The Lure of Their Graves

The Cursed Crown Series, Book 2

By: Laura R. Samotin

In the heart-wrenching sequel to The Sins on Their Bones, The Lure of Their Graves forces Dimitri and Vasily to confront old ghosts and a new threat: political enemies-turned-suitors, all coveting Dimitri’s throne and his hand in marriage.

Dimitri Abramovich may have won back the throne of Novo-Svitsevo, but even after defeating his former husband, the usurper Alexey Balakin, he seems no closer to securing lasting peace for his people. Enemies are closing in on all sides, and pressure is mounting for Dimitri to play the one card he has left in a bid for stability—offering his hand in marriage for a second time.

But Dimitri is still healing from the tragedies of the war, his return to the throne, and Alexey's years of torment. Vasily Sokolov is the only person with whom he feels safe, and giving up the comfort of their budding relationship feels unfathomable, even if it's the only way to sever the alliances being formed among the countries surrounding Novo-Svitsevo. So as Dimitri and Vasily reckon with political treachery, the lasting consequences of Dimitri's resurrection, and the sinister legacy of Alexey’s use of the Holy Science, they must also work to understand what it means to love each other even as they prepare to let each other go—which might prove the most difficult of all.

©2025 Laura R. Samotin (P)2025 Random House Canada

Critic reviews

"The Lure of Their Graves is a master class in writing the conclusion to a duology. Unique, heart-stopping, and utterly brimming with angst, Laura R. Samotin is the queen of drama and romance. This is a book that kept me up all night reading. Once you start, you will not stop. The Lure of Their Graves is a tale of new love, old flames and the growth of friendship between a group of unlikely allies. Never have I read a duology before where I desperately wanted it to be a ten-book series. If you are going to pick any series up and read it, do yourself a favour and make it this one. One word: unreal." —Ben Alderson, author of A Betrayal of Storms

"With The Lure of Their Graves, Laura Samotin has crafted a sequel that is tense, tender, and utterly immersive, balancing a cast of deeply traumatized but stubbornly resilient characters, a rich fantasy world grounded seamlessly in Jewish mysticism, and a plot that never stops moving — and holds fast to the transformative power of love to persevere against impossible odds." —Shelly Jay Shore, USA Today bestselling author of Rules for Ghosting

"A darkly riveting sequel, The Lure of Their Graves dives even deeper into the true-to-life complexities of religion, politics, and trauma, while still offering the smooth balm of hope, found family, and love. An eternal flame of a book." —Maddie Martinez, author of The Maiden and Her Monster