This book was okay. I thought the first book was much better, to be honest. Not much really seemed to actually happen in this book. Perhaps my expectations for this book were simply too high after having read the first one. But overall, this book seemed forced. The main character was not really believable, andI never felt drawn to her story. The book was slow paced, and I found myself taking breaks and walking away from the book more often than I usually do when reading fantasy.

DNF at 28%

Once again, this book and I simply did not connect and I couldn't read any more

I had wanted to binge-read the first two books in a row because I was so confident I'd love them after hearing such great things from trusted friends/reviewers. But unfortunately, I ended up DNFing The Impostor Queen. It did not hook me, and I hit a bit of a reading slump at the time, so I set it aside hoping I'd find the interest in trying it again. But I have no desire to get back to it, so I definitely won't be reading the sequel as I'd wanted to. Maybe I'll give it another try in the future!

I do not have a nook to read epub ebooks on, I will be unable to read this book unless its in kindle format. I would be happy to review if a kindle format, mobi or azw3, is provided.

Man... this was a bit intense.

I really enjoyed this book. There was definitely more action than the first one, but that is because of the different culture of the group and who Ansa is compared to Elli.
BUT, there isn't actually a ton of action, even though 'blood and victory' is the slogan. Instead, there is a ton of whining and not understanding what is right and what is wrong; who to believe and who to deceive.
I do think some of the whining and back & forth made sense and was a good insight into the character. I just wish it had not gone on for so long.

Some really cool things, were the difference in culture and really seeing how the Krigere lived. It was so interesting. Also, the fact that characters being homosexual was taken as a normal thing was certainly a cool thing. A non-gendered term for significant other? Men and women being warriors without any comment? Same-sex couples taking in orphans... or raid prizes-- but really the point here should be it was seen as a needed part of the community. EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY AND DESERVED RESPECT.

All in all, I am very excited for the next installment and can't wait to see how things unfold ^_^

Captured as a young child, Ansa assimilates into the warrior culture of the Krigere and earns her way onto the chieftan's ship for the amphibious invasion of the Kupari. When the witch queen kills all but the chieftan's daughter, another warrior and herself, Ansa finds herself cursed with awful powers of fire and ice. Barely able to keep herself under control, she must find a way to protect Thyra as the Krigere's enemies surround them.

The book (view spoiler)

I'm torn between this one. I really enjoyed The Impostor Queen because treated a common trope in a slightly different way. And I liked Elli. I didn't really like Ansa (view spoiler), although I admired her self-realization at the end. I will finish the trilogy, because I am DYING to see who is going to win and how it will end. Hopefully it's a little more exciting than this one was.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

The Cursed Queen is the second installment in author Sarah Fine's The Imposter Queen series. The book is being called a companion novel to the first installment in the series, and that's because it takes place at the same time as The Imposter Queen. This book is about 17-year Ansa, a girl who was taken from her murdered family by the Krigere's. She is a red-haired warrior who has a red flame mark on her right calf. If you paid attention while reading The Imposter Queen, you know that this is very significant.

Ansa, who lives by the motto Blood and Victory, has had to prove herself since being taken to the Krigere's. She fought hard, and has earned the right to be on the invasion force headed to Kupari. But, what Ansa and the rest of her fellow warriors don't know, is that they are no match for the witch queen of Kupari. Valtia has the dual abilities of fire and ice. She can destroy an entire invading forced without anyone else around. After the tribe is decimated, Ansa, who is loyal to the new Chieftain Thyra, has little or no choice but to pack up and move it to Vasterlit where one of their former tribesman is now in charge of the castle.

After the loss of her tribe, Ansa learns that she may have been cursed by the witch queen. She can now wield fire and ice, and if she isn't careful, she will be put down for the Krigere's have no use for witches. Ansa's emotions control her abilities. Her feelings for Thyra are tested over and over again while Thyra herself is being challenged by Chieftain Nisse's tribe mates. Ansa is fierce, and you could see that from the first chapter when she tried to fight back when only a little girl.

Let's get a few things straight. First, Ansa is not Elli, the previous protagonist from The Imposter Queen. Ansa is who Elli was supposed to be. Second, Ansa is very powerful, and has the ability to kill without hesitation, or reservation if someone hurts someone she loves. Ansa is also obsessed with Thyra to the point where I wanted to slap her head. Girl, get over yourself, there are much more important things going on in this world that can kill you easily if you keep ignoring them while falling all over yourself with Thyra.

I was asked if any of the previous cast of characters showed up in this book. I would have said no, until I realized that yes, Sig does show up in this book, as well as a priest who loves to drink the blood of magic users which we saw in the first book. Sig is a very dangerous fire wielder who attempts to teach Ansa about her abilities. Sig, I dare hope, returns for the third installment along with Halina, a Vasterutrian who becomes part of Ansa plan to save her tribe, and take down Nisse. I had no real issues with Thyra. I think she genuinely cared for Ansa even when she was ignoring her. By ignoring her, I think she was trying to take the spotlight away. Thyra also isn't as bloodthirsty as Ansa, but she is a helluva fighter which shows after she is challenged over and over again.

I do realize that this book is leading into the third and presumed final book called The True Queen. I would guess that all of the previous cast members would be making an appearance as well. I do hope that Ansa and Elli will find a way to work things out so that both survive against what is to come next.

I had read Fine's previous novel, The Impostor Queen, and was thrilled to read this companion novel. Having read both novels gives you greater insight into the greater story, but either can be read on their own without missing much. The Cursed Queen takes us into the world of the Krigere, a Viking-like society that sustains itself by raiding villages for slaves, food and booty. Ansa, taken as a child for a slave, has earned her way into the Krigere as a fierce warrior. But when she is cursed with magic, it will take all her strength to protect herself and her chief from their enemies.

I loved that there is a same-sex relationship, and that the impediments to that relationship have nothing to do with their gender. There's a lot of political maneuvering in the novel, and I appreciate the world-building that Fine has put in to all the different societies that exist in this world. I'm hopeful that there will be another novel that brings both stories together.

Captured as a raid prize when she was a child, Ansa has worked hard to become a formidable Krigere warrior. Krigere are a plundering, killing race of raiders. When a raid on the Kupari kingdom goes wrong, many of the raiders are dead and the raiders left are scrambling on what to do. Things only get worse when Ansa finds she’s been curse by the Imposter Queen with fire and ice powers. Now Ansa must navigate her relationship with tribe Chieftess, Thyra, saving her tribe, and learning to control her powers. Will she succeed?

This action-packed fantasy companion to The Imposter Queen is well developed, complex, and engaging. It does a great job of telling the alternat point of view of the story covered in Imposter Queen. The characters are likable and draw the reader easily into Ansa’s world. Fans of fantasy, adventure, and magic will enjoy reading this book.