I can’t wait for the fairyloot special edition because I absolutely adore this series! I love the characters, and the lore is one of my favorites. I can’t wait for book 3!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey via NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

Faebound was one of my favorite reads last semester so I was so excited to be teleported back into the world Saara El-Arifi has crafted in Cursebound. This book went by fast, especially with adding in new characters / POVs. I do think that the fact that this is the second book in a trilogy leaves the reader wanting something more, but I still felt invested and interested in the plot and characters. My one main piece of feedback is that at times it felt like the very tense/ important plot points felt like they went by very quickly, both in the development of the tension and then the resolution following.

Such an exciting sequel to Faebound. Starting where the first left off, we are thrown back into the daunting world of Mosima with all of the interspecies politics, swoon-worthy romance, and unforeseen revenge we saw in the first. I loved the depth we got in this second book for all the characters and the new romance; they are so cute! If you seeking a unique fantasy with well-rounded characters, many twists and turns, and beautiful writing, this may be the perfect series for you!

First off, a round of applause for being an author of a series that recognizes the importance and value of recapping the previous book at the beginning of the next. Love that!

I do like the bones of this story. It’s a classic fantasy in many ways. A war/oppression story where the characters are discovering things about themselves, the world, and finding love in the midst of the struggles. I like the characters Saara has created. Their journeys are different, but they’re clearly pieces apart of the same puzzle. My struggle with the plot is the lack of tension. I just wanted more drama and action. Most of the action was either off page or ended quickly. Plus, many of the conflicts were wrapped up so neat and easy. There were opportunities for drama amongst characters and again, they seemed to brush things under the rug and just move on.

I think trilogies are difficult. It’s a challenge to overcome the book 2 FILLER curse. Saara does introduce a new character’s POV which is important to the overall story, but I feel like the rest of the plot didn’t progress much. I was reading and reading and reading and when I looked down to see how far I had gotten, I was shocked to see I was 71% done. It didn’t feel like much had happened.

I wouldn’t tell people not to read this, but it’s not a book I’d rave about.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

Thankyou NetGalley and harper Collins for this arc copy, wow this book exceeded the first book, the world building and descriptions within the book made me feel like I was apart of this beautiful world. The depiction of characters are so beautiful described, I can’t believe the plot twist. This book defo left me wanting more and kind of gutted it finished can’t wait to see what happens next

I loved the first book in this series and book two has just continued to flesh out the world and characters that I already loved. Second books in a trilogy are notoriously hard, but this one managed to be better than the first! I liked that this one felt like a mystery was being woven and unveiled throughout the book, whereas book one felt more like it was building the sandbox that book two is now playing in. Once again, I loved the worldbuilding and the African mythology that much of this world is based on. I love every time that the magic drums are brought up as this is such a fun and unique concept to me. Of course, the idea of an Obeah is also such a fun magical concept. The banter in the minds of Obeah and their Faebound is such a fun part of the story and really helps the characters' personalities develop. I also have to shout out the fact that there was a recap at the beginning of this book via “Lettle’s journal”. I was doing some of my own review of book one but it was so nice to have the major plot points refreshed at the beginning. I wish this was a standard, especially for complex fantasy series. The same as book one, book two ended on a major cliffhanger that leaves me wanting more! I loved Cursebound and cannot wait for the next in the series!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and author for the arc copy!

I read Faebound (book 1) and this one back to back so it was a very seamless transition. But there is a little recap of book 1 from the pov of Lettle in her journal which I thought was a fantastic way of getting readers back in!

I really enjoyed this book and although it was a little slow at times it never made me lose my intrigue. This book picks up about 5 days after the ending of book 1 which is great, I love that a ton hasn’t happened. I enjoyed exploring the new connections that were started in book 1. Also, I loved the addition of new POVs and Alder! I can’t wait to see where this story goes with the curse!

Thank you for the recap of book 1! I love it when series do this, brilliant move.

Leans into the strengths of this series (plot, world building, magical creatures) and away from the weaker romantasy elements of Faebound. Alder is a great addition. It’s a little bit twisty and moves fast. No book 2 syndrome here!

I really loved the first book Faebound! I‘m absolutely into Faes and finding out more about all of them. I loved the characters, the diversity and of course the plot.

Fantasy books come with a challenge other genres don’t have: stand-alones may not build enough of the world to immerse the reader (unless it’s like 800 pages) OR they become a series. In the case for Faebound and many others, it becomes a trilogy; Book Two needing to hold the momentum while keeping the charm from the first and setting up for a satisfactory ending. And boy, did this book DELIVER.

It had been a while since I enjoyed the first book so I was very pleased to see the time that was taken to recap at the start— something that could have felt like a cop-out, but felt like I was returning to and catching up with old friends. Between the lore deeply rooted in the Caribbean’s rich history to the cast of characters the author created, this book and the rest of the series is a winner (because I KNOW with a twist like THAT, Book Three will also SLAP)

Outstanding. Highly, HIGHLY recommend if you are looking for diversity in your diversity.

Thankyou to Random House Publishing Group for this gift.

Ended on a cliffhanger 👀
As the title suggests, there is a little more focus of the curse of the Fae for this sequel. A turn of events for many characters and the twisting plot line made it very intriguing!

Developing into trying to understand this curse and the prophecy of how to break it, we are introduced to new characters along with the sudden threat of war in more places. The romance continues to be a sub-plot along with some "fade to black" and minor detailed intimate scenes. Upper YA.

I loved the story line, the unique magic system, some characters and the development of the overall tale into one of surprising turns of within the Fae lands and "top side". The hurt characters feel is genuine and reasons for actions are justified. Nothing within the story is outrageous nor out of place - it flows really well.
Unfortunately, I just didn't click with this novel.

3 stars 🌟

Wow!! A sequel can be hard to follow up but Saara you did it!! This book is full of betrayal, found family and plot twists! I absolutely love the queer representation in this book. The characters also have so much depth and complexity in book 2. Just when I think I have an idea of what’s going on, the next POV shows me different. Keeps me on my toes and my anxiety on alert. I was sucked in from book 1 and am so excited to see how this trilogy wraps up!

Thank you to Saara Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating - 3.5⭐️

Thanks to the Author and NetGalley for the advanced copy to read for an honest review.

The story continues !

I think this must be one of the first cases where I’ve found the second book in a fantasy series much better.

I can’t lie but I found Faebound quite difficult to get on with, but I really felt that a lot of my questions were answered in Cursebound.

The character development and world building seemed to be easier and more structured, we stayed and built on relationships already introduced in book one with a nice addition of newness that felt natural and not just thrown in.

I did feel the pace was slow but it was more detailed and directional than Faebound. There seemed to be a clearer plot and plan here, with twists that I didn’t see coming.

If you were a fan of Faebound I really think this is going to only grow your love for the series. And if like me, you were left a little confused, then keep reading on, because I think you will see what you were missing out on and grow invested in the series.

The tea ☕️

🌎 - world building
📜 - prophecy
🏳️‍🌈 - LGBTQ rep
🪄 - curse/magical powers
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 - found family

This was easily another 5 star read in this series. The second book in a trilogy can sometimes feel a bit awkward, or fall a little flat, but that was not the case with Cursebound. It had me in its grips the same way Faebound did. I am already desperate to get my hands on the next installment! In Cursebound we saw the simmering tension present in the Fae community rise while an outside threat is making itself known. There are familiar faces and new characters that come in and really shake things up. I cannot recommend this series enough!

Picking up Cursebound made for the most refreshing start to my week. El-Arifi’s storytelling is unmatched. I was itching to dive back into the realm of Faebound-the characters rich and complex, the setting unique and enticing, and the plot all the more intriguing. Faebound, without giving spoilers, ended on a tense note, namely between the fae and the elves. In Cursebound, the fate of these two forces collide in the grasp of prophecy’s condemning fingers.

Please be warned, mild spoilers for Faebound below……

Cursebound begins with our favorite siblings, Yeeran and Nettle, as they test the ropes of the title, ‘consort.’ Yeeran ventures back to the elves to garner favor with her former lover. Lettle continues to tear apart the prophecy she’s been giving, and search for answers in a mysterious grimoire that lends truths to extinguish the curse upon the fae. Meanwhile, Lettle is hunted by an insurgency-a ruthless group of Lightless bent on changing the political tide in the fae lands. We also gain a third character’s perspective, Alder, a mysterious nomad with a penchant for sleepwalking/talking.

While I enjoyed Faebound, Cursebound holds the momentum and buy in that will, consequently lead to book three. Cursebound’s narrative is spurred on by twists and laced with betrayal. Still, the novel is full of the unique magical system-seers, drum wielders, earth magic-that drives political discourse among the world of the fae. I adore how pivotal the prophecies are in this series. Lettle, of all things, isn’t a typical seer and I LOVE that. She’s driven, brash, and at times impulsive. I found myself racing to her pov chapters-I’m excited to see how her story pans out in the next installment.

The ending cliffhanger was a revelation-this piece of the puzzle is the reason I’ll be racing for book three. A lot of momentum was built in Cursebound, and in the hands of Saara El-Arifi’s storytelling, it won’t be remised. This is a must-read trilogy for epic fantasy readers, and I was thrilled to review the ARC! Thank you to Penguin Random House and Del Rey for sending me a copy of this book.

First I want to thank Netgalley, Penguin Random House and Del Rey for this copy of Cursebound

Okay….

Now Lettle is my favourite character in this series! I loved her in this book, she was incredible! Her development in this book was spectacular.

I loved how this book continued on from the last one and how the lore and world continued building and I felt that I learned so much more. I also enjoyed seeing all of the different povs and I really liked meeting the characters and seeing their povs.

Now when it comes to second books in a series they can be hit and miss. This was a hit for me, I had such a good time with this book! I practically inhaled this book and I have no regrets! Now I can’t wait for book 3!

A fine follow up, I think that it has the same issues I had with the first novel, but overall an enjoyable read, If you loved the first one you will love this one

This book had me in its grasp from the start. We pick up right where we left off right into the story and action. It was just as good as book one in my opinion which is hard to accomplish. We explore so many new topics in this book and I found myself loving the characters and the world more ever chapter.
Even though there are big things happening, I really find myself hoping for equality for the lightless to be an important effort in the next book.
This book was not long enough! In a good way haha I wanted more and more and can’t wait for the next one.

I really enjoyed reading Faebound, so I was excited to have the privilege of receiving an ARC of Cursebound. When the second book in the series is better than the first, it's such an amazing feeling as a reader, and now I am really excited to see where this story goes. The characters are all amazing and I love seeing their development continue to happen throughout the series. It adds to the world that the author built.

I’m truly obsessed with this series! While a lot of times, I find second books in trilogies can hit a lull, this book kept me intrigued the whole time. The world is so rich that it just really draws you in. The lore of the world established in the first book is really expanded on in a natural way and it truly kept me hooked the whole time! It was easy to get to know the newly introduced character (and a new POV) while still following along with the main characters of book one. I loved seeing Leetle’s growth through the story. I just wanted to see more of her POV to see what she’s seeing and putting together! Also the plot twists!! I was guessing what comes next the whole time. I cannot wait to read the next book!

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.