Cursebound - Saara El Arifi
★★★★

“ You are the fire of my heart and the beat of my drum. I am yours under moonlight. Until the rhythm sings no more”

This is your sign to pick up Faebound and inhale it, ready for the launch of Cursebound. This was a perfect sequel to Faebound, with rich, intricate lore, a sapphic love story disabled representation and beautifully real characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an arc copy of this. It still blows my mind to be accepted for such big upcoming stories.
From the bottom of my little heart, thank you. You made my Christmas wishes come true.

As much as I love all of the characters (even if Furi annoys me at times) the star of the show is always, and will forever be Pila, Yeeran’s bonded Obeah. I desperately want to bond to one of my own.

Cursebound carries on from where Faebound culminates and jumping straight back into the story was welcome. The use of Lettles diary to remind yourself of the events of Book 1 was so useful and written so perfectly. I can’t wait to see what book 3 brings us and how this story ends. The ending really twisted in a way I was not expecting. 

Faebound and Cursebound are for you if any of the following speaks to you;

- Bonded animal companions
- Sapphic love stories
- Gods and their lore
- Humans vs Fae vs Elves
- Prophecies and Fates
- Difficult decisions and twisty plots
- No one is good and no one is evil.

A personal note as to why I loved is that the LGBTQ+, disabled and non-binary characters feel fully fleshed out and are seamlessly written.

#fantasybooks #romantasybooks #sapphicfantasty #cursebound #faebound #saaraelarifi #fantasyreads #bookreview #bookrecommendation #bookrecs

Wow, I very much enjoyed reading Cursebound. I hadn’t read a book that made me feel this way in quite a while, and I absolutely loved it. This was even better than the first book, which is rarely the case with second books in a series.

First off, it had been 11 months since I read Faebound, so I was a little hesitant going into this book without remembering all the details and twists. I even searched online for reviews with spoilers for Faebound to refresh my memory but couldn’t find any. I decided to dive in anyway, and let me tell you—Saara El-Arifi is a magician at weaving in all the details from the first book into the narrative. Everything was summarized beautifully, and I never once felt lost because of forgotten details from the first book.

Second, the addition of the "Notes on Mosima" (AKA a glossary) is amazing. Every fantasy book should have one, so thank you for including it. It’s such a thoughtful addition that really enhances the reading experience.

And third, the story itself—just incredible. I feel like this book is the perfect middle installment of a trilogy. While the first book was heavily driven by character development, this one focused on world-building and deepening the characters’ stories, setting the stage for what promises to be an epic conclusion in the final book. The writing is wonderful and easy to follow. The plot—or rather, plots, since there are multiple threads within this book—is engaging and never feels boring. The characters are all distinct and compelling, and the multiple POVs add so much depth and richness to the narrative. And the ending? Absolutely epic.

Honestly, this book was so good that I hope I never see a negative review of it—I’d hate for any critique to dim my enthusiasm. I loved Cursebound, and I can’t wait to see how the series concludes!

Even better than the first.

If you haven't started this trilogy, DO IT. It doesn't matter it isn't finished yet. GO START IT NOW. It has a diverse cast of characters, disability representation, a mild amount of spice, straight relationships, sapphic relationships, trans characters (honestly gender is a social construct and the elves and fae do NOT care), and wholesome sibling love/rivalry.

When I tell you I literally SQUEALED when I got an advanced copy of this book (thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group) I am not exageratting. Faebound was one of my favorite reads of 2024, but Cursebound might have topped it.

We once again follow sisters Yeeran and Lettle, two elves who end up ensnared by the world of Fae (each with their own romance, one sapphic and one straight). But we are also joined by a few other narrators including Alder, a nomadic elf who doesn't remember most of his life. The war between elven tribes is over, but the war between the races is just heating up.

If I squealed when I got an ARC, I SCREAMED when the twist happened. There are so few times where I am suprised in books. BUT OH MY LORD. Saara El-Arifi you are amazing and I have no idea how I did not see that coming.

IG and Tiktok reviews to come.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

I was really interested to see how the plot would develop from Faebound and to be honest I felt that it didn’t develop much. There was an additional character with an interesting backstory (Alder) and a couple of plot twists but aside from that not much happened.

That being said I will finish the trilogy to see where all the plot goes and how the characters develop. 3.5 ⭐️

It came at a great disappointment that I didn’t enjoy this sequel as much as Faebound. I was just hoping for more. The characters lacked growth, most of the revelations were predictable, conflict between characters was futile, and overall it felt rushed in almost every way. To be frank it felt like a filler.

That journal format recap in the beginning though? Clever and much appreciated. The new characters and POVs that were introduced were also a treat. Although, when it came to the OG characters they were naive, making rash decisions, and acting out of character. This made them feel more juvenile and as I stated prior, their character growth regressed.

Which brings me to the anticlimactic “battle”, if you can even call it that. It was utterly pointless. It was over in less than a few paragraphs and left me with multiple unanswered questions. Even though most of the revelations were predictable, the final twist admittedly had my jaw on the floor and has me interested enough to see how the story concludes.

Despite the issues, I will be continuing on in hopes that this series can be redeemed.

Thank you Netgalley & Del Rey for an eARC.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment in the Faebound trilogy. The world and magic system in this book/ series is so interesting. The amount of twists and revelations in this book specifically made it so entertaining - I stayed up until sunrise reading it

The only thing I didn’t care for was some of the romance - it’s just not doing it for me. I like the characters individually but as couples I could do without some of the super detailed romantic scenes. There is a new couple that forms in this book though that was refreshing

I would have loved to get more into the details of the Nomads and have some more drawn out action scenes but the book was still enjoyable.

I can’t wait for the final book in there series! I can’t wait to know more about the Obeah, Alder and Anyah

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. It's a little funny that this will be my last review of the year considering the first book of this trilogy was my first review of the year. I think this is a strong second book for a trilogy. I enjoyed the progression of the story. I absolutely loved that new characters were introduced and the world building was expanded on. This book sucked me in and I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. The downside, now I have no idea how long I'll have to wait for the last book. Good book, can't wait to see how everything gets wrapped up.

An incredible follow up to Faebound! I love how Saara seamlessly weaves in the events of the first book in the opening pages - it sometimes takes me a moment to catch up when reading sequels, but I fell right back into the world and characters. I loved the characters and fae/obeah bond in book one, and this second book is just as good and introduces new characters and secrets. The dynamics between lovers, siblings, and family is so well explored and nuanced, as well the relation between agency and fate. I devoured this in a couple sittings because I was so hooked and needed to know the identity of the Authority, and now I'm eagerly anticipating book three!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Magical Sequel.

I dove into Cursebound, the sequel to Faebound, with enthusiasm and was rewarded with a captivating read. While it didn't quite surpass the magic of the first book, it remained an engaging and enjoyable adventure.

The world-building, which I adored in Faebound, continued to impress. The obeah, magical animal companions, added a delightful layer to the story. The writing was great, making this fantasy accessible to all.

The plot unfolded at a fast pace, filled with prophecies, assassination attempts, and political intrigue. The multiple POVs worked well, keeping me invested in the characters' journeys. I appreciated the addition of Alder, a new character who brought a fresh perspective.

While some aspects, like the mystery and character development, felt a bit predictable and glossed over, the book remained an entertaining read. The queernormative world and diverse characters were a highlight, although I felt that the use of non-binary characters' pronouns could be improved.

The book's strongest aspect was its ability to balance action, romance, and politics seamlessly. The summary of the first book, presented as a journal entry, was a wonderful touch.

Overall, I'd give Cursebound 3.5 out of 5 stars. Fans of Faebound will likely enjoy this sequel, despite some minor drawbacks. I'm looking forward to seeing how the series unfolds.

I was so excited to get this as an ARC (thank you Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group!) but this is such a hard book for me rate because I while think Saara El-Arifi does a good jump in continuing to expand the lore of book one, the actual writing gets to me at times. The lore of this book is truly what interests me most and just trying to unravel the history between the human, elves, and humans. We get the addition of a new character (Adler), and his POV, which I thought added to the story for sure. There is also a new romance here that I thought was cute - even though most this book occurs in a timespan of like...a week. I also liked the plot twist at the end.

With that being said, I think some of my complaints from book 1 still hold true. Lettle's chapters in particular are hard for me to get through because they are all telling and not showing. I am also trying to understand the point of prophecies if the author is just going to tell us what they mean within a few pages, or they are so crystal clear to the readers but not to Lettle. Additionally, this book heavily relied on characters just...not talking to one another to add problems and discourse in the story. While I did not see the last plot twist coming...all the others in the story I saw coming from a mile away.

The reason that the reason I still gave this 3 stars is because I do LOVE the representation in this book. We have POC, we have queer relationships, we have disabled characters, and even nonbinary characters. For what this author is trying to accomplish, I have to give them credit for this.

3.75/5 Stars | A victim of the second book in a trilogy curse, but still worth the read

What I liked: I liked the introduction of new characters, along with the development of the overall world. I also really like how this book connected disparate groups or characters and set up well for the final book.

What I didn't like: This book felt like a filler book. And I really REALLY hate to say that. There wasn't any character or relationship development for our two main couples, and I don't think we needed about 85% of what was in here. Every resolution was so immediate and nothing felt earned as far as resolutions. Even the plot twist wasn't as twisty as I hoped it to be.

I will still finish this series, but I am sad to say that I didn't love this as much as I loved book 1. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Del Ray for the advance copy of this book!

I adore Faebound so I was beyond excited to read this and the sequel did not disappoint. The story, the betrayal and deception, the future. All of it. I loved where the story went and I can't wait to see how it continues. Even though a lot of this book was set-up for what comes next, it didn't feel like a throw away. It did a good job of building anticipation.


I also feel like the writing improved between the two books as well, it felt a little more mature when it came to character's emotional responses. Don't get me wrong, the characters are still super dramatic at times, but it felt more natural.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I feel like the personalities of the characters do not match any of the character development we saw in book 1. Personally, El-Arifi’s writing style is not for me but I understand why so many people love her work.

Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi was fantastic!! Saara El-Arifi is one of my favorite authors, really amazing story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This falls somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me. I struggled to get back into this series and I felt like some of the conflicts were resolved too easily. That being said, I couldn't put the last half of this book down and really felt like the plot was accelerating at a speed I enjoy. The ending of this book pushes it closer to 4 stars and I really can't wait to see where this series goes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Del Ray for giving me an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review! I can’t BELIEVE I now have to wait another YEAR for the conclusion of this series!! This honestly might have been better than the first book, which almost never happens with the second book in a trilogy. I started my year with “Faebound” and I’m now ending it with “Cursebound,” truly the perfect bookends. BUT THE ENDING?? And I have to WAIT a WHOLE YEAR?! Go read this series now, suffer in the eager anticipation along side me. I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed this book.

Yeeran and Lettle are two elf sisters who have ended up as consorts to the King and Queen of the Fae living in Mosima (which sounds gorgeous, full of glowing stargliders and thousand fruit orchards). Lettle has the daunting task of trying to solve racism amongst the fae, figuring out why The Powers That Be aren’t answering the prophecy phone anymore, and dodging attempts on her life. Yeeran has the daunting task of having to speak to her ex while wearing her clothes inside out. I would die. I loved the worldbuilding and the complex relationships, and while some characters do make dumb decisions, they’re usually understandable dumb decisions. Golan is a sweetheart and deserves everything, and I’m so glad he has a bigger role in this book than the first one. The ending had me gasping. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Saara El-Arifi for the ARC copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Del Ray for the eARC of Cursebound in exchange for an honest review.

Cursebound is the second in a trilogy by Saara El-Arifi. It follows two elven sisters - Yeeran and Lettle on their continued journey living in the fae lands. Yeeran at the start of the novel, left her new love, the Queen of the fae, to return to the elven lands to warn them of new magic implemented in the Forever War that was given as a gift courtesy of a betraying fae ally. However, she soon learns her life in the fae lands has changed her in more ways than one, and who she thought she trusted back home may be more power hungry than she initially realized.

Meanwhile, Lettle is chafing at the bonds of her new titles of consort to the King and Seer. She'd rather spend her days trying to break the curse binding the fae to Mosima, and she feels like she might just be able to do so when a mysteriously traveler winds up in her path. However, how can you break a curse and fulfill prophecies when the fates no longer speak to you?

This was such an amazing sequel to Faebound. I loved how the political landscape was discussed; how social issues were navigated; how relationships were explored - the ups and downs that come with everyday difficulties and treason; and the complicated sisterly bond. El-Arifi does an incredible job weaving characters stories together in such a compelling way that makes you never want to leave Mosima. I'm so excited for this to be released and for the third book, so I know what happens next!

I just finished Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi, and it’s safe to say I’m completely wrapped up in this sequel. The stakes are higher, the emotions run deeper, and the world feels even more vivid and expansive. Picking up where Faebound left off, this book delves into themes of love, betrayal, and the devastating consequences of war—both internal and external.

Yeeran’s journey is heartbreaking and powerful. Her return to her homeland, only to face the specter of her past lover’s betrayal, had me glued to every page. The tension between duty and desire is palpable, and her struggles made her arc feel deeply human, despite the epic fantasy setting. Meanwhile, Lettle’s determination to uncover the truth behind the curse kept me intrigued. Her interactions with the mysterious stranger brought a fresh layer of intrigue to the story, and her persistence made her a character I couldn’t help but root for.

What I love most about El-Arifi’s writing is how she seamlessly blends rich world-building with complex, flawed characters. The fae court, the elven lands, and the growing rift between these two worlds all felt alive with danger and wonder. And while the romance is swoon-worthy, it’s never overbearing—it always serves the story and the characters’ growth.

The pacing occasionally felt uneven, and I found myself wishing for more resolution in certain plotlines, but the emotional depth and stunning prose more than made up for it. The ending left me with a mix of hope and heartbreak, and now I’m anxiously awaiting the final book in the trilogy.

✧˖°. ⤷ I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.