I had so much fun with this one. Cursebound provides a satisfying continuation of the trilogy by effectively building upon its predecessor. It's a thrilling,fun, surprising and ultimately delightful book that makes me eager to see how it ends.

„Cursebound“ ist der packende zweite Band der „The Curse“-Reihe von Emily Bold, und als Fortsetzung knüpft das Buch direkt an die Ereignisse des ersten Teils an. Obwohl es viele der Stärken seines Vorgängers beibehält, reicht es für mich nicht ganz an die Magie des ersten Teils heran.

Der größte Pluspunkt von „Cursebound“ ist zweifellos die spannende Weiterentwicklung der Charaktere. Sam und Ivy stehen vor neuen Herausforderungen, die nicht nur ihr Vertrauen zueinander, sondern auch ihre eigenen Grenzen testen. Besonders Ivys innere Konflikte und ihr Wunsch, sich selbst treu zu bleiben, werden intensiv und nachvollziehbar dargestellt. Die Dynamik zwischen den Figuren bleibt emotional fesselnd, und auch die neu eingeführten Nebencharaktere bringen interessante Facetten in die Handlung.

Das Setting und die Atmosphäre sind ebenfalls stark. Emily Bold versteht es, die mystische Welt von Avalon lebendig und greifbar zu machen. Ihre bildhafte Sprache zieht den Leser sofort in die Geschichte hinein, und die komplexe Verbindung zwischen Vergangenheit und Gegenwart wird auch in diesem Band kunstvoll weitergesponnen.

Allerdings habe ich mich beim Lesen öfter gefragt, ob „Cursebound“ etwas zu sehr auf eine Brücke zum Finale der Trilogie ausgelegt ist. Die Handlung wirkt stellenweise etwas zäh und weniger dynamisch als im ersten Band. Während „The Curse – Unsterblich mein“ durch seine frische, mitreißende Liebesgeschichte und die spannende Enthüllung der Fluchgeschichte glänzte, fehlt „Cursebound“ diese überraschende Kraft. Manche Wendungen sind vorhersehbarer, und die emotionale Wucht, die mich im ersten Teil so begeistert hat, kommt hier nicht immer zum Tragen.

Trotz dieser Kritikpunkte ist „Cursebound“ insgesamt ein gelungener Folgeband, der Fans der Reihe auf jeden Fall zufriedenstellen wird. Die Geschichte entwickelt sich weiter, die Welt wird ausgebaut, und die Charaktere durchlaufen echte Veränderungen. Für mich bleibt der erste Band jedoch unerreicht, was die Intensität und Originalität betrifft. Dennoch bin ich gespannt, wie Emily Bold die Geschichte im dritten Band zu einem hoffentlich würdigen Abschluss bringt.

I enjoyed Cursebound more so than the first book. I think it had a great flow and was even more addicting than its previous one. Super unique and interesting story had me at all the twist and turns it brought. So excited for the next one in the series!

Do you ever not realize how much you needed a read until it’s done? This was that book for me. The first book in the series got me out of a reading slump. The same goes for this one.

Cursebound was a great second book in this trilogy! I honestly found it flowed much easier than the first book. It was fast paced and had lots of twist and turns. As it’s the second in a trilogy I knew there had to be a cliffhanger but god it is all coming together!! I’m excited for the last book to come out and hopefully everyone gets their happy ending!!

I want to give this book 5 stars purely for the "previously on" recap that Lettle gives in her journal to start the book! Was that so hard?? It fit beautifully into the narrative and prevented me from needing to read a summary or re-read the first book before I got to this one! So a sequel is always a little tricky and this one was really good. Honestly, the world that El-Arifi has constructed is so fascinating that I feel like the likelihood of this being a flop was virtually nonexistent. If Faebound was a triumph, Cursebound is a worthy continuation that leaves you wanting more!

4.25 stars

An enjoyable continuation of the story, but it could have been at least 50 pages shorter, it felt a bit bloated in parts, but I liked the recognition of the plight of the lightless and how Lettle finds her place in Mosima by helping them

While I enjoyed book 1 I wasn’t fully invested in the characters yet but now by the middle of this book I am way more invested! The middle book sometimes drags in a fantasy series but I actually found this more engaging then book 1. The characters felt more real and relatable and I really enjoyed some of the twists and turns. I’m a sucker for putting the characters through the wringer. I can’t wait to add this to our library!

The middle book of any trilogy is always going to be a tricky one, both to write well, and - from my rather selfish viewpoint - to review well. The story typically widens out to show you the bigger picture, things don’t typically go well for all our cast, but you aren’t going to get the resolution to the story that you hope for, just more questions. The best you can hope for is that it’s going to be a satisfying read by itself, but it certainly has a harder job than either the first or the last.

I would say that if you haven’t read Faebound by Saara El-Arifi, stop reading now and go do that. I’ll wait! It was one of my favourite queer romantasy books this year, and is definitely worth your time. It tells the story of an elf warrior Yeeran and her sister Lettle, who are exiled from their war-torn homeland and discover that the fae of legend are very real, and very very annoyed. There’s fascinating world building with both African and Arabian influences.

One thing I particularly liked about this sequel is that it starts out with Lettle giving us an in-universe catch up in her journal on the events that happened in the first book. That was very helpful, and I wish more authors would do it.

Yeeran has gone off to warn her people about the Fae involvement in the war, while her lover Furi - now queen - feels abandoned and betrayed. Lettle is adrift in the court and not accepted by the Fae, despite her own lover Rayan now being king. Tensions inside Mosima increase, with the Fae seemingly on the verge of civil war, all while an actual war outside gets closer to their door. Amid all this, we have a new mysterious character, Alder, who may hold the key to everything. This book introduces a number of new POVs, including Furi and Alder, which helps to sell the validity of the different sides.

I will say Cursebound didn’t hit me quite as much as the first book, though I still enjoyed it a lot. It’s quite short, so the plot feels a little rushed at times. Deep conflicts that I’d looked forward to seeing play out are dealt with very abruptly. I am a sucker for messy relationships though, and we have a lot of them here. We also get many reveals about nature of the world, and are certainly left in a good place for a fascinating end to the trilogy.

Recommended!

Thanks to Random House for the early review copy.

This was Phenomenal! The plot was carefully crafted along with driven and meticulously detailed characters for a great combination. This was so well written. The writing keeps you interesting and doesn't plateau which is great for fantasy writing.

I wasn't overly sold on the first book however this book made me interested in the series. I found that it was a good build off of the first book and allowed me to explore the characters and world in a way that I hadn't been able to engage with in the first book. Sometimes giving a series a second chance with the sequel pays off and this was one of those times. I found that the world building and magic was thought out more and less loose ends were in the story. The characters were fleshed out more because I had more times to get to know them and the introduction of new characters kept the story engaging and the characters on their toes. It has made me look at the first book with a new set of eyes and now I look more fondly back at the first one as well. If you were hesitant after reading the first book I recommend reading this because it might make you change your view on it like it did with me

Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi delivers an emotional, high-stakes sequel that feels like a mix of heartbreak, hope, and the inevitable pull of fate. It picks up where Faebound left off, and while it doesn’t shy away from the dark complexities of its characters’ struggles, it also leans heavily into its romantic and mystical elements. If you loved the first book for its fiery relationships and lush world, you’ll find plenty to sink your teeth into here—though not without some bumps along the way.

Yeeran and Lettle’s stories are as tangled and compelling as ever, with Yeeran caught between love and loyalty, and Lettle unraveling secrets that might shatter—or save—everything. I particularly loved Lettle’s determination; her arc felt raw and personal, and her relationship with the mysterious stranger added a gripping layer of intrigue. Yeeran’s conflict, though powerful, felt like it could have used a bit more depth to match the stakes of her decisions.

The romance remains one of the series' standout elements—tender and spicy in equal measure. Yeeran and the fae queen’s lingering connection crackles, while Lettle’s budding dynamic with her stranger counterpart has an edge of mystery I couldn’t get enough of.

That said, I did feel like the pacing was a bit uneven. Some moments flew by too quickly, while others lingered longer than needed, making the flow feel slightly disjointed. And while the plot twists delivered some “aha” moments, a few felt predictable. The world-building, though still rich, could have been expanded further, especially given the weight of the curse and its implications.

Despite these small issues, the heart of Cursebound lies in its characters and the emotional threads that tie them together. Saara El-Arifi has a gift for blending romance, fantasy, and moral dilemmas into a narrative that keeps you hooked, and the groundwork she’s laid for the finale has me eagerly anticipating what’s to come. If you’re a fan of romantasy with layered relationships and plenty of drama, this one’s worth picking up.

3.5 stars

Sequels are hard books to nail and unfortunately Cursebound missed the mark. I really enjoyed Faebound and was so excited to see where book 2 would go, and I still feel the same about the rest of the series. But, I was somewhat let down by this book. I found a lot of the characters had regressed and lost what made them them in Faebound. Some of the decisions didn't line up with what we'd seen from them and they seemed even more naive than book 1. I also found a lot of the plot points to be easy to guess, which isn't bad, I just prefer to have a tougher time figuring stuff out. The pacing felt off as well, so much happened in so little pages that it was almost too much. I would have rather this been a duology, with both books being on the longer side.

All that being said, it definitely had parts I loved and enjoyed, from the mystery about the curse to the obeah's. I also loved the romance and the focus on relationships we got during this book. There were so many tender and sweet moments mixed in with more spicy scenes. Cursebound really set up so much and I need answers to this immediately and cannot wait to see how this series ends. Saara El-Arifi is an amazing author and my feelings on this book don't change my love for her.

Insane absolutely insane... live this world and these exharacters i wanna just wrap them in bubble wrap so nothing can hurt them

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cursebound was an excellent follow up to Faebound. This book focused more on Lettle, but we still see quite a bit of Yeeran. Just like the first book, Cursebound is the perfect romantasy with just the right amount of angst. I can’t wait to see where this story goes and I can’t wait to read whatever El-Arifi writes next!

Thank you for the opportunity to read the e-arc for Cursebound, I absolutely loved it! It's a joy to read a book that that surprises me with reveals throughout the entire book. I can usually guess things ahead of time, but with Cursebound and Faebound I kept being surprised. Like, talking out loud and exclaiming at reveals. Looking forward to the third book and reading how Saara El-Arifi brings everything together for the conclusion.

4 stars

Faebound was one of my favourite romantasy's of this year, and the sequel Cursebound didn't disappoint. I also loved that it started with a recap of the first book which I wish other series's did, as it is helpful for the reader to get back into the world.
While I slightly preferred Faebound which I rated 4.5 stars I still enjoyed reading Cursebound and I couldn't put it down and I was disappointed when I finished reading it simply because I didn't want to leave that world behind.
My criticism of Cursebound as well as the first book, was that it felt a bit rushed at times. I do think that it if it was a hundred pages or so longer so the worldbuilidng could have been further developed. While there were some plot twists that were a little bit predictable there was also some twists that I didn't expect and I can't wait to see how it's resolved in the next book.
Overall I would reccomend the series so far for a fun romantasy wth great sapphic reprenstation.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

They’re no longer prisoners to the fae court, but now two elven sisters are each bound by shackles of the heart. Yeeran was born for war but unprepared for love. She has left her new lover, the Queen of the Fae, to return to her homeland. Only to find that her former lover now threatens war against the fae. Her sister Little is determined to break the curse that binds the fae to their realm.

When a stranger appears in the city, she is convinced that he is the key. But the Fates that once spoken to her have now since fallen silent. Can Yeeran and Little discover the secret behind the curse and unite the two worlds before they destroy each other? You’ll just have to open the book to find out.

Within the pages of this book one will find an action packed plot, relationships put to the test and new lore will be learned. An exploration of a beautiful world brimming with magic and folklore, a cast of nuanced and flawed characters that challenge and support each other and a story that will keep you guessing until the end. An epic second novel to the trilogy that works as an excellent bridge between the series like the sisters are a bridge between their two worlds.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 | 𝐃𝐞𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐄𝐥-𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢

YES YES YES! I finished this book in 1 day...I couldn't put it down. I love the recap at the beginning of the book, refreshing the story and setting up this exciting installment. The action never stopped, the love connections from Faebound were continued and tested in Cursebound. A new tribe is introduced, a new love connection was made, and a love connection was ended.

But the ending had me GAGGING!! SAARA! OMG! WHAT!?

Thank you, Netgalley, and Saara El-Arifi for the ARC of this experience! I am leaving this honest review voluntarily and without coercion.

Oh my god, I absolutely love this book! In this sequel, you are still following Lettle and Yeeran and their friends/foes as they continue to try and stop the war from raging and protecting their loved ones. You will find more heart, love, friendship, betrayal, and heartache in this sequel to Faebound. I cannot wait to see the ending to this trilogy by Saara El-Arifi!