I read the first hundred pages before I gave up. At first glance, this seems like a strong female protagonist book, but it's more like "wreckless protagonist sometimes accidentally does the right thing" book. There will be demand for this book, and I know who I will recommend it to, but unfortunately it's not for me.

Okay, maybe I'm biased because I think Thomas Wheeler AND Frank Miller (the illustrator) are geniuses, but this was one of the best books I've read so far this year! Full of suspense and intrigue, this book has it all. My teenage son was enamored as well, and now we can't wait for the series to come out on Netflix. Also, just a side note- the font is wonderful in this book and the illustrations were perfect!

Highly, highly recommended!

5 out of 5 stars for Cursed by THomas Wheeler.

A HIGE thank you to the author and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I was hooked! I can't wait to watch the Netflix show.
Nimue is the Lady of the Lake, whom we know from the legend of King Arthur. In this story, she is a young sorceress touched by the darkness; called to a purpose she could never imagine. Her village is pillaged and as she escapes with a sword she has never seen before, thrust into her arms by her mother, she sets off on a journey to find Merlin.

Along the way, she meets familiar faces from the tales of old, and proves herself worthy to be Queen of the Fey, the Wolf-Blood Witch, and a true example of the strength of women. I so hope that the show is faithful to this source material, because it is a fantastic story and would hopefully give girls another look into strong women and help them believe in themselves..

I requested this book mainly because of the cover art. The fantasy genre is my least favorite to read so I will try to be open minded.
Then I realized the book has been written for a mini series on Netflix. Interesting, right? I’m not a Game of Thrones fan but feel those who are will enjoy the book and series.
Here goes...

The story is based on the King Arthur legend, told through the eyes of Nimue, a teenage heroine with a mysterious gift who is destined to become the powerful (and tragic) Lady of the Lake. After her mother’s death, she finds companionship in Arthur, a young mercenary. They are in a quest to find Merlin and deliver the ancient sword. Over the course of her journey, Nimue becomes an emblem of courage and rebellion against the terrifying Red Paladins, and their conniving King Uther.

Themes include the obliteration of the natural world, religious terror, senseless war, and courage.

Thank so much to NetGalley for this ARC! One of the things I really love about using NetGalley is the access to titles that I would have never heard of had it not been available on their website. I would have seen the show when it came out, noticed it was based on a book, and been so far behind on the times as I tried to read to catch up. Luckily though, I was approved and got to read about Nimue first hand.

As we grow up, we learn about history both fact and fiction. We’re told what wars happened when, what books are considered classic that will never age. One thing that I missed out on as a kid was how the things that all of these tales and lore had in common was that it was dominated by white men. Men were the saviors, men were the kings, the presidents, the end all be all. Women were who nipped at their heels and stayed quiet and demure while all hell broke loose around them. This retelling was such a breath of fresh air because it puts that trope right on its head and puts strong women in the foreground.

Nimue is the Lady of the Lake, whom we know from the legend of King Arthur. We know she gives him Excalibur, and in a few other myths she raises Lancelot or has a brief affair with Merlin. In this story, she is a young sorceress touched by the darkness; called to a purpose she could never imagine. Her village is pillaged by the Red Paladins who are hell-bent on destroyed Fey Kind in the name of God. She escapes with a sword she has never seen before, thrust into her arms by her mother, the Arch Druid, and told to find Merlin.

Along the way, she meets familiar faces from the tales of old, and proves herself worthy to be Queen of the Fey, the Wolf-Blood Witch, and a true example of the strength of women. She fights to free her fey brethren while combatting the rage that lies deep within the iron of the blade. It begs her to kill, and she has to find a way to quench its thirst without losing herself at the same time. It’s such a compelling fantasy, and the best retelling I’ve ever read of the story of King Arthur. I so hope that the show is faithful to this source material, because it is sure to give so many girls the push they need to believe in their own body and soul.

This book kept me hooked. I stayed up all night reading it. I can't wait to use it in my classroom and to see the Netflix show!

Thank you Netgalley for letting me review a copy of Cursed. I love Frank Miller and this story didn't disappoint. Look forward to the Netflix adaptation!

I feel like I’m this book’s exasperated mother: “I’m not mad, just disappointed.”

For a long time, we didn’t see a lot of Arthurian retellings and spinoffs. Now suddenly there are quite a few and unfortunately, they are all similar and all pretty bad.

Though this particular offshoot had its moments, it’s largely disappointing.

The basic plot isn’t really a problem. It’s a good idea and a semi-creative spin on the original legend. Unfortunately much of the detail and storytelling style is derivative. Not of Arthurian Legend, mind you, but of uber-tropey YA and fantasy novels. You’ll find some Lord of the Rings, some Game of Thrones, and some Throne of Glass. None of it works all that well.

I’m of two minds on the characters. On the positive side, there were some very clever work-ins of traditional Arthurian characters here in ways which I haven’t seen before. But on the other side, most of the main characters leave a lot to be desired.

Nimue isn’t a particularly good leader and an even worse martyr. She comes off like a dumb Celaena Sardothien.

And Merlin! Merlin is (sorta kinda) a fraud, and Merlin is drunk as a skunk! All the time! And sadly, that’s not nearly as funny or interesting as it sounds. I kind of got the impression the authors were going for a Tyrion type but instead we got a mix of the Mad Hatter and a really, really hammered version of Littlefinger.

I liked the role laid out for Uther, but the execution of his character arc left much to be desired. He’s pretty doltish for most of the book and then suddenly has a brief moment of Super Spy before withering back to his halfwit self again. In my mind, he looked and sounded like Lord Farquaad.

The minor characters were much better rendered, Morgan, Iris, and Lancelot in particular. Arthur, interesting, winds up being a pretty standard Arthur archetype, though I wonder if that might change in the next installment.

One last bummer about this book: I hate saying this because I usually love Frank Miller, but the art in this book...it’s terrible.

I have some slight curiosity about where the story will go after this, but probably not enough to read the next offering in the series.

"Cursed" is an interesting twist on a classic tale. Young Adult books are not really my genre, but this was an enjoyable read all the same.

** I was provided an electronic ARC of this book by publisher, Simon & Schuster, through NetGalley in return for an honest review.**

The team of Frank Miller and Thomas Wheeler create a story in "Cursed" where Arthurian legend is retold with sixteen-year-old Nimue in possession of the Sword of Power. Readers follow Nimue in her quest to get the Sword to Merlin, unite the Fey Folk against a corrupt king and church, and get revenge for her fallen village.

I have always been a fan of Arthurian legend, and I can safely say that Miller and Wheeler's interpretation of the lore was something that felt fresh despite the obvious "chosen one" trope that was employed. Miller and Wheeler developed distinct concepts for each of the Fey clans, and seemed to fully form the various cultures and backgrounds for each of them. The magic system was left mostly mysterious, but still very accessible. These world-building aspects were favorites of mine throughout the novel.

It was very evident from the start that Miller and Wheeler have experience in visual media, as this is the most distinctly visual novel I have ever read. Every scene is clearly and deliberately described in such a way that you are almost reading a screenplay written in prose format. This is such a stark stylistic difference from what is typical for young adult fantasy that it was initially a little disconcerting for me to settle into, but the skill with which it was done was clear throughout. Due to the writing style, I found myself wishing that the novel had instead been published as a graphic novel even though I did enjoy it.

The story itself was relatively fast paced and generally enjoyable. I found the hint of romantic interest to be unnecessary, but was grateful that it was minor enough to not detract from the storytelling. Miller and Wheeler have left many questions unanswered and have given themselves plenty of room for sequels, which seems to be deliberate.

Overall, I found "Cursed" to be interesting and entertaining, and I look forward to the Netflix series adaptation which is already in production.

Review is posted on Goodreads and is to be posted to Amazon after release.

I'm excited for the Netflix show but this book while written well didn't deliver for me. Thanks Netgalley for the Arc

While the story was executed well, I found myself unable to be fully immersed in it. Whether it was the plot or the writing style, I can’t say. I think the idea was very original and exciting, but I just felt it didn’t deliver what it promised. I am excited for the Netflix series, as I think it will transfer well to the screen, but the novelization was a tad lackluster for me.
That isn’t to say I hated the novel, I just felt like it wasn’t my cup of tea. Others may enjoy it very much! I will say I loved the main characters tough quality and badassery!

Cursed

Overall rating: liked it!

Cursed is a YA retelling of the King Arthur told from the point of view of Nimue, a female Fey whose village is viciously ransacked. The aftermath leaves her orphaned with a final mission given to her by her mother, get the sword to Merlin.

The story starts off really strong and full of action which, surprisingly, carries on through most of the book. There were some pieces in the middle where I felt the different characters got a bit confusing and the plot slowed down for me but as with any first novel in a series, they came together with time. The ending was worthwhile, pulling together the overlying themes of self growth and coming of age.

So, do I recommend it? Possibly. If you’re a diehard purest of the original tale, the changes in this story may not be for you but if you’re a fan of fantasy and open to exploring and expanding the the original Arthurian legend, you’ll want to add this to your shelf.