Line -----
Mirdza can afford the train ticket from Latvia to Russia to visit her friend. On the train she does something she never does. Instead of running away from danger, she faces it, becoming righteousness blocking the path of evil.
For her trouble, she is stabbed multiple times and thrown from the window of the traveling train.
If you are not hooked by then, take up sky diving. Unless you one of those who at first you don't succeed!
Of Note:
“You believed that? That my boyfriend recommending his ex to me would be beneficial to you?”
Dialogue is one of Bridget's strong suits. There you get to hear her wit and wisdom.
At times, during the narrative you're going to learn things well worth learning. For example, I spent several months studying the placebo effect. She summed up all my study in around four paragraphs. (Chapter 17)
Likes / Dislikes:
This like goes beyond Bridget's "Russian Witch's Series", most of the books in her series changes protagonists. In book one the protagonist is Kristiana (who Mirdza is traveling to see when she is unceremoniously murdered and thrown from a train.)
I actually wanted to call the author to discuss some of the concepts in this book. It was the third or fourth time I'd come across 'unusual' knowledge I had studied that she clearly understood and had studied herself. So the normal author/reader contract became something different, almost like a friendship or at least appreciation.
The Technical: ----- Critique Info -----
In a series, changing protagonists is a complicated matter. Is it even a series if you change protagonists? Turns out some authors can pull it off. One of the things that made Mrs. Baker one of my favorite authors is she seems to find the most difficult thing to attempt as an author, then pulls it off as if she didn't know it should be a problem. Truth is, I don't think she knows. I pray she never finds out what's supposed to be difficult or impossible and just keeps doing it as if it is no more complicated than walking a dog.
Bringing the dead back to life, horse shifters, biblical stories that are not controversial, historical romance by pulling characters out of history in a believable way, then making them different species. All in a days work for Mrs. Baker.
Conclusion:
In book one of "Russian Witch's Curse" Mirzda is barely mentioned, and Grigoriy only alluded to. In this novel she's our protagonist and nothing like our previous protagonist Kristiana, who was bold and fearless. If we've read book one, when we reach chapter three we have a pretty good idea what is going on, when the "should be" dead Mirzda wakes next to a sleeping horse.
The rest is part adventure, part thriller, part romance, with enough sub-plots to keep you turning pages longer than you probably should.
If you start reading in the evening, I hope your coffee pot starts automatically as you'll likely be hitting snooze on the alarm too many times next morning.
Read on: February 12-14, 2024
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✒ Written by: Bridget E. Baker
🗣 Read by: Cindy Gunderson
🔊 Format: Digital Audiobook & Ebook
🕑 Run Time: 10:17:06
📚 Length: 293 pages (Varies by edition)